Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of protecting a battery pack even in an event of a collision from any direction.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises: a pair of rockers extended along a longitudinal direction; a floor panel installed between the pair of rockers; first and second reinforcing members extended in a lateral direction along the floor panel; third and fourth reinforcing members extended in the longitudinal direction along the floor panel between the first and second reinforcing members; and a battery pack which is positioned below the floor panel and has a protrusion section protruded toward the floor panel. At least a portion of the protrusion section of the battery pack faces an area that extends in the longitudinal direction from a position of the first reinforcing member to a position of the second reinforcing member and an area that extends in the lateral direction from a position of the third reinforcing member to a position of the fourth reinforcing member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle. The vehicle includes a pair of lockers, a vehicle body having a floor panel, and a battery pack. The battery pack is mainly disposed below the floor panel, but a part of it is disposed within the center console. The center console is provided with a reinforcing member that slidably penetrates the battery pack along the left-right direction. With this configuration, when a side collision of the vehicle occurs, the load transmitted from one front seat to the center console can be transmitted to the other front seat via the reinforcing member. This makes it possible to protect the battery pack. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-100585 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A vehicle collision may occur not only from the side, but also from the front-rear direction and from an oblique direction. Therefore, it is required to protect the battery pack against collisions from various directions. In view of this situation, this specification provides a technology that can protect the battery pack even when a collision occurs from various directions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification is embodied in a vehicle. The vehicle includes a pair of rockers extending along the front-rear direction, a floor panel provided between the pair of rockers, a first reinforcing member and a second reinforcing member extending in the left-right direction along the floor panel, a third reinforcing member and a fourth reinforcing member extending in the front-rear direction along the floor panel between the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member, and a battery pack located below the floor panel and having a protruding portion protruding toward the floor panel. At least a part of the protruding portion of the battery pack faces a range from the position of the first reinforcing member to the position of the second reinforcing member in the front-rear direction and faces a range from the position of the third reinforcing member to the position of the fourth reinforcing member in the left-right direction.

[0006] In the above configuration, the four reinforcing members provided along the floor panel are connected to each other and arranged in a ring shape. In the range where the reinforcing members are arranged in a ring shape, the floor panel is effectively reinforced against loads from various directions. By arranging the protruding part of the battery pack in such a range, the protruding part of the battery pack can be protected even in the event of a collision from various directions, such as a frontal collision or a rear collision. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a battery pack 14. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A vehicle 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle 10 according to the embodiment belongs to an electric vehicle having a motor for driving wheels, and is typically an electric vehicle (a so-called automobile) that runs on a road surface. However, some or all of the technology described in the embodiment can be similarly adopted in an electric vehicle that runs on a track. Furthermore, the vehicle 10 is not limited to one that is driven and operated by a user, and may be one that is remotely operated by an external device or one that runs autonomously.

[0009] Here, the direction FR in the drawings indicates the front in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10, and the direction RR indicates the rear in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10. The direction LH indicates the left in the left-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10, and the direction RH indicates the right in the left-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10. The direction UP indicates the upward direction in the vertical direction of the vehicle 10, and the direction DW indicates the downward direction in the vertical direction of the vehicle 10.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12. The vehicle body 12 has a passenger compartment, which is a space for carrying passengers. A plurality of wheels are rotatably attached to the vehicle body 12. As an example, the plurality of wheels include a pair of front wheels located at the front of the vehicle body 12 and a pair of rear wheels located at the rear of the vehicle body 12. The pair of front wheels are arranged coaxially with each other, and the pair of rear wheels are also arranged coaxially with each other. The number of wheels is not limited to four. Although not particularly limited, the vehicle body 12 is made of a metal such as a steel material or an aluminum alloy.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle 10 further includes a battery pack 14. The battery pack 14 is a power supply device that supplies power to the motor, and is electrically connected to the motor via a power control unit. The battery pack 14 incorporates a plurality of secondary battery cells 40, and is configured to be repeatedly charged by external power or regenerative power of the motor. The arrangement of the plurality of secondary battery cells 40 is not particularly limited. The battery pack 14 is located below a floor panel 16. As an example, the motor is a driving motor that drives a pair of rear wheels, and is connected to the pair of rear wheels. In addition, the power control unit incorporates a DC-DC converter and / or an inverter, and controls the driving power supplied from the battery pack 14 to the motor and the regenerative power supplied from the motor to the battery pack 14, for example, in response to a driving operation by a user.

[0012] The motor is not limited to a pair of rear wheels, but may be configured to drive at least one of a plurality of wheels. In addition to the motor, the vehicle 10 may further include another prime mover such as an engine. Furthermore, in addition to the battery pack 14, the vehicle 10 may include another power source device such as a fuel cell unit or a solar panel. The vehicle 10 is not limited to the electric vehicle described here, but may be a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, a solar car, or the like.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body 12 includes a floor panel 16 and a pair of rockers 18. The floor panel 16 is a plate-shaped member that constitutes the bottom surface of the vehicle compartment. Each rocker 18 is a hollow longitudinal member that constitutes part of the framework of the vehicle body 12. The pair of rockers 18 are provided symmetrically with respect to each other in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10. The pair of rockers 18 are located on both side edges of the floor panel 16 and extend along the front-rear direction. That is, the floor panel 16 is provided between the pair of rockers 18. The pair of rockers 18 may have a symmetrical shape or an asymmetrical shape.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the floor panel 16 includes a center tunnel 20. The center tunnel 20 is disposed in the center of the floor panel 16 in the left-right direction and extends along the front-rear direction. The center tunnel 20 has a tunnel shape that is open at the bottom and protrudes upward beyond other parts of the floor panel 16. A first protrusion 44 and a second protrusion 46 of the battery pack 14, which will be described later, are disposed below the center tunnel 20.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body 12 further includes a pair of dash cross members 22. Each dash cross member 22 is a longitudinal member having a hollow structure, and constitutes a part of the framework of the vehicle body 12. A dash panel (not shown) that separates a front compartment from a passenger compartment is provided on the front side of the pair of dash cross members 22. The pair of dash cross members 22 are provided symmetrically with respect to the left-right direction of the vehicle 10. The right dash cross member 22 extends in the left-right direction along the right front edge of the floor panel 16, and the left dash cross member 22 extends in the left-right direction along the left front edge of the floor panel 16. The left end of the right dash cross member 22 is connected to the center tunnel 20, and the right end of the right dash cross member 22 is connected to the front end of the right rocker 18. Similarly, the right end of the left dash cross member 22 is connected to the center tunnel 20, and the left end of the left dash cross member 22 is connected to the front end of the left rocker 18. The right dash cross member 22 and the left dash cross member 22 may be connected to each other above the center tunnel 20. In other words, the pair of dash cross members 22 may be configured as a single cross member extending continuously from the right rocker 18 to the left rocker 18.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle body 12 further includes a plurality of cross members 24, 26, 28, 30. Each of the cross members 24, 26, 28, 30 generally has a channel member structure and has a substantially U-shaped cross section that is open downward. Each of the cross members 24, 26, 28, 30 extends in the left-right direction along the upper surface of the floor panel 16 and is joined to the floor panel 16 by welding or the like. As a result, each of the cross members 24, 26, 28, 30, together with the floor panel 16, forms a closed space extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10.

[0017] The multiple cross members 24, 26, 28, 30 include a first cross member 24, a second cross member 26, a third cross member 28, and a fourth cross member 30. The first cross member 24 is provided between the pair of dash cross members 22 and the second cross member 26, the second cross member 26 is provided between the first cross member 24 and the third cross member 28, and the third cross member 28 is provided between the second cross member 26 and the fourth cross member 30. That is, the first cross member 24, the second cross member 26, the third cross member 28, and the fourth cross member 30 are arranged in this order from the front to the rear of the vehicle 10.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body 12 further includes a plurality of reinforcements 32, 34, 36, 38. Each of the reinforcements 32, 34, 36, 38 generally has a channel material structure and has a substantially U-shaped cross section with an open lower portion. Each of the reinforcements 32, 34, 36, 38 may be provided with an uneven shape (e.g., a bead) for reinforcement, and the specific shape is not particularly limited. Each of the reinforcements 32, 34, 36, 38 extends in the front-rear direction along the upper surface of the floor panel 16, and is joined to the floor panel 16 by welding or the like. As a result, each of the reinforcements 32, 34, 36, 38, together with the floor panel 16, forms a closed space extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10.

[0019] The multiple reinforcements 32, 34, 36, 38 include a first reinforcement 32, a second reinforcement 34, a third reinforcement 36, and a fourth reinforcement 38. The first reinforcement 32 and the second reinforcement 34 are disposed between a pair of dash cross members 22 and a pair of first cross members 24. The first reinforcement 32 extends in the front-rear direction along the floor panel 16 between the right rocker 18 and the center tunnel 20. The second reinforcement 34 extends in the front-rear direction along the floor panel 16 between the left rocker 18 and the center tunnel 20. That is, the pair of dash cross members 22, the first cross member 24, the first reinforcement 32, and the second reinforcement 34 are connected to each other and arranged to form an annular shape.

[0020] Similarly, the third reinforcement 36 and the fourth reinforcement 38 are disposed between the second cross member 26 and the third cross member 28. The third reinforcement 36 extends in the front-rear direction along the floor panel 16 between the right rocker 18 and the center tunnel 20. The fourth reinforcement 38 extends in the front-rear direction along the floor panel 16 between the left rocker 18 and the center tunnel 20. That is, the second cross member 26, the third cross member 28, the third reinforcement 36, and the fourth reinforcement 38 are connected to each other and arranged to describe an annular shape.

[0021] 1 and 2, the battery pack 14 includes a plurality of secondary battery cells 40 and a battery pack case 42. Each of the plurality of secondary battery cells 40 is a secondary battery cell that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as a lithium-ion secondary battery cell. The battery pack case 42 is a housing member that houses the plurality of secondary battery cells 40 and has a sealed structure. Although not particularly limited, when the battery pack case 42 has a sealed structure, the battery pack case 42 may be provided with an adjustment valve for releasing excessive internal pressure.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the battery pack case 42 has a plurality of protrusions 44, 46. Each of the protrusions 44, 46 protrudes toward the floor panel 16 located above the battery pack 14. As an example, each of the protrusions 44, 46 houses a component of the battery pack 14, such as a high-voltage cable. The plurality of protrusions 44, 46 includes a first protrusion 44 and a second protrusion 46. The first protrusion 44 is located at the front and center of the battery pack 14, and the second protrusion 46 is located at the rear and center of the battery pack 14. The first protrusion 44 faces a range from the position of the pair of dash cross members 22 to the position of the first cross member 24 in the front-rear direction, and faces a range from the position of the first reinforcement 32 to the position of the second reinforcement 34 in the left-right direction. At least a portion of the second protrusion 46 is within the range from the position of the second cross member 26 to the position of the third cross member 28 in the fore-and-aft direction, and faces the range from the position of the third reinforcement 36 to the position of the fourth reinforcement 38 in the left-right direction.

[0023] In the above configuration, a pair of reinforcing members, the dash cross member 22, the first cross member 24, the first reinforcement 32, and the second reinforcement 34, are provided in the front part of the floor panel 16. These four reinforcing members 22, 24, 32, and 34 are connected to each other and arranged to form a ring shape. In the range where the four reinforcing members 22, 24, 32, and 34 are arranged in a ring shape, the floor panel 16 is effectively reinforced against loads from various directions. By arranging the first protrusion 44 of the battery pack 14 in accordance with such a range, the first protrusion 44 of the battery pack 14 can be protected even in the event of a collision from various directions, such as a frontal collision or a rear collision.

[0024] That is, the pair of dash cross members 22 in this specification are an example of a first reinforcing member in the present technology, the first cross member 24 in this specification is an example of a second reinforcing member in the present technology, the first reinforcement 32 in this specification is an example of a third reinforcing member in the present technology, and the second reinforcement 34 in this specification is an example of a fourth reinforcing member in the present technology.

[0025] Similarly, in the above configuration, the second cross member 26, the third cross member 28, the third reinforcement 36, and the fourth reinforcement 38, which are reinforcing members, are provided at the rear of the floor panel 16. These four reinforcing members 26, 28, 36, and 38 are arranged to form a ring shape by being connected to each other. In the range in which the four reinforcing members 26, 28, 36, and 38 are arranged in a ring shape, the floor panel 16 is effectively reinforced against loads from various directions. By arranging the second protrusion 46 of the battery pack 14 in accordance with such a range, the second protrusion 46 of the battery pack 14 can be protected even in the event of a collision from various directions, such as a frontal collision or a rear collision.

[0026] That is, the second cross member 26 in this specification is an example of a first reinforcing member in the present technology, the third cross member 28 in this specification is an example of a second reinforcing member in the present technology, the third reinforcement 36 in this specification is an example of a third reinforcing member in the present technology, and the fourth reinforcement 38 in this specification is an example of a fourth reinforcing member in the present technology.

[0027] The number of protrusions 44, 46 provided on the battery pack 14 does not necessarily have to be two. That is, the battery pack 14 may have either the first protrusion 44 or the second protrusion 46, or may have three or more protrusions. In this case, the number of the multiple cross members 24, 26, 28, 30 and the multiple reinforcements 32, 34, 36, 38 can be appropriately changed according to the number of protrusions 44, 46 of the battery pack 14. In detail, it is sufficient that four reinforcing members are provided for one protrusion so as to form a corresponding annular shape.

[0028] Furthermore, the annular shape formed by connecting the four reinforcing members to each other does not have to be a complete annular shape, such as the annular shape facing the first protrusion 44 of the battery pack 14 (i.e., the annular shape divided by the center tunnel 20).

[0029] Although several specific examples have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes to the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 10: Vehicle 12: Body 14: Battery pack 16: Floor panel 18: Rocca 20: Center tunnel 22: Dash cross member 24: First cross member 26: Second cross member 28: Third cross member 30: 4th cross member 32: First reinforcement 34: Second reinforcement 36: 3rd reinforcement 38: 4th reinforcement 40: Secondary battery cell 42: Battery pack case 44: 1st protrusion 46:Second protrusion

Claims

[Claim 1] A pair of rockers extending along the front-rear direction; A floor panel provided between the pair of rockers; a first reinforcing member and a second reinforcing member extending in a left-right direction along the floor panel; a third reinforcing member and a fourth reinforcing member extending in the front-rear direction along the floor panel between the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member; a battery pack located below the floor panel and having a protrusion that protrudes toward the floor panel; Equipped with at least a part of the protruding portion of the battery pack faces a range from a position of the first reinforcing member to a position of the second reinforcing member in the front-rear direction and faces a range from a position of the third reinforcing member to a position of the fourth reinforcing member in the left-right direction; vehicle.

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