US 7,520,363 B2
Vehicle safety device
Hiroyoshi Yamaguchi, Yokohama (Japan); Minoru Takakura, Yokohama (Japan); Eiji Shimizu, Yokohama (Japan); Yorimitsu Hirata, Fuchu-cho (Japan); Mitsuru Wakiie, Fuchu-cho (Japan); Arihiro Furumoto, Fuchu-cho (Japan); and Takashi Ebisugi, Fuchu-cho (Japan)
Assigned to Mazda Motor Corporation, Hiroshima (Japan)
Filed on Mar. 09, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/370,865.
Claims priority of application No. 2005-087139 (JP), filed on Mar. 24, 2005; and application No. 2005-087140 (JP), filed on Mar. 24, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2006/0213709 A1, Sep. 28, 2006
Int. Cl. B60R 21/34 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 180—274  [180/69.21] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle safety device provided on a hood which covers an engine room of a vehicle when a forward end of said hood is hooked to a vehicle body, said vehicle safety device comprising:
an actuator which applies an upward thrusting force to the hood from underside at a point close to a rear end thereof to raise the rear end of the hood by a specific amount when an obstacle is detected, and
a mechanical connector which connects the rear end of said hood to said vehicle body, said mechanical connector being structured such that, when said actuator raises the rear end of said hood, said mechanical connector extends while swinging about a pivot by which said mechanical connector is joined to said vehicle body, said mechanical connector including:
a rod; and
a locking part having a through hole in which said rod is inserted, wherein said locking part engages with said rod in such a manner that said rod can move in only one direction in which said rod is extracted from said locking part, and said rod is disengaged from said locking part when said rod and said locking part are relatively turned about a longitudinal axis of said rod,
wherein said rod has a mating part formed only on a semi-cylindrical portion on one side of a curved outer surface of the rod along a longitudinal direction thereof and a smooth surface formed on a semi-cylindrical portion on the opposite side of the curved outer surface of the rod,
said locking part includes a meshing plug having a mating part which engages with the mating part of said rod in such a manner that said meshing plug is biased toward said rod, and wherein said rod is disengaged from said meshing plug of said locking part when said rod and said locking part are relatively turned in such a way that said smooth surface of the rod is oriented toward the mating part of the meshing plug.