CAM ACTION SAFETY HOOD

Vehicle hood construction in which the hood in hinged at its front end to the front wall of the vehicle engine compartment and is latched at its rear end to the vehicle cowl structure forming the rear wall of the engine compartment. The side walls of the engine compartment and the longitudinal edges of the hood are provided with cam means comprising complementary coacting ramp or cam surfaces. If the hood is shoved rearwardly under vehicle collision conditions, an upward buckling of the hood is induced by the cam means which has the effect of foreshortening the hood. This acts as an energy absorption device and prevents unlatching of the hood rear edge and subsequent movement of the rear edge toward the vehicle passenger compartment.