Vehicle body under structure

Abstract

A vehicle body lower structure is provided with: a front suspension member; a lower arm supported by the front suspension member; and a battery case that is disposed behind the front suspension member and houses a battery. The battery case includes a front plate and a frame extending in a left-right direction at a lower portion of the front plate. Furthermore, a stopper is attached to the front portion of the frame so as to be positioned rearward of the lower arm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a vehicle body lower structure. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-158688 discloses a vehicle body lower structure in which a battery is arranged behind a front suspension member. The battery is accommodated in a housing. Summary of the invention

[0003] If the impact during a collision is large, the suspension member may move back and contact the battery, causing damage to the battery. In particular, the lower arm supported by the suspension member is likely to contact the battery. This specification provides a technology for protecting the battery during a collision.

[0004] The vehicle body lower structure disclosed in this specification comprises: a front suspension member; a lower arm supported by the front suspension member; and a battery housing arranged behind the front suspension member and containing a battery. The battery housing comprises: a front plate and a frame extending in the left-right direction below the front plate. Furthermore, a stopper is installed at the front of the frame in a manner located behind the lower arm.

[0005] If the suspension member retreats during a collision and the lower arm contacts the front plate of the battery casing, the lower arm may pierce the front plate and contact the battery inside the casing. A stopper is arranged at the front of the high-strength frame. The stopper is located behind the lower arm. When the lower arm retreats together with the suspension member, the lower arm does not contact the front plate of the casing but contacts the stopper. The stopper is supported by a frame extending in the left and right directions. The lower arm contacts the stopper and stops retreating. Therefore, the lower arm does not contact the front plate, and the battery housed in the battery casing is protected. The frame can be fixed to one of the side frame and the swing arm of the vehicle body. The frame can reliably withstand the impact of a collision.

[0006] The front suspension member includes: a pair of suspension side beams, the front and rear ends of which are fixed to the vehicle body; and a suspension cross beam, which connects the pair of suspension side beams. In this case, the distance between the stopper and the lower arm can be shorter than the distance between the front plate and the suspension cross beam. It can also prevent the suspension cross beam from contacting the battery housing during a collision.

[0007] Sometimes, the coolant pipe that delivers coolant to the cooler that cools the battery protrudes forward from the front plate of the battery case. In this case, the distance between the stopper and the lower arm can be shorter than the distance between the coolant pipe and the suspension cross member. The coolant pipe is also protected in the event of a collision.

[0008] A reinforcing plate connecting the front suspension member and the stopper may be provided. The reinforcing plate bears a part of the impact of the collision, so that the force of the lower arm retreating is weakened. Furthermore, the reinforcing plate may extend below the battery housing. When the reinforcing plate retreats together with the front suspension member, the reinforcing plate slides under the battery housing, which can prevent the reinforcing plate from causing damage to the battery housing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements. Figure 1 It is a bottom view of a vehicle body adopting the vehicle body lower structure of the first embodiment. Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 Cross-sectional view along line II-II. Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view showing the positions of suspension members during a frontal collision. Figure 4 It is a bottom view showing the vehicle body lower structure of the second embodiment. Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of line VV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] A vehicle body lower structure according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 , a bottom view of a vehicle body 2 adopting the vehicle body lower structure of the first embodiment is shown. Figure 2 In the figure, it is shown that Figure 1 Cross-sectional view along line II-II. Figure 1 It is a top view of the front part of the vehicle body. The vehicle body 2 is the vehicle body of the electric vehicle. A front suspension member 10 for supporting the front wheels is arranged at the front part of the vehicle body. The front suspension member 10 includes a pair of suspension side beams 11a, 11b and a pair of suspension cross beams 12a, 12b. The suspension side beams 11a (11b) extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the front end is connected to the longitudinal beam 3a (3b), and the rear end is connected to the torque box 5a (5b) of the vehicle body 2. The torque boxes 5a, 5b are box-shaped components arranged at the bottom of the instrument panel, which improve the rigidity of the vehicle body 2 around the roll axis. The longitudinal beams 3a, 3b and the torque boxes 5a, 5b are part of the vehicle body 2. In the following, in order to simplify the description, the front suspension member 10 is sometimes referred to as the suspension member 10.

[0011] The suspension cross members 12a and 12b are beams extending in the lateral direction of the vehicle body 2. The suspension cross members 12a and 12b connect the pair of suspension side members 11a and 11b, respectively. The suspension member 10 supports lower arms 13a and 13b. The lower arms 13a and 13b are parts that support hubs (not shown) that rotatably support the shafts of the front wheels.

[0012] A battery case 20 is disposed behind the suspension member 10. The battery case 20 accommodates a battery 30 that supplies power to a motor (not shown) for traveling. The battery case 20 is fixed to a pair of swing arms 4a, 4b. The battery case 20 includes a front plate 21 and a frame 22. The frame 22 is a beam extending in the lateral direction of the vehicle body 2, and each end is connected to each swing arm 4a, 4b. The frame 22 ensures the strength of the battery case 20.

[0013] Stoppers 23a and 23b are fixed to the front of the frame 22. The stopper 23a (23b) is located behind the lower arm 13a (13b). The distance L1 between the stopper 23a (23b) and the lower arm 13a (13b) is very short. In other words, the stopper 23a (23b) is located immediately behind the lower arm 13a (13b). The distance L1 is shorter than the distance L2 between the front plate 21 of the battery case 20 and the suspension beam 12a (the rear suspension beam 12a).

[0014] Figure 3 , a situation is shown when the vehicle body 2 is subjected to a frontal collision and a collision load F is applied to the suspension member 10. In addition, a "frontal collision" means a mode in which a moving vehicle collides with an obstacle in front. When the collision load F is applied to the suspension member 10 from the front, the suspension side member 11a is deformed and the suspension cross member 12a (12b) moves backward. The lower arm 13a (13b) also moves backward together with the suspension cross member 12a (12b). However, if Figure 3 As shown by arrow A, the lower arm 13a (13b) contacts the stopper 23a (23b) located immediately behind it. The stopper 23a (23b) is fixed to the high-strength frame 22, so the collision load F is transmitted from the frame 22 to the swing arms 4a, 4b. The swing arms 4a, 4b are also strong. Therefore, after the lower arm 13a (13b) contacts the stopper 23a (23b), the suspension member 10 stops moving backward. A gap is ensured between the suspension member 10 (suspension cross beam 12a) and the battery case 20 (refer to Figure 3 Therefore, the battery 30 accommodated in the battery case 20 is protected.

[0015] If the stoppers 23a and 23b are not provided, the lower arms 13a and 13b will further retreat and move up and down during a collision. If the lower arms 13a and 13b move backward and upward, the lower arms 13a and 13b may contact the front plate 21 of the battery case 20. The front plate 21 is a thin plate, so the lower arms 13a and 13b may pierce the front plate 21 and contact the battery 30, causing damage to the battery 30. By configuring the stoppers 23a and 23b, the lower arms 13a and 13b are prevented from retreating significantly, and as a result, the contact between the lower arms 13a and 13b and the battery 30 is avoided.

[0016] The refrigerant pipe 31 extends forward from the front plate 21 of the battery housing 20. The distance L1 between the stopper 23a (23b) and the lower arm 13a (13b) is shorter than the distance L3 between the refrigerant pipe 31 and the suspension cross member 12a (the rear suspension cross member 12a). In the event of a frontal collision, the rearward movement of the suspension member 10 is stopped by the contact between the lower arm 13a (13b) and the stopper 23a (23b), thereby ensuring a gap in front of the refrigerant pipe 31. In the event of a frontal collision, the refrigerant pipe 31 is also protected.

[0017] (Second embodiment) Figure 4 , Figure 5 , describing the vehicle body lower structure of the second embodiment. Figure 4 It is a bottom view of a vehicle body 2a to which the vehicle body lower structure of the second embodiment is applied. Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of line VV.

[0018] The lower body structure of the second embodiment is based on the lower body structure of the first embodiment, and a reinforcing plate 40 is added. The reinforcing plate 40 is connected to the suspension member 10 and the stoppers 23a, 23b. The reinforcing plate 40 and the stoppers 23a, 23b are connected by bolts 42. In addition, two protrusions 41 extend rearward from the rear edge of the reinforcing plate 40. The protrusion 41 extends below the battery case 20. Furthermore, several ribs 43 are provided on the lower surface of the reinforcing plate 40.

[0019] The reinforcing plate 40 supports the suspension member 10 from the rear during a frontal collision. That is, the reinforcing plate 40 suppresses the amount of the suspension member 10 moving backward during a frontal collision. By adding the reinforcing plate 40, the ability to protect the battery 30 during a collision is improved.

[0020] The reinforcing plate 40 is provided with a plurality of ribs 43 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The plurality of ribs 43 contribute to improving the strength of the reinforcing plate 40 .

[0021] The tab 41 at the rear edge of the reinforcing plate 40 extends along the lower surface of the battery housing 20. In the event of a frontal collision, the reinforcing plate 40 also retreats together with the suspension member 10. The retreating reinforcing plate 40 is guided by the tab 41 and slides under the battery housing 20. This prevents the retreating reinforcing plate 40 from abutting against the front plate 21 of the battery housing 20. The retreating reinforcing plate 40 does not damage the battery housing 20.

[0022] As described above, the vehicle body lower structure of the embodiment protects the battery 30 during a frontal collision. In particular, in the vehicle body lower structure of the embodiment, the stoppers 23a and 23b disposed immediately behind the lower arms 13a and 13b contribute greatly to the protection of the battery 30.

[0023] The following is a description of the points to be noted regarding the technology described in the embodiment. The stoppers 23 a and 23 b are preferably metal blocks. In the case of the vehicle body lower structure of the second embodiment, the stoppers 23 a and 23 b also function as brackets for fixing the reinforcing plate 40 to the battery case 20 .

[0024] In the vehicle body lower structure of the embodiment, the frame 22 of the battery case 20 is fixed to a pair of swing arms 4a, 4b. In the case of a vehicle body with longer longitudinal beams 3a, 3b, the frame 22 may also be fixed to the longitudinal beams 3a, 3b. That is, the frame 22 of the battery case 20 may be fixed to any one of the swing arms 4a, 4b and the longitudinal beams 3a, 3b.

[0025] The specific examples of the present invention are described in detail above, but they are only examples and do not limit the claims. The technology described in the claims includes technical solutions after various deformations and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exert technical effects alone or through various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations recorded in the claims at the time of application. In addition, the technology illustrated in this specification or the drawings can achieve multiple purposes at the same time, and achieving one of the purposes itself has technical effects.

Claims

1. A vehicle body lower structure, comprising: Front suspension components; a lower arm supported by the front suspension member; and A battery housing is disposed behind the front suspension member and contains a battery. The battery case includes: a front plate and a frame extending in the left-right direction at the lower part of the front plate. A stopper is installed at the front portion of the frame so as to be located rearward of the lower arm.

2. The vehicle body lower structure according to claim 1, wherein: The front suspension member includes: a pair of suspension side members, the front and rear ends of which are fixed to the vehicle body; and a suspension cross member, which connects the pair of suspension side members. A distance between the stopper and the lower arm is shorter than a distance between the front plate and the suspension cross member.

3. The vehicle body lower structure according to claim 2, wherein: A refrigerant pipe for conveying refrigerant to a cooler for cooling the battery protrudes forward from the front plate. A distance between the stopper and the lower arm is shorter than a distance between the refrigerant pipe and the suspension cross member.

4. The vehicle body lower structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: A reinforcing plate is further provided for connecting the front suspension member and the stopper.

5. The vehicle body lower structure according to claim 4, wherein: The reinforcing plate extends below the battery housing.

6. The vehicle body lower structure according to claim 1, wherein: The frame is fixed to one of a side frame of the vehicle body and a swing arm.

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