Vehicle and automatic driving system for the same

Abstract

To provide a vehicle and an automatic driving system for the same, capable of reducing an impact on an occupant.SOLUTION: A vehicle 100 comprises a chassis 10 with a battery 12 for driving drive wheels 17, a vehicle body 20 having a cabin in which an occupant rides, capable of sliding with respect to the chassis 10, and an energy absorption member 10 for the vehicle body for absorbing impact energy between the chassis 10 and the slid vehicle body 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle and an automatic driving system thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles such as gasoline-powered automobiles and electric automobiles are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In these types of vehicles, an energy absorbing member is provided to absorb impact energy and protect occupants when the vehicle collides with another vehicle, a wall, or the like. An aluminum alloy square tube or the like is used as the energy absorbing member. With this, the vehicle absorbs impact energy by compressively deforming in the axial direction accompanied by buckling deformation when the energy absorbing member collides. If the energy absorbing member has too low rigidity, the energy absorbing member is crushed too much and is unable to sufficiently absorb impact energy, so it has been necessary to use an energy absorbing member with high rigidity in order to increase the amount of impact energy that the energy absorbing member can absorb. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2025-16738 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above conventional vehicles, the impact energy during a collision increases according to the kinetic energy of the vehicle, so the heavier the vehicle, the more impact energy must be absorbed by the energy absorbing member. As a result, in vehicles with a large mass, such as electric vehicles equipped with large-capacity, heavy batteries, it is necessary to use energy absorbing members with very high rigidity. As a result, the high rigidity of the energy absorbing members increases the impact received by occupants during a collision.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle and an automatic driving system thereof that can solve the problems associated with the conventional techniques and reduce the impact received by occupants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to In the vehicle, A chassis equipped with a battery for driving the drive wheels; a vehicle body having a cabin for passengers to ride in and slidably movable relative to the chassis; The vehicle is characterized by comprising an energy absorbing member for a vehicle body that absorbs impact energy between the chassis and the vehicle body that slides.

[0007] In this case, the vehicle may further include an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when a collision occurs with the external object, and the energy absorbing member for the vehicle body may be capable of absorbing less impact energy than the energy absorbing member for the chassis.

[0008] The vehicle may further include an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between an external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with an external object, and the energy absorbing member for the vehicle body may be lighter than the energy absorbing member for the chassis.

[0009] The vehicle may further include an energy absorption member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between an external object and the chassis when a collision occurs with the external object, and the maximum load at the time of buckling of the energy absorption member for the vehicle body may be smaller than the maximum load at the time of buckling of the energy absorption member for the chassis.

[0010] A distance that the vehicle body can slide relative to the chassis may be greater than a displacement amount from an initial state of the vehicle body energy absorbing member to a maximum load at the time of buckling.

[0011] The vehicle body may have a guide portion that guides the vehicle body when the vehicle body slides relative to the chassis.

[0012] The guide portion may guide the vehicle body so that the vehicle body slides only in a front-rear direction.

[0013] The vehicle body energy absorbing member may be sandwiched between the chassis and the vehicle body.

[0014] The vehicle body may have a floor panel.

[0015] The vehicle body energy absorbing member may be located above the floor panel.

[0016] The vehicle may further include a holding section that holds the vehicle body on the chassis, which prevents the vehicle body from sliding relative to the chassis when in a held state, and allows the vehicle body to slide relative to the chassis when in an unheld state.

[0017] The device may further include a hold control section that switches between the hold state and the non-hold state of the hold section.

[0018] The hold control section may set the hold section to the non-hold state in response to impact energy received by the vehicle body or the chassis.

[0019] A collision prediction unit predicts a collision between the vehicle body or the vehicle chassis and an external object, The hold control unit may set the hold unit to the non-hold state when the collision prediction unit predicts a collision.

[0020] The collision prediction unit predicts a mass of the external object, The hold control unit may put the hold unit into the non-hold state in accordance with the magnitude of the mass of the external object predicted by the collision prediction unit.

[0021] The retaining portion may be in the non-retaining state before the chassis energy absorption member reaches a maximum load at the time of buckling when the chassis receives impact energy.

[0022] The holding portion may be brought into the non-holding state by being broken.

[0023] A vehicle operation unit that operates the vehicle; The vehicle may further include an impact mitigation control unit that controls the vehicle steering unit so that, when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and an external object is unavoidable, the direction in which the vehicle body slides relative to the chassis approaches the external object.

[0024] An other vehicle path prediction unit that predicts a travel path of the external object; an evacuation route calculation unit that calculates an evacuation route for the vehicle to evacuate from the external object when the external object approaches the vehicle, The impact reduction control unit may determine that a collision between the vehicle and the external object is unavoidable when the evacuation path calculation unit fails to calculate the evacuation path.

[0025] The present invention also provides a method for producing a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: In the vehicle, A battery for driving the drive wheels; a chassis on which the battery is slidably mounted; The vehicle is characterized in that it further comprises a battery energy absorbing member that absorbs impact energy between the chassis and the battery that has slidably moved.

[0026] In this case, The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, The battery energy absorbing member may be capable of absorbing a smaller amount of impact energy than the chassis energy absorbing member.

[0027] The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, The battery energy absorbing member may be lighter than the undercarriage energy absorbing member.

[0028] The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, The maximum buckling load of the battery energy absorbing member may be smaller than the maximum buckling load of the chassis energy absorbing member.

[0029] The distance that the battery can slide relative to the chassis may be greater than the amount of displacement of the battery energy absorbing member from an initial state to a maximum load at the time of buckling.

[0030] The battery may further include a guide portion that guides the battery when the battery slides relative to the chassis.

[0031] The guide portion may guide the battery so that the battery slides only in a front-rear direction.

[0032] The battery energy absorbing member may be sandwiched between the chassis and the battery.

[0033] The battery may further include a holding portion that holds the battery on the chassis, which prevents the battery from sliding relative to the chassis when in a held state, and allows the battery to slide relative to the chassis when in an unheld state.

[0034] The device may further include a hold control section that switches between the hold state and the non-hold state of the hold section.

[0035] The hold control unit may set the hold unit to the non-hold state in response to impact energy received by the battery or the chassis.

[0036] A collision prediction unit is further provided to predict a collision between the chassis and an external object, The hold control unit may set the hold unit to the non-hold state when the collision prediction unit predicts a collision.

[0037] The collision prediction unit predicts a mass of the external object, The hold control unit may put the hold unit into the non-hold state in accordance with the magnitude of the mass of the external object predicted by the collision prediction unit.

[0038] The retaining portion may be in the non-retaining state before the chassis energy absorption member reaches a maximum load at the time of buckling when the chassis receives impact energy.

[0039] The holding portion may be brought into the non-holding state by being broken.

[0040] A vehicle operation unit that operates the vehicle; The vehicle may further include an impact mitigation control unit that controls the vehicle steering unit so that, when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and an external object is unavoidable, the direction in which the battery slides relative to the chassis approaches the external object.

[0041] An other vehicle path prediction unit that predicts a travel path of the external object; an evacuation route calculation unit that calculates an evacuation route for the vehicle to evacuate from the external object when the external object approaches the vehicle, The impact reduction control unit may determine that a collision between the vehicle and the external object is unavoidable when the evacuation path calculation unit fails to calculate the evacuation path.

[0042] Furthermore, the present invention provides an automatic driving system for a vehicle, A vehicle operation unit that operates the vehicle; The vehicle further includes an impact reduction control unit that controls the vehicle steering unit so that the vehicle moves forward and backward toward the external object when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and an external object is unavoidable.

[0043] In this case, An other vehicle path prediction unit that predicts a travel path of the external object; an evacuation route calculation unit that calculates an evacuation route for the vehicle to evacuate from the external object when the external object approaches the vehicle, The impact reduction control unit may determine that a collision between the vehicle and the external object is unavoidable when the evacuation path calculation unit fails to calculate the evacuation path. Effect of the Invention

[0044] The present invention can provide a vehicle and its automatic driving system that can reduce the impact on occupants. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0045] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] A side view of the chassis is shown. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic top view of a vehicle. [Figure 4] 13 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the holding portion in the holding state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the holding portion in the non-holding state. [Figure 6] A block diagram of the control system is shown. [Figure 7] 4 shows a flowchart of an operation when a vehicle crashes. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a vehicle that has collided; [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle that has collided, as viewed from above; [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle that has undergone an offset collision, as viewed from above; [Figure 11] 4 shows a graph of the load vs. displacement of an energy absorbing member. [Figure 12] 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle according to a second embodiment, seen from above. FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle that has collided, as viewed from above; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle according to the first embodiment as seen from the side, Fig. 2 is a side view of the chassis, Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of the vehicle, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the holding portion in a holding state, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the holding portion in a non-holding state. For ease of understanding, some parts are shown by dashed lines in Fig. 1, and a state in which the exterior has been removed is shown in Fig. 3.

[0047] A vehicle 100 according to this embodiment includes a chassis 10 and a vehicle body 20 mounted on the chassis 10, as shown in FIG.

[0048] The chassis 10 is a so-called EV platform, and is used as a common chassis for sedans, SUVs, vans, etc. As shown in Fig. 2, the chassis 10 has a chassis main body 11 provided with a battery 12, four drive units 13, a chassis energy absorbing member 14, a vehicle body energy absorbing member 15, and a rear energy absorbing member 16.

[0049] The chassis body 11 is formed in a flat plate shape with a flat upper surface 11a. The chassis body 11 has a middle portion formed in a box shape, and a cavity with a rectangular cross section for storing the battery 12 and the like is formed inside.

[0050] In addition, the chassis body 11 has a pair of rails (guide portions) 11b, 11b on its sides extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100, and these rails 11b, 11b are positioned approximately parallel to each other at both the left and right ends of the chassis body 11, as shown in Figure 3.

[0051] The batteries 12 are a plurality of lithium ion batteries, solid-state batteries, etc., and are mounted in a spread manner inside the chassis body 11 as shown in Fig. 2. The batteries 12 are adapted to mainly supply power to each of the drive units 13, and also to supply power to the entire vehicle.

[0052] Each of the four drive units 13 is provided on the upper surface 11a of the chassis body 11 and includes a motor, for example an in-wheel motor, a suspension, etc. Each of the drive units 13 is fitted with a wheel (drive wheel) 17 and is controlled by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (control device) 31 (see FIG. 6) to drive the wheel 17. The drive units 13 are adapted to attenuate shocks and vibrations applied to the wheels 17 due to unevenness of the road surface on which the vehicle 100 is traveling by using the suspension, making it difficult for the shocks and vibrations to be transmitted to the chassis body 11.

[0053] The chassis energy absorbing member 14 is supported by the chassis body 11 via the support portion 19, and is provided in front of the support portion 19. As shown in FIG. 3, the chassis 10 according to this embodiment is provided with a pair of chassis energy absorbing members 14, 14 on the left and right sides, and the front ends of the pair of chassis energy absorbing members 14, 14 are connected to each other by a bumper beam 14a. The chassis energy absorbing member 14 is a crash box, and is, for example, a thin-walled square tube made of an aluminum alloy, and extends so that the axial direction Z of the square tube coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100. The chassis energy absorbing member 14 is compressed and deformed in the axial direction Z by buckling deformation when the front part of the vehicle 100 collides with an external object such as another vehicle or a guardrail. As a result, the chassis energy absorbing member 14 is configured to absorb the impact energy that the chassis 10 receives from the front due to a collision. The chassis energy absorbing member 14 is capable of sufficiently absorbing the impact energy due to the entire mass of the vehicle 100.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 has a front end fixed to the chassis body 11 via a support portion 19, and a rear end fixed to the vehicle body 20, and is provided so as to be sandwiched between the support portion 19 and the vehicle body 20. The vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 is located above a floor panel 21 of the vehicle body 20. The vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 is a crash box, and is, for example, a thin-walled square tube made of an aluminum alloy, and extends so that the axial direction Z of the square tube coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100. The vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 is configured to be compressed and deformed in the axial direction Z by buckling deformation when the front part of the vehicle 100 collides with an external object. As a result, the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 is configured to absorb the impact energy that the vehicle body 20 receives from the front through the chassis 10 due to a collision between the chassis 10 and the sliding vehicle body 20. The vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 is capable of sufficiently absorbing the impact energy due to the mass of the vehicle body 20. That is, the carbody energy absorbing member 15 does not absorb the impact energy due to the entire mass of the vehicle 100 including the chassis 10 and the carbody 20, but only needs to absorb the impact energy due to the mass of the carbody 20. Therefore, the carbody energy absorbing member 15 must absorb less impact energy than the chassis energy absorbing member 14, and is therefore more prone to buckling and has lower rigidity than the chassis energy absorbing member 14. That is, the maximum load at the time of buckling of the carbody energy absorbing member 15 is smaller than the maximum load at the time of buckling of the chassis energy absorbing member 14. As a result, the carbody energy absorbing member 15 can absorb less impact energy than the chassis energy absorbing member 14. Therefore, the carbody energy absorbing member 15 is lighter than the chassis energy absorbing member 14.

[0055] The rear energy absorbing member 16 is, for example, a square tube made of an aluminum alloy, and extends so that the axial direction of the square tube faces the rear of the chassis 11. This rear energy absorbing member 16 is designed to be compressed and deformed in the axial direction by buckling deformation when the rear of the chassis 10 collides with an external object. In this way, the rear energy absorbing member 16 is designed to absorb the impact energy that the chassis 10 receives from behind due to a collision.

[0056] The vehicle body 20 has a cabin in which passengers ride. The vehicle body 20 is attached so as to be slidable relative to the chassis. The vehicle body 20 has a floor panel 21, on which a seat 22 for passengers to sit and a steering device such as a steering wheel are provided. In FIG. 1, the cabin and the seat 22 of the vehicle body 20 are shown by solid lines, and the exterior of the vehicle body 20 and the like are shown by dashed lines.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom of the vehicle body 20 has two holding parts 23 arranged side by side on each of the left and right sides. The holding parts 23 are arranged to hold the vehicle body 20 on the chassis 10, and the two holding parts 23 arranged side by side on each of the left and right sides are arranged side by side so as to be substantially parallel to the rail 11b of the chassis main body 11. This allows each of the holding parts 23 to slide in the front-rear direction on the rail 11b along the rail 11b. The four holding parts 23 according to this embodiment are provided near the four corners of the vehicle body 20, and the vehicle body 20 slides in a direction substantially parallel to the chassis 10. Therefore, when the vehicle 100 is viewed from above, the vehicle body 20 does not tilt relative to the front-rear direction of the chassis 10, and the front-rear direction of the chassis 10 and the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 20 are always held substantially in agreement with each other, and the vehicle body 20 slides relative to the chassis 10.

[0058] 4, the retaining portion 23 is fixed to the floor panel 21 of the vehicle body 20. The retaining portion 23 has a U-shaped cross section so as to sandwich the chassis body 11 from above and below, and to sandwich the chassis body 11 from the left and right together with another retaining portion 23 located on the opposite side in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100.

[0059] The holding portion 23 is also provided with a fixed pin 24 that can move in the vertical direction and an actuator 25 that moves the fixed pin 24 in the vertical direction. The fixed pin 24 penetrates an upper portion 23a of the holding portion 23, and a tip 24a is adapted to fit into a fixing hole 11c formed in the chassis body 11. As a result, when the tip 24a of the fixed pin 24 fits into the fixing hole 11c of the chassis body 11, the holding portion 23 is configured to fix the car body 20 to the chassis 10 and to be in a holding state in which sliding movement is prevented. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the actuator 25 is operated to raise the fixed pin 24a, and the tip 24a of the fixed pin 24 is pulled out of the fixing hole 11c of the chassis body 11, so that the car body 20 is in an unheld state in which it can slide relative to the chassis 10.

[0060] FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of the control system. The control system (automatic driving system) 30 includes an ECU 31, a camera 32, a vehicle speed sensor 33, a communication device 34, and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 35. The control system 30 is electrically connected to the drive mechanism 13 of the chassis 10, the actuator 25 of the vehicle body 20, etc.

[0061] The ECU 31 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a non-volatile memory such as a solid state drive (SSD), a communication interface (I / F), and the like.

[0062] The camera 32 captures an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 100 , generates corresponding image data, and outputs the generated image data to the ECU 31 .

[0063] The vehicle speed sensor 33 is attached to the drive mechanism 13, and is configured to detect the speed of the vehicle 100 and output the detected speed to the ECU 31 as a vehicle speed signal.

[0064] The communication device 34 is capable of performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles using wireless communication. The communication device 34 outputs to the ECU 31 other vehicle data corresponding to the speed, travel route, mass, etc. of other vehicles acquired through the vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and road condition data corresponding to the road conditions acquired through the road-to-vehicle communication.

[0065] The GNSS receiver 35 is a receiver such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and is configured to acquire position information data of the vehicle 100 using artificial satellites and output the acquired position information data to the ECU 31.

[0066] The ECU 31 functions as a hold control unit 36 ​​, a collision prediction unit 37 , an other vehicle path prediction unit 38 , an evacuation path calculation unit 39 , a vehicle operation unit 40 , and an impact reduction control unit 41 .

[0067] The holding control unit 36 ​​is adapted to switch the holding unit 23 between a holding state and a non-holding state by controlling the actuator 25 of the holding unit 23. When the chassis 10 receives impact energy, the ECU 31 is adapted to switch the holding unit 23 to the non-holding state before the chassis energy absorbing member 14 buckles, i.e., before the maximum load at the time of buckling of the chassis energy absorbing member 14 is reached.

[0068] The collision prediction unit 37 predicts a collision between the vehicle body 20 or chassis 10 and an external object such as another vehicle or a guardrail, using image data acquired from the camera 32, and other vehicle data and road condition data acquired from the communication device 34. As a result, when the collision prediction unit 37 predicts that the vehicle 100 will collide, the holding control unit 36 ​​puts the holding unit 23 in the non-holding state.

[0069] In addition, the collision prediction unit 37 predicts the magnitude of the mass of an external object such as another vehicle by using image data acquired from the camera 32, other vehicle data and road condition data acquired from the communication device 34, etc. As a result, the hold control unit 36 ​​puts the hold unit 23 in the non-hold state according to the mass of the external object and the magnitude of the impact energy predicted by the collision prediction unit 37. That is, the hold control unit 36 ​​puts the hold unit 23 in the non-hold state when it is determined that the impact energy received by the occupant of the vehicle 100 in the event of a collision is large due to the large mass of the external object predicted by the collision prediction unit 37.

[0070] The other vehicle path prediction unit 38 predicts the driving paths of other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 100 using image data acquired from the camera 32, other vehicle data acquired from the communication device 34, and the like.

[0071] The evacuation route calculation unit 39 is configured to calculate an evacuation route for the vehicle 100 to escape when an external object such as another vehicle approaches the vehicle 100, using image data obtained from the camera 32, other vehicle data and road condition data obtained from the communication device 34, etc.

[0072] The vehicle operation unit 40 controls the steering mechanism and the brake mechanism incorporated in the drive unit 13 of the vehicle 100 to operate the vehicle 100 and control the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, etc.

[0073] When the evacuation path calculation unit 39 determines that it cannot calculate an appropriate calculation path, that is, when it determines that a collision between the vehicle 100 and an external object is unavoidable due to the absence of an evacuation path, the impact reduction control unit 41 controls the vehicle operation unit 40 so as to reduce the impact on the occupants of the vehicle 100. At this time, the impact reduction control unit 41 causes the vehicle operation unit 40 to brake the brake mechanism of the drive unit 13 and control the steering mechanism of the drive unit 13 so that the front of the vehicle 100 faces the external object as much as possible. In other words, the impact reduction control unit 41 controls the vehicle operation unit 40 so that the direction in which the vehicle body 20 slides relative to the chassis 10 approaches the external object such as another vehicle. As a result, when the vehicle 100 collides with the external object, the chassis energy absorption member 14 and the vehicle body energy absorption member 15 collide with the external object at an angle as close as possible to the axial direction Z. That is, the impact reduction control unit 41 controls the vehicle operation unit 40 to control the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 so as to reduce the length of a perpendicular line dropped from the position of the external object in the axial direction Z of the chassis energy absorbing member 14 and the body energy absorbing member 15. As a result, the chassis energy absorbing member 14 and the body energy absorbing member 15 can absorb impact energy more efficiently and reduce the impact energy applied to both the occupants of the vehicle 100 and the occupants of other vehicles.

[0074] FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of the operation when a vehicle crashes. Hereinafter, the operation process of the ECU 31 when the vehicle 100 collides will be described with reference to FIG.

[0075] When the control system 30 is started and the processing of the ECU 31 starts, the ECU 31 acquires image data from the camera 32 (step S1), acquires other vehicle data from the communication device 34 (step S2), and acquires road condition data from the communication device 34 (step S3). At this time, the storage unit 23 is in a storage state.

[0076] When the road condition data is acquired, the ECU 31 predicts a moving path of the external object based on the acquired image data, other vehicle data, and road condition data (step S4).

[0077] When the movement path of the external object is predicted, the ECU 31 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 will collide with the external object (step S5).

[0078] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 will not collide with an external object (step S5: No), the ECU 31 repeats the series of processes from step S1.

[0079] On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle 100 will collide with an external object (step S5: Yes), the ECU 31 puts the holding portion 23 into the non-holding state (step S6).

[0080] When the retaining portion 23 is put into the non-retaining state, the ECU 31 electrically activates the seat belt pretensioner to tighten the seat belt (step S7). As a result, the seat belt is wound up and the occupant is appropriately restrained in the seat.

[0081] When the seat belt is fastened, the ECU 31 acquires new image data from the camera 32 (step S8), and acquires new other vehicle data from the communication device 34 (step S9).

[0082] When the other vehicle data is acquired, the ECU 31 predicts the movement path of the external object again based on the acquired image data and the other vehicle data (step S10).

[0083] When the movement path of the external object is predicted, the ECU 31 turns the vehicle 100 toward the external object (step S11). At this time, the ECU 31 controls the steering mechanism and the brake mechanism incorporated in the drive unit 13 of the vehicle 100 to steer the vehicle 100 by automatic driving, decelerates the vehicle 100, and controls the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 so that the axial direction Z of the chassis energy absorbing member 14 and the body energy absorbing member 15 approaches the external object.

[0084] When the vehicle 100 is oriented toward the external object, the ECU 31 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 has collided with the external object (step S12).

[0085] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not collided with an external object (step S12: No), the ECU 31 repeats the series of processes from step S8.

[0086] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 100 has collided with an external object (step S12: Yes), the ECU 31 ends the series of processes.

[0087] By the above-mentioned processing, the ECU 31 can detect in real time whether or not the vehicle 100 will collide with an external object through the processing of steps S1 to S5.

[0088] Furthermore, the ECU 31 performs the processes in steps S6 and S7 to prepare for a collision, thereby reducing the impact on the occupants in the event of a collision.

[0089] Furthermore, the ECU 31, through the processing of steps S8 to S12, orients the vehicle 100 in an appropriate direction in real time so that the chassis energy absorbing members 14 and the body energy absorbing members 15 are compressively deformed as much as possible in the axial direction Z. This improves the impact energy absorption efficiency of the chassis energy absorbing members 14 and the body energy absorbing members 15, thereby reducing the impact energy applied to the occupants.

[0090] Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle that has collided, as viewed from the side, Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle that has collided, as viewed from above, and Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle that has collided in an offset manner, as viewed from above. For ease of understanding, in Fig. 8, the cabin and seats 22 of the vehicle body 20 at the time of the collision are shown by solid lines, and the exterior of the vehicle body 20 and the like in the state before the collision are shown by dashed lines.

[0091] When the vehicle 100 collides with an external object such as another vehicle or a guardrail, the chassis energy absorbing member 14 and the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 are compressively deformed in the axial direction Z to absorb the impact energy generated during the collision, as shown in Fig. 8. More specifically, during a collision, the holding portion 23 is put into an unheld state, and the vehicle body 20 slides forward relative to the chassis 10 as shown by the arrow F in the figure. At this time, the chassis energy absorbing member 14 is compressively deformed between the chassis 10 and the external object such as another vehicle or a guardrail to absorb the impact energy, and the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 is compressively deformed between the chassis 10 and the sliding vehicle body 20 to absorb the impact energy.

[0092] In addition, the rail 11b of the chassis 10 guides the vehicle body 20 along the axial direction Z of the chassis energy absorbing member 14 and the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 when the vehicle body 20 slides relative to the chassis 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle body 20 is guided by the rail 11b of the chassis 10, and the vehicle body 10 slides relative to the chassis 10 by approximately the same distance on the left and right, so that the vehicle body energy absorbing members 15 provided on the left and right are compressed and deformed by approximately the same amount during a collision. As a result, even if the vehicle 100 has a so-called offset collision in which a part of the full width of the front of the vehicle 100 collides with an external object, or a so-called angle crash in which the vehicle 100 and the external object collide with each other at an angle, as shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle 100 can compress and deform both the left and right vehicle body energy absorbing members 15 more evenly. Therefore, the impact energy can be absorbed more efficiently by both the left and right vehicle body energy absorbing members 15.

[0093] Fig. 11 shows a graph of the relationship between the load and the displacement of the energy absorbing member. This graph shows the behavior of the chassis energy absorbing member 14 and the carbody energy absorbing member 15 when a compressive load is applied in the axial direction Z. More specifically, curve L1 shows the relationship between the load P and the displacement d of the chassis energy absorbing member 14, and curve L2 shows the relationship between the load P and the displacement d of the carbody energy absorbing member 15.

[0094] As shown in Fig. 11, the chassis energy absorbing member 14 elastically deforms when a load starts to be applied, and buckling deformation begins when plastic deformation starts. At this time, when the maximum load P1 at buckling, which is the maximum load point, is reached, a sudden deformation occurs and a sudden drop in the load occurs, and thereafter, plastic deformation progresses repeatedly while maintaining a certain level of load. Note that the chassis energy absorbing member 14 is capable of absorbing impact energy due to the entire mass of the vehicle 100, which is the sum of the mass of the chassis 10 and the mass of the car body 20, like the energy absorbing member of a vehicle according to the conventional technology in which the body is integrally provided on the chassis, so that the maximum load at buckling is about the same as that of the energy absorbing member of a vehicle according to the conventional technology.

[0095] The basic behavior of the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 when a load is applied is almost the same as that of the chassis energy absorbing member 15. However, while the chassis energy absorbing member 14 absorbs the impact energy due to both the mass of the chassis 10 and the mass of the vehicle body 20 during a collision, the vehicle body energy absorbing member 14 absorbs only the impact energy due to the mass of the vehicle body 20 during a collision. In other words, if the chassis 10 and the vehicle body 20 have the same mass, the amount of impact energy that the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 needs to absorb is about half the amount of impact energy that the chassis energy absorbing member 14 needs to absorb. As a result, the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 can be made to have a lower rigidity and be more likely to buckle than the chassis energy absorbing member 14, so that the maximum load P2 at the time of buckling of the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 is significantly lower than the maximum load P1 at the time of buckling of the chassis energy absorbing member 14.

[0096] In order to buckle and deform the carbody energy absorbing member 15, it is necessary to apply at least the maximum load P2 at the time of buckling. Therefore, the distance that the carbody 20 can slide relative to the chassis 10 is set to be larger than the displacement d2 from the initial state in which the carbody energy absorbing member 15 is not compressed and the displacement is 0 (zero) to the maximum load P2 at the time of buckling.

[0097] A vehicle 100 according to this embodiment includes a chassis 10 equipped with a battery 12 for driving wheels 17, a vehicle body 20 having a cabin for passengers to ride in and capable of sliding relative to the chassis 10, and a vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 for absorbing impact energy between the chassis 10 and the sliding vehicle body 20. This allows the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15, which has a low maximum load P2 at the time of buckling, to be used as an impact energy absorbing member for the vehicle body 20, and the load applied to the passengers in the cabin can be kept low. This reduces the impact applied to the passengers.

[0098] Furthermore, since the holding portion 23 holds the vehicle body 20 when the vehicle 100 does not collide, unintended sliding movement of the vehicle body 20 can be prevented.

[0099] Second embodiment Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle according to the second embodiment as viewed from above, and Fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a crashed vehicle as viewed from above. For ease of understanding, Figs. 12 and 13 show the battery 112, battery energy absorbing member 115, and holder 123 stored in a cavity with a rectangular cross section of chassis main body 111 in an exposed state.

[0100] In the following description, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same members as those in the first embodiment.

[0101] The vehicle 200 according to the second embodiment is different from the vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment in that the chassis 110 and the vehicle body (not shown) are integrally provided, and a battery 112 is slidably moved instead of the vehicle body 20 according to the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12. Thus, in the vehicle 200 according to the second embodiment, a holding portion 123 for holding the battery 112 is provided on the chassis 110, and a battery energy absorbing member 115 is provided instead of the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 according to the first embodiment.

[0102] The battery 112 is guided by rails 111b provided on the chassis 110 and is capable of sliding in the front-rear direction within the chassis 110. The battery 112 is formed with a fixing hole 111c (see FIG. 13) into which the fixing pin 24 of the holding portion 123 fits.

[0103] The holding portion 123 is provided at the center of the chassis 110 behind the battery 112, and is configured to hold the battery 112 on the chassis 110. This holding portion 123 has substantially the same configuration as the holding portion 23 according to the first embodiment, and includes a fixing pin 24 that is movable in the vertical direction and an actuator 25 that moves the fixing pin 24 in the vertical direction.

[0104] The holding portion 123 may be provided at any position on the chassis 110 as long as the fixing pin 24 can be fitted into the fixing hole 111c formed in the battery 112 to hold the battery 112 so as not to slide. The holding portion 123 is configured to fix the battery 112 to the chassis 110 and to be in a held state where the battery 112 cannot slide by fitting the tip 24a of the fixing pin 24 into the fixing hole 111c of the battery 112. On the other hand, the actuator 25 is operated to pull the tip 24a of the fixing pin 24 out of the fixing hole 111c of the battery 112, so that the battery 112 is in an unheld state where the battery 112 can slide relative to the chassis 110.

[0105] The battery energy absorbing member 115 is supported at its front end by the chassis 110, while its rear end is fixed to the battery 112, and is provided so as to be sandwiched between the chassis 110 and the battery 112. The battery energy absorbing member 115 is a crash box, and is, for example, a thin-walled square tube made of an aluminum alloy, and extends so that the axial direction Z of the square tube coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle 200. The battery energy absorbing member 115 is configured to be compressed and deformed in the axial direction Z by buckling deformation when the front part of the vehicle 200 collides with an external object. As a result, the battery energy absorbing member 115 is configured to absorb the impact energy that the battery 112 receives from the front through the chassis 110 due to a collision between the chassis 110 and the sliding battery 112. The battery energy absorbing member 115 is capable of sufficiently absorbing the impact energy due to the mass of the battery 112. That is, the battery energy absorbing member 115 does not absorb the impact energy due to the mass of the entire vehicle 200 including the chassis 110 and the battery 112, but only needs to absorb the impact energy due to the mass of the battery 112. Therefore, the battery energy absorbing member 115 must absorb less impact energy than the chassis energy absorbing member 14, and is therefore more prone to buckling and has lower rigidity than the chassis energy absorbing member 14. That is, the maximum load at the time of buckling of the battery energy absorbing member 115 is smaller than the maximum load at the time of buckling of the chassis energy absorbing member 14. As a result, the battery energy absorbing member 115 can absorb less impact energy than the chassis energy absorbing member 14. Therefore, the battery energy absorbing member 115 is lighter than the chassis energy absorbing member 14.

[0106] When the vehicle 200 collides with an external object such as another vehicle or a guardrail, the chassis energy absorbing member 14 and the battery energy absorbing member 115 are compressed and deformed in the axial direction Z to absorb the impact energy generated during the collision, as shown in Fig. 13. More specifically, during a collision, the holding portion 123 is put into an unheld state, allowing the battery 112 to slide relative to the chassis 110. At this time, the chassis energy absorbing member 14 absorbs the impact energy between the external object such as another vehicle or a guardrail and the chassis 110, and the battery energy absorbing member 115 absorbs the impact energy between the chassis 110 and the battery 112 that has slid.

[0107] In addition, the rail 111b of the chassis 110 guides the battery 112 along the axial direction Z of the chassis energy absorbing member 14 and the battery energy absorbing member 115 when the battery 112 slides relative to the chassis 110. That is, the battery 112 is guided by the rail 111b of the chassis 110, and the battery 112 slides relative to the chassis 110 by approximately the same distance on the left and right sides, so that the battery energy absorbing members 115 provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle 200 are compressed and deformed by approximately the same amount during a collision. As a result, even in the case of a so-called offset collision in which a part of the full width of the front of the vehicle 200 collides with an external object, or in the case of a so-called angle crash in which the vehicle 200 and the external object collide with each other at an angle, both the left and right battery energy absorbing members 115 are compressed and deformed more evenly. Therefore, the impact energy can be absorbed more efficiently by both the left and right battery energy absorbing members 115.

[0108] The vehicle 200 according to this embodiment includes a battery 112 for driving the wheels 17, a chassis 110 to which the battery 112 is slidably attached, and a battery energy absorbing member 115 for absorbing impact energy between the chassis 110 and the battery 112 that has slidably moved. As a result, the battery energy absorbing member 115 can absorb impact energy generated based on the kinetic energy of the battery 112, and the chassis energy absorbing member 14 can reduce the amount of impact energy that needs to be absorbed by the amount of impact energy absorbed by the battery energy absorbing member 115. In addition, an energy absorbing member with a lower maximum load at the time of buckling can be used as the chassis energy absorbing member 115, and the load applied to the occupants in the cabin can be kept low. As a result, the impact applied to the occupants can be reduced.

[0109] Furthermore, the vehicle 200 is provided with the battery energy absorbing member 115 for absorbing impact energy generated based on the kinetic energy of the battery 112, thereby making it possible to individually protect the battery 112. Therefore, the vehicle 200 can prevent damage to the battery 112 in the event of a collision.

[0110] Although the present invention has been described above with respect to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the side portion of the chassis body 11 is the rail 11b, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As long as it is possible to guide the sliding movement of the vehicle body relative to the chassis in the front-rear direction, the rail may be a concave portion, a convex portion, or the like.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the rails 11b, 111b are provided on the chassis 10, 110 side, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the rails can guide the sliding movement of the vehicle body or the battery relative to the chassis, the rails may be provided on the vehicle body side or the battery side.

[0112] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the holding parts 23, 123 are switched between a holding state and a non-holding state by the operation of the actuator 25, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the vehicle body or the battery can slide when the vehicle collides with an external object, for example, the holding parts may break, and the connection between the vehicle body or the battery and the chassis may be released.

[0113] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the holding portion 23, 123 is provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the vehicle body or the battery can slide when the vehicle collides with an external object, the holding portion may not be provided.

[0114] In the first embodiment, the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 is sandwiched between the chassis 10 and the vehicle body 20 before the vehicle 100 collides, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the vehicle body energy absorbing member can appropriately absorb impact energy, a gap may be formed between the chassis and the vehicle body energy absorbing member, or between the vehicle body and the vehicle body energy absorbing member.

[0115] Furthermore, in the above-described second embodiment, the battery energy absorbing member 115 is sandwiched between the chassis 110 and the battery 112 before the vehicle 200 collides, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the battery energy absorbing member can appropriately absorb impact energy, a gap may be formed between the chassis and the battery energy absorbing member, or between the battery and the battery energy absorbing member.

[0116] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the vehicles 100 and 200 are described as electric vehicles, but the present invention is not limited to this. Any other vehicle that needs to absorb impact energy during a collision, such as a gasoline-powered automobile or a railroad car, may be used.

[0117] In the above embodiment, the vehicle body energy absorbing member 15 and the battery energy absorbing member 115 are configured to absorb impact energy when an external object collides with the vehicle 100, 200 from the front, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as they can absorb impact energy during a collision, the vehicle body energy absorbing member and the battery energy absorbing member may be configured to absorb impact energy when an external object collides with the vehicle from the left or right direction or from the rear. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 10 Chassis 11 Chassis body 11a Top side 11b Rail (guide part) 11c fixing hole 12 Battery 13 Drive unit 14 Energy absorbing member for chassis 14a Bumper beam 15 Energy absorbing components for vehicle bodies 16 Rear energy absorbing member 17 wheels 19 Support part 20 Body 21 Floor Panel 22 sheets 23 Holding part 23a upper part 24 Fixing pin 24a Tip 25 Actuator 31 ECU (control unit) 32 Camera 33 Vehicle speed sensor 34 Communication Equipment 35 GNSS receiver 36 Holding control section 37 Collision Prediction Section 38 Other vehicle route prediction unit 39 Evacuation route calculation section 40 Vehicle Control Department 41 Impact reduction control section 100 vehicles 110 Chassis 111b Rail 111c fixing hole 112 Battery 115 Energy absorbing member for battery 123 Holding part 200 vehicles

Claims

1. In the vehicle, A chassis equipped with a battery for driving the drive wheels; a vehicle body having a cabin for passengers to ride in and slidably movable relative to the chassis; a vehicle body energy absorbing member for absorbing impact energy between the chassis and the vehicle body that slides.

2. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, A vehicle, wherein the vehicle body energy absorbing member is capable of absorbing a smaller amount of impact energy than the chassis energy absorbing member.

3. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, A vehicle, wherein the vehicle body energy absorbing member is lighter than the chassis energy absorbing member.

4. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, A vehicle, wherein a maximum load at the time of buckling of the vehicle body energy absorbing member is smaller than a maximum load at the time of buckling of the vehicle chassis energy absorbing member.

5. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, A vehicle, wherein a distance over which the vehicle body can slide relative to the chassis is greater than an amount of displacement from an initial state of the vehicle body energy absorbing member to a maximum load at the time of buckling.

6. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, A vehicle comprising a guide portion that guides the vehicle body when the vehicle body slides relative to the chassis.

7. 7. The vehicle according to claim 6, The vehicle, wherein the guide portion guides the vehicle body so that the vehicle body slides only in a forward and backward direction.

8. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, A vehicle, wherein the vehicle body energy absorbing member is sandwiched between the chassis and the vehicle body.

9. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, The vehicle body has a floor panel.

10. 10. The vehicle according to claim 9, A vehicle, wherein the vehicle body energy absorbing member is located above the floor panel.

11. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, A vehicle further comprising a holding section that holds the vehicle body on the chassis, the holding section preventing the vehicle body from sliding relative to the chassis in a held state and allowing the vehicle body to slide relative to the chassis in an unheld state.

12. 12. The vehicle according to claim 11, The vehicle further comprises a hold control unit that switches the hold state and the non-hold state of the hold unit.

13. 13. The vehicle according to claim 12, The vehicle, wherein the holding control section brings the holding section into the non-holding state in response to impact energy received by the vehicle body or the chassis.

14. 13. The vehicle according to claim 12, A collision prediction unit predicts a collision between the vehicle body or the vehicle chassis and an external object, The vehicle, wherein the hold control unit sets the hold unit to the non-hold state when the collision prediction unit predicts a collision.

15. 15. The vehicle of claim 14, The collision prediction unit predicts a mass of the external object, The vehicle, wherein the hold control unit sets the hold unit to the non-hold state in accordance with a magnitude of a mass of the external object predicted by the collision prediction unit.

16. 12. The vehicle according to claim 11, The vehicle, wherein the retaining portion is in the non-retaining state before the energy absorption member for the chassis reaches a maximum load at the time of buckling when the chassis receives impact energy.

17. 12. The vehicle according to claim 11, The vehicle, wherein the holding portion is broken to enter the non-holding state.

18. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, A vehicle operation unit that operates the vehicle; a shock mitigation control unit that controls the vehicle operation unit so that the direction in which the vehicle body slides relative to the chassis approaches the external object when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and an external object is unavoidable.

19. 20. The vehicle of claim 18, An other vehicle path prediction unit that predicts a travel path of the external object; an evacuation route calculation unit that calculates an evacuation route for the vehicle to evacuate from the external object when the external object approaches the vehicle, The vehicle, wherein the impact reduction control unit determines that a collision between the vehicle and the external object is unavoidable when the evacuation path calculation unit is unable to calculate the evacuation path.

20. In the vehicle, A battery for driving the drive wheels; a chassis on which the battery is slidably mounted; a battery energy absorbing member that absorbs impact energy between the chassis and the battery that slides.

21. 21. The vehicle of claim 20, The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, A vehicle, wherein the battery energy absorbing member is capable of absorbing a smaller amount of impact energy than the chassis energy absorbing member.

22. 21. The vehicle of claim 20, The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, A vehicle, wherein the battery energy absorbing member is lighter than the chassis energy absorbing member.

23. 21. The vehicle of claim 20, The vehicle further includes an energy absorbing member for the chassis that absorbs impact energy between the external object and the chassis when the vehicle collides with the external object, A vehicle, wherein a maximum load at the time of buckling of the battery energy absorbing member is smaller than a maximum load at the time of buckling of the chassis energy absorbing member.

24. 21. The vehicle of claim 20, A vehicle, wherein a distance that the battery can slide relative to the chassis is greater than a displacement amount from an initial state of the battery energy absorbing member to a maximum load at the time of buckling.

25. 21. The vehicle of claim 20, A vehicle comprising a guide portion that guides the battery when the battery slides relative to the chassis.

26. 26. The vehicle of claim 25, The vehicle, wherein the guide portion guides the battery so that the battery slides only in a forward and backward direction.

27. 21. The vehicle of claim 20, A vehicle, wherein the battery energy absorbing member is sandwiched between the chassis and the battery.

28. 21. The vehicle of claim 20, A vehicle further comprising a holding portion that holds the battery on the chassis, the holding portion preventing the battery from sliding relative to the chassis in a held state and allowing the battery to slide relative to the chassis in an unheld state.

29. 29. The vehicle of claim 28, The vehicle further comprises a hold control unit that switches the hold state and the non-hold state of the hold unit.

30. 30. The vehicle of claim 29, The vehicle, wherein the holding control section brings the holding section into the non-holding state in response to impact energy received by the battery or the chassis.

31. 30. The vehicle of claim 29, A collision prediction unit is further provided to predict a collision between the chassis and an external object, The vehicle, wherein the hold control unit sets the hold unit to the non-hold state when the collision prediction unit predicts a collision.

32. 32. The vehicle of claim 31, The collision prediction unit predicts a mass of the external object, The vehicle, wherein the hold control unit sets the hold unit to the non-hold state in accordance with a magnitude of a mass of the external object predicted by the collision prediction unit.

33. 29. The vehicle of claim 28, The vehicle, wherein the retaining portion is in the non-retaining state before the energy absorption member for the chassis reaches a maximum load at the time of buckling when the chassis receives impact energy.

34. 29. The vehicle of claim 28, The vehicle, wherein the holding portion is broken to enter the non-holding state.

35. 21. The vehicle of claim 20, A vehicle operation unit that operates the vehicle; a shock mitigation control unit that controls the vehicle operation unit so that the direction in which the battery slides relative to the chassis approaches the external object when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and an external object is unavoidable.

36. 36. The vehicle of claim 35, An other vehicle path prediction unit that predicts a travel path of the external object; an evacuation route calculation unit that calculates an evacuation route for the vehicle to evacuate from the external object when the external object approaches the vehicle, The vehicle, wherein the impact reduction control unit determines that a collision between the vehicle and the external object is unavoidable when the evacuation path calculation unit is unable to calculate the evacuation path.

37. The automatic driving system for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 20, A vehicle operation unit that operates the vehicle; An autonomous driving system further comprising an impact mitigation control unit that controls the vehicle steering unit so that the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle approaches the external object when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and an external object is unavoidable.

38. 38. The automated driving system according to claim 37, An other vehicle path prediction unit that predicts a travel path of the external object; an evacuation route calculation unit that calculates an evacuation route for the vehicle to evacuate from the external object when the external object approaches the vehicle, The impact reduction control unit determines that a collision between the vehicle and the external object is unavoidable when the evacuation path calculation unit is unable to calculate the evacuation path.

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