Vehicle frame structure

Abstract

The goal is to obtain a vehicle frame structure that provides ample space for battery installation while also protecting the battery in the event of a side collision. [Solution] The vehicle frame structure includes a frame body 30 provided at the end in the vehicle width direction and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and equipped with energy absorption parts 30E1, 30E2, 30E3, and 30E4, and a frame part 32 provided on the inside of the frame body 30 in the vehicle width direction, integrally formed with the frame body 30, extending downward from the frame body 30, and constituting the side frame of the battery case 10 that houses the battery BT.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document disclosed a configuration in which a battery stack (battery) is disposed between a rocker, which is a skeletal member of a vehicle body, and a center tunnel. Specifically, by disposing the battery stack within a frame formed by the left and right rockers, a front cross member, and a rear cross member, a mounting space for the battery stack is widely secured without creating a dead space.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the structure described in Patent Document 1, the collision load input to the rocker during a side collision of the vehicle is input to the battery. Therefore, there is room for improvement in protecting the battery during a side collision while widely securing the mounting space for the battery.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle skeletal structure that can protect a battery during a side collision while widely securing the mounting space for the battery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1 comprises a frame body portion provided at the end in the vehicle width direction and extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and having an energy absorption portion; and a frame portion provided on the inside of the frame body portion in the vehicle width direction, integrally formed with the frame body portion, extending downward from the frame body portion, and constituting a side frame of a battery case that houses a battery.

[0007] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, a frame body is provided at the end in the vehicle width direction, and this frame body extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The frame body also includes an energy absorption section. A frame section is provided on the inside of the frame body in the vehicle width direction, and the frame section is integrally formed with the frame body and extends downward from the frame body. Here, the frame section constitutes the side frame of the battery case that houses the battery. This allows for a wider battery mounting space compared to the case where the side frame of the battery case is separately placed inside the vehicle frame.

[0008] Furthermore, because the main frame is equipped with an energy absorption section, in the event of a side collision with a vehicle, at least a portion of the collision load is absorbed by the energy absorption section, thereby suppressing the input of the collision load to the frame.

[0009] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 2 is as described in claim 1, wherein a floor cross member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided inside the frame body portion in the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle width direction end of the floor cross member is fixed to the frame body portion.

[0010] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 2, the vehicle width-direction end of the floor cross member is fixed to the frame body. Therefore, collision loads input to the frame body can be transmitted to the floor cross member, and collision loads input from the frame to the battery can be suppressed.

[0011] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in claim 2, the upper end of the frame portion is fixed to the lower end of the floor cross member.

[0012] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 3, the upper end of the frame is fixed to the lower end of the floor cross member. Therefore, the collision load applied to the frame can be transmitted to the floor cross member, and the application of the collision load to the battery can be suppressed.

[0013] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 4 further comprises, in claim 1, a front cross member provided on the inside in the vehicle width direction at the front end of the frame portion and extending in the vehicle width direction, a rear cross member provided on the inside in the vehicle width direction at the rear end of the frame portion and extending in the vehicle width direction, and a share panel attached to the lower surface of the frame portion, the lower surface of the front cross member, and the lower surface of the rear cross member to support the battery from below.

[0014] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 4, a battery frame can be formed by a front cross member, a rear cross member, and a frame portion to protect the battery.

[0015] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 5 is configured in claim 1, wherein the energy absorption portion includes a plurality of body-side hollow portions provided inside the frame body portion, the frame portion extends downward from the lower end and inner end in the vehicle width direction of the frame body portion, and inside the frame portion there is a frame-side hollow portion that extends in the vehicle vertical direction and at least a portion of which overlaps with the body-side hollow portion when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0016] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 5, collision energy can be absorbed by the collapse of multiple hollow sections on the body side provided inside the main frame section. Similarly, collision energy can be absorbed by the collapse of hollow sections on the frame side provided inside the frame section. Furthermore, since the hollow sections on the frame side overlap with the hollow sections on the body side when viewed from the vehicle width direction, collision energy input from the frame section to the battery during a side collision can be absorbed by both the hollow sections on the body side and the hollow sections on the frame side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, according to the vehicle skeleton structure according to the present invention, while ensuring a wide mounting space for the battery, the battery can be protected during a side collision.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle skeleton structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view showing a state cut along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] The vehicle skeleton structure according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of a vehicle V to which a vehicle skeleton structure according to an embodiment is applied. In the figure, the arrows FR, UP, and RH respectively indicate the vehicle front direction, vehicle upper direction, and vehicle left direction in the vehicle V. In the following description, when the directions of front and rear, up and down, and left and right are used without special mention, the front and rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, the up and down in the vehicle up-down direction, and the left and right in the vehicle left-right direction (width direction) are respectively indicated.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle V of the present embodiment includes a battery BT. The battery BT is disposed at the lower part of the vehicle V and is supported by the shared panel 20. The battery BT is, for example, a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are accommodated. In the present embodiment, as an example, eight batteries BT are arranged, but the number of batteries BT mounted on the vehicle V is not particularly limited. The eight batteries BT are electrically connected to a drive motor (not shown) and are used as a secondary battery capable of storing electric power for supplying to the drive motor.

[0022] Note that as the vehicle V, in addition to a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) that uses only a drive motor as a drive source, it can be widely applied to vehicles that utilize electric power as at least a part of the drive source, such as a hybrid vehicle (HV: Hybrid Vehicle) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle).

[0023] The battery BT is housed inside the battery case 10. The battery case 10 is configured to include a battery frame 11 formed in a substantially frame shape, and the battery frame 11 is configured to include a pair of left and right rockers 12, a front cross member 14, and a rear cross member 16.

[0024] The rockers 12 are provided at both ends in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction respectively. Details of the rockers 12 will be described later.

[0025] The front cross member 14 is provided at the front part of the vehicle and extends in the vehicle width direction to connect the front ends of the left and right rockers 12 in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the front cross member 14 is formed into a closed cross-section structure with a substantially rectangular cross-section by a steel plate or the like, and the right end portion of the front cross member 14 is joined to the rocker 12 arranged on the right side. Also, the left end portion of the front cross member 14 is joined to the rocker 12 arranged on the left side.

[0026] Note that the joining method between the front cross member 14 and the rocker 12 is not particularly limited. For example, both end portions of the front cross member 14 and the rocker 12 may be joined by welding such as spot welding. Also, both end portions of the front cross member 14 and the rocker 12 may be joined using fasteners such as bolts, nuts, and rivets.

[0027] Also, the front cross member 14 may be integrally formed by metal extrusion molding and casting in addition to a steel plate. The same applies to the rear cross member 16 described later.

[0028] The rear cross member 16 is located at the rear of the vehicle and extends in the vehicle width direction, connecting the rear ends of the left and right rockers 12 in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the rear cross member 16 is formed from steel plate or the like into a closed cross section structure with a substantially rectangular cross section, and the right end of the rear cross member 16 is joined to the rocker 12 located on the right side. Also, the left end of the rear cross member 16 is joined to the rocker 12 located on the left side.

[0029] Between the front cross member 14 and the rear cross member 16, there are two floor cross members 18 that extend in the vehicle width direction. The floor cross members 18 have a closed cross section structure with a substantially rectangular cross section, similar to the floor cross member 18 and the rear cross member 16, and the right end of the floor cross member 18 is directly or indirectly joined to the rocker 12. The left end of the floor cross member 18 is also directly or indirectly joined to the rocker 12.

[0030] The share panel 20 supporting the battery BT is mounted on the underside of the rocker 12, the underside of the front cross member 14, and the underside of the rear cross member 16.

[0031] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the state when cut along line 2-2 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the rocker 12 is composed of a skeletal main body portion 30 located on the outside in the vehicle width direction and a frame portion 32 located on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the skeletal main body portion 30.

[0032] The main frame portion 30 has a roughly rectangular outer perimeter 30A when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and an upper side wall 30B, a lower side wall 30C, and a vertical wall 30D are provided inside the outer perimeter 30A. The main frame portion 30 is integrally formed with the frame portion 32 by metal extrusion molding or the like.

[0033] The upper side wall 30B is located above the central portion of the frame body 30 in the vehicle's vertical direction, and divides the internal space of the frame body 30 vertically. Specifically, the right end of the upper side wall 30B is connected to the right inner wall of the frame body 30, and the left end of the upper side wall 30B is connected to the left inner wall of the frame body 30. As a result, a first body-side hollow portion 30E1 is provided between the upper part of the outer peripheral portion 30A of the frame body 30 and the upper side wall 30B.

[0034] The lower side wall 30C is located below the central part of the frame body 30 in the vehicle's vertical direction, and divides the internal space of the frame body 30 vertically. Specifically, the right end of the lower side wall 30C is connected to the right inner wall of the frame body 30, and the left end of the upper side wall 30B is connected to the left inner wall of the frame body 30.

[0035] The vertical wall 30D extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, with its upper end connected to the central part of the upper horizontal wall 30B in the vehicle width direction, and its lower end connected to the central part of the lower horizontal wall 30C in the vehicle width direction.

[0036] Here, a second body-side hollow section 30E2 is provided in the region enclosed by the left wall of the outer periphery of the main frame section 30, the upper side wall 30B, the lower side wall 30C, and the vertical wall 30D. Furthermore, a third body-side hollow section 30E3 is provided in the region enclosed by the right wall of the outer periphery of the main frame section 30, the upper side wall 30B, the lower side wall 30C, and the vertical wall 30D.

[0037] In this embodiment, as an example, the vertical wall 30D is arranged such that the second body-side hollow portion 30E2 and the third body-side hollow portion 30E3 are approximately the same size, but this is not limited to this configuration.

[0038] Below the second main body side hollow portion 30E2 and the third main body side hollow portion 30E3, a fourth main body side hollow portion 30E4 is provided in the region enclosed by the lower part of the outer peripheral portion 30A and the lower side wall 30C of the skeletal main body portion 30. In this embodiment, as an example, the fourth main body side hollow portion 30E4 is a larger space than the first main body side hollow portion 30E1, but it is not limited to this.

[0039] The first body-side hollow section 30E1, the second body-side hollow section 30E2, the third body-side hollow section 30E3, and the fourth body-side hollow section 30E4 provided in the frame body section 30 constitute an energy absorption section that absorbs at least a portion of the collision load by collapsing in the event of a side collision of the vehicle V. In the following description, when the first body-side hollow section 30E1, the second body-side hollow section 30E2, the third body-side hollow section 30E3, and the fourth body-side hollow section 30E4 are used without distinction, they will simply be referred to as "body-side hollow section 30E".

[0040] The frame portion 32 is located on the inside of the main frame portion 30 in the vehicle width direction and extends downward from the main frame portion. Here, the frame portion 32 constitutes the side frame of the battery case 10. In other words, the frame portion 32 in the rocker 12 constitutes the side frame of the battery case 10.

[0041] The frame portion 32 extends downward from the lower end and inner end in the vehicle width direction of the main skeletal body portion 30, and a frame-side hollow portion 32A extending in the vehicle vertical direction is provided inside the frame portion 32.

[0042] The frame-side hollow section 32A is formed to be elongated in the vertical direction of the vehicle when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and a portion of the frame-side hollow section 32A overlaps with the fourth main body-side hollow section 30E4 when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0043] Here, the battery case 10 includes a case upper 22. The case upper 22 is formed of metal in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and its vehicle width end abuts against the frame body 30 and curves upward toward the vehicle. The vehicle width end of the case upper 22 and the frame body 30 are mechanically fastened together by fasteners (not shown). Thus, in this embodiment, the case upper 22 functions as a floor panel, and therefore no separate floor panel is provided. Note that in Figure 1, the case upper 22 is omitted from the illustration for ease of explanation.

[0044] The floor cross member 18 is fixed to the upper surface of the case upper 22, and the vehicle width end of the floor cross member 18 is mechanically fastened to the frame body 30 by fasteners (not shown). Alternatively, a bracket may be provided between the floor cross member 18 and the frame body 30, and the floor cross member 18 and the frame body 30 may be joined via the bracket.

[0045] Furthermore, the floor cross member 18 is fixed to the upper end of the frame portion 32 via the case upper 22. Alternatively, the floor cross member 18 may be formed in a substantially hat shape in cross-section, and with the flange of the floor cross member 18 overlapping the case upper 22, the floor cross member 18 may be fastened together with the case upper 22 to the frame portion 32 using fasteners.

[0046] Furthermore, the share panel 20 is fixed to the lower surface of the frame portion 32. Specifically, the outer peripheral end 20A of the share panel 20 is located higher on the vehicle than other parts, and this outer peripheral end 20A is superimposed on the lower surface of the frame portion 32 and fastened to the frame portion 32 by fasteners (not shown).

[0047] (action) Next, the operation of the vehicle frame structure according to this embodiment will be explained.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, in a vehicle V to which the vehicle frame structure according to this embodiment is applied, a frame body portion 30 constituting the rocker 12 is provided at the end in the vehicle width direction, and this frame body portion 30 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a frame-shaped battery frame can be formed to protect the battery by the front cross member 14, the rear cross member 16, and the frame portion 32.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the main frame portion 30 is equipped with an energy absorption section inside, which includes a first main body side hollow portion 30E1, a second main body side hollow portion 30E2, a third main body side hollow portion 30E3, and a fourth main body side hollow portion 30E4. As a result, in the event of a side collision with a vehicle, the collision load is applied to the main frame portion 30, causing it to collapse and absorb the collision load.

[0051] Furthermore, a frame portion 32 is integrally provided on the inner side of the main frame portion 30 in the vehicle width direction, and the frame portion 32 extends downward from the main frame portion 30 to form the side frame of the battery case 10. This allows for a wider mounting space for the battery BT compared to the case where the side frame of the battery case is separately placed inside the frame of the vehicle V. In other words, it is possible to protect the battery BT in the event of a side collision while providing ample mounting space for the battery BT.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the vehicle width-direction end of the floor cross member 18 is fixed to the frame body 30, the collision load input to the frame body 30 can be transmitted to the floor cross member 18, thereby suppressing the transmission of the collision load from the frame 32 to the battery BT. In other words, the floor cross member 18 bears the collision load through the load path from the frame body 30 to the floor cross member 18, thus suppressing the transmission of the collision load from the frame 32 to the battery BT.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the upper end of the frame portion 32 is fixed to the lower end of the floor cross member 18, the collision load input to the frame portion 32 can be transmitted to the floor cross member 18, thereby suppressing the input of the collision load to the battery BT.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, collision energy can be absorbed by the collapse of the multiple hollow body portions 30E provided inside the skeletal main body portion 30. Similarly, collision energy can be absorbed by the collapse of the hollow frame portion 32A provided inside the frame portion 32.

[0055] Here, since the frame-side hollow section 32A overlaps with the fourth main body-side hollow section 30E4 when viewed from the vehicle width direction, the collision energy input from the frame section 32 to the battery BT during a side collision can be absorbed by both the main body-side hollow section 30E and the frame-side hollow section 32A.

[0056] The vehicle frame structure according to the present invention has been described above, but it goes without saying that it can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the energy absorption part is formed by four hollow body-side portions 30E provided in the frame body portion 30, but it is not limited to this, and a structure with other energy absorption parts may be provided. As an example, a separate energy absorption part made of foamed resin material or the like may be provided on the inside of the frame body portion of a closed cross-section structure. Alternatively, a separate energy absorption part may be provided on the outside of the frame body portion.

[0057] Furthermore, although four hollow sections 30E on the main body side are provided in the above embodiment, the structure is not limited to this, and the shape and size of the hollow sections 30E on the main body side may be changed. For example, the vertical wall 30D may be eliminated, and a structure with three hollow sections on the main body side in the vertical direction may be provided.

[0058] Furthermore, although the above embodiment includes a skeletal body portion 30 and a frame portion 32 to constitute the rocker 12, it is not limited to this. For example, a panel formed by pressing a rigid plate is provided on the outside of the skeletal body portion 30 and the frame portion 32, and the rocker may be constructed by covering a part of the skeletal body portion 30 and the frame portion 32 with the panel.

[0059] The following additional information is disclosed regarding the above embodiment.

[0060] (Note 1) A skeletal main body is provided at the end in the width direction of the vehicle and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is equipped with an energy absorption section, A frame portion provided on the inner side of the frame body in the vehicle width direction and integrally formed with the frame body, extending downward from the frame body, and constituting a side frame of a battery case that houses the battery, A vehicle frame structure having the following characteristics. (Note 2) A floor cross member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided further inward from the main frame portion in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle frame structure according to Appendix 1, wherein the vehicle width-direction end of the floor cross member is fixed to the frame body. (Note 3) The vehicle frame structure as described in Appendix 2, wherein the upper end of the frame portion is fixed to the lower end of the floor cross member. (Note 4) A front cross member is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction at the front end of the frame portion and extends in the vehicle width direction, A rear cross member is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction at the rear end of the frame portion and extends in the vehicle width direction, A share panel is attached to the lower surface of the frame portion, the lower surface of the front cross member, and the lower surface of the rear cross member to support the battery from below, A vehicle frame structure as described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 3, further comprising the above. (Note 5) The energy absorption section is composed of a plurality of body-side hollow sections provided inside the skeletal main body, The frame portion extends downward from the lower end and inner end in the vehicle width direction of the main skeletal body portion. The vehicle frame structure according to any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 4, wherein the frame portion is provided with a frame-side hollow portion that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle and at least a portion of which overlaps with the main body-side hollow portion when viewed from the vehicle width direction. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 10 Battery Cases 14 Front cross member 16 Rear cross member 18 Floor cross member 20 Share Panels 30 Skeleton main body 30E1, 30E2, 30E3, 30E4: Hollow section on the main body (energy absorption section) 32 Frame section 32A Hollow section on the frame side BT Battery

Claims

1. A skeletal main body is provided at the end in the width direction of the vehicle and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is equipped with an energy absorption section, A frame portion provided on the inner side of the frame body in the vehicle width direction and integrally formed with the frame body, extending downward from the frame body, and constituting a side frame of a battery case that houses the battery, A vehicle frame structure having the following characteristics.

2. A floor cross member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided further inward from the main frame portion in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle width direction end of the floor cross member is fixed to the frame body.

3. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 2, wherein the upper end of the frame portion is fixed to the lower end of the floor cross member.

4. A front cross member is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction at the front end of the frame portion and extends in the vehicle width direction, A rear cross member is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction at the rear end of the frame portion and extends in the vehicle width direction, A share panel is attached to the lower surface of the frame portion, the lower surface of the front cross member, and the lower surface of the rear cross member to support the battery from below, The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, further comprising the above.

5. The energy absorption section is composed of a plurality of body-side hollow sections provided inside the skeletal main body, The frame portion extends downward from the lower end and inner end in the vehicle width direction of the main skeletal body portion. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, wherein a frame-side hollow portion is provided inside the frame portion, which extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle and at least a portion of which overlaps with the main body-side hollow portion when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

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