Vehicle body structure

• US 10,639,981 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kasai, Satoshi, Yamada, Akihiro, Otoguro, Kazuma, Nishino, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John D
• Application Number:
  US16/272,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20190275873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 180 685
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/155 Sub-frames or underguards
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/20 Floors or bottom sub-units sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A vehicle body structure includes: a floor panel of a floor of a vehicle interior; a left floor member having a left inclined portion inclined toward the outer side of a vehicle from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle when viewed from the top, and a right floor member having a right inclined portion inclined toward the outer side of the vehicle from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle when viewed from the top; a battery support frame closer to the lower side of the vehicle than the left and right floor members; and a fastening unit for fixing the battery support frame to the floor panel through the left and right floor members. The battery support frame is fastened to the floor panel at the left inclined portion and the right inclined portion through the fastening unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle body structure comprising:

a floor panel of a floor of a vehicle interior;

a left floor member having a left inclined portion inclined toward the outer side of a vehicle from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle when viewed from the top, and a right floor member having a right inclined portion inclined toward the outer side of the vehicle from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle when viewed from the top;

a battery support frame closer to the lower side of the vehicle than the left floor member and the right floor member; and

a fastening unit for fixing the battery support frame to the floor panel through the left floor member and the right floor member, wherein

the battery support frame is fastened to the floor panel at the left inclined portion and the right inclined portion through the fastening unit.

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein

the left inclined portion is inclined toward the outer side of the vehicle, between an inclined left front end on the front side of the vehicle and an inclined left rear end on the rear side of the vehicle, and the right inclined portion is inclined toward the outer side of the vehicle, between an inclined right front end on the front side of the vehicle and an inclined right rear end on the rear side of the vehicle,

the battery support frame is fixed to the left inclined portion at the inclined left front end, an inclined left intermediate point between the inclined left front end and the inclined left rear end, and the inclined left rear end, and

the battery support frame is fixed to the right inclined portion at the inclined right front end, an inclined right intermediate point between the inclined right front end and the inclined right rear end, and the inclined right rear end.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 2, wherein

the battery support frame comprises:

a first cross member having a left end portion fixed to the inclined left front end, and a right end portion fixed to the inclined right front end;

a second cross member having a left end portion fixed to the inclined left intermediate point, and a right end portion fixed to the inclined right intermediate point;

a third cross member having a left end portion fixed to the inclined left rear end, and a right end portion fixed to the inclined right rear end; and

multiple straight members fixed to the first cross member, the second cross member, and the third cross member and extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein

the left floor member and the right floor member are each a flanged member structure having a hat shape that has, in cross section, a both side flanged groove extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and has a fastening through hole in a groove bottom portion, both side flanges being fixed to the floor panel,

the fastening unit comprises:

a flanged holder having the hat shape that has, in cross section, a both side flanged groove extending in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the groove of the flanged member structure extends, and the both side flanges are fixed to the groove bottom portion of the flanged member structure; and

a tube nut that is disposed in a holder space surrounded by a groove wall portion of the flanged holder and a groove wall portion of the flanged member structure and has a female thread portion along an axial direction, and

the tube nut has an upper end portion fixed to a groove bottom portion of the flanged holder, and a lower end portion fixed to the groove bottom portion of the flanged member structure.

5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 2, wherein

the left floor member and the right floor member are each a flanged member structure having a hat shape that has, in cross section, a both side flanged groove extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and has a fastening through hole in a groove bottom portion, both side flanges being fixed to the floor panel,

the fastening unit comprises:

a flanged holder having the hat shape that has, in cross section, a both side flanged groove extending in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the groove of the flanged member structure extends, and the both side flanges are fixed to the groove bottom portion of the flanged member structure; and

a tube nut that is disposed in a holder space surrounded by a groove wall portion of the flanged holder and a groove wall portion of the flanged member structure and has a female thread portion along an axial direction, and

the tube nut has an upper end portion fixed to a groove bottom portion of the flanged holder, and a lower end portion fixed to the groove bottom portion of the flanged member structure.

6. The vehicle body structure according to claim 3, wherein

the left floor member and the right floor member are each a flanged member structure having a hat shape that has, in cross section, a both side flanged groove extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and has a fastening through hole in a groove bottom portion, both side flanges being fixed to the floor panel,

the fastening unit comprises:

a flanged holder having the hat shape that has, in cross section, a both side flanged groove extending in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the groove of the flanged member structure extends, and the both side flanges are fixed to the groove bottom portion of the flanged member structure; and

a tube nut that is disposed in a holder space surrounded by a groove wall portion of the flanged holder and a groove wall portion of the flanged member structure and has a female thread portion along an axial direction, and

the tube nut has an upper end portion fixed to a groove bottom portion of the flanged holder, and a lower end portion fixed to the groove bottom portion of the flanged member structure.