Patent ID: 7997375
Filing Date: 2011-08-16
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A vehicle hood apparatus for shielding a windshield of a vehicle during a collision with an object to protect vehicle cabin occupants from injury that otherwise may be caused by the object being projected through the windshield, the vehicle hood apparatus comprising: a hood member which is configured to close an upper opening of a chamber space portion formed in front of a cabin of a vehicle; an actuating mechanism comprising left and right first guide members slidably connecting opposite sides of said hood member to the vehicle, left and right second guide members fixedly connected to opposite sides of said hood member, left and right rearward actuators each having a first end that is slidably connected to said left and right second guide members respectively, and left and right forward actuators connected to opposite sides of said hood member; wherein said actuating mechanism is coupled to said hood member of the vehicle and operable to position said hood member between a first position where said hood member is not shielding at least a portion of a windshield of the vehicle, and a second position where said hood member is shielding at least a portion of the windshield of the vehicle; a vehicle collision detecting sensor operable to output a collision signal corresponding to a detected collision with the vehicle; a vehicle speed sensor operable to output a speed signal corresponding to the speed at which the vehicle is moving; and a control unit for operating said actuating mechanism to move said hood member from said first position to said second position upon receiving said collision signal indicating a collision with the vehicle, and receiving said speed signal corresponding to a vehicle speed above a threshold speed.