Abstract:
A vehicle hood closure control and release system including a hood release mounted to a vehicle frame. The hood release may include a pivotally mounted hood release handle pivotable for unlatching a vehicle hood having a grille mounted thereon. A bumper may be integrally mounted to the hood release for resiliently contacting the grille and preventing slamming of the grille when the vehicle hood is moved from an open to a closed position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   a. Field of Invention 
   The invention relates generally to grilles for motor vehicles and the like, and, more particularly to devices for facilitating opening of a hood having a grille attached thereto and for preventing slamming of the grille into other components during closing of the hood. 
   b. Description of Related Art 
   As is known in the art, motor vehicle grilles are generally mounted to a hood or to a vehicle body or bumper for providing a source of ventilation for the radiator and the engine compartment, as well as for serving as a protective barrier for preventing contaminants from entering into the engine compartment. Compared to cars, trucks generally have significantly larger grilles that are often attached to the upper edge of the hood for aesthetic or other operational purposes. For example, attachment of the grille to the hood as opposed to the bumper may be necessitated by assembly feasibility and/or government crash regulations for automobile bumpers. 
   For trucks including a hood having a grille attached thereto, the hood structure is therefore significantly longer than that of cars. When a truck hood is closed, the grille can vibrate or contact a closure restraint with excessive force. Alternatively, when the truck is in motion, the grille can be a source of vibration. 
   It would therefore be of benefit to provide a structure for minimizing grille vibrations during movement of a truck, as well as for minimizing grille impact forces during closing of the hood. 
   Yet further, in order to comply with government regulations, a hood release generally includes a two-stage release process. First the hood may be partially release by pulling a release lever from the inside of a vehicle, and secondly, the hood may be fully released by activating a secondary release lever provided adjacent the hood front edge. For trucks, due to the integration of the grille at the front edge of the hood, this release function further requires modification and optimal design of the general secondary release to accommodate for the grille. 
   Because of the limited space in today&#39;s modern vehicles, the mechanism for providing the aforementioned hood release operation and its associated wiring, as well as the mechanism for controlling hood vibrations during vehicle movement and during hood closing must be adequately designed. 
   Exemplary structures for facilitating release of vehicle hoods and for controlling hood vibrations are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,496 and Japanese Patent No. 05-033537. 
   While the respective mechanisms disclosed in the aforementioned patents provide vibration control and hood release functions, it would nevertheless be of benefit to provide an improved hood release and vibration control mechanism operable with trucks and the like having a grille mounted to the front edge of the hood. It would also be of benefit to provide a mechanism which is simple to manufacture and assemble onto existing vehicles having hood/grille combinations without requiring significant redesign of the hood, grille or adjacent areas. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention solves the problems and overcomes the drawbacks and deficiencies of prior art hood vibration control and release mechanisms by providing a vehicle hood closure control and release system including a hood release mounted to a vehicle frame. The hood release may include a pivotally mounted hood release handle pivotable for unlatching a vehicle hood having a grille mounted thereon. A bumper may be integrally mounted to the hood release for resiliently contacting the grille and preventing slamming of the grille (for example into other components) when the vehicle hood is moved from an open to a closed position. 
   For the system described above, in an exemplary embodiment, the bumper may be made of an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. The bumper may include a semi-cylindrical overslam control member contiguously engageable with the grille when the vehicle hood is in the closed position. The overslam control member may include a leg having an enlarged area disposable in a complementary slot in the hood release for attaching the overslam control member to the hood release. The hood release handle may be disposable in a slot in the hood release, with the hood release handle being pivotally mounted to pull a release cable for unlatching the vehicle hood. The hood release handle may be pivotable in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction along a vehicle longitudinal direction. The hood release may include a rib engageable with the bumper for limiting movement of the bumper during closing of the vehicle hood or due to vehicle vibration. 
   The invention also provides a vehicle hood vibration control and release system including a hood release mounted to a vehicle structure. The hood release may include a hood release handle movable for unlatching a vehicle hood having a grille mounted thereon. A bumper may be integrally mounted to the hood release for resiliently contacting the grille and preventing slamming of the grille when the vehicle hood is moved from an open to a closed position. 
   The invention yet further provides a vehicle including a hood closure control and release system including a hood release mounted to a vehicle structure. The hood release may include a hood release handle movable for unlatching a vehicle hood having a grille mounted thereon. A bumper may be integrally mounted to the hood release for resiliently contacting the grille and preventing slamming of the grille (for example into other components) when the vehicle hood is moved from an open to a closed position. 
   Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the detail description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is an illustrative left side view of an integrated grille overslam bumper and secondary hood release according to the present invention illustrated in a mounted configuration; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the integrated grille overslam bumper and secondary hood release of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the integrated grille overslam bumper and secondary hood release of  FIG. 1 , particularly illustrating the mounting of the grille overslam bumper and the secondary hood release handle; 
       FIG. 4  is a right side view of the integrated grille overslam bumper and secondary hood release of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the pivotal mount of the secondary hood release handle; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged left side view of the integrated grille overslam bumper and secondary hood release of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the pivotal mount of the secondary hood release handle; 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of the integrated grille overslam bumper and secondary hood release of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  are cross-sectional views of the integrated grille overslam bumper and secondary hood release of  FIG. 1 , taken generally respectively along lines  7 A- 7 A and  7 B- 7 B in  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1-7B  illustrate various views of an integrated grille overslam bumper and secondary hood release according to the present invention, generally designated “integrated bumper and hood release system”  10 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-7B  and particularly  FIG. 1 , the invention provides an integrated bumper and hood release system  10  mounted, for example, to a vehicle frame  12 . Alternatively, bumper and hood release system  10  may be mounted the vehicle bumper, or another vehicle structural or fixed component. However, it is advantageous to mount system  10  to the vehicle frame to minimize build variations. System  10  may generally include a secondary hood release  14  and a bumper  16  fixedly attached thereto. Secondary hood release  14  may be mounted to vehicle frame  12  by means of a bolt  18 , clip or welding (for a metallic structure) and the like. Secondary hood release  14  may include a hood release handle  20  pivotally mounted to shaft  22  (see  FIG. 4 ) and pivotable by clockwise rotation of the handle relative to the vehicle longitudinal direction in the embodiment illustrated. Hood release handle  20  may include a concave extension  24  for permitting a user to engage the handle by one or more fingers. Those skilled in the art would readily appreciate in view of this disclosure that a variety of other extension configurations may be used for hood release handle  20 , and the particular design may be based on the design of grille  40  (see  FIG. 1 ), the bumper area of a vehicle, or the ergonomic needs of a customer. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , hood release handle  20  may include a release cable  26  attached thereto at  28 , with the cable being attached at its opposite end to a latch (not shown) for unlatching the hood. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , secondary hood release  14  may generally include a plurality of slots  30 , primarily for minimizing the weight thereof. A slot  32  may be provided with an opening  34  for insertion of leg  36  of hood release handle  20  in an upward direction relative to secondary hood release  14  in the orientation of  FIG. 3 . With leg  36  inserted in slot  32 , release cable  26  may be attached as shown at the end of leg  36  via a cable/shaft or another such arrangement, and hood release handle  20  may be pivotally attached to shaft  22  (see  FIG. 4 ). In the configuration illustrated, the distance between shaft  22  and the attachment  28  for cable  26  to leg  36  may be dimensioned to result in a predetermined degree of movement of cable  26  upon rotation of hood release handle  20 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , bumper  16  having a semi-cylindrical overslam control member  38  may be attached to secondary hood release  14  for engaging grille  40  during closing of hood  52  and during movement of the vehicle to minimize grille vibrations. Bumper  16  may include a leg  42  having an enlarged area  44  disposable in complementary slot  46  in secondary hood release  14 . A cutout  48  may be provided for insertion of leg  42  of the bumper. Leg  42  and/or enlarged area  44  may be respectively dimensioned larger than cutout  48  or slot  46  for providing an interference fit for bumper  16  with secondary hood release  14 . Secondary hood release  14  may further include a rib  50  engageable with an underside of bumper  16  for limiting downward movement of the bumper when hood  52  having grille  40  is first closed with force, and further, when grille  40  remains in contact with the bumper after hood  52  is closed. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, bumper may be made of an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, or other resilient materials used for automobile components. 
   The assembly and operation of integrated bumper and hood release system  10  will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , in order to assemble and utilize integrated bumper and hood release system  10 , secondary hood release  14  may first be attached to vehicle frame  12  using bolt  18 . Hood release handle  20  may then be inserted through opening  34  and release cable  26  connected thereto at location  28 . Hood release handle  20  may then be attached to shaft  22  by means of an interference fit for pivotal movement thereof. Bumper  16  may then be installed onto secondary hood release  14  by inserting leg  42  and enlarged area  44  thereof respectively into cutout  48  and complementary slot  46 . Alternatively, the aforementioned components may be provided in a pre-assembled configuration and installed as a single unit to vehicle frame  12 . 
   With bumper  16  and secondary hood release  14  assembled and installed as discussed above, in order to release hood  52 , a user may first disengage a primary release latch (not shown) by pulling or otherwise operating a release handle (not shown) inside the vehicle. The user may then release secondary hood release  14  by rotating hood release handle  20  to open hood  52 . The user may then close hood  52 , with bumper  16  contacting grille  40  to prevent slamming of the grille against the radiator (not shown) or other components adjacent secondary hood release  14 . Further, during movement of the vehicle, bumper  16  may prevent vibration of grille  40 . 
   Those skilled in the art would readily appreciate in view of this disclosure that various modifications could be made to the integrated bumper and hood release system  10  described above, without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, while bumper  16  is shown in a semi-cylindrical configuration, bumper  16  may be provided in a variety of configurations for adequately contacting and preventing vibration of grille  40 , with the particular configuration being based on the space and strength requirements for operation with a particular vehicle. Instead of leg  42  and enlarged area  44 , a variety of other configurations may be used for attaching bumper  16  to secondary hood release  14 , such as an interference fit of an enlarged convex area in a concave slot in a ball/socket type arrangement. Alternatively, bumper  16  may be mounted to secondary hood release by adhesive or use of a fastener. Further, as briefly discussed above, hood release handle  20  may be provided in a variety of configurations specifically designed for permitting movement of release cable  26  and unlatching of the secondary latch (not shown), and the specific design thereof may be based on the particular grille configuration for a given vehicle. 
   To summarize, the present invention thus provides an improved hood release and vibration control mechanism which prevents slamming of the grille, with the mechanism being simple to manufacture and assemble onto existing vehicles having hood/grille combinations without requiring significant redesign of the hood, grille or adjacent areas. 
   Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those particular embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.