Abstract:
A decklid hinge is provided for a rear compartment of a vehicle. The decklid hinge includes a body side strap adapted to be connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle. The decklid hinge also includes a decklid side strap adapted to be connected to a decklid for closing a recess of the rear compartment. The decklid hinge includes a first link interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap for allowing rotation therebetween. The decklid hinge further includes a second link interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap for guiding pivoting action of the hinge along a predefined path. The decklid hinge includes a primary spring interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap to counterbalance a weight of the decklid when opening. The decklid hinge further includes a free-rise mechanism to allow the decklid to free-rise from a partial open position to a full open position.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to hinges for vehicles and, more particularly, to a decklid hinge for a vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is known to provide a decklid for a vehicle to open and close a rear compartment or trunk of a vehicle body of the vehicle. Typically, the deck lid is attached to the vehicle body with at least one, preferably a pair of laterally spaced hinges. Currently, the decklid hinges of the free-rise type use a large size goose-neck hinge for counter-balancing a weight of the decklid. However, these goose-neck hinges reduce trunk volume of the rear compartment by 1 to 1.5 cu. ft. This is undesired because trunk volume is a key attribute that purchasers compare when making a vehicle selection. 
     One attempt to maintain trunk volume and counterbalance the weight of the decklid is to use either pneumatic or hydraulic devices. However, the cost of such devices is prohibitive and results in adding complexity to a vehicle assembly process. 
     Because the overall length of vehicles is being reduced in some cases, the trunk volume is relatively small. The type of hinge that can be used in such a situation is a four-bar hinge, but this type of hinge does not allow free-rise capability. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a decklid hinge for a decklid of a vehicle that provides a four-bar hinge with free-rise capability for the decklid. It is also desirable to provide a decklid hinge for a decklid of a vehicle that includes a counterbalance mechanism to counter a weight of the decklid. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a decklid hinge for a vehicle that meets these desires. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a new decklid hinge for a vehicle. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a decklid hinge for a vehicle that includes a free-rise feature on a four-bar hinge. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a decklid hinge for a decklid of a vehicle that includes a counterbalance mechanism to counter a weight of the decklid. 
     To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a decklid hinge for a decklid on a rear compartment of a vehicle including a body side strap adapted to be connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle. The decklid hinge also includes a decklid side strap adapted to be connected to a decklid for closing a recess of the rear compartment. The decklid hinge includes a first link interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap for allowing rotation therebetween. The decklid hinge further includes a second link interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap for guiding pivoting action of the hinge along a predefined path. The decklid hinge includes a primary spring interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap to counterbalance a weight of the decklid when opening. The decklid hinge further includes a free-rise mechanism to allow the decklid to free-rise from a partial open position to a full open position. 
     One advantage of the present invention is that a new decklid hinge is provided for a decklid of a vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge incorporates a free-rise feature and counterbalance on a four bar hinge to allow maximum utilization of trunk volume without adding significant cost or complexity to the vehicle. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge is a mechanical type that is easy to maintain and offers better reliability than a pneumatic or hydraulic system. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge incorporates a free-rise feature on a four bar hinge to combine the compact package size of a four bar hinge with the convenience of a free-rise decklid. A further advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge incorporates a free-rise feature on a four bar hinge that allows added user convenience because it will allow the user to open the decklid at forty-five degrees (45°) to shield cargo from rain when it is raining and also allow the user to open the decklid to the full open position hands-free to enable easy cargo loading and unloading. 
    
    
     Other objects, 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 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a decklid hinge, according to the present invention, illustrated in operational relationship with a vehicle. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the decklid hinge of FIG. 1 illustrated in an open operating position. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment, according to the present invention, of the decklid hinge of FIG. 1 illustrated in a closed operating position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings and in particular FIG. 1, one embodiment of a decklid hinge  10 , according to the present invention, is shown for a vehicle such as a motor vehicle, generally indicated at  12 . Such motor vehicles  12  typically include a vehicle body  14  (partially shown) forming a trunk or rear compartment  16 . The rear compartment  16  has 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 decklid  26  closing the recess  20 . The decklid  26  is attached to the rear compartment  16  of the vehicle body  14  by at least one, preferably a pair of laterally spaced decklid hinges  10 . It should be appreciated that only one decklid hinge  10  is illustrated in FIG.  1  and will be subsequently described. It should also be appreciated that, except for the decklid hinge  10 , the vehicle  12  is conventional and known in the art. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the decklid hinge  10  includes a body side strap  28  to allow the decklid hinge  10  to be mounted to the vehicle body  14 . The body side strap  28  is generally rectangular in shape. The body side strap  28  extends longitudinally and has at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures  30  extending therethrough. The decklid hinge  10  also includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners (not shown) such as bolts to attach the body side strap  28  to the vehicle body  14 . Each of the fasteners extends through some of the apertures  30  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 . It should be appreciated that the fasteners are conventional and known in the art. 
     The body side strap  28  also includes a flange  32  extending generally perpendicularly and laterally outwardly at one end thereof. The flange  32  is generally rectangular in shape. The flange  32  may include a spring retention hook  34  extending laterally and longitudinally therefrom for a function to be described. The body side strap  28  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes a decklid side strap  36  to allow the decklid  26  to be attached to the decklid hinge  10 . The decklid side strap  36  has a generally inverted “U” shaped cross-section. The decklid side strap  36  extends longitudinally and has a base wall  38  and a pair of side walls  40  spaced laterally and extending generally perpendicular to the base wall  38 . The base wall  38  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures  42  extending therethrough. The decklid hinge  10  also includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners  44  such as bolts to attach the decklid side strap  36  to the decklid  26 . Each of the fasteners  44  may include a washer  46  and extend through some of the apertures  42  and corresponding apertures (not shown) in the decklid  26  and are engaged by nuts  48  to prevent the fasteners  44  from disengaging the apertures  42 . The decklid side strap  36  is made of a rigid material such as metal. It should be appreciated that the fasteners  44  are conventional and known in the art. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes a first or short link  50  to allow pivoting action of the decklid hinge  10 . The first link  50  extends longitudinally and has a base wall  52  and a side wall  54  extending generally perpendicular to the base wall  52 . The base wall  52  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures (not shown) extending therethrough. The decklid hinge  10  also includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners  56  such as bolts to attach the first link  50  to the decklid side strap  36  at a forward end thereof and to the body side strap  28  at a forward end thereof. The first link  50  also includes a flange  58  extending generally perpendicularly and laterally outwardly at one end thereof. The flange  58  may have an aperture  60  extending therethrough to receive a fastener (not shown) such as a bolt. The short link  50  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes a second or upper link, generally indicated at  62 , to guide the pivoting action of the hinge  10  along a predetermined path. The upper link  62  includes an upper long link  64  extending longitudinally. The upper long link  64  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures (not shown) extending therethrough. The upper long link  64  may include a flange  65  extending outwardly to act as a stop when the decklid hinge  10  is in a service position. The upper long link  64  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  also includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners  66  such as bolts. One of the fasteners  66  is used to attach the upper long link  64  to the decklid side strap  36  at a forward end thereof. It should be appreciated that the fasteners  66  are conventional and known in the art. 
     The upper link  62  also includes a lower long link  68  extending longitudinally. The fasteners  66  attach the lower long link  68  to a rearward end of the upper long link  64  and a rearward end of the body side strap  28 . The upper link  62  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes a pop and hang link  70  to enable the decklid  26  to pop and hang at an approximately forty-five degrees (45°) open position. The pop and hang link  70  has an aperture (not shown) extending therethrough to receive the fastener  66  to attach the pop and hang link  70  to the decklid side strap  36 . The pop and hang link  70  also has a first flange  72  extending outwardly and overlapping the short link  50 . The first flange  72  has an aperture (not shown) extending therethrough to receive a fastener  74  for a function to be described. The pop and hang link  70  also has a second flange  76  extending outwardly and opposite the first flange  72 . The second flange  76  has an aperture (not shown) extending therethrough to receive a fastener  78  for a function to be described. The pop and hang link  70  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  also includes a free rise link  80  to enable the decklid  26  to free-rise to a full open condition. The free rise link  80  extends longitudinally and has an aperture  82  extending therethrough to receive the fastener  66  to attach the free rise link  80  to the decklid side strap  36 . The free rise link  80  also has an aperture  84  extending therethrough for a function to be described. The free rise link  80  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes a main spring  86  to power the decklid  26  to a pop and hang position by applying a force to the pop and hang link  70 . The main spring  86  is of a coil type and has a first end connected to the fastener  74  on the pop and hang link  70 . The main spring  86  also has a second end connected to the spring retention hook  40 . It should be appreciated that the main spring  86  applies a force to counterbalance the weight of the decklid  26 . 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes a secondary spring  88  to power the decklid  26  from the pop and hang position to a free-rise position by applying a force to the free rise link  80 . The secondary spring  88  is of a coil type and has a first end extending through the aperture  84  and connected to the free rise link  80 . The main spring  86  also has a second end connected to the fastener  78  on the pop and hang link  70 . It should be appreciated that the secondary spring  88  applies a force to the free rise link  80  to power the decklid  26  from the pop and hang position to a free-rise position. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the decklid hinge  10  is shown in open and closed operating positions, respectively. With the decklid hinge  10 , if the user wants to open the decklid  26  when it is raining, the user can activate a remote key (not shown) to allow the decklid  26  to open and “pop” to a forty-five degree (45°) open angle, shielding the contents in the recess  18  of the rear compartment  16 . If the decklid  26  needs to be opened to a full open position for loading and unloading large objects, the user can apply a force to the free rise link  80  via the decklid  26  to power the decklid  26  from the pop and hang position to a free-rise position to open the decklid  26  to its full open position. It should be appreciated that the decklid  26  can be shut manually like any other decklid  26 . It should also be appreciated that the decklid hinge  10  allows the decklid  26  to be rotated open and closed. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, another embodiment, according to the present invention, of the decklid hinge  10  is shown. Like parts have like reference numerals. In this embodiment, the decklid hinge  10  includes a free-rise solenoid  90  to mechanically disconnect the pop and hang link  70  and free rise link  80  when a remote key (not shown) is activated for a second time, allowing free-rise action to occur. The free-rise solenoid  90  is of an electric type and has a first end connected to the body side bracket  28  and an extendable and retractable member  92  to engage and disengage an aperture or solenoid catch  94  on the pop and hang link  70 . The free-rise solenoid  90  is connected to a source of power such as an electronic controller (not shown). 
     With the decklid hinge  10 , if the user wants to open the decklid  26  when it is raining, the user can activate the remote key once and the decklid  26  will “pop” to a forty-five degree (45°) open angle, shielding the contents in the recess  18  of the rear compartment  16 . If the decklid  26  needs to be opened to a full open position for loading and unloading large objects, the user can activate the remote key again. When this occurs, the controller outputs a signal to the free-rise solenoid  90  to retract the member  92  to disengage the solenoid catch  94 , allowing the decklid  26  to open to its full open position. The decklid  26  can be shut manually like any other decklid  26  and the free-rise solenoid  90  will reset itself automatically to extend the member  92  to engage the solenoid catch  94 . It should be appreciated that the free-rise solenoid  90  mechanically connects the pop and hang link  70  and free rise link  80  in the closed or reset position. 
     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. 
     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.