Curved cross member for vehicle floor

Abstract

A vehicle floor assembly having a floor panel and a pair of elongated members disposed along opposite sides of the floor panel. A central tunnel extends longitudinally between the pair of elongated members and has an upper surface vertically elevated from the planar extent of the floor panel. A cross-member beam is coupled to and spans between the pair of longitudinal members. The cross-member beam has a cross-sectional shape that extends continuously along the length of the cross-member beam. The cross-member beam includes a bent shape along at least a section of the length of the cross-member beam that positions a lower surface of the cross-member beam above an upper surface of the central tunnel.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of and priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 168,851, filed March 31, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 230,216, filed August 6, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to floor structures and beams for vehicles, and more particularly to cross member structures and associated floor assemblies, subassemblies, and the like. [Background technology]

[0003] Vehicle frames and body structures are designed to receive and absorb certain levels of impact forces to support the vehicle and limit intrusion distance into the vehicle in accordance with insurance and other regulatory and legal requirements. Side impacts on vehicles are typically tested with a side pole impact test, which directs significant impact forces at the vehicle. Vehicle frames absorb these side impacts primarily with rocker sections that extend longitudinally between the front and rear wheels along the lower exterior portion of the vehicle frame.

[0004] In electric and hybrid electric vehicles, where a battery tray is incorporated in the lateral interior area between opposing rocker sections, it is desirable to reduce the side impact intrusion distance in order to maximize the available battery storage volume in the battery tray. For example, it is commonly known to increase the stiffness of the rocker sections to reduce the side impact intrusion in-cabin distance. However, increasing the stiffness of the rocker sections often requires adding internal reinforcements to the rocker sections, which can undesirably increase mass, complexity, and cost. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the disclosure provides a floor assembly for a vehicle that includes a cross member that is at least partially curved or bent upward to span over an obstacle on the floor assembly, such as a tunnel member or the like. The vehicle floor assembly includes a floor panel and a pair of longitudinal members disposed longitudinally along a side of the floor panel. The floor assembly also includes a central tunnel extending longitudinally along the floor panel between the longitudinal members. The cross member is coupled to and spans between the pair of longitudinal members. The cross member has a cross-sectional shape that extends continuously along the length of the cross member, such as a roll-formed beam or the like. The cross member includes a curved shape along at least a section of the length to raise a central section of the cross member relative to the central tunnel. The cross member thereby spans over the central tunnel. During a lateral impact, the cross member may provide a lateral load path between the longitudinal members to transfer interior impact forces laterally across the central tunnel.

[0006] Implementations of the present disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features: In some implementations, pairs of mounting brackets may be attached between opposite ends of the tubular beam and the interior surfaces of the pair of longitudinal members. In some examples, a central mounting bracket may be disposed across a central section of the tubular beam and coupled to the central tunnel.

[0007] In some implementations, the cross member is a beam formed from a metal sheet that is bent or otherwise deformed to have at least one closed tubular section extending along the length of the beam. In some examples, the beam has pairs of adjacent tubular members with hollow openings that are divided by a common central wall of the beam. In some examples, the pairs of adjacent tubular members are positioned laterally adjacent to each other as they span across the vehicle floor. The metal sheet can be a martensitic steel having a tensile strength of at least 980 MPa, such as at least 1,500 MPa.

[0008] In some implementations, the bottom surface of the cross member is raised at the center section relative to both ends of the cross member by a clearance distance, in some examples, the clearance distance is at least half the vertical thickness of the tubular beam configured to span over the central tunnel.

[0009] In some examples, the floor assembly may also include a second cross member coupled to and spanning the pair of longitudinal members at a longitudinally spaced distance from the first cross member. In some implementations, the second cross member may include a beam having a second curved shape along at least a section of its length. The second curved shape has a smaller radius of curvature than the first curved shape to bend over the central tunnel at a larger vertical clearance distance.

[0010] Another aspect of the disclosure provides a curved cross member for a vehicle floor including a tubular beam having a cross-sectional shape that extends continuously along the length of the tubular beam. The tubular beam is bent upwardly along its length to define the curved shape. Coupled to both ends of the tubular beam are pairs of mounting brackets configured to attach to longitudinal members that span along the sides of the vehicle floor. In some examples, the tubular beam is configured to extend laterally across the vehicle floor to define a lateral load path between the longitudinal members.

[0011] Each of the above independent aspects of the present disclosure and those aspects described in the detailed description below, including those under other independent aspects, may include any of the features, options, and possibilities shown in the present disclosure and figures, and may also include any combination of any of the features, options, and possibilities shown in the present disclosure and figures.

[0012] The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other aspects, advantages, objects and features will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle showing a floor assembly. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the floor assembly. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the floor assembly shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3A] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the cross member end section and mounting bracket taken at cross section A shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the floor assembly. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 is a front view of the floor assembly with the tunnel omitted. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is an enlarged front view of the cross member and floor panel taken at section B shown in FIG. 4A, with the upper bracket omitted. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view of the end section and mounting bracket of the cross member of FIG. 3A, with the mounting bracket shown partially transparent. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of the cross member end section and partially transparent mounting bracket shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the end bracket shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the end bracket shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the floor assembly taken at section IX shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the cross member and mounting bracket shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4B is a top perspective view of the cross member and mounting bracket shown in FIG. 4A. [Figure 11A] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the cross member and mounting bracket taken along line AA shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional side view of the cross member and mounting bracket shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of the upper bracket shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the upper bracket shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the floor assembly. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a rear view of the floor assembly of FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 16 is a side view of the floor assembly of FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of the cross member shown in FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a front view of the cross member of FIG. 18. [Figure 20] FIG. 19 is a side view of the cross member of FIG. 18. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Like reference numbers refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

[0015] Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative examples depicted therein, a floor assembly 10 for a vehicle 100 as shown in FIG. 1 includes a floor panel 12 and a pair of longitudinal members 14 disposed longitudinally along the sides of the floor panel 12. The floor assembly 10 or vehicle structure may also include a central tunnel 16 extending longitudinally along the floor panel 12 between the longitudinal members 14 and projecting upwardly from the floor panel 12. In additional examples, the central tunnel may be omitted or otherwise replaced with another structure, such as a portion of a battery tray or module. The central tunnel generally houses or partially surrounds vehicle driveline and exhaust system components, such as a drive shaft or exhaust pipe or the like. It is also contemplated that the central tunnel may house or partially surround electrical components, such as wiring harnesses, coolant lines, or those associated with electrical controls and systems of an electric vehicle. Additionally, the central tunnel may be a structural component that transfers longitudinal impact loads, such as when the rocker structure is reduced in size or strength to at least partially stiffen the floor and help increase battery storage capacity in trays positioned across the width of the vehicle.

[0016] As further shown in the example provided in FIG. 1 , the vehicle 100 may optionally include a battery tray 102 mounted from the outer sill into the vehicle interior and below the floor panel 12 of the floor assembly 10. The battery tray 102 encloses one or more batteries used at least in part to operate the propulsion system of the vehicle 100, such as a main battery or battery module, etc. The battery tray 102 may be generally between the front and rear wheels 104 of the vehicle 100 to distribute the weight of the batteries and establish a low center of gravity for the vehicle. A vehicle for purposes of this disclosure may be any type of land motor vehicle, such as a car, truck, bus, van, SUV, or the like, including those used for passenger transportation, freight transportation, or any other personal, governmental, or commercial purpose.

[0017] A vehicle having a floor assembly 10 as disclosed herein includes a lateral cross member arrangement as shown in FIGS. 1-20 and includes two cross members 20, 22. In additional examples, it is contemplated that a single cross member or an additional cross member or members may be provided, with or without a straight cross member without a bent section as described herein. The cross members 20, 22 each include a beam 24 having a cross-sectional shape that extends continuously along the length of the beam, such as a roll-formed beam or other type of beam having a generally consistent cross-sectional shape along its length. A bend shape is disposed along at least a portion of each of the tubular beams 24 to provide a bend or arc shape that lifts the bend shape to straddle a raised obstacle on the floor panel, such as the center tunnel 16 as shown in FIG. 3. The cross members 20, 22 are coupled to and span between the longitudinal members 14 to define a lateral load path between the longitudinal members 14 to transfer interior impact loads or forces laterally across the center tunnel 16. Longitudinal member 14 is shown as an exemplary structural beam, which may be implemented as or part of a sill, door sill, rocker panel, rocker section, or other longitudinal frame component.

[0018] The cross members 20, 22 may be directly or indirectly coupled to the longitudinal members, such as by using direct welding, adhesives, fasteners and / or brackets or the like. The cross members 20, 22 shown in Figs. 1-14 include a pair of mounting brackets 26a, 26b that are attached between the ends 28a, 28b of the tubular beam 24 and the interior surfaces of the pair of longitudinal members 14. In one example, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the mounting bracket 26a may include a notch to allow the side walls of the cross member to be welded to the bracket. Also, a center mounting bracket 30 may be disposed on the center section of the tubular beam 24 and coupled to the center tunnel 16. At the center mounting bracket 30, the tubular beam 24 may be spaced from the center tunnel to prevent indirect axial load transfer from the beam to the center tunnel. The end and center mounting brackets 28a, 28b, 30 each include a hat-shaped section having a C-shaped portion that extends over the exposed top and side surfaces of the tubular beam 24. Also, the end and center mounting brackets 28a, 28b, 30 have flanges 31 that are attached to the respective interface surfaces of the floor panel 12, longitudinal member 14, and center tunnel 16, such as by using welds 32 at the edges or overlaps (FIG. 9). As shown in FIGS. 11-14, the center mounting bracket 30 has vertically offset flanges 31a, 31b that are used to attach to the angled top surface 17 of the center tunnel 16, as shown in FIG. 12. Additionally or alternatively, the end and center mounting brackets may be attached using adhesive and / or fasteners or other mounting features. Also, the brackets may be formed or pressed in different shapes for configuration, such as an L-shaped bracket that does not span over the tubular members of the cross member.

[0019] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bottom surface 34 of the tubular beam 24 extends along its length and is raised at the central section of the tubular beam 24 relative to both ends 28a, 28b of the tubular beam 24 by a clearance distance 36. The tubular beam 24 has an upwardly curved curvature, providing a downward concave surface and an upward convex surface. The degree of curvature of the tubular beam 24 shown in Figures 2-12 is constant along the length of the beam. In additional examples, such as shown in Figures 15-20, the curvature may increase in the central section such that the radius of curvature decreases in the central section, providing a more pronounced curvature spanning over the central tunnel. As shown in Figure 3, the clearance distance 36 provided by the curvature of the beam 24 is configured to span over the central tunnel 16. Thereby, the clearance distance 36 may be at least half the vertical thickness of the tubular beam 24 or at least equal to the vertical thickness of the tubular beam 24, for example at least 20 mm or at least 35 mm. As further shown in Figures 4-4B, the curved cross-members 20, 22 may have different radii of curvature or different clearance distances 36a, 36b so as to span over the central tunnel 16 at different longitudinal locations of varying height. As shown in the example of Figures 1-12, the central tunnel 16 increases in height toward the front of the vehicle 100. Thus, the tubular beams 24 of the front curved cross-member 20 have a smaller radius of curvature (and a resulting larger clearance distance or height) than the tubular beams 24 of the rear curved cross-member 22.

[0020] The tubular beams 24 may each be formed as a unitary piece from a metal sheet that is folded or otherwise deformed, such as via roll forming or progressive press forming, to have at least one closed tubular section extending along the length of the tubular beam 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the tubular beams 24 each have a pair of adjacent tubular members 38, 40 having a hollow opening that is divided by a common central wall 42 of the tubular beam. The pair of adjacent tubular members 38, 40 are disposed laterally adjacent (side-by-side) to one another as they span across the vehicle floor 12. To increase the longitudinal stiffness of the tubular beam 24 along its length, stiffening channels 44 may be formed along a portion of the beam, such as along the bottom wall or surface 24 of each of the tubular members 38, 40. The stiffening channels 44 protrude into the interior volume of each tubular member 38, 40 and function to stiffen the bottom wall or surface to prevent buckling.

[0021] As shown in Figures 9, 10 and 12, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular beam 24 is created by the outer sections of the metal sheet forming the two adjacent tubular portions 38, 40 extending from opposite sides of the central section of the metal sheet forming the common central wall 42 of the beam. When the beam 24 is formed, the two adjacent tubular portions 38, 40 of the beam 24 are defined by a bottom wall, a top wall, a front wall and a rear wall. The bottom walls of the adjacent tubular portions 38, 40 are substantially aligned with each other to form the downwardly facing surface 34 of the beam. The bottom walls include stiffening channels 44 having a depth of about 8mm to 10mm and a width of about 8mm to 10mm, respectively. The beam 24 is about 80mm wide and about 40mm thick. The top walls are also aligned with each other and are substantially parallel to the bottom wall. Additionally, the front and rear walls are substantially parallel to each other, to the central wall 42, and generally perpendicular to the bottom and top walls. The radius of curvature at the corners between the walls of the beam 24 is 3-4 mm, but may be larger in additional implementations, such as for sheet stock with a larger thickness. It is understood that additional examples of beams may assume various shapes and orientations from those shown in FIG. 3 and may include alternative dimensional ratios. In other examples, the tubular beams may be similarly formed with more or fewer tubular members, stiffening channels, or other cross-sectional geometries. The curved cross-member tubular beams may also be designed with different cross-sectional shapes to support and sustain different axial load conditions. For example, the cross-sectional shapes may include tubular shapes that do not share a common wall (such as a B-section), a single tubular shape (such as a D-section), or an open channel shape (such as a C-section).

[0022] The curved cross member tubular beams 24 can be manufactured by roll forming high strength steel sheets, such as by unrolling the sheet from a roll of sheet stock and roll forming the sheet to have a desired cross-sectional shape for efficiently absorbing impact energy while minimizing the weight of the beam. The sheet can be continuously welded in the roll forming operation, such as via laser welding, to secure the formed sheet to a formed cross-sectional shape, such as that of the closure tubular members 38, 40. The beams 24 can be made from sheets of steel having a thickness of 0.8 mm to 1.4 mm or approximately 1 mm to 1.5 mm. Also, the sheets can have a tensile strength of about 800 to 2000 MPa (i.e., about 120 to 290 ksi), such as at least 980 MPa or at least 1,500 MPa. In additional implementations, the reinforcing beams can be made of different materials, including AHSS (advanced high strength steel), and can be made from sheets having a thickness of about 0.8 mm to 3.0 mm. Alternatively, the metal sheets can be high strength aluminum sheets.

[0023] In further implementations, the material of the curved cross-member can be an aluminum extrusion or a polymer composite pultrusion. The cross-sectional profile, material type and material thickness within the cross-sectional profile of the tubular beams of the curved cross-member can be configured for such a particular application and for the desired load and performance characteristics of the beam, such as the weight of the beam, the load capacity of the beam, the force deflection performance of the beam, and the impact resistance performance of the beam, etc.

[0024] As further shown in Figures 5 and 6, the curved cross members 20, 22 may include an upper bracket 46 that spans longitudinally over the upper surface of the beam 24 to provide mounting locations for other vehicle components or subassemblies. The upper bracket 46 shown in Figures 5 and 6 has a C-shaped cross section and openings at the top for such mounting. The beam 24 may also include holes or mounting features (e.g., SPAC nuts, riv nuts, etc.) at selected locations on the top wall to provide similar mounting locations.

[0025] Further, another example of a floor assembly 110 is shown in FIGS. 15-20 with two cross members 120, 122. The cross members 120, 122 each include a beam 124 having a cross-sectional shape that extends continuously along the length of the beam, such as a roll-formed beam or other type of beam having a generally consistent cross-sectional shape along its length. A bend is disposed along at least a portion of each of the tubular beams 124 to provide a bend or arc shape that lifts the bend to straddle a raised obstacle on the floor panel, such as the center tunnel 116 as shown in FIG. 16. The cross members 120, 122 connect to and span between the longitudinal members along the sides of the floor panel 112 to define a lateral load path between the longitudinal members to transfer interior impact loads or forces laterally across the center tunnel 116. The longitudinal members may be implemented as or part of sills, door sills, rocker panels, rocker sections, or other longitudinal frame components.

[0026] The cross members 120, 122 may be directly or indirectly coupled to the longitudinal members, such as by using direct welding, adhesives, fasteners and / or brackets, or the like. As shown in Figure 15, a pair of mounting brackets 126a, 126b are attached between opposite ends 128a, 128b of the cross member beam 124 for mounting at the interior surfaces of the longitudinal members. Additional mounting brackets may also be placed at different locations to secure the cross member beam to a floor panel, center tunnel, or other structural components.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 20, the bottom surface 134 of the cross member beam 124 extends along its length and is raised a clearance distance 36 at the central section of the cross member beam 124 relative to both ends 128a, 128b of the cross member beam 124. The cross member beam 124 has an upwardly curved curvature at the central section of the beam 124, providing a downwardly facing concave surface 134 and an upwardly facing convex surface. The degree of curvature of the cross member beam 134 shown in FIGS. 18-20 is greatest at the central section and generally straight at the end sections. Thereby, the radius of curvature is smaller at the central section, providing a more pronounced curvature spanning over the central tunnel. As shown in FIG. 20, the clearance distance 136b provided by the curvature of the beam 124 is configured to span over the central tunnel 116. Thereby, the distance may be at least half the vertical thickness of the tubular beam 124 or at least equal to the vertical thickness of the tubular beam 124, for example at least 20 mm or at least 35 mm. As further shown in Figure 17, the curved cross-members 120, 122 have different radii of curvature or different clearance distances such that they span over the central tunnel 116 at different longitudinal positions having different heights. As shown in the example of Figures 15-17, the central tunnel 116 increases in height towards the front of the vehicle. Thus, the cross-member beam 124 of the forward cross-member 120 has a smaller radius of curvature (and consequently a larger clearance distance or height) than the cross-member beam 124 of the rearward curved cross-member 122.

[0028] The tubular beams 124 shown in Figures 15-20 are each formed as a unitary piece from a metal sheet that is folded or otherwise deformed, such as via roll forming or progressive press forming, to have an open section without any enclosure extending along the length of the cross member beam 124. For example, as shown in Figure 20, the cross member beam 124 has three separate longitudinal projections that rise vertically from the floor panel 112. At least at the ends of the cross member beam 124, the underside 134 of the beam 124 is attached to the floor panel 112 to enclose tubular sections 138, 139, 140 having hollow openings separated by intervals formed by the underside 134 of the cross member beam.

[0029] The cross member beam 124 of the curved cross member can be manufactured by roll forming high strength steel plate, for example by unrolling the sheet from a roll of sheet stock and roll forming the sheet to have a desired cross-sectional shape for efficiently absorbing impact energy while minimizing the weight of the beam. The beam 24 can be made from a sheet of steel material having a thickness of 0.8 mm to 1.4 mm or about 1 mm to 1.5 mm. Also, the sheet can have a tensile strength of about 800 to 2000 MPa (i.e., about 120 to 290 ksi), for example at least 980 MPa or at least 1,500 MPa. In additional implementations, the reinforcing beam can be made of different materials including AHSS (advanced high strength steel) and can be made from a sheet having a thickness of about 0.8 mm to 3.0 mm. Alternatively, the metal sheet can be a high strength aluminum sheet.

[0030] In further implementations, the cross-member material can be an aluminum extrusion or a polymer composite pultrusion. The cross-sectional profile, material type and material thickness within the cross-sectional profile of the tubular beams of the curved cross-members can be configured for such a particular application and for the desired load and performance characteristics of the beam, such as the weight of the beam, the load capacity of the beam, the force deflection performance of the beam, and the impact resistance performance of the beam.

[0031] The articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that one or more of the elements in the preceding description are present. The terms "comprise," "include," and "have" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Furthermore, it should be understood that references to "an embodiment" or "embodiments" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional implementations that also incorporate the recited features. Any numerical values, percentages, ratios, or other values ​​described herein are intended to include that value and other values ​​that are "about" or "approximately" the stated value that would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to be encompassed by the implementations of the present disclosure. Thus, the stated values ​​should be interpreted broadly enough to encompass values ​​that are at least sufficiently close to the stated value to perform the desired function or achieve the desired result. The stated values ​​include at least expected variations in suitable manufacturing or production processes, and may include values ​​within 5%, 1%, 0.1%, or 0.01% of the stated value.

[0032] Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" as used herein refer to an amount close to the stated amount that still performs the desired function or still achieves the desired result. For example, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" may refer to an amount within 5%, within 1%, within 0.1%, and within 0.01% of the stated amount. Furthermore, it should be understood that any directions or frames of reference in the preceding description are merely relative directions or movements. For example, the terms "up," "down," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical," "horizontal," "inside," "outside," and their derivatives are intended to refer to the directions shown in FIG. 1. However, it is understood that various alternative orientations may be provided unless expressly specified to the contrary. It should also be understood that the specific apparatus and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Thus, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered limiting unless expressly recited in the claims.

[0033] Variations and modifications to the specifically described embodiments may be made without departing from the principles of the invention, which are intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law. The present disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner. It will be understood that the terms used are intended to be within the nature of the described words, rather than being limiting. Many modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. The present disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. 1. A vehicle floor assembly comprising: Floor panels and a pair of elongated members disposed along opposite sides of the floor panel; a central tunnel extending longitudinally between the pair of elongated members and having an upper surface vertically elevated from the planar extent of the floor panel; a cross member beam coupled to and spanning the pair of elongated members; Including, the cross member beam includes a metal sheet formed to define a continuous constant cross-sectional shape along a length of the cross member beam; the constant cross-sectional shape comprises a tubular section extending continuously along the length of the cross-member beam; The cross member beam includes a bent shape along at least a section of the length of the cross member beam that positions a lower surface of the cross member beam above the upper surface of the central tunnel.

2. 2. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 1, wherein the underside of the cross member beam is raised a clearance distance at a central section of the cross member beam relative to the underside at the ends of the cross member beam.

3. 3. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 2, wherein the gap distance is at least half the vertical thickness of the cross member beam and is configured to span over the central tunnel extending longitudinally along the floor panel.

4. A vehicle floor assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a pair of mounting brackets attached between the ends of the cross member beams and interior surfaces of the pair of elongated members.

5. A vehicle floor assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the constant cross-sectional shape of the cross member beam comprises two tubular sections extending along the length of the cross member beam.

6. 6. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 5, wherein the metal sheet comprises a martensitic steel having a tensile strength of at least 980 MPa.

7. A vehicle floor assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cross member beam defines a lateral load path between pairs of the elongated members for transmitting interior impact forces laterally across the central tunnel.

8. A vehicle floor assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the constant cross-sectional shape of the cross member beam comprises pairs of adjacent tubular members having hollow openings separated by a common central wall of the cross member beam.

9. 9. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 8, wherein the pairs of adjacent tubular members are disposed laterally adjacent one another and together span across the floor panel.

10. 10. A vehicle floor assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a second cross member beam coupled to and spanning the pair of elongated members at a longitudinally spaced distance from the cross member beam, the second cross member beam including a second bent shape along at least a section of the length of the second cross member beam, the second bent shape having a smaller radius of curvature than the bent shape of the cross member beam so as to span over the central tunnel at a greater vertical clearance distance.

11. 1. A vehicle floor assembly comprising: Floor panels and a raised obstacle disposed in a central portion of the floor panel between both longitudinal sides of the floor panel, the raised obstacle having an upper surface vertically raised relative to both longitudinal sides of the floor panel; a cross member beam including a length spanning laterally over the floor panel between both longitudinal sides of the floor panel; Including, the cross member beam includes a metal sheet formed to define a constant cross-sectional shape having a closed tubular section extending continuously along the length of the cross member beam; The cross member beam includes a bent shape along at least a central section of the length of the cross member beam that positions a lower surface of the cross member beam above the upper surface of the raised obstacle.

12. 12. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 11, wherein the underside of the cross member beam is raised a clearance distance at the central section of the cross member beam relative to the underside at the ends of the cross member beam.

13. 13. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 12, wherein the gap distance is at least half the vertical thickness of the cross member beam and is configured to span over the raised obstacle extending longitudinally along the floor panel.

14. a pair of elongated members disposed along opposite sides of the floor panel; a pair of mounting brackets attached between the ends of the cross member beams and the interior surfaces of the pair of elongated members; The vehicle floor assembly of any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising:

15. 15. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 14, further comprising a second cross member beam coupled to and spanning between the pair of elongated members at a longitudinally spaced distance from the cross member beam, the second cross member beam including a second curved shape along at least a section of the length of the second cross member beam, the second curved shape having a smaller radius of curvature than the curved shape of the cross member beam to span over the raised obstacle at a greater vertical clearance distance.

16. A vehicle floor assembly as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the cross member beam comprises a metal sheet formed to have at least one closed tubular section extending along the length of the cross member beam.

17. 17. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 16, wherein the metal sheet comprises a martensitic steel having a tensile strength of at least 980 MPa.

18. 15. The vehicle floor assembly of claim 14, wherein the cross member beam defines a lateral load path between pairs of the elongated members for transmitting interior impact forces laterally across the raised obstacle.

19. 1. A curved cross member for a vehicle floor, comprising: a tubular beam including a metal sheet formed to define a continuous constant cross-sectional shape along a length of the tubular beam; the constant cross-sectional shape comprises a tubular section along a length of the tubular beam; a tubular beam including a bent shape along at least a central section of the length of the tubular beam that positions a lower surface of the tubular beam above an upper surface of a raised obstacle protruding from a floor panel; a pair of mounting brackets coupled to opposite ends of the tubular beam and configured to attach to an elongated member spanning along a side of the floor panel; Including curved cross members.

20. 20. The curved cross member of claim 19, wherein the metal sheet comprises a martensitic steel having a tensile strength of at least 980 MPa.

21. 21. The curved cross member of claim 19 or 20, wherein the tubular beam is configured to extend laterally across the vehicle floor with the bent shape protruding upwardly relative to the vehicle floor, the tubular beam defining a lateral load path.

22. 22. The curved cross member of any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the tubular beam comprises a roll of sheet metal formed to have pairs of adjacent tubular members having hollow openings separated by a common central wall of the tubular beam.

23. 23. The curved cross member of claim 22, wherein the pairs of adjacent tubular members are positioned laterally adjacent one another when spanning across the vehicle floor.

24. 21. The curved cross member of claim 20, wherein the metal sheet comprises a martensitic steel having a tensile strength of at least 1,500 MPa.

25. A curved cross member as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 24, wherein a bottom surface of the tubular beam extending along said length is raised a clearance distance at a central section of the tubular beam relative to both ends of the tubular beam.

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