Vehicle body structure

• US 6,983,945 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ono, Tohru, Sekiguchi, Yoshitaka, Ito, Hiroshi, Kawasaki, Satoshi, Shibasawa, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUM VANNUCCI, LEE SIN YEE
• Application Number:
  US10/406,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 280830-834, 180/291, 180/65.1, 180/65.2
• US Class Current: 280/834
• 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: B62D 21/155 Sub-frames or underguards

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a vehicle body structure safeguarding a fuel tank from damage resulting from collisions without greatly increasing the weight of the vehicle. The vehicle body structure includes a front floor under which a fuel cell stack case accommodating a fuel cell stack is disposed, and side sills and floor frames which extend along the sides of the vehicle, and on which a sub-frame for housing a fuel tank is installed. The front face of the sub-frame and the rear face of the fuel cell stack case are flat and oppose each other.

Claims

1. A vehicle body structure comprising:

a front floor under which a fuel cell stack case accommodating a fuel cell stack is disposed; and

floor frames which extend along sides of the vehicle, the floor frames comprise;

front lower portions which are disposed under the front floor, and to which the fuel cell stack case is fixed;

rear upper portions under which a sub- frame having a fuel tank is installed so that a front face of the sub-frame and a rear face of the fuel cell stack case, both of which are formed to be flat, oppose each other; and

stepped portions, which connect the front lower portions to the rear upper portions.

2. A vehicle body structure comprising:

a front floor;

a fuel cell stack case positioned under the front floor, the fuel cell stack case including a flat rear face;

floor frames which extend along sides of the vehicle, the floor frames comprising;

front lower portions coupled to the fuel cell stack case,

rear upper portions,

step portions connecting the front lower portions and the rear upper portions,

a sub-frame being positioned under the rear upper portions and constructed to support a fuel tank, the sub-frame including a flat front face opposite the flat rear face of the fuel cell stack case.