Fixing structure and method for optional parts

Abstract

To provide a fixing structure for an optional component, capable of facilitating mounting of an optional component on a floor panel.SOLUTION: A fixing structure, used to fix an optional component 32 on a vehicular floor panel 22, is structured so that one or more brackets 36 are fastened on the floor panel 22, an inverter 32 serving as the optional component is installed on one or more brackets 36 directly or indirectly, and the bracket 36 has one or more fastening parts 52 and at least one fastening part 52 is fastened on the floor panel 22 by a single fastening member (for example, blind rivet) capable of fastening two or more members overlapped in a prescribed lamination direction only by the work from a single side in the lamination direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This specification discloses a fixing structure and a fixing method for fixing a predetermined optional part to a vehicle floor. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle is equipped with various parts, including optional parts that can be installed according to the user's wishes. Examples of such optional parts include an external power supply inverter for supplying power from the driving battery to external devices, and a dedicated controller for adding additional functions to the vehicle.

[0003] Some optional parts are fixed to the floor panel via a bracket. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for fixing an external power supply inverter, which is an optional part, to a rear floor via a bracket. Here, when the external power supply inverter is attached to the vehicle during the vehicle manufacturing stage, the bracket is welded to the floor panel by a welding machine installed in the vehicle manufacturing plant or the like, or fastened to the floor panel by bolts and nuts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-220782 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when an optional part such as an external power supply inverter is to be attached after the vehicle is completed, it is difficult to use welding or bolt fastening to fix the bracket to the floor panel. In other words, after the vehicle is completed and shipped from the vehicle manufacturing plant, the optional part is often installed at a vehicle dealer or vehicle repair shop. However, compared to vehicle production plants, vehicle dealers and vehicle repair shops often have insufficient equipment and do not have welding machines. Therefore, it is difficult to fix the bracket to the floor panel by welding after the vehicle is completed.

[0006] Furthermore, when fixing the bracket to the floor panel using bolts and nuts, it is necessary to place the nuts on the back side of the floor panel and then insert the bolts into the nuts from the front side. However, after the vehicle is completed, the floor panel is naturally fixed to the vehicle body and cannot be easily removed. In addition, the back side of the floor panel, i.e., the side opposite to the side where the bracket is attached, is often covered with other members such as a heat shielding plate. As a result, it is difficult to access the back side of the floor panel after the vehicle is completed, and it is difficult to fix the bracket to the floor panel using bolts and nuts.

[0007] Therefore, this specification discloses a fixing structure and a fixing method for an optional part that allows the optional part to be easily attached to a floor panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The fixing structure for optional parts disclosed in this specification is a fixing structure for optional parts that fixes an optional part to a floor panel of a vehicle, characterized in that one or more brackets are fastened to the floor panel, the optional parts are attached directly or indirectly to the one or more brackets, the brackets have one or more fastening portions, and at least one of the fastening portions is fastened to the floor panel by a one-sided fastening member that can fasten two or more components stacked in a predetermined stacking direction by working only from one side in the stacking direction.

[0009] By fastening the bracket to the floor panel using a one-sided fastening member, optional parts can be easily fixed to the floor panel even in environments where welding machines cannot be used.

[0010] In this case, the one-sided fastening member may be a blind rivet.

[0011] With blind rivets, the bracket can be easily fastened to the floor panel by working from one side using a riveter.

[0012] Also, a vibration-damping material may be disposed between the fastening portion and the floor panel.

[0013] With this configuration, noise caused by interference between the bracket and the floor panel can be effectively prevented.

[0014] In addition, the bracket may have one or more fixing holes for directly or indirectly attaching the optional part, and the fastening portions may be arranged on both horizontal sides of one of the fixing holes so that the two fastening portions straddle one of the fixing holes.

[0015] With this configuration, the bracket can be stably fastened to the floor panel with fewer steps.

[0016] In addition, a floor panel side fastening hole through which the one-sided fastening member passes is formed in a location of the floor panel corresponding to the fastening portion, and a sealing material may be arranged in the gap between the inner surface of the floor panel side fastening hole and the outer surface of the one-sided fastening member.

[0017] With this configuration, water can be effectively prevented from entering through the floor panel side fastening holes.

[0018] The optional part may further include a wire for fastening the optional part to the vehicle body.

[0019] In the event of a vehicle collision, etc., one of the fastening members may break, causing the bracket to separate from the floor panel. Even if the bracket separates from the floor panel, the provision of the above-mentioned wire can prevent the inverter from flying off.

[0020] In this case, the vehicle may further include a fastening part that is fastened to the vehicle body, and the wire may be fastened to the fastening part with a bolt.

[0021] The bolt has a relatively high strength and will not break even in a vehicle collision, so that the above-described configuration can maintain the connection between the wire and the fixed part even in a vehicle collision.

[0022] Furthermore, the wire may further have a fastening part fixed to the vehicle body, and the wire may have a loop or a perforated part, and the wire may be fixed to the vehicle body by winding the wire around the fastening part and passing the end of the winding through a hole in the loop or perforated part.

[0023] With this configuration, even if a bolt cannot be attached to the fixed part, the wire can be fixed to the fixed part.

[0024] The fixed part may also be located directly below the optional part.

[0025] With this configuration, the length of the wire can be kept short, and the amount of movement of the inverter relative to the floor panel in the event that the bracket separates from the floor panel can be kept small.

[0026] In addition, the wire may have a loop or a perforated part, and the wire may be fixed to the optional part by winding the wire around the optional part and passing the end of the wire through a hole in the loop or perforated part.

[0027] With this configuration, the wire and the optional part can be firmly connected.

[0028] Furthermore, the method of fixing an optional part to a floor panel of a vehicle disclosed in this specification comprises a bracket fastening step of fastening one or more brackets to the floor panel, and a part mounting step of directly or indirectly attaching the optional part to one or more of the brackets, wherein the brackets have one or more fastening portions, and at least one of the fastening portions is fastened to the floor panel by a one-sided fastening member that can fasten two or more components stacked in a predetermined stacking direction by working only from one side of the stacking direction.

[0029] By fastening the bracket to the floor panel using a one-sided fastening member, optional parts can be easily fixed to the floor panel even in environments where welding machines cannot be used.

[0030] In this case, the one-sided fastening member is a blind rivet, and the method may further include a fastening hole forming step prior to the bracket fastening step, of forming a bracket side fastening hole and a floor panel side fastening hole in the bracket and the floor panel through which the one-sided fastening member can pass, and a step of applying at least one of anti-rust treatment, vibration-damping treatment, and waterproofing treatment to the areas around the bracket side fastening hole and floor side fastening hole.

[0031] With blind rivets, the bracket can be easily fastened to the floor panel from one side using a riveter. After the fastening holes are formed, problems that arise when forming the fastening holes can be reduced by performing at least one of the following treatments: anti-rust treatment, vibration-damping treatment, and waterproofing treatment. Effect of the Invention

[0032] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, optional parts can be easily attached to a floor panel. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of optional parts. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a fixing operation of an inverter. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state of the area around the area where the inverter will be installed before the inverter is installed. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state of positioning of an additional unit. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing how fastening holes are formed in the bracket and the floor panel. FIG. [Figure 8A] 13 is a diagram showing the positions of bracket-side fastening holes formed in the first bracket. FIG. [Figure 8B] 13 is a diagram showing the positions of bracket-side fastening holes formed in the second bracket. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the processing performed around the fastening hole. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing fastening using a blind rivet. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of another fixing structure. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a connection form between a wire and a tire clamp. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a connection between a wire and an inverter. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another example of a connection form between the wire and the inverter. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another example of a connection form between the wire and the tire clamp. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing fastening using a pierce screw. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Hereinafter, a structure and method for fixing optional parts to a completed vehicle 10 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of optional parts. In the example of Fig. 1, a 1500W inverter 32 for supplying electric power from a driving battery to external devices is fixed to the completed vehicle 10 as an optional part.

[0035] Here, the completed vehicle 10 means a vehicle that has completed all manufacturing processes at the vehicle manufacturing plant and is shipped from the vehicle manufacturing plant. Therefore, a vehicle owned by a user corresponds to a "completed vehicle." In addition, a vehicle that has been shipped from a vehicle manufacturing plant to a dealership and has not yet been fitted with options (so-called "dealer options") specified by the customer to the dealership also corresponds to a "completed vehicle."

[0036] 1, the inverter 32, which is an optional part, is disposed under the floor of the luggage space 12. As is well known, the luggage space 12 is a space provided behind the rear seat 14, and is a space for accommodating the user's luggage, etc. A plurality of panels are disposed under the floor of this luggage space 12.

[0037] Specifically, a toolbox panel 18 having a recess for accommodating tools, a plastic panel 20, a floor panel 22, and a heat shield 24 are laminated at intervals below the design panel 16 that constitutes the floor surface of the luggage space 12. Of these, the design panel 16, the toolbox panel 18, and the plastic panel 20 are designed to be easily detachable from the vehicle as needed. On the other hand, the floor panel 22 and the heat shield 24 are not intended to be removed from the vehicle on a daily basis, and removing them requires complicated and time-consuming work.

[0038] The floor panel 22 is a panel member made of metal. A recess 22a is formed in the floor panel 22 for accommodating a spare tire (not shown). In this example, the inverter 32 is fixed to the recess 22a. When the inverter 32 is attached, the spare tire is naturally removed from the recess 22a and stored in another location inside or outside the vehicle.

[0039] When fixing the inverter 32, as described in detail below, first a bracket (not shown in FIG. 1) is fastened to the floor panel 22, and then the inverter 32 is attached to the bracket via a retainer (not shown in FIG. 1). Therefore, when the inverter 32 is attached, the inverter 32, the retainer, and the bracket are additionally mounted on the completed vehicle 10. Hereinafter, the additionally mounted inverter 32, the retainer, and the bracket are referred to as the "additional unit 30."

[0040] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the additional unit 30, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the additional unit 30. The inverter 32 has a generally box-shaped housing. A first retainer 34a and a second retainer 34b are attached to the rear end surface of the inverter 32, and a third retainer 34c is attached to the front bottom surface of the inverter 32, each via a fastening member such as a bolt (not shown). In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the first retainer 34a, the second retainer 34b, and the third retainer 34c, the subscripted letters will be omitted and they will be referred to as "retainers 34."

[0041] Each of the retainers 34 is a member made of a metal material, and connects the inverter 32 to brackets 36a, 36b, which will be described later. Fixing holes 40 are formed in the retainer 34 at locations where the retainer 34 overlaps with the bracket 36, and the retainer 34 and the brackets 36a, 36b are fastened with bolts through the fixing holes 40. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the first retainer 34a and the second retainer 34b are substantially L-shaped metal fittings having two surfaces that are perpendicular to each other. The third retainer 34c is a flat metal fitting.

[0042] A first bracket 36a and a second bracket 36b are disposed on the front and rear sides of the inverter 32. When there is no need to distinguish between the first bracket 36a and the second bracket 36b, they will simply be referred to as "bracket 36." Both brackets 36 are members made of a metal material, and are fastened to the floor panel 22 (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) with rivets 70 (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). The brackets 36 are not provided exclusively for fixing the inverter 32, but are instead brackets used to fix other components.

[0043] Although there are slight differences in shape between the first bracket 36a and the second bracket 36b, they basically have a base portion 46 that bulges upward and a flange portion 48 that projects horizontally from the lower end of the base portion 46. A fixing hole 44 is formed in the upper surface of the base portion 46. When assembling the inverter 32, the fixing hole 40 of the retainer 34 is aligned with the fixing hole 44 of the bracket 36, and the retainer 34 and the bracket 36 are fastened together with bolts that are inserted through the fixing holes 40, 44.

[0044] A plurality of locally recessed recesses 50 are formed in the flange portion 48. When the bracket 36 is placed on the floor panel 22, the recesses 50 come into contact with the floor panel 22. In this example, bracket side fastening holes 54 are formed in some of the plurality of recesses 50, and the bracket 36 is fastened to the floor panel 22 via the bracket side fastening holes 54. Therefore, the recesses 50 in which the bracket side fastening holes 54 are formed function as fastening portions 52 that are fastened to the floor panel 22.

[0045] Here, the recessed portion 50 is formed regardless of the shapes of the inverter 32 and the retainer 34. That is, as described above, the bracket 36 of this example is not designed for fixing the inverter 32, but is originally used for fixing other components. When manufacturing a vehicle, the recessed portion 50 of the bracket 36 is welded to the vehicle body, etc., and other components are further connected to the bracket after welding. Therefore, the bracket 36 is not designed according to the shapes of the inverter 32 and the retainer 34, and some recessed portions 50 are not used for fastening the bracket 36. When fixing the inverter 32 to the completed vehicle 10, the worker selects a recessed portion 50 suitable for fixing the inverter 32 from among the multiple recessed portions 50, and uses the recessed portion 50 as a fastening portion 52. The selection criteria for the fastening portion 52 will be described in detail later.

[0046] Here, the completed vehicle 10 is a vehicle shipped from a vehicle manufacturing plant, as described above. The fixing work of fixing the inverter 32 to the completed vehicle 10 is usually performed in a maintenance shop attached to a vehicle dealership, a vehicle repair shop, or the like. Since welding is hardly used in vehicle maintenance and repair, such maintenance shops and repair shops often do not have welding machines. In addition, as described above, in the case of the completed vehicle 10, the floor panel 22 and the heat shield plate 24 cannot be easily removed from the vehicle. In other words, the work of fixing the inverter 32 to the floor panel 22 of the completed vehicle 10 is required to be performed in a work environment without a welding machine, with the floor panel 22 attached to the vehicle 10. In this example, in order to meet such requirements, the bracket 36 is riveted to the floor panel 22, and the inverter 32 is attached to the bracket 36. The flow of the fixing work of the inverter 32 will be described below.

[0047] Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of the fixing operation of inverter 32. Figs. 5 to 7 are schematic diagrams showing the state of the fixing operation of inverter 32. Note that Figs. 5 to 7 only show cut-out portions of floor panel 22 and heat shield 24. Also, Figs. 5 to 7 show floor panel 22 and heat shield 24 as flat panels with no irregularities, but in reality, complex irregularities are formed on these panels 22 and 24 for reasons such as component installation and strength assurance.

[0048] When fixing the inverter 32, the worker first prepares an area for installing the additional unit 30 including the inverter 32 (S10). Specifically, the worker removes the design panel 16, the tool box panel 18, and the plastic panel 20 from the vehicle 10 to expose the floor panel 22 inside the vehicle. In addition, because a spare tire is housed in the recess 22a of the floor panel 22, the worker removes it and stores it in another location.

[0049] The worker also removes any members that interfere with the additional unit 30. In this example, as shown in Fig. 5, a tire clamp 64 for holding a spare tire stands up from the floor panel 22. As this tire clamp 64 will interfere with the inverter 32 if left as is, the worker cuts the tire clamp 64 to an appropriate height.

[0050] In addition, a vibration-damping sheet 62 that absorbs vibrations from the spare tire is attached to a part of the floor panel 22. If left as is, this vibration-damping sheet 62 will interfere with the bracket 36 and hinder the stability of the installation of the bracket 36. Therefore, the worker peels off and removes the vibration-damping sheet 62 from the portions of the vibration-damping sheet 62 that interfere with the bracket 36. In the example of FIG. 5, the vibration-damping sheet 62 is removed from areas A1 and A2 surrounded by a two-dot chain line. For example, the worker makes an incision at the boundary of the removal range of the vibration-damping sheet 62, applies high-temperature hot air to the vibration-damping sheet 62 to soften the adhesive of the vibration-damping sheet 62, and then peels off the necessary portions of the vibration-damping sheet 62.

[0051] Next, the worker assembles the additional unit 30 (S12). That is, the worker fastens the retainer 34 to the inverter 32 with fastening bolts, and further fastens the retainer 34 to the bracket 36 with fastening bolts. This results in the additional unit 30 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0052] When the additional unit 30 is obtained, the worker places the additional unit 30 on the floor panel 22 and positions the additional unit 30 (S14). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the state of positioning the additional unit 30.

[0053] Once the installation position of the additional unit 30 has been determined, the worker then temporarily fixes the bracket 36 to the floor panel 22 (S16). This temporary fixation is performed using adhesive tape. That is, the worker places the bracket 36 on the floor panel 22, and then attaches the adhesive tape so that it spans both the bracket 36 and the floor panel 22. Also, since the work cannot be completed satisfactorily with the inverter 32 and the retainer 34 still attached, the worker removes the retainer 34 from the bracket 36 midway, and then adds more adhesive tape.

[0054] Once the temporary fixing of the bracket 36 is completed, the worker then forms the bracket side fastening hole 54 in the bracket 36 and the floor panel side fastening hole 60 (see Figs. 9 and 10) in the floor panel 22 (S18). Specifically, the worker uses a drill to form the fastening holes 54, 60, which are through holes, in both the bracket 36 and the floor panel 22 while the bracket 36 is temporarily fixed (i.e., attached with adhesive tape) to the floor panel 22, in other words, while the bracket 36 and the floor panel 22 are overlapped in the thickness direction. Fig. 7 shows the state in which the fastening holes 54, 60 have been formed. The fastening holes are smaller than the outer diameter of a flange 70a of a rivet 70 described later and larger than the outer diameter of a sleeve 70b.

[0055] Fig. 8A is a diagram showing the positions of the bracket side fastening holes 54 formed in the first bracket 36a, and Fig. 8B is a diagram showing the positions of the bracket side fastening holes 54 formed in the second bracket 36b. Note that in Figs. 8A and 8B, in order to distinguish between the multiple bracket side fastening holes 54 and fixing holes 44, alphabetical suffixes are added to the reference numerals.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 8A, the first bracket 36a has four bracket side fastening holes 54a to 54d formed therein, and as shown in Fig. 8B, the second bracket 36b has six bracket side fastening holes 54e to 54j formed therein.

[0057] Here, among the multiple bracket side fastening holes 54a to 54j, some of the bracket side fastening holes 54a to 54f are formed on both horizontal sides of the fixing holes 44a to 44c so as to straddle the fixing holes 44a to 44c. For example, in the case of Fig. 8A, the bracket side fastening hole 54a and the bracket side fastening hole 54b are formed on both sides of the fixing hole 44a so as to straddle the fixing hole 44a. In this way, by forming the two bracket side fastening holes 54 on both horizontal sides of the fixing hole 44 so as to straddle the fixing hole 44, the bracket 36 can be stably fixed with a small number of steps.

[0058] That is, when an external force (for example, small vibration or collision load) is applied to the inverter 32 after the inverter 32 is attached to the vehicle 10, the external force is transmitted to the fixing hole 44 of the bracket 36 via the retainer 34. In order to stably receive this external force, it is conceivable to provide a large number of bracket side fastening holes 54 and therefore a large number of rivets 70, but in this case, the number of work steps increases. Therefore, in this example, the bracket side fastening holes 54 are provided on both sides of the fixing hole 44 so that the two bracket side fastening holes 54 straddle the fixing hole 44. With this configuration, the external force transmitted to the fixing hole 44 is distributed and transmitted to the rivets 70 located on both sides. In other words, by providing the bracket side fastening holes 54 on both sides of the fixing hole 44, it is possible to prevent the external force from concentrating only on some of the rivets 70. This effectively prevents the rivets 70 from loosening or breaking, and the bracket 36 can be stably fixed.

[0059] In addition, "two bracket side fastening holes 54 straddle the fixing hole 44" means that a line connecting one bracket side fastening hole 54 and the fixing hole 44 (e.g., line L1 in Figure 8A) and a line connecting the other bracket side fastening hole 54 and the fixing hole 44 (e.g., line L2 in Figure 8A) are aligned in a nearly straight line, and the minor angle formed by the two lines (e.g., line L1 and line L2 in Figure 8A) is 135 degrees or more, more preferably 150 degrees or more, and more preferably 170 degrees or more.

[0060] Once the bracket side fastening holes 54 and the floor panel side fastening holes 60 have been formed, the worker performs rust prevention, vibration control, and waterproofing treatments around these fastening holes 54, 60 (S20). Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state of this treatment.

[0061] Both the bracket 36 and the floor panel 22 have been previously treated for rust prevention. However, when the fastening holes 54, 60 are formed, the paint is removed from the periphery and vicinity of the fastening holes 54, 60, exposing the metal material to the outside. If left in this state, rust may occur. Therefore, the worker releases the temporary fixation of the bracket 36, i.e., removes the adhesive tape, and applies rust prevention paint 68 to the periphery and vicinity of the fastening holes 54, 60.

[0062] Furthermore, if the bracket 36, which is a metal part, and the floor panel 22 are in direct contact with each other, even a slight vibration will cause an abnormal noise. Therefore, the worker places a vibration-damping material 69 between the fastening portion 52 and the floor panel 22. There are no particular limitations on the vibration-damping material 69 as long as it has a certain degree of elasticity, and it may be in a sheet or paste form. Therefore, as the vibration-damping material 69, an adhesive that hardens after application (e.g., a urethane adhesive or an epoxy adhesive) or a ribbon sealer formed from an elastic body such as butyl rubber into a sheet can be used.

[0063] In addition, a rivet 70, which will be described later, is inserted into the floor panel side fastening hole 60, but a slight gap is created between the rivet 70 and the periphery of the floor panel side fastening hole 60. To prevent water from entering through this gap, the worker applies a sealant 66 to the periphery of the floor panel side fastening hole 60. This sealant 66 may be the same as the vibration-damping material 69, or it may be a different material. Of course, when performing such rust prevention, vibration-damping, and waterproofing treatment, burrs and chips on the periphery of the fastening holes 54, 60 are removed in advance.

[0064] Once the areas around the fastening holes 54, 60 have been properly prepared, the worker then rivets the bracket 36 to the floor panel 22 (S22). That is, the worker places the bracket 36 on the floor panel 22 so that the bracket side fastening hole 54 and the floor panel side fastening hole 60 overlap. In this state, a riveter is used to attach rivets 70 to the fastening holes 54, 60, and the bracket 36 is fastened to the floor panel 22.

[0065] Here, the rivet 70 used for this fastening is a blind rivet. As shown in FIG. 10, the blind rivet has a flange 70a, a sleeve 70b extending axially from the flange 70a, and a mandrel 70c inserted into the sleeve 70b. A barb is provided at the end of the mandrel 70c (i.e., the end opposite the flange 70a) and engages with a part of the sleeve 70b. After the rivet 70 is inserted into the fastening holes 54, 60, the mandrel 70c is pulled toward the front in the axial direction, and the barb of the mandrel 70c plastically deforms the end of the sleeve 70b so as to expand radially. The two-dot chain line in FIG. 10 indicates the shape of the sleeve 70b after plastic deformation. The floor panel 22 and the bracket 36 are connected by being sandwiched between the sleeve 70b after plastic deformation and the flange 70a.

[0066] In other words, the blind rivet can be said to be a one-sided fastening member that can fasten two or more parts stacked in the stacking direction by working only from one side in the stacking direction. By using such a one-sided fastening member, the bracket 36 can be fastened to the floor panel 22 without removing the floor panel 22 from the vehicle 10, and even when the back surface of the floor panel 22 is covered with the heat shield plate 24. Furthermore, if a one-sided fastening member is used, a welding machine is naturally not required, so the bracket 36 can be easily fixed to the floor panel 22 even in a simple environment without a welding machine (for example, a vehicle maintenance shop or a vehicle repair shop). Then, once the bracket 36 has been fastened to the floor panel 22, the worker finally uses the retainer 34 to attach the inverter 32 to the bracket 36 (S24), and the work is completed.

[0067] As is clear from the above explanation, in this example, a one-sided fastening member, specifically a blind rivet, is used to fasten bracket 36 to floor panel 22. Therefore, even in an environment where a welding machine is not available, inverter 32, which is an optional part, can be easily fixed without removing floor panel 22.

[0068] Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of another fixing structure. In Fig. 11, the first bracket 36a and the second bracket 36b are fastened to the floor panel 22 with rivets 70, similar to the example of Fig. 2. The inverter 32, which is an optional part, is fastened to the first bracket 36a and the second bracket 36b with bolts via the retainer 34.

[0069] On the other hand, in the example of Fig. 11, a wire, specifically, a wire 80, is further provided to restrain the inverter 32 to the vehicle body. In order to realize the restraint by the wire 80, the tire clamp 64 is not cut but is left as it is in the example of Fig. 11. These will be described in detail below.

[0070] As described above, in this example, the tire clamp 64 is left as it is without being cut. The tire clamp 64 is made of a panel material, and is a fixed part 63 fixed to the floor panel 22 by welding or the like during the manufacturing stage of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 12, the tire clamp 64 is a substantially cylindrical part having a substantially circular top surface 64a and a peripheral surface 64b extending downward from the periphery of the top surface 64a. A through hole 64d is formed in the substantially center of the top surface 64a. In addition, notches 64c large enough to insert fingers are formed in two places on the peripheral surface 64b that are 180 degrees symmetrical. By providing such notches 64c, the worker can access both the front and back sides of the panel material that constitutes the top surface 64a. In this example, the first bracket 36a and the second bracket 36b are made higher than those in the example of FIG. 2 in order to prevent interference between the tire clamp 64 and the inverter 32.

[0071] One end of the wire 80 is fixed to the inverter 32, and the other end is fixed to the tire clamp 64. This causes the inverter 32 to be restrained by the tire clamp 64. The wire 80 is a wire material formed by twisting together a plurality of steel wires. However, instead of the wire 80, a wire material of another form, such as a chain made of metal rings connected together, may be used as long as it has sufficient strength.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 12, crimp terminals 82 are fixed to both ends of the wire 80. The work of fixing the crimp terminals 82 to the ends of the wire 80 may be performed in advance at the shipping source of the wire 80. In another embodiment, the crimp terminals 82 may be fixed to the ends of the wire 80 by a worker using crimping when the inverter 32 is installed. By fixing the crimp terminals 82 by crimping, the crimp terminals 82 can be easily fixed to the wire 80 even in a small-scale factory without a welding machine. In addition, if the worker fixes the crimp terminals 82, the worker can cut the wire 80 to an appropriate length before fixing the crimp terminals 82. As a result, the wire 80 can be adjusted to an appropriate length according to the distance between the tire clamp 64 and the inverter 32.

[0073] The crimp terminal 82 has a metal plate 82b, and a round hole (hereinafter referred to as "fastening hole 82a") is formed in the center of this metal plate 82b. In this example, both ends of the wire 80 are screwed and fastened to the inverter 32 and the tire clamp 64 using this fastening hole 82a. That is, when fixing the wire 80 to the tire clamp 64, as shown in FIG. 12, the fastening hole 82a of the crimp terminal 82 and the through hole 64d of the tire clamp 64 are overlapped, and a fixing nut 92 is screwed onto the fixing bolt 90. A first retainer 34a is fixed to the inverter 32, and a through hole (see FIG. 11) is also formed in this first retainer 34a. The through hole and the fastening hole 82a are used to screw and fasten the crimp terminal 82 to the first retainer 34a.

[0074] Next, the reason for providing such wire 80 will be described. When the vehicle 10 collides with an obstacle, a large inertial force acts on the inverter 32. This inertial force generates a large shear stress in the rivet 70 fastening the brackets 36a, 36b to the floor panel 22, and the rivet 70 may be damaged. If the rivet 70 is damaged, the inverter 32 may be separated from the floor panel 22 together with the brackets 36a, 36b and may fly away. Of course, such flying away can be prevented by increasing the number of rivets 70 fastening the brackets 36a, 36b to the floor panel 22. However, increasing the number of rivets 70 increases the number of steps required for the installation of the inverter 32, which is troublesome.

[0075] Therefore, in this example, the inverter 32 is fixed to the vehicle body (specifically, the floor panel 22) by the wire 80. With this configuration, even if the rivet 70 breaks and the brackets 36a, 36b are separated from the floor panel 22, the inverter 32 is fixed to the floor panel 22 by the wire 80. As a result, the inverter 32 can be effectively prevented from scattering. In addition, since the number of rivets 70 required can be reduced, the installation work of the inverter 32 can be simplified. As described above, the wire 80 is screwed and fastened to the inverter 32 and the floor panel 22 (more precisely, the fastening part 63 fixed to the floor panel 22) by the fixing bolt 90. Since the fixing bolt 90 has a higher strength than the rivet 70, the fastening by the fixing bolt 90 is maintained even in a situation where the rivet 70 breaks.

[0076] 11, in this example, the tire clamp 64 to which the other end of the wire 80 is fixed is located directly below the inverter 32. With this configuration, the length of the wire 80 connecting the inverter 32 and the tire clamp 64 can be shortened. Furthermore, by shortening the wire 80, the amount of movement of the inverter 32 relative to the floor panel 22 in the event that the brackets 36a, 36b are separated from the floor panel 22 can be kept small.

[0077] In the above description, a portion of the wire 80 is screwed and fastened to the first retainer 34a of the inverter 32. However, the wire 80 may be fixed to the inverter 32 in other ways. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , the wire 80 may be fixed by being wound around the inverter 32. In this case, a loop 81 is provided at one end of the wire 80. The worker winds the wire 80 extending from the loop 81 around the inverter 32 and then passes the end of the winding through the loop 81. With this configuration, the wire 80 is tightly bound and fixed to the inverter 32.

[0078] 13, the loop 81 may be in a closed shape, that is, the starting end and the ending end of the loop 81 may be connected. The loop 81 may be formed, for example, by folding back one end of the wire 80 in a U-shape. In this case, the worker passes the outward and return portions of the folded back wire 80 through one crimping sleeve 84, and then applies pressure to the crimping sleeve 84 to crimp the wire 80 and the crimping sleeve 84 together.

[0079] As another embodiment, the loop 81 may be an open shape as shown in Fig. 14. That is, the loop 81 may be a U-shaped portion formed when the wire 80 is bent in two. In this case, the worker winds the two wires 80 extending from the U-shaped loop 81 around the inverter 32 and then passes the winding end portion through the loop 81. The two wires 80 after passing through the loop 81 may be bundled together using a crimping sleeve 84 or the like.

[0080] As another embodiment, a perforated part may be fixed to one end of the wire 80, and the hole of this perforated part may be used instead of the loop 81. For example, the crimp terminal 82 in FIG. 12 can be said to be a perforated part having a fastening hole 82a formed in its center. Such a crimp terminal 82 may be fixed to one end of the wire 80, and the wire 80 wound around the inverter 32 may be passed through the fastening hole 82a. Also, other forms of perforated parts may be used, not limited to the crimp terminal 82. For example, a metal ring having an openable and closable gate, such as a carabiner or a snap hook, may be attached to the wire 80 as the perforated part.

[0081] Similarly, the manner in which the wire 80 is fixed to the vehicle body may be changed as appropriate. For example, the wire 80 may be fixed to a fixing part 63 other than the tire clamp 64, as long as the fixing part 63 is fixed to the floor panel 22. The wire 80 may be fixed in another manner, not limited to bolt fastening. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the wire 80 may be fixed to the fixing part 63 by using a fastening hole 82a of a crimp terminal 82 (i.e., a perforated part) attached to the wire 80. In this case, the worker winds the wire 80 extending from the crimp terminal 82 around the fixing part 63 and passes the winding end part through the fastening hole 82a. With this configuration, the wire 80 can be fixed to the fixing part 63 even when the gap between the fixing part 63 and the floor panel 22 is small and bolt fastening is difficult. Naturally, the wire 80 may be fixed to the fixing part 63 by using a loop instead of a hole in a perforated part.

[0082] In the above description, the bracket 36 is fastened by a blind rivet, but the bracket 36 may be fastened by another fastening member as long as the fastening member can be fastened by the operation from only one side. For example, the bracket 36 may be fastened by using a piercing screw 72 as shown in FIG. 16. The piercing screw 72 is also called a "drill screw" or a "tapping screw" and is a screw member having a function of a thread cutting tool, that is, a tapping screw. The piercing screw 72 is a screw member that forms a female thread in the fastening target member by drilling a hole in the fastening target member. When using the piercing screw 72, after forming the bracket side fastening hole 54, the bracket 36 is placed on the floor panel 22, and the piercing screw 72 is screwed into the floor panel 22 through the bracket side fastening hole 54. In this case, the worker only needs to work from the upper side of the floor panel 22, and the bracket 36 can be fastened even if the back surface of the floor panel 22 cannot be accessed.

[0083] In addition, in the description so far, all of the fastening portions 52 are fastened with one-sided fastening members, but it is sufficient that at least one of the multiple fastening portions 52 is fastened with a one-sided fastening member. For example, in the example of Fig. 8A, if there is no heat shield plate 24 below the bracket side fastening holes 54c, 54d and the back side of the floor panel 22 is accessible at that location, the bracket side fastening holes 54c, 54d may be fastened to the floor panel 22 using bolts and nuts.

[0084] In the above description, the inverter 32 is given as an example of an optional part to be attached to the completed vehicle 10, but the technology disclosed in this specification may be used to attach other optional parts. For example, when adding a new function to the vehicle 10, such as a navigation function or a drive record function, it is necessary to attach a controller to the vehicle 10 to realize the function. The technology disclosed in this specification may be used to attach a controller for such an additional function. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 vehicle, 12 luggage space, 14 rear seat, 16 design panel, 18 toolbox panel, 20 resin panel, 22 floor panel, 24 heat shield, 30 additional unit, 32 inverter, 34a first retainer, 34b second retainer, 34c third retainer, 36a first bracket, 36b second bracket, 40, 44 fixing hole, 46 base portion, 48 flange portion, 50 recess portion, 52 fastening portion, 54 bracket side fastening hole, 60 floor panel side fastening hole, 62 vibration damping sheet, 63 fastening part, 64 tire clamp, 66 sealing material, 68 rust prevention paint, 69 vibration damping material, 70 rivet, 72 piercing screw, 80 wire (wire material), 81 loop, 82 crimp terminal (perforated part), 84 crimp sleeve, 90 Fixing bolt, 92 fixing nut.

Claims

1. An optional part fixing structure for fixing an optional part to a floor panel of a vehicle, comprising: One or more brackets are fastened to the floor panel; The optional components are attached directly or indirectly to one or more of the brackets; The bracket has one or more fastening portions, At least one fastening portion is fastened to the floor panel by a one-sided fastening member that can fasten two or more members stacked in a predetermined stacking direction only from one side in the stacking direction, moreover, A wire rod for binding the optional part to a vehicle body; A fastening part fastened to the vehicle body; and the wire is bolted to the fastening part. A fixing structure for an optional part, comprising:

2. 2. The optional part fixing structure according to claim 1, A fixing structure for an optional part, characterized in that the one-sided fastening member is a blind rivet.

3. 3. The optional part fixing structure according to claim 1, A structure for fixing an optional part, characterized in that a vibration-damping material is disposed between the fastening portion and the floor panel.

4. The optional part fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the bracket has one or more fixing holes for directly or indirectly mounting the optional part; The fastening portions are arranged on both sides of one of the fixing holes in the horizontal direction so that the two fastening portions straddle one of the fixing holes. A fixing structure for an optional part, comprising:

5. The optional part fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A floor panel side fastening hole through which the one-sided fastening member passes is formed at a location of the floor panel corresponding to the fastening portion, A sealant is disposed in the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the floor panel side fastening hole and the outer peripheral surface of the one-sided fastening member. A fixing structure for an optional part, comprising:

6. A fixing structure for an optional part for fixing an optional part to a floor panel of a vehicle, comprising: One or more brackets are fastened to the floor panel; The optional components are attached directly or indirectly to one or more of the brackets; The bracket has one or more fastening portions, At least one fastening portion is fastened to the floor panel by a one-sided fastening member that can fasten two or more members stacked in a predetermined stacking direction only from one side in the stacking direction, moreover, A wire rod for binding the optional part to a vehicle body; A fastening part fastened to the vehicle body; having The wire has a loop or a perforated part, The wire is wound around the fixing part and the end of the winding is passed through the loop or the hole of the perforated part, thereby fixing the wire to the vehicle body. A fixing structure for an optional part, comprising:

7. The optional part fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A fixing structure for an optional part, characterized in that the fixing part is located directly below the optional part.

8. The optional part fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The wire has a loop or a perforated part, The wire is wound around the optional part, and the end of the wire is passed through the loop or the hole of the perforated part, thereby fixing the wire to the optional part. A fixing structure for an optional part, comprising:

9. A method for fastening an optional part to a floor panel of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: a bracket fastening step of fastening one or more brackets to the floor panel; a part mounting step of directly or indirectly mounting the optional part to one or more of the brackets; binding the optional part to a vehicle body with a wire; the bracket having one or more fastening portions; At least one fastening portion is fastened to the floor panel by a one-sided fastening member that can fasten two or more members stacked in a predetermined stacking direction only from one side in the stacking direction; The wire is fastened to a fastening part fixed to the vehicle body by a bolt. A method for fixing an optional part, comprising:

10. 10. The method for fixing an optional part according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of: The one-sided fastening member is a blind rivet, a fastening hole forming step of forming a bracket side fastening hole and a floor panel side fastening hole through which the one-sided fastening member can pass in the bracket and the floor panel, prior to the bracket fastening step; A step of performing at least one of anti-rust treatment, vibration-damping treatment, and waterproofing treatment around the bracket side fastening hole and the floor side fastening hole; A method for fixing an optional part, comprising:

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