Abstract: A silica particle includes: a quaternary ammonium salt, in which the following expressions are satisfied, 0.90?FBEFORE/FAFTER?1.10, and 5?FSINTERING/FBEFORE?20, in which FBEFORE represents a maximum frequency value of a pore diameter of 2 nm or less in the silica particles before washing, which is obtained from a pore distribution curve in a nitrogen gas adsorption method, FAFTER represents a maximum frequency value of the pore diameter of 2 nm or less in the silica particles after washing, which is obtained from the pore distribution curve in the nitrogen gas adsorption method, and FSINTERING represents a maximum frequency value of the pore diameter of 2 nm or less in the silica particles before washing and after sintering at 600° C., which is obtained from the pore distribution curve in the nitrogen gas adsorption method.

Abstract: In a pedestrian protection airbag system, an airbag module extending in the lateral direction of a vehicle body is disposed between a rear edge of a hood and a front edge of a cowl top, thereby mounting the airbag module without affecting the intake of air into a vehicle compartment or the positioning of wipers; and the left and right ends of the airbag module are supported by upper parts of left and right front wheel damper housings, whereby the damper housings obtain a high rigidity to reliably bear a reaction force during deployment of an airbag without particularly enhancing the rigidity of the cowl top. Thus, it is possible to rigidly support the airbag module in the pedestrian protection airbag system while minimizing the influence on the shape or structure of the cowl top.

Abstract: In a pedestrian protection airbag system, an airbag module extending in the lateral direction of a vehicle body is disposed between a rear edge of a hood and a front edge of a cowl top, thereby mounting the airbag module without affecting the intake of air into a vehicle compartment or the positioning of wipers; and the left and right ends of the airbag module are supported by upper parts of left and right front wheel damper housings, whereby the damper housings obtain a high rigidity to reliably bear a reaction force during deployment of an airbag without particularly enhancing the rigidity of the cowl top. Thus, it is possible to rigidly support the airbag module in the pedestrian protection airbag system while minimizing the influence on the shape or structure of the cowl top.

Abstract: A vehicular hood device has a hinge serving also as a coupling link mechanism. The hinge in a usual time allows a hood to make opening and closing movements about a hinge pin connecting a second link to the hood. When an obstacle collided with the vehicle to lift the hood by an actuator, the hinge enables the extended first and second links to determine a hood raise position. The hinge includes a stopper pawl. The stopper pawl has rigidity designed to be deformable by operation of the actuator but not to be bent by a usual hood opening and closing force, thus preventing the hood from floating during normal operation.

Abstract: A vehicular hood assembly comprising at least one actuator for lifting up a rear end of a hood to a given height when a vehicle s collides with a protective object. The actuator comprises a rod having a constricted portion with lower rigidity than the other part thereof. The actuator is operated responsive to collision of the vehicle with the protective object to cause the rod to lift the hood and when the protective object further encounters a secondary collision with the hood, an impact load exerted to the protective object and the hood is concentrated on the rod to cause the constricted portion of the rod to bend for thereby retaining the hood at its lifted position without causing the rod to return to its original position.

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.

Abstract: A vehicle hood apparatus is provided with a hood retaining mechanism including a linkage which is bendable and stretchable for retaining a hood in a lifted position when a vehicle collides with an object to be protected and the rear end of the hood is lifted. The linkage has an upper link and a lower link which are bendably and stretchably connected via a hinge. A stopper is included for preventing the lower link from falling rearward relative to the vehicle when the lower link and the upper link stretch. The hood apparatus further includes a ratchet mechanism for preventing the lower link and the upper link from shifting from the stretching state to a bending state to securely retain the lifted hood.

Abstract: A vehicular hood apparatus includes a hood provided on a front part of a vehicle, and an actuator. The hood is lifted a predetermined amount when the vehicle hits an obstacle. The actuator includes a piston rod for pushing the hood upwardly, and a rod retaining means. When the piston rod arrives in an uppermost position, the rod retaining means holds the piston rod in the uppermost position.

Abstract: A vehicle hood apparatus includes a hood holding mechanism which, when a vehicle collides with an obstacle, lifts up by a predetermined amount the rear end portion of a hood and holds the position of the lifted-up rear end portion. The hood holding mechanism includes a bendable link which bends or stretches according to the up or down movement of the hood, and an auxiliary link which prevents the bendable link from moving toward the rear of the vehicle. The auxiliary link mechanism restricts the movement of the bendable link toward the rear of the vehicle, thereby preventing the hood from being deformed and moving toward the rear of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle hood apparatus is provided with a hood retaining mechanism including a linkage which is bendable and stretchable for retaining a hood in a lifted position when a vehicle collides with an object to be protected and the rear end of the hood is lifted. The linkage has an upper link and a lower link which are bendably and stretchably connected via a hinge. A stopper is included for preventing the lower link from falling rearward relative to the vehicle when the lower link and the upper link stretch. The hood apparatus further includes a ratchet mechanism for preventing the lower link and the upper link from shifting from the stretching state to a bending state to securely retain the lifted hood.

Abstract: A vehicular hood device has a hinge serving also as a coupling link mechanism. The hinge in a usual time allows a hood to make opening and closing movements about a hinge pin connecting a second link to the hood. When an obstacle collided with the vehicle to lift the hood by an actuator, the hinge enables the extended first and second links to determine a hood raise position. The hinge includes a stopper pin. The stopper pin has strength designed to be cut by operation of the actuator but not to be cut by a usual hood opening and closing force, thus preventing the hood from floating in a usual time. Because the hood opening and closing in the usual time and the hood lift upon collision are possible by a simple structure having only the stopper pin, a number of parts can be reduced to suppress the cost.

Abstract: A vehicular hood assembly comprising at least one actuator for lifting up a rear end of a hood to a given height when a vehicle collides with a protective object. The actuator comprises a rod having a constricted portion with lower rigidity than the other part thereof. The actuator is operated responsive to collision of the vehicle with the protective object to cause the rod to lift the hood and when the protective object further encounters a secondary collision with the hood, an impact load exerted to the protective object and the hood is concentrated on the rod to cause the constricted portion of the rod to bend for thereby retaining the hood at its lifted position without causing the rod to return to its original position.

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, where upon 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.

Abstract: A vehicle hood apparatus comprises a hood-lifting actuator for lifting a rear end of a hood when a vehicle collided with an obstacle, and a hood-returning actuator for returning the hood to its original position. The apparatus also includes a timer for timing a predetermined time elapsed after the hood is lifted by the hood-lifting actuator. When the predetermined time elapsed, the timer outputs a lapse signal. Based on this signal, the hood returning actuator is operated to return the hood to its original position. As a result, a diver's view obstructed by the lifted hood can be instantly cleared.

Abstract: A vehicular hood apparatus (20) includes a link mechanism (32) and a temporal fastening member (50). The link mechanism is interposed between a vehicle body frame (17) and a hood (21). The link mechanism is extended and contracted in correspondence to upward and downward motions of the hood. When the link mechanism is contracted, the member fastens the contracted link mechanism to a bracket (33) mounted on the vehicle body frame so as to prevent the contracted link mechanism from rattling. As the hood is lifted up, the member is cut to thereby permit the link mechanism to be extended.

Abstract: A vehicle hood apparatus comprises a hood-retaining mechanism for, upon collision of a vehicle with an obstacle, lifting a rear end of a hood and retaining the hood at the lifted position. The hood-retaining mechanism includes a flexible link comprised of a lower link with one end pivotally connected to a body frame and an upper link with one end pivotally connected to the hood. Opposite ends of the lower and upper links are rotatably connected with each other through a hinged portion. The hinged portion is arranged to be positioned offset from longitudinal central axes of the lower and upper links toward the back of the vehicle. The upper and lower links have stoppers formed integrally therewith.

Abstract: In a body structure for a motor vehicle of a space frame type in which a rear pillar made of an extruded aluminum alloy member and joining a roof side member and a floor side member includes an inwardly curved section to avoid an interference with a rear wheel, a damper mounting base is welded to a part of the rear pillar adjoining the part having the smallest curvature or where the stress tends to concentrate so that the mechanical strength of this part may be reinforced without requiring any special reinforcing member. Thus, both an increase in the rigidity and a reduction in the weight of a vehicle body can be achieved in an efficient manner.

Abstract: A vehicle body frame structure is comprised of plurality of loop-shaped members each formed by a hollow pieces extruded from a light alloy. Each loop-shaped member is polygonal in cross section. The vehicle body frame structure is partly formed by a plurality of such loop-shaped members joined sidewise together. Each loop-shaped member is comprised of at least two hollow extruded pieces joined together by a core coupling or a split muff coupling. Part of each loop-shaped member is stepped so that it can be joined with a companion loop-shaped member by mating the stepped portions of the two loop-shaped members one over the other.