US-20260124863-A1 - MOVABLE TOW HOOK ASSEMBLIES AND VEHICLES INCLUDING SAME

US20260124863A1US 20260124863 A1US20260124863 A1US 20260124863A1US-20260124863-A1

Abstract

A tow hook assembly including a housing including a front wall, a rear end opposite the front wall, a front aperture formed in the front wall, and a detent formed in an inner surface of the housing, a tow hook at least partially extending through the front aperture, the tow hook movable between an extended position and a retracted position, the tow hook including a biasing member received within a biasing channel formed in the tow hook and a bearing provided at an end of the biasing member, the biasing member biasing the bearing into the detent when the tow hook is in the extended position, the biasing member prohibiting movement of the tow hook from the extended position to the retracted position until a force exceeding a predetermined force threshold is applied against the tow hook, and a seal provided between the housing and the tow hook.

Inventors

Aaron R. Steinhilb
Joseph C. Taylor
Jon B. Glass

Assignees

TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241106

Claims (13)

1 . A tow hook assembly comprising: a housing including a front wall, a rear end opposite the front wall, a front aperture formed in the front wall, and a detent formed in an inner surface of the housing; a tow hook at least partially extending through the front aperture of the housing, the tow hook movable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the housing, the tow hook including a biasing member received within a biasing channel formed in the tow hook and a bearing provided at an end of the biasing member, the biasing member biasing the bearing into the detent when the tow hook is in the extended position, the biasing member prohibiting movement of the tow hook from the extended position to the retracted position until a force exceeding a predetermined force threshold in a direction opposite a towing direction is applied against a front end of the tow hook; and a seal provided between the housing and the tow hook to prevent debris from entering an open interior of the housing.
2 . The tow hook assembly of claim 1 , wherein, when the tow hook is in the extended position, the tow hook extends farther outward from the housing than when the tow hook is in the retracted position.
3 . The tow hook assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tow hook comprises a tow hook body including a rear end portion, an elongated portion extending from a front surface of the rear end portion, a front end portion, and a neck portion extending from a front surface of the elongated portion and a rear surface of the front end portion, wherein the biasing channel is formed in the elongated portion, and wherein a height of the elongated portion in a vehicle vertical direction is greater than a height of the neck portion in the vehicle vertical direction.
4 . The tow hook assembly of claim 3 , wherein the seal is provided between a rear surface of the front wall of the housing and the front surface of the elongated portion of the tow hook body.
5 . The tow hook assembly of claim 3 , wherein a height of the rear end portion in the vehicle vertical direction is greater than the height of the elongated portion, and a height of the front end portion in the vehicle vertical direction is greater than the height of the neck portion.
6 . The tow hook assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seal is provided between the rear end of the housing and the front surface of the rear end portion of the tow hook body.
7 . The tow hook assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seal comprises: a first seal provided between a rear surface of the front wall of the housing and the front surface of the elongated portion of the tow hook body; and a second seal provided between the rear end of the housing and the front surface of the rear end portion of the tow hook body.
8 . The tow hook assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first seal and the second seal each extend along an entire inner surface of the housing.
9 . The tow hook assembly of claim 3 , wherein, when in the retracted position, the rear surface of the front end portion abuts against a front surface of the front wall of the housing.
10 . The tow hook assembly of claim 7 , wherein, when in the extended position, the front surface of the rear end portion abuts against the first seal.
11 . The tow hook assembly of claim 7 , wherein, when in the extended position, the front surface of the elongated portion abuts against the second seal.
12 . The tow hook assembly of claim 1 , wherein the detent is formed in an upper wall of the housing closer to the front wall of the housing than to the rear end of the housing.
13 . The tow hook assembly of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined force threshold is 1 kN+/−50%.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present specification generally relates to tow hooks for vehicles and, more specifically, tow hooks that are configured to reduce contact with a barrier during a collision. BACKGROUND Current tow hooks may attach or be fixed to a vehicle at different connection points so that the tow hook is operable to remain on the vehicle while a towing force in a towing direction is applied to the tow hook. However, during a collision, the tow hook may contact an obstacle and apply a force in a direction opposite the towing direction that may cause further damage to internal components of the vehicle located rearward of the tow hook and to the obstacle. Accordingly, a need exists for improved tow hooks that reduce damage to components of the vehicle as well as to an object contacted by the vehicle during the collision. SUMMARY In one embodiment, a tow hook assembly includes a housing including a front wall, a rear end opposite the front wall, a front aperture formed in the front wall, and a detent formed in an inner surface of the housing, a tow hook at least partially extending through the front aperture of the housing, the tow hook movable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the housing, the tow hook including a biasing member received within a biasing channel formed in the tow hook and a bearing provided at an end of the biasing member, the biasing member biasing the bearing into the detent when the tow hook is in the extended position, the biasing member prohibiting movement of the tow hook from the extended position to the retracted position until a force exceeding a predetermined force threshold in a direction opposite a towing direction is applied against a front end of the tow hook, and a seal provided between the housing and the tow hook to prevent debris from entering an open interior of the housing. These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which: FIG. 1 schematically depicts a perspective view of a vehicle including a pair of tow hook assemblies, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; FIG. 2 schematically depicts a partial cross-sectional side view of the tow hook assembly including a tow hook in an extended position, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; FIG. 3 schematically depicts a partial cross-sectional side view of the tow hook assembly including the tow hook in an intermediate position, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; FIG. 4 schematically depicts a partial cross-sectional side view of the tow hook assembly including the tow hook in a retracted position, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; FIG. 5 schematically depicts a partial cross-sectional side view of another tow hook assembly including a tow hook in an extended position, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; and FIG. 6 schematically depicts a partial cross-sectional side view of the tow hook assembly of FIG. 5 including the tow hook in a retracted position, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments described herein are directed to movable tow hook assemblies and vehicles including movable tow hook assemblies. The tow hook assembly includes a housing having a front aperture formed in a front wall of the housing, a tow hook at least partially extending through the front aperture and movable between an extended position and a retracted position, and a biasing member configured to prohibit movement of the tow hook from the extended position to the retracted position until a force exceeding a predetermined force threshold is applied against a front end of the tow hook in a direction opposite a towing direction. Various embodiments of the apparatus and operation of the apparatus are described in more detail herein. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. As used herein, the term “vehicle longitudinal direction” refers to the forward-rearward direction of the vehicle (i.e., in the +/−Y direction of the coordinate axes depicted in FIG. 1). The term “vehicle lateral direction” refers to the cross-vehicle direction (i.e., in the +/−X direction of the coordinate axes depicted in FIG. 1), and is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction. The term “vehicle vertical direction” refers to the upward-downw