Patent ID: 12227973

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Referring initially toFIGS.1and2, a vehicle10is illustrated in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle10includes a vehicle body structure12that defines a vehicle interior14and includes a hood release lever cover assembly16disposed in the vehicle interior14of the vehicle10. The vehicle interior14can be a passenger compartment within the vehicle10. The vehicle body structure12includes, among other structures, a front-end structure18and a hood20. The hood20is movably connected to the front-end structure18to be movable between a first, or closed position (shown in solid lines), and a second, or open, position (shown in dashed lines), as shown inFIG.1.

As shown inFIG.2, an instrument panel, or vehicle dashboard,22is located within the vehicle interior14. A steering wheel24is connected to a steering column (not shown), which passes through the instrument panel22.

The instrument panel22includes a recessed portion26, as shown inFIGS.2-6, which includes a hood release lever28. The recessed portion26is defined by an upper wall26A, oppositely disposed side walls26B and26C and a rear wall26D. The hood release lever28is pivotally connected to the instrument panel22of the vehicle body structure12. The hood release lever28is movable between a first position, as shown inFIG.4, and a second position, as shown inFIGS.5and6. Moving the hood release lever28from the first position to the second position releases the hood20, as shown inFIG.1. A pin30extends between the side walls26B and26C of the recessed portion26, as shown inFIG.3. The hood release lever28is movably connected to the pin30to facilitate moving between the first and second positions. As shown inFIGS.4and5, the hood release lever28is moved in a counter-clockwise direction from the first position to the second position, and a clockwise direction when moving the hood release lever28from the second position to the first position. A biasing member32, such as a torsion spring, is disposed on the pin30to bias the hood release lever28to the first position. The biasing member32facilitates returning the hood release lever28to the first position (FIG.4) from the second position (FIG.5). Alternatively, the hood release lever28can be movably connected to the vehicle body structure12within the recessed portion26in any suitable manner to facilitate moving the hood release lever28between the first and second positions. An icon34indicating a vehicle with a released hood is disposed on a front surface28A of the hood release lever28.

A fuel tank door release lever36is movably disposed in the recessed portion26of the instrument panel22, as shown inFIGS.2-6. The fuel tank door release lever36is disposed adjacent the hood release lever28. The fuel tank door release lever36is preferably disposed in a vehicle outboard direction DO (FIG.1) of the hood release lever28. The fuel tank door release lever36is disposed on the pin30(FIG.3) to facilitate moving the fuel tank door release lever36between the first and second position. A biasing member, such as a torsion spring, can be disposed on the pin30to bias the fuel tank door release lever36to the first position. The fuel tank door release lever36is moved in a counter-clockwise direction from the first position to a second position to release the fuel tank door (not shown). The fuel tank door release lever36is moved in the clockwise direction from the second position to the first position. The fuel tank door release lever36is laterally spaced from the hood release lever28, as shown inFIGS.2-6such that one of the hood release lever28and the fuel tank door release lever36can be operated without interfering with the other of the hood release lever28and the fuel tank door release lever36. An icon38indicating a fuel pump is disposed on a front surface36A of the fuel tank door release lever36. A recess40can be disposed in a lower edge36B of the fuel tank door release lever36to facilitate moving the fuel tank door release lever36between the first and second positions.

The hood release lever cover assembly16includes a bracket assembly42and a hood release lever cover44, as shown inFIGS.2-7. The bracket assembly42is configured to be connected to the recessed portion26of the vehicle body structure12of the vehicle10. The hood release lever cover44is pivotally connected to the bracket assembly42. The hood release lever cover44is movable between a first position, as shown inFIG.3, preventing movement of the hood release lever28of the vehicle10and a second position, as shown inFIGS.4-6, allowing movement of the hood release lever28.

A bracket of the bracket assembly42includes a mounting body46and a mounting arm48extending outwardly from the mounting body46, as shown inFIGS.7and8. The mounting body46is substantially planar and has at least one fastener opening50configured to receive a fastener to secure the bracket assembly42to the rear wall26D of the recessed portion26of the vehicle body structure12(FIG.1). As shown inFIGS.6and8, the mounting body46has two fastener openings50A and50B, although any suitable number of fastener openings can be used. One of the fastener openings50A is disposed proximate a first end46A of the mounting body46, and the other fastener opening50B is disposed proximate a second end46B of the mounting body46, as shown inFIG.8. The bracket of the bracket assembly42is preferably made of a metallic material, although any suitable material can be used.

The mounting arm48extends outwardly from the mounting body46, as shown inFIGS.7and8. The mounting arm48has a first end48A connected to the mounting body46. A first mounting tab52and a second mounting tab54extend outwardly from a second end48B of the mounting arm48. The first and second mounting tabs52and54extend outwardly from opposite sides of the mounting arm48. A third mounting tab56extends outwardly proximate the first end48A of the mounting arm48. The first mounting tab52and the third mounting tab56are disposed on the same side of the mounting tab48.

A pin58is rigidly connected to the mounting arm48of the bracket of the bracket assembly42, as shown inFIGS.7and8. The pin58is received by openings in the first and second mounting tabs52and54of the mounting arm48. The pin58has a first end58A and a second end58B.

A spring member60is disposed on the pin58, as shown inFIGS.7and8. The spring member60is preferably a torsion spring, although any suitable spring member can be used. A first end60A of the spring member60is connected to the bracket assembly42. The first end60A of the spring member60is preferably received by an opening56A in the third tab56of the mounting arm48of the bracket assembly42, although the first end60A of the spring member can be connected to the bracket of the bracket assembly42in any suitable manner. A second end60B of the spring member60is connected to the hood release lever cover44.

The hood release lever cover44includes a main body portion62, a first arm64and a second arm66, as shown inFIGS.7and8. The first arm64extends outwardly from the main body portion62of the hood release lever cover44. The second arm66extends outwardly from the main body portion62of the hood release lever cover44. Each of the first and second arms64and66includes an opening64A and66A, respectively, configured to receive the pin58. The first and second arms64and66are pivotally connected to the pin58, thereby pivotally connecting the hood release lever cover44to the pin58. The main body portion62includes a cutout portion62A configured to facilitate moving the hood release cover member44between the first and second positions. An icon70indicating a vehicle with a released hood is disposed on a front surface62B of the main body portion62of the hood release lever cover44. The icon70faces in a rearward vehicle direction R (FIG.1) to be visible to an occupant in the passenger compartment14. The hood release lever cover44is preferably made of a plastic material, although any suitable material can be used.

The first and second arms64and66extend in a forward direction F of the vehicle10, as shown inFIGS.7-9. The second arm66extends further forward than the first arm64, as shown inFIGS.8and9. In other words a forward end66B of the second arm66is closer to the mounting body46than a forward end64B of the first arm64. A height of the first arm64is larger than a height of the second arm66, as shown inFIG.9. The larger height of the first arm64increases the surface area of the first arm such that the increased surface area is a blocking portion to prevent access to the hood release lever28when the hood release lever cover44is in the first position (FIG.3). The second arm66is disposed proximal the side wall26C of the recessed portion26such that the side wall26C of the recessed portion prevents accessing the hood release lever28from the inboard side of the hood release lever cover assembly16when the hood release lever cover44is in the first position. The first arm64is disposed in a vehicle outboard direction DO (FIG.1) relative to the second arm66, and the second arm66is disposed in a vehicle inboard direction DI (FIG.1) relative to the first arm64. As shown inFIG.9, the shape of the first arm64is different from a shape of the second arm66.

The pin30extends between the side walls26B and26C of the recessed portion26, as shown inFIG.3. The hood release lever28and the fuel tank door release lever36are movably connected to the pin30to facilitate moving each of the hood release lever28and the fuel tank door release lever36between the first and second positions. As shown inFIG.4, the hood release lever28and the fuel tank door release lever36are disposed adjacent one another on the pin30, with a gap therebetween to facilitate independent movement of each of the hood release lever28and the fuel tank door release lever36. The hood release lever28is disposed in a vehicle inboard direction DI (FIG.1) relative to the fuel tank door release lever36. At least one spring member32is disposed on the pin30to bias each of the hood release lever28and the fuel tank door release lever36to the first position, as shown inFIG.4.

The hood release lever cover assembly16is disposed in the recessed portion26of the instrument panel22of the vehicle body structure12, as shown inFIGS.1-6. The mounting body46of the bracket of the bracket assembly42is connected to the rear wall26D of the recessed portion26. The at least one fastener opening50of the mounting body receives a fastener to secure the hood release lever cover assembly16to the recessed portion26. When the hood release lever cover assembly16is connected to the recessed portion26, the hood release lever cover44is disposed in a vehicle rearward direction R (FIG.1) relative to the hood release lever28, as shown inFIG.3, such that the hood release lever cover44substantially covers the hood release lever28when both the hood release lever cover44and the hood release lever28are in the first positions. By covering the hood release lever28, the hood release lever cover44substantially prevents accidental movement of the hood release lever28.

The pin58passes through the aligned openings66A and54A in the second arm66and the second mounting tab54, respectively, and through the aligned openings52A and64A in the first mounting tab52and the first arm64, respectively. A head58A of the pin58is larger than the opening64A in the first arm64to prevent movement of the pin toward the second arm66. A nut68is disposed on the second end58B of the pin58to prevent movement of the pin58toward the first arm64. Alternatively, both ends of the pin58can be swaged to secure the pin to the bracket assembly42.

The portion of the spring member60disposed on the pin58is disposed between the first and second mounting tabs52and54, as shown inFIG.8. The first end60A of the spring member60is received by the opening56A in the third mounting tab56, and the second end60B of the spring member60is received by the opening66A in the second arm66. The spring member60biases the hood release lever cover44to the first position, as shown inFIG.3.

The hood release lever cover44is pivotally connected to the pin58, as shown inFIGS.6-9. The hood release lever28is pivotally connected to the pin30, as shown inFIG.3. The pin58is substantially parallel to the pin30, as shown inFIGS.3-6. The pin58on which the hood release lever cover44is pivotally disposed in disposed lower than the pin30on which the hood release lever28is pivotally disposed.

To open the hood20of the vehicle10, the hood release lever cover44is moved from the first position, as shown inFIG.3, to the second position, as shown inFIG.4. The cutout portion62A in the main body portion62of the hood release lever cover44facilitates moving the hood release lever cover44to the second position and holding the hood release lever cover44in the second position. The hood release lever cover44pivots in the clockwise direction when moving from the first position to the second position. The hood release lever28can then be accessed and moved to the second position, as shown inFIGS.5and6. When the hood release lever28is moved to the second position, the hood20is moved to the released position shown in dashed lines inFIG.1. The hood release lever cover44is maintained in the second position when moving the hood release lever28from the first position to the second position, as shown inFIGS.5and6. The hood release lever28pivots in the counter-clockwise direction when moving from the first position to the second position. As shown inFIGS.3-6, the hood release lever cover44and the hood release lever28pivot in opposite directions, although the hood release lever cover44and the hood release lever28can be configured to pivot in the same direction. When the hood20is released, the hood release lever28is released and the spring member32returns the hood release lever28to the first position. The hood release lever cover44can then be released, and the spring member60returns the hood release lever cover44to the first position.

The second arm64includes a blocking portion to prevent accessing the hood release lever28from the outboard side of the hood release lever cover44when the hood release lever cover44is in the first position, as shown inFIG.3. The side wall26C prevents accessing the hood release lever28from the inboard side of the hood release lever cover44when the hood release lever cover44is in the first position. Operation of both the hood release lever cover44and the hood release lever28is a two-step process, thereby further substantially preventing accidental operation of the hood release lever28. In the first step, the hood release lever cover44is moved such that the hood release lever28can be accessed. In the second step, the hood release lever28is moved to release the hood20. The two-step process likely requires a separate hand for each step, thereby substantially preventing accidental operation of the hood release lever28.

GENERAL INTERPRETATION OF TERMS

In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion.” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Also as used herein to describe the above embodiment(s), the following directional terms “forward”, “rearward”, “above”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “below” and “transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a vehicle equipped with the hood release lever cover assembly. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a vehicle equipped with the hood release lever cover assembly.

The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.