Vehicle raising structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle raising structure having high convenience.SOLUTION: A vehicle raising structure 1 is provided between a vehicle body panel 110 and a back surface 122 of a carpet 120 facing a vehicle cabin SP1. The vehicle raising structure 1 includes a plurality of rasing members 10 containing resin and configured to raise the carpet 120 with reference to the vehicle body panel 110. The plurality of raising members 10 include a first raising member 11 having first engagement portions 31 and a second raising member 12 having second engagement portions 32. The second engagement portions 32 releasably engage with the first engagement portions 31, and thus the second rasing member 12 can be detachably attached to the first raising member 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle height-raising structure that is provided between a vehicle body panel and a carpet. [Background technology]

[0002] In automobiles, a floor pad is provided between the floor panel and the carpet to adjust the height of the floor carpet relative to the floor panel. Fiber-molded products such as felt or foamed resin-molded products such as urethane foam are used for the pad. The pad is sometimes glued to the back of the carpet, and sometimes not.

[0003] The shape of the raised space between the floor panel and the carpet varies depending on the vehicle model. The raised space is formed to fit the shape of the raised space and is placed between the floor panel and the carpet. The padding material shown in Patent Document 1 is made of nonwoven fabric, shaped into a floor panel shape, and adhered to the backing material of the carpet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-223478 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To form the above-mentioned bulkhead, it is necessary to create a molding die for the bulkhead for each vehicle model. Reducing the frequency of mold creation leads to a reduction in the cost of mold creation and also to a reduction in the number of steps required to design the bulkhead structure between the carpet and a body panel such as a floor panel.

[0006] The present invention discloses a highly convenient vehicle height-raising structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle height-raising structure of the present invention is a vehicle height-raising structure provided between a vehicle body panel and a back surface of a carpet facing a vehicle interior, a plurality of raising members containing a resin and raising the carpet relative to the vehicle body panel; the plurality of raising members include a first raising member having a first engaging portion and a second raising member having a second engaging portion; The second engagement portion may be releasably engaged with the first engagement portion, thereby allowing the second raising member to be detachably attached to the first raising member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a highly convenient vehicle height-raising structure can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the interior of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle floor-raising structure; [Figure 2] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a vehicle height-raising structure between a body panel and a carpet. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a raising member in an orientation in which the top surface is visible. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a raising member in an orientation in which the bottom surface is visible. [Figure 5] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a schematic example of an upper surface of a first raising member and a lower surface of a second raising member; [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are side views schematically illustrating examples of the raising members when the raising members are stacked on top of each other. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a vehicle height-raising structure having a structure in which height-raising members are stacked on top of each other; [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing an example in which the raising members are stacked with a shift between them. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of the raising members when the raising members are arranged side by side. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a vehicle height-raising structure having a structure in which height-raising members are arranged side by side; [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are perspective views schematically showing an example of a vehicle height-raising structure in which a plurality of height-raising members are combined. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of another raising member in an orientation in which the top surface is visible. [Figure 13] 13 is a bottom view schematically illustrating the lower surface of the raising member shown in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14] 14A and 14B are perspective views schematically showing examples of a bulking member. [Figure 15] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a vehicle height-raising structure in which a plurality of height-raising members are combined; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The following describes embodiments of the present invention. Of course, the following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and not all of the features shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0011] (1) Summary of the aspects included in the present invention: First, an overview of the embodiments included in the present invention will be described with reference to the examples shown in Figures 1 to 15. Note that the figures in this application are diagrams showing examples in a schematic manner, and the magnifications in the directions shown in these figures may differ, and the figures may not be consistent with each other. Of course, each element of this embodiment is not limited to the specific example indicated by the symbol. In addition, in the present application, a numerical range "Min to Max" means a value equal to or greater than the minimum value Min and equal to or less than the maximum value Max.

[0012] [Aspect 1] As illustrated in FIG. 2 and other figures, a vehicle height-raising structure 1 according to one embodiment is provided between a vehicle body panel 110 and a back surface 122 of a carpet 120 facing the vehicle interior SP1. The vehicle height-raising structure 1 includes a plurality of resin-containing height-raising members 10. Each of the height-raising members 10 raises the carpet 120 relative to the vehicle body panel 110. As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9 and other figures, the plurality of height-raising members 10 include a first height-raising member 11 having a first engagement portion 31 and a second height-raising member 12 having a second engagement portion 32. The second engagement portion 32 releasably engages with the first engagement portion 31, thereby removably attaching the second height-raising member 12 to the first height-raising member 11.

[0013] As described above, the shape of the raised space SP2 between the carpet 120 and the body panel 110 varies depending on the vehicle model. The raised space SP2 is divided into multiple compartments, and a raised member 10 having an engaging portion 30 is assigned to each compartment. By engaging the engaging portions 30, the raised members 10 are attached to each other, and the carpet 120 is supported by the raised members 10. This makes it easy to apply a common raised member 10 to multiple vehicle models, providing a highly convenient vehicle raised structure. Furthermore, by detaching the carpet 120 from the body panel 110 and disengaging the engaging portions 30, the raised members 10 can be separated into individual pieces. This facilitates recycling of the raised members, such as by allowing the raised members 10 to be reused in other vehicles.

[0014] Here, the raising member may be in contact with the vehicle body panel, or a layer such as a buffer material may be present between the raising member and the vehicle body panel. The raising member may be in contact with the back surface of the carpet, or a layer such as a buffer material may be present between the raising member and the back surface of the carpet. Examples of the bulking member include a resin injection molded product, a fiber molded product containing fiber and resin, and the like. The shapes of the multiple bulk-raising members may all be the same shape, or may all be different shapes, or may include two or more types of shapes. Thus, the second bulk-raising member may have the same shape as the first bulk-raising member, or may have a different shape from the first bulk-raising member. The present vehicle height-raising structure is not limited to being not adhered to the back surface of the carpet, and may be adhered to the back surface of the carpet. In this application, the terms "first," "second," etc. are terms for distinguishing between elements among a plurality of elements having similarities, and do not indicate an order. Which elements among a plurality of elements fall under the "first," "second," etc. categories is determined relatively. The above remarks also apply to the following aspects.

[0015] [Aspect 2] As illustrated in FIG. 6 and other figures, each of the raising members 10 may have a first surface (e.g., an upper surface 21) facing one of the carpet 120 and the vehicle body panel 110, and a second surface (e.g., a lower surface 22) opposite the first surface (21). The first raising member 11 may have a first surface engaging portion 41 arranged on the first surface (21) as the first engaging portion 31. The second raising member 12 may have a second surface engaging portion 42 arranged on the second surface (22) as the second engaging portion 32. The second surface engaging portion 42 may be releasably engaged with the first surface engaging portion 41, thereby allowing the second raising member 12 to be removably attached to the first raising member 11. When the second surface engaging portion 42 engages with the first surface engaging portion 41, the multiple height-raising members 10 overlap so that the carpet 120 is elevated relative to the vehicle body panel 110. This allows the height of the carpet 120 to be adjusted to match the shape of the raised space SP2, such as the unevenness of the vehicle body panel 110. Therefore, the above embodiment can provide a more convenient vehicle height-raising structure. As a result, different functions, such as load-bearing capacity and comfort, can be imparted depending on the location within the carpet 120. Furthermore, by arranging only the required number of height-raising members 10 depending on the location within the carpet 120, the weight of the entire raised structure can be reduced.

[0016] Here, the second surface may face the vehicle body panel or the carpet. When the second surface faces the vehicle body panel, the first surface faces the carpet. When the second surface faces the carpet, the first surface faces the vehicle body panel. The above remarks also apply to the following aspects.

[0017] [Aspect 3] As illustrated in Figure 6 and other figures, the first surface engaging portion 41 may protrude beyond a periphery 21c of the first surface engaging portion 41 on the first surface (21). As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 and other figures, the second surface engaging portion 42 may include a peripheral wall 45 that surrounds the protruding first surface engaging portion 41, and an elastically deformable holding piece 46 that protrudes inward from the peripheral wall 45 and holds the first surface engaging portion 41. In the above case, even if dimensional errors or deformation occur in the raising member 10, the retaining piece 46 can easily absorb the positional deviation when the second engaging portion engages with the first engaging portion by elastically deforming.

[0018] [Aspect 4] As illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 6, etc., each of the bulking members 10 may have a side surface 23 connecting the first surface (21) to the second surface (22). The first bulking member 11 may have a first side surface engaging portion 51 arranged on the side surface 23 as the first engaging portion 31. The second bulking member 12 may have a second side surface engaging portion 52 arranged on the side surface 23 as the second engaging portion 32. As illustrated in Figures 9, 10, etc., the second side surface engaging portion 52 may be releasably engaged with the first side surface engaging portion 51, thereby allowing the second bulking member 12 to be removably attached to the first bulking member 11. When the second side engaging portion 52 engages with the first side engaging portion 51, the plurality of height-raising members 10 are arranged so as to increase the area supporting the carpet 120. This allows the number of height-raising members 10 to be adjusted according to the size of the raised space SP2, making it easy to apply a common height-raising member 10 to a plurality of vehicle models. Therefore, the above embodiment can provide a more convenient vehicle height-raising structure.

[0019] [Aspect 5] As exemplified in Figure 3 etc., the first bulk-raising member 11 may have the first engagement portions 31 at a plurality of locations. As exemplified in Figure 4 etc., the second bulk-raising member 12 may have the second engagement portions 32 at a plurality of locations. As exemplified in Figures 8 and 9 , the portion of the second bulk-raising member 12 attached to the first bulk-raising member 11 may be configured to change depending on the location at which the second engagement portion 32 engages with the first engagement portion 31. In the above case, it becomes easy to accommodate different shapes of raised spaces depending on the vehicle model.

[0020] [Aspect 6] As illustrated in FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 15, the number of different shapes of the height-raising members 10 included in the vehicle height-raising structure 1 may be less than the number of the height-raising members 10 included in the vehicle height-raising structure 1. In the above cases, since only a small number of different shapes of the raised height member 10 need be prepared, the cost of manufacturing the mold for the raised height member 10 can be reduced, and it becomes easier to apply a common raised height member 10 to multiple vehicle models, making it easier to reuse the raised height member 10 for other vehicles. Therefore, the above embodiment can provide a more convenient raised height structure for a vehicle.

[0021] [Aspect 7] As illustrated in Figure 3, at least one of the multiple bulkhead members 10 may have multiple openings OP1 surrounded by vertical walls 15 connecting the first surface (21) to the second surface (22). In the above case, the raising member 10 has a plurality of openings OP1, and each opening OP1 is surrounded by the vertical wall 15, so that the raised structure can be made lighter while suppressing a decrease in load-bearing capacity. In addition, since the raising member 10 has the above-mentioned plurality of openings OP1, the comfort of the carpet underfoot can be improved.

[0022] [Aspect 8] The length H1 (see FIG. 6, etc.) of the vertical wall 15 in the thickness direction D4 of the raising member 10 may be 5 to 30 mm. The thickness W1 (see FIG. 5) of the vertical wall 15 may be 0.5 to 3.0 mm. When the length H1 of the vertical wall 15 in the thickness direction D4 is 5 mm or more, a desirable load-bearing capacity is obtained, and when the length H1 of the vertical wall 15 in the thickness direction D4 is 30 mm or less, the height of the carpet 120 can be easily adjusted by changing the number of piled-up members 10. When the thickness W1 of the vertical wall 15 is 0.5 to 3.0 mm, a lightweight pile-up member 10 with desirable strength can be obtained. Therefore, the above embodiment can provide a vehicle pile-up structure that is highly convenient, lightweight, and has desirable strength.

[0023] [Aspect 9] As illustrated in Figure 2, the vehicle height-raising structure 1 may further include a fastener 90 attached to at least one of the first engagement portion 31 and the second engagement portion 32, which fastens the height-raising member 10 to a component of the vehicle (100). In the above case, the relative positions of the raising member and the vehicle component can be determined. Here, the fastener may fasten the raised member to a vehicle part such as a body panel in order to secure the raised member, or may fasten a vehicle part such as a wire harness to the raised member in order to secure the vehicle part.

[0024] (2) Examples of vehicle height-raising structures: FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of the interior of an automobile 100 as a vehicle equipped with a vehicle height-raising structure 1. FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the height-raising structure 1 between a vehicle body panel 110 and a carpet 120 in a vertical cross section along the vehicle width direction D3. In FIGS. 1 and 2, FRONT, REAR, UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT indicate the front, rear, top, bottom, left, and right, respectively. The left-right positional relationship is based on the direction looking forward while sitting in the driver's seat 131 of the automobile 100. Furthermore, symbol D1 indicates the front-to-rear direction of the automobile 100, symbol D2 indicates the up-down direction of the automobile 100, and symbol D4 indicates the thickness direction of the height-raising member 10. The automobile 100 shown in Fig. 1 is a road vehicle designed and equipped for use on roads, and has a body panel 110 made of metal, such as steel plate, surrounding a passenger compartment SP1 to form the vehicle body. The passenger compartment SP1 refers to the interior of the vehicle and may include a luggage compartment in addition to the space surrounding the seats 130. The body panel 110 includes a floor panel located below the seats 130, a toe board rising diagonally forward from the front edge of the floor panel, a dash panel rising diagonally from the front edge of the toe board at a nearly vertical angle, and the like.

[0025] A floor carpet 120 is installed under the vehicle interior SP1. The carpet 120 may be formed into a three-dimensional shape with projections and depressions. The three-dimensional shape is a shape in which the height difference exceeds the thickness of the carpet 120. The thickness direction of the carpet 120 is perpendicular to the surface (design surface 121) of the carpet 120. For example, the three-dimensional carpet 120 is formed by press-molding a thermoplastic sheet material that will become the carpet 120 into a three-dimensional shape. The floor carpet 120 is mainly located in an area corresponding to the floor panel, and may also be located in an area from the floor panel to the toe board, etc. Hereinafter, the floor panel or the like located in the area corresponding to the floor carpet 120 will be referred to as the vehicle body panel 110. The support surface 111 of the vehicle body panel 110 is the surface facing the carpet 120. The vehicle body panel 110 is spaced apart from the vehicle interior SP1.

[0026] The carpet 120 shown in FIG. 2 includes a carpet layer 123 appearing on a design surface 121 facing the vehicle interior SP1, and a backing layer 124 appearing on a back surface 122 opposite the design surface 121. The carpet layer 123 imparts properties such as design, a good feel, and wear resistance to the carpet 120. The carpet layer 123 may be a tufted carpet having many pile fibers raised on the surface (design surface 121), or a needle-punched carpet having many fluffs on the surface (design surface 121). The backing layer 124 is integrated with the back surface of the carpet layer 123. The material of the backing layer 124 may be a resin material (including an elastomer), a fiber material, or the like.

[0027] The raised space SP2 is provided between the support surface 111 of the vehicle body panel 110 and the back surface 122 of the carpet 120. The raised space SP2 includes a plurality of raised members 10 that raise the carpet 120 relative to the vehicle body panel 110. Five raised members 10 are shown in the vertical cross section of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the raised space 1 may include an upper buffer layer 81, a lower buffer layer 82, and a fastener 90. Here, the buffer layer 80 collectively refers to the upper buffer layer 81 and the lower buffer layer 82. The buffer layer 80 may be formed into a bag shape that surrounds the plurality of raised members 10 by joining the edge of the upper buffer layer 81 and the edge of the lower buffer layer 82. The buffer layer 80 is used for at least one of shock absorption, sound absorption, and sound insulation, and may be partially disposed in an area corresponding to the plurality of bulkhead members 10. Since the bulkhead members 10 themselves have at least the function of shock absorption, the bulkhead structure 1 does not need to include the buffer layer 80. The material of the buffer layer 80 may be a fiber material such as felt, or a foamed resin material. A fastener 90 shown in FIG. 2 fastens the bulkhead member 10 to the vehicle body panel 110. Details of the fastener 90 will be described later.

[0028] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the raising member 10A in an orientation in which the upper surface 21 facing the carpet 120 is visible. The upper surface 21 is an example of a first surface. For convenience, FIG. 3 and other figures illustrate the longitudinal direction D1 and the vehicle width direction D3, but the orientation of the raising member 10 is not limited to the orientation shown in FIG. 3 and other figures. FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the raising member 10A in an orientation in which the lower surface 22 facing the vehicle body panel 110 is visible. The lower surface 22 is an example of a second surface opposite to the first surface. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the upper surface 21 of the first raising member 11 and the lower surface 22 of the second raising member 12. Note that the first raising member 11 and the second raising member 12 are elements that, for convenience, distinguish the two raising members 10 that engage with each other. The first bulkhead member 11 has at least a first engagement portion 31, and the second bulkhead member 12 has at least a second engagement portion 32. The second engagement portion 32 releasably engages with the first engagement portion 31, thereby allowing the second bulkhead member 12 to be detachably attached to the first bulkhead member 11. Fig. 6 shows a schematic side view of each bulkhead member 10 when the bulkhead members 10 are stacked on top of each other. Fig. 7 shows a schematic side view of a vehicle bulkhead structure 1 in which the bulkhead members 10 are stacked on top of each other. The multiple bulkhead members 10 may include not only bulkhead member 10A shown in Fig. 3 etc., but also bulkhead member 10B shown in Figs. 12 and 13, and may also include bulkhead members 10C and 10D shown in Figs. 14A and 14B. First, the bulkhead member 10 will be described using bulkhead member 10A, which has a substantially square shape in plan view, as an example. Items common to the multiple bulkhead members 10 will be simply referred to as bulkhead member 10.

[0029] The bulking member 10 contains a resin. The resin is preferably a thermoplastic resin, but may also be a thermosetting resin. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyolefin resins such as PP (polypropylene) resin, PVC (vinyl chloride) resin, and thermoplastic elastomer resins such as TPO (thermoplastic olefinic elastomer) resin, as well as at least some combinations of these. The resins may contain additives such as colorants and fillers. The bulking member 10 may be formed by injection molding of a liquid resin such as a molten resin, or by press molding of a molding material containing a liquid resin. The bulking member 10 may be a non-foamed resin molded product or a foamed resin molded product with a foaming ratio sufficient to achieve the desired strength. Furthermore, the bulking member 10 may be a fiber molded product primarily composed of fiber and containing resin.

[0030] The raised portion 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a lattice shape in which a plurality of vertical walls 16 extending generally along the front-rear direction D1 and a plurality of vertical walls 17 extending generally along the vehicle width direction D3 intersect. Here, the vertical walls 15 collectively refer to the vertical walls 16 and 17. The raised portion 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and has an upper surface 21, a lower surface 22, and four side surfaces 23 connecting the upper surface 21 to the lower surface 22. Each vertical wall 15 extends along the thickness direction D4 of the raised portion 10. Therefore, each vertical wall 15 connects from the upper surface 21 to the lower surface 22. The raised portion 10 has a plurality of openings OP1 surrounded by the vertical walls 15. Each opening OP1 penetrates the raised portion 10 in the thickness direction D4. The raised portion 10A shown in FIG. 3 and other figures has 16 openings OP1, with four openings OP1 lined up in the front-rear direction D1 and four openings OP1 lined up in the vehicle width direction D3. The distance between the vertical walls 16, including the side surfaces 23, is L1 (see FIG. 6), and the distance between the vertical walls 17, including the side surfaces 23, is also L1. As a result, the raised portion 10 can be said to be a substantially rectangular parallelepiped that is substantially square in plan view. The space substantially occupied by the raised portion 10 can be said to be a rectangular parallelepiped that is substantially square in plan view. The height of the raised portion 10, i.e., the length H1 of the raised portion 10 in the thickness direction D4, is shorter than the length of the vertical walls 16 in the front-rear direction D1 and shorter than the length of the vertical walls 17 in the vehicle width direction D3. Therefore, the raised portion 10 can be said to be a substantially flat rectangular parallelepiped.

[0031] Loads are applied to the raised structure 1 when the carpet 120 is stepped on, for example. Because each vertical wall 15 is connected from the upper surface 21 to the lower surface 22, the lightweight raised member 10 can efficiently bear the load. In particular, because each vertical wall 15 is aligned along the thickness direction D4, the raised member 10 is highly effective in efficiently bearing the load. Therefore, the raised member 10 has good load-bearing capacity. In addition, because there are multiple openings OP1 under the carpet 120, the carpet 120 feels good to walk on. The number of openings OP1 provided in one height-raising member 10 is not limited to 16, and may be 15 or less, or 17 or more. If the number of openings OP1 in the height-raising member 10 is increased, the external shape of the height-raising member 10 becomes larger, which may make it more difficult to adapt the height-raising structure 1 to the vehicle shape, but the effort required to assemble the height-raising structure 1 is reduced. If the number of openings OP1 in the height-raising member 10 is reduced, the external shape of the height-raising member 10 becomes smaller, which may make it more difficult to assemble the height-raising structure 1, but the height-raising structure 1 can be more easily adapted to the vehicle shape. In order to make it easier to adapt the height-raising structure 1 to the vehicle shape and reduce the effort required to assemble the height-raising structure 1, the above-mentioned height-raising member 10A (see FIGS. 3 and 4) may be combined with a height-raising member 10B (see FIGS. 13 and 14) described later.

[0032] Although the shape of the opening OP1 in plan view shown in FIG. 3 and other figures is substantially rectangular, the shape of the opening OP1 in plan view may be polygonal, such as triangular or hexagonal, or elliptical, including circular, etc. The area and shape of each opening OP1 provided in the raising member 10 may be changed as appropriate depending on design and processing requirements. The distance L1 (see FIG. 6), which is the distance between the vertical walls 16 including the side surfaces 23 and the distance between the vertical walls 17 including the side surfaces 23, is preferably 5 to 100 mm, and more preferably 10 to 50 mm, in order to obtain a lightweight raising member 10 with desirable strength. If the distance L1 is 100 mm or less, it is difficult for the heel to indirectly enter the opening OP1, improving the comfort of walking on the carpet 120.

[0033] The height (length H1) of the vertical walls 15 and the side surfaces 23 is preferably 5 to 30 mm. If the height (H1) of the vertical walls 15 and the side surfaces 23 is 5 mm or more, a desirable load-bearing capacity is obtained, and if the height (H1) of the vertical walls 15 and the side surfaces 23 is 30 mm or less, the height of the carpet 120 can be easily adjusted by changing the number of the bulk-increasing members 10 stacked. As shown in FIG. 6, if the height (H1) of the vertical walls 15 and the side surfaces 23 is smaller than the above-mentioned distance L1, the height of the carpet 120 can be easily adjusted by changing the number of the lightweight bulk-increasing members 10 stacked. The thickness W1 (see FIG. 5) of the vertical walls 15 and the side surfaces 23 is preferably 0.5 to 3.0 mm in order to obtain a desirable strength for the lightweight bulk-increasing members 10. The sizes (including the thickness W1) of the vertical wall 15 and the side surface 23 may be partially different from each other in order to obtain good load-bearing capacity, good sound absorption performance, and good comfort when stepping on the floor.

[0034] Each bulking member 10 includes a plurality of engaging portions 30 for attaching other bulking members 10. The plurality of engaging portions 30 includes a plurality of surface engaging portions 40 for stacking the bulking members 10 in the thickness direction D4 and a plurality of side surface engaging portions 50 for aligning the bulking members 10 by matching their side surfaces 23. The surface engaging portions 40 include a plurality of first surface engaging portions 41 disposed on the upper surface 21 and a plurality of second surface engaging portions 42 disposed on the lower surface 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the first surface engaging portions 41 have a generally cylindrical shape that protrudes beyond the periphery 21c of the first surface engaging portion 41 on the upper surface 21. As shown in FIG. 4, the second surface engaging portions 42 are recessed beyond the periphery 22c of the second surface engaging portions 42 on the lower surface 22 so as to be able to receive the protruding first surface engaging portions 41. The multiple side surface engaging portions 50 include multiple first side surface engaging portions 51 arranged on two of the four side surfaces 23, and multiple second side surface engaging portions 52 arranged on two side surfaces 25 on which the first side surface engaging portions 51 are not arranged. As shown in FIG. 3, the first side surface engaging portions 51 have a generally cylindrical shape protruding from extension portions 26e that extend outward from recesses 26 in the side surfaces 24. As shown in FIG. 4, the second side surface engaging portions 52 are arranged in recesses 27 in the side surfaces 25, and have a concave shape that can receive the protruding first side surface engaging portions 51. Here, the first engagement portion 31 collectively refers to the first surface engagement portion 41 and the first side surface engagement portion 51. The second engagement portion 32 collectively refers to the second surface engagement portion 42 and the second side surface engagement portion 52.

[0035] The plurality of first surface engaging portions 41 are arranged on the upper surface 21 at locations where the vertical wall 16, which is generally aligned in the front-rear direction D1, and the vertical wall 17, which is generally aligned in the vehicle width direction D3, intersect. Figure 3 shows nine first surface engaging portions 41. The plurality of first surface engaging portions 41 are arranged at intervals of a distance L1 (see Figure 6) in the front-rear direction D1 and the vehicle width direction D3. The plurality of second surface engaging portions 42 are arranged on the lower surface 22 at locations where the vertical wall 16 and the vertical wall 17 intersect. Figure 4 shows nine second surface engaging portions 42. The plurality of second surface engaging portions 42 are arranged at intervals of a distance L1 in the front-rear direction D1 and the vehicle width direction D3. Each second surface engaging portion 42 of a certain bulking member 10 has a shape that allows it to releasably engage with the first surface engaging portion 41 of another bulking member 10. In other words, each first surface engaging portion 41 of a certain bulking member 10 has a shape that allows it to releasably engage with the second surface engaging portion 42 of another bulking member 10.

[0036] The multiple first side surface engaging portions 51 are arranged on the side surface 24 at locations where the vertical walls 15 that are not located on the side surface 25 abut against them. Figure 3 shows three first side surface engaging portions 51 on one side surface 24. The multiple first side surface engaging portions 51 are arranged along the side surface 24 at intervals of a distance L1 (see Figure 6). The multiple second side surface engaging portions 52 are arranged on the side surface 25 at locations where the vertical walls 15 that are not located on the side surface 24 abut against them. Figure 4 shows three second side surface engaging portions 52 on one side surface 25. The multiple second side surface engaging portions 52 are arranged along the side surface 25 at intervals of a distance L1. Each second side engaging portion 52 of a certain bulking member 10 has a shape that allows it to releasably engage with the first side engaging portion 51 of another bulking member 10. In other words, each first side engaging portion 51 of a certain bulking member 10 has a shape that allows it to releasably engage with the second side engaging portion 52 of another bulking member 10.

[0037] 3 and 4, the side surface 24 has recesses 26 at locations corresponding to each first side surface engaging portion 51. Each side surface 24 has three recesses 26. A portion of the first side surface engaging portion 51 fits into each recess 26. Each recess 26 forms a space that allows a portion of the first surface engaging portion 41 to fit into when the bulkhead members 10 are stacked on top of each other. The side surface 25 has recesses 27 at locations corresponding to each second side surface engaging portion 52. Each side surface 25 has three recesses 27. A portion of the second side surface engaging portion 52 fits into each recess 27. Each recess 27 forms a space that allows a portion of the first side surface engaging portion 51 to fit into when the bulking members 10 are lined up, and forms a space that allows a portion of the first surface engaging portion 41 to fit into when the bulking members 10 are stacked on top of each other.

[0038] The bulking member 10 has recesses 28 at the corners where the side surfaces 23 join together. The bulking member 10 has four recesses 28. Each recess 28 forms a space that allows part of the first surface engaging portion 41 to fit in when the bulking members 10 are stacked on top of each other, and forms a space that allows part of the side surface engaging portion 50 to fit in when the bulking members 10 are arranged side by side.

[0039] The upper part of FIG. 5 shows the underside 22 of the bulking member 10 serving as the first bulking member 11, and the lower part of FIG. 5 shows the upper side 21 of the bulking member 10 serving as the second bulking member 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the second surface engagement portion 42 includes a peripheral wall 45 that surrounds the protruding first surface engagement portion 41, and an elastically deformable retaining piece 46 that protrudes inward from the peripheral wall 45 and holds the first surface engagement portion 41. The peripheral wall 45 is circular in bottom view. Each second surface engagement portion 42 includes three retaining pieces 46 that protrude inward from the peripheral wall 45. In bottom view, each retaining piece 46 is thinner than the peripheral wall 45, and both ends of each retaining piece 46 are connected to the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 45. Each retaining piece 46 is spaced inward from the peripheral wall 45 except for the both ends. As a result, each retaining piece 46 is elastically deformable so as to be pushed outward by the first surface engagement portion 41. The thickness of each holding piece 46 can be, for example, 0.3 to 1.0 mm. When the convex first-surface engaging portion 41 is inserted into the concave second-surface engaging portion 42, the three holding pieces 46 and the first-surface engaging portion 41 come into contact at three points spaced apart by an angle greater than 90° and less than 180° (e.g., at equal intervals of 120°), and at least one of the holding pieces 46 is elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward by the first-surface engaging portion 41. As a result, even if the insertion position of the first-surface engaging portion 41 is displaced in any direction along the lower surface 22, the displacement is absorbed, and the first-surface engaging portion 41 engages and is held in place by the second-surface engaging portion 42. In other words, the second-surface engaging portion 42 engages with the first-surface engaging portion 41, and this engaged state is maintained. Furthermore, when a force is applied to pull the convex first-surface engaging portion 41 out of the concave second-surface engaging portion 42, the first-surface engaging portion 41 comes out of the second-surface engaging portion 42. As a result, the surface engaging portions (41, 42) are disengaged from each other, and the raised members 10 that were overlapping each other are separated. Because the second surface engaging portion 42 includes the peripheral wall 45 and the retaining piece 46, the retaining piece 46 is elastically deformed even if a dimensional error or deformation occurs in the raising member 10. This makes it possible to easily absorb any positional deviation when the second surface engaging portion 42 engages with the first surface engaging portion 41. In particular, because the three retaining pieces 46 and the first surface engaging portion 41 contact each other at three points, it is possible to easily absorb any positional deviation in any direction between the surface engaging portions (41, 42).

[0040] The second side surface engaging portion 52 includes a peripheral wall 55 that surrounds the protruding first side surface engaging portion 51, elastically deformable retaining pieces 56 that protrude inward from the peripheral wall 55 and hold the first side surface engaging portion 51, and a protrusion 57 that protrudes inward from the peripheral wall 55. Each second side surface engaging portion 52 includes two retaining pieces 56 that protrude inward from the peripheral wall 55, and the protrusion 57. In a bottom view, each retaining piece 56 is thinner than the peripheral wall 55, and both ends of each retaining piece 56 are connected to the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 55, and each retaining piece 56 is spaced inward from the peripheral wall 55 except for both ends. Thus, each retaining piece 56 is elastically deformable so as to be pushed outward by the first side surface engaging portion 51. The thickness of each retaining piece 56 can be, for example, 0.3 to 1.0 mm. When the convex first side surface engaging portion 51 is inserted into the concave second side surface engaging portion 52, the two holding pieces 56 and the convex portion 57 come into contact with the first surface engaging portion 41 at three points spaced apart by an angle greater than 90° and less than 180° (for example, at equal intervals of 120°), and at least one of the holding pieces 56 is elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward by the first side surface engaging portion 51. As a result, the first side surface engaging portion 51 engages with and is held by the second side surface engaging portion 52. It can also be said that the second side surface engaging portion 52 engages with the first side surface engaging portion 51, and this engaged state is maintained. Furthermore, when a force is applied to pull the convex first side surface engaging portion 51 from the concave second side surface engaging portion 52, the first side surface engaging portion 51 comes out of the second side surface engaging portion 52. As a result, the side surface engaging portions (51, 52) are disengaged from each other, and the adjacent bulk-raising members 10 are separated from each other. Because the second side surface engaging portion 52 includes the peripheral wall 55 and the retaining piece 56, the retaining piece 56 is elastically deformed even if a dimensional error or deformation occurs in the raising member 10. This makes it possible to easily absorb any misalignment when the second side surface engaging portion 52 engages with the first side surface engaging portion 51. In particular, because the two retaining pieces 56 and the protrusion 57 contact the first side surface engaging portion 51 at three points, it is possible to easily absorb any misalignment between the side surface engaging portions (51, 52).

[0041] When the bulk-raising members 10 are stacked on top of each other as shown in FIG. 6 , the lower bulk-raising member 10 fits into the first bulk-raising member 11, and the upper bulk-raising member 10 fits into the second bulk-raising member 12. In this case, the second surface engaging portion 42 of the second bulk-raising member 12 releasably engages with the first surface engaging portion 41 of the first bulk-raising member 11, thereby removably attaching the second bulk-raising member 12 to the first bulk-raising member 11. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the second bulk-raising member 12 is attached by being stacked on top of the first bulk-raising member 11. Although not shown, the bulk-raising members 10 may be stacked three or more levels. When multiple bulk-raising members 10 are stacked, the carpet 120 is raised relative to the vehicle body panel 110. This allows the height of the carpet 120 to be adjusted to match the shape of the raised space SP2, such as the unevenness of the vehicle body panel 110. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the second bulking member 12 is attached to the first bulking member 11, for example, if a force is applied to the second bulking member 12 to pull it upward away from the first bulking member 11, the surface engagement portions (41, 42) between the bulking members (11, 12) are disengaged, and the second bulking member 12 is removed from the first bulking member 11. Therefore, the bulking member 10 can be reused as is for other parts of the automobile 100 or for other automobiles. Of course, if the shape of the raised space SP2 changes during reuse, multiple bulking members 10 can simply be reassembled according to the shape of the raised space SP2. In this example, recycling the bulking member 10 means reusing the bulking member 10 as is, without having to melt the thermoplastic bulking member 10 as raw material and thermoform it into a new bulking member 10. Therefore, there is no need to incur costs for processes such as melting the bulk-raising member 10 or thermoforming a new bulk-raising member 10, and the bulk-raising structure 1 is highly convenient.

[0042] As illustrated in Fig. 8, the portion of the second bulking member 12 that is attached to the first bulking member 11 may be configured to change depending on the location where the second surface engaging portion 42 engages with the first surface engaging portion 41. Fig. 8 schematically illustrates how bulking members 10 are stacked and shifted relative to each other. Fig. 8 shows a simplified vertical cross section of the bulking member 10. As described above, the first surface engagement portions 41 are spaced apart by a distance L1 in the longitudinal direction D1 and the vehicle width direction D3, and the second surface engagement portions 42 are spaced apart by a distance L1 in the longitudinal direction D1 and the vehicle width direction D3. When the raising members 10 are stacked, the portion of the second raising member 12 attached to the first raising member 11 can be shifted in the longitudinal direction D1 by a distance L1 and can be shifted in the vehicle width direction D3 by a distance L1. FIG. 8 shows that the second raising member 12 is at a position P1, which is shifted by a distance L1 in the direction D5 relative to the first raising member 11. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the recesses 26, 27, and 28 on the side surface 23 prevent the first surface engagement portion 41 of the first raising member 11 from interfering with the underside 22 of the second raising member 12. Even if the second bulk-raising member 12 is at position P2 that is shifted by twice the distance L1 in direction D5 relative to the first bulk-raising member 11, the second surface engaging portion 42 can engage with the first surface engaging portion 41, thereby allowing the second bulk-raising member 12 to be attached to the first bulk-raising member 11. Of course, the second bulk-raising member 12 may also be at a position that is shifted by the distance L1 in the direction opposite to direction D5 relative to the first bulk-raising member 11.

[0043] As illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the height-raising members 10 can be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction D1 and the vehicle width direction D3. Figure 9 shows a schematic example of the height-raising members 10 arranged side by side. Figure 10 shows a schematic example of a vehicle height-raising structure 1 in which the height-raising members 10 are arranged side by side. When the bulk-increasing members 10 are arranged side by side as shown in FIG. 9 , the bulk-increasing member 10 having the first side surface engaging portion 51 that engages with the second side surface engaging portion 52 fits onto the first bulk-increasing member 11, and the bulk-increasing member 10 having the second side surface engaging portion 52 that engages with the first side surface engaging portion 51 fits onto the second bulk-increasing member 12. In this case, the second side surface engaging portion 52 of the second bulk-increasing member 12 releasably engages with the first side surface engaging portion 51 of the first bulk-increasing member 11, thereby removably attaching the second bulk-increasing member 12 to the first bulk-increasing member 11. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the second bulk-increasing member 12 is attached by being arranged side by side with the first bulk-increasing member 11. Although not shown, three or more bulk-increasing members 10 may be arranged side by side. When multiple bulk-increasing members 10 are arranged side by side, the area over which the bulk-increasing structure 1 supports the carpet 120 is increased. This allows the number of height-raising members 10 to be adjusted according to the size of the raised space SP2, making it easy to apply a common height-raising member 10 to a plurality of vehicle models.

[0044] As shown in Figure 10, when the second bulkhead member 12 is attached to the first bulkhead member 11, for example, if a force is applied to the second bulkhead member 12 to pull it upward away from the first bulkhead member 11, the side engagement portions (51, 52) between the bulkhead members (11, 12) are disengaged, and the second bulkhead member 12 is removed from the first bulkhead member 11. Therefore, the bulkhead member 10 can be reused as is in other parts of the automobile 100 or in other automobiles. Because the bulkhead member 10 can be reused as is, this bulkhead structure 1 is highly convenient.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9 , the portion of the second bulkhead member 12 attached to the first bulkhead member 11 is configured to change depending on the location where the second side surface engaging portion 52 engages with the first side surface engaging portion 51. As described above, the first side surface engaging portions 51 are spaced apart by the distance L1 on the side surface 24, and the second side surface engaging portions 52 are spaced apart by the distance L1 on the side surface 25. When the bulkhead members 10 are arranged side by side, the portion of the second bulkhead member 12 attached to the first bulkhead member 11 can be shifted in the fore-and-aft direction D1 by the distance L1 and can be shifted in the vehicle width direction D3 by the distance L1. Even if the second bulkhead member 12 is shifted in the direction D5 by twice the distance L1 relative to the first bulkhead member 11, the second side surface engaging portion 52 can engage with the first side surface engaging portion 51, thereby allowing the second bulkhead member 12 to be attached to the first bulkhead member 11. Of course, the second bulking member 12 may be positioned at a position offset by the distance L1 from the first bulking member 11 in the direction opposite to the direction D5. As described above, the portion of the second raising member 12 that is attached to the first raising member 11 is configured to change depending on the location where the second engaging portion 32 engages with the first engaging portion 31.

[0046] Therefore, as illustrated in FIGS. 11A and 11B, it is possible to form a vehicle height-raising structure 1 by stacking the height-raising members 10 on top of each other or arranging the height-raising members 10 side by side. FIG. 11A schematically illustrates a raised-height structure 1 in which three raised-height members 10A are combined. For convenience, FIG. 11A indicates the three raised-height members 10A with the reference numerals 10A1, 10A2, and 10A3. In FIG. 11A, raised-height member 10A2 is attached so as to be stacked on raised-height member 10A1, and raised-height member 10A3 is attached so as to be aligned with raised-height member 10A2 in the vehicle width direction D3. Note that in the raised-height structure 1, the first raised-height member 11 and the second raised-height member 12 are determined relative to each other. For example, when focusing on the raised-height members 10A1 and 10A2 stacked on top of each other, raised-height member 10A1 fits into the first raised-height member 11, and raised-height member 10A2 fits into the second raised-height member 12. Focusing on the raised portion members 10A2 and 10A3 arranged next to each other, the raised portion member 10A2 fits into the first raised portion member 11, and the raised portion member 10A3 fits into the second raised portion member 12. Since the second side engaging portion 52 of the raised portion member 10A3 is engaged with the first side engaging portion 51 of the raised portion member 10A2, the raised portion member 10A3 is maintained at the same height as the raised portion member 10A2 without dropping.

[0047] 11B is a schematic diagram illustrating a raised structure 1 in which a raised member 10A4 is combined with the three raised members 10A shown in FIG. 11A. In FIG. 11A, the raised member 10A4 is attached to the raised member 10A2 so that they are aligned in the front-to-rear direction D1. Focusing on the raised members 10A2 and 10A4 aligned with each other, the raised member 10A4 fits into the first raised member 11, and the raised member 10A2 fits into the second raised member 12.

[0048] 11A and 11B are all bulk-raising members 10A each having 4 × 4 openings OP1. Therefore, the number of different shapes of the bulk-raising members 10 included in the bulk-raising structure 1 is one, which is fewer than the number of bulk-raising members 10 included in the bulk-raising structure 1 (3 or 4).

[0049] 12 and 13, at least a portion of the bulk-raising member 10 included in the bulk-raising structure 1 may be a bulk-raising member 10B having a shape different from that of the bulk-raising member 10A. Fig. 12 schematically illustrates the bulk-raising member 10B in an orientation in which the upper surface 21 is visible. Fig. 13 schematically illustrates the lower surface 22 of the bulk-raising member 10B. The raising member 10B also has a lattice shape in which a plurality of vertical walls 16 extending generally along the front-rear direction D1 intersect with a plurality of vertical walls 17 extending generally along the vehicle width direction D3. The raising member 10B shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 has 32 openings OP1, with four openings OP1 aligned in the front-rear direction D1 and eight openings OP1 aligned in the vehicle width direction D3. Of course, the raising member 10B may be arranged so that eight openings OP1 are aligned in the front-rear direction D1 and four openings OP1 are aligned in the vehicle width direction D3. The spacing between the vertical walls 16, including the side surfaces 23, is a distance L1 (see FIG. 6), and the spacing between the vertical walls 17, including the side surfaces 23, is also a distance L1. As a result, the raising member 10B has the size of two raising members 10A lined up side by side, and can be said to be a substantially rectangular parallelepiped that is substantially rectangular in plan view.

[0050] 12 and 13 includes 21 first surface engaging portions 41 spaced at intervals of distance L1 in the longitudinal direction D1 and the vehicle width direction D3, 21 second surface engaging portions 42 spaced at intervals of distance L1 in the longitudinal direction D1 and the vehicle width direction D3, first side surface engaging portions 51 (10 in total) spaced at intervals of distance L1 along the side surface 24, and second side surface engaging portions 52 spaced at intervals of distance L1 along the side surface 25. The second surface engaging portions 42 of the vertical-extension members 10A and 10B are configured to releasably engage with the first surface engaging portions 41 of the vertical-extension members 10A and 10B. The second side surface engaging portions 52 of the vertical-extension members 10A and 10B are configured to releasably engage with the first side surface engaging portions 51 of the vertical-extension members 10A and 10B.

[0051] 14A and 14B, at least a part of the bulk-raising members 10 included in the bulk-raising structure 1 may have a complex shape other than a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. Figures 14A and 14B show simplified external shapes of bulk-raising members 10C and 10D. The raising member 10C shown in Fig. 14A is not generally rectangular in plan view, but generally L-shaped in plan view. The raising member 10D shown in Fig. 14B has different heights in different parts. Although not shown, a plurality of first surface engaging portions 41 are on the upper surface 21, a plurality of second surface engaging portions 42 are on the lower surface 22, a plurality of first side surface engaging portions 51 are on the side surface 23, and a plurality of second side surface engaging portions 52 are on the side surface 23.

[0052] As illustrated in Fig. 15, a vehicle height-raising structure 1 can be formed by combining two or more types of height-raising members 10. Fig. 15 schematically illustrates a height-raising structure 1 that combines two height-raising members 10A and one height-raising member 10B. For convenience, Fig. 15 indicates the two height-raising members 10A with the reference numerals 10A1 and 10A4. 15, the bulk-raising member 10B is attached so as to be overlapped on the bulk-raising member 10A1, and the bulk-raising member 10A4 is attached so as to be aligned with the bulk-raising member 10B in the front-to-rear direction D1. Focusing on the bulk-raising members 10A1 and 10B stacked on top of each other, the bulk-raising member 10A1 fits into the first bulk-raising member 11, and the bulk-raising member 10B fits into the second bulk-raising member 12. Focusing on the bulk-raising members 10B and 10A4 aligned side by side, the bulk-raising member 10A4 fits into the first bulk-raising member 11, and the bulk-raising member 10B fits into the second bulk-raising member 12.

[0053] The number of types of shapes of the bulk-raising members 10 included in the bulk-raising structure 1 shown in FIG. 15 is two, which is fewer than the number of the bulk-raising members 10 included in the bulk-raising structure 1, which is three. 11A, 11B, and 15, in the present raised height structure 1, the number of different shapes of the raised height member 10 can be smaller than the number of raised height members 10. This reduces the cost of producing the molding die for the raised height member 10, makes it easier to apply a common raised height member 10 to multiple vehicle models, and makes it easier to reuse the raised height member 10 for other vehicles.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the raised floor structure 1 described above is provided between a vehicle body panel 110 and a carpet 120. Because the raised floor structure 1 is fixed by being sandwiched between the vehicle body panel 110 and the carpet 120, a fastener 90 is not necessary. However, as shown in FIG. 2 , the raised floor structure 1 may be fixed to the vehicle body panel 110 with a fastener 90. As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, a concave second surface engaging portion 42 is disposed on the underside 22 of the raised floor member 10. The raised floor member 10 is fixed to the vehicle body panel 110 by threading a fastener 90, such as a screw, through an insertion hole in the vehicle body panel 110 into the second surface engaging portion 42. In addition, a second side surface engaging portion 52 is disposed on the side surface 25 of the raised floor member 10. The raised floor member 10 is fixed to the vehicle body panel 110 by threading a fastener 90, such as a screw, through an insertion hole in the vehicle body panel 110 into the second side surface engaging portion 52. In either case, the fastener 90 is attached to the second engagement portion 32 and fastens the raising member 10 to a body panel 110 which is a part of the automobile 100 .

[0055] When the bulkhead structure 1 includes a lower cushioning material layer 82 as shown in FIG. 2 , a fastener 90 is passed through an insertion hole in the vehicle body panel 110, passed through the lower cushioning material layer 82, and inserted into the second engagement portion 32, thereby sandwiching and fixing the lower cushioning material layer 82 between the vehicle body panel 110 and the bulkhead member 10. This eliminates the need to bond the lower cushioning material layer 82 to the bulkhead member 10 with an adhesive such as hot melt, and the lower cushioning material layer 82 can be separated from the bulkhead member 10 by removing the fastener 90 from the second engagement portion 32. When the cushioning material layer 80 has a bag shape that surrounds multiple bulkhead members 10, the upper cushioning material layer 81 also does not need to be bonded to the bulkhead member 10 with an adhesive, and the cushioning material layer 80 can be easily separated from the bulkhead member 10 by removing the fastener 90 from the second engagement portion 32. Of course, the separated bulkhead member 10 can be used as is for other vehicles.

[0056] The vehicle component to be fastened may be a wire harness. In this case, the wire harness is fixed to the bulkhead member 10 by threading the fastener 90, which has the wire harness hooked thereon, into the second surface engaging portion 42 or the second side surface engaging portion 52. The fastener 90 is attached to the second engaging portion 32 and fastens the wire harness to the bulkhead member 10.

[0057] The fastener 90 may engage with the convex first engagement portion 31. In this case, the fastener 90 is passed through an insertion hole in the carpet 120 and engaged with the first surface engagement portion 41 or the first side surface engagement portion 51, thereby fixing the raised member 10 to the carpet 120. The fastener 90 is attached to the first engagement portion 31 and fastens the raised member 10 to the carpet 120, which is a part of the automobile 100. Of course, the raised floor structure 1 may include a fastener 90 attached to the first engagement portion 31 and a fastener 90 attached to the second engagement portion 32. Either fastener 90 can determine the relative position of the raised floor member 10 and the vehicle component.

[0058] (3) Specific examples of methods for forming vehicle height-raising structures, as well as their functions and effects: Next, an example of a method for forming the raised structure 1 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. First, the lower cushioning material that will become the lower cushioning material layer 82 is placed in an area corresponding to the raised space SP2 on the support surface 111 of the vehicle body panel 110. The lower cushioning material may be flat, or may be a molded product having an uneven shape that matches the uneven shape of the vehicle body panel 110.

[0059] Next, the raised space SP2 is divided into multiple sections, a raised space member 10 is assigned to each section, and the multiple raised space members 10 are placed on the lower cushioning material. When stacking the second raised space member 12 on the first raised space member 11, the second raised space member 12 can be attached to the first raised space member 11 by engaging the first surface engaging portion 41 of the first raised space member 11 with the second surface engaging portion 42 of the second raised space member 12. When arranging the second raised space member 12 next to the first raised space member 11, the second raised space member 12 can be attached to the first raised space member 11 by engaging the first side surface engaging portion 51 of the first raised space member 11 with the second side surface engaging portion 52 of the second raised space member 12. Through these operations, the multiple raised space members 10 are combined and integrated. If necessary, the bulkhead member 10 may be fixed to the body panel 110 by inserting the fastener 90 through an insertion hole in the body panel 110 and the lower cushioning material into the second engagement portion 32 of the bulkhead member 10. The lower cushioning material is sandwiched between the body panel 110 and the multiple bulkhead members 10 to form a lower cushioning material layer 82 that conforms to the uneven shape of the body panel 110. As described above, the lower cushioning material layer 82 does not have to be provided in the raised structure 1, and therefore the work of arranging the lower cushioning material can be omitted.

[0060] Next, an upper cushioning material that will become the upper cushioning material layer 81 is placed on at least the plurality of padding members 10. The upper cushioning material may be flat, or may be a molded product with an uneven shape that matches the uneven shape of the carpet 120. The edge of the upper cushioning material may be overlapped with the edge of the lower cushioning material. In this case, a bag-shaped cushioning material layer 80 is formed.

[0061] Finally, the carpet 120 is placed on the upper cushioning material. The carpet 120 may be a molded product having an uneven shape. The upper cushioning material is sandwiched between the multiple bulk-increasing members 10 and the carpet 120, thereby forming the upper cushioning material layer 81 along the upper surfaces of the multiple bulk-increasing members 10. As described above, the upper buffer layer 81 does not have to be provided in the raised structure 1, and therefore the work of arranging the upper buffer material can be omitted.

[0062] The plurality of height-raising members 10 included in the height-raising structure 1 can be used as is in other vehicles. First, the carpet 120 is pulled away from the body panel 110, and the upper cushioning material layer 81 is pulled away from the plurality of bulkhead members 10, revealing the plurality of bulkhead members 10. If necessary, the fasteners 90 may be removed from the second engagement portions 32 of the bulkhead members 10. When the second bulkhead member 12 overlaps the first bulkhead member 11, applying a force to the second bulkhead member 12 to pull the second bulkhead member 12 upward away from the first bulkhead member 11 releases the engagement between the first surface engagement portion 41 and the second surface engagement portion 42. This allows the second bulkhead member 12 to be removed from the first bulkhead member 11. When the bulkhead members 10 are arranged side by side, applying a force to the second bulkhead member 12 to pull the second surface engagement portion 52 upward away from the first side surface engagement portion 51 releases the engagement between the first side surface engagement portion 51 and the second side surface engagement portion 52. This removes the second bulkhead member 12 from the first bulkhead member 11. By repeating these steps, it is possible to separate the multiple bulkhead members 10. Each bulkhead member 10 can be reused as is for another vehicle without being melted as raw material.

[0063] As described above, even if the shape of the raised space SP2 varies depending on the vehicle model, the shape of the raised structure 1 can be adjusted to match the shape of the raised space SP2 by adjusting the overlapping positions of the raised members 10 or the arranging positions of the raised members 10. By assigning a raised member 10 to each section of the raised space SP2 and engaging the engaging portions 30, multiple raised members 10 are attached to each other, and the carpet 120 is supported by the multiple raised members 10. Even if the vehicle body panel 110 is uneven, the height of the carpet 120 can be adjusted by adjusting the number of overlapping raised members 10. Furthermore, by adjusting the number of arranging raised members 10, the raised structure 1 can be adapted to various shapes of the raised space SP2 in a plan view. Therefore, a common raised member 10 can be easily applied to multiple vehicle models, making the vehicle raised structure 1 highly convenient. Furthermore, by pulling the carpet 120 away from the vehicle body panel 110 and disengaging the engaging portions 30, the multiple raised floor members 10 can be separated into individual pieces. This allows the raised floor members 10 to be reused in other vehicles as they are, facilitating recycling of the raised floor members 10. Therefore, the raised floor structure 1 is highly convenient.

[0064] (4) Variation: The present invention can be embodied in various modifications. For example, the raised structure 1 may include a raised member that does not have an opening OP1 surrounded by the vertical wall 15. When some of the multiple raised members 10 have the opening OP1, the raised structure 1 can be made lighter while suppressing a decrease in load-bearing capacity. The convex first engagement portion 31 is not limited to a substantially cylindrical shape, and may be a substantially regular triangular prism, a substantially regular square prism, a substantially regular octagonal prism, etc. The concave second engagement portion 32 is not limited to a shape including the retaining pieces 46, 56, and may be a shape in which the inner peripheral surfaces of the peripheral walls 45, 55 have projections and recesses.

[0065] The surface engaging portions 40 described above are arranged at all points where the vertical walls 16 and 17 intersect, but the surface engaging portions 40 may be absent at some of the points where the vertical walls 16 and 17 intersect. Furthermore, while the surface engaging portions 40 are preferably located at points where the vertical walls 16 and 17 intersect from the standpoint of strength, they may also be located at points where the vertical walls 16 and 17 do not intersect. If the first surface engaging portion 41 is on the upper surface 21 and the second surface engaging portion 42 is on the lower surface 22, the second bulking member 12 can be attached so as to overlap the first bulking member 11. The first surface described above is the upper surface 21, but the first surface may also be the lower surface 22. When the first surface is the lower surface 22, the upper surface 21 fits onto the second surface, and reference numeral 42 shown in FIG. 4 fits onto the first surface engagement portion, and reference numeral 41 shown in FIG. 3 fits onto the second surface engagement portion.

[0066] The side engaging portions 50 described above are arranged at all points where the vertical wall 15 abuts against the side surface 23, but the side engaging portions 50 may be absent at some of the points where the vertical wall 15 abuts against the side surface 23. Furthermore, the position of the side engaging portions 50 is preferably at the points where the vertical wall 15 abuts against the side surface 23 from the standpoint of strength, but may also be at points on the side surface 23 where the vertical wall 15 does not abut. If the bulkhead member 10 has a side surface 24 having a first side engaging portion 51 and a side surface 25 having a second side engaging portion 52, the second bulkhead member 12 can be attached so as to be aligned with the first bulkhead member 11.

[0067] (5) Conclusion: As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a highly convenient vehicle height raising structure, etc., through various aspects. Of course, even in an aspect consisting only of the constituent elements of the independent claims, the basic functions and effects described above can be obtained. Furthermore, it is possible to implement configurations in which the components disclosed in the above examples are substituted with each other or the combination is changed, or configurations in which the components disclosed in the publicly known techniques and the above examples are substituted with each other or the combination is changed, etc. The present invention also includes these configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1...Raised structure, 10, 10A to 10D...raising members, 11...first raising member, 12...second raising member, 15, 16, 17...Vertical walls, 21...Top surface, 21c...Surroundings, 22...Bottom surface, 22c...Surroundings, 23,24,25...Side surfaces, 26, 27, 28...recesses, 26e...extensions, 30...Engaging part, 31...First engaging part, 32...Second engaging part, 40... surface engagement portion, 41... first surface engagement portion, 42... second surface engagement portion, 45...peripheral wall, 46...retention piece, 50... Side engaging part, 51... First side engaging part, 52... Second side engaging part, 55...peripheral wall, 56...holding piece, 57...protrusion, 80...Cushioning material layer, 81...Upper buffering material layer, 82...Lower buffering material layer, 90...fasteners, 100...Automobiles, 110...body panel, 111...support surface, 120...Carpet, 121...Design surface, 122...Back surface, D1...front-rear direction, D2...up-down direction, D3...vehicle width direction, D4...thickness direction, OP1…opening, SP1...car compartment, SP2...raised space.

Claims

1. A vehicle height-raising structure provided between a vehicle body panel and a back surface of a carpet facing a vehicle interior, a plurality of raising members containing a resin and raising the carpet relative to the vehicle body panel; the plurality of raising members include a first raising member having a first engaging portion and a second raising member having a second engaging portion; A vehicle height-raising structure, wherein the second engagement portion is releasably engaged with the first engagement portion, thereby allowing the second height-raising member to be detachably attached to the first height-raising member.

2. Each of the raising members has a first surface facing one of the carpet and the vehicle body panel, and a second surface opposite the first surface; the first raising member has a first surface engaging portion disposed on the first surface as the first engaging portion, the second raising member has a second surface engaging portion disposed on the second surface as the second engaging portion, 2. The vehicle height-raising structure according to claim 1, wherein the second surface engaging portion is releasably engaged with the first surface engaging portion, thereby detachably attaching the second height-raising member to the first height-raising member.

3. the first surface engagement portion protrudes beyond a periphery of the first surface engagement portion on the first surface, 3. The vehicle height-raising structure according to claim 2, wherein the second surface engaging portion comprises a peripheral wall surrounding the protruding first surface engaging portion, and an elastically deformable retaining piece extending inward from the peripheral wall and holding the first surface engaging portion.

4. Each of the raising members has a first surface facing one of the carpet and the vehicle body panel, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface to the second surface, the first raising member has a first side engaging portion disposed on the side surface as the first engaging portion, the second raising member has a second side engaging portion disposed on the side surface as the second engaging portion, 2. The vehicle height-raising structure according to claim 1, wherein the second side engaging portion is releasably engaged with the first side engaging portion, thereby detachably attaching the second height-raising member to the first height-raising member.

5. the first raising member has the first engaging portions at a plurality of locations, the second raising member has the second engaging portions at a plurality of locations, A vehicle height-raising structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the portion of the second height-raising member that is attached to the first height-raising member is configured to change depending on the location where the second engagement portion engages with the first engagement portion.

6. A vehicle height-raising structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the number of types of shapes of the height-raising members included in the vehicle height-raising structure is less than the number of the height-raising members included in the vehicle height-raising structure.

7. Each of the raising members has a first surface facing one of the carpet and the vehicle body panel, and a second surface opposite the first surface; The vehicle height-raising structure according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of height-raising members has a plurality of openings surrounded by vertical walls connecting the first surface to the second surface.

8. The length H1 of the vertical wall in the thickness direction of the raising member is 5 to 30 mm, 8. The vehicle height-raising structure according to claim 7, wherein the thickness W1 of the vertical wall is 0.5 to 3.0 mm.

9. A vehicle height-raising structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a fastener attached to at least one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, the fastener fastening the height-raising member to a vehicle component.

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