The present invention relates to locking sys¬ tems for vehicles generally and more particularly to locking systems for a vehicle hood.

Various locking systems are known for locking the hood of a motor vehicle. Conventionally, the hood is retained in a closed position by a latch hook which is released mechanically either at the front of the vehicle or by means of a lever and cable arrangement from the interior of the vehicle.

Apparatus for locking a vehicle hood is also known and suffers from the disadvantage that the hood is normally locked except when the lock is opened by a key.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved hood locking system, which overcomes disadvan¬ tages of the prior art.

There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a vehicle hood locking system for use with a vehicle having a hood retaining latch hook which is connected to a user-operat¬ ed release lever, the locking system including a user- actuable locking mechanism, and a connection assembly connecting the user actuable locking mechanism to the latch hook, the connection aεsembly being arranged with respect to the latch hook and the user-actuable locking mechanism such that when the locking mechanism is locked, the connection assembly retains the latch hook against being displaced by attempted operation of the user-oper¬ ated release lever.

There is also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a vehicle hood locking system for use with a vehicle having appara-

tus for retaining the hood in a closed but not locked condition, the system including a user-actuable locking mechanism which is operative to selectably lock the hood in the closed condition but to maintain the hood in an unlocked closed condition during vehicle operation.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user-actuable locking mecha¬ nism is coupled to a vehicle security system and is automatically operative to lock the hood in the closed condition when the vehicle security system iε activated and to unlock the hood when the vehicle security system is deactivated.

Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user-actuable locking mechanism comprises an actuator. The actuator is typically, although not necessarily, electrical or elec¬ tromagnetic.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodi¬ ment of the present invention, the user-actuable locking mechanism is provided with a lockable manual override mechanism.

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed de¬ scription, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a simplified, partially schematic, partially pictorial illustration of a hood locking system constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention installed in a motor vehicle;

Fig. 2A is a simplified illustration of the hood locking system of Fig. 1 in a first operative orien¬ tation, wherein a hood of a motor vehicle is not locked;

Fig. 2B is a simplified illustration of the hood locking system of Fig. 1 in a second operative

orientation, wherein the hood of the motor vehicle is locked;

Fig. 2C is a simplified illustration of the hood locking system of Fig. 1 in a third operative orien¬ tation, wherein a manual override mechanism is used to unlock the hood locking system; and

Figs. 3A, 3B and 3C are more detailed illustra¬ tions of a portion of the hood locking system of Fig. 1, in the first, second and third operative orientations of Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C, respectively.

Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which iε a simplified, partially schematic, partially pictorial illustration of a hood locking system constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention installed in a motor vehicle 12. The motor vehicle may be any suitable conventional motor vehicle and typically includes a hood retaining latch hook which is coupled by a cable 16 to a user-operated release lever 18, normally located within the vehicle 12.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the locking system 10 includes a user-actuable locking mechanism 20, and a cable connec¬ tion assembly 22 connecting the user actuable locking mechanism 20 to the latch hook 14. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cable connection assembly 22 is arranged with respect to the latch hook 14 and the user-actuable locking mecha¬ nism 20 such that when the locking mechanism 20 is locked, the cable connection assembly 22 retains the latch hook 14 against being displaced by attempted opera¬ tion of the user-operated release lever 18. In practice the arrangement is that the cable connection assembly 22 and cable 16 are arranged to pull in mutually opposite directions and the cable connection assembly 22 and locking mechanism 20 are designed to have a stronger

pull capability than cable 16 and lever 18.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the locking system 10 may employ an auxiliary latch hook in addition to the one normally provided by the vehicle.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the user-actuated locking mechanism 20 may be interconnected with a vehicle security system, indicated schematically by reference numeral 24, so as to be actuated for locking the hood when the vehicle securi¬ ty system iε actuated. It is a particular feature of the present invention that when the vehicle security syεtem is not actuated, as during vehicle operation, the hood iε unlocked, for reasons of safety.

The vehicle security system may be any suitable vehicle security system and preferably includes at least one theft prevention element, such as a gear shift lock 25, such aε the gear shift lock manufactured by Mul-T- Lock Ltd. the present applicant/asεignee and described in one or more of the following patents and patent applica¬ tions, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference: United States Patent 4,693,099, and United States Patent Applications 787,902, 932,661, 08/240,184 and 08/434,392.

The interconnection between the security system 24 and the locking mechanism 20 iε preferably embodied in electrical connectionε via a protected link, so as to reduce the chance of bypass of the hood locking system by tapping into the link.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the locking mechanism 20 is pro¬ vided with a lockable manual override mechanism 26, which is preferably connected thereto by means of a cable 28.

Reference is now made to Figs. 2A and 3A, 2B and 3B, and 2C and 3C, which are pairs of simplified and

more detailed illustrations of the hood locking system of Fig. 1 in respective first, second and third operative orientations and which illustrate the various elements described hereinabove. It is seen that latch hook 14 is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis 30 and is coupled to cable 16 at a location 32 on the latch hook 14. Latch hook 14 may engage a hood engagement assembly 33. Cable connection assembly 22 includes a tension cable 34 having an end 36 which is mounted onto the latch hook 14, aε by a retaining member 38, such that pulling on cable 16 for rotating latch hook 14 about pivot axis 30 for opening the hood, results in pulling of tension cable 34.

User-actuated locking mechanism 20 may be interconnected with vehicle security system 24 (Fig. 1), by means of electrical leads 35.

The locking mechanism 20 includes a tension cable locking assembly 50 including a tension cable end assembly 52 (Fig. 3A) , fixed to an end of tension cable 34, opposite to end 36, coupled to latch hook 14 (Fig. 2A) . The tension cable end assembly 52 is slidable within a bore 53 formed in a housing 54. A compression spring 56, also located within bore 53 normally urges the ten¬ sion cable end assembly 52 rearwardly so aε to maintain the cable 34 under tension.

Tension cable end assembly 52 is formed with a recess 58 which partially receives a locking ball 60, also retained in a paεεage 62 in housing 54, when the end assembly 52 is suitably positioned at the rear of housing 54, as shown in Fig. 3B. When, as shown in Fig. 3B, the locking ball 60 is partially seated in recess 58 and partially seated in corresponding passage 62 in housing 54, the tension cable end asεembly 52 iε locked againεt forward movement.

When tension cable end asεembly 52 is locked against forward movement, as shown in Fig. 3B, cable 34 is unable to move forward and thus the latch hook 14 is

locked in the closed position shown in Fig. 2B, notwith¬ standing attempts to pull on cable 16.

Tension cable end assembly 52 is locked against forward movement when locking ball 60 is prevented from unseating from recess 58. This occurs when a piston element portion 70 is positioned adjacent locking ball 60 in a bore 72 disposed adjacent and generally parallel to bore 53.

Piston element portion 70 forms part of a piston element 74 which is slidable in bore 72 and which is axially displaceable therein by an actuator, such as a solenoid 76, via a linkage 78.

Figs. 2B and 3B illustrate the locking mecha¬ nism 20 in a locked orientation, while Figs. 2A and 3A illustrate the locking mechanism 20 in an unlocked orien¬ tation when the solenoid 76 displaces piston element 74 rearwardly such that piston element portion 70 iε no longer alongεide locking ball 60, allowing it to unεeat from recess 58. In such a case, when cable 34 is pulled, as by attempted opening of latch hook 14 by pulling on cable 16, the locking ball 60 tends to unseat from recesε 58 and to permit end aεsembly 52 to move forwardly to a forward position, such aε that illustrated in Figε. 2A and 3A.

Manual override cable 28 iε also coupled to linkage 78, as by means of a retaining element 80. Figs. 2C and 3C illustrate the locking mechanism 20 in an unlocked orientation when the manual override cable 28 pulls linkage 78 rearwardly such that piston element portion 70 is no longer alongside locking ball 60. A key 90 may be inserted into a cylinder 92 of lockable manual override mechanism 26. Manual override cable 28 is connected to cylinder 92. After inserting and suitably turning key 90 in cylinder 92, key 90 together with cylinder 92 may be pulled in the direction of an arrow 94 (Fig. 2C), thereby pulling linkage 78 rearwardly in the

direction of an arrow 96, such that piston element por¬ tion 70 iε no longer alongside locking ball 60, allowing it to unseat from recess 58. In such a caεe, when cable 34 is pulled, as by attempted opening of latch hook 14 by pulling on cable 16, the locking ball 60 tends to unseat from recess 58 and to permit end assembly 52 to move forwardly to a forward position, such as that illustrated in Figs. 2A and 3A. Thus manual override mechanism 26 allows unlocking latch hook 14 from hood engagement assembly 33.

A retaining element 100 may be fixedly attached to cable 28 behind a bulkhead 102 (Fig. 1) inside vehicle 12 to prevent violent removal and pulling of mechanism 26 in the direction of arrow 94 by an unauthorized person (not shown) who does not posseεs key 90.

It will be appreciated by perεonε skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention iε defined only by the claims which follow: