Mid-floor structure for vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mid-floor structure for a vehicle, comprising: a mid-floor panel having an opening, a peripheral portion of the mid-floor panel defining the opening; and a battery assembly mounted below the mid-floor panel, the battery assembly covering the opening of the mid-floor panel. The opening is defined in a central portion of the mid-floor panel, the peripheral portion comprising a plate structure.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0041962 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on April 10, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a center floor structure for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a center floor structure for a vehicle that enables a battery upper case to be integrated into the center floor of the vehicle, thereby reducing its weight and manufacturing cost. Background Art

[0004] Recently, as people's awareness of environmental crises and depletion of petroleum resources has increased, research and development of environmentally friendly electric vehicles have been actively conducted. Electric vehicles include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), etc.

[0005] The electric vehicle is equipped with a high-voltage battery assembly mounted to the vehicle body. The high-voltage battery assembly includes one or more battery cells (or battery modules), electrical components associated with the battery cells, and a battery housing in which the battery cells and electrical components are mounted. The battery housing includes an upper battery housing and a lower battery housing. The high-voltage battery assembly can be mounted below the mid-floor panel of the vehicle body, so that the high-voltage battery assembly can be located below the passenger compartment.

[0006] The center floor provides sealing and NVH functions for the passenger compartment, and the battery housing provides sealing functions for the battery.

[0007] Conventional electric vehicles are equipped with a high-voltage battery assembly that is mounted below a center floor panel, which may increase the weight and manufacturing cost of the center floor structure.

[0008] The above information described in this Background section is provided to help understanding the background of the inventive concept and may include any technical concepts that are not considered as prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention has solved the above-mentioned problems arising in the prior art while completely maintaining the advantages achieved by the prior art.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention provides a mid-floor structure for a vehicle, enabling a battery upper case to be integrated into the mid-floor of the vehicle, thereby reducing its weight and lowering its manufacturing cost.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a mid-floor structure for a vehicle may include: a mid-floor panel having an opening, wherein a peripheral portion of the mid-floor structure defines the opening; and a battery assembly mounted below the mid-floor panel, wherein the battery assembly covers the opening of the mid-floor panel.

[0012] The opening may be defined in a central portion of the mid-floor panel and a peripheral portion may include a plate structure.

[0013] The battery assembly may include a battery upper case facing the opening.

[0014] The mid-floor structure may further include a sealing strip sealing a gap between the battery upper case and a periphery of the opening.

[0015] The sealing strip may include a base portion, a sealing profile, and a lip; the base portion is attached to the top surface of the battery upper housing; the sealing profile extends upward from the base portion; and the lip extends upward from the top end of the sealing profile.

[0016] The sealing contour and the lip can be deformed under the action of external forces.

[0017] The battery upper case may include a plurality of reinforcing ribs formed on a top surface thereof.

[0018] Each of the reinforcing ribs may extend in a direction inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the battery upper case.

[0019] The edge of the opening may be recessed downward from the peripheral portion by a predetermined offset distance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the following detailed description presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a mid-floor structure for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A plan view showing a mid-floor structure for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 Shown along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

[0024] Figure 4 Shown along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

[0025] Figure 5 Shown along Figure 2 Cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals will be used to represent the same or equivalent elements throughout. In addition, the detailed description of the known techniques associated with the present invention will be excluded to avoid making the subject matter of the present invention unclear unnecessarily.

[0027] For example, the term of the first, second, A, B, (a) and (b) and the like can be used to describe the element in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.These terms are only used to distinguish an element from another element, and the inherent characteristics, order or sequence of the corresponding elements, etc. are not limited by these terms.Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this article, including technical terms or scientific terms, have the same meaning as the meaning generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention belongs.These terms defined in the commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning in the relevant technical field, unless clearly defined as having an ideal or excessive formal meaning in the application, otherwise it should not be interpreted as having an ideal or excessive formal meaning.

[0028] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a center floor structure 10 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a center floor panel 11 disposed in a lower portion of a vehicle body and a battery assembly 60 installed below the center floor panel 11 .

[0029] The middle floor panel 11 may be arranged in the lower portion of the vehicle body to form the floor of the vehicle. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the center floor panel 11 may include an opening 11 a formed at a central portion thereof and a plurality of peripheral portions 11 b , 11 c , 11 d , and 11 e surrounding the opening 11 a .

[0030] For example, the plurality of peripheral portions 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e may include a front peripheral portion 11b facing the front of the vehicle, a rear peripheral portion 11c facing the rear of the vehicle, and a pair of side peripheral portions 11d and 11e facing the left and right sides of the vehicle. Each peripheral portion may be a plate structure. For example, each peripheral portion may be a flat plate structure.

[0031] The battery assembly 60 may be installed below the center floor panel 11. Specifically, the battery assembly 60 may be arranged below the center floor panel 11 to cover the opening 11a of the center floor panel 11. Since the battery assembly 60 is arranged below the center floor panel 11 so as to cover the opening 11a of the center floor panel 11, the weight of the center floor panel 11 may be reduced and the manufacturing cost of the center floor panel 11 may be reduced. The battery assembly 60 may be coupled to the rocker 15 of the vehicle body and the front and rear structures of the vehicle body by bolts and / or the like.

[0032] The battery assembly 60 may include: one or more battery cells (or battery modules); electrical components associated with the battery cells; a battery lower shell 61 in which the battery cells and electrical components are installed; and a battery upper shell 62 that covers the top of the battery lower shell 61.

[0033] The battery upper case 62 may be located below the middle floor panel 11 , and a top surface of the battery upper case 62 may face the opening 11 a of the middle floor panel 11 .

[0034] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The center floor structure 10 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a sealing strip 80 which seals a gap between the battery upper case 62 and a periphery of the opening 11 a of the center floor panel 11 .

[0035] The sealing strip 80 may include a base portion 81 attached to the top surface of the battery upper housing 62, a sealing profile 82 extending upward from the base portion 81, and a lip 83 extending upward from the top end of the sealing profile 82. The base portion 81 may be directly attached to the top surface of the battery upper housing 62 by means of an adhesive such as a double-sided tape 84. The sealing profile 82 may be deformed by an external force. Specifically, the sealing profile 82 may have a cavity 82a formed therein. The lip 83 may be deformed by an external force. Specifically, when the lip 83 is deformed by the force, the lip 83 may closely contact the bottom surface of the middle floor panel 11 around the periphery of the opening 11a. When the battery assembly 60 is assembled into the vehicle body to cover the opening 11a of the middle floor panel 11 below the middle floor panel 11, the sealing profile 82 and the lip 83 of the sealing strip 80 may be deformed (squeezed) between the battery upper case 62 of the battery assembly 60 and the periphery of the opening 11a of the middle floor panel 11, so that the sealing profile 82 and the lip 83 can closely contact the bottom surface of the middle floor panel 11 around the periphery of the opening 11a. In this way, the sealing strip 80 can seal the gap between the periphery of the opening 11a of the middle floor panel 11 and the battery upper case 62 of the battery assembly 60, so that the sealing property of the passenger room floor can be fully ensured. By adopting the sealing strip 80 (which provides a sealing function by a squeezing method) instead of using an adhesive sealing member such as a sealant, replacement or repair of the battery assembly 60 can be easily performed.

[0036] A plurality of reinforcing ribs 65 may be integrally formed on the top surface of the battery upper housing 62 by various process methods, and each reinforcing rib 65 may extend in a direction inclined relative to the longitudinal axis X of the battery upper housing 62. In other words, the reinforcing ribs 65 may extend diagonally on the top surface of the battery upper housing 62, thereby improving the overall torsional rigidity of the vehicle body including the battery upper housing 62. In particular, the plurality of reinforcing ribs 65 may be designed into a diamond pattern by topological analysis, thereby being able to increase torsional rigidity.

[0037] The edge 11f of the opening 11a may be recessed downward from each peripheral edge portion 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e by a predetermined offset distance d, so that the edge 11f may be closer to the battery upper housing 62 of the battery assembly 60 than the peripheral edge portions 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e. When the edge 11f of the opening 11a is recessed from each peripheral edge portion 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e, the contact area with the lip 83 of the sealing strip 80 may be increased, and the lip 83 may closely contact the edge 11f of the opening 11a, so that the sealing performance of the sealing strip 80 may be further improved.

[0038] According to the above-described exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the center floor panel 11 may have the opening 11 a , thereby reducing the overall weight and lowering the manufacturing cost.

[0039] A mid-floor structure 10 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of seat cross beams 12 extending in a width direction of the vehicle, and a rail member 13 perpendicular to the plurality of seat cross beams 12 .

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a pair of door sills 15 can be connected to the left and right sides of the middle floor panel 11 respectively. Figure 4 Each of the sills 15 may include an inner sill 21 and an outer sill 22, and the inner sill 21 and the outer sill 22 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The inner sill 21 may have a top flange 21a and a bottom flange 21b, and the outer sill 22 may have a top flange 22a and a bottom flange 22b. The top flange 21a of the inner sill 21 and the top flange 22a of the outer sill 22 may be coupled by welding, using fasteners, etc., and the bottom flange 21b of the inner sill 21 and the bottom flange 22b of the outer sill 22 may be coupled by welding, using fasteners, etc. Each of the sills 15 may have an inner side wall 24 facing the vehicle interior and an outer side wall 25 facing the vehicle exterior. The inner side wall 24 may be a side wall of the inner sill 15, and the outer side wall 25 may be a side wall of the outer sill 15.

[0041] Each rocker 15 may include an inner reinforcement member 23 installed therein. The inner reinforcement member 23 may be an aluminum extruded product extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The inner reinforcement member 23 may be coupled to the inner rocker 21 by spot welding 19 or the like.

[0042] A pair of battery mounting beams 14 may be mounted on a pair of door sills 15, respectively. Each battery mounting beam 14 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The battery mounting beam 14 may be connected to the inner side wall 24 of the door sill 15 by laser welding or laser spiral welding (LSW) 18 or the like. The battery mounting beam 14 may be a tubular shape having a closed cross-section. For example, the battery mounting beam 14 may be a pipe fitting made by roll forming, welding, or the like. Since the battery mounting beam 14 is connected to the inner side wall 24 of the door sill 15 by laser welding or laser spiral welding (LSW), interference between components during assembly of the battery assembly may be prevented, thereby enabling smooth loading of the assembly.

[0043] Reference Figure 4, the side peripheral portions 11d and 11e of the middle floor panel 11 may be respectively coupled to the battery mounting beam 14 by welding or the like. Each battery mounting beam 14 may have a plurality of first through holes 71. The plurality of first through holes 71 may be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the battery mounting beam 14 so that the plurality of first through holes 71 may be arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The first cylindrical nut 51 for mounting the battery assembly 60 may be coupled to each first through hole 71 by welding or the like.

[0044] Each first through hole 71 may extend in the height direction of the vehicle. Each first through hole 71 may define a first upper opening 71a and a first lower opening 71b in the battery mounting beam 14. The first upper opening 71a may be formed in the top surface of the battery mounting beam 14, and the first lower opening 71b may be formed in the bottom surface of the battery mounting beam 14. The first cylindrical nut 51 may have a hollow cylindrical shape, and a first female thread (internal thread) 51a may be formed inside the first cylindrical nut 51, and the first bolt 41 is screwed into the first female thread (internal thread) 51a. The first cylindrical nut 51 may include a first cylindrical portion 53 and a first head portion 55, the first cylindrical portion 53 passing through the first through hole 71 of the battery mounting beam 14, and the first head portion 55 is formed on the bottom end of the first cylindrical portion 53. The first cylindrical portion 53 may extend in the height direction of the vehicle. The top end of the first cylindrical portion 53 may be coupled to the first upper opening 71a of the first through hole 71 by welding or the like, and the bottom end of the first cylindrical portion 53 may be coupled to the first lower opening 71b of the first through hole 71 by welding or the like. The first head portion 55 may be coupled to the bottom surface of the battery mounting beam 14 adjacent to the first lower opening 71b by welding or the like. When the first cylindrical nut 51 is coupled to the battery mounting beam 14, the battery mounting beam 14 may obtain sufficient rigidity in the portion thereof to which the first bolt 41 is fastened. Compared to the related art, rigidity may be ensured and durability may be improved, which makes it possible to increase the weight of the battery assembly 60, thereby contributing to increasing the cruising range of the electric vehicle.

[0045] A plurality of seat cross beams 12 may be arranged on the middle floor panel 11, and both ends of each seat cross beam 12 may be individually coupled to a pair of door sills 15. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, since both ends of each seat cross beam 12 are respectively coupled to a pair of door sills 15 through end fittings 16, each seat cross beam 12 can be connected between the pair of door sills 15 in the width direction of the vehicle. The seat cross beam 12 may be in a tubular shape with a closed cross section, and a plurality of mounting brackets 17 may be coupled to the outer surface of the seat cross beam 12. Seat rails (not shown) of a vehicle seat may be mounted on the plurality of mounting brackets 17.

[0046] The rail member 13 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the rail member 13 may be installed along the center line of the vehicle body across the plurality of seat cross beams 12. A center console (not shown) may be installed on the rail member 13. For example, in an electric vehicle, the center console may be installed to move along the rail member 13 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0047] The rail member 13 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the seat cross beam 12 and the rail member 13 may be perpendicular to each other. For example, the rail member 13 may be coupled to the top surfaces of the plurality of seat cross beams 12 by laser screw welding (LSW) or the like. Alternatively, the plurality of seat cross beams 12 may be configured to pass through the rail member 13.

[0048] The battery lower housing 61 may have a pair of side mounting members 63 respectively provided on both sides thereof, and each side mounting member 63 may extend toward the adjacent door sill 15. Each side mounting member 63 may have a through hole 64 through which the first bolt 41 passes. When the first bolt 41 passes through the through hole 64 of the side mounting member 63 and is fastened to the first cylindrical nut 51 of the battery mounting beam 14, the side mounting member 63 may be coupled to the battery mounting beam 14.

[0049] Since the battery mounting beam 14 is coupled to the inner side wall 24 of the rocker 15, the space S between the outer side wall 25 of the rocker 15 and the side mount 63 of the battery assembly 60 can be sufficiently ensured. Therefore, a space for absorbing impact during a side collision can be sufficiently ensured, so that deformation of the high-voltage battery assembly during a side collision can be prevented.

[0050] Reference Figure 5 , the seat cross member 12 may have a plurality of second through holes 72. The plurality of second through holes 72 may be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the seat cross member 12, so that the plurality of second through holes 72 may be arranged in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0051] The second cylindrical nut 52 for mounting the battery assembly 60 may be coupled to each second through hole 72 by welding or the like. Each second through hole 72 may extend in the height direction of the vehicle. Each second through hole 72 may define a second upper opening 72a and a second lower opening 72b in the seat cross member 12. The second upper opening 72a may be formed in the top surface of the seat cross member 12, and the second lower opening 72b may be formed in the bottom surface of the seat cross member 12. The second cylindrical nut 52 may have a hollow cylindrical shape, and a second internal thread (internal thread) 52a may be formed inside the second cylindrical nut 52, into which the second bolt 42 is screwed. The second cylindrical nut 52 may include a second cylindrical portion 54, which passes through the second through hole 72 of the seat cross member 12, and a second head portion 56, which is formed on the bottom end of the second cylindrical portion 54. The second cylindrical portion 54 may extend in the height direction of the vehicle. The top end of the second cylindrical portion 54 may be coupled to the second upper opening 72a of the second through hole 72 by welding or the like, and the bottom end of the second cylindrical portion 54 may be coupled to the second lower opening 72b of the second through hole 72 by welding or the like. The second head portion 56 may be coupled to the bottom surface of the seat cross member 12 adjacent to the second lower opening 72b of the second through hole 72 by welding or the like. When the second cylindrical nut 52 is coupled to the seat cross member 12, the seat cross member 12 may obtain sufficient rigidity in a portion thereof to which the second bolt 42 is fastened. Compared to the related art, rigidity may be ensured and durability may be improved, which makes it possible to increase the weight of the battery assembly 60, thereby contributing to an increase in the cruising range of the electric vehicle.

[0052] The battery assembly 60 may have a plurality of sleeves 65 installed therein. Each sleeve 65 may extend in a vertical direction, and the second bolt 42 may pass through each sleeve 65. When the second bolt 42 passes through the sleeve 65 of the battery assembly 60 and is fastened to the second internal thread 52a of the second cylindrical nut 52 of the seat cross member 12, the battery assembly 60 may be coupled to the seat cross member 12.

[0053] The side mounting member 63 of the battery assembly 60 can be connected to the door sill 15 by the first bolt 41 and the first cylindrical nut 51, and the sleeve 65 of the battery assembly 60 can be connected to the seat cross beam 12 by the second bolt 42 and the second cylindrical nut 52, so that the battery assembly 60 can be installed on the battery mounting beam 14.

[0054] Reference Figure 5, the space between the seat cross beam 12, the track member 13 and the door sill 15 can be filled with a plurality of fillers 66, so that a flat floor structure can be formed. The filler 66 can be made of a material capable of improving impact performance and sound insulation performance, such as a pad and a honeycomb panel, and the filler 66 can safely protect passengers and batteries.

[0055] As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the battery assembly may be arranged under the middle floor panel to cover the opening of the middle floor panel, thereby reducing the weight of the middle floor panel and lowering the manufacturing cost of the middle floor panel.

[0056] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sealing strip can seal the gap between the periphery of the opening of the middle floor panel and the battery upper case of the battery assembly, so that the sealing property to the passenger compartment floor can be fully ensured. In particular, since the sealing strip provides a sealing function between the middle floor panel and the battery assembly by an extrusion method, the replacement or repair of the battery assembly can be performed more easily than using a conventional adhesive sealing member.

[0057] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of reinforcing ribs may be formed on a top surface of a battery upper case of a battery assembly, thereby improving the overall torsional rigidity of a vehicle body including the battery upper case.

[0058] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be changed and modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as provided by the following claims.

Claims

1. A mid-floor structure for a vehicle, the mid-floor structure include: a middle floor panel having an opening, a peripheral edge portion of the middle floor panel defining the opening; A battery assembly installed below the middle floor panel, the battery assembly covering the opening of the middle floor panel; the battery assembly comprising a battery lower shell and a battery upper shell covering the top of the battery lower shell; a sealing strip that seals a gap between the battery assembly and a periphery of the opening; and a pair of battery mounting beams, which are respectively coupled to the inner side walls of the pair of door sills, each battery mounting beam extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, The sealing strip comprises a base portion, a sealing profile and a lip portion; the base portion is attached to the top surface of the upper battery housing by a double-sided adhesive tape; the sealing profile extends upward from the base portion; and the lip portion extends upward from the top end of the sealing profile; The sealing profile and the lip are configured to deform under the action of external forces, The battery lower housing has a pair of side mounting members respectively arranged on both sides thereof, each side mounting member extending toward an adjacent door sill and having a through hole; The cylindrical nut is connected to the battery mounting beam. A bolt passes through the through hole and is fastened to the cylindrical nut so that the battery assembly is coupled to the battery mounting beam.

2. The mid-floor structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, in, said opening being defined in a central portion of said mid-floor panel; The peripheral portion includes a plate structure.

3. The mid-floor structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, in, The battery upper case faces the opening.

4. The mid-floor structure for a vehicle according to claim 3, in, The battery upper case includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs formed on a top surface thereof.

5. The mid-floor structure for a vehicle according to claim 4, in, Each of the reinforcing ribs extends in a direction inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the battery upper case.

6. The mid-floor structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, in, The edge of the opening is recessed downward from the peripheral portion by a predetermined offset distance.

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