Abstract:
A gooseneck hinge assembly for a closure of a vehicle includes a body side strap adapted to be connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle and a closure side strap having a gooseneck shape adapted to be connected to a closure for closing an opening in the vehicle body. The gooseneck hinge assembly also includes a pivot pin pivotally connecting the closure side strap and the body side strap to allow rotational movement therebetween. The gooseneck hinge assembly further includes a wedge bumper interconnecting the body side strap and the closure side strap to allow the decklid to free rise to a fully open position and to dampen an impact of the closure side strap.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of copending U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 60/690,227, filed Jun. 14, 2005. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to hinges for vehicles and, more particularly, to a gooseneck hinge assembly for a vehicle.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     It is known to provide a closure such as a decklid for a vehicle to open and close a rear compartment or trunk of a vehicle body of the vehicle. Typically, the decklid is attached to the vehicle body with at least one, preferably a pair of laterally spaced hinges. Currently, the decklid hinges are of a goose-neck type for allowing motion of the decklid from a fully open position to a fully closed position. However, these goose-neck hinges typically require the use of additional hinge bumpers or gas struts. For traditional hinge bumpers, these bumpers are attached directly to a goose-neck shaped member below a hinge box and have significantly more rebound that causes the decklid to oscillate toward a partial closing condition, before again cycling up to an open position, which is undesired. For gas struts, the gas struts provide decklid opening force and also provide a dampened full open stop. However, gas struts are more costly than traditional hinge bumpers, which is undesired.  
         [0004]     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a gooseneck hinge for a closure of a vehicle that eliminates the need for hinge bumpers and gas struts. It is also desirable to provide a gooseneck hinge that reduces rebound response time and rebound travel. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a gooseneck hinge for a vehicle that meets these desires.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Accordingly, the present invention is a gooseneck hinge assembly for a closure of a vehicle including a body side strap adapted to be connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle and a closure side strap having a gooseneck shape adapted to be connected to a decklid for closing an opening in the vehicle body. The gooseneck hinge assembly also includes a pivot pin pivotally connecting the closure side strap and the body side strap to allow rotational movement therebetween. The gooseneck hinge assembly further includes a wedge bumper interconnecting the body side strap and the closure side strap to allow the decklid to free rise to a fully open position and to dampen an impact of the closure side strap.  
         [0006]     One advantage of the present invention is that a new gooseneck hinge assembly is provided for a closure such as a decklid or liftgate of a vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the gooseneck hinge assembly incorporates a wedge bumper that significantly reduces a rebound response time and rebound travel. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the gooseneck hinge assembly improves operator opening for vehicle closures such as decklids or liftgates on a vehicle. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the gooseneck hinge assembly reduces mass and cost including assembly labor.  
         [0007]     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a gooseneck hinge assembly, according to the present invention, illustrated in operational relationship with a vehicle.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the gooseneck hinge assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an elevational view of the gooseneck hinge assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion of the gooseneck hinge assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0012]     Referring to the drawings and in particular  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of a gooseneck hinge assembly  10 , according to the present invention, is shown for a vehicle such as an automotive vehicle, generally indicated at  12 . Such vehicles  12  typically include a vehicle body  14  (partially shown) forming a trunk or rear compartment  16 . The rear compartment  16  has an opening such as a recess  18  therein. The recess  18  is formed by a floorpan  20  and side walls  22  extending upwardly from the floorpan  20  and generally perpendicular thereto. The vehicle body  14  also includes a closure such as a decklid  24  closing the recess  18 . The decklid  24  is attached to the rear compartment  16  of the vehicle body  14  by at least one, preferably a pair of laterally spaced gooseneck hinge assemblies  10 . It should be appreciated that only one gooseneck hinge assembly  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and will be subsequently described. It should also be appreciated that, except for the gooseneck hinge assembly  10 , the vehicle  12  is conventional and known in the art.  
         [0013]     Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 4 , the gooseneck hinge assembly  10  includes a body side bracket or strap  26  to be mounted to the vehicle body  14 . The body side strap  26  is generally rectangular in shape. The body side strap  26  has a base portion  28  with a generally inverted “U’ shape. The base portion  28  has at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures  30  extending therethrough for a function to be described. The body side strap  26  also has a pair of opposed side portions  32  extending longitudinally from the base portion  28 . Each of the side portions  32  has at least one enlarged aperture  34  and a plurality of tooling apertures  35  extending therethrough for a function to be described. The body side strap  26  also has a first support portion  36  extending laterally between the side portions  32  and a second support portion  38  spaced longitudinally from the first support portion  36  and extending laterally between the side portions  32 . The first support portion  36  and second support portion  38  each have a generally inverted “U” shape. Each of the first support portion  36  and second support portion  38  has at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures  40  extending therethrough for a function to be described.  
         [0014]     The gooseneck hinge assembly  10  also includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners  41  such as bolts to attach the body side strap  26  to the vehicle body  14 . The fasteners  41  extend through some of the apertures  30  and  40  in the body side strap  26  and corresponding apertures (not shown) in the vehicle body  14  and are engaged by nuts (not shown) to prevent the fasteners from disengaging the apertures  30  and  40 . The body side strap  26  is made of a rigid material such as metal. The body side strap  26  may be formed in one or more pieces joined together by a suitable mechanism such as welding. The body side strap  26  is integral and one-piece. It should be appreciated that the fasteners  41  are conventional and known in the art.  
         [0015]     The gooseneck hinge assembly  10  further includes a closure side bracket or strap  42  to allow the decklid  24  to be attached to the body side strap  26 . The closure side strap  42  has a generally “gooseneck” shape. The closure side strap  42  is a hollow member having a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape. The closure side strap  42  has a generally arcuate base portion  44  and an attachment portion  46  extending longitudinally from one end of the base portion  44 . The base portion  44  may include at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures (not shown) extending therethrough near one end thereof for a function to be described. The base portion  44  may also have a pair of opposed slots (not shown) extending therein from one end thereof on sides adjacent the apertures. The attachment portion  46  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures  52  extending therethrough for a function to be described.  
         [0016]     The gooseneck hinge assembly  10  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners (not shown) such as bolts to attach the closure side strap  42  to the decklid  24 . The fasteners extend through some of the apertures  52  in the attachment portion  46  and corresponding apertures (not shown) in the decklid  24  and are engaged by nuts (not shown) to prevent the fasteners from disengaging the apertures. The closure side strap  42  is made of a rigid material such as metal. The closure side strap  42  is integral and one-piece. It should be appreciated that the fasteners are conventional and known in the art.  
         [0017]     The gooseneck hinge assembly  10  also includes at least one first or pivot pin  54  to pivotally attach the closure side strap  42  to the body side strap  26  at a forward end thereof. The pivot pin  54  includes a head portion extending radially, a shaft portion extending generally axially from the head portion, and a flange portion extending radially outwardly near one end thereof. The shaft portion extends through a pair of opposed apertures  34  of the body side strap  26  and a pair of opposed apertures (not shown) of the closure side strap  42  such that the head portion is disposed on one side of the body side strap  26  and the flange portion is disposed on the other side of the body side strap  26 . The pivot pin  54  is made of a rigid material such as metal.  
         [0018]     The gooseneck hinge assembly  10  also includes a bumper  64  to allow the decklid  24  to free rise to a fully open position and to dampen the impact of the closure side strap  42 . The bumper  64  is of wedge type. The bumper  64  has a generally inverted “U” shape. The bumper  64  has a base wall  66  extending laterally and a pair of opposed side walls  68  extending generally vertically or perpendicularly from the base wall  66 . The side walls  68  have inner surfaces  70  that are tapered or inclined from the base wall  66  toward a free end thereof. In one embodiment, the bumper  64  may include at least one, preferably a plurality of projections  72  extending laterally from the side walls  68 . The bumper  64  may also include at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures  74  extending through the side walls  68 . The bumper  64  is disposed between the side walls  32  of the body side strap  26 . The apertures  74  are aligned with corresponding apertures  35  in the side walls  32  of the body side strap  26  and a pin (not shown) may be inserted through the apertures  74  in the bumper  64  and the apertures  35  of the body side strap  26  and staked or riveted thereto. The projections  72  of the bumper  64  extend through corresponding apertures  35  in the side walls  32  of the body side strap  26  and create an anti-rotation feature. The bumper  64  is made of a dampening material such as an elastomeric material. It should be appreciated that, any suitable mechanism, may be used to secure the bumper  64  between the side walls  32  of the body side strap  26  such as by an adhesive. It should also be appreciated that the gooseneck hinge assembly  10  may also include a torque rod (not shown) to power the decklid  24  to an open position by applying a force to the closure side strap  42  and to counterbalance the weight of the decklid  24 .  
         [0019]     The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.  
         [0020]     Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.