The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 18, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 17, 2001
Sakae Sasaki, Wako, JP;
Kaoru Nagatomi, Wako, JP;
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A vehicle hood apparatus having an actuator for lifting a vehicle hood upon collision of an object with a vehicle. The actuator has an actuator block defining a cylinder therein. A locking member is urged to project into the cylinder. Upon such collision, a gas generator is operated to generate gas to raise a piston pin rapidly to lift the hood, whereupon the locking member projects into the cylinder to lock the piston pin in its raised position and hold the hood at its lifted position. As the locking member is included in the actuator, the piston pin does not have its locked position affected by the quality of work done for attaching the actuator to the vehicle body, as opposed to the case where it has to be locked to the vehicle body. As the locking and elastic members are held in the actuator block, the actuator is easier to assemble than when they have to be held on the piston pin.