Structure for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a structure (1) for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, comprising at least one floor (11) on which three rows of passengers (R1, R2, R3) can be positioned, and two side walls (12) extending along each longitudinal side of the floor (11). The invention consists in that the rear portion of each side wall (12) comprises a closed hollow body (2), projecting from its outer face, said hollow body (2) being located at the level of the third row of passengers (R3). Figure 1.

Description

Title of the invention: Structure for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle whose passenger compartment can accommodate up to seven occupants.

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of regulatory and consumer passive safety, and more particularly to the issue of safety related to side impact with barriers and poles. Indeed, during a side impact with a pole at 30 km / h, the vehicle must meet the requirement of protecting all its occupants, regardless of the pole's position along the vehicle's structure.

[0003] In a vehicle that can accommodate up to seven passengers, these are distributed across three rows: row 1 with two passengers, the driver and the passenger next to the driver, row 2 generally with three seats, and row 3 which generally accommodates two additional passengers. Row 3 is generally located at or beyond the rear wheel arch.

[0004] In internal combustion vehicles with a front-mounted engine and three rows of passengers, the center of gravity is located very far forward. Consequently, in a rear-end collision with a pole, the vehicle rotates significantly around the pole, and the vehicle undergoes little deformation.

[0005] When the engine is modified on this type of vehicle with a so-called "long" structure, and a switch is made to an electric or hybrid engine with a battery extending under the entire floor, the center of gravity of the vehicle is shifted towards the rear of the vehicle and the mass increases significantly.

[0006] Thus, during a pole impact at the rear of the vehicle, the deformation that will occur is much greater and risks causing deformation of the passenger compartment, reducing the protection of the passengers in row 3.

[0007] As already mentioned above, it is essential that all passengers be protected during a side pole impact and the deformation caused in the event of a rear pole impact causing significant deformation of the vehicle structure does not guarantee the safety of the passengers in row 3, which means that the vehicle no longer meets regulatory standards.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a vehicle structure for an electrically powered vehicle with which the safety of passengers in row 3 is guaranteed during a side pole impact at the rear of said structure.

[0009] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a structure for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one floor on which three rows of passengers can be positioned and two side walls extending on each longitudinal side of the floor, the invention consists in that the rear part of each side wall comprises a closed hollow body, formed in projection on its outer face, said hollow body being located at the level of the 3rd row of passengers.

[0010] Advantageously, the closed hollow body forms a more rigid element which, in the event of a side pole impact at the level of the 3rd row of passengers, limits the deformation of the structure with respect to the occupants of the 3rd row.

[0011] Indeed, in the event of a rear-end collision, at the onset of the impact, the rigidity provided by the closed hollow body creates a zone that deforms only slightly. This allows forces and accelerations to be transmitted to the rest of the vehicle, enabling the earliest possible detection of the side impact and the deployment of restraint systems such as the curtain airbag and the seatbelt pretensioner. Without this hollow body, the fender liner deforms without slowing the vehicle or transmitting acceleration, making it difficult to detect the impact.

[0012] In a second step, the closed hollow body, having greater rigidity, deforms by absorbing much more energy than if the hollow body were not closed. The maximum intrusion of the post into the vehicle is therefore limited, thus ensuring the protection of the third-row occupants.

[0013] The objective of this lower deformation is therefore to limit the intrusion of the post in the event of a side impact in order to allow time for the airbag to deploy between an occupant of row 3 and the structure.

[0014] Preferably, the hollow body is located on the outer face of the side wall preferably above the wheel arch, at the level of the quarter panel of the structure, on the inner face of which is fixed a mounting bracket for the rear seat belt retractor, in particular for the 3rd row of passengers.

[0015] Preferably, the hollow body is formed by the following three parts: the quarter panel lining, the rear wing lining and a reinforcement of the rear seat belt retractor mounting support, in particular that of row 3. This hollow body has an elongated shape, with a longitudinal axis extending along the X axis of the vehicle structure and, in the YZ plane of the structure, a substantially triangular cross-section.

[0016] Preferably, the quarter panel lining forms the base of the triangular cross-section extending in the vertical XZ plane of the vehicle structure and the apex opposite this base is formed by the junction of parts of the rear seat belt retractor fixing support reinforcement and the wing lining.

[0017] The reinforcement of the rear belt retractor mounting support has in the front part a wall extending in the YZ plane of the vehicle structure to increase its stiffness along the Y axis, increase the assembly areas with the environment and create a completely closed hollow body and therefore of greater overall stiffness.

[0018] The present invention thus allows for the detection of side impact even in row 3 without the need for an additional sensor, which offers safety for the most vulnerable occupants, children generally being in row 3.

[0019] The closed hollow body preferably uses an empty or undersized space above the wheel arch, at the level of the quarter panel, which does not require additional volume to be taken inside the passenger compartment, and constitutes an ergonomic gain.

[0020] Furthermore, such a hollow body does not require an increase in thickness or modification of existing parts. Therefore, it is unnecessary to unnecessarily reinforce vehicles using similar liners in the same area but lacking rank 3, thus contributing to the commonality of parts between vehicle models.

[0021] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle, comprising a structure according to the invention having an electric or hybrid motorization.

[0022] The invention will be well understood and other aspects and advantages will become clear upon reading the following description, given by way of example with reference to the attached drawing sheet on which the figures represent:

[0023] [Fig-1] a top view of a side part of a vehicle structure according the invention comprising a hollow body as a rear side impact reinforcement;

[0024] [Fig.2] a front perspective view of part A of [Fig. 1];

[0025] [Fig.3] a cross-sectional view of part A of [Fig.1] during an impact;

[0026] [Fig.4] a front perspective view of part A of [Fig.1]; and

[0027] [Fig.5] a perspective view from inside part A of [Fig.1].

[0028] In the following description, the terms "lower," "upper," "top," and "bottom" are understood according to their usual definition along the Z-axis, relative to the ground on which the vehicle incorporating the structure according to the invention is located. The terms "interior" and "exterior" are defined relative to the vehicle's passenger compartment. The terms "front" and "rear" are understood relative to the vehicle's orientation in its normal direction of travel along the X-axis, the Y-axis defining the axis between the side walls of the structure. In the various figures, the same reference numerals designate identical elements.

[0029] As can be seen in [Fig. 1], the vehicle structure 1 according to the invention comprises a floor 11 and two side walls 12. Three rows of passenger seats are fixed to this floor 11, with row 1RI at the front of the floor 11 accommodating the driver and one passenger, row 2 R2 located in front of the rear wheels RA and row 3 R3 located behind the floor 11 and above or behind the rear wheels RA.

[0030] This structure 1 comprises, at the rear of each side wall 12, a hollow and essentially closed body 2, projecting from the outer face of the side wall 12, said hollow body 2 being located at the level of the passenger row 3 R3.

[0031] Advantageously, the closed hollow body 2 forms a more rigid element which, in the event of a side pole impact at the level of the passenger row 3 R3, limits the deformation of the structure 1 relative to the occupants of row 3 R3.

[0032] This hollow body 2 is located on the outer face of the side panel 12 at the level of the quarter panel 3 of the structure 12, above the rear wheel arch PR. At the level of the quarter panel 3, a mounting bracket 4 for a third-row seat belt retractor R3 is positioned on the inner face of the quarter panel 3. The quarter panel 3 here has an opening.

[0033] Preferably, the hollow body 2 is formed between the following three parts: the quarter panel lining 31, the rear wing lining 51 and a reinforcement 6 of the mounting bracket 4 of the 3rd row winder R3. The parts 31, 51 and 6 are welded together.

[0034] This hollow body 2 has an elongated shape along the X axis of the structure 1 of the vehicle (see figures 1 and 2) and, in the YZ plane of the structure, a substantially triangular cross-section (figures 3 and 4).

[0035] The quarter panel lining 31 forms the base of the triangular section and extends in the vertical plane XZ of the structure 1. The apex S opposite this base is formed by the junction of an edge of a part of the reinforcement 6 of the rear roller mounting support 4 and an edge of a part of the wing lining 51. The apex S thus formed extends projecting from the side wall 12 of the structure 1.

[0036] The reinforcement 6 of the AR winder mounting support has in its front part a wall 61 extending in the YZ plane of the vehicle to increase its stiffness along the Y axis, increase the assembly areas with the environment and create a completely closed hollow body 2 and therefore of greater overall stiffness.

[0037] During a rear side-impact collision with a CPLA pole, at the beginning of the impact, the rigidity provided by the closed hollow body 2 creates a zone that deforms only slightly. This allows the forces and accelerations (represented by arrows F in [Fig. 4]) to be transmitted to the rest of the vehicle, enabling the earliest possible detection of the side impact and the deployment of restraint systems such as the curtain airbag and the seatbelt pretensioner. Without this hollow body 2, the fender liner 51 deforms without slowing the vehicle and without transmitting acceleration, making it difficult to detect the impact.

[0038] In a second step, the closed hollow body 2, having greater rigidity, deforms by absorbing much more energy than if the hollow body 2 were not closed. The maximum intrusion of the post into the vehicle is therefore limited, thus ensuring the protection of the occupants in row 3 (R3).

Claims

Demands

1. Structure (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one floor (11) on which three rows of passengers (RI, R2, R3) are positionable and two side walls (12) extending from each longitudinal side of the floor (11), characterized in that the rear part of each side wall (12) comprises a closed hollow body (2), formed in projection on its outer face, said hollow body (2) being located at the level of the 3rd row of passengers (R3).

2. Structure (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow body (2) is located on the outer face of the side wall (12), preferably above the wheel arch (PR), at the level of a quarter panel (3) of the structure (1), on the inner face of which is fixed a mounting bracket (4) for the rear seat belt retractor, in particular for the 3rd row of passengers (R3).

3. Structure (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hollow body (2) has an elongated shape with its longitudinal axis extending along the X axis of the vehicle structure (1) and, in the YZ plane of the structure, a substantially triangular cross-section.

4. Structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the hollow body (2) is formed by the following three parts: a quarter panel liner (31), a rear wing liner (51) and a reinforcement (6) of the rear seat belt retractor mounting bracket (4).

5. Structure (1) according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that a quarter panel lining (31) forms the base of the triangular cross section extending in the vertical plane XZ of the structure (1) and the apex opposite this base is formed by the junction of the parts of the reinforcement (6) of the rear seat belt retractor fixing support (4) and a wing lining (51).

6. Structure (1) according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the reinforcement (6) of the rear belt retractor mounting support is provided in the front part with a wall (61) extending in the YZ plane of the vehicle structure to increase its stiffness along the Y axis.

7. Motor vehicle comprising a structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising an electric or hybrid motor.

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