US 12,296,784 B2
Vehicle hood hinge assembly
Rafath Rahman, Tracy, CA (US); Jarad Hutchinson, Grosse Pointe, MI (US); Norman Tieu, Sewell, NJ (US); Tyron François, Newark, NJ (US); and Daniel Wood, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Tesla, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Appl. No. 18/292,516
Filed by Tesla, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 12, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/043248
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 26, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/039259, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 16, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/261,143, filed on Sep. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0278745 A1, Aug. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. B60R 21/38 (2011.01); E05F 15/75 (2015.01)
CPC B60R 21/38 (2013.01) [E05F 15/75 (2015.01); E05Y 2400/44 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/536 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hinge assembly configured to lift a hood of a vehicle relative to a vehicle body in anticipation of, during, or right after a collision has occurred to cushion contact with a pedestrian, the hood being configured to selectively cover a compartment of the vehicle when in a secured position, the hinge assembly comprising:
a hinge configured to guide the hood from the secured position to both of an open position or to at least a first pedestrian deployment position relative to the vehicle body;
an actuator configured to move the hood from the secured position to at least the first pedestrian deployment position;
a sensor configured to send a signal indicative of the collision, the signal related to a vehicle parameter or a pedestrian characteristic; and
a controller configured to determine the first pedestrian deployment position and a time frame for moving the hood to the first pedestrian deployment position based on the signal, and trigger the actuator.