Self-presenting non-excitable secondary hood latch assembly

1. A self-presenting latch assembly comprising:

a hood movable between a fully closed position and a fully open position;

a striker located in a fixed position;

a mounting bracket secured to the hood;

a release hook supported by the mounting bracket;

a release handle supported by the mounting bracket and operably connected to the release hook;

wherein the release handle is pivotable relative to the mounting bracket between a first position wherein the hood is in the fully closed position and a grasping portion of the release handle is out of view, a second position wherein the hood is in a partially open position between the fully open position and the fully closed position and the grasping portion is presented in view and the release hook is engaging the striker to retain the hood in the partially open position, and a third position wherein the release handle has been manually rotated from its second position and the release hook is released from the striker so that the hood can be moved from the partially open position to the fully open position;

a first spring member biasing the release handle towards the first position;

wherein the release hook is pivotable relative to the release handle between a locked position wherein the release hook is lockingly engageable with the striker and pivotable with the release lever as the hood is moved from the fully closed position to the partially open position and as the release lever is manually pivoted from the second position to the third position and a released position wherein the release hook is out of locking engagement with the striker while the hood is moved from the fully open position to the fully closed position and the release handle remains in the first position;

wherein a primary pivot pin pivotably connects the release handle to the mounting bracket and a secondary pivot pin pivotably connects the release hook to the release handle;

wherein the release hook engages the striker and pivots about the primary pivot pin along with the release handle so that the release handle is pivoted from the first position to the second position against the bias of the first spring member and the release hook catches the striker to retain the hood in the partially open position when the hood is raised from the fully closed position to the partially open position with a force adequate to overcome the bias of the first spring member;

wherein the release handle can be manually pivoted about the primary pivot pin along with the release hook so that the release handle is pivoted from the second position to the third position against the bias of the first spring member and the release hook is released from the striker so that the hood can be moved from the partially open position to the fully open position when the release handle is manually pivoted toward the third position with a force adequate to overcome the bias of the first spring member; and

wherein the release handle automatically returns to the first position from the third position due to the bias of the first spring member when the release handle is manually released and the release hook is released from the striker.

2. The latch assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a second spring member biasing the release hook toward the locked position.

3. The latch assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the second spring member is a coil tension spring.

4. The latch assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first spring member is a torsion spring.

5. The latch assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the release hook is carried by the release handle.

6. The latch assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the primary pivot pin extends through a slot in the release hook.

7. The latch assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the primary pivot pin engages an end of the slot so that pivoting motion of the release handle from the second position to the third position pulls the release hook out of engagement with the striker.

8. The latch assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the release hook is positioned between the release handle and a cover plate secured to the release handle for movement therewith.

9. A self-presenting latch assembly comprising:

a hood movable between a fully closed position and a fully open position;

a striker located in a fixed position;

a mounting bracket secured to the hood;

a release hook supported by the mounting bracket;

a release handle supported by the mounting bracket and operably connected to the release hook;

wherein the release handle is pivotable relative to the mounting bracket between a first position wherein the hood is in the fully closed position and a grasping portion of the release handle is out of view, a second position wherein the hood is in a partially open position between the fully open position and the fully closed position and the grasping portion is presented in view and the release hook is engaging the striker to retain the hood in the partially open position, and a third position wherein the release handle has been manually rotated from its second position and the release hook is released from the striker so that the hood can be moved from the partially open position to the fully open position;

a first spring member biasing the release handle towards the first position;

wherein the release hook is pivotable relative to the release handle between a locked position wherein the release hook is lockingly engageable with the striker and pivotable with the release lever as the hood is moved from the fully closed position to the partially open position and as the release lever is manually pivoted from the second position to the third position and a released position wherein the release hook is out of locking engagement with the striker while the hood is moved from the fully open position to the fully closed position and the release handle remains in the first position;

wherein the first spring member pivots the release handle from the third position to the first position when an operator releases the handle and the release hook is out of engagement with the striker; and

wherein a primary pivot pin pivotably connects the release handle to the mounting bracket and a secondary pivot pin pivotably connects the release hook to the release handle;

wherein the release hook engages the striker and pivots about the primary pivot pin along with the release handle so that the release handle is pivoted from the first position to the second position against the bias of the first spring member and the release hook catches the striker to retain the hood in the partially open position when the hood is raised from the fully closed position to the partially open position with a force adequate to overcome the bias of the first spring member; and

wherein the release handle can be manually pivoted about the primary pivot pin along with the release hook so that the release handle is pivoted from the second position to the third position against the bias of the first spring member and the release hook is released from the striker so that the hood can be moved from the partially open position to the fully open position when the release handle is manually pivoted toward the third position with a force adequate to overcome the bias of the first spring member.

10. The latch assembly according to claim 9 , further comprising a second spring member biasing the release hook toward the locked position.

11. The latch assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the second spring member is a coil tension spring.

12. The latch assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the first spring member is a torsion spring.

13. The latch assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the release hook is carried by the release handle.

14. The latch assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the primary pivot pin extends through a slot in the release hook.

15. The latch assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the primary pivot pin engages an end of the slot so that pivoting motion of the release handle from the second position to the third position pulls the release hook out of engagement with the striker.

16. The latch assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the release hook is positioned between the release handle and a cover plate secured to the release handle for movement therewith.

17. A self-presenting latch assembly comprising:

a hood movable between a fully closed position and a fully open position;

a striker located in a fixed position;

a mounting bracket secured to the hood;

a release hook supported by the mounting bracket;

a release handle supported by the mounting bracket and operably connected to the release hook;

wherein the release handle is pivotable relative to the mounting bracket between a first position wherein the hood is in the fully closed position and a grasping portion of the release handle is out of view, a second position wherein the hood is in a partially open position between the fully open position and the fully closed position and the grasping portion is presented in view and the release hook is engaging the striker to retain the hood in the partially open position, and a third position wherein the release handle has been manually rotated from its second position and the release hook is released from the striker so that the hood can be moved from the partially open position to the fully open position;

a first spring member biasing the release handle towards the first position;

wherein the release hook is pivotable relative to the release handle between a locked position wherein the release hook is lockingly engageable with the striker and a released position wherein the release hook is out of locking engagement with the striker while the release handle remains in the first position;

wherein the release hook is pivotable relative to the release handle between a locked position wherein the release hook is lockingly engageable with the striker and pivotable with the release lever as the hood is moved from the fully closed position to the partially open position and as the release lever is manually pivoted from the second position to the third position and a released position wherein the release hook is out of locking engagement with the striker while the hood is moved from the fully open position to the fully closed position and the release handle remains in the first position;

a second spring member biasing the release hook toward the locked position;

wherein the first spring member automatically pivots the release handle from the third position to the first position when an operator releases the handle and the release hook is out of engagement with the striker;

wherein a primary pivot pin pivotably connects the release handle to the mounting bracket and a secondary pivot pin pivotably connects the release hook to the release handle;

wherein the release hook engages the striker and pivots about the primary pivot pin along with the release handle so that the release handle is pivoted from the first position to the second position against the bias of the first spring member and the release hook catches the striker to retain the hood in the partially open position when the hood is raised from the fully closed position to the partially open position with a force adequate to overcome the bias of the first spring member; and

wherein the release handle can be manually pivoted about the primary pivot pin along with the release hook so that the release handle is pivoted from the second position to the third position against the bias of the first spring member and the release hook is released from the striker so that the hood can be moved from the partially open position to the fully open position when the release handle is manually pivoted toward the third position with a force adequate to overcome the bias of the first spring member.