Vehicle structure

Abstract

To prevent a battery from being short-circuited at the time of offset collision.SOLUTION: The vehicle structure includes a battery tray 40 which is attached to a front side member 20 of a vehicle and supports a battery 30, wherein the battery tray has a front fastening point 63 and a rear fastening point 64 as fastening points with the front side member, and the front fastening point is configured to be weaker than the rear fastening point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle structure. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle body is equipped with tens of thousands of parts, including electrical system parts. As a technology related to electrical system parts, a technology has been disclosed that includes a battery tray that is attached to the front side member of the vehicle and supports a battery, and the battery tray has front and rear fastening points as fastening points to the front side member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-064675 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] With the above technology, if both the front and rear fastening points are strong, the front and rear fastening points will be maintained during an offset collision, and as the front side members deform, the battery tray will also deform, making it impossible to hold the battery, causing the battery to become free and the positive terminal to come into contact with the vehicle body metal, which could cause a short circuit.Also, if both the front and rear fastening points are weak, the front and rear fastening points will break, causing the battery and battery tray to become free and the positive terminal to come into contact with the vehicle body metal, which could cause a short circuit.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to prevent the battery from shorting out during an offset collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a battery tray that is attached to a front side member of a vehicle and supports a battery. The battery tray has a first fastening point and a second fastening point that is located at a different position in the front-to-rear direction from the first fastening point as fastening points to the front side member. The first fastening point is configured to be weaker than the second fastening point. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to a vehicle structure according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a battery from short-circuiting during an offset collision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle structure according to an embodiment, seen from above; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the vehicle structure shown in FIG. 1, as seen from below. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view showing the vehicle structure according to FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a battery, a battery tray, and the like that constitute the vehicle structure shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the battery tray and the mounting member shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic bottom view showing the battery tray and the mounting member according to FIG. 5. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the size and proportions of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiments, and may differ from the actual size and proportions.

[0010] In each figure, arrows represented by X, Y, and Z are used to indicate the directions of the vehicle. X represents the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, and is referred to as the front-to-rear direction X. Y represents the vehicle width direction, and is referred to as the vehicle width direction Y. Z represents the height direction, and is referred to as the height direction Z.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle structure according to an embodiment as seen from above, Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the vehicle structure according to Fig. 1 as seen from below, and Fig. 3 is a schematic bottom view of the vehicle structure according to Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the battery 30, battery tray 40, etc. that constitute the vehicle structure according to Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the battery tray 40 and mounting member 60 according to Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a schematic bottom view of the battery tray 40 and mounting member 60 according to Fig. 5. The vehicle structure according to this embodiment can be applied to, for example, an engine-driven automobile or the like.

[0012] 1 and 2, the vehicle structure according to this embodiment includes a cowl 10, a front side member 20, a battery 30, a battery tray 40, a retaining member 50, a mounting member 60, and an ECM 70 (corresponding to an electronic component). These will be described in detail below.

[0013] (Cowl) The cowl 10 is joined to the upper end or near the upper end of the dash panel and is configured to separate the engine compartment from the space inside the cowl box in a generally vertical direction. In this embodiment, the cowl 10 is configured to extend generally horizontally forward from near the upper end of the dash panel.

[0014] (front side member) The front side members 20 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction Y and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction X. The front side members 20 have a substantially rectangular closed cross section. The front side members 20 are provided with beads 21 as bendable portions at any position in the front-rear direction X that is not an end portion (see FIG. 3). The beads 21 are provided in the front-rear middle portion of the outer wall of the side member 20 (the side surface extending in the front-rear and up-down directions on the outer side in the vehicle width direction), extend in the up-down direction (height direction Z), and are recessed inward in the vehicle width direction. The front side members 20 are configured so that the front side, starting from the beads 21, is deformable during a collision, while the rear side is less likely to deform or is almost completely deformed compared to the front side. The front side members 20 can function as impact-absorbing members by deforming their front sides starting from the beads 21. In this embodiment, the bead 21 is provided on the outer wall of the side member 20, but it may also be provided on the inner wall (the side surface extending in the front-rear and up-down directions on the outer side in the vehicle width direction) of the side member 20 as long as it serves as the starting point for bending of the side member 20 during a collision. In this case, the bead 21 is provided in the middle part of the inner wall of the side member 20 in the front-rear direction, extends in the up-down direction, and is recessed outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] Brackets 22 for attaching a battery tray 40 (described later) are provided on the inside of the front side member 20 in the vehicle width direction Y. The brackets 22 are joined to the front side member 20 at their side surfaces by bolts and nuts, welding, or the like. The brackets 22 can be formed into a roughly triangular shape when viewed from the front, but the specific shape does not have to be triangular as long as the battery tray 40 can be fixed to the front side member 20 and the layout with surrounding components can be established. In other words, the brackets 22 are attached to the inner walls of the side members 20 on the outside in the vehicle width direction (the side surfaces extending in the front-to-rear and up-down directions on the inside in the vehicle width direction), and have a horizontal surface above for attaching the battery tray 40.

[0016] (battery) The battery 30 is configured as a power storage device that supplies power when starting the engine and to the audio, air conditioner, etc. The battery 30 is configured to be able to supply a relatively low level of power of about 12 V. In this embodiment, the battery 30 is configured to accommodate various components in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing.

[0017] (battery tray) The battery tray 40 is attached to the front side member 20 on the left side of the vehicle via a bracket 22 and is configured to support the battery 30. The battery tray 40 is configured as a member on which the battery 30 is placed. The battery tray 40 is disposed inside the front side member 20 in the vehicle width direction Y. In this embodiment, the battery tray 40 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, but the specific shape does not have to be rectangular as long as the battery 30 can be placed thereon and the layout with surrounding components is satisfactory.

[0018] (holding parts) The holding part 50 is disposed on top of the battery 30 so as to fix the battery 30 to the battery tray 40. The holding part 50 fixes the battery 30 to the battery tray 40 by inserting a rod-shaped member into the vicinity of both ends in the vehicle width direction Y and attaching the rod-shaped member to the battery tray 40 and the holding part 50.

[0019] (mounting material) The mounting member 60 mounts the battery tray 40 to the front side member 20 via the bracket 22. As shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, the mounting member 60 includes a first contact portion 61, a second contact portion 62, and a vertical wall portion 67.

[0020] The first contact portion 61 is the portion where the mounting member 60 contacts the battery tray 40, and is configured to be substantially flat and located above the second contact portion 62. The first contact portion 61 can be joined to the battery tray 40 by welding or the like.

[0021] The second contact portion 62 is disposed below the first contact portion 61 in the height direction Z and is configured to be substantially flat. The second contact portion 62 is a portion that is fixed to the bracket 22 attached to the front side member 20, and can be attached to the bracket 22 with bolts, nuts, etc.

[0022] The mounting member 60 has three first contact portions 61 and two second contact portions 62 in the vehicle width direction Y, and the ends of the second contact portions 62 are connected to the first contact portions 61 via vertical wall portions 67. The mounting member 60 has two downwardly convex hat-shaped cross sections in the vehicle width direction.

[0023] The second contact portion 62 is provided with a front fastening point 63 and a rear fastening point 64 as connection points with the bracket 22. In this embodiment, two front fastening points 63 and two rear fastening points 64 are provided, as shown in FIG. 6 . The shapes of the connection points are configured to be different for the front fastening points 63 and the rear fastening points 64. As shown in FIG. 3 , the bracket 22 described above is configured so that one of the front fastening points 63 corresponds to one of the two front fastening points 63 and one of the rear fastening points 64 corresponds to one of the two rear fastening points 64. In this embodiment, the front fastening point 63 is a first fastening point, and the rear fastening point 64 is a second fastening point that is located at a different position from the first fastening point in the front-to-rear direction X, and the front fastening point 63 is configured to be weaker than the rear fastening point 64.

[0024] If the front fastening points 63 and the rear fastening points 64 are both strong, the fastening points will be maintained at both the front and rear during an offset collision, and as the front side members 20 deform, the battery tray 40 will also deform, making it impossible for the retaining parts 50 to hold the battery 30. This could cause the battery 30 to come loose from the retaining parts 50 and become free, with the positive terminal coming into contact with the metal of the vehicle body, causing a short circuit. Also, if the front fastening points 63 and the rear fastening points 64 are weak, the fastening points will break at both the front and rear, causing the battery and battery tray 40 to become free and the positive terminal to come into contact with the metal of the vehicle body, causing a short circuit.

[0025] In contrast, in this embodiment, the front fastening points 63 are made weaker than the rear fastening points 64. Therefore, in the event of an offset collision, the front fastening points break while the rear fastening points 64 do not, which prevents the battery 30 from being damaged and the above-mentioned short circuit from occurring.

[0026] In this embodiment, the two rear fastening points 64 aligned in the vehicle width direction Y are shaped as circular holes, and the two front fastening points 63 aligned in the vehicle width direction Y are shaped as circular holes, so that the second contact portions 62 are cut out to their outer ends in the vehicle width direction Y in a generally U-shape (see FIG. 6 ). Specifically, the two front fastening points 63 aligned in the vehicle width direction Y each have a cutout extending from the second contact portion 62 to the vertical wall portion 67 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and this series of cutouts is formed in a generally U-shape that opens outward in the vehicle width direction in a bottom view. The series of cutouts extending from the second contact portions 62 to the vertical wall portion 67 has a width in the front-rear direction of the cutout in the vertical wall portion 67 that is greater than the width in the front-rear direction of the cutout in the second contact portion 62. During an offset collision, the front portion of the left front side member 20 deforms inward in the vehicle width direction from near the front of the battery 30, causing the battery tray 40 to rotate clockwise around the rear outer corner in a top view.

[0027] In this regard, by forming the front fastening point 63 as described above, the battery tray 40 can be rotated around the rear fastening point 64 during an offset collision, and the front fastening point 63 can be broken or the fixing bolt can be easily removed from the mounting member 60.

[0028] Furthermore, of the two front fastening points 63 lined up in the vehicle width direction, the inner fastening point 65 located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction Y has a wider width in the front-rear direction X of the notch shape than the outer fastening point 66 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction Y, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The battery tray 40 provided on the inner side of the left front side member 20 rotates clockwise around the vicinity of the rear outer corner in a top view during an offset collision. Therefore, by making the width in the front-rear direction X of the inner fastening point 65, which has a larger turning radius than the outer fastening point 66, larger than the width in the front-rear direction of the outer fastening point 66, the fixing bolt can be easily removed.

[0029] The two front fastening points 63 are located in front of the bead 21 of the front side member 20, and the two rear fastening points are located behind the bead 21. In other words, the front fastening points 63 are located in the deformation region of the front side member 20, and the rear fastening points 64 are located in the non-deformation region of the front side member 20. By providing the bead 21, the area in front of the bead 21 becomes a crushable zone. There is also a demand for locating the battery 30 in an area where it will not be crushed in a collision. However, if the battery 30 is located too far rearward from the bead 21 to avoid crushing it, the positional relationship with the cowl 10 may make it difficult to connect the battery cable. In response to this, by locating the front fastening points 63 in the deformation region and making them weak, it is possible to prevent the above-mentioned operability from being impaired while also preventing a short circuit in the battery 30 during a collision.

[0030] The vertical wall portion 67 is configured as a portion that connects the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 62. In this embodiment, the vertical wall portion 67 is formed so as to extend at an angle with respect to the height direction Z, but it may also be configured to extend along the height direction Z in a different manner as long as it can connect the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 62.

[0031] The vertical wall portion 67 has a notch shape C that is larger than the bolt head and is continuous with the notch shapes provided at the two front fastening points (see Figure 5). This makes it easier to remove the bolt from the front fastening point by rotating the battery tray 40 around the rear fastening point 64 in the event of an offset collision.

[0032] A controller ECM 70 is disposed as an electronic component. The ECM 70 is configured as a control component and, in this embodiment, is used to control the amount of fuel injected into the engine, for example. The ECM 70 is configured to be disposed on the hood ridge lower L above the front side member 20 and outside the battery 30, as shown in FIG. 1 . This allows the battery 30 to move relatively more by the ECM 70 when the front side member 20 and the battery 30 move toward the inside of the vehicle during a collision, making it easier to remove the fixing bolts at the front fastening points 63.

[0033] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The positions of the front fastening point 63 and the rear fastening point 64 may be positions other than those shown in FIG.

[0034] The following embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention: a vehicle structure as defined in claim 1 having the features of claim 2; a vehicle structure as defined in claim 1 or 2 having the features of claim 3; a vehicle structure as defined in claim 2 having the features of claim 4; a vehicle structure as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4 having the features of claim 5; and a vehicle structure as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4 having the features of claim 6. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 20 Front side member, 21 beads, 30 battery, 40 battery tray, 63 Front stop point (first stop point), 64 Rear fastening point (second fastening point), 65 inner stop point, 66 outer stop point, 70 ECM (electronic components), Y Vehicle width direction

Claims

1. a battery tray attached to a front side member of the vehicle and supporting a battery; the battery tray includes a first fastening point and a second fastening point that is located at a position different from the first fastening point in the front-rear direction as fastening points to the front side member, The vehicle structure wherein the first fastening point is weaker than the second fastening point.

2. the battery tray is disposed inside the front side member in the vehicle width direction, The vehicle structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first fastening point is formed in a U-shape facing outward in the vehicle width direction.

3. 2. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein electronic components are disposed above the front side members and outside the battery.

4. The first fastening point has an inner fastening point and an outer fastening point in the vehicle width direction, 3. The vehicle structure of claim 2, wherein the width of the U-shape at the inner stop point is wider than the width of the U-shape at the outer stop point.

5. The front side member includes a bent bead, The first stop point is located in front of the bead, 4. A vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the second anchoring point is provided behind the bead.

6. the first fastening point is provided in a deformation region of the front side member, 4. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the second fastening point is provided in a non-deformable region of the front side member.

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