A vehicle hood latch and method of unlatching a vehicle hood is provided. The vehicle hood latch includes a housing; a ratchet pivotally mounted on the housing; a pawl pivotally mounted on the housing and biased into engagement with the ratchet; a pin fixed for conjoint movement with the pawl; a double pull lever operably mounted to the housing and having an abutment surface configured for operable engagement with the pin, and a primary safety catch lever operably mounted to the housing. The primary safety catch lever is configured to pivot from a locked first position to an unlocked second position. The primary safety catch lever moves from the first locked position to the second unlocked position in response to translational movement of the double pull lever caused by engagement of the pin with the abutment surface of the double pull lever.

A cinching latch assembly for a vehicle may include a base plate, a first locking groove formed on the base plate by being depressed from an upper end of the base plate toward a middle hereof for insertion of a striker into the first locking groove, a first rotation shaft provided on the base plate at a first side of the first locking groove, and a safety hook rotatably combined with the first rotation shaft at a first end of the safety hook, with a hook provided at a second end of the safety hook, the hook disposed to block the first locking groove, in which when the striker is inserted into the first locking groove, the safety hook opens the first locking groove by rotating on the first rotation shaft, and blocks the first locking groove, thereby performing a first-level locking.

A cinching latch assembly for a vehicle may include a base plate, a first locking groove formed on the base plate by being depressed from an upper end of the base plate toward a middle hereof for insertion of a striker into the first locking groove, a first rotation shaft provided on the base plate at a first side of the first locking groove, and a safety hook rotatably combined with the first rotation shaft at a first end of the safety hook, with a hook provided at a second end of the safety hook, the hook disposed to block the first locking groove, in which when the striker is inserted into the first locking groove, the safety hook opens the first locking groove by rotating on the first rotation shaft, and blocks the first locking groove, thereby performing a first-level locking.

A vehicle includes a hood panel configured to cover the vehicle's under-hood compartment. The vehicle also includes a mechanism for selectively fastening the hood panel to the vehicle body and maintaining the compartment's closure in a first position and maintaining the hood panel within a predetermined distance from the vehicle body in a second position. The vehicle additionally includes a release system for releasing the hood from the first to the second position via the mechanism. The release system includes a sensor arrangement for detecting the presence of a vulnerable object in the vehicle path, and a controller for ascertaining whether the vehicle is in motion. The controller is also configured to trigger the mechanism, in response to a signal from the sensor arrangement indicative of the detected presence of the object, to release the hood panel from the first to the second position when the vehicle is in motion.

A vehicle includes a hood panel configured to cover the vehicle's under-hood compartment. The vehicle also includes a mechanism for selectively fastening the hood panel to the vehicle body and maintaining the compartment's closure in a first position and maintaining the hood panel within a predetermined distance from the vehicle body in a second position. The vehicle additionally includes a release system for releasing the hood from the first to the second position via the mechanism. The release system includes a sensor arrangement for detecting the presence of a vulnerable object in the vehicle path, and a controller for ascertaining whether the vehicle is in motion. The controller is also configured to trigger the mechanism, in response to a signal from the sensor arrangement indicative of the detected presence of the object, to release the hood panel from the first to the second position when the vehicle is in motion.

A latch travel mechanism for a closure panel of a vehicle, the mechanism comprising: a mounting plate for mounting a latch, the latch for retaining the closure panel; a support plate coupled to the mounting plate by a pair of linkages, the support plate for connecting to a body of the vehicle, the pair of linkages including a pair of arms and a pair of meshed gears coupled to one another; and an actuation mechanism for mounting on at least one of the support plate or the body for extending the pair of linkages in order to move the mounting plate relative to the support plate from a home position to an extended position; wherein the mounting plate is moved from the home position to the extended position during operation of the actuation mechanism.

A latch assembly for driving a closure panel from a closed panel position to an open panel position. The latch assembly comprises: a latch mechanism having a first latch element for retaining a mating latch component in a latched position and for moving the mating latch component from the latched position to an unlatched position when released, the movement of the first latch element biased towards the unlatched position by a latch biasing element; and an actuation system having: a mechanical energy storage system having a device for storing mechanical potential energy for assisting the latch biasing element in moving the mating latch component from the latched position to the unlatched position; a mechanical advantage system having a plurality of advantage elements for engaging the device, such that movement of the plurality of advantage elements is associated with a trigger force and cooperation of the plurality of advantage elements provides for amplification of the trigger force as an initiating force to release the stored mechanical potential energy; and a trigger system configured to provide the trigger force to release the stored mechanical potential energy.

A latch assembly for driving a closure panel from a closed panel position to an open panel position. The latch assembly comprises: a latch mechanism having a first latch element for retaining a mating latch component in a latched position and for moving the mating latch component from the latched position to an unlatched position when released, the movement of the first latch element biased towards the unlatched position by a latch biasing element; and an actuation system having: a mechanical energy storage system having a device for storing mechanical potential energy for assisting the latch biasing element in moving the mating latch component from the latched position to the unlatched position; a mechanical advantage system having a plurality of advantage elements for engaging the device, such that movement of the plurality of advantage elements is associated with a trigger force and cooperation of the plurality of advantage elements provides for amplification of the trigger force as an initiating force to release the stored mechanical potential energy; and a trigger system configured to provide the trigger force to release the stored mechanical potential energy.

Latches including a slot having a length that allows a striker of the latch to move from a normal closed position downwardly toward the closed bottom of the slot into an over travel position.

Latches including a slot having a length that allows a striker of the latch to move from a normal closed position downwardly toward the closed bottom of the slot into an over travel position.