Patent ID: 7232178

Claim:
A hood latch assembly for a vehicle comprising: a striker extendable between a vehicle hood and a vehicle body at a generally forward portion of said hood; a latch member selectively engageable with said striker to latch said hood to said vehicle body; an actuator selectively extendable to raise a generally rearward portion of said hood; wherein said striker has a contoured contact surface with a nonlinear slope so that a distance between said latch member and said generally forward portion of said hood substantially increases when said actuator is extended to permit said hood to rise relative to said body at said latch member such that all of said hood rises as said actuator raises the generally rearward portion of said hood, said latch member remaining engaged with said striker as said hood rises; and wherein, when in use with said hood, said hood is pivotable such that the generally forward portion rises further relative to said vehicle body when said actuator is not extended and said latch member is disengaged from said striker.