Vehicle underside structure and vehicle part mounting method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle lower part structure, which can suppress a bracket from inhibiting a new component from being mounted below a floor panel.SOLUTION: A floor panel 20 comprises a protruding part 20c protruding upward so that an inside space S opens downward, and a bracket 30 is formed into a flat plate-shape and covers the protruding part 20C from below. This can suppress the bracket 30 from protruding downward from the floor panel 20, in comparison with a case where the bracket 30 is provided to protrude downward from the floor panel 20. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the bracket 30 from inhibiting a new component 200 from being mounted below the floor panel 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle underbody structure in which components such as a battery are mounted under a floor panel. and a method for mounting parts on a vehicle Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-67334 discloses a technique in which a battery is mounted on the underside of a floor panel by using a fastener to fasten the battery to a bracket that protrudes downward from the floor panel.

[0003] However, the technique disclosed in the above publication has the following problems. Because the bracket protrudes downward from the floor panel, if a battery currently mounted under the floor panel is removed from the bracket and a new battery that is different in shape from the removed battery or is larger than the removed battery is mounted under the floor panel, the bracket may interfere with the new battery, causing the bracket to obstruct the mounting of the new battery. It is also possible to mount the new battery under the bracket that protrudes downward from the floor panel, but in this case, the ground clearance of the new battery will be lowered, making it more likely for the new battery to interfere with the road surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-67334 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle underbody structure that can suppress the bracket from interfering with the mounting of new parts under a floor panel. and a method for mounting parts on a vehicle The purpose of this invention is to provide [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention which achieves the above object is as follows. (1) A vehicle underbody structure in which a component is mounted under a floor panel by fastening the component to a bracket fixed to the floor panel using a fastener, The floor panel has a convex portion that is convex upward so that the inner space is open downward, The bracket has a flat plate shape and is provided so as to cover the protrusion from below, The fastener includes a bolt and a nut located on the upper side of the bracket, at least a portion of which is located within the inner space of the protrusion, and into which the bolt is screwed. The bolt includes a head located on the lower side of the bracket, and a shaft portion extending upward from the head, inserted into a hole formed in the bracket, and having a tip portion located within the inner space of the protrusion. Vehicle undercarriage. (2) A cross member is joined to the upper surface of the floor panel, The cross member includes an upper wall, a pair of side walls, and flanges provided at lower ends of the pair of side walls, The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion of the floor panel is convex in a direction approaching the upper wall between the pair of side walls of the cross member. (3) The vehicle underbody structure according to (2), wherein the bracket is joined to the floor panel together with a flange of the cross member. (4) The vehicle underbody structure according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein a reinforcing patch for suppressing deformation of the bracket is provided on an upper surface of the bracket. (5) A vehicle underbody structure as described in (4), wherein the reinforcement patch has raised portions that rise upward on both sides of the fastener. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the vehicle underbody structure of (1) above, the floor panel has a convex portion that convex upward so that the inner space is open downward, and the bracket is flat and provided to cover the convex portion from below, so that the bracket can be prevented from protruding downward from the floor panel compared to a case where the bracket is provided to protrude downward from the floor panel. Therefore, when a component such as a battery currently installed is removed from the bracket and a component having a different shape from the removed component or a component larger than the removed component is newly installed on the underside of the floor panel, the new component can be prevented from interfering with the bracket. This prevents the bracket from obstructing the installation of the new component.

[0008] In addition, since at least a portion of the nut is located within the inner space of the protrusion and the tip of the shank of the bolt is located within the inner space of the protrusion, the nut and the shank of the bolt can be accommodated within the inner space of the protrusion. Therefore, even if the bracket is flat, it is possible to prevent the floor panel from interfering with fastening by the fastener.

[0009] According to the vehicle underbody structure of (2) above, the convex portion of the floor panel is convex in the direction approaching the upper wall between the pair of side walls of the cross member, so that the convex portion of the floor panel can be accommodated within the space inside the cross member. Therefore, the convex portion of the floor panel does not appear inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and a large foot space can be secured in the passenger compartment.

[0010] According to the vehicle underbody structure of (3) above, the bracket is joined to the floor panel together with the flange of the cross member, so that the rigidity of the joint between the bracket and the floor panel can be improved.

[0011] According to the vehicle underbody structure of (4) above, since the reinforcing patch is provided on the upper surface of the bracket, even if the bracket is flat, deformation of the bracket in the up-down direction can be suppressed.

[0012] According to the vehicle underbody structure of (5) above, the reinforcement patch has raised portions that rise upward on both sides of the fastener, so that the rigidity of the reinforcement patch can be increased compared to a case in which the reinforcement patch does not have raised portions, and the reinforcement patch can effectively suppress deformation of the bracket in the vertical direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle underbody structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic partial plan view of a vehicle underbody structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a bracket and its vicinity in a vehicle underbody structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle underbody structure in a comparative example different from the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a vehicle underbody structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, FR indicates the front side of the vehicle, and W indicates the width direction of the vehicle.

[0015] 1 and 3, a vehicle underbody structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is structured such that a component 100 is mounted on the underside of the vehicle floor panel 20 by fastening the component 100 to a bracket 30 fixed to the floor panel 20 using a fastener 40. The component 100 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a battery.

[0016] 2, the floor panel 20 is a panel that constitutes the lower floor of the vehicle, and is, for example, a front floor panel that extends from the lower end of a dash panel (not shown) toward the rear of the vehicle. However, the floor panel 20 is not limited to a front floor panel, and may be a rear floor panel (not shown) or the like.

[0017] The floor panel 20 may be made of one part or multiple parts. When the floor panel 20 is made of multiple parts, all of the multiple parts are joined together to form a single floor panel 20. The floor panel 20 is provided with a rocker inner panel 21, a center reinforcement 22, an outer reinforcement 23, and a cross member 24.

[0018] The rocker inner panel 21 is provided extending in the vehicle front-rear direction at each end in the vehicle width direction of the floor panel 20. The rocker inner panel 21 is provided continuously over the entire area in the vehicle front-rear direction of the floor panel 20. The rocker inner panel 21 is joined to a rocker outer panel (not shown) provided on the vehicle width direction outer side of the rocker inner panel 21 to form a rocker having a closed cross-sectional shape.

[0019] The central reinforcement 22 is provided in the center of the floor panel 20 in the vehicle width direction. The central reinforcement 22 is joined to the upper surface 20a of the floor panel 20. The central reinforcement 22 is provided extending in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle from the front end of the floor panel 20 to the middle part of the floor panel 20 in the vehicle front-to-rear direction. The upper surface 22a of the central reinforcement 22 is inclined downward and toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0020] The outer reinforcement 23 is provided extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle at a position inside the rocker inner panel 21 in the vehicle width direction and outside the central reinforcement 22 in the vehicle width direction. The outer reinforcement 23 is provided continuously over the entire area of ​​the floor panel 20 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The outer reinforcement 23 is joined to the upper surface 20a of the floor panel 20.

[0021] The cross member 24 is provided between the left and right rocker inner panels 21, extending in the vehicle width direction. The cross member 24 is provided continuously across the entire area of ​​the floor panel 20 in the vehicle width direction. Only one cross member 24 may be provided on the floor panel 20, or two or more cross members 24 may be provided. Note that FIG. 2 shows a case in which two cross members 24 are provided: a front cross member 25 provided to penetrate the vehicle front-rear direction middle part of the central reinforcement 22 in the vehicle width direction, and a rear cross member 26 located rearward of the front cross member 25 and joined to the vehicle rear end part 22b of the central reinforcement 22.

[0022] 1, the cross member 24 has a hat-shaped cross section that opens downward and includes an upper wall 24a, a pair of side walls 24b, and a flange 24c provided at the lower end of each of the pair of side walls 24b. The cross member 20 is joined to the upper surface 20a of the floor panel 20 by the flange 24c.

[0023] The floor panel 20 has a U-shaped protrusion 20c that is convex upward so that the inner space S is open downward. The protrusion 20c has a shape in which a part of the floor panel 20 protrudes upward, for example. The shape of the protrusion 20c in a plan view is not particularly limited, and may be a rectangle (including a substantially rectangular shape with curved corners), a polygon other than a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, or the like.

[0024] The protrusion 20c does not have a hole penetrating the floor panel 20. This is to prevent water or outside air present below the floor panel 20 from entering the upper side of the floor panel 20 through the hole.

[0025] The protrusion 20c is accommodated in the inner space S1 of the cross member 24 and is provided at a position covered from above by the cross member 24. That is, the protrusion 20c is protruding in a direction approaching the upper wall 24a between a pair of side walls 24b of the cross member 24.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the convex portion 20c is provided at a position that is outboard of the central reinforcement 22 in the vehicle width direction and inboard of the outer reinforcement 23 in the vehicle width direction. The convex portion 20c may be provided only at a position covered by the front cross member 25, may be provided only at a position covered by the rear cross member 26, or may be provided at both a position covered by the front cross member 25 and a position covered by the rear cross member 26. The number of the convex portions 20c provided at a position covered by the front cross member 25 may be one or two or more. The number of the convex portions 20c provided at a position covered by the rear cross member 26 may be one or two or more.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 30 is provided to attach a component 100 such as a battery to the floor panel 20 (mount it on the underside of the floor panel 20). The bracket 30 is a one-piece component and is flat. The term "flat" includes a substantially flat shape provided with a bead 31, ribs, etc. for increasing rigidity. As shown in FIG. 1, the bracket 30 is provided so as to cover (close) the entire convex portion 20c (the inner space S of the convex portion 20c) from below. This is to prevent water from entering between the bracket 30 and the floor panel 20 from the outside of the vehicle and to prevent the upper surface 30a of the bracket 30 from rusting. In order to prevent water from entering between the bracket 30 and the floor panel 20, a sealant 32 that closes the gap between the edge portion 30c of the bracket 30 and the floor panel 20 may be continuously applied around the entire circumference of the bracket 30.

[0028] The bracket 30 is joined to the underside 20b of the floor panel 20 around the periphery of the protruding portion 20c. The bracket 30 is joined to the floor panel 20 together with the flange 24c of the cross member 24 by, for example, spot welding or LSW (Laser Screw Welding). Note that the symbol W1 in FIG. 1 indicates welding between the bracket 30, the floor panel 20, and the cross member 24.

[0029] A reinforcing patch 33 may be provided on the upper surface 30a of the bracket 30 to suppress deformation of the bracket 30 in the up-down direction. However, the reinforcing patch 33 is not an essential component. The reinforcing patch 33 is a plate-shaped part, and is joined to the upper surface 30a of the bracket 30 by spot welding or the like. The bracket 30 and the reinforcing patch 33 are respectively provided with holes 30d, 33a into which the bolt 41 of the fastener 40 is inserted. The reinforcing patch 33 has rising portions 33b rising upward on both sides of the fastener 40. The rising portions 33b rise into the inner space S of the protrusion 20c and end within the inner space S.

[0030] The fastener 40 includes a bolt 41 and a nut 42 into which the bolt 41 is screwed.

[0031] The bolt 41 has a head 41a located below the bracket 30, and a shaft 41b extending upward from the head 41a. A component-side bracket 101 provided on a component 100 (see FIG. 3) is sandwiched between the head 41a and the bracket 30 together with a washer 43. The shaft 41b is inserted into holes 43a, 101a, 30d, and 33a provided in the washer 43, the component-side bracket 101, the bracket 30, and the reinforcing patch 33, respectively, and is screwed into the nut 42. A tip (upper end) 41b1 of the shaft 41b is located within the inner space S of the protrusion 20c.

[0032] The nut 42 is located above the bracket 30 and the reinforcing patch 33, and at least a portion of the nut 42 is located within the inner space S of the protruding portion 20c. The nut 42 is joined to the upper surface 33c of the reinforcing patch 33 excluding the rising portion 33b. The nut 42 is a weld nut. The nut 42 is joined to the reinforcing patch 33, for example, by crushing and welding a protrusion (not shown) formed on the nut 42 by projection welding or the like.

[0033] Next, the operation and effects of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0034] (A) When a vehicle is a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a fuel tank is installed and a battery is sometimes installed under the floor panel. There is a need to remove the fuel tank and battery for the PHEV and install a new battery for a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) different from the battery for the PHEV under the floor panel to upconvert the vehicle.

[0035] Here, Fig. 4 shows a comparative example different from the embodiment of the present invention. In the comparative example, components corresponding to those in the embodiment of the present invention are given the same reference numerals as those in the embodiment of the present invention for the sake of convenience. The comparative example shows a case in which the bracket 30 is not flat but protrudes downward from the floor panel 20.

[0036] In this comparative example, when the part 100 currently mounted on the underside of the floor panel 20 is removed from the bracket 30 and a part (not shown) having a different shape from the removed part 100 or a part 200 larger than the removed part 100 is newly mounted on the underside of the floor panel 20, there is a risk that the bracket 30 will interfere with the new part 200, and the bracket 30 will hinder the mounting of the new part 200. This may make it difficult to upconvert the vehicle.

[0037] In contrast, in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 1, the floor panel 20 has a convex portion 20c that convex upward so that the inner space S is open downward, and the bracket 30 is flat and arranged to cover the convex portion 20c from below. Therefore, the bracket 30 can be prevented from protruding downward from the floor panel 20 compared to the case where the bracket 30 is arranged to protrude downward from the floor panel 20.

[0038] Therefore, when the currently mounted part 100 is removed from the bracket 30 and a part (not shown) having a different shape from the removed part 100 or a part 200 larger than the removed part 100 is newly mounted on the underside of the floor panel 20, it is possible to prevent the new part 200 from interfering with the bracket 30. This makes it possible to prevent the bracket 30 from interfering with the mounting of the new part 200. As a result, it is easier to perform upconversion of the vehicle compared to the comparative example.

[0039] (B) At least a portion of the nut 42 is located within the inner space S of the protrusion 20c, and the tip 41b1 of the shaft 41b of the bolt 41 is located within the inner space S of the protrusion 20c, so that the nut 42 and the shaft 41b of the bolt 41 can be accommodated within the inner space S of the protrusion 20c. Therefore, even if the bracket 30 is flat, it is possible to prevent the floor panel 20 from interfering with the fastening by the fastener 40.

[0040] (C) Since the convex portion 20c of the floor panel 20 is convex in the direction approaching the upper wall 24a between the pair of side walls 24b of the cross member 24, the convex portion 20c of the floor panel 20 can be accommodated within the inner space S1 of the cross member 24. Therefore, the convex portion 20c of the floor panel 20 does not appear inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and a large foot space in the passenger compartment can be secured.

[0041] (D) Since the bracket 30 is joined to the floor panel 20 together with the flange 24c of the cross member 24, the rigidity of the joint between the bracket 30 and the floor panel 20 can be improved.

[0042] (E) Since the reinforcing patch 33 is provided on the upper surface 30a of the bracket 30, even if the bracket 30 is flat, deformation of the bracket 30 in the up-down direction can be suppressed.

[0043] (F) Since the reinforcement patch 33 has rising portions 33b that rise upward on both sides of the fastener 40, the rigidity of the reinforcement patch 33 can be increased compared to a case in which the reinforcement patch 33 does not have the rising portions 33b, and the reinforcement patch 33 can effectively suppress deformation of the bracket 30 in the vertical direction.

[0044] (G) Since no holes penetrating the floor panel 20 are formed in the protrusion 20c, water or outside air present below the floor panel 20 is prevented from entering the upper side of the floor panel 20 through the holes.

[0045] (H) Since the bracket 30 is arranged to cover (block) the entire convex portion 20c (the inner space S of the convex portion 20c) from below, water from outside the vehicle is prevented from entering between the bracket 30 and the floor panel 20, thereby preventing the upper surface 30a of the bracket 30 from rusting. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10 Vehicle underbody structure 20 Floor Panel 20a Top of floor panel 20b Underside of floor panel 20c Convex 24 Cross member 24a Upper wall 24b side wall 24c flange 30 Bracket 30a Top of bracket 30c Bracket edge 30d Bracket hole 31 Bead 32 Sealing material 33 Reinforcement patch 33b Rising part 40 Fasteners 41 Volts 41a Head 41b Shaft 41b1 Tip of shaft 42 Nut 100 parts 101 Component side bracket 200 New Parts S Space inside the protrusion S1 Cross member inner space

Claims

1. A vehicle underbody structure in which a component is mounted under a floor panel by fastening a bracket fixed to the floor panel using a fastener, The floor panel has a convex portion that is convex upward so that the inner space is open downward, The bracket has a flat plate shape and is provided so as to cover the protrusion from below, the fastener comprises a bolt and a nut located on the upper side of the bracket, at least a portion of which is located within the inner space of the protrusion and into which the bolt is screwed; the bolt comprises a head located on the lower side of the bracket, and a shaft portion extending upward from the head, inserted into a hole formed in the bracket, and having a tip portion located within the inner space of the protrusion; A cross member is joined to the upper surface of the floor panel, The cross member includes an upper wall, a pair of side walls, and flanges provided at lower ends of the pair of side walls, The convex portion of the floor panel is convex in a direction approaching the upper wall between the pair of side walls of the cross member. Vehicle undercarriage.

2. A vehicle underbody structure in which a component is mounted under a floor panel extending in a substantially planar shape by fastening a fastener to a bracket fixed to the floor panel, the fastener comprising: The floor panel has a convex portion that is convex upward so that the inner space is open downward, The bracket has a generally flat plate shape and is provided so as to cover the protrusion from below, The fastener includes a bolt and a nut located on the upper side of the bracket, at least a portion of which is located within the inner space of the protrusion, into which the bolt is screwed. The bolt includes a head located on the lower side of the bracket, and a shaft portion extending upward from the head, inserted into a hole formed in the bracket, and having a tip portion located within the inner space of the protrusion. The mounting portion is provided with a component-side bracket formed in a substantially flat plate shape, The mounting portion of the component-side bracket is fastened by the fastener in a state where the mounting portion is overlapped with the bracket from below, A cross member is joined to the upper surface of the floor panel, The cross member includes an upper wall, a pair of side walls, and flanges provided at lower ends of the pair of side walls, The convex portion of the floor panel is convex in a direction approaching the upper wall between the pair of side walls of the cross member. Vehicle undercarriage.

3. 3. The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is joined to the floor panel together with a flange of the cross member.

4. A reinforcing patch is provided on the upper surface of the bracket to suppress deformation of the bracket. The vehicle underbody structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The reinforcing patch has rising portions rising upward on both sides from the front and rear of the fastener in a cross-sectional view of the vehicle side passing through the reinforcing patch. The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 4.

6. The fastener is fastened to a bracket fixed to a floor panel extending in a substantially flat plane. A component mounting method for mounting components on the underside of the floor panel, comprising the steps of: The floor panel has a convex portion that is convex upward so that the inner space is open downward, The bracket has a generally flat plate shape and is provided so as to cover the protrusion from below, the fastener comprises a bolt and a nut located on the upper side of the bracket, at least a portion of which is located within the inner space of the protrusion and into which the bolt is screwed; the bolt comprises a head located on the lower side of the bracket, and a shaft portion extending upward from the head, inserted into a hole formed in the bracket, and having a tip portion located within the inner space of the protrusion; The mounted part is removed from the bracket, and a new part having a different shape from the removed part is newly attached to the bracket, thereby mounting the new part on the underside of the floor panel. A method for mounting parts on a vehicle.

7. A cross member is joined to the upper surface of the floor panel, The cross member includes an upper wall, a pair of side walls, and flanges provided at lower ends of the pair of side walls, The convex portion of the floor panel is convex in a direction approaching the upper wall between the pair of side walls of the cross member. The method for mounting a vehicle component according to claim 6.

Images