Auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle

Abstract

To provide an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle which can inhibit deformation of a connected portion of frames during a vehicle rear collision in a structure where a battery and a fuel tank are fixed to the different frames and the frames are connected.SOLUTION: An auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle includes: a battery side frame 30 to which a battery 27 is fixed below floor panels 1, 3; a fuel tank side frame 60 to which a fuel tank 28 is fixed behind the battery side frame 30; and connection members 80 each of which connects the battery side frame 30 with the fuel tank side frame 60. In at least one of the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60, fixing parts α, β to which each connection member 80 is fixed have frame closed cross sections 34 extending in a vehicle fore and aft direction. Each frame closed cross section 34 includes: the fixing parts α, β fixed to the connection member 80; and a reinforcement member 90 which inhibits deformation of the cross sections of the fixing parts α, β.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on the vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles are known in which a fuel tank and a battery as vehicle auxiliary machines are disposed with respect to the vehicle body below the floor panel. When assembling the above-described fuel tank and battery to the vehicle body in a single process, from the viewpoints of serviceability and maintainability, a frame for fixing the battery and the fuel tank is divided into a battery-side frame to which the battery is fixed and a fuel tank-side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed, and it is necessary to connect these two frames.

[0003] Thus, when the frame is divided into a battery-side frame and a fuel tank-side frame and these two frames are connected, the connecting portion becomes a deformation starting point during a rear-end collision of the vehicle, and there is a possibility that the frame located on the rear side of the vehicle is displaced upward with the deformation starting point as a fulcrum and comes into contact with the vehicle body floor portion.

[0004] By the way, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a battery and a fuel tank are fixed to a single battery mounting frame, and the above-described battery mounting frame is attached to the lower portion of the floor panel so as to straddle the lower portion of the front floor frame and the lower portion of the rear seat pan.

[0005] In the conventional structure disclosed in this Patent Document 1, since the frame is not divided into a battery-side frame to which the battery is fixed and a fuel tank-side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed and these two frames are not connected, in this conventional structure, the above-described technical problems do not occur.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle that can suppress deformation of a connecting portion at the time of a rear-end collision of the vehicle in a structure in which a battery and a fuel tank are fixed to separate frames and these two frames are connected.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0008] The present invention is an auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on the vehicle. In the lower part of the floor panel, a battery-side frame to which the battery is fixed, a fuel tank-side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed behind the battery-side frame, and a connecting member that connects the battery-side frame and the fuel tank-side frame are provided. In at least one of the battery-side frame and the fuel tank-side frame, a fixing portion to which the connecting member is fixed has a frame closed cross section extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the frame closed cross section includes a fixing portion fixed to the connecting member and a reinforcing member that suppresses cross-sectional deformation of the fixing portion. It is an auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle characterized by that.

[0009] According to the present invention, at the time of a rear-end collision of the vehicle, even when an upward load input occurs at the rear end of the fuel tank-side frame, the cross-sectional deformation of the frame closed cross section to which the connecting member is fixed by the reinforcing member is suppressed, so that the deformation behavior of the fixing portion can be suppressed.

[0010] In short, in a structure in which a battery and a fuel tank are fixed to separate frames and each frame is connected by a connecting member, deformation of the connecting portion (fixing portion) at the time of a rear-end collision of the vehicle can be suppressed.

[0011] Further, as an aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing member may be constituted by a pipe-shaped nut member. According to the present invention, since the rear impact load is reliably received by the pipe-shaped nut member to suppress the cross-sectional deformation of the frame closed cross-section, the support rigidity can be improved.

[0012] Furthermore, as an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the reinforcing members may be arranged at intervals in the vehicle longitudinal direction. According to the present invention, at the time of a rear-end collision of the vehicle, the rear impact load can be received by the front-rear frame closed cross-section where a plurality of reinforcing members arranged at intervals in the vehicle longitudinal direction are located, and sufficient rigidity can be ensured.

[0013] Furthermore, as an aspect of the present invention, the connecting member may be provided on the vehicle body in the vicinity of the kick-up portion. According to the present invention, although the above-mentioned kick-up portion is likely to bend at the time of a rear-end collision of the vehicle, by providing the connecting member on the vehicle body in the vicinity of the kick-up portion, the kick-up portion can be reinforced.

[0014] Also, as an aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing member may be composed of a member extending in the vehicle width direction inside the frame closed cross-section. According to the present invention, during normal driving, even if loads in the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction are input to the connecting member, the cross-sectional deformation of the frame closed cross-section to which the connecting member is fixed is suppressed by the reinforcing member, so that the deformation behavior of the fixing portion can be suppressed.

[0015] In addition, as an aspect of the present invention, the connecting member may be provided with a vehicle body fixing portion attached in the vicinity of the support portion of the rear suspension device to the vehicle body. According to the present invention, the support rigidity of the rear suspension device can be improved by the vehicle body fixing portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, in a structure in which the battery and the fuel tank are fixed to separate frames and these two frames are connected, there is an effect of suppressing the deformation of the connecting portion at the time of a rear-end collision of the vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] In a structure where a battery and a fuel tank are fixed to separate frames and these two frames are connected, an object is to suppress deformation of the connection part during a rear-end collision of the vehicle. A vehicle accessory support structure for a vehicle in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on the vehicle, at a lower part of a floor panel, a battery-side frame to which the battery is fixed, a fuel tank-side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed behind the battery-side frame, and a connecting member that connects the battery-side frame and the fuel tank-side frame are provided. In at least one of the battery-side frame and the fuel tank-side frame, a fixing part to which the connecting member is fixed has a frame closed cross-section extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the frame closed cross-section includes a fixing part fixed to the connecting member and a reinforcing member that suppresses cross-sectional deformation of the fixing part. This is realized by such a configuration.

Embodiment

[0019] One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show an accessory support structure of a vehicle. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the accessory support structure of the vehicle, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a state where the battery and the fuel tank are removed from FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 2.

[0020] Further, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the battery-side frame alone, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the fuel tank-side frame alone, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the connecting member on the left side of the vehicle alone. Furthermore, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 2, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 2, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 2, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in FIG. 2, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG. 2, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G in FIG. 2.

[0021] Furthermore, FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a connection structure between the battery-side frame and the fuel tank-side frame by the connecting member, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H-H in FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a BEV dedicated frame. In FIGS. 1 to 14, an accessory support structure of a vehicle applied to a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) is shown.

[0022] As is well known, a PHEV is a vehicle equipped with a battery having a relatively large capacity compared to a conventional HEV and capable of running on electrical energy charged by external power. For example, it is a vehicle that uses two types of energy sources, such as fuel like gasoline and electrical energy, for running. Note that the present invention is not limited to a PHEV as long as both a battery and a fuel tank are mounted, and it may be a range extender. Prior to the description of the auxiliary machine support structure of the vehicle, first, the lower body structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 12.

[0023] <Lower body structure> As shown in FIG. 7, a front floor panel 1 forming the floor surface of the passenger compartment is connected to the lower rear end portion of the dash lower panel (dash panel). As shown in FIGS. 7 and 12, a rear floor panel 3 extending rearward of the vehicle is connected to the rear end portion of the front floor panel 1 via a kick-up portion 2 rising upward from the rear end portion. The rear floor panel 3 is a panel forming the floor surfaces of the rear part of the passenger compartment and the luggage compartment.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 7, a front cross member 4 extending in the vehicle width direction is joined and fixed to the lower front side of the front floor panel 1, and a cross member closed cross section 5 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed between the front floor panel 1 and the front cross member 4.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 7, a front cross member 6 (so-called No. 2 cross member) extending in the vehicle width direction is joined and fixed to the upper surface of the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the front floor panel 1, and a cross member closed cross section 7 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed between the front floor panel 1 and the front cross member 6.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 12, an intermediate cross member 8 (so-called No. 3 cross member) extending in the vehicle width direction is joined and fixed to the lower surface of the corner portion between the kick-up portion 2 and the rear floor panel 3, and a cross member closed cross section 9 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed between the corner portion of each element 2, 3 and the intermediate cross member 8.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 7, at the rear part of the rear floor panel 3, on both the upper and lower surfaces thereof, an upper rear cross member 10 and a lower rear cross member 11 (so-called No. 4 cross member) extending in the vehicle width direction are joined and fixed, and cross member closed cross sections 12 and 13 extending in the vehicle width direction are respectively formed between the rear floor panel 3, the upper rear cross member 10, and the lower rear cross member 11. And, the rigidity of the lower body structure is improved by the above-described respective cross members 4, 6, 8, 10, and 11.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 8, at the center in the vehicle width direction of the front floor panel 1, a tunnel portion 14 protruding upward is integrally or integrally formed, while on both the left and right sides of the front floor panel 1, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, a side sill 15 as a body strength member extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is joined and fixed. In the drawings, for the sake of illustration, only the side sill inner 16 is shown, but the side sill 15 has a side sill closed cross section extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by joining and fixing the side sill inner 16 and the side sill outer. Further, a side sill reinforcement is provided on the side sill 15 as necessary.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 8, on both the upper and lower surfaces of the front floor panel 1 at the intermediate portion in the vehicle width direction between the tunnel portion 14 at the center in the vehicle width direction and the side sill inner 16 at the end in the vehicle width direction, a floor frame upper 17 and a floor frame lower 18 are joined and fixed. Between the above-described front floor panel 1, the floor frame upper 17, and the floor frame lower 18, floor frame closed cross sections 19 and 20 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are respectively formed to improve the rigidity of the lower body structure.

[0030] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a position immediately before the kick-up portion 2, and at the lower part of a pair of left and right floor frame lowers 18 at the said position, a mounting seat 22 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is provided via a reinforcement 21 having a substantially U-shaped cross section.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, rear side frames 23 as body strength members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are provided on the lower left and right sides of the rear floor panel 3. A rear side frame closed cross-section 24 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is formed between the end portions in the vehicle width direction of the rear floor panel 3, the rear side frames 23, and the side sill inners 16.

[0032] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion immediately behind the kick-up portion 2. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, mounting seats 26 are provided at the lower portions of a pair of left and right rear side frames 23 at this portion. As shown in FIG. 11, this mounting seat 26 is joined and fixed to the vertical wall portion of the rear side frame 23 and the vertical wall portion of the side sill inner 16. As shown in FIG. 12, the rear end portion of the mounting seat 26 is also joined and fixed to a support member 25 extending obliquely rearward and downward from the lower portion of the rear side frame 23.

[0033] <Auxiliary machine support structure of vehicle> Next, the auxiliary machine support structure of the vehicle will be described. In FIGS. 1 to 3, an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle that mounts a battery 27 and a fuel tank 28 (hereinafter referred to as a fuel tank 28) on the vehicle includes a battery side frame 30 to which the battery 27 is fixed and mounted on the vehicle body alone at the lower portions of the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 3, a fuel tank side frame 60 (hereinafter referred to as a fuel tank side frame 60) to which the fuel tank 28 is fixed and mounted on the vehicle body alone behind the battery side frame 30, and a joint member 80 as a connecting member that connects the above-mentioned battery side frame 30 and fuel tank side frame 60 and is detachably connected to each of these frames 30, 60.

[0034] As a result, the battery-side frame 30 to which the battery 27 is fixed and the fuel-tank-side frame 60 to which the fuel tank 28 is fixed are connected by the joint member 80, and in a state where these frames 30, 60 are attached to the vehicle body, during service and maintenance, the joint member 80 can be removed from each of the frames 30, 60.

[0035] Since both the above-described fuel-tank-side frame 60 and the battery-side frame 30 are independently fixed to the vehicle body, any one of the frames 30, 60 can be removed to perform inspection, repair, and replacement work.

[0036] On the other hand, when the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 are mounted on the vehicle, the battery-side frame 30 and the fuel-tank-side frame 60 can be mounted on the vehicle body in an integrated state by the joint member 80, so as to improve the mountability.

[0037] Also, the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 can be assembled in a state where the two frames 30, 60 are integrated by the joint member 80, which is also advantageous for the production tact time and the equipment layout.

[0038] Here, the above-described battery 27 stores a plurality of battery modules (for example, 12 battery modules) inside the battery case, and in this embodiment, a total of 8 batteries 27 are fixed to the battery-side frame 30. Further, the fuel tank 28 stores fuel such as gasoline supplied to an engine (not shown).

[0039] <Configuration of the battery-side frame 30> Next, with reference to FIGS. 4, 7 to 10, the configuration of the battery-side frame 30 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the battery side frame 30 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape that tapers in plan view, and this battery side frame 30 includes a front side portion 30A, a rear side portion 30B, and a pair of left and right side portions 30C, 30C.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7, the front side portion 30A is formed of a front frame 31 having a substantially Z-shaped cross section extending in the vehicle width direction, while the rear side portion 30B is formed of a rear side member extending in the vehicle width direction of a battery tray 35 described later.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the pair of left and right side portions 30C are formed of an inner frame 32 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and an outer frame 33 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a side portion closed cross section 34 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is formed between these inner and outer frames 32, 33.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 4, 7 to 10, a battery tray 35 is disposed at a portion surrounded by the above-described front side portion 30A, rear side portion 30B, and pair of left and right side portions 30C, 30C. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a plurality of cross members 36, 37, 38 (specifically, battery tray cross members) that connect between the left and right inner frames 32, 32 in the pair of left and right side portions 30C, 30C in the vehicle width direction are joined and fixed at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction on the upper surface of the battery tray 35.

[0043] And, as shown in FIG. 7, battery tray closed cross sections 39, 40, 41 extending in the vehicle width direction are formed between the above-described battery tray 35 and the respective cross members 36, 37, 38. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, a front train reinforcement 42 that connects the front cross member 36 and the intermediate cross member 37 in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided, and a reinforcement closed cross section 43 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is formed between the above-described battery tray 35 and the front train reinforcement 42, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0044] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, a rear reinforcement 44 is provided to connect the intermediate cross member 37 and the rear cross member 38 in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a reinforcement closed cross-section 45 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is formed between the battery tray 35 described above and the rear reinforcement 44.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a plurality of body mounting brackets 46 are provided at intervals in the vehicle width direction on the front side portion 30A of the battery side frame 30, and a body mounting portion 47 is provided at the upper portion of the body mounting bracket 46.

[0046] Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the above-described body mounting portion 47 is detachably attached to the front end cross member 4 using attachment members 48 such as bolts and nuts. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, a plurality of body mounting brackets 49 are provided at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction on the left and right side portions 30C of the battery side frame 30, and a body mounting portion 50 is provided at the upper portion of the body mounting bracket 49.

[0047] Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the above-described body mounting portion 50 is detachably attached to the bottom of the floor frame lower 18 using attachment members 51 such as bolts and nuts. As shown in FIG. 1, a total of four batteries 27 located in the front row are fixed to the upper portions of the cross members 36 and 37 via front and rear brackets 52 and 53 (specifically, battery support brackets), and similarly, a total of four batteries 27 located in the rear row are also fixed to the upper portions of the cross members 37 and 38 via front and rear brackets 54 and 55 (specifically, battery support brackets).

[0048] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a relay support bracket 56 rising upward is provided on the rear cross member 38, and a relay unit 57 for controlling in-vehicle electrical components is attached to the relay support bracket 56. The above-described relay unit 57 is located below the intermediate cross member 8 (so-called No. 3 cross member) as shown in FIG. 7.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, in the side portion 30C of the battery side frame 30, holes 33a, 33b, 33c (that is, bolt insertion holes) for inserting attachment members (see bolts B1, B2, B3 shown in FIG. 13) described later at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction are formed in the vertical wall portion of the outer frame 33. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the battery side frame 30 to which the battery 27 and the relay unit 57 are fixed is covered with a cover member 58 from above.

[0050] <Configuration of Fuel Tank Side Frame 60> Next, the configuration of the fuel tank side frame 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 7, 11, and 13. As shown in FIG. 5, the fuel tank side frame 60 includes a pair of left and right side portions 60A, 60A extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a rear side portion 60B extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the rear portions of the pair of left and right side portions 60A, 60A.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 5, 11, and 13, the above-described side portion 60A includes an inner frame 61 having a substantially Z-shaped cross section and an outer frame 62 having a substantially L-shaped cross section. Between the inner frame 61 and the outer frame 62, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, a side portion closed cross section 63 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is formed.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, the above-described side portion closed cross section 63 is formed only in the rear half portion on the rear side of the side portion 60A. That is, the inner frame 61 extends further forward in the vehicle than the front end of the outer frame 62 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the above-described rear side portion 60B includes a front frame 64 having a substantially Z-shaped cross section and a rear frame 65 having a substantially L-shaped cross section. Between the front frame 64 and the rear frame 65, as shown in FIG. 7, a rear side portion closed cross section 66 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 5, on a pair of left and right side portions 60A of the fuel tank side frame 60, a vehicle body mounting bracket 67 having an inverted L-shaped cross section is joined and fixed to the outer frame 62. And as shown in Fig. 12, a mounting portion 67a located at the upper part of this vehicle body mounting bracket 67 is detachably mounted on a mounting seat 26 at the lower part of the rear side frame 23 by using mounting members 68 such as bolts and nuts.

[0055] As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, on a rear frame 65 of a rear side portion 60B of the fuel tank side frame 60, a vehicle body mounting bracket 69 having an inverted L-shaped cross section rising upward from the rear frame 65 is provided. This vehicle body mounting bracket 69 has a plurality of mounting portions 69a (see Fig. 1), and as shown in Fig. 7, the mounting portions 69a are detachably mounted on the bottom of the rear cross member lower 11 by using mounting members 70 such as bolts and nuts.

[0056] As shown in Figs. 5 and 13, on the front end portions of the inner frame 61 in a pair of left and right side portions 60A, projecting pieces 71 extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the front end portions are integrally formed, and a beam 72 extending in the vehicle width direction is connected between these left and right projecting pieces 71, 71 to improve the rigidity of the fuel tank side frame 60.

[0057] Also, a plurality of mounting portions 28a of the fuel tank 28 shown in Fig. 1 are directly fixed to a plurality of mounting portions 73 at corresponding positions of the fuel tank side frame 60 shown in Fig. 5, and thus it is configured to abolish the tank band.

[0058] As shown in Figs. 2, 3, 7, and 13, in the above-described fuel tank side frame 60, a space portion 77 surrounded by the beam 72, a pair of left and right side portions 60A, and a rear side portion 60B is formed.

[0059] <Configuration of Joint Member 80> Next, with reference to FIGS. 6, 10, 12, and 13, the configuration of the joint member 80 as a connecting member will be described. Note that FIG. 6 shows only the joint member 80 on the left side of the vehicle, but the joint member 80 on the right side of the vehicle is configured to be substantially symmetrical to the left side one with respect to left and right.

[0060] The joint member 80 joins and fixes an inner frame 81 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and an outer frame 82 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and forms a longitudinal closed cross-section 83 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between these two frames 81 and 82.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6, at the front part of the joint member 80 described above, a vehicle body mounting portion 84 formed by raising the upper wall flange portions of the respective frames 81 and 82 upward is provided. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle body mounting portion 84 is detachably mounted to a mounting seat 22 directly below the floor frame lower 18 using mounting members 85 such as bolts and pipe nuts.

[0062] Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 13, an outer frame 82 at the rear part of the joint member 80 is provided with a vehicle body mounting bracket 86 having an inverted L-shaped cross-section rising upward from the outer frame 82. This vehicle body mounting bracket 86 has a plurality of mounting portions 86a (see FIG. 6) at the bent portion at its upper end, and the mounting portions 86a are detachably mounted to a mounting seat 26 at the lower part of the rear side frame 23 using mounting members 87 such as bolts and nuts as shown in FIG. 12.

[0063] <Connection Structure of Battery Side Frame 30, Fuel Tank Side Frame 60, and Joint Member 80> Next, with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, the connection structure between the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 and the joint member 80 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, side edge closed cross-sections 34 (frame closed cross-sections) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are formed at fixed portions α and β which are the portions where the joint member 80 is fixed in the battery side frame 30.

[0064] The side closed cross-section 34 formed by surrounding with the inner frame 32 and the outer frame 33 includes fixing parts α and β fixed to the joint member 80, and a pipe nut 90 as a reinforcing member for suppressing cross-sectional deformation of the fixing parts α and β.

[0065] Thus, even when a load input toward the upper part of the vehicle is generated against the rear end of the fuel tank side frame 60 during a rear-end collision of the vehicle, the cross-sectional deformation of the side closed cross-section 34 (that is, the side closed cross-section 34 where the fixing parts α and β are located) of the part where the joint member 80 is fixed by the pipe nut 90 is suppressed, and the deformation behavior of the fixing parts α and β is suppressed.

[0066] That is, in a structure in which the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 are respectively fixed to separate frames (the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60), and the frames 30 and 60 are connected by the joint member 80, the deformation of the connection part (fixing parts α and β) during a rear-end collision of the vehicle is suppressed.

[0067] As described above, the reinforcing member is constituted by the pipe nut 90, and the flange part at the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the pipe nut 90 is fixed to the inner frame 32. The pipe nut 90 is a pipe-shaped nut member, and is configured to surely receive a rear-end collision load by the pipe nut 90, suppress cross-sectional deformation of the side closed cross-section 34, and improve the support rigidity.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality (two in this embodiment) of the above-described pipe nuts 90 are arranged at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction. Thus, during a rear-end collision of the vehicle, the rear-end collision load is received by the side closed cross-sections 34 in the front-rear direction where a plurality of pipe nuts 90 arranged at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction are located, and a sufficient rigidity is ensured.

[0069] Further, the above-described joint member 80 is provided on the vehicle body near the kick-up portion 2 shown in FIG. 7 (see the mounting seat 22 shown in FIG. 10 and the mounting seat 26 shown in FIG. 12). The above-described kick-up portion 2 is likely to bend during a rear-end collision of the vehicle. By providing the joint member 80 on the vehicle body near the kick-up portion 2, the kick-up portion 2 is configured to be reinforced.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the above-described pipe nut 90 (reinforcing member) is constituted by a member extending in the vehicle width direction inside the side portion closed cross-section 34. That is, the above-described pipe nut 90 is horizontally mounted so as to extend in the vehicle width direction between the inner frame 32 and the outer frame 33 that form the side portion closed cross-section 34.

[0071] Thereby, even when loads in the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction are input to the joint member 80 during normal running of the vehicle, cross-sectional deformation of the side portion closed cross-section 34 of the portion where the joint member 80 is fixed by the above-described pipe nut 90 is suppressed. Thus, the deformation behavior of the fixing portions α and β is suppressed.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the joint member 80 is provided with a vehicle body mounting bracket 86 as a vehicle body fixing portion that is mounted near the support portion of the rear suspension device with respect to the vehicle body. Thereby, the support rigidity of the rear suspension device is improved.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 13, the front portion of the above-described joint member 80 and the rear portion of the battery side frame 30 are connected by a plurality of bolts B1 and B3 that are screwed into the pipe nut 90 from the outside of the outer frame 82 of the joint member 80.

[0074] Also, between the front and rear bolts B1 and B3, the outer frame 33 of the rear portion of the battery side frame 30 and the joint member 80 are connected by a plurality of bolts B2 that are screwed into the nut 91 from the outside of the outer frame 82 of the joint member 80. The above-described nut 91 is a weld nut that is welded and fixed to the outer frame 33 in advance.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the rear part of the joint member 80 and the side part 60A of the fuel tank side frame 60 are connected by a plurality of bolts B4, B5, B6 that are screwed from the outside of the outer frame 82 of the joint member 80 or from the outside of the vehicle body mounting bracket 86 to a plurality of pipe nuts 74, 75, 76 whose flange parts are pre-welded and fixed to the inner frame 61.

[0076] Here, as shown in FIG. 13, a collar 92 is stretched between the inner frame 81 and the outer frame 82 that face each other within the closed cross-section 83 at the front part of the joint member 80 so as to be mounted on the outer periphery of the shaft parts of the bolts B1 to B3.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 6, bolt insertion holes 93B1, 93B2, 93B3, 93B4, 93B5, 93B6 are respectively formed in the outer frame 82 and the vehicle body mounting bracket 86 of the joint member 80 in order to insert the above-mentioned bolts B1 to B6.

[0078] <Structure regarding frame commonization> As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of first vehicle body fixing parts X1 for the vehicle body are provided on the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 connected by the joint member 80. The first vehicle body fixing part X1 is composed of the respective mounting parts 47, 50, 84, 86a, 67a shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

[0079] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, a BEV (battery electric vehicle) dedicated frame 100 is provided. As shown in FIG. 15, this BEV dedicated frame 100 includes a front side part 130A, a rear side part 160B, and a pair of left and right side parts 130C, 130C that connect the left and right end parts in the vehicle width direction of the front side part 130A and the rear side part 160B in the vehicle front-rear direction, and is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape that tapers in a plan view of the vehicle.

[0080] In addition, a battery tray 135 is disposed at a portion surrounded by each of the side portions 130A, 160B, and 130C described above. Further, a plurality of cross members 136, 137, 138 are provided to connect a pair of left and right side portions 130C, 130C in the vehicle width direction with a space therebetween in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0081] At the center in the vehicle width direction, a front rail reinforcement 142 is provided to connect the two front cross members 136, 137 in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a rear rail reinforcement 144 is provided to connect the two rear cross members 137, 138 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0082] Moreover, two vehicle body attachment portions 147 spaced apart in the vehicle width direction are provided at the above-described front side portion 130A via vehicle body attachment brackets, and seven vehicle body attachment portions 150, 184, 186a, 167a spaced apart in the vehicle front-rear direction are provided at a pair of left and right side portions 130C via vehicle body attachment brackets.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 15, only a battery is mounted on the above-described BEV dedicated frame 100, and no fuel tank is mounted. Further, the BEV dedicated frame 100 includes a plurality of second vehicle body fixing portions X2.

[0084] The second vehicle body fixing portion X2 is composed of each of the attachment portions 147, 150, 184, 186a, 167a shown in FIG. 15. The plurality of first vehicle body fixing portions X1 shown in FIG. 3 and the plurality of second vehicle body fixing portions X2 shown in FIG. 15 are configured such that the vehicle front-rear direction position, the vehicle width direction position, and the vehicle up-down direction position coincide with each other at corresponding positions.

[0085] Thus, since the plurality of the first vehicle body fixing portions X1 (see FIG. 3) and the plurality of the second vehicle body fixing portions X2 (see FIG. 15) have the same front-rear direction position, vehicle width direction position, and vertical direction position of the corresponding portions, the first structure Z as an assembly including the battery side frame 30, the fuel tank side frame 60, and the joint member 80 and the vehicle body fixing portions of the BEV dedicated frame 100 are configured to share the vehicle body fixing portions.

[0086] <Method of Assembling Vehicle Accessories> Next, a method of assembling vehicle accessories (the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. In the first step, as shown in FIG. 1, the battery side frame 30 (see FIG. 4) to which the battery 27 is fixed and the fuel tank side frame 60 (see FIG. 5) are connected by the joint member 80 (see FIG. 6) to form the first structure Z. The connection of the joint member 80 uses the bolts B1 to B6 shown in FIG. 13. At this point, the fuel tank 28 is not mounted.

[0087] Next, in the second step, as shown in FIG. 1, the fuel tank 28 is assembled to the fuel tank side frame 60 of the first structure Z. When assembling the fuel tank 28, a plurality of attachment portions 28a of the fuel tank 28 shown in FIG. 1 are fixed to the attachment portion 73 of the fuel tank side frame 60 shown in FIG. 5.

[0088] Next, in the third step, the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 are each separately assembled to the vehicle body at the lower part of the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 3. The battery side frame 30 is separately assembled to the vehicle body using the bolts of the attachment member 48 shown in FIG. 7 and the bolts of the attachment member 51 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0089] The fuel tank side frame 60 is assembled to the vehicle body independently using the bolts of the mounting member 70 shown in FIG. 7 and the bolts of the mounting member 68 shown in FIG. 12. Also, the joint member 80 is assembled to the vehicle body independently using the bolts of the mounting member 85 shown in FIG. 10 and the bolts of the mounting member 87 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0090] Thus, during service and maintenance, when the joint member 80 is removed from the vehicle body and each frame 30, 60, since the fuel tank side frame 60 and the battery side frame 30 are each fixed to the vehicle body independently, any one of them can be removed for inspection, repair, and replacement work.

[0091] On the other hand, when the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 are mounted on the vehicle, in the above first step, the first structure Z in which the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 are integrated by the joint member 80 is configured. In the third step, each frame 30, 60 to which the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 are respectively fixed can be mounted on the vehicle body independently, so as to improve the mountability.

[0092] Also, by assembling the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 to the first structure Z in which both frames (the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60) are integrated by the joint member 80, it is configured to be advantageous for the production tact time and the equipment layout.

[0093] In the figure, the arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow R indicates the rear of the vehicle, the arrow IN indicates the inner side in the vehicle width direction, the arrow OUT indicates the outer side in the vehicle width direction, the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, the arrow LE indicates the left outer side in the vehicle width direction, and the arrow RI indicates the right outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0094] As described above, the auxiliary machine support structure of the vehicle according to this embodiment is an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle in which a battery 27 and a fuel tank 28 are mounted on the vehicle. At the lower part of a floor panel (front floor panel 1, rear floor panel 3), there are a battery side frame 30 to which the battery 27 is fixed, a fuel tank side frame 60 to which the fuel tank 28 is fixed behind the battery side frame 30, and a connecting member (joint member 80) that connects the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60. At least one of the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 has fixing portions α, β to which the connecting member (joint member 80) is fixed, and the fixing portions α, β have a frame closed cross-section (side portion closed cross-section 34) extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The frame closed cross-section (side portion closed cross-section 34) includes the fixing portions α, β fixed to the connecting member (joint member 80) and a reinforcing member (pipe nut 90) that suppresses cross-sectional deformation of the fixing portions α, β (see FIGS. 1, 13, and 14).

[0095] According to such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, when the vehicle is rear-ended, even if a load input upward occurs at the rear end of the fuel tank side frame 60, the cross-sectional deformation of the frame closed cross-section (side portion closed cross-section 34) to which the connecting member (joint member 80) is fixed by the reinforcing member (pipe nut 90) is suppressed. Therefore, the deformation behavior of the fixing portions α, β can be suppressed.

[0096] In short, in a structure in which the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 are respectively fixed to separate frames (battery side frame 30 and fuel tank side frame 60) and the frames 30, 60 are connected by a connecting member (joint member 80), the deformation of the connecting portion (fixing portions α, β) during rear-end collision of the vehicle can be suppressed.

[0097] Further, in such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, the reinforcing member (pipe nut 90) is constituted by a pipe-shaped nut member (see FIGS. 13 and 14). According to such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, the pipe-shaped nut member (pipe nut 90) surely receives the rear impact load, suppressing the cross-sectional deformation of the frame closed cross-section (side part closed cross-section 34), so that the support rigidity can be improved.

[0098] Furthermore, in such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, a plurality of the reinforcing members (pipe nuts 90) are arranged at intervals in the vehicle longitudinal direction (see FIG. 13). According to such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, at the time of rear impact of the vehicle, the rear impact load can be received by the front-rear direction frame closed cross-section (side part closed cross-section 34) where a plurality of reinforcing members (pipe nuts 90) arranged at intervals in the vehicle longitudinal direction are located, and sufficient rigidity can be ensured.

[0099] Furthermore, in such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, the connecting member (joint member 80) is provided on the vehicle body near the kick-up part 2 (see the mounting seat 22 in FIG. 10 and the mounting seat 26 in FIG. 12) (see FIGS. 7 and 13).

[0100] According to such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, the above-mentioned kick-up part 2 is likely to bend at the time of rear impact of the vehicle, but by providing the connecting member (joint member 80) on the vehicle body near the kick-up part 2, the kick-up part 2 can be reinforced.

[0101] Also, in such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, the reinforcing member (pipe nut 90) is composed of a member extending in the vehicle width direction inside the frame closed cross-section (side part closed cross-section 34) (see FIGS. 13 and 14). According to such an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle, even when loads in the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction are input to the connecting member (joint member 80) during normal running, the cross-sectional deformation of the frame closed cross-section (side part closed cross-section 34) to which the connecting member (joint member 80) is fixed by the reinforcing member (pipe nut 90) is suppressed, so that the deformation behavior of the fixing parts α and β can be suppressed.

[0102] In addition, in such an auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle, the above-described connecting member (joint member 80) is provided with a vehicle body fixing portion (vehicle body mounting bracket 86) that is attached near the support portion of the rear suspension device with respect to the vehicle body (see FIGS. 12 and 13). According to such an auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle, the vehicle body fixing portion (vehicle body mounting bracket 86) can improve the support rigidity of the rear suspension device.

[0103] In the correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-described embodiment, The floor panel of this invention corresponds to the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 3 of the embodiment, Similarly hereinafter, The fuel tank corresponds to the fuel tank 28, The frame closed cross-section corresponds to the side closed cross-section 34, The fuel tank side frame corresponds to the fuel tank side frame 60, The connecting member corresponds to the joint member 80, The vehicle body fixing portion corresponds to the vehicle body mounting bracket 86, The reinforcing member corresponds to the pipe nut 90, but This invention is not limited only to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

[0104] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle applied to a PHEV is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to a PHEV as long as both a battery and a fuel tank are mounted, and may be a range extender.

Industrial Applicability

[0105] As described above, the present invention is useful for an auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on the vehicle.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0106] 1... Front floor panel (floor panel) 2... Kick-up portion 3… Rear floor panel (floor panel) 27… Battery 28… Fuel tank (fuel tank) 30… Battery side frame 34… Side closed cross-section (frame closed cross-section) 60… Fuel tank side frame (fuel tank side frame) 80… Joint member (connecting member) 86… Body mounting bracket (body fixing part) 90… Pipe nut (reinforcing member) α, β… Fixing part

Claims

1. An auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on the vehicle, In the lower part of the floor panel, a battery side frame to which the battery is fixed, a fuel tank side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed behind the battery side frame, and a connecting member that connects the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame are provided, In at least one of the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame, a fixing portion to which the connecting member is fixed has a frame closed cross-section extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, The frame closed cross-section is characterized by comprising a fixing portion fixed to the connecting member and a reinforcing member that suppresses cross-sectional deformation of the fixing portion. An auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle.

2. The reinforcing member is constituted by a pipe-shaped nut member. The auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle according to Claim 1.

3. A plurality of the reinforcing members are arranged at intervals in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The connecting member is provided on the vehicle body near the kick-up portion. The auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. The reinforcing member is constituted by a member extending in the vehicle width direction inside the frame closed cross-section. The auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

6. The connecting member is provided with a vehicle body fixing portion that is attached near the support portion of the rear suspension device with respect to the vehicle body. The auxiliary machine support structure for a vehicle according to any one of Claims 1 to 5.

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