ELECTRIC VEHICLE STRUCTURE

Abstract

An electric vehicle structure includes a chassis frame comprising: a first closed curvature surrounding a battery receiving space, a waterproof panel having another closed curvature surrounding the inside of the closed curvature surrounding the battery receiving space of the chassis frame, an upper cover coupled to an upper side of the waterproof panel and covering an upper side of the battery receiving space, and a lower cover coupled to a lower side of the waterproof panel and covering a lower side of the battery receiving space.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE Field of the present disclosure

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for an electric vehicle structure. Description of the state of the art

[0002] An electric vehicle is provided with a motor configured to generate energy to propel the vehicle. The electric vehicle is equipped with a battery that provides a stable supply of electrical energy to the motor.

[0003] The battery is typically mounted in the vehicle in the form of a battery pack, which houses a plurality of battery modules in a pack housing. The battery module has a shape in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked.

[0004] Generally, the battery pack is mounted separately on the underside of the vehicle body.

[0005] Meanwhile, the driving distance of the electric vehicle depends heavily on the number of battery modules installed in the vehicle, which is why the vehicle must be able to accommodate as many battery modules as possible.

[0006] Furthermore, the battery module installed in the vehicle must be housed in a waterproof compartment to prevent the ingress of foreign substances such as moisture.

[0007] The information disclosed in the "Background" is provided only to enhance the understanding of the general background of the present disclosure and is not intended as an admission or any form of suggestion that this information constitutes prior art already known to those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0008] Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to providing an electric vehicle structure that can effectively increase the running distance of a vehicle by maximizing the number of battery modules to be mounted while reducing the weight of the vehicle and enabling efficient use of space, and using a comparatively simple configuration to reliably ensure waterproof performance.

[0009] To achieve the above-mentioned object, various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to providing an electric vehicle structure comprising: a chassis frame having a first closed curvature surrounding a battery accommodating space; a waterproof panel having a second closed curvature surrounding an inner side of the first closed curvature surrounding the battery accommodating space of the chassis frame; an upper cover coupled to an upper side of the waterproof panel and covering an upper side of the battery accommodating space; and a lower cover coupled to a lower side of the waterproof panel and covering a lower side of the battery accommodating space.

[0010] The closed curvature surrounding the battery receiving space of the chassis frame may be defined by center longitudinal members provided on first and second opposite sides of the chassis frame of a vehicle and extending in a forward and rearward direction of the vehicle, front and rear cross members connecting the center longitudinal members on the first and second opposite sides, extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle, and spaced apart from each other in the forward and rearward direction of the vehicle.

[0011] The waterproof panel may be configured such that an inclined wall extending along the inner surfaces of the central longitudinal members, an inner surface of the front cross member, and an inner surface of the rear cross member defines the second closed curvature.

[0012] The inclined wall of the waterproof panel may be inclined from the top of the battery compartment downward to the interior of the battery compartment.

[0013] A flange portion may be provided at least one of the upper and lower end portions of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and extend evenly in a horizontal direction therefrom.

[0014] At least one of the central longitudinal members, the front cross member, and the rear cross member may have an inner wall provided in the form of a vertical wall surface facing the waterproof panel, and a protruding mounting portion may be provided on the inner wall, which is provided in the form of the vertical wall surface and protrudes locally to come into surface contact with the inclined wall of the waterproof panel.

[0015] A plurality of inner brackets may be provided in the waterproof panel and traverse the interior of the battery accommodating space, and the protruding mounting portion may be formed to face an end portion of the inner bracket.

[0016] An upper sealing strip may be provided at an upper end portion of the waterproof panel to be pressed against the upper cover to improve watertightness.

[0017] A lower sealing strip may be provided at a lower end portion of the waterproof panel and pressed against the lower cover to improve watertightness.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to providing an electric vehicle structure comprising: side members defining first and second opposite sides of a chassis frame; a plurality of cross members connecting the side members at the first and second opposite sides; a waterproof panel inserted into a closed curve defined by the side members and the cross members, the waterproof panel being configured to define the waterproof closed curved surface having a predetermined width in the up and down directions; and a top cover provided to surround an upper surface of the battery accommodating space surrounded by the closed curved surface defined by the waterproof panel.

[0019] The closed curvature of the chassis frame may be defined by central longitudinal members arranged between front longitudinal members and rear longitudinal members of the longitudinal members, a front cross member connecting first and second opposite end portions of the front sides of the central longitudinal members, and a rear cross member connecting first and second opposite end portions of the rear sides of the central longitudinal members.

[0020] The closed curved surface having the predetermined width in the up and down direction of the waterproof panel may be defined by an inclined wall inclined downward from the top of the battery accommodating space toward the interior of the battery accommodating space.

[0021] At an upper end portion of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel, a flange portion may be provided which extends uniformly in the horizontal direction.

[0022] A top sealing strip may be provided at an upper end portion of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and pressed against the top cover to improve watertightness.

[0023] The upper sealing strip may be provided to be pressed on the inside of the curved portion of the top cover.

[0024] A lower cover may be provided on a lower side of the waterproof panel and surround a lower side of the battery accommodating space, and a lower sealing strip may be provided on a lower end portion of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and pressed against the lower cover to improve waterproofness.

[0025] A cooling panel may be provided on a bottom side of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and surround a bottom side of the battery accommodating space, and a bottom cover may be provided on a bottom side of the cooling panel and surround a bottom side of the cooling panel.

[0026] A floor section may be incorporated into the waterproof panel and extend from a lower end portion of the inclined wall to seal a bottom of the battery compartment.

[0027] At least one of the central longitudinal members, the front cross member and the rear cross member facing the inclined wall of the waterproof panel may have a protruding mounting portion that locally comes into surface contact with the inclined wall.

[0028] A plurality of inner supports may be provided in the waterproof panel and have end portions supported on the inclined wall of the waterproof panel, and the protruding mounting portion may be formed at a position facing the end portion of the inner support.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a traveling distance of a vehicle can be effectively increased by maximizing the number of battery modules to be mounted while reducing the weight of the vehicle and enabling efficient use of space, and using a comparatively simple configuration to reliably ensure the waterproofness of a space in which the battery module is housed.

[0030] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from, or set forth in more detail in, the accompanying drawings incorporated herein and the following detailed description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS Fig. 1 is a view exemplifying an electric vehicle structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view showing an example of a waterproof panel made of Fig. 1 illustrates. Fig. 5 is a local detailed view of Fig. 1, which illustrates a condition in which the waterproof panel is excluded. Fig. 6 is a view exemplifying a projecting mounting portion attached to a center side member. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line VII-VII in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a view for explaining a state in which an upper weather strip and a lower weather strip are provided at an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the waterproof panel. Fig. 10 is a detailed view of the top of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a view exemplifying another embodiment of the waterproof panel.

[0031] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present invention. The specific design features of the present disclosure as contained herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and by the environmental conditions.

[0032] In the figures, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the individual figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the present invention will be described in connection with embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the present invention to those embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover not only the embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as described by the appended claims.

[0034] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the patent specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0035] The suffixes "module", "unit", "part" and "section", used to describe components in the following description, are used together or interchangeably to facilitate description, but the suffixes themselves have no distinguishable meanings or functions.

[0036] In the description disclosed in the present specification, the specific descriptions of publicly known related technologies are omitted when it is determined that the specific descriptions might obscure the subject matter of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification. Furthermore, it should be understood that the accompanying drawings are provided only to enable those skilled in the art to easily understand the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and that the technical spirit disclosed in the present specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings and includes all changes, equivalents, and alternatives encompassed within the spirit and technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] Terms with ordinal numbers such as first, second, and similar are used only to describe different components and are not intended to limit those components. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0038] When a component is described as "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that one component may be coupled or directly connected to another component, and that an intervening component may also exist between the components. When a component is described as "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it is understood that no intervening component exists between the components.

[0039] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates different meanings.

[0040] In the present specification, the terms "comprises", "having", "includes", "comprising", "containing", "has", "having" or other variations thereof are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0041] Referring to the Fig. 1 to 10, an exemplary embodiment of an electric vehicle structure of the present disclosure includes a chassis frame 3 configured to define a first closed curvature surrounding a battery accommodating space 1, a waterproof panel 5 configured to define another closed curvature surrounding the inside of the closed curvature surrounding the battery accommodating space 1 of the chassis frame 3, an upper cover 7 coupled to an upper side of the waterproof panel 5 and configured to cover an upper side of the battery accommodating space 1, and a lower cover 9 coupled to a lower side of the waterproof panel 5 and configured to cover a lower side of the battery accommodating space 1.

[0042] That is, in the electric vehicle structure of the present disclosure, the battery accommodation space is formed in the closed curvature defined by the chassis frame 3. Thus, compared with a prior art configuration in which a separate battery pack is attached to a vehicle body, it is possible to maximize the number of battery modules to be attached while reducing the weight of the vehicle and enabling efficient use of space, thereby effectively increasing the drivable distance of the vehicle.

[0043] Furthermore, the battery accommodation space 1 can be effectively sealed by the waterproof panel 5, the upper cover 7 and the lower cover 9, thereby reliably ensuring the waterproofness of the battery accommodation space 1 through a simple configuration.

[0044] In the present case, the closed curvature surrounding the battery receiving space 1 of the chassis frame 3 can be defined by central longitudinal members 11 provided on two opposite sides of the chassis frame 3 of the vehicle and extending in a forward and rearward direction of the vehicle, and by front and rear cross members 13 and 15 arranged to connect the central longitudinal members 11 on the two opposite sides extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle and spaced from each other in the forward and rearward direction of the vehicle.

[0045] The chassis frame 3 is configured such that the side members 17 extending in the front and rear directions of the vehicle are provided on the two opposite sides, and the plurality of cross members are provided so as to extend in a transverse direction of the vehicle and connect the side members 17 to each other.

[0046] The side members 17 include front side members 19 defining a front side of the vehicle and rear side members 21 defining a rear side of the vehicle. The front side members 19 and the rear side members 21 are connected to the front and rear sides of the center side members 11, which connect the front side members 19 and the rear side members 21 to each other.

[0047] The front cross member 13 is provided for connecting the front sides of the central longitudinal members 11, and the rear cross member 15 is provided for connecting the rear sides of the central longitudinal members 11.

[0048] That is, in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the closed curvature defining the battery accommodation space 1 surrounded by the chassis frame 3 is defined by the center longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13, and the rear cross member 15. The battery accommodation space 1 can accommodate as many battery modules as possible, but does not occupy the upper and lower space of the chassis frame 3 during normal times, ultimately maximizing the space utilization of the vehicle and reducing the weight of the vehicle.

[0049] The waterproof plate 5 is formed such that an inclined wall 23 extending along the inner surfaces of the middle side members 11, an inner surface of the front cross member 13 and an inner surface of the rear cross member 15 defines the second closed curvature.

[0050] The inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5 is formed to be inclined downward from the top of the battery accommodating space toward the interior of the battery accommodating space.

[0051] That is, the waterproof panel 5 can be integrally formed by deep drawing, so that the inclined wall 23 can be formed in a shape defining the single closed curvature.

[0052] The central longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13, and the rear cross member 15 primarily serve to provide structural rigidity to the vehicle. The central longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13, and the rear cross member 15 are primarily made of steel pressings and are coupled together by welding or the like. It is difficult to ensure the shape consistency and specified flatness of the coupling portions between the central longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13, and the rear cross member 15. For this reason, it is difficult to ensure complete watertightness of the battery compartment when the central longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13, and the rear cross member 15 are coupled together with the upper cover 7 and the lower cover 9.

[0053] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above-mentioned situation, the continuous surface of the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5 surrounds the inside of the closed curvature defined by the center longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13 and the rear cross member 15 as described above, which makes it possible to easily ensure the complete waterproofness of the battery accommodation space 1.

[0054] The configuration with the waterproof panel 5 can more securely ensure the waterproofness of the battery accommodation space 1 even in a situation where the chassis frame 3 twists.

[0055] Meanwhile, a flange portion 25 may be provided at least one of the upper and lower end portions of the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5 and extend evenly in the horizontal direction.

[0056] The flange portion 25 can greatly improve the coupling properties between the upper cover 7 and the waterproof panel 5 or between the lower cover 9 and the waterproof panel 5, and ensure the waterproofness more easily and completely.

[0057] To illustrate Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 shows an example in which the flange portions 25 are provided at both the upper and lower end portions of the inclined wall 23, and Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 illustrate an example in which the flange portion 25 is provided only at the lower end portion of the inclined wall 23.

[0058] At least one of the central longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13, and the rear cross member 15 may form an inner wall 27 in the form of a vertical wall surface facing the waterproof panel 5. On the inner wall 27 formed as a vertical wall surface, the protruding mounting portions 29 may be provided, protruding locally to come into surface contact with the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5.

[0059] The waterproof panel 5 needs to be coupled to the central longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13, and the rear cross member 15. For this purpose, the protruding mounting portion 29 is provided, and the surface contact portions between the protruding mounting portion 29 and the waterproof panel 5 are coupled by welding or the like.

[0060] As in the Fig. 5 to 8, in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding mounting portion 29 is provided locally on the inner wall 27 of the center longitudinal member 11, and the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5, which is in surface contact with the protruding mounting portion 29, is coupled to the protruding mounting portion 29 by welding or the like.

[0061] A plurality of inner supports 31 may be provided in the waterproof panel 5 and traverse the interior of the battery accommodation space 1, and the protruding mounting portions 29 may be formed to face the end portions of the inner supports 31.

[0062] Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the waterproof panel 5 is excluded and the end portion of the inner member 31 is oriented to face the protruding mounting portion 29 of the central longitudinal member 11.

[0063] When the inner beams 31 provided in the waterproof panel 5 are arranged to face each other with the waterproof panel 5 interposed therebetween as described above, the projecting mounting portions 29 and the inner beams 31 define secure load paths against an impact force or the like applied through the center side beams 11 from the sides of the vehicle, thereby suppressing deformation of the battery accommodating space and protecting the battery modules more securely.

[0064] Of course, the inner supports 31 can be coupled to the inside of the waterproof panel 5 by separate welding or the like.

[0065] Meanwhile, the inner wall 27 of the central longitudinal member 11 may be formed to have the same inclination as the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5. In the present case, during a pressing process for forming an inner member 33 enclosing the inner wall 27 of the central longitudinal member 11, adverse effects such as the occurrence of undercuts or deterioration of workability may occur.

[0066] That is, a press die for forming the inner beam 33, in which the inner wall 27 of the central longitudinal beam 11 is formed parallel to the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5, effects the undercut at a lower wing portion 35 of the two wing portions 35 connected to upper and lower portions of the inner wall 27 in the case where a portion of the inner wall 27 has a horizontal cavity. For this reason, if the portion of the inner wall 27 has an inclined cavity, the defect rate during the press process may increase due to a length difference between the two wing portions 35.

[0067] That is, in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure described above, the inner wall 27 of the center longitudinal member 11 is provided in the form of a vertical wall, and the protruding mounting portions 29 protrude locally. This makes it possible to ensure excellent coupling properties with the waterproof panel 5 while suppressing the aforementioned adverse effects of the pressing process.

[0068] Furthermore, with the above configuration, welding gas generated during welding of the waterproof panel 5 and the protruding mounting portion 29 can be easily discharged through a gap between the waterproof panel 5 and the protruding mounting portion 29, and a coating liquid can easily penetrate into a space between the center longitudinal member 11 and the waterproof panel 5, so that coating can be performed more easily and safely, thereby improving the rust prevention performance of the chassis frame 3 and the waterproof panel 5.

[0069] Furthermore, in the case where the inner wall 27 of the center sill 11 is formed to be inclined at the same angle as the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5, management for maintaining a flat surface must be performed on a substantially wide area. For this reason, manufacturability may deteriorate compared to a case where the protruding mounting portion 29 is locally provided to come into surface contact with the waterproof panel 5. As described above, in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding mounting portion 29 may be formed locally only on the center sill 11, thereby improving the manufacturability of the vehicle.

[0070] Meanwhile, an upper sealing strip 37 may be provided at the upper end portion of the waterproof panel 5 and pressed against the upper cover 7 to improve the waterproofness.

[0071] Furthermore, a lower sealing strip 39 may be provided at a lower end portion of the waterproof panel 5 and pressed against the lower cover 9 to improve the waterproofness.

[0072] The Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 illustrate an example in which the upper sealing strip 37 and the lower sealing strip 39 are provided.

[0073] The upper sealing strip 37 and the lower sealing strip 39 may each be formed in their entirety into an annular shape and have a cross-sectional shape that can be press-fitted into the upper or lower end portion of the waterproof panel 5. The upper sealing strip 37 and the lower sealing strip 39 may each have a surface made of a material, such as rubber, that can ensure waterproofing.

[0074] The present disclosure can also be expressed as follows.

[0075] That is, the exemplary embodiment of the electric vehicle structure of the present disclosure includes: the side members 17 configured to define the two opposite sides of the chassis frame 3, the plurality of cross members configured to connect the side members 17 on the two opposite sides, the waterproof panel 5 inserted into the closed curve defined by the side members 17 and the cross members, the waterproof panel 5 being configured to define a closed curved surface having a predetermined width in an up-and-down direction and having waterproofness, and the top cover 7 provided to cover the top of the battery accommodation space 1 surrounded by the closed curved surface defined by the waterproof panel 5.

[0076] The closed curvature of the chassis frame 3 can be defined by the central longitudinal members 11 arranged between the front longitudinal members 19 and the rear longitudinal members 21 of the longitudinal members 17, the front cross member 13 connecting the two opposite end portions of the front sides of the central longitudinal members 11, and the rear cross member 15 connecting the two opposite end portions of the rear sides of the central longitudinal members 11.

[0077] The closed curved surface of the waterproof panel 5, which has a predetermined width in the up and down direction of the waterproof panel, may be defined by the inclined wall 23 which is inclined from the top of the battery accommodating space 1 downward to the interior of the battery accommodating space 1.

[0078] The flange portion 25 may be provided at the upper end portion of the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5 and extend evenly in its horizontal direction.

[0079] The upper sealing strip 37 may be provided at the upper end portion of the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5 and pressed against the upper cover 7 to improve the waterproofness.

[0080] The upper sealing strip 37 may be provided to be pressed against the inside of the bent portion 41 of the upper cover 7.

[0081] The one in the Fig. 9 and Fig. The upper sealing strip 37 illustrated in Fig. 10 can be pressed on the inside of the bent portion 41 of the upper cover 7, thereby further improving the watertightness.

[0082] As in Fig. 9, the lower cover 9 may be provided on the lower side of the waterproof panel 5 and surround the lower side of the battery accommodating space 1, and the lower sealing strip 39 may be provided on the flange portion 25 at the lower end portion of the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5 and pressed against the lower cover 9 to improve the waterproofness.

[0083] As in the Fig. 7 or Fig. 8, a cooling panel 43 may be provided on a lower side of the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5 and surround the lower side of the battery accommodating space 1, and the lower cover 9 may be provided on the lower side of the cooling panel 43 and surround the lower side of the cooling panel 43.

[0084] A flow path through which a refrigerant flows is formed in the cooling panel 43 so that the battery module accommodated in the battery accommodation space 1 can be effectively cooled.

[0085] Meanwhile, as in Fig. 11, a bottom portion 45 may be integrated into the waterproof panel 5 and extend from the lower end portion of the inclined wall 23 to seal the bottom of the battery accommodation space 1.

[0086] At least one of the central longitudinal members 11, the front cross member 13 and the rear cross member 15 facing the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5 may have the protruding mounting portion 29 protruding so as to locally come into surface contact with the inclined wall 23.

[0087] The plurality of inner supports 31 may be provided in the waterproof panel 5 and include the end portions supported on the inclined wall 23 of the waterproof panel 5, and the projecting mounting portions 29 may be formed at the positions facing the end portions of the inner support 31.

[0088] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle may be referred to as being based on a concept that encompasses various means of transportation. In some cases, the vehicle may be interpreted as a concept that encompasses not only various land transportation means such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses traveling on roads, but also various means of transportation such as aircraft, drones, ships, etc.

[0089] For ease of explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper...", "under...", "inner...", "outside...", "high," "down," "upward," "downward," "front...", "backward...", "front," "rear," "inward / inward," "outward / outward," "inside," "outside," "inside," "outside," "forward / forward," and "backward / rearward" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to their positions as shown in the drawings. It is further understood that the term "connect" or its variations refer to both direct and indirect connection.

[0090] The term "and / or" encompasses combinations of any or all of a variety of listed related elements. For example, "A and / or B" includes all three cases such as "A," "B," and "A and B."

[0091] In this description, unless otherwise stated, the singular includes the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0092] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, "at least one of A and B" may refer to "at least one of A or B" or to "at least one of combinations of one or more of A and B." Furthermore, "one or more of A and B" may refer to "one or more of A or B" or "one or more combinations of one or more of A and B."

[0093] In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that a term such as "comprising" or "having" is intended to denote the presence of the features, numbers, steps, acts, elements, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification and does not preclude the possibility of the addition or presence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, acts, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0094] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the components may be combined with each other to be implemented as one component, or some components may be omitted.

[0095] The foregoing description of certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical applicability to thereby enable those skilled in the art to make and use various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is desired that the scope of the present disclosure be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

[1] Vehicle structure, comprising: a chassis frame having a first closed curvature surrounding a battery receiving space; a watertight panel having a second closed curve surrounding an inner side of the first closed curve surrounding the battery receiving space of the chassis frame; a top cover coupled to a top of the waterproof panel and covering a top of the battery accommodation space; and a bottom cover coupled to a bottom of the waterproof panel and covering a bottom of the battery compartment. [2] The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the first closed curvature surrounding the battery accommodation space of the chassis frame is defined by center longitudinal members provided on first and second opposite sides of the chassis frame of a vehicle and extending in a front and rear direction of the vehicle, the front and rear cross members connecting the center longitudinal members on the first and second opposite sides, extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle, and spaced from each other in the front and rear direction of the vehicle. [3] The vehicle structure of claim 2, wherein the waterproof panel includes an inclined wall extending along inner surfaces of the center longitudinal members, an inner surface of the front cross member, and an inner surface of the rear cross member, defining the second closed curve and being seamless. [4] The vehicle structure according to claim 3, wherein the inclined wall of the waterproof panel is inclined downward from the top of the battery accommodating space toward an interior of the battery accommodating space. [5] The vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein a flange portion is provided at least one of upper and lower end portions of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and extends seamlessly in a horizontal direction of the vehicle. [6] The vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the center longitudinal members, the front cross member, and the rear cross member has an inner wall provided in the form of a vertical wall surface facing the waterproof plate, and a protruding mounting portion is provided on the inner wall, which is provided in the form of the vertical wall surface and protrudes locally to come into surface contact with the inclined wall of the waterproof plate. [7] The vehicle structure according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of inner brackets are provided in the waterproof panel and traverse the interior of the battery accommodating space, and the protruding mounting portion is formed to face an end portion of the inner bracket. [8] The vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein an upper weather strip is attached to an upper end portion of the waterproof panel and is pressed against the upper cover to improve waterproofness. [9] The vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein a lower weather strip is attached to a lower end portion of the waterproof panel and is pressed against the lower cover to improve waterproofness. [10] Vehicle structure, comprising: Longitudinal members defining first and second opposite sides of a chassis frame; a plurality of cross members connecting the longitudinal members at the first and second opposite sides; a waterproof panel inserted into a closed curve defined by the longitudinal beams and the cross beams, the waterproof panel being configured to define the waterproof closed curved surface having a predetermined width in the up and down directions; and a top cover provided to surround a top of the battery accommodation space surrounded by the closed curved surface defined by the waterproof panel. [11] A vehicle structure according to claim 10, wherein a closed curvature of the chassis frame is defined by center longitudinal members disposed between front longitudinal members and rear longitudinal members of the longitudinal members, a front cross member connecting first and second opposite end portions of the front sides of the center longitudinal members, and a rear cross member connecting first and second opposite end portions of the rear sides of the center longitudinal members. [12] The vehicle structure according to claim 11, wherein the closed curved surface having the predetermined width in the up-and-down direction of the waterproof panel is defined by an inclined wall inclined downward from the top of the battery accommodating space to an interior of the battery accommodating space. [13] The vehicle structure according to claim 12, wherein a flange portion is provided at an upper end portion of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and extends in a horizontal direction of the vehicle. [14] The vehicle structure according to claim 12, wherein an upper weather strip is attached to an upper end portion of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and is pressed against the upper cover to improve waterproofness. [15] The vehicle structure according to claim 14, wherein the upper weather strip is mounted to be pressed against an inner side of the bent portion of the upper cover. [16] Vehicle structure according to claim 12, wherein a lower cover is provided on a bottom side of the waterproof panel and surrounds a bottom side of the battery accommodation space, and wherein a lower sealing strip is attached to a lower end portion of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and is pressed against the lower cover to improve the watertightness. [17] Vehicle structure according to claim 12, wherein a cooling panel is attached to a bottom of the inclined wall of the waterproof panel and surrounds a bottom of the battery accommodation space, and wherein a bottom cover is provided on a bottom side of the cooling panel and surrounds the bottom side of the cooling panel. [18] The vehicle structure according to claim 12, wherein a floor portion is integrated with the waterproof panel and extends from a lower end portion of the inclined wall to seal a bottom of the battery accommodation space. [19] The vehicle structure according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the center longitudinal members, the front cross member, and the rear longitudinal member facing the inclined wall of the waterproof panel has a protruding mounting portion protruding to locally come into surface contact with the inclined wall. [20] A vehicle structure according to claim 19, wherein a plurality of inner beams are provided in the waterproof panel and have end portions supported on the inclined wall of the waterproof panel, and the projecting mounting portion is formed at a position facing the end portions of the inner beams.

Images