JP7565133B2 - Vehicle Structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to vehicle structures such as automobiles.

The present applicant has previously proposed a specific example of a vehicle structure as described in Patent Document 1.
In the vehicle structure described in the document, a power storage device such as a battery is mounted on a floor section, and front and rear floor cross members are provided on the front and rear sides of the power storage device. The floor section also has a floor tunnel section, but this floor tunnel section is provided exclusively in a front portion of the vehicle, further forward than the power storage device and the front floor cross member.
According to this configuration, the power storage device can be mounted in the vehicle with efficient space utilization, for example, by effectively utilizing the space under the vehicle seats (front seats) in the floor portion. In addition, the front and rear floor cross members serve to protect the power storage device.

However, there is still room for improvement in the above-mentioned conventional technology, as described below.

That is, in the floor portion, a floor tunnel portion is formed in a front region of the floor portion that is forward of the front floor cross member, whereas a floor tunnel portion is not formed in a rear region of the floor portion that is rearward of the rear floor cross member. Therefore, the difference in rigidity between the front and rear floor cross members is large, and there is a risk that torsional deformation or the like may easily occur between them. If such a risk occurs, when a vehicle seat that is a front seat is installed on the front and rear floor cross members, the riding comfort of the passengers will be deteriorated.
One possible solution to this problem would be to make a part of the rear area bulge upward and provide an additional floor tunnel section with a similar structure to the floor tunnel section, thereby reducing the difference in rigidity between the rear area and the front area. However, adopting such a solution would have the disadvantage that the rear surface of the rear floor cross member and the step section (seat riser section) for installing the rear seat provided on the rear side of the rear floor cross member would have to be shaped so as not to interfere with the additional floor tunnel section.

JP 2020-199897 A

The present invention was conceived in light of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a vehicle structure that can appropriately and easily prevent problems caused by areas of large rigidity differences in the floor section due to floor tunnel sections.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

The vehicle structure provided by the present invention comprises an electric storage device mounted on a floor portion of the passenger compartment, front and rear floor cross members joined to the upper or lower surface portion of the floor portion so as to be located on the front and rear sides of the electric storage device, respectively, and extending in the vehicle width direction, a floor tunnel portion which is open at the bottom and convex upwardly, provided in a front region of the floor portion which is further forward of the front floor cross member, and a step portion for installing a seat, provided in the floor portion at a position spaced from the rear floor cross member toward the rear side of the vehicle, and is characterized in that the vehicle structure further comprises an opening in the form of a vertical through hole provided in the rear region of the floor portion between the rear floor cross member and the step portion, and a tunnel-shaped auxiliary member which is open at the bottom and convex upwardly, and which covers the above of the opening and is joined to the rear region so as to bridge and connect the rear floor cross member and the step portion.

According to this configuration, the following effects can be obtained.
First, the floor section has a floor tunnel section on the vehicle front side of the front floor cross member, while the rear floor cross member has a tunnel-shaped auxiliary member that is open at the bottom and convex upward on the vehicle rear side, so that it is possible to reduce the difference in rigidity between these two areas. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult for torsional deformation to occur between these two areas, and to effectively increase the strength of the vehicle. This also has the effect of improving the ride comfort when the front seats are located above the front and rear floor cross members.
Secondly, since the auxiliary member bridges and connects the rear floor cross member and a predetermined step, it is possible to further increase the strength of the area where the auxiliary member is provided and the surrounding area. Also, for example, when a vehicle crashes head-on and the collision load acts on the rear floor cross member, the load can be transmitted to the step using the auxiliary member. Therefore, it is possible to improve the transmission of the collision load. This is also preferable from the viewpoint of protecting the power storage device.
Thirdly, the auxiliary member can be easily set in the state intended by the present invention. Unlike the present invention, if a part of the rear area of the floor part, which is on the vehicle rear side of the rear floor cross member, is made to have an upwardly raised shape and an additional floor tunnel part is further provided, it is necessary to configure the rear surface part of the rear floor cross member and the step part for seat installation so that they do not interfere with the additional floor tunnel part. However, according to the present invention, this is not necessary. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing costs.
Fourth, since an opening is provided in the floor portion where the auxiliary member is installed, this opening can be used as a passage for, for example, a parking brake cable, etc. Also, the opening can be used as a work opening when, for example, spot welding is performed on the step portion for installing the seat.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic bottom view of a main portion showing an example of a vehicle structure according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a main part of the vehicle structure shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a main part of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic exploded perspective view of a main portion of FIG. 2 . 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2 in a state in which the battery is mounted. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 2 in a state in which the battery is mounted.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The vehicle structure A shown in Figures 1 and 2 includes a pair of left and right side members 3 (the dotted parts in Figure 1), a passenger compartment floor portion 11 with a floor tunnel portion 12 formed in the front portion, a pair of left and right inner members 13 (the light-shaded parts in Figure 1), a battery 8, front and rear floor cross members 4A, 4B, a step portion 11c for installing a rear vehicle seat (not shown), and an auxiliary member 7 for forming an additional floor tunnel portion 12A.
In FIG. 1, reference numerals 19a and 19b denote front and rear wheels, respectively, and reference numeral 10 denotes an engine compartment.

The pair of side members 3 are body frame members that extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction, under the vehicle 1. As shown in Figures 6 to 8, each side member 3 is constructed using a member that has, for example, a hat-shaped cross section, and is welded to the underside of the floor portion 11 of the vehicle 1 where the floor portion 11 is provided.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the floor section 11 is configured by joining (welding) the rear end of the dash panel 11a and the front end of the front floor panel 11b via joints 17. Both ends of the floor section 11 in the vehicle width direction are joined to a pair of left and right rockers 15.

The battery 8 corresponds to an example of the power storage device of the present invention. The battery 8 is mounted on the floor portion 11 in an area that corresponds to the space below a vehicle seat (not shown), such as a front seat, and is fixed using an appropriate fixing member.

The front and rear floor cross members 4A, 4B are members that increase the strength of the mounting location of the battery 8 and help protect the battery 8, and are constructed using members with a hat-shaped cross section, for example. The front and rear floor cross members 4A, 4B extend in the vehicle width direction, positioned so as to sandwich the battery 8 in the vehicle front-rear direction, and are connected to bridge between a pair of left and right rockers 15. The front seat of the vehicle (not shown) is attached to the upper side of these front and rear floor cross members 4A, 4B.

The floor tunnel section 12 is located in the front area of the floor section 11, which is further forward of the front floor cross member 4A, and is located in the center of the vehicle width direction. This floor tunnel section 12 protrudes above the periphery of the floor section 11 and is an upwardly convex tunnel shape with openings at the front and bottom, extending from the dash panel 11a toward the rear of the vehicle.

The pair of left and right inner members 13 correspond to tunnel reinforcements that reinforce the base of the floor tunnel section 12 and its surrounding area, and are joined to the underside of the floor section 11. Each inner member 13 has a main body section 13a that extends in a substantially straight line in the vehicle front-rear direction along the base of the floor tunnel section 12, and a front extension section 13b that is connected to the front of the main body section 13a. The front extension section 13b corresponds to an inner torque member, is bent or curved in the vehicle width direction, and its tip section is joined to the side member 3. An outer torque member 16 that bridges and connects the side member 3 and the rocker 15 is provided on the outer side of the front extension section 13b in the vehicle width direction, thereby improving the rigidity of the front part of the vehicle.
2 and 6, an upper member 40 is provided on the upper surface of the floor section 11, above the side member 3. An auxiliary cross member 41 is connected between this upper member 40 and the side wall of the floor tunnel section 12, thereby further reinforcing the floor tunnel section 12 and its surrounding area.

As described above, the step 11c is a step where a vehicle seat (not shown) is installed, and is disposed at an appropriate distance from the rear floor cross member 4B toward the rear of the vehicle, and is set at a height higher than other general parts of the floor part 11 (front floor panel 11b). As shown in FIG. 5, the step 11c is formed using a seat riser 5 (seat riser panel) having an upright wall 50, and a cross member 6 is joined to the rear side of the seat riser 5, and the cross member 6 and the seat riser 5 form a closed cross-sectional structure with high rigidity. The seat riser 5 and the cross member 6 extend in the vehicle width direction and are connected to bridge a pair of rockers 15.

The auxiliary member 7 is a tunnel-shaped member that is open at the bottom and convex upward, and is joined to the upper surface of the rear region of the floor section 11 between the rear floor cross member 4B and the step portion 11c, and bridges and connects the rear floor cross member 4B and the step portion 11c. An opening 11d in the form of a vertical through hole is provided in the center of the rear region of the floor section 11 in the vehicle width direction, and the auxiliary member 7 is set to block the upper part of this opening 11d (see also Figure 7). This provides an additional floor tunnel portion 12A.

In this embodiment, the auxiliary member 7 is divided into a front member 7a and a rear member 7b. As shown in Fig. 4, the front member 7a includes an upper wall portion 70 and a pair of side wall portions 71 extending downward from both ends in the vehicle width direction of the upper wall portion 70. The front member 7a is welded to the rear portion of the front floor panel 11b and to the rear floor cross member 4B so as to close the upper side of the opening 11d.
The rear member 7b includes an upper wall portion 70b, a pair of side wall portions 71b, and a pair of left and right plate-like portions 72. The pair of plate-like portions 72 are portions that close the gap 98 between the front floor panel 11b and the seat riser 5. The upper wall portion 70b and the pair of side wall portions 71b are connected to the upper wall portion 70 and the pair of side wall portions 71 of the front member 7a.

A through hole 78 is provided in the upper part of the auxiliary member 7 (upper wall parts 70, 70b, etc.). As shown in FIG. 5, the through hole 78 and the opening 11d are used for routing various cables, such as inserting a parking brake cable 95. Also, in FIG. 5, a welded part W is provided in the seat riser 5 and the cross member 6 of the step part 11c, and the opening 11d can also be used as a work hole for providing such a welded part W.

Next, we will explain the operation of the vehicle structure A described above.

First, in the floor section 11, a floor tunnel section 12 is provided in the front region of the front floor cross member 4A on the vehicle front side. In contrast, an additional floor tunnel section 12A is provided in the rear region of the rear floor cross member 4B on the vehicle rear side, with the upper part of the opening 11d blocked by an auxiliary member 7. This reduces the difference in rigidity between the front and rear regions, making it possible to make torsional deformation and the like less likely to occur between these two regions. Therefore, when a front vehicle seat is installed above the front and rear floor cross members 4A, 4B, shaking caused by the difference in rigidity between the front and rear is less likely to occur, and this is expected to have the effect of improving ride comfort.

Since the auxiliary member 7 bridges the rear floor cross member 4B and the highly rigid step portion 11c, it is possible to more effectively increase the strength of the area where the auxiliary member 7 is provided and the surrounding area. Furthermore, when a frontal collision of the vehicle 1 occurs and the collision load acts from the front side of the vehicle on the rear floor cross member 4B, the load can be transmitted to the step portion 11c by using the auxiliary member 7. By improving the transmission of the collision load, it is possible to improve the load resistance and shock absorption in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle 1. This is also preferable in terms of increasing the protection performance of the battery 8.
In the vehicle structure A of this embodiment, as shown by the phantom line in Fig. 5, the floor tunnel portion 12 and the auxiliary member 7 can also be configured to be connected using a connecting member 94. With such a configuration, when a frontal collision of the vehicle 1 occurs and a collision load acts on the floor tunnel portion 12, the collision load can be transmitted to the step portion 11c via the connecting member 94 and the auxiliary member 7, and the transmission of the collision load can be further improved.

In this embodiment, the additional floor tunnel portion 12A is formed using the auxiliary member 7, and the auxiliary member 7 can be manufactured and attached to a predetermined location relatively easily. Furthermore, there is no need to process the rear floor cross member 4B or the step portion 11c into a special shape when attaching the auxiliary member 7. Therefore, the vehicle structure A of this embodiment is easy to manufacture and is also preferable in terms of suppressing an increase in manufacturing costs.
As described above, the opening 11d can be used conveniently for routing the cable 95 and for working on the welded portion W.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the vehicle structure according to the present invention can be freely designed and modified within the intended scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the auxiliary member 7 is divided into two members, the front member 7a and the rear member 7b, but the present invention is not limited to this. The auxiliary member 7 may be composed of a single member.
The front and rear floor cross members may be joined to the underside of the floor section instead of to the upper side. Also, the cross members may be configured using members with a cross section other than a hat-shaped cross section.
The power storage device according to the present invention is not limited to a battery but also includes, for example, a capacitor.
The vehicle structure of the present invention is of course applicable not only to engine vehicles but also to hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles.

A Vehicle structure 11 Floor portion 11c Step portion 11d Opening 12 Floor tunnel portions 4A, 4B Front and rear floor cross members 5 Seat riser 7 Auxiliary member 8 Battery (electricity storage device)

Claims (1)

a power storage device mounted on a floor portion configured using a front floor panel of a vehicle interior;
front and rear floor cross members joined to an upper surface or a lower surface of the floor portion so as to be located on the vehicle front and rear sides, respectively, of the electric storage device and extending in a vehicle width direction;
a floor tunnel portion that is open at a lower portion and convex upward and that is provided in a front region of the floor portion that is on a vehicle forward side relative to the front floor cross member;
a step portion for installing a seat provided in the floor portion at a position spaced apart from the rear floor cross member toward the rear side of the vehicle;
A vehicle structure comprising:
an opening portion in the form of a vertical through hole provided in a rear region of the floor portion between the rear floor cross member and the step portion;
An auxiliary member that closes the upper portion of the opening and is joined to the rear region so as to bridge and connect the rear floor cross member and the step portion;
It also has
a rear end of the front floor panel is located at a midpoint in the vehicle front-rear direction of the rear area of the floor portion, and a space between the rear end of the front floor panel and the step portion is a gap area where the front floor panel is not provided,
The front floor panel is provided with a cutout portion that is open to the rear as a portion that forms a part of the opening,
the auxiliary member is configured by combining a front member and a rear member, each of which has an upwardly convex tunnel shape including an upper wall portion and a pair of left and right side wall portions extending downward from both ends of the upper wall portion in the vehicle width direction, and the rear member further includes a pair of left and right plate-shaped portions extending outward in the vehicle width direction from lower portions of the pair of side wall portions,
the front member is set so as to close an upper portion of the cutout portion, and is connected to the front floor panel and the rear floor cross member,
the rear member is connected to the front member and the step portion such that the pair of plate-shaped portions close the gap area,
the upper wall portion of the front member and the rear portions of the pair of side wall portions are connected to the upper wall portion of the rear member and the front portions of the pair of side wall portions are connected to each other in an overlapping state;
A vehicle structure characterized in that the opening in the floor portion is configured such that a lower opening formed in the area between a pair of side wall portions of the rear member is connected to the rear side of the cutout portion.

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