Vehicle floor structure

Abstract

Vehicle floor structure, in which a front floor panel (1) extending from the front to the rear of a vehicle is connected to a rear floor panel (2) extending from the rear to the front of a vehicle, characterized in that a connected surface portion (30) is formed between the front floor panel (1) and the rear floor panel (2) in the vehicle transverse direction, and the connected surface portion (30) is formed substantially V-shaped in a plan view such that it extends from a central part (30a) in the vehicle transverse direction to the vehicle sides and is inclined towards the vehicle rear.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle floor structure, in particular to a structure of a floor panel forming the floor of a vehicle.

[0002] A floor panel, which forms the floor of a vehicle such as a passenger car, is conventionally formed from a plurality of sheets, and the sheets are joined together by welding or the like. The floor panels must bear impact loads and reduce vibrations absorbed by a vehicle body. In this case, adding a separate component to increase the rigidity of the floor panel may not only compromise the arrangement of components along the perimeter due to increased weight but also reduce the vehicle interior space. Therefore, this solution cannot be considered suitable.

[0003] Some conventional floor structures therefore increase the stiffness of a floor panel without adding a separate component in order to improve the ability to reduce the vibrations absorbed by a vehicle body (see, for example, JP 2013 086 757 A).

[0004] Unfortunately, in the conventional floor structure described above, since a joined surface portion is composed of a plurality of sheets forming a floor panel and is formed linearly in the vehicle transverse direction, the joined surface portion of the sheets or peripheral edge portions thereof become a starting point for the rear end of a floor panel to spring up when an impact load is applied from the rear of the vehicle. As a result, there is a possibility of deformation causing a fracture in the center of the floor panel.

[0005] Document EP 1 640 252 A1 relates to an underbody structure for an automobile.

[0006] Document US 5 102 187 A concerns a reinforced floor structure for a motor vehicle.

[0007] Document DE 10 2011 009 120 B4 concerns a substructure of a motor vehicle.

[0008] Document DE 10 2010 051 270 A1 concerns a floor structure of a motor vehicle body.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle floor structure which can suppress a joined surface portion from becoming a starting point for springing up of a rear end of a floor panel, even when the rear end of the floor panel receives a load acting upward in the vehicle due to an impact load from the rear of the vehicle, to prevent deformation resulting in breakage in the floor panel, and is capable of reducing vibration in a floor panel surface.

[0010] The present invention is defined in independent claim 1. The dependent claims define embodiments of the invention. Disclosed is a vehicle floor structure in which a front floor panel extending from the front to the rear of a vehicle is joined to a rear floor panel extending from the rear to the front of a vehicle, a joined surface portion is formed between the front floor panel and the rear floor panel in the vehicle width direction, and the joined surface portion is arranged to be inclined from a vehicle width direction center toward the vehicle rear toward the vehicle sides.

[0011] In the middle part of the connected surface section in the vehicle transverse direction, a cross member extending in the vehicle transverse direction is arranged such that it is arranged at the same position in the vehicle longitudinal direction as a starting point section of the middle part in the vehicle transverse direction.

[0012] Furthermore, the connected surface section is provided in the direction of a bending point of a right-hand longitudinal member in the vehicle transverse direction and a left-hand longitudinal member in the vehicle transverse direction, which extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0013] In addition, a cross plate is provided within the longitudinal member, where the connected surface section is located.

[0014] Furthermore, the front floor panel and the rear floor panel, which are positioned in the vehicle at the front and rear above the connected surface portion, are provided with convex surface portions projecting in the vehicle height direction.

[0015] As described above, in the vehicle floor structure in which a front floor panel extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle is joined to a rear floor panel extending from the rear to the front of the vehicle, the joined surface portion is formed between the front floor panel and the rear floor panel in the vehicle width direction, and the joined surface portion is arranged to slope from the vehicle width direction center toward the vehicle rear toward the vehicle sides. As a result, the joined surface portion of the floor panels serves as a reinforced surface portion formed in a substantially V-shape in plan view so as to extend from the vehicle width direction center toward the vehicle sides.Therefore, even if a rear end of the rear floor panel receives a load causing the rear end to spring up in the vehicle by using the joined surface portion of the floor panels as a starting point due to an impact load from the rear of the vehicle, the joined surface portion of the floor panels does not become the starting point for springing up of the rear end of the rear floor panel, whereby deformation causing breakage in the floor panels can be reliably prevented.

[0016] In the vehicle transverse direction central part of the connected surface portion, a cross member extending in the vehicle transverse direction is arranged so as to be located at the same position in the vehicle longitudinal direction as a starting point portion of the vehicle transverse direction central part. Thus, the cross member, the two longitudinal members on the vehicle sides, and the connected surface portion form a floor panel surface having a substantially triangular closed cross-section, which can improve the rigidity of the floor panel surface. Thus, the floor panel surface facilitates the distribution of a load acting from the rear of the vehicle, serves as a supporting form for a load acting in the vehicle height direction to enable an increase in a load-bearing capacity, and can achieve a damping effect on vibrations of the floor panel surface.

[0017] Furthermore, since the joined surface portion is provided toward a bending point of a vehicle transverse right side member and a vehicle transverse left side member extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the joined surface portion enables the above-described substantially triangular closed cross section to absorb deformation caused by an impact load from the vehicle rear and causing fracture at a bending point portion. This can achieve a high reinforcing effect. Although a floor structure in which side members absorb an impact load applied from the vehicle rear is known, in many cases the floor structure is provided with a bending portion to change a height direction of the side members. As a result, an impact load applied from the vehicle rear may cause the bending portion to fracture.However, if a connected surface section extends toward a bending point of a longitudinal beam, the bending point serves as a distribution point for the load. This distributes the load to the crossbeam, allowing for a stronger load-bearing structure.

[0018] Furthermore, since a transverse plate is provided within the longitudinal member where the connected surface section is located, both the load distribution point and an end section of the connected surface section can be reinforced. This can increase the vibration damping effect of the floor plate surface and its collision reinforcement effect.

[0019] Furthermore, since the front floor panel and rear floor panel, positioned at the front and rear of the vehicle above the connected surface portion, are provided with convex surface portions projecting in the vehicle height direction, the vibration damping effect of the floor panel surface can be enhanced. That is, when the floor panel surface absorbs vibrations, the presence of the convex surface portion prevents a portion that amplifies the vibrations from forming. This can further enhance the vibration damping effect of the floor panel surface. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of front and rear floor panels, viewed obliquely from above the front of a vehicle, in which a floor structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is employed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the front and rear floor panels seen from below the vehicle in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line XX in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view, viewed obliquely from above the front of the vehicle, of side members and edge portions thereof to which the floor structure according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0020] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiment.

[0021] The Fig. 1 to 4 show the vehicle floor structure according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 to 4 an arrow F points to the front of the vehicle.

[0022] As in the Fig. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the vehicle floor structure according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a front floor panel 1 (an assembly of front and middle panels separated from each other) and a rear floor panel 2 provided along a vehicle longitudinal direction. That is, in the floor structure of the present invention, a rear end 1a of the front floor panel 1 extending from the front of the vehicle to the rear and a front end 2a of the rear floor panel 2 extending from the rear to the front of the vehicle are joined by spot welding in a state of being vertically superimposed on each other to form a joined surface portion 30 in the joined portion of the two panels.

[0023] The front floor panel 1 is provided at the rear of the vehicle with an upwardly extending vertical wall 11, which, as can be seen from the Fig. 1 and Fig. 4, faces the front side, so that due to the presence of the vertical wall 11 and the like, the vehicle rear side of the front floor panel 1 can be arranged one step higher than the vehicle front side thereof. The vehicle rear side of the front floor panel 1 is thus configured to be arranged at approximately the same height position as the vehicle front side of the rear floor panel 2. The vehicle rear side of the front floor panel 1 is designed to mount a rear seat (not shown) at its upper portion. On the other hand, an intermediate portion of the rear floor panel 2 is provided with a wheel house recess 21 for storing a spare tire (not shown), and the wheel house recess 21 is arranged one step lower than the peripheral edge portions.

[0024] As in the Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 4, in the floor structure of the present embodiment, longitudinal members 3, which are rigidity members extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, are provided on the right and left sides of the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 2 in the vehicle transverse direction, respectively. These longitudinal members 3 are hat-shaped in cross section, and upper flanges 3a on the right and left sides are respectively connected to a lower surface of the front floor panel 1 and a lower surface of the rear floor panel 2, so that the longitudinal members 3 are fixed to the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 2.Furthermore, an intermediate portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the side member 3 is provided with a bending point 3b for changing a height direction of the side member 3, which receives an impact load acting from the rear of the vehicle, and the bending point 3b is formed in a bending portion formed by slightly bending the intermediate portion upwards of the vehicle. In . Fig. 4, a reference symbol C indicates a center line of the longitudinal member 3.

[0025] As can be seen from the Fig. 1 to 4, in the floor structure of the present embodiment, the connected surface portion 30 between the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 2 is formed to extend across the full width in the vehicle transverse direction. Furthermore, the connected surface portion 30 is arranged to slope gently from a central portion 30a in the vehicle transverse direction toward the rear of the vehicle to both sides of the vehicle. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the connected surface section 30 is thus substantially V-shaped in plan view, so that the central part 30a in the vehicle transverse direction serves as the starting point section of a turning point. Consequently, the connected surface section 30 is configured to function as a surface section of the floor panel surface that is reinforced against an impact load acting from the rear of the vehicle.

[0026] As in the Fig. 2 to 4, in the vehicle transverse direction central part 30a of the connected surface portion 30, a cross member 4 extending in the vehicle transverse direction is arranged so as to be arranged at the same position in the vehicle longitudinal direction as a starting point portion of the vehicle transverse direction central part 30a. In the floor structure of the present invention, a floor panel surface composed of the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 2 is configured so as to have a substantially triangular closed cross section when viewed from below the vehicle and is surrounded by the cross member 4, the two longitudinal members 3 on the vehicle sides, and the connected surface portion 30.This improves the rigidity of the floor panel surface and facilitates the distribution of a load acting from the rear of the vehicle, and also increases a load capacity for a load applied in the vehicle height direction and further suppresses vibrations occurring in the floor panel surface.

[0027] As in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the cross members 4 are hat-shaped in cross section, and upper flanges 4a at the front and rear are connected to a lower surface of the front floor panel 1, so that the cross member 4 is fixed to the front floor panel 1. In addition, the left and right side portions 4b of the cross member 4 are bent into a substantially L-shaped cross section and connected to an inner side surface and a lower surface of the side member 3 in the stacked state.

[0028] As in Fig. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the connected surface portion 30 is provided to extend to bending points 3b of the side members 3 located on the right and left sides in the vehicle transverse direction. Therefore, by allowing the substantially triangular closed cross section to absorb deformation via the connected surface portion 30, the floor structure of the present embodiment is designed to achieve a high reinforcing effect against deformation causing fracture at a bending point 30a, which the side member 3 experiences due to an impact load applied from the rear of the vehicle.Therefore, when the joined surface portion 30 extends toward the bending portion 3b of the side member 3 as in the floor structure of the present embodiment, the bending portion 3b serves as a distribution point of an impact load applied from the rear of the vehicle, so that a strong load-bearing structure in which a distributed load is applied to the cross member 4 can be achieved to prevent a portion of the bending portion 30a from breaking.

[0029] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, in the floor structure of the present embodiment, within a portion of the side member 3 where the joined surface portion 30 is located, a pair of front and rear cross panels 5 are provided in the vehicle longitudinal direction, spaced apart from each other, and serving as partition walls. Thus, each of the cross panels 5 is provided at a position approximately corresponding to the bending point 3b of the side member 3. The assembly of the cross panels 5 reinforces the bending point 3b of the side member 3, as well as end portions on the right and left sides of the joined surface portion 30, which serve as distribution points for an impact load applied from the rear of the vehicle. As a result, a vibration damping effect and a collision reinforcement effect of the floor panel surface composed of the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 2 can be increased.

[0030] In the floor structure of the present embodiment, furthermore, the left and right side portions of the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 2, which are positioned in the front and rear of the vehicle above the joined surface portion 30, are provided with convex surface portions 12 and 22 which are formed projecting in the vehicle height direction (below the vehicle in the present embodiment), the convex surface portions being suitable for increasing the rigidity of the floor panel surface, as can be seen from the Fig.1 to 4. These convex surface portions 12 and 22 are formed into a slender, substantially triangular or substantially trapezoidal shape, or the like, and correspond to a clearance in the floor panel surface. The provision of the convex surface portions 12 and 22 in the above-described sections prevents a vibration-enhancing portion from forming when the floor panel surface absorbs vibrations. As a result, the convex surface portions 12 and 22 can further reduce the vibrations of the floor panel surface.

[0031] In the above-described vehicle floor structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, the joined surface portion 30 is formed between the rear end 1a of the front floor panel 1 and the front end 2a of the rear floor panel in the vehicle width direction, and the joined surface portion 30 is arranged to slope from a vehicle width direction center portion 30a toward the vehicle rear toward the vehicle sides. As a result, the joined surface portion 30 of the two floor panels 1 and 2 functions as a reinforced surface portion formed in a substantially V-shape in plan view, extending from the vehicle width direction center portion 30a, which serves as the starting point portion of an inflection point, toward the vehicle sides.Therefore, in the vehicle floor structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, even if the rear end of the rear floor panel 2 receives a load that may cause the rear end to spring up in the vehicle, since the joined surface portion 30 may become a starting point due to an impact load applied from the rear of the vehicle, the joined surface portion 30 does not become a starting point for the rear end of the rear floor panel 2 to spring up. This can reliably prevent deformation that causes the floor panel composed of the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 2 to break at the intermediate portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0032] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. For example, although the rear end 1a of the front floor panel 1 and the front end 2a of the rear floor panel 2 are joined by spot welding in the above-described embodiment, the same effect can be achieved even if a welding method other than spot welding or an engagement method using fasteners such as a bolt and a nut is used for joining. List of reference symbols 1 Front floor panel 2 Rear floor panel 3 longitudinal members 3b Bending point 4 cross members 5 cross plate 12, 22 Convex surface section 30 Connected area section 30a Middle part in the transverse direction of the vehicle

Claims

[1] Vehicle floor structure in which a front floor panel (1) extending from the front to the rear of a vehicle is connected to a rear floor panel (2) extending from the rear to the front of a vehicle, characterized by in that a connected surface section (30) is formed between the front floor panel (1) and the rear floor panel (2) in the vehicle transverse direction, and the connected surface section (30) is formed in a substantially V-shaped manner in a plan view such that it extends from a central part (30a) in the vehicle transverse direction to the vehicle sides and is inclined towards the vehicle rear. [2] Vehicle floor structure according to claim 1, characterized byin that in the middle part (30a) of the connected surface section (30) in the vehicle transverse direction, a cross member (4) extending in the vehicle transverse direction is arranged such that it is arranged at the same position in the vehicle longitudinal direction as a starting point section of the middle part (30a) in the vehicle transverse direction. [3] Vehicle floor structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the connected surface section (30) is provided in the direction of a bending point (3b) of a right-hand longitudinal member (3) in the vehicle transverse direction and a left-hand longitudinal member (3) in the vehicle transverse direction, which extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction. [4] Vehicle floor structure according to claim 3, characterized by that a transverse plate (5) is provided within the longitudinal member (3), where the connected surface section (30) is provided. [5] Vehicle floor structure according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized byin that the front floor panel (1) and the rear floor panel (2), which are positioned at the front and rear in the vehicle above the connected surface portion (30), have convex surface portions (12, 22) which protrude in the vehicle height direction.

Images