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:
Apr. 13, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 22, 2002
Jerry J. Connett, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Lawrence Hoffman, Hoagland, IN (US);
International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC, Warrenville, IL (US);
Abstract
A hood-latching system for a vehicle that has an engine-compartment hood that can be moved between a closed position and one or more open positions. The hood-latching system comprises one or more novel hood latches that are operable, when secured in a latched state to apply hood retention forces to the engine-compartment hood and thus, to secure the engine-compartment hood in its closed position. The novel hood latches of the hood latching system comprise prop legs that support the novel hood latches out of a path of travel of the engine-compartment hood when the novel hood latches are not secured in a latched state. The prop legs of the novel hood latches, thus, enable one person to close the engine-compartment hood of the vehicle without pinching the novel hood latches between the engine-compartment hood and latch-anchor components to which the novel hood latches are mounted.