Toyota Investigating Retractable and moveable tow hooks
Three recent Toyota patent filings look at different ways to mount tow hooks for better crash performance.
One of these filings, which was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) April 25, 2024 (and originally filed October 19, 2022), discusses tow hooks that would extend out when in use and retract into housing the rest of the time.
This arrangement could help improve safety, Toyota claims. In the patent filing, the automaker notes that rigid-mounted tow hooks can transmit impact forces to other parts of the vehicle, potentially causing damage. This design uses a shearing pin that will break if an impact is hard enough, causing the tow hook to retract and thus absorbing some of the force.
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