Vehicle accessory support structure and vehicle accessory assembly method

Abstract

To provide an auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle which enables removal of any one of a battery side frame and a fuel tank side frame from a vehicle body and enables inspection, repair, and replacement of any one of the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame during service and maintenance easily, and to provide an assembly method of a vehicle auxiliary machine.SOLUTION: An auxiliary machine support structure of a vehicle includes: a battery side frame 30 to which a battery 27 is fixed and which is attached to a vehicle body by itself below floor panels 1, 3; a fuel tank side frame 60 to which a fuel tank 28 is fixed and which is attached to the vehicle body by itself; and connection members 80 each of which connects the battery side frame 30 with the fuel tank side frame 60 and is detachably connected to the frames 30, 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle accessory support structure in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on a vehicle, and a method for assembling vehicle accessories. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, vehicles have been known in which a fuel tank and a battery are mounted on the body below the floor panel. When adopting such a structure, it is desirable to be able to remove the battery or the fuel tank separately from the body in order to ensure ease of service and maintenance.

[0003] However, adopting a structure in which the battery and fuel tank are separately fixed to the vehicle body lengthens the vehicle body assembly process, which has the problem of adversely affecting production takt time and facility layout.

[0004] Incidentally, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a battery and a fuel tank are fixed to a single battery mounting frame, and the battery mounting frame is attached to the lower part of the floor panel, spanning the lower part of the front floor frame and the lower part of the rear seat pan.

[0005] However, the conventional structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not disclose a structure that allows either the fuel tank or the battery to be removed, and there is room for improvement in terms of serviceability and maintainability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-172009 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a vehicle accessory support structure and a vehicle accessory assembly method that allow either the battery side frame or the fuel tank side frame to be removed from the vehicle body, and that allows easy inspection, repair, and replacement of either one during service and maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention is an accessory support structure for a vehicle in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on the vehicle, characterized in that it comprises, at the bottom of the floor panel, a battery side frame to which the battery is fixed and which is attached solely to the vehicle body, a fuel tank side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed and which is attached solely to the vehicle body, and a connecting member that connects the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame and is detachably connected to each of these frames.

[0009] According to this invention, the battery side frame to which the battery is fixed and the fuel tank side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed are connected by connecting members, and with these frames attached to the vehicle body, the connecting members can be removed from each frame during service and maintenance. Since both the fuel tank side frame and the battery side frame are independently fixed to the vehicle body, either one of the frames can be removed for inspection, repair, or replacement.

[0010] On the other hand, when the battery and fuel tank are mounted on the vehicle, the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame can be mounted on the vehicle body in a state where they are integrated by the connecting member, thereby improving mountability. Furthermore, since the battery and fuel tank can be attached with both frames integrated by the connecting member, this is advantageous in terms of production takt time and facility layout.

[0011] In addition, as an aspect of the present invention, the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame connected by the connecting member may be provided with a plurality of first body fixing parts for the body, and on the other hand, a BEV-specific frame may be provided with a plurality of second body fixing parts, and the plurality of first body fixing parts and the plurality of second body fixing parts may be configured so that the fore-and-aft positions, vehicle width positions, and up-and-down positions of the corresponding parts are aligned.

[0012] The BEV mentioned above is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle, and is an electric vehicle powered by a battery that is charged using an external power source. Also, the BEV frame only has a battery mounted on it, and no fuel tank is installed.

[0013] According to this invention, the first body fixing parts and the second body fixing parts have corresponding positions in the longitudinal direction, width direction, and vertical direction, respectively, which makes it possible to standardize the body fixing parts between the assembly consisting of the battery side frame, fuel tank side frame, and connecting member (see the first structure described below) and the BEV-specific frame.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for assembling a vehicle accessory in an accessory support structure for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, comprising a first step of connecting the battery side frame, to which the battery is fixed, and the fuel tank side frame with the connecting member to form a first structure; a second step of assembling the fuel tank to the fuel tank side frame of the first structure; and a second step of assembling the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame together. The first structure connected by the connecting member and a third step of assembling the floor panel lower part to the vehicle body, In the third step, the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame constituting the first structure are respectively attached to the vehicle body below the floor panel. The present invention relates to a method for assembling a vehicle accessory.

[0015] According to this invention, in the first step described above, the battery side frame, to which the battery is fixed, and the fuel tank side frame are connected by the connecting member to form the first structure. In the second step described above, the fuel tank is assembled to the fuel tank side frame of the first structure. In the third step described above, the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame are each individually attached to the vehicle body below the floor panel.

[0016] This allows the connecting members to be removed from each frame during service and maintenance, and since both the fuel tank side frame and the battery side frame are fixed independently to the vehicle body, either one can be removed to perform inspection, repair, or replacement work.

[0017] On the other hand, when the battery and fuel tank are mounted on the vehicle, the first structure is formed in the first step by connecting the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame together, and therefore, in the third step, each frame to which the battery and fuel tank are respectively fixed is mounted individually on the vehicle body, thereby improving mountability.

[0018] Furthermore, since the battery and fuel tank can be assembled to the first structure in which both frames (battery side frame and fuel tank side frame) are integrated using the connecting member, this is advantageous in terms of production takt time and facility layout. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to this invention, either the battery side frame or the fuel tank side frame can be removed from the vehicle body, which has the advantage of facilitating inspection, repair, or replacement of either frame during service or maintenance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the auxiliary equipment support structure of the vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 with the battery and fuel tank removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5]FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 2. [Figure 8] BB line cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 2. [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Figure 2. [Figure 11] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 2. [Figure 12] Cross section of line GG in Figure 2. [Figure 13] 10 is a plan view showing a connection structure between the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame using a connecting member. FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a frame dedicated to BEVs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The objective of being able to remove either the battery side frame or the fuel tank side frame from the vehicle body and easily inspect, repair, or replace either one during service or maintenance is achieved by a vehicle accessory support structure in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on a vehicle, comprising a battery side frame to which the battery is fixed and which is attached solely to the vehicle body below the floor panel, a fuel tank side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed and which is attached solely to the vehicle body, and connecting members that connect the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame and are detachably connected to each of these frames. [Example]

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show a vehicle accessory support structure and a method for assembling vehicle accessories, with Figure 1 being a plan view showing the vehicle accessory support structure, Figure 2 being a plan view of Figure 1 with the battery and fuel tank removed, and Figure 3 being a perspective view of Figure 2.

[0023] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the battery-side frame, Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the fuel tank-side frame alone, Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the connecting member on the left side of the vehicle alone, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2, Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 2, Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 2, Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in Fig. 2, and Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in Fig. 2.

[0024] 13 is a plan view showing the 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 HH in FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the BEV-specific frame. 1 to 14 show a vehicle accessory support structure that is applied to a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle).

[0025] As is well known, a PHEV is a vehicle that is a conventional HEV equipped with a relatively large capacity battery and is capable of running on electrical energy charged from an external power source, and is a vehicle that uses two types of energy sources for running: fuel such as gasoline and electrical energy. Note that the present invention is not limited to PHEVs, and may also be a range extender, as long as it is equipped with both a battery and a fuel tank. Prior to describing the vehicle accessory support structure, the lower vehicle body structure will first be described with reference to FIGS.

[0026] <Lower body structure> As shown in Figure 7, a front floor panel 1 that forms the floor of the passenger compartment is connected to the lower rear end of the dash lower panel. As shown in Figures 7 and 12, a rear floor panel 3 that extends toward the rear of the vehicle is connected to the rear end of the front floor panel 1 via a kick-up portion 2 that rises upward from the rear end. The rear floor panel 3 is a panel that forms the floor of the rear of the passenger compartment and the luggage compartment.

[0027] As shown in Figure 7, a front end cross member 4 extending in the vehicle width direction is joined and fixed to the lower front end 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 end cross member 4.

[0028] As shown in Figure 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 middle part of the front floor panel 1 in the fore-and-aft direction, 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.

[0029] As shown in Figures 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 underside of the corner 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 of each element 2, 3 and the intermediate cross member 8.

[0030] As shown in Figure 7, a rear cross member upper 10 and a rear cross member lower 11 (so-called No. 4 cross member) extending in the vehicle width direction are joined and fixed to both the upper and lower surfaces of the rear part of the rear floor panel 3, and cross member closed cross sections 12 and 13 extending in the vehicle width direction are formed between the rear floor panel 3 and the rear cross member upper 10 and the rear cross member lower 11, respectively. The above-mentioned cross members 4, 6, 8, 10, and 11 improve the rigidity of the lower body structure.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 8, a tunnel portion 14 that protrudes upward is formed integrally or one-piece with the center of the front floor panel 1 in the vehicle width direction, while side sills 15 that serve as vehicle body strength members extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle are joined and fixed to both left and right sides of the front floor panel 1 as shown in Figs. 8 to 11. Note that for convenience of illustration, only the side sill inner 16 is shown in the drawings, but the side sill 15 has a closed cross section that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle by joining and fixing the side sill inner 16 and the side sill outer. In addition, side sill reinforcements are provided on the side sill 15 as needed.

[0032] As shown in Figure 8, an upper floor frame 17 and a lower floor frame 18 are joined and fixed to both the top and bottom surfaces of the front floor panel 1 in the vehicle widthwise intermediate portion between the tunnel portion 14 in the center of the vehicle width direction and the side sill inner panel 16 at the end of the vehicle width direction. Floor frame closed sections 19, 20 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle are formed between the front floor panel 1 and the upper floor frame 17 and between the front floor panel 1 and the lower floor frame 18, respectively, to improve the rigidity of the lower body structure.

[0033] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the area just before the kick-up portion 2, and at the bottom of the pair of left and right floor frame lowers 18 in this area, a mounting seat 22 with an approximately U-shaped cross section is provided via a reinforcement 21 with an approximately U-shaped cross section.

[0034] 11 and 12, rear side frames 23, which serve as vehicle body strength members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, are provided on both left and right sides of the lower portion 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 vehicle width direction end of the rear floor panel 3, the rear side frame 23, and the side sill inner panel 16.

[0035] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion immediately behind the kick-up portion 2, and as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a mounting seat 26 is provided on the lower portion of the pair of left and right rear side frames 23 in this portion. As shown in FIG. 11, the 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, and as shown in FIG. 12, the rear end portion of the mounting seat 26 is also joined and fixed to a support member 25 that extends diagonally downward and rearward from the lower portion of the rear side frame 23.

[0036] <Vehicle accessory support structure> Next, the auxiliary equipment support structure of the vehicle will be described. 1 to 3, the vehicle accessory support structure for mounting a battery 27 and a fuel tank 28 (hereinafter referred to as the fuel tank 28) on the vehicle comprises a battery side frame 30 to which the battery 27 is fixed and which is attached solely to the vehicle body at the bottom of the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 3, a fuel tank side frame 60 (hereinafter referred to as the fuel tank side frame 60) to which the fuel tank 28 is fixed and which is attached solely to the vehicle body 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.

[0037] 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 with these frames 30, 60 attached to the vehicle body, the joint member 80 can be removed from each frame 30, 60 during service and maintenance.

[0038] Since both the fuel tank side frame 60 and the battery side frame 30 are fixed independently to the vehicle body, either one of the frames 30, 60 can be removed for inspection, repair, or replacement work.

[0039] 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 a state where they are integrated with each other by the joint member 80, thereby improving mountability.

[0040] Furthermore, the battery 27 and fuel tank 28 can be assembled with both frames 30, 60 integrated by the joint member 80, which is advantageous in terms of production takt time and facility layout.

[0041] Here, the battery 27 described above has a plurality of battery modules (for example, 12 battery modules) stored inside a battery case, and in this embodiment, a total of eight batteries 27 are fixed to the battery-side frame 30. Also, a fuel tank 28 stores fuel such as gasoline to be supplied to an engine (not shown).

[0042] <Configuration of battery-side frame 30> Next, the configuration of the battery side frame 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7 to 10. FIG. As shown in Figure 4, the battery side frame 30 is formed in a tapered, approximately rectangular shape when viewed from above, and this battery side frame 30 has a front edge portion 30A, a rear edge portion 30B, and a pair of left and right side edge portions 30C, 30C.

[0043] As shown in Figure 7, the front edge portion 30A is formed by a front frame 31 having an approximately Z-shaped cross section that extends in the vehicle width direction, while the rear edge portion 30B is formed by a rear edge member of the battery tray 35, which will be described later, that extends in the vehicle width direction.

[0044] As shown in Figures 8, 9, and 10, a pair of left and right side edge portions 30C are formed by an inner frame 32 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and an outer frame 33 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a side edge portion closed cross section 34 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is formed between these inner and outer frames 32, 33.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 to 10, a battery tray 35 is disposed in a region surrounded by the front side 30A, rear side 30B, and pair of left and right side sides 30C, 30C. As shown in Figures 4 and 7, multiple cross members 36, 37, 38 (more specifically, battery tray cross members) that connect the left and right inner frames 32, 32 in the vehicle width direction at a pair of left and right side edge portions 30C, 30C are joined and fixed at intervals in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle on the upper surface of the battery tray 35.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 7, battery tray closed cross sections 39, 40, 41 extending in the vehicle width direction are formed between the battery tray 35 and the cross members 36, 37, 38. As shown in FIG. 4, a front reinforcement 42 is provided to connect the front cross member 36 and the middle cross member 37 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a reinforcement closed cross section 43 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is formed between the battery tray 35 and the front reinforcement 42, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0047] Similarly, as shown in Figure 4, a rear reinforcement 44 is provided to connect the middle cross member 37 and the rear cross member 38 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a reinforcement closed cross section 45 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is formed between the battery tray 35 and the rear reinforcement 44.

[0048] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, a plurality of vehicle body mounting brackets 46 are provided at intervals in the vehicle width direction on the front edge 30A of the battery side frame 30, and vehicle body mounting portions 47 are provided on the upper parts of these vehicle body mounting brackets 46.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7, the above-mentioned vehicle body mounting portion 47 is detachably mounted to the front end cross member 4 using mounting members 48 such as bolts and nuts. As shown in Figures 4 and 8, multiple vehicle body mounting brackets 49 are provided at intervals in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle on the left and right side edges 30C of the battery side frame 30, and vehicle body mounting portions 50 are provided on the upper parts of these vehicle body mounting brackets 49.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle body mounting portion 50 is detachably mounted to the bottom of the floor frame lower 18 using mounting members 51 such as bolts and nuts. As shown in FIG. 1, the four batteries 27 located in the front row are fixed to the top of the cross members 36 and 37 via front and rear brackets 52 and 53 (more specifically, battery support brackets), and similarly, the four batteries 27 located in the rear row are fixed to the top of the cross members 37 and 38 via front and rear brackets 54 and 55 (more specifically, battery support brackets).

[0051] 1 and 7, a relay support bracket 56 is provided on the rear cross member 38, and a relay unit 57 that controls on-board electrical components is attached to this relay support bracket 56. The relay unit 57 is located below the intermediate cross member 8 (the so-called No. 3 cross member) as shown in FIG.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, at the side edge portion 30C of the battery side frame 30, the vertical wall portion of the outer frame 33 has holes 33a, 33b, and 33c (i.e., bolt insertion holes) formed at intervals in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle for inserting mounting members (see bolts B1, B2, and B3) described later. 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.

[0053] <Configuration of fuel tank side frame 60> Next, the configuration of the fuel tank side frame 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, the fuel tank side frame 60 has a pair of left and right side edge portions 60A, 60A extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a rear edge portion 60B extending in the vehicle width direction to connect the rear portions of the pair of left and right side edge portions 60A, 60A.

[0054] As shown in Figures 5, 11 and 13, the above-mentioned side edge portion 60A comprises an inner frame 61 having a generally Z-shaped cross section and an outer frame 62 having a generally L-shaped cross section, and between these inner frame 61 and outer frame 62, as shown in Figures 11 and 13, a side edge portion closed cross section 63 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is formed.

[0055] 5, the side edge closed cross section 63 is formed only on the rear half of the side edge 60A. That is, the inner frame 61 extends further forward of the vehicle than the front end of the outer frame 62 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0056] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the above-mentioned rear edge portion 60B comprises a front frame 64 having an approximately Z-shaped cross section and a rear frame 65 having an approximately L-shaped cross section, and between these front frame 64 and rear frame 65, a rear edge portion closed cross section 66 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed, as shown in Figure 7.

[0057] 5, a vehicle body mounting bracket 67 having an inverted L-shaped cross section is joined and fixed to the outer frame 62 at a pair of left and right side edges 60A of the fuel tank side frame 60. A mounting portion 67a located at the upper part of this vehicle body mounting bracket 67 is detachably mounted to the mounting seat 26 at the bottom of the rear side frame 23 using mounting members 68 such as bolts and nuts, as shown in FIG.

[0058] 1 and 7, a vehicle body mounting bracket 69 having an inverted L-shaped cross section is provided on the rear frame 65 of the rear side portion 60B of the fuel tank side frame 60 and rises upward from the rear frame 65. 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 to the bottom of the rear cross-member lower 11 using mounting members 70 such as bolts and nuts.

[0059] As shown in Figures 5 and 13, protrusions 71 extending inward in the vehicle width direction are formed integrally with the front ends of the inner frame 61 at the pair of left and right side edge portions 60A, and a beam 72 extending in the vehicle width direction is connected between these left and right protrusions 71, 71 to improve the rigidity of the fuel tank side frame 60.

[0060] In addition, the multiple mounting portions 28a of the fuel tank 28 shown in FIG. 1 are directly fixed to multiple mounting portions 73 at corresponding positions on the fuel tank side frame 60 shown in FIG. 5, thereby eliminating the need for a tank band.

[0061] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 7, and 13, the above-mentioned fuel tank side frame 60 has a space 77 surrounded by a beam 72, a pair of left and right side edge portions 60A, and a rear edge portion 60B.

[0062] <Configuration of Joint Member 80> Next, the configuration of the joint member 80 as a connecting member will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 10, 12, and 13. FIG. Although FIG. 6 shows only the joint member 80 on the left side of the vehicle, the joint member 80 on the right side of the vehicle is configured to be substantially symmetrical to the one on the left side.

[0063] The joint member 80 joins and fixes an inner frame 81 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and an outer frame 82 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, forming a closed cross section 83 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle between these two frames 81, 82.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 6, a vehicle body mounting portion 84 is provided at the front of the joint member 80, formed by raising the upper wall flanges of the frames 81, 82. Then, as shown in Fig. 10, the vehicle body mounting portion 84 is detachably mounted to the mounting seat 22 directly below the floor frame lower 18 using mounting members 85 such as bolts and pipe nuts.

[0065] 6 and 13, a vehicle body mounting bracket 86 having an inverted L-shaped cross section is provided on the outer frame 82 at the rear of the joint member 80 and 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 upper end thereof, and the mounting portions 86a are detachably mounted to the mounting seats 26 at the bottom of the rear side frames 23 using mounting members 87 such as bolts and nuts, as shown in FIG.

[0066] <Connection structure between battery side frame 30, fuel tank side frame 60 and joint member 80> Next, the connection structure between the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 and the joint member 80 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, fixed portions α and β, which are portions of the battery-side frame 30 where the joint member 80 is fixed, have closed cross sections 34 (closed frame cross sections) extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0067] The closed cross section 34 surrounded and formed by the inner frame 32 and the outer frame 33 includes fixing portions α and β that are fixed to the joint member 80, and a pipe nut 90 that serves as a reinforcing member that suppresses cross-sectional deformation of the fixing portions α and β.

[0068] As a result, even if a load is input in the direction of the rear end of the fuel tank side frame 60 toward the top of the vehicle during a rear collision, cross-sectional deformation of the closed cross section 34 at the portion where the joint member 80 is fixed by the pipe nut 90 (i.e., the closed cross section 34 where the fixing portions α and β are located) is suppressed, and the deformation behavior of the fixing portions α and β is suppressed.

[0069] That is, the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 are fixed to separate frames (battery side frame 30 and fuel tank side frame 60), and the frames 30, 60 are connected by a joint member 80, and the structure is configured to suppress deformation of the connecting parts (fixing parts α, β) in the event of a rear-end collision of the vehicle.

[0070] As described above, the reinforcing member is constituted by the pipe nut 90, and the flange portion at the inner end in the vehicle width direction of this pipe nut 90 is fixed to the inner frame 32. The pipe nut 90 is a pipe-shaped nut member, and is configured to reliably receive a rear collision load, suppress cross-sectional deformation of the closed cross section 34, and improve support rigidity.

[0071] 13, a plurality of (two in this embodiment) pipe nuts 90 are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. As a result, in the event of a rear-end collision, the rear-end collision load is received by the longitudinal closed cross section 34 where the plurality of pipe nuts 90 arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are located, thereby ensuring sufficient rigidity.

[0072] The above-mentioned joint member 80 is provided on the vehicle body near the kick-up portion 2 shown in Fig. 7 (see mounting seat 22 shown in Fig. 10 and mounting seat 26 shown in Fig. 12). The above-mentioned kick-up portion 2 is prone to bending in the event of a rear-end collision, but by providing joint member 80 on the vehicle body near the kick-up portion 2, the kick-up portion 2 is reinforced.

[0073] 13 and 14, the pipe nut 90 (reinforcing member) is configured as a member extending in the vehicle width direction inside the closed cross section 34. That is, the pipe nut 90 is bridged between the inner frame 32 and the outer frame 33 that form the closed cross section 34 so as to extend in the vehicle width direction.

[0074] As a result, even if loads in the vertical and lateral directions are input to the joint member 80 during normal vehicle driving, cross-sectional deformation of the closed cross section 34 at the portion where the joint member 80 is fixed by the pipe nut 90 is suppressed, thereby suppressing the deformation behavior of the fixing portions α and β.

[0075] 12 and 13, the joint member 80 is further provided with a vehicle body mounting bracket 86 as a vehicle body fixing part that is attached to the vehicle body near the support part of the rear suspension device, thereby improving the support rigidity of the rear suspension device.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 13, the front portion of the joint member 80 and the rear portion of the battery-side frame 30 are connected by a plurality of bolts B1, B3 that screw into pipe nuts 90 from the outside of the outer frame 82 of the joint member 80.

[0077] Between the front and rear bolts B1 and B3, the outer frame 33 at the rear of the battery-side frame 30 and the joint member 80 are connected by a plurality of bolts B2 that screw into nuts 91 from the outside of the outer frame 82 of the joint member 80. The nuts 91 are weld nuts that are welded and fixed to the outer frame 33 in advance.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the rear portion of the joint member 80 and the side edge portion 60A of the fuel tank-side frame 60 are connected to a plurality of pipe nuts 74, 75, 76 whose flanges have been welded to the inner frame 61 in advance 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 the outside of the vehicle body mounting bracket 86.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 13, a collar 92 is stretched between the opposing inner frame 81 and outer frame 82 in the closed cross section 83 at the front of the joint member 80 so as to be attached to the outer peripheries of the shanks of the bolts B1 to B3.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 6, the outer frame 82 and the vehicle body mounting bracket 86 of the joint member 80 are formed with bolt insertion holes 93B1, 93B2, 93B3, 93B4, 93B5, and 93B6 for inserting the above-mentioned bolts B1 to B6 therethrough.

[0081] <Frame sharing structure> 3, the battery-side frame 30 and the fuel tank-side frame 60, which are connected by the joint member 80, are provided with a plurality of first vehicle body fixing portions X1 for fixing to the vehicle body. The first vehicle body fixing portions X1 are made up of the respective mounting portions 47, 50, 84, 86a, and 67a shown in FIGS.

[0082] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, a frame 100 dedicated to a BEV (battery electric vehicle) is provided. As shown in Figure 15, this BEV-specific frame 100 has a front edge portion 130A, a rear edge portion 160B, and a pair of left and right side edge portions 130C, 130C that connect the left and right ends of the front edge portion 130A and the rear edge portion 160B in the vehicle width direction in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and is formed in a tapered, approximately rectangular shape when viewed from above the vehicle.

[0083] A battery tray 135 is disposed in the area surrounded by the above-mentioned side portions 130A, 130B, 130C. Furthermore, a plurality of cross members 136, 137, 138 are provided to connect the pair of left and right side portions 130C, 130C in the vehicle width direction at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0084] A front reinforcement 142 is provided in the center of the vehicle width to connect the two front cross members 136, 137 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a rear reinforcement 144 is provided to connect the two rear cross members 137, 138 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0085] Furthermore, the above-mentioned front edge portion 130A is provided with two body mounting portions 147 spaced apart in the vehicle width direction via body mounting brackets, and the pair of left and right side edge portions 130C is provided with seven body mounting portions 150, 184, 186a, 167a spaced apart in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction via body mounting brackets.

[0086] 15, only a battery is mounted on the BEV frame 100, and no fuel tank is mounted on the BEV frame 100. The BEV frame 100 also includes a plurality of second vehicle body fixing portions X2.

[0087] The second vehicle body fixing portion X2 is made up of the attachment portions 147, 150, 184, 186a, and 167a shown in FIG. The first vehicle body fixing parts X1 shown in FIG. 3 and the second vehicle body fixing parts X2 shown in FIG. 15 are configured so that their positions in the vehicle longitudinal direction, vehicle width direction, and vehicle vertical direction are aligned at corresponding positions.

[0088] In this way, the multiple first vehicle body fixing portions X1 (see Figure 3) and the multiple second vehicle body fixing portions X2 (see Figure 15) have the same longitudinal positions, vehicle width positions, and vertical positions of corresponding parts, so the first structure Z as an assembly consisting of the battery side frame 30, fuel tank side frame 60, and joint member 80 and the BEV-specific frame 100 are configured to have a common vehicle body fixing portion.

[0089] <How to assemble vehicle accessories> Next, a method for assembling the vehicle accessories (battery 27, fuel tank 28) will be described with reference to FIGS. 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 with joint members 80 (see FIG. 6) to form the first structure Z. The joint members 80 are connected using bolts B1 to B6 shown in FIG. 13. At this point, the fuel tank 28 is not mounted.

[0090] Next, in the second step, the fuel tank 28 is assembled to the fuel tank side frame 60 of the first structure Z, as shown in Fig. 1. When assembling the fuel tank 28, the multiple mounting portions 28a of the fuel tank 28 shown in Fig. 1 are fixed to the mounting portions 73 of the fuel tank side frame 60 shown in Fig. 5.

[0091] Next, in the third step, the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 are individually assembled to the vehicle body below the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 3. The battery side frame 30 is assembled to the vehicle body using the bolts of the mounting member 48 shown in Figure 7 and the bolts of the mounting member 51 shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0092] The fuel tank side frame 60 is assembled to the vehicle body by itself using the bolts of the mounting member 70 shown in Fig. 7 and the bolts of the mounting member 68 shown in Fig. 12. The joint member 80 is also assembled to the vehicle body by itself 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.

[0093] As a result, when the joint member 80 is removed from the vehicle body and each frame 30, 60 during service or maintenance, both the fuel tank side frame 60 and the battery side frame 30 are fixed independently to the vehicle body, so that either one can be removed to perform inspection, repair, or replacement work.

[0094] On the other hand, when the battery 27 and fuel tank 28 are mounted on the vehicle, in the first step, the first structure Z is formed in a state in which the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 are integrated together using the joint member 80, and 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 alone, thereby improving mountability.

[0095] In addition, by assembling the battery 27 and fuel tank 28 to the first structure Z in which both frames (battery side frame 30 and fuel tank side frame 60) are integrated with the joint member 80, the system is configured to be advantageous in terms of production takt time and equipment layout.

[0096] In the figure, arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle, arrow R indicates the rear of the vehicle, arrow IN indicates the inside in the vehicle width direction, arrow OUT indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction, arrow UP indicates the top of the vehicle, arrow LE indicates the outside left side in the vehicle width direction, and arrow RI indicates the outside right side in the vehicle width direction.

[0097] As described above, the vehicle accessory support structure of this embodiment is an accessory support structure for a vehicle in which a battery 27 and a fuel tank 28 are mounted on the vehicle, and is characterized by comprising, at the bottom of the floor panel (front floor panel 1, rear floor panel 3), a battery side frame 30 to which the battery 27 is fixed and which is attached solely to the vehicle body, a fuel tank side frame 60 to which the fuel tank 28 is fixed and which is attached solely to the vehicle body, and a connecting member (joint member 80) that connects the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 and is detachably connected to each of these frames 30, 60 (see Figures 1 to 7).

[0098] According to this type of vehicle accessory support structure, 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 a connecting member (joint member 80), and with these frames 30, 60 attached to the vehicle body, the connecting member (joint member 80) can be removed from each frame 30, 60 during service and maintenance.

[0099] Since both the fuel tank side frame 60 and the battery side frame 30 are fixed independently to the vehicle body, either one of the frames 30, 60 can be removed for inspection, repair, or replacement. 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 a state where they are integrated with each other using the connecting member (joint member 80), thereby improving mountability.

[0100] Furthermore, the battery 27 and fuel tank 28 can be assembled in a state in which both frames 30, 60 are integrated with the connecting member (joint member 80), which is advantageous in terms of production takt time and facility layout.

[0101] Furthermore, in such a vehicle accessory support structure, the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60, which are connected by the connecting member (joint member 80), are provided with a plurality of first vehicle body fixing portions X1 relative to the vehicle body, and on the other hand, a BEV-specific frame 100 is provided with a plurality of second vehicle body fixing portions X2, and the plurality of first vehicle body fixing portions X1 and the plurality of second vehicle body fixing portions X2 are configured so that the longitudinal positions, vehicle width positions, and vertical positions of corresponding portions are aligned with each other (see Figures 3 and 15).

[0102] According to this type of vehicle accessory support structure, the first body fixing portions X1 and the second body fixing portions X2 have corresponding portions whose longitudinal positions, widthwise positions, and vertical positions are the same, so that the body fixing portions of the assembly (see first structure Z) consisting of the battery side frame 30, the fuel tank side frame 60, and the connecting member (joint member 80) and the BEV-specific frame 100 can be made common.

[0103] Furthermore, the method for assembling vehicle accessories in this embodiment is a method for assembling vehicle accessories in the vehicle accessory support structure described in claim 1, and is characterized by comprising a first step of connecting the battery side frame 30, to which the battery 27 is fixed, and the fuel tank side frame 60 with the connecting member (joint member 80) to form a first structure Z, a second step of assembling the fuel tank 28 to the fuel tank side frame 60 of the first structure Z, and a third step of assembling the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 individually to the vehicle body below the floor panels (front floor panel 1, rear floor panel 3) (see Figures 1 to 7).

[0104] According to this method for assembling vehicle accessories, in the first step described above, the battery side frame 30 to which the battery 27 is fixed and the fuel tank side frame 60 are connected with a connecting member (joint member 80) to form the first structure Z.

[0105] In the second step described above, the fuel tank 28 is attached to the fuel tank side frame 60 of the first structure Z. In the third step described above, the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 are individually attached to the vehicle body below the floor panels (front floor panel 1, rear floor panel 3).

[0106] This allows the connecting member (joint member 80) to be removed from each frame 30, 60 during service and maintenance, and since both the fuel tank side frame 60 and the battery side frame 30 are fixed independently to the vehicle body, either one can be removed to perform inspection, repair, or replacement work.

[0107] On the other hand, when the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 are mounted on the vehicle, the first structure Z is formed in a state in which the battery side frame 30 and the fuel tank side frame 60 are integrated together using a connecting member (joint member 80) in the first step, and therefore, in the third step, each frame 30, 60 to which the battery 27 and the fuel tank 28 are respectively fixed is mounted individually on the vehicle body, thereby improving mountability.

[0108] Furthermore, the battery 27 and fuel tank 28 can be assembled to the first structure Z in a state in which the two frames 30, 60 are integrated together using the connecting member (joint member 80), which is advantageous in terms of production takt time and equipment layout.

[0109] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The floor panel of the present invention corresponds to the front floor panel 1 and the rear floor panel 3 of the embodiment. Similarly, The fuel tank is compatible with fuel tank 28. The fuel tank side frame corresponds to the fuel tank side frame 60, The connecting member corresponds to the joint member 80, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments.

[0110] For example, in the above embodiment, a vehicle accessory support structure applied to a PHEV was described, but the present invention is not limited to a PHEV, and may also be applied to a range extender as long as both a battery and a fuel tank are mounted thereon. [Industrial Applicability]

[0111] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention is useful for a vehicle accessory support structure in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on a vehicle, and a method for assembling vehicle accessories. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1...Front floor panel (floor panel) 3...Rear floor panel (floor panel) 27...Battery 28...Fuel tank 30...Battery side frame 60...Fuel tank side frame (Fuel tank side frame) 80...Joint member (connecting member) 100…BEV-specific frame X1: First body fixing point X2: Second body fixing point Z...first structure

Claims

1. A vehicle accessory support structure in which a battery and a fuel tank are mounted on a vehicle, a battery-side frame that is attached to the vehicle body alone and that has the battery fixed thereto below the floor panel; a fuel tank side frame to which the fuel tank is fixed and which is independently attached to a vehicle body; a connecting member that connects the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame and is detachably connected to each of these frames. Vehicle accessory support structure.

2. the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame connected by the connecting member are provided with a plurality of first vehicle body fixing portions for a vehicle body, On the other hand, a frame dedicated to BEVs is provided that has a plurality of second vehicle body fixing portions, The plurality of first vehicle body fixing parts and the plurality of second vehicle body fixing parts are configured so that the positions of corresponding parts in the front-rear direction, the vehicle width direction, and the up-down direction are aligned with each other. The vehicle accessory support structure according to claim 1.

3. 2. A method for assembling a vehicle accessory in the vehicle accessory support structure according to claim 1, comprising: a first step of connecting the battery side frame, to which the battery is fixed, and the fuel tank side frame with the connecting member to form a first structure; a second step of assembling the fuel tank to the fuel tank side frame of the first structure; a third step of assembling the first structure, in which the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame are connected by the connecting member, to the vehicle body below the floor panel, In the third step, the battery side frame and the fuel tank side frame constituting the first structure are respectively attached to the vehicle body below the floor panel. How to assemble vehicle accessories.

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