Hood latching arrangement

Claim 2

In a vehicle including a body member and a hood member mounted thereon for swinging movement relative to said body member between raised and lowered positions about a generally horizontal axis, a striker fixedly secured to one of said hood and body members, a pair of retaining levers, means on the other of said members pivotally mounting each of said retaining levers for movement about an axis thereof between a latched position engaged with said striker and an unlatched position disengaged from said striker, said mounting means situated on said other member such that in the latched positions of said retaining levers a line on one of said retaining levers between the centroid and pivot axis thereof is parallel to a line on the other of said retaining levers between the centroid and pivot axes thereof, said parallel relationship being operative to maintain at least one of said retaining levers in the latched position thereof during changes in the horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction.

Claim 3

In a vehicle including a body member having a hood member mounted thereon for swinging movement between raised and lowered positions relative to said body member about a generally horizontal axis, a striker fixedly secured to one of said hood and body members and defining a first axis in the lowered position of said hood member, a pair of retaining levers, means pivotally mounting each of said retaining levers at one end thereof on the other of said members for movement about an axis of said member between a latched position engaging said striker at the other distal end of said retaining lever and an unlatched position disengaged from said striker, said mounting means situated on said other member at diametrically opposed locations on a circle centered on said striker axis in the lowered position of said hood member with a line between the centroid and pivot axis of one of said retaining levers in said latched position thereof being parallel to a line between the centroid and the pivot axis of the other of said retaining levers in said latched position thereof so that at least one of said retaining levers remains in latched position thereof during changes in horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction.

Claim 4

In a vehicle including a body member having a hood member mounted thereon for swinging movement between raised and lowered positions relative to said body member about a generally horizontal axis, a striker fixedly secured to one of said hood and body members and defining a first axis in the lowered position of said hood member, a pair of retaining levers, means pivotally mounting each of said retaining levers at one end thereof on the other of said members for movement about an axis of said member between a latched position engaging said striker at the other distal end of said retaining lever and an unlatched position disengaged from said striker, said mounting means situated on said other member at diametrically opposed locations on a circle centered on said striker axis in the lowered position of said hood member with a line between the centroid and pivot axis of one of said retaining levers in said latched position thereof being parallel to a line between the centroid and the pivot axis of the other of said retaining levers in said latched position thereof so that at least one of said retaining levers remains in latched position thereof during changes in horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction.

Claim 5

In a vehicle including a body member and a hood member mounted thereon for swinging movement relative to said body member between raised and lowered positions about a generally horizontal axis, a striker fixedly secured to one of said hood and body members, a pair of retaining levers, means pivotally mounting each of said retaining levers on the other of said members for movement about an axis of said member between a latched position engaging said striker and an unlatched position disengaged from said striker, an operating lever, means pivotally mounting said operating lever on the other of said members for movement about an axis thereof between extended and retracted positions, said axis intersecting the centroid of said operating lever so that an inertial force generated in said operating lever during changes in horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction produces zero resulting moment on said operating lever about said pivot axis thereof, and means on said operating lever connecting each of said retaining levers thereto at positions thereon longitudinally spaced and on opposite sides of said pivot axis thereof so that inertial forces generated in said retaining levers during changes in the horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction and transferred to said operating lever through said connecting means produce zero resulting moment on said operating lever about said pivot axis thereof, said connecting means being operative upon movement of said operating lever from said retracted to said extended position thereof to pivot said retaining levers from said latched to said unlatched positions thereof.

Claim 6

In a vehicle including a body member and a hood member mounted thereon for swinging movement relative to said body member between raised and lowered positions about a generally horizontal axis, a striker fixedly secured to one of said hood and body members, a pair of retaining levers, means pivotally mounting each of said retaining levers on the other of said members for movement about an axis of said member between a latched position engaging said striker and an unlatched position disengaged from said striker, an operating lever, means pivotally mounting said operating lever on the other of said members for movement about an axis thereof between extended and retracted positions, said axis intersecting the centroid of said operating lever so that an inertial force generated in said operating lever during changes in horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction produces zero resulting moment on said operating lever about said pivot axis thereof, and means on said operating lever connecting each of said retaining levers thereto at positions thereon longitudinally spaced and on opposite sides of said pivot axis thereof so that inertial forces generated in said retaining levers during changes in the horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction and transferred to said operating lever through said connecting means produce zero resulting moment on said operating lever about said pivot axis thereof, said connecting means being operative upon movement of said operating lever from said retracted to said extended position thereof to pivot said retaining levers from said latched to said unlatched positions thereof.

Claim 7

On a vehicle including a body member with a hood member mounted thereon for swinging movement relative to said body member between raised and lowered positions about a generally horizontal axis, a striker fixedly secured to said hood member, a pair of retaining levers each having a projection extending therefrom, means on said body member pivotally mounted each of said retaining levers thereon for movement about an axis thereof between a latched position engaging said striker and an unlatched position disengaged from said striker, said mounting means situated such that a line between the centroid and pivot axis of one of said retaining levers in said latched position thereof is parallel to a line between the centroid and pivot axis of the other of said retaining levers in said latched position thereof, an operating lever having a pair of elongated apertures therein longitudinally spaced and located on opposite sides of the centroid thereof, means on said body member pivotally mounting said operating lever thereon for movement about an axis thereof betweeN retracted and extended positions, said axis generally intersecting the centroid of said operating lever so that an inertial force generated in said operating lever during changes in horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction produces zero resulting moment on said operating lever about said pivot axis thereof, each of said projections on said retaining levers engaging respective ones of said apertures in said operating lever so that movement of said operating lever from said retracted to said extended position thereof initiates pivotal movement of each of said retaining levers from said latched to said unlatched position thereof and so that inertial forces generated in each of said retaining levers during changes in horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction and transferred to said operating lever produce zero resulting moment on said operating lever about said pivot axis thereof, spring means biasing said operating lever toward said retracted position thereof, and actuating means selectively operable to pivot said operating lever from said retracted to said extended position thereof against the bias of said spring means.

Claim 8

On a vehicle including a body member with a hood member mounted thereon for swinging movement relative to said body member between raised and lowered positions about a generally horizontal axis, a striker fixedly secured to said hood member, a pair of retaining levers each having a projection extending therefrom, means on said body member pivotally mounted each of said retaining levers thereon for movement about an axis thereof between a latched position engaging said striker and an unlatched position disengaged from said striker, said mounting means situated such that a line between the centroid and pivot axis of one of said retaining levers in said latched position thereof is parallel to a line between the centroid and pivot axis of the other of said retaining levers in said latched position thereof, an operating lever having a pair of elongated apertures therein longitudinally spaced and located on opposite sides of the centroid thereof, means on said body member pivotally mounting said operating lever thereon for movement about an axis thereof betweeN retracted and extended positions, said axis generally intersecting the centroid of said operating lever so that an inertial force generated in said operating lever during changes in horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction produces zero resulting moment on said operating lever about said pivot axis thereof, each of said projections on said retaining levers engaging respective ones of said apertures in said operating lever so that movement of said operating lever from said retracted to said extended position thereof initiates pivotal movement of each of said retaining levers from said latched to said unlatched position thereof and so that inertial forces generated in each of said retaining levers during changes in horizontal velocity of said vehicle in any direction and transferred to said operating lever produce zero resulting moment on said operating lever about said pivot axis thereof, spring means biasing said operating lever toward said retracted position thereof, and actuating means selectively operable to pivot said operating lever from said retracted to said extended position thereof against the bias of said spring means.