Vehicle structure of electric vehicles

Abstract

In the event of a vehicle collision, it protects vehicle components such as brake lines, electrical wiring, drive shafts, and exhaust pipes. [Solution] In an electric vehicle structure, a battery 10 is provided under the floor of the vehicle body 1, and the battery 10 has portions that are divided and arranged in a left battery area 11a and a right battery area 11b in the width direction of the vehicle body, one or more vehicle equipment E selected from brake piping, electrical wiring, drive shaft and exhaust pipe are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 1 in the space between the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b, and a bracket 20 is attached to the vehicle equipment E to restrict approach to the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b or either thereof in the event of a collision.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] This invention relates to the vehicle structure of an electric vehicle equipped with a battery.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, electric vehicles equipped with an electric motor as a driving source for running have become widespread. Electric vehicles use the electrical energy stored in a battery as the driving force for running. Electric vehicles include electric vehicles (Electric Vehicle) equipped only with an electric motor as a driving source for running, hybrid vehicles (Hybrid Vehicle) that use both an engine and an electric motor as driving sources for running, fuel cell vehicles (fuel-cell vehicle) equipped with a fuel cell, and the like.

[0003] In these electric vehicles, a structure in which a battery is mounted under the floor of the vehicle body is common. The battery has a portion divided into a left battery region part and a right battery region part with respect to the width direction of the vehicle body, and brake pipes, electrical wiring, etc. may be arranged in the space between the left battery region part and the right battery region part. In the case of a rear-wheel drive vehicle, a propeller shaft or the like may be arranged in the space between the left battery region part and the right battery region part. Furthermore, in the case of a hybrid vehicle, an exhaust pipe or the like may also be arranged in that space.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0006] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to protect vehicle equipment such as brake lines, electrical wiring, drive shafts, and exhaust pipes in the event of a vehicle collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, this invention provides a vehicle structure for an electric vehicle in which a battery is provided under the floor of the vehicle body, and the battery has portions that are divided into a left battery area and a right battery area in the width direction of the vehicle body, wherein one or more vehicle equipment selected from brake lines, electrical wiring, drive shafts and exhaust pipes are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body in the space between the left battery area and the right battery area, and brackets that restrict proximity to the left battery area and the right battery area or either thereof in the event of a collision are attached to the vehicle equipment (Configuration 1).

[0008] In configuration 1, a configuration can be adopted in which a holding portion is provided in the left battery area portion and the right battery area portion or either thereof to hold the bracket when the bracket approaches during a collision (configuration 2).

[0009] In configuration 1 or configuration 2, the bracket may have a hollow section inside (configuration 3).

[0010] In any one of configurations 1 to 3, a configuration can be adopted in which an impact energy absorbing material with lower strength than the bracket is provided on the inside in the width direction of the vehicle body in the left battery area and the right battery area or either thereof, or on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle body in the left battery area and the right battery area or either thereof. (Configuration 4)

[0011] In any one of configurations 1 to 4, the left battery area and the right battery area, or either thereof, may be provided with a cross member extending in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the bracket and the cross member may be configured to have overlapping positions with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle body (configuration 5). [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this invention, vehicle equipment such as brake lines, electrical wiring, drive shafts, and exhaust pipes can be protected in the event of a vehicle collision. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of an electric vehicle (vehicle) equipped with the vehicle structure of an embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2A] This is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle structure of the electric vehicle in this embodiment. [Figure 2B] This is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle structure after a side collision. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the main components showing the positional relationship between the battery and vehicle equipment (exhaust pipe). [Figure 4] This is a plan view of the main components showing the positional relationship between the battery and the vehicle equipment (exhaust pipe). [Figure 5A] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the bracket. [Figure 5B] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the bracket. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of this invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram conceptually showing an electric vehicle A (hereinafter referred to as vehicle A) having the vehicle structure of this embodiment.

[0015] This vehicle A is a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine 3 and an electric motor 7 as power sources for driving force. The control device of vehicle A includes a battery (secondary battery) 10 that supplies power to the electric motor 7, an inverter that converts the power from the battery 10 into characteristics corresponding to the electric motor 7, a generator (alternator) that generates electricity by the rotation of the engine 3, and the like.

[0016] Vehicle A can select each operation mode of an electric driving mode using only the electric motor 7 as a power source, a series mode using only the electric motor 7 as a power source and simultaneously operating the engine 3 to supply power to the battery 10 and the electric motor 7, and a parallel mode using both the engine 3 and the electric motor 7 or only the engine 3 as a power source.

[0017] The engine 3 includes an intake passage that sends intake air into the combustion chamber and an exhaust passage that sends exhaust out from the combustion chamber. The exhaust passage includes an exhaust manifold connected to an exhaust port in the cylinder head and an exhaust pipe extending downstream from the exhaust manifold. An exhaust purification device and a muffler are provided in the middle of the exhaust pipe.

[0018] The battery 10 is provided under the floor of the vehicle body 1. The battery 10 is configured by housing a large number of cells and necessary control units in a flat rectangular parallelepiped battery pack along the lower surface of the floor.

[0019] The battery 10 is divided and arranged into a left battery region part 11a which is a part located on the left side facing the front of the vehicle body 1 in the width direction of the vehicle body 1 (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle width direction), and a right battery region part 11b which is a part located on the right side facing the front of the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 2B, the floor member 5 of the vehicle body 1 includes flat parts 5b provided on the left and right with respect to the vehicle width direction, and a saddle-shaped part 5a provided between the left and right flat parts 5b. The saddle-shaped part 5a has an arc shape protruding upward from the left and right flat parts 5b, and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as the front-rear direction). Side sills 6 are connected to the outer ends 5c of the left and right flat parts 5b respectively. The side sill 6 has a longitudinal hollow part extending in the front-rear direction, and constitutes a part of the vehicle body 1 together with the floor member 5.

[0020] The left battery region part 11a and the right battery region part 11b are respectively fixed to the left and right flat parts 5b. Therefore, a longitudinal space extending in the front-rear direction exists between the left battery region part 11a and the right battery region part 11b directly below the saddle-shaped part 5a.

[0021] The left battery region part 11a and the right battery region part 11b are respectively supported by a base member 12 made of a plate-like member. The outer ends of the base member 12 in the vehicle width direction are fixed to the side sill 6 via bolts 13, and the inner ends are fixed to the saddle-shaped part 5a or the flat part 5b via bolts 14. In the embodiment, the bolt 14 at the inner end is inserted vertically with respect to a rising part 16 provided at the inner end of the base member 12 in the vehicle width direction, and is screwed and fixed to a mounting part 5d provided on the lower surface of the floor member 5. The movement of the battery 10 toward the center in the vehicle width direction is restricted by the rising part 16 at the inner end, and the movement of the battery 10 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction is restricted by a rising part 15 provided at the outer end in the vehicle width direction.

[0022] In the space between the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b, longitudinal vehicle equipment E (relatively small diameter equipment indicated by the symbol e2 in Figures 2A and 2B; hereinafter referred to as small-diameter vehicle equipment e2) such as brake lines and electrical wiring, and longitudinal vehicle equipment E (relatively large diameter equipment indicated by the symbol e1 in Figures 2A and 2B; hereinafter referred to as large-diameter vehicle equipment e1) such as drive shafts and exhaust pipes are arranged along the longitudinal direction. Gaps exist between the vehicle equipment E and the side surface of the left battery area 11a, and between the vehicle equipment E and the side surface of the right battery area 11b. These gaps exist continuously along the longitudinal direction.

[0023] When a vehicle collides with some kind of obstacle, if the floor member 5 of the vehicle body 1 deforms, the space between the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b will shrink, and there is a risk that the battery 10 will collide with the vehicle equipment E. Therefore, in this invention, a bracket 20 is attached to the vehicle equipment E to restrict its proximity to the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b during a collision. The bracket 20 restricts the proximity of the vehicle equipment E and the battery 10 during a collision. This prevents damage to the vehicle equipment E during a collision.

[0024] Here, one could also consider a method to restrict the proximity of the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b by extending and connecting the inner end of the base member 12 supporting the left battery area 11a and the inner end of the base member 12 supporting the right battery area 11b. However, covering the lower part of the vehicle equipment E with the base member 12 may reduce the heat dissipation effect. In particular, if the vehicle equipment E is an exhaust pipe, ensuring heat dissipation is important. For this reason, it is advantageous to provide a bracket 20 on the vehicle equipment E, as in this invention. Furthermore, if it is not necessary to cover the lower part of the vehicle equipment E with the base member 12, it is not necessary to remove the battery 10 from the vehicle body 1 when replacing components of the vehicle equipment E, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the bracket 20 of the embodiment has a trapezoidal cross-section, comprising an inclined portion 22a that slopes upward from the upper end of the vertical end face portion 22c on the outer side in the vehicle width direction toward the center in the vehicle width direction, and an inclined portion 22b that slopes downward from the lower end of the end face portion 22c toward the center in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, because the bracket 20 has a tapered shape toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction, contact with the battery 10 is limited to a specific area. As a result, the transmission of load between the bracket 20 and the side surface of the left battery area portion 11a, and between the bracket 20 and the side surface of the right battery area portion 11b, is reliable.

[0026] Furthermore, the bracket 20 of this embodiment has a hollow portion 20a inside. As a result, the bracket 20 is more easily deformed and can absorb impact energy more efficiently.

[0027] The material of the bracket 20 can be freely selected as long as the required strength and durability are ensured; for example, metal, resin, rubber, etc., can be used.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b are provided with impact energy absorbing material (EA material) that is weaker than the bracket 20 on the side surface facing the bracket 20. In this embodiment, the rising portion 16 is made of impact energy absorbing material, but the impact energy absorbing material may also be attached to the side surface of the rising portion 16 (the side surface on the vehicle equipment E side). By providing the impact energy absorbing material, the energy of the impact can be absorbed more efficiently, and if there is an input exceeding that, the bracket 20 can also absorb the energy.

[0029] Furthermore, impact energy absorbing material is also provided on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the left battery area 11a and the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the right battery area 11b. Therefore, it can exert a similar effect in the event of a collision. In this embodiment, the impact energy absorbing material on the outer side in the vehicle width direction is made up of the side sill 6, but impact energy absorbing material may be provided separately from the side sill 6.

[0030] While well-known materials can be used as shock energy absorbers, for example, metal components with hollow interiors or other foamed resin components can be employed.

[0031] To explain the action during a collision, when there is a lateral input to the vehicle body 1 (an input of a collision load to the side of the vehicle body 1), the side of the left battery area 11a and the vehicle equipment E, and the side of the right battery area 11b and the vehicle equipment E, each come into contact via the bracket 20, and the vehicle equipment E is sandwiched between the batteries 10 on both sides in the vehicle width direction and absorbs energy. As a result, the amount of deformation of the vehicle body 1 is reduced, and the intrusion of obstacles into the vehicle body 1 can be suppressed. At this time, the impact energy absorbing material attached to the battery 10 on the obstacle B side absorbs the collision energy and contributes to mitigating the impact G. Subsequently, if the vehicle equipment E in the center in the vehicle width direction deforms, the impact energy absorbing material attached to the battery 10 on the opposite side of obstacle B contributes to further energy absorption. Since the EA stroke in the vehicle width direction is increased compared to conventional designs, the damage caused by the impact G to the battery pack and occupants can be reduced.

[0032] Furthermore, in the embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, cross members 13 extending in the vehicle width direction are provided inside the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b, respectively. The cross members 13 are provided within the body that constitutes the battery pack and connect the rising portion 16 at the inner end in the vehicle width direction and the rising portion 15 at the outer end in the vehicle width direction.

[0033] Here, the bracket 20 and the cross member 13 are set to have overlapping positions in the longitudinal direction (see Figure 4). Therefore, when there is a lateral impact on the vehicle body 1 during a collision, the impact load is transmitted through the cross member 13 in the battery pack. As a result, the impact load is more easily transmitted to the bracket 20, and the cells in the battery pack can be protected more reliably.

[0034] In Figure 4, the width of the bracket 20 in the front-rear direction is shown to be wider than the width of the cross member 13 in the front-rear direction, and the range of the cross member 13 in the front-rear direction is completely included within the range of the bracket 20 in the front-rear direction. However, the bracket 20 and the cross member 13 may be configured to partially overlap each other in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the width of the bracket 20 in the front-rear direction and the width of the cross member 13 in the front-rear direction can be freely increased or decreased according to the specifications.

[0035] As a method of manufacturing the bracket 20, for example, methods such as sheet metal forming, extrusion forming, and casting can be employed. The examples in Figures 5A and 5B show a structure 21 in which the bracket 20 is made from an extruded product. The fact that a hollow portion 20a is set inside is the same as in the example in Figure 3 described above. An extruded material is a metal that has been plastically processed, and is formed into a desired shape by passing heated metal through a die mold and extruding it. Specifically, for example, an aluminum extruded material can be used. In addition to extrusion forming, it is also possible to form the bracket 20 by rolling or drawing. It is also possible to make the bracket 20 a cast product. In the example in Figure 3, the bracket 20 was made as a sheet metal structure 21 formed by combining metal plate-shaped members and welding them together, but it is also possible to make it as an extruded product or a cast product as described above. Furthermore, although the structure is complex, it is also possible to make the bracket 20 in Figures 5A and 5B as a sheet metal structure 21.

[0036] The bracket 20 shown in Figures 5A and 5B has a trapezoidal cross-section and comprises a vertical end face portion 22c on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, an inclined portion 22a that slopes upward from the upper end of the end face portion 22c toward the center in the vehicle width direction, an inclined portion 22b that slopes downward from the lower end of the end face portion 22c toward the center in the vehicle width direction, and a base portion 25 that is connected to both inclined portions 22a and 22b and fixed to the vehicle equipment E. Since the vehicle equipment E in this embodiment is an exhaust pipe and has a circular cross-section, the base portion 25 has a cylindrical shape that fits around the outer circumference of the circular cross-section vehicle equipment E. The base portion 25 is fixed to the vehicle equipment E with a pin 26. Also, looking only at the end face portion 22c and the two inclined portions 22a and 22b, the cross-section is U-shaped, which is the same as in the example in Figure 3.

[0037] Furthermore, the bracket 20 is provided with a first reinforcing section 23 having a V-shaped cross-section, comprising an oblique member 23b connecting the upper inclined section 22a and the base 25, and a lateral member 23a connecting the end face 22c and the base 25. The connection point between the oblique member 23b and the base 25 and the connection point between the lateral member 23a and the base 25 are the same point. In addition, a first reinforcing section 23 is also provided below, and the lower first reinforcing section 23 has a V-shaped cross-section, comprising an oblique member 23b connecting the lower inclined section 22b and the base 25, and a lateral member 23a connecting the end face 22c and the base 25. Between the upper reinforcing section 23 and the lower reinforcing section 23, a second reinforcing section 24 is provided, which is made of a flat member extending laterally. The strength of the bracket 20 is ensured by these first reinforcing sections 23 and the second reinforcing section 24, and a hollow section 20a is secured by forming a gap between these members.

[0038] In the embodiments shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b are provided with holding parts 40 that hold the bracket 20 when it approaches during a collision. Therefore, when the vehicle equipment E and the battery 10 come into close proximity during a collision, the battery 10 can hold the vehicle equipment E. This creates a so-called energy path that distributes the collision energy along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle equipment E. As a result, the impact acting on each part can be mitigated.

[0039] The holding portion 40 of the embodiment is composed of an L-shaped member attached to the rising portion 16. The L-shaped holding portion 40 is composed of a fixing portion 42 that contacts the side surface of the rising portion 16 and a protruding portion 41 that extends laterally from the fixing portion 42. The fixing portion 42 is fixed to the rising portion 16 by a pin 43.

[0040] With this configuration including the retaining part 40, in the event of a collision, the bracket 20 of the vehicle equipment E and the right-side battery area 11b will be in contact in at least three directions, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 5A. This three-way contact allows the retaining part 40 to more reliably grasp the bracket 20 (vehicle equipment E). Furthermore, assuming three-way contact, the load transmission is distributed, allowing the cross-section of the bracket 20 to be made slimmer. This can therefore contribute to improved productivity.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5A, the bracket 20 of the vehicle equipment E comes into contact with the right battery area 11b, and then, as shown in Figure 5B, the left battery area 11b comes into contact with the bracket 20 of the vehicle equipment E. Because the vehicle equipment E is sandwiched and braced between the batteries 10 on both sides, the amount of deformation of the vehicle body 1 is reduced, and the amount of intrusion of the obstacle B into the vehicle body 1 can be suppressed. At this time, the aforementioned impact energy absorbing material mitigates the impact G, further reducing the amount of intrusion of the obstacle B, and then the deformation of the vehicle equipment E further absorbs collision energy.

[0042] In the above embodiment, brackets 20 are provided on both the left battery area 11a side and the right battery area 11b side of the vehicle equipment E. However, the brackets 20 can achieve the predetermined effect if they are provided on either the left battery area 11a side or the right battery area 11b side of the vehicle equipment E. Similarly, the impact energy absorbing material is provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction in both the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b. However, the impact energy absorbing material can achieve the predetermined effect if it is provided on at least one side in the vehicle width direction.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the battery 10 is configured to be divided into a left battery area 11a and a right battery area 11b along its entire length in the front-to-rear direction. However, the portion of the battery 10 that is divided into the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b may be the entire battery 10 in the front-to-rear direction, or only a part of it. For example, the battery 10 may be divided into the left battery area 11a and the right battery area 11b only towards the rear in the front-to-rear direction, and may be an undivided, integrated battery 10 towards the front in the front-to-rear direction.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the configuration of this invention was explained using an exhaust pipe as an example of vehicle equipment E. However, vehicle equipment E may also be small-diameter vehicle equipment e2 such as brake piping or electrical wiring, or a drive shaft (propeller shaft) may be set as large-diameter vehicle equipment e1 other than an exhaust pipe. The drive shaft (propeller shaft) is also used when the rear wheels are the drive wheels.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the configuration of the present invention was described using a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine 3 and a motor 7 as the power source for driving force as an example. However, this hybrid vehicle may also be, for example, a plug-in hybrid vehicle equipped with an external charging device having an external charging function and an external power supply device having an external power supply function. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to various electric vehicles other than hybrid vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EVs) equipped only with an electric motor as the driving source, and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) equipped with a fuel cell, in which the battery 10 is mounted under the floor member 5. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Vehicle body 10 batteries 11a Left side battery area 11b Right-side battery area 13 Crossmember 20 brackets 20a Hollow part 40 Holding part E. Vehicle Equipment

Claims

1. In a vehicle structure for an electric vehicle, the battery is located under the floor of the vehicle body, and the battery is divided into a left battery area and a right battery area in the width direction of the vehicle body, A vehicle structure for an electric vehicle, wherein one or more vehicle components selected from brake lines, electrical wiring, drive shafts, and exhaust pipes are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body in the space between the left battery area and the right battery area, and brackets are attached to the vehicle components to restrict their proximity to the left battery area and the right battery area or either of them in the event of a collision.

2. The vehicle structure of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a holding portion is provided in the left battery area and / or the right battery area, or either thereof, to hold the bracket when the bracket approaches during a collision.

3. The vehicle structure of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the bracket has a hollow portion inside.

4. The vehicle structure of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an impact energy absorbing material with lower strength than the bracket is provided on the inside in the width direction of the vehicle body, either on the left battery area or the right battery area or either on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle body.

5. The vehicle structure of an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the left battery area and the right battery area, or either thereof, are provided with a cross member extending in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the bracket and the cross member overlap in position with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

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