JP7501428B2 - Body structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure having, for example, a floor panel.

For example, in the case of an automobile equipped with a driving motor, a battery unit is installed to supply power to the driving motor, and this battery unit has a large capacity to increase the driving range of the driving motor (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the vehicle body structure of Patent Document 1, the battery unit is installed below a floor panel that extends horizontally from the front to the rear.

JP 2019-18686 A

However, there are cases where an obstacle hits a car from the side (side collision), and it is necessary to protect the battery during such a side collision. In particular, there is concern that if a large collision load is applied to the battery terminals, it may become more susceptible to short circuits and leakage.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to increase the battery's carrying capacity by utilizing the space below the floor panel, while reducing the collision load input to the battery terminals during a side collision.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present disclosure is premised on a vehicle body structure including a floor panel constituting the floor surface of the vehicle compartment, a driving motor, and a battery mounted below the floor panel and supplying power to the driving motor. The vehicle body structure includes a pair of left and right side sills arranged to extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle at both ends of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of left and right pillars extending upward from the pair of left and right side sills. When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the terminals of the battery are arranged to overlap the pillars.

This configuration makes it possible to increase the battery's carrying capacity by utilizing the space below the floor panel. In this case, the area near the pillar, which has a relatively high rigidity within the vehicle body, is a part that undergoes less deformation inward in the vehicle width direction during a side collision, and since this pillar and the battery terminal are positioned so as to overlap, the battery terminal can be protected by the pillar during a side collision. This reduces the collision load input to the battery terminal.

In a second aspect of the present disclosure, the floor panel includes a front floor panel on which the heel of a pedal operator who operates a pedal provided on the vehicle is placed, and a rear floor panel provided behind the front floor panel. The front floor panel is positioned higher than the rear floor panel, and the battery is mounted below the front floor panel.

With this configuration, the front floor panel on which the pedal operator's heel is placed is positioned higher than the rear floor panel, so the pedal operator's heel is placed in a higher position. This reduces the angle between the pedal operator's lower leg and the front floor panel, reducing the vertical component of force input from the heel when operating the pedal, improving pedal operability.

In addition, by mounting the battery below the front floor panel, which is positioned above, the space below the front floor panel can be effectively utilized without leaving it as dead space. This allows a large-capacity battery to be mounted.

In a third aspect of the present disclosure, the battery is also mounted in a portion spaced apart from the pillar in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and is positioned so that the terminals of the battery mounted in the portion spaced apart from the pillar in the vehicle longitudinal direction overlap with the side sill in a side view of the vehicle.

In other words, since the side sill is a highly rigid component, the side sill and the battery terminals overlap, allowing the side sill to protect the battery terminals in the event of a side collision.

In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the battery includes a columnar cell, and the terminal is provided at an axial end of the cell. The cell is mounted with its axis oriented substantially horizontally.

In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the batteries are mounted in a vertical line in a portion overlapping with the pillar in a side view of the vehicle, and the number of batteries mounted in a vertical line away from the pillar in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction is set to be less than the number of batteries mounted in a vertical line in the portion overlapping with the pillar.

With this configuration, because the pillar is a component that extends vertically, the terminals of the batteries mounted in the area overlapping with the pillar can be protected by the pillar even if there are many batteries lined up vertically. On the other hand, batteries mounted away from the pillar in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction do not have a component that extends vertically like the pillar, so they can be protected by the side sill by reducing the number of batteries lined up vertically.

In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the dimension of the pillar in the vehicle front-rear direction is set to increase toward the lower part of the pillar.

This configuration allows for an increased number of batteries that overlap with the pillars when viewed from the side of the vehicle, improving the protection of the battery terminals.

As explained above, the space below the floor panel can be used to increase the battery's carrying capacity while reducing the collision load input to the battery terminals during a side collision.

1 is a side view of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section of an automobile dash panel and floor panel showing the location of a brake pedal. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section of an automobile dash panel and floor panel showing the location of an accelerator pedal. 2 is a cross-sectional view in the front-rear direction showing an example of the structure of a floor panel. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a pedal operation. FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to a modified example of the embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiment is essentially merely an example and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

Figure 1 is a left side view of an automobile 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automobile 1 is a passenger automobile. In the description of this embodiment, the front side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as "front", the rear side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as "rear", the right side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as "right", and the left side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as "left". The left-right direction of the vehicle is the vehicle width direction.

A power room S is provided at the front of the automobile 1. The power room S houses a power train (not shown) consisting of a driving motor M and the like. Therefore, the power room S can also be called, for example, a power train storage room or a motor room. The automobile 1 may be an electric automobile or a hybrid automobile (including a plug-in hybrid automobile). If the automobile 1 is an electric automobile, the driving motor M is mounted in the power room S. If the automobile 1 is a hybrid automobile, the driving motor M and an internal combustion engine (not shown) are mounted in the power room S. Also, although not shown, the driving motor may be mounted at the rear of the automobile 1, or may be an in-wheel motor mounted inside the wheels.

A bonnet hood 2 is provided on top of the power chamber S. The automobile 1 may be a front-engine, rear-drive vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an FR vehicle) in which the rear wheels are driven by an engine and a driving motor M mounted in the power chamber S, or a front-engine, front-drive vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an FF vehicle) in which the front wheels are driven by an engine and a driving motor M mounted in the power chamber S. In addition to FR and FF vehicles, the automobile 1 may also be a four-wheel drive vehicle that drives all four wheels.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automobile 1 has a passenger compartment R behind the power compartment S. The bottom of the passenger compartment R is made up of a floor panel 3, and therefore the space above the floor panel 3 forms the passenger compartment R. A roof 4 is provided on the upper part of the passenger compartment R. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, a front door 5 and a rear door 6 are arranged on the left side of the automobile 1 so as to be able to be opened and closed. Although not shown, a front door and a rear door are also arranged on the right side of the automobile 1 so as to be able to be opened and closed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automobile 1 is equipped with a vehicle body structure 1A according to the present invention. The vehicle body structure 1A is equipped with a floor panel 3 and a dash panel 7, but the dash panel 7 may be a member that does not constitute the vehicle body structure 1A according to the present invention. The dash panel 7 is a member that separates the passenger compartment R and the power compartment S in the front-rear direction. The dash panel 7 is made of, for example, a steel plate, and extends in the left-right direction as well as the up-down direction. The lower portion of the dash panel 7 is inclined or curved so that it is positioned further rearward as it approaches the lower end, and the lower end of the dash panel 7 is connected to the front end of the floor panel 3. Therefore, the floor panel 3 is provided so as to extend rearward from the lower end of the dash panel 7.

In this embodiment, the right side of the passenger compartment R is the driver's seat side, and the left side of the passenger compartment R is the passenger's seat side. FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the driver's seat side of the automobile 1, showing cross-sections of the floor panel 3 and dash panel 7, and a schematic structure of the driver's seat 8 and rear seat 10 attached to the floor panel 3, and the brake pedal B attached to the dash panel 7. The driver's seat 8 is provided to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the passenger compartment R, while a passenger seat 9 (shown in FIG. 1) is provided to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the passenger compartment R. However, this is not limited to this, and the left side of the passenger compartment R may be the driver's seat side, and the right side of the passenger compartment R may be the passenger's seat side. In addition, the passenger compartment R may have two or more rows of rear seats.

To explain the body structure 1A of the automobile 1 in more detail, as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 1, the left and right sides of the automobile 1 are provided with a front door opening 40 opened and closed by the front door 5, and a rear door opening 41 opened and closed by the rear door 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the body structure 1A has a pair of left and right side sills 42 arranged to extend in the front-rear direction at both left and right ends of the floor panel 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the body structure 1A also has a pair of left and right hinge pillars 43 arranged to extend in the up-down direction at both left and right ends of the front floor panel 30 that constitutes the front part of the floor panel 3. The lower part of the hinge pillar 43 is connected to the front vicinity of the side sill 42, and the hinge pillar 43 extends upward from there. As shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 1, the dimension of the hinge pillar 43 in the front-rear direction is set to be longer toward the lower part of the hinge pillar 43. Specifically, the rear of the hinge pillar 43 is curved or inclined so that it is positioned further back as it approaches the bottom, and the shape of this rear portion determines the desired dimension of the lower part of the hinge pillar 43 in the front-to-rear direction.

The lower part of the front pillar 44 is connected to the upper part of the hinge pillar 43. As shown in FIG. 1, the front pillar 44 extends at an angle so that it is positioned further rearward as it goes upward, and is connected to the front part of the roof 4. Furthermore, the vehicle body structure 1A includes a center pillar 45 that extends upward from the middle part of the side sill 42 in the fore-and-aft direction. The front door opening 40 is formed by the rear edge of the hinge pillar 43, the lower edge of the front pillar 44, the upper edge of the side sill 42, the front edge of the center pillar 45, and the roof 4. The front door 5 is supported by the hinge pillar 43, and the rear door 6 is supported by the center pillar 45. The rear door 6 may be omitted, in which case the rear door opening 41 is also omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, a brake pedal B is provided on the dash panel 7 so as to be able to swing freely. That is, a pedal bracket 11 is attached to the right side of the dash panel 7, facing the driver's seat 8, inside the passenger compartment R. The pedal bracket 11 is provided above and spaced apart from the upper surface of the floor panel 3. The pedal bracket 11 is provided with a support shaft 11a extending in the left-right direction. The upper end of the brake pedal B is supported by this support shaft 11a.

The brake pedal B extends downward from the portion supported by the support shaft 11a. The lower end of the brake pedal B is the portion that is depressed by the occupant. The rear end of the rod B1 is connected to the brake pedal B. The front end of the rod B1 is connected to the input portion of the brake booster 12. The front end of the rod B1 may be connected to a braking force generating device other than the brake booster 12.

The support structure of the brake pedal B is not limited to the above-mentioned structure, and may be a so-called organ pedal type brake pedal, not shown. In this case, the lower part of the brake pedal is supported so as to be able to swing freely relative to the floor panel 3 via a support shaft extending in the left-right direction.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dash panel 7 and floor panel 3 showing the position of accelerator pedal A. Accelerator pedal A is a so-called organ pedal type, and the lower part of the accelerator pedal A is supported so as to be able to swing freely against the floor panel 3 via a support shaft A1 extending in the left-right direction. Although not shown, accelerator pedal A may be of a suspended type. In this case, the upper part of accelerator pedal A is supported so as to be able to swing freely against the dash panel 7 via a support shaft extending in the left-right direction. Automobiles 1 that run on a driving motor M also have a pedal that is operated when accelerating, and in this specification, this pedal is also referred to as an accelerator pedal.

Although not shown, if the vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission in which the occupant changes the gear ratio using an operating lever (not shown) provided in the passenger compartment R, a pedal for operating the clutch is provided in the passenger compartment R. Normally, the accelerator pedal A is located at the far right, the brake pedal B is located to the left of the accelerator pedal A, and the clutch pedal is located to the left of the brake pedal B.

Although not shown, for example, in a driving school car used for driving lessons, an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal are provided on the passenger side as well as on the driver's side. The present invention can also be applied to such a driving school car.

(Floor panel configuration)
4, the floor panel 3 includes a front floor panel 30, a seat mounting floor panel 34, and a connection panel 35 (details of which will be described later). The front floor panel 30, the seat mounting floor panel 34, and the connection panel 35 are provided not only on the driver's seat side, but also on the passenger's seat side. For example, the front floor panel 30, the seat mounting floor panel 34, and the connection panel 35 may be continuous from the driver's seat side to the passenger's seat side, or may be made of separate members on the driver's seat side and the passenger's seat side.

The front floor panel 30, the seat-mounting floor panel 34 and the connection panel 35 are made of separate members and are joined together to form a single floor panel 3. Furthermore, the seat-mounting floor panel 34 includes a first floor panel (rear floor panel) 31 that forms the front portion of the seat-mounting floor panel 34, and a second floor panel 32 that forms the rear portion of the seat-mounting floor panel 34. The first floor panel 31 and the second floor panel 32 are made of separate members and are joined together to form the seat-mounting floor panel 34.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a floor tunnel portion 30c may be formed in the front floor panel 30, the connection panel 35, and the first floor panel 31. The floor tunnel portion 30c can be formed by bulging upward the left-right central portion (the portion between the driver's seat and the passenger seat) of the front floor panel 30, the connection panel 35, and the first floor panel 31, and can be shaped to extend continuously in the front-rear direction from the front of the front floor panel 30 to the rear of the first floor panel 31, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2, the front floor panel 30 extends rearward from the lower end of the dash panel 7 and also extends in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the front floor panel 30 is provided with a heel rest 30a on which the heel of a pedal operator who operates the brake pedal B and the accelerator pedal A is placed. The heel rest 30a is a portion on which the occupant's heel naturally rests when operating the accelerator pedal A or the brake pedal B, and although it varies somewhat depending on the occupant's physique and driving posture, it is generally within the range (area) shown in FIG. 4. In other words, the heel rest 30a can be defined as a continuous area from a portion of the front floor panel 30 that is rearwardly distant from the front end to a portion of the front floor panel 30 that is forwardly distant from the rear end, and can also be called the middle portion of the front floor panel 30 in the fore-aft direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second floor panel 32 is disposed rearward away from the front floor panel 30 and is a member to which the rear seat 10 is attached. The rear seat 10 includes a rear seat cushion portion 10a that forms the seat surface and a rear seat back portion 10b that forms the backrest portion. The rear seat cushion portion 10a is fixed to the upper surface of the second floor panel 32.

The second floor panel 32 is continuous at least from the portion corresponding to the front end of the rear seat cushion portion 10a to the portion corresponding to the rear end, but may be extended rearward beyond the rear end of the rear seat cushion portion 10a. In this case, it is possible to install a second row of rear seats behind the rear seat 10, or to provide a luggage compartment for storing luggage.

The first floor panel 31 extends from the rear of the connection panel 35 to the front of the second floor panel 32. The first floor panel 31 is positioned lower than the front floor panel 30. For example, the front floor panel 30 can extend approximately horizontally in the front-to-rear direction, and the first floor panel 31 can also extend approximately horizontally in the front-to-rear direction.

The second floor panel 32 can also be shaped to extend approximately horizontally in the front-to-rear direction. The second floor panel 32 is positioned higher than the first floor panel 31. This provides the floor panel 3 with a rear plate portion 3B that extends vertically from the front of the second floor panel 32 to the rear of the first floor panel 31. Since the second floor panel 32 and the first floor panel 31 are connected via the rear plate portion 3B, a step is formed between the second floor panel 32 and the first floor panel 31.

With the above configuration, the first floor panel 31 is positioned one step lower than the front floor panel 30 and the second floor panel 32. The difference in height between the front floor panel 30 and the second floor panel 32 and the first floor panel 31 can be set to, for example, 5 cm or more, 10 cm or more, or may be set to 15 cm or more. The front floor panel 30 and the second floor panel 32 may be at the same height, or the front floor panel 30 may be lower or higher than the second floor panel 32. In addition, the front floor panel 30, the first floor panel 31, and the second floor panel 32 do not have to be strictly horizontal, and may be inclined so that the further rearward they are, the lower they are. In addition, only a part of the front floor panel 30, the first floor panel 31, and the second floor panel 32 may be inclined, and the other parts may be approximately horizontal. Furthermore, the second floor panel 32 may be at the same height as the first floor panel 31.

The rear plate portion 3B may be integrally molded with the second floor panel 32, may be integrally molded with the first floor panel 31, or may be molded separately from these floor panels 31, 32. The rear plate portion 3B may extend substantially vertically, or may be inclined or curved. For example, the rear plate portion 3B may be inclined or curved so that it is positioned further forward as it goes downward.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first floor panel 31 is provided with a first front seat fixing portion (front seat fixing portion) 31a and a second front seat fixing portion (rear seat fixing portion) 31b for fixing the front seat 8. The first front seat fixing portion 31a is provided in front of the center of the first floor panel 31 in the front-rear direction, and is composed of, for example, a member elongated in the left-right direction fixed to the first floor panel 31. Similarly, the second front seat fixing portion 31b is composed of a member elongated in the left-right direction, and is provided a predetermined distance rearward from the first front seat fixing portion 31a. The configuration of the first front seat fixing portion 31a and the second front seat fixing portion 31b is not limited to a member, and various shapes made of plate material or the like can be used. In this embodiment, the first front seat fixing portion 31a is formed higher than the second front seat fixing portion 31b, but the heights of the first front seat fixing portion 31a and the second front seat fixing portion 31b may be the same.

At least the front part of the second floor panel 32 is provided with a rear seat fixing part 32a for fixing the rear seat 10. This rear seat fixing part 32a may be configured similarly to the front seat fixing parts 31a, 31b, or may have a different structure. When the second floor panel 32 and the first floor panel 31 are arranged at the same height, the front seat 8 and the rear seat 10 can be arranged at the same height.

(Front seats)
The front seat 8 includes a front seat cushion portion 8a, a front seat back portion 8b, and a seat slide mechanism 8c that adjusts the position of the front seat cushion portion 8a in the front-rear direction. The front seat cushion portion 8a is a portion that constitutes the seat surface of the front seat occupant, and is composed of, for example, a seat frame provided in the front seat cushion portion 8a, a cushion material supported by the seat frame, a skin material that covers the cushion material, etc., although not shown. The front seat back portion 8b is a portion that constitutes the backrest portion of the front seat occupant, and is composed of, for example, a seat frame, a cushion material, a skin material, etc., although not shown.

The lower part of the front seat back part 8b is attached to the rear part of the front seat cushion part 8a via a reclining mechanism 8d. The reclining mechanism 8d is a conventionally known mechanism for setting the front seat back part 8b at a desired inclination angle and fixing it in place.

The seat slide mechanism 8c may be a conventionally known mechanism, and may, for example, include a movable member 8e fixed to the bottom of the front seat cushion portion 8a, and a rail 8f fixed to the first front seat fixing portion 31a and the second front seat fixing portion 31b of the first floor panel 31. The rail 8f is a member for guiding the front seat cushion portion 8a in the front-rear direction, and extends in the front-rear direction. The front part of the rail 8f is fixed to the first front seat fixing portion 31a, and the rear part is fixed to the second front seat fixing portion 31b. Since the first front seat fixing portion 31a is higher than the second front seat fixing portion 31b, the rail 8f is inclined so that it is positioned higher as it moves forward. The rail 8f may be approximately horizontal.

The movable member 8e is a member that can move in the front-rear direction relative to the rail 8f while engaged with the rail 8f. The position of the movable member 8e in the front-rear direction relative to the rail 8f can be any position within a specified range, and the movable member 8e can be locked to the rail 8f at that position.

The height of the seat slide mechanism 8c can be set by the height of the first floor panel 31, the height of the first front seat fixing part 31a, and the height of the second front seat fixing part 31b. In this embodiment, the height of the seat slide mechanism 8c is set so that the front floor panel 30 is positioned higher than the seat slide mechanism 8c when compared with the front floor panel 30.

(Rear seat)
The rear seat 10 includes a rear seat cushion portion 10a and a rear seat back portion 10b. The rear seat cushion portion 10a and the rear seat back portion 10b can be configured in the same manner as those of the front seat 8. The rear seat cushion portion 10a is fixed to a rear seat fixing portion 32a of a second floor panel 32. The rear seat 10 may also be provided with a seat sliding mechanism and a reclining mechanism similar to those of the front seat 8.

(Connection panel)
4, the connection panel 35 is a member that connects the front floor panel 30 and the first floor panel 31, and extends continuously from the rear of the front floor panel 30 to the front of the first floor panel 31. In this embodiment, since the front floor panel 30 is positioned higher than the first floor panel 31, the connection panel 35 that connects them has an inclined or curved shape that is positioned lower as it moves toward the rear.

Although not shown, the connection panel 35 may be a member extending vertically. In this case, the upper part of the connection panel 35 is connected to the rear part of the front floor panel 30, and the lower part of the connection panel 35 is connected to the front part of the first floor panel 31.

(Battery)
2, a plurality of batteries 50 for supplying power to the driving motor M are mounted below the floor panel 3 of the automobile 1. The type of the batteries 50 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a lithium ion battery, an all-solid-state battery, or other secondary batteries.

Each battery 50 according to this embodiment has a columnar cell 50a and a terminal 50b provided at the axial end of the cell 50a. A conductor (not shown) is connected to the terminal 50b, and the batteries 50 are connected to each other via the conductor so as to achieve the desired voltage and capacity. The posture of each battery 50 after mounting on the automobile 1 is such that the axial direction faces substantially horizontally, specifically, in the front-rear direction of the automobile 1. In this embodiment, the terminal 50a of the battery 50 is located in front of the cell 50a, but the terminal 50b may be located behind the cell 50a. The terminal 50b is provided so as to protrude from the axial end of the cell 50a, and the amount of protrusion is not particularly limited. The terminal 50b may also be called an electrode, for example. The battery 50 may be mounted so that the terminal 50b is located at the rear.

As shown in FIG. 4, the battery 50 is mounted below the front floor panel 30, below the connection panel 35, below the first floor panel 31, and below the second floor panel 32, respectively, thereby ensuring a large mounting capacity of the battery 50. Since the front floor panel 30 and the second floor panel 32 are located higher than the first floor panel 31, the number of rows (tiers) of the batteries 50 in the vertical direction is set to be greater below the front floor panel 30 and below the second floor panel 32 than below the first floor panel 31. In other words, the number of tiers of the batteries 50 is greater below the front floor panel 30 and the second floor panel 32, which are located relatively high, than the first floor panel 31, which is located relatively low, so it can be said that this is an area where the amount of the batteries 50 mounted is relatively large. Note that the battery 50 does not have to be mounted below the first floor panel 31.

Among the batteries 50, the lowest battery 50 and its terminal 50b are arranged so as to overlap the side sill 42 in a side view. This allows the lowest battery 50 to be protected by the side sill 42 in the event of a side collision. Among the batteries 50 mounted below the front floor panel 30, the highest battery 50 and its terminal 50b are arranged above the upper edge of the side sill 42, and this highest battery 50 is arranged so as to overlap the lower part of the hinge pillar 43 in a side view. This allows the highest battery 50 to be protected by the lower part of the hinge pillar 43 in the event of a side collision. Among the batteries 50 mounted below the front floor panel 30, the middle battery 50 and its terminal 50b may be arranged above the upper edge of the side sill 42, and in this case, the middle battery 50 and its terminal 50b are arranged so as to overlap the lower part of the hinge pillar 43 in a side view.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a battery 50 is also mounted inside the floor tunnel section 30c. Therefore, the portion corresponding to the floor tunnel section 30c has a greater number of battery 50 tiers than other portions. Because the floor tunnel section 30c is located in the center of the vehicle width direction, the portion with the greater number of battery 50 tiers is formed in the center of the vehicle width direction. In addition, because the floor tunnel section 30c is long in the front-rear direction, the portion with the greater number of battery 50 tiers is also long in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the connection panel 35 is formed so that it is positioned lower as it goes further rearward, so the number of stages of batteries 50 mounted below the connection panel 35 decreases as it goes further rearward. In this embodiment, three stages of batteries 50 are provided below the front floor panel 30 and the second floor panel 32, while one stage of batteries 50 is provided below the first floor panel 31, and the number of stages of batteries 50 changes from three stages to two stages to one stage below the connection panel 35 from front to rear. Note that the number of stages of batteries 50 is not limited to the number shown in the figure.

As shown in FIG. 2, in a side view of the vehicle, the terminals 50b of the battery 50 mounted below the front floor panel 30 are positioned so as to overlap the lower part of the hinge pillar 43. Since the number of stages of the batteries 50 mounted below this front floor panel 30 is greater than the number of stages of the batteries 50 mounted below the first floor panel 31, the terminals 50b of many of the batteries 50 can overlap the lower part of the hinge pillar 43 in a side view of the vehicle.

The reason why the terminal 50b of the battery 50 overlaps the lower part of the hinge pillar 43 in a side view of the vehicle is as follows. The hinge pillar 43 is a member that supports the front door 5, and is therefore a relatively rigid part of the vehicle body. Therefore, the hinge pillar 43 is a part that undergoes a small amount of deformation toward the inside of the vehicle width direction during a side collision, and by arranging the hinge pillar 43 and the terminal 50b of the battery 50 to overlap, the terminal 50b of the battery 50 can be protected by the hinge pillar 43 during a side collision. This reduces the collision load input to the terminal 50b of the battery 50.

In addition, the battery 50 mounted below the rear side of the connection panel 35 and below the first floor panel 31 is located rearward away from the hinge pillar 43. This makes it difficult for the hinge pillar 43 to directly protect the battery 50 during a side collision, but the terminals 50b of the battery 50 mounted below the rear side of the connection panel 35 and below the first floor panel 31 are positioned so as to overlap with the side sill 42 in a side view of the vehicle. This allows the terminals 50b of the battery 50, which are located rearward away from the hinge pillar 43, to be protected by the side sill 42.

Also, as shown by the phantom lines in FIG. 2, the lower part of the center pillar 45 may be arranged to overlap with the terminals 50b of some of the batteries 50 in a side view of the vehicle. In this case, the terminals 50b of the batteries 50 can be protected by the center pillar 45. The number of stages of the batteries 50 may be increased in the part that overlaps with the center pillar 45.

As shown in FIG. 2, the battery 50 is housed in a case 51. The case 51 extends from near the right side sill 42 to near the left side sill 42, and also extends from below the front of the front floor panel 30 to below the second floor panel 32. A large number of cells 50 are housed in the case 51 from the front to the rear and from right to left. The case 51 housing the battery 50 can be called a battery unit. In this embodiment, the battery unit is disposed below the floor panel 3.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a bulge 51a is formed on the upper part of the case 51 so as to bulge toward the floor tunnel section 30c, and the battery 50 is also housed within this bulge 51a. Note that the bulge 51a may be provided as needed, and may be omitted.

The case 51 can be fixed to the front floor panel 30, the side sill 42, the lower part of the dash panel 7, etc. The fixing structure of the case 51 is not particularly limited, but a fixing structure using fastening members such as bolts and screws can be used, for example. This makes it possible to attach and detach the case 51, improving the workability when replacing the battery 50.

(Front seat passenger posture and pedal operation)
7 is a diagram showing the lower legs 100 of a front seat occupant (pedal operator) seated on the front seat 8, the floor panel 3, the dash panel 7, the brake pedal B, and the vicinity thereof. In this embodiment, the fixing parts 31a, 31b of the front seat 8 are positioned below the upper surface of the front floor panel 30, so that the hip point of the pedal operator can be lowered. Lowering the hip point of the pedal operator means that the seating position of the pedal operator is lowered, and as a result, the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle in the riding state is lowered.

The front floor panel 30 on which the pedal operator's heel 101 is placed is positioned higher than the first floor panel 31, so the pedal operator's heel 101 is placed in a higher position than in a typical operating posture. This layout results in the pedal operator's upper leg 102 and lower leg 103 being placed in a widely spread posture. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 200 indicates the center line of the pedal operator's upper leg 102, and reference numeral 201 indicates the center line of the lower leg 103. The difference in height between the front floor panel 30 and the first floor panel 31 is set so that the angle between the center line 200 and the center line 201 (opening angle α between the upper leg 102 and the lower leg 103) is in the range of 125° to 150°.

By setting the height difference in this way, the angle between the lower leg 100 and the front floor panel 30 (angle β between the center line 201 and the front floor panel 30) is reduced, so the vertical component of the force input to the heel 101 during pedal operation is reduced, improving the operability of the brake pedal B. To be more specific, when the pedal operator depresses the brake pedal B, the heel 101 applies a diagonally downward force F to the front floor panel 30. If this force F is divided into a vertical force and a horizontal force, they are force F1 and force F2, respectively. As described above, since the angle β is reduced, the vertical component of the force F1 input from the heel 101 is reduced. This allows, for example, a change of foot from the brake pedal B to the accelerator pedal A or vice versa to be performed quickly and accurately, improving the operability of the pedals A and B.

(Rear seat passenger comfort)
In this embodiment, the habitability of the rear seat passengers can be improved. As shown in Fig. 2, the second floor panel 32 to which the rear seat 10 is attached is positioned higher than the first floor panel 31, so that the passengers in the rear seat 10 sit at a relatively high position and have good visibility. The rear seat passengers place their feet on the first floor panel 31, but because this first floor panel 31 is positioned lower than the second floor panel 32, the foot space of the rear seat passengers is secured to be wide, especially in the vertical direction.

(Effects of the embodiment)
As described above, according to this embodiment, the angle β between the lower leg 103 of the pedal operator and the front floor panel 30 can be reduced to improve pedal operability. Furthermore, the space below the floor panel 3 can be utilized to increase the mounting capacity of the battery 50. In this case, since the hinge pillar 43, which has a relatively high rigidity in the vehicle body, and the terminal 50b of the battery 50 are arranged to overlap, the terminal 50b of the battery 50 can be protected by the hinge pillar 43 during a side collision. This reduces the collision load input to the terminal 50b of the battery 50.

In addition, because the seat fixing parts 31a and 31b are provided on the first floor panel 31, which is positioned lower than the front floor panel 30, the hip point of the pedal operator seated on the front seat 8 is lowered. Therefore, the angle β between the lower leg 103 of the pedal operator and the front floor panel 30 can be made sufficiently small.

Other Embodiments
The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

Also, for example, as in the modified embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the floor panel 3 may be integral from the front to the rear. Specifically, the floor panel 3 of the modified embodiment includes a front panel portion 300 on which the heel of the pedal operator is placed, a seat placement panel portion 340, and a connection panel portion 350. The seat placement panel portion 340 is provided behind the front panel portion 300 and includes a first panel portion (rear panel portion) 310 to which at least the front seat 8 is attached, and a second panel portion 320. This modified embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the above embodiment. Also, the front panel portion 300 and the connection panel portion 350 may be integrally molded and the first panel portion 310 may be a separate body, or the first panel portion 310 and the connection panel portion 350 may be integrally molded and the front panel portion 300 may be a separate body.

As described above, the vehicle body structure according to the present invention can be used, for example, in an automobile equipped with a floor panel.

1A Vehicle body structure 3 Floor panel 30 Front floor panel 31 First floor panel (rear floor panel)
35 Connection panel 42 Side sill 43 Hinge pillar 50 Battery 50a Cell 50b Terminal B Brake pedal M Driving motor R Vehicle interior

Claims (4)

A vehicle body structure for an automobile including a floor panel forming a floor surface of a vehicle compartment, a driving motor, and a battery mounted below the floor panel and supplying power to the driving motor,
a pair of left and right side sills disposed at both ends of the floor panel in a vehicle width direction so as to extend in a vehicle front-rear direction;
a pair of left and right pillars extending upward from the pair of left and right side sills,
The battery includes cells formed in a columnar shape;
A terminal is provided at an end of the cell in the axial direction,
The cell is mounted in such a manner that its axis is oriented substantially horizontally,
The battery is mounted in a vertically aligned manner in a portion overlapping with the pillar in a side view of the vehicle,
The battery terminal is disposed so as to overlap with the pillar in a side view of the vehicle ,
A vehicle body structure in which the number of batteries arranged in the vertical direction mounted in a portion away from the pillar in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction is set to be smaller than the number of batteries arranged in the vertical direction mounted in a portion overlapping with the pillar . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1,
The floor panel is
a front floor panel on which the heel of a pedal operator who operates a pedal provided in the automobile is placed;
a rear floor panel provided behind the front floor panel,
The front floor panel is positioned above the rear floor panel,
The battery is mounted below the front floor panel of the vehicle body structure. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 or 2,
The battery is also mounted in a portion spaced apart from the pillar in the vehicle front-rear direction,
A vehicle body structure in which the terminals of the battery mounted at a portion spaced from the pillar in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction are positioned so as to overlap with the side sill in a side view of the vehicle. The vehicle body structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A vehicle body structure in which the dimension of the pillar in the vehicle front-rear direction is set to become longer as it approaches the lower part of the pillar.

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