Plastics floor attached to a fuel tank
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023834141
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-12-21
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-29
AI Technical Summary
The existing metal floor systems in motorized vehicles are heavy, complex to assemble, and difficult to maintain due to numerous welding steps, which increases the time and effort required for installation and maintenance.
A removable, non-metallic plastic floor system with reinforcement wells for fixing elements, designed to attach to a hollow fiber-braided fuel tank, featuring a seat and flat portion with insulating foam and a finishing carpet, utilizing deformable plastic or metal inserts for secure attachment, and incorporating features like fuel pressure gauges and accessory fixing elements.
This solution reduces the assembly time and complexity, enhances rigidity and safety, and facilitates easier maintenance by using a lighter, more flexible material while maintaining structural integrity and accommodating various vehicle types, including hydrogen fuel systems.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] TITLE: Plastic floor fixed to a fuel tank
[0002] Technical field
[0003] The technical field of the invention is the underbody and floor of motor vehicles.
[0004] Previous techniques
[0005] A motor vehicle generally consists of a metal chassis, metal side members, and a floor made of sheets welded between the side members or welded to the chassis.
[0006] The vehicle usually includes a metal tank, as well as reinforcing cross members to increase the rigidity of the floor, the cross members also being welded to the side members or chassis.
[0007] The floor is therefore a heavy element whose assembly requires numerous tedious steps, particularly welding, and whose maintenance is complex.
[0008] Statement of the invention
[0009] The present invention therefore aims to overcome all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide a new architecture for a motorized vehicle floor, in particular by proposing a removable floor, a non-metallic floor, by reducing the number of elements necessary for mounting the floor, by reducing the time taken to mount the floor and by facilitating maintenance of the floor.
[0010] The present invention relates to a base for a motorized vehicle, the base comprising a hollow body intended to contain fuel, the hollow body being provided with a plurality of reinforcement wells, the reinforcement wells being configured to accommodate at least one fixing element, the base comprising a floor comprising a plastic material provided with fixing holes, the floor being fixed to the hollow body and comprising a seat portion intended to accommodate a passenger seat and a flat portion intended to support elements transported by the vehicle.
[0011] Preferably, the hollow body can be obtained by braiding fiber.
[0012] Preferably, the fuel may be a hydrogen fuel.
[0013] The floor may be one-piece. The sub-base may include a finishing carpet laid over the floor so that the floor is between the hollow body and the finishing carpet.
[0014] The base may include insulating foam placed on the floor opposite the hollow body.
[0015] The floor may include at least one opening configured to receive at least one accessory attachment element from among a belt attachment element, a seat back hinge attachment element, a child seat attachment element or a luggage attachment element.
[0016] The flat portion may be thicker than the seat portion.
[0017] One end of the floor, located opposite the flat portion relative to the seat portion, can be folded so as to extend opposite two faces of the hollow body, the two faces forming an angle of the hollow body.
[0018] The base may include at least one fastening element, received by a reinforcement well of the plurality of reinforcement wells, securing the floor to the hollow body, the fastening element may include a deformable plastic element, and / or may include a metal insert inserted into a reinforcement well and a screw.
[0019] The hollow body may comprise a seat recess intended to accommodate a passenger seat, the seat portion being able to be folded so as to follow the shape of the seat recess, a clearance being able to remain between the seat portion and the seat recess.
[0020] The hollow body may include a gauge configured to measure fuel pressure, the floor may include an access opening to said gauge.
[0021] The present invention also relates to a floor comprising a plastic material provided with fixing holes, the floor being configured to be fixed to a hollow body of a base as defined previously, the floor comprising a seat portion intended to accommodate a passenger seat and a flat portion intended to support elements transported by the vehicle.
[0022] The present invention also relates to a motorized vehicle comprising a base as defined above.
[0023] Brief description of the drawings Other aims, characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:
[0024] [Fig 1] schematically illustrates a rear underbody of a motor vehicle according to a first embodiment of the invention;
[0025] [Fig 2] schematically illustrates a floor covered with a carpet according to the invention; and
[0026] [Fig 3] schematically illustrates a rear underbody of a motor vehicle according to a second embodiment of the invention.
[0027] Examples
[0028] Figure 1 represents a base 2 of a motorized vehicle (not shown), in particular a base 2 of a car running on hydrogen.
[0029] The base 2 is also suitable for motorized vehicles such as heavy goods vehicles, buses or agricultural vehicles, for example a tractor.
[0030] The base 2 comprises a hollow body 4, for example obtained by braiding fibers, intended to contain a fuel, for example a hydrogen fuel for the vehicle.
[0031] The hollow body 4 comprises a plurality of reinforcing wells 6, for example made in the form of through tubes of twelve to twenty millimeters in diameter spaced from one hundred and twenty millimeters apart. Such reinforcing wells 6 form cavities on the outer surface of the hollow body 4, the cavities being capable of receiving fastening elements 8. The reinforcing wells 6 greatly increase the rigidity of the hollow body 4, so that the hollow body 4 becomes an element of the load-bearing structure of the vehicle. The reinforcing wells 6 also ensure that the hollow body 4 does not open and / or does not break in the event of an accident involving the vehicle. The reinforcing wells 6 are, for example, made of composite and / or poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide).
[0032] Optionally, the hollow body 4 includes through bars to increase the rigidity of the hollow body 4.
[0033] The base 2 comprises fixing elements 8, in particular screws and metal and / or composite inserts (not shown), inserted into the cavities; each metal and / or composite insert comprises, for example, a thread intended to receive a screw. The fixing elements 8 comprise, for example, a metal insert with a diameter of twelve millimeters comprising an internal thread allowing a screw with a diameter of eight millimeters to be screwed into the metal insert.
[0034] The hollow body 4 has, for example, an external volume of three hundred liters and an internal volume of one hundred and fifty liters so that the hollow body 4 is capable of containing six kilograms of hydrogen under a pressure of seven hundred bars, the hollow body 4 not requiring a pump to distribute the hydrogen, the hydrogen being under pressure in the hollow body 4.
[0035] The hollow body 4 comprises a front face 10 intended to be oriented towards the front of the vehicle, for example towards a front hood of the vehicle (not shown), a rear face 12 opposite the front face 10 of the hollow body 4, an upper face 14 intended to be oriented towards the top of the vehicle, for example towards a roof of the vehicle (not shown), a lower face 16 opposite the upper face 14 of the hollow body 4 and two lateral faces 18 opposite each other and intended to be oriented towards the lateral faces of the vehicle (not shown).
[0036] The hollow body 4 comprises reinforcing wells 6 capable of allowing cables 20 to pass, for example, vehicle lighting cables from the front face 10 of the hollow body 4 to the rear face 12 of the hollow body 4 and / or electric vehicle wheel power supply cables 21 (shown below in FIG. 2) from the front face 10 of the hollow body 4 to one of the side faces 18 of the hollow body 4.
[0037] The base 2 comprises two side members 22 each fixed to one of the lateral faces 18 of the hollow body 4 by means of at least one fixing element 8 in a reinforcement well 6, the side members 22 being extended by the hollow body 4 which has become an element of the supporting structure of the vehicle.
[0038] The base 2 comprises a bumper crossmember 24 fixed to the rear face 12 of the hollow body 4 by means of at least one fixing element 8 in a reinforcement well 6. The hollow body 4 being particularly rigid, the bumper crossmember 24 makes it possible to meet safety standards, the bumper crossmember 24 being in particular deformable and removable.
[0039] The lower face 16 of the hollow body 4 comprises a transmission recess 26 capable of receiving a rear transmission (not shown) of the vehicle. The upper face 14 of the hollow body 4 comprises a seat recess 28 intended to receive a passenger seat (not shown), for example a rear bench seat of the vehicle, the seat recess 28 being close to the front face 10 of the hollow body 4 so that the legs of a passenger seated on the passenger seat extend opposite the seat and the front face 10 of the hollow body 4.
[0040] The upper face 14 of the hollow body 4 comprises a flat portion 30 between the seat recess 28 and the rear face 12 of the hollow body 4.
[0041] The base 2 comprises a floor 32. The floor 32 comprises a plastic material. The floor 32 follows the shape of the hollow body 4, the floor 32 being of a shape close to a complementary shape of the hollow body 4, in particular a complementary shape of the upper face 14 of the hollow body 4 and of a portion of the upper face 14 of the hollow body 4.
[0042] The floor 32 comprises fixing holes 34, the fixing holes 34 making it possible in particular to fix the floor 32 to the hollow body 4 and / or to allow fixing elements 8 to pass through the floor 32, the floor 32 here being fixed to the upper face 14 of the hollow body 4 by means of the fixing elements 8, in particular by screws screwed into metal inserts inserted into the reinforcement wells 6. The floor 32 is intended to delimit a portion of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Alternatively, the fixing elements 8 fixing the floor 32 to the hollow body 4 comprise deformable plastic elements, for example fir-tree type clips, inserted into the fixing holes 34 and into the reinforcement wells 6 of the hollow body 4.
[0043] The width of the floor 32 is substantially equal to the width of the hollow body 4, that is to say to the dimension of the hollow body 4 taken between the two lateral faces 18 of the hollow body 4.
[0044] The floor 32 comprises a seat portion 36 intended to accommodate a passenger seat and arranged opposite the seat recess 28 of the hollow body 4. The floor 32 is folded at the seat portion 36, the floor 32 comprising five folds at the seat portion 36 in the example shown so as to follow the shape of the seat recess 28 of the hollow body 4. Advantageously, the seat portion 36 of the floor 32 and the seat recess 28 of the hollow body 4 each comprise an equal number of folds, in particular greater than five, in order to allow proper installation of the passenger seat on the base 2.Advantageously, the floor 32 follows the shape of the seat recess 28 of the hollow body 4 so that there remains a clearance 38 between the seat portion 36 of the floor 32 and the seat recess 28 of the hollow body 4, the clearance 38 creating a damping effect when the passenger seat is fixed on the hollow body 4, the floor 32 then being between the hollow body 4 and the passenger seat. For example, the clearance 38 remains between the portion of the floor 32 between the two folds of the seat portion 36 closest to the front face 10 of the hollow body 4 and the hollow body 4, and remains between the portion of the floor 32 between the two folds of the seat portion 36 closest to the rear face 12 of the hollow body 4 and the hollow body 4.
[0045] The floor 32 comprises a flat portion 40 intended to support elements transported by the vehicle, for example elements transported in a trunk (not shown) of the vehicle, the flat portion 40 of the floor 32 being opposite the flat portion 30 of the upper face 14 of the hollow body 4.
[0046] The flat portion 40 of the floor 32 comprises fixing holes 34 distributed regularly along the edges of the floor 32 closest to the lateral faces 18 of the hollow body 4 and the rear face 12 of the hollow body 4.
[0047] Advantageously, the floor 32 is not of constant thickness. For example, the flat portion 40 of the floor 32 is thicker than the seat portion 36 in order to reduce the noise of the wheels 21 of the vehicle, the wheels 21 being close to the flat portion 40 of the floor 32, the less thick seat portion 36 offering greater damping power than the seat portion 36.
[0048] The hollow body 4 comprises a gauge (not shown) capable of measuring the pressure of the fuel contained in the hollow body 4, in particular the hydrogen pressure. The gauge is, for example, arranged in a wall of the seat recess 28 of the hollow body 4. The floor 32 comprises an access opening 42 to the gauge arranged opposite the gauge, the access opening 42 being, for example, made in the seat portion 36.
[0049] The base 2 comprises accessory attachment elements 44, for example, provided with luggage attachment rings, child seat attachment rings, belt attachment rings and seat back hinges.
[0050] The flat portion 40 of the floor 32 comprises two openings 48 each allowing a baggage attachment element to be received, for example a baggage attachment ring, the baggage attachment element being fixed to the hollow body 4 by means of at least one attachment element 8 in a reinforcing well 6.
[0051] The seat portion 36 of the floor 32 comprises two openings 48 for receiving backrest hinge fixing elements, the hinge fixing elements being fixed to the hollow body 4 by means of at least one fixing element 8 in a reinforcement well 6. A backrest hinge comprises, for example, a sheet metal plate folded so that a portion of said sheet metal plate provided with a hole is parallel to a portion of the hollow body 4 comprising a reinforcement well 6, said hole being opposite the reinforcement well 6 so as to be able to fix the sheet metal plate to the hollow body 4 by means of at least one fixing element 8 in a reinforcement well 6.
[0052] The seat portion 36 of the floor 32 comprises two openings 48 for receiving belt fastening elements, for example a belt fastening ring, the belt fastening elements being fixed to the hollow body 4 by means of at least one fastening element 8 in a reinforcement well 6.
[0053] The seat portion 36 of the floor 32 comprises two openings 48 for receiving child seat fixing elements, for example a child seat fixing ring, the child seat fixing elements being fixed to the hollow body 4 by means of at least one fixing element 8 in a reinforcing well 6.
[0054] The underbody 2 comprises a finishing carpet 50, shown below in FIG. 2, arranged on the floor 32 so that the floor 32 is arranged between the carpet 50 and the hollow body 4, the carpet 50 being intended to delimit a portion of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The carpet 50 provides a texture that is pleasant to the touch for the users of the vehicle. The carpet 50 also makes it possible to hide the fixing holes 34 of the floor 32 and the fixing elements 8 from the eyes of the users of the vehicle. Preferably, the carpet 50 is made of a material making it possible to reduce the sound emissions coming from the lower face 16 of the hollow body 4 and directed towards the upper face 14 of the hollow body 4 and therefore towards the passenger compartment of the vehicle, these sound emissions coming for example from a rear axle of the vehicle and / or the wheels 21 of the vehicle and / or from air noise for example between discs of the vehicle and drums of the vehicle (not shown).Advantageously, a bodywork sealant is used to fill gaps in the underbody 2, in particular gaps between the bodywork of the vehicle and the hollow body 4, in order to reduce the risks of moisture and / or sand penetrating from the exterior of the vehicle into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
[0055] The underbody 2 comprises an insulating foam 52, shown below in FIG. 2, arranged on the floor 32 so that the insulating foam 52 is arranged between the hollow body 4 and the floor 32. The insulating foam 52 has a thermal insulation power in order to reduce a transfer of heat between the exterior of the vehicle and the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The insulating foam 52 has a sound insulation power in order to reduce a transfer of noise between the exterior of the vehicle and the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
[0056] Advantageously, a greater quantity of insulating foam 52 is arranged between the seat recess 28 of the hollow body 4 and the seat portion 36 of the floor 32 in order to reduce noise and / or thermal nuisances coming from outside the vehicle and perceived by passengers of the vehicle seated on the passenger seats. Preferably, the insulating foam 52 also has a cushioning effect for the comfort of the passengers.
[0057] One end of the floor 54, located on the side of the front face 10 of the hollow body 4, is folded so as to form a protective reinforcement for the legs of a passenger of the vehicle. The folded end of the floor 54 extends over a portion of the upper face 14 of the hollow body 4 located between the seat recess 28 and the front face 10 of the hollow body 4, and over a portion of the front face 10 of the hollow body 4.
[0058] Optionally, the folded end of the floor 54 is thicker than the seat portion 36 of the floor 32 and a greater quantity of insulating foam 52 is arranged on one face of the folded end of the floor 54 opposite the hollow body 4 so as to protect the thighs of passengers of the vehicle in the event of an accident.
[0059] Figure 3 represents a variant of the base 2 for a motorized vehicle, Figure 3 representing the base 2 of a motorized vehicle of greater length than the motorized vehicle of Figure 1, the motorized vehicle comprising a battery 56.
[0060] The base 2 comprises a hollow body 4 identical to the hollow body 4 of FIG. 1. In order to correspond to the dimensions of the vehicle, the base 2 comprises a plastic tray 58 fixed to the hollow body 4 so as to lengthen the base 2. The plastic tray 58 is, for example, arranged between the bumper crossmember 24 and the hollow body 4. The plastic tray 58 forms, for example, an additional storage space, in particular for storing at least one charging cord, and contributes to the deformation of the rear of the vehicle in the event of an accident.
Claims
CLAIMS 1. Base (2) for a motorized vehicle, the base (2) comprising a hollow body (4) intended to contain fuel, the hollow body (4) being provided with a plurality of reinforcement wells (6), characterized in that the reinforcement wells (6) are configured to accommodate at least one fixing element (8) and in that it comprises a floor (32) comprising a plastic material provided with fixing holes (34), the floor (32) being fixed to the hollow body (4) and comprising a seat portion (36) intended to accommodate a passenger seat and a flat portion (40) intended to support elements transported by the vehicle.
2. Base (2) according to claim 1, comprising a finishing carpet (50) arranged on the floor (32) so that the floor (32) is between the hollow body (4) and the finishing carpet (50).
3. Base (2) according to one of claims 1 and 2, comprising an insulating foam (52) arranged on the floor (32) opposite the hollow body (4).
4. Base (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the floor (32) comprises at least one opening (48) configured to accommodate at least one accessory attachment element (44) among a belt attachment element, a seat back hinge attachment element, a child seat attachment element or a luggage attachment element.
5. Base (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the flat portion (40) is thicker than the seat portion (36).
6. Base (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which one end of the floor (54), located opposite the flat portion (40) relative to the seat portion (36), is folded so as to extend opposite two faces (10, 14) of the hollow body (4), the two faces (10, 14) forming an angle of the hollow body (4).
7. Base (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising at least one fixing element (8), received by a reinforcement well (6) of the plurality of reinforcement wells (6), fixing the floor (32) to the hollow body (4), the fixing element (8) comprising an element deformable plastic, and / or comprising a metal insert inserted into a reinforcement well (6) and a screw.
8. Base (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the hollow body (4) comprises a seat recess (28) intended to accommodate a passenger seat, the seat portion (36) being folded so as to follow the shape of the seat recess (28), a clearance (38) remaining between the seat portion (36) and the seat recess (28).
9. Base (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hollow body (4) comprises a gauge configured to measure the fuel pressure, the floor (32) comprising an access opening (42) to said gauge.
10. Floor (32), characterized in that it comprises a plastic material provided with fixing holes (34), the floor (32) being configured to be fixed to a hollow body (4) of a base (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the floor (32) comprising a seat portion (36) intended to accommodate a passenger seat and a flat portion (40) intended to support elements transported by the vehicle.