Vehicle side structure

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle side part structure which can inhibit a lower hinge of a slide door from interfering with a battery stack housed in a battery case during a side collision of a vehicle even if the lower hinge is disposed at an outer side in a vehicle width direction of the battery case in a front view.SOLUTION: A vehicle side part structure 10 includes: a battery case 70 which is disposed at a vehicle lower side of a floor panel of a vehicle 12, houses a battery stack 80 therein, and has a partition member 78 extending in a vehicle width direction; and a lower hinge 30 which is provided at a lower part of a slide door 20 configured to open or close a side part of the vehicle 12 and supports the slide door 20 slidably in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and in which at least an inner end 40A in the vehicle width direction is disposed at an outer side in the vehicle width direction of the battery case 70 in a front view in a closed state of the slide door 20. In the closed state of the slide door 20, the inner end 40A in the vehicle width direction of the lower hinge 30 is disposed at the same position as an outer end 78A in the vehicle width direction of the partition member 78 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle side structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles that have a battery case that houses a battery stack made up of multiple battery cells located below a floor panel and that are provided with sliding doors that open and close both left and right sides are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this vehicle, a lower hinge that is attached to the bottom of the sliding door and supports the sliding door so that it can slide in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is located above the battery case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-214314 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in order to increase the interior space, the lower hinge of the closed sliding door may be positioned on the outer side of the battery case in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front. In this case, at least the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction faces a side portion of the peripheral wall of the battery case. Therefore, if the vehicle is hit in a side collision and the lower hinge is displaced inward in the vehicle width direction, at least the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction may interfere with (hit) the battery stack (battery cells) housed inside through the battery case, potentially damaging the battery stack (battery cells).

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle side structure that can prevent the lower hinge of a sliding door from interfering with the battery stack housed inside the battery case in the event of a side collision of the vehicle, even if the lower hinge is positioned outside the battery case in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vehicle side structure of a first aspect of the present invention comprises a battery case arranged on the vehicle lower side of the floor panel of the vehicle, accommodating a battery stack inside and having a partition member extending in the vehicle width direction, and a lower hinge provided at the bottom of a sliding door that opens and closes the side of the vehicle, supporting the sliding door so that it can slide in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and when the sliding door is in a closed state, at least the vehicle width inner end portion of the lower hinge is arranged on the vehicle width outer side of the battery case in a front view, and when the sliding door is in a closed state, the vehicle width inner end portion of the lower hinge is arranged in the same position in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction as the vehicle width outer end portion of the partition member in a plan view.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the invention, when the sliding door is closed, at least the inner end of the lower hinge of the sliding door in the vehicle width direction is located outside the battery case in the vehicle width direction in a front view, and at least the inner end of the lower hinge is located at the same position in the vehicle front-rear direction as the outer end of the partition member extending in the vehicle width direction inside the battery case in a plan view. Therefore, even if the vehicle experiences a side collision and the lower hinge of the sliding door is displaced inward in the vehicle width direction, the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction will interfere with (contact with) the outer end of the partition member in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the lower hinge (inner end of the sliding door in the vehicle width direction) is less likely to interfere with (contact with) the battery stack.

[0008] Thus, according to the present invention, even if the lower hinge (inner end in the vehicle width direction) of the sliding door is positioned on the outer side of the battery case in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front, the lower hinge (inner end in the vehicle width direction) is prevented from interfering with the battery stack housed inside the battery case in the event of a side collision of the vehicle. Note that the "same position" in the present invention also includes approximately the same position that is slightly shifted from the exact same position in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0009] In addition, a second aspect of the vehicle side structure of the present invention is a vehicle side structure of the first aspect, in which, when the sliding door is in a closed state, a spacer is arranged between the vehicle widthwise inner end of the lower hinge and the battery case.

[0010] According to the second aspect of the invention, when the sliding door is closed, a spacer is disposed between the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction and the battery case. Therefore, when the vehicle is involved in a side collision and the lower hinge of the sliding door is displaced inward in the vehicle width direction, the collision load is transmitted from the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction to the outer end of the partition member in the vehicle width direction via the spacer. In other words, the collision load is less likely to be transmitted from the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction to the battery stack.

[0011] Furthermore, a third aspect of the vehicle side structure according to the present invention is the vehicle side structure of the second aspect, wherein the length of the outer surface of the spacer facing the vehicle width direction inner end of the lower hinge along the vehicle fore-and-aft direction is longer than the length of the inner surface facing the battery case along the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0012] According to the third aspect of the invention, the length of the outer surface of the spacer along the vehicle longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the inner surface of the spacer along the vehicle longitudinal direction. Therefore, even if the position of the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction is slightly misaligned with the outer end of the partition member in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a collision load is transmitted from the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction to the outer end of the partition member via the spacer. In other words, the collision load is less likely to be transmitted from the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction to the battery stack. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As described above, according to the present invention, even if the lower hinge of the sliding door is positioned on the vehicle widthwise outer side of the battery case when viewed from the front, the lower hinge can be prevented from interfering with the battery stack housed inside the battery case in the event of a side collision of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a side portion of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle side portion structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic front view showing a vehicle side structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, partially in cross section and enlarged. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic plan view showing a vehicle side structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic plan view showing a part of a vehicle side structure according to an embodiment of the present invention in an enlarged scale. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view showing a modified example of the vehicle side structure according to the present embodiment, with a portion enlarged. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing a modified example of the vehicle side structure according to the present embodiment, with a portion enlarged. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For ease of explanation, the arrow UP shown in each drawing indicates the upward direction of the vehicle, the arrow FR indicates the forward direction of the vehicle, the arrow LH indicates the leftward direction of the vehicle, and the arrow RH indicates the rightward direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions are mentioned, they refer to the up / down, front / rear, left / right directions of the vehicle. Furthermore, the left / right direction is synonymous with the vehicle width direction.

[0016] 1, a vehicle 12 equipped with a vehicle side structure 10 according to this embodiment has a sliding door 20 that opens and closes the side of the vehicle 12. The sliding door 20 is slidably provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle 12, and is configured to be able to open and close an entrance / exit door (vehicle compartment) for passengers getting in and out of the rear seats of the vehicle 12.

[0017] The vehicle 12 is provided with an upper guide portion 14, a center guide portion 16, and a lower guide portion 56. The upper guide portion 14 is provided on the upper portion of the vehicle 12 and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The center guide portion 16 is provided in approximately the center of the vehicle 12 in the up-down direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The lower guide portion 56, which will be described in detail later, is provided on the lower portion of the vehicle 12 and extends in the front-to-rear direction.

[0018] An upper hinge 22 is attached to the top of the sliding door 20, and a guide roller 24 attached to the upper hinge 22 engages with the upper guide portion 14. A center hinge 26 is attached to the approximate center in the up-down direction of the sliding door 20, and a guide roller 28 attached to the center hinge 26 engages with the center guide portion 16. Furthermore, a lower hinge 30 is attached to the bottom of the sliding door 20, and a guide roller 44 attached to the lower hinge 30 engages with the lower guide portion 56.

[0019] As a result, the sliding door 20 is supported so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle 12. In Fig. 1, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the guide portions and guide rollers are depicted as being separated from each other, but in reality, each guide roller is inserted into each guide portion. The sliding door 20 is configured to include a door outer panel 20A on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and a door inner panel 20B on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and the peripheral portions of the door outer panel 20A and the door inner panel 20B are joined by hemming (see Fig. 2).

[0020] 2, a lower hinge 30 is attached to the lower part of the sliding door 20. The lower hinge 30 has a hinge body 32 that is formed in a substantially "L" shape when viewed from the front in the front-rear direction (hereinafter simply referred to as "front view"). The hinge body 32 includes a fixing portion 34 that extends in the up-down direction along the door inner panel 20B, and a base support portion 36 that extends integrally from the lower end of the fixing portion 34 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] The fixing portion 34 is formed to have a generally hat-shaped cross section that is open on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and is fastened and fixed to the side surface of the door inner panel 20B that faces inward in the vehicle width direction with bolts 68 and nuts 69. The base support portion 36 is formed to have a generally hat-shaped cross section that is open on the lower side, and extends to the lower side of the outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of a step 54 described later.

[0022] One end of a connecting member 38 is fixed to the inner end of the base support portion 36 in the vehicle width direction by a bolt 68 and a nut 69. The connecting member 38 is a substantially flat plate-shaped member that extends in the vehicle width direction with its thickness direction in the up-down direction, and the base portion 40 is attached to the other end of the connecting member 38 by a pin 39 so as to be swingable with its axial direction in the up-down direction.

[0023] The base portion 40 extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the connecting member 38, and a pair of shaft portions 42 with their axial direction extending up and down is provided on the upper surface of the vehicle width direction inner end portion 40A of the base portion 40. A guide roller 44 is rotatably attached to the upper end of each shaft portion 42, and each guide roller 44 is inserted between a pair of guide pieces 56A that constitute the lower guide portion 56.

[0024] The base 40 is provided with a shaft 46 whose axial direction is in the left-right direction, and a load roller 48 is rotatably attached to the inner end of the shaft 46 in the vehicle width direction. The load roller 48 is in contact with a step-under panel 52 (described later), and the lower hinge 30 is supported by the step-under panel 52 via the load roller 48.

[0025] Meanwhile, the vehicle 12 is equipped with a floor panel 50 that forms the floor surface of the passenger compartment. The floor panel 50 extends in the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction with the thickness direction being the up-down direction, and a floor carpet 51 is laid on the upper surface of this floor panel 50. A step-under panel 52 is provided between the floor panel 50 and a rocker 60, which will be described later.

[0026] That is, the floor panel 50 and the rocker 60 are connected by the step-under panel 52. The step-under panel 52 has an upper flange portion 52A bent at its upper end along the underside of the floor panel 50, and this upper flange portion 52A is overlapped on the underside of the floor panel 50 and joined by welding or the like.

[0027] The step-under panel 52 also has a first vertical wall portion 52B extending downward integrally from the upper flange portion 52A in a front view, a first horizontal wall portion 52C bending integrally from a lower end of the first vertical wall portion 52B and extending outward in the vehicle width direction, a second vertical wall portion 52D extending downward integrally from the outer end of the first horizontal wall portion 52C in the vehicle width direction, and a second horizontal wall portion 52E bending integrally from the lower end of the second vertical wall portion 52D and extending outward in the vehicle width direction. The second horizontal wall portion 52E is overlapped from above with a rocker inner panel 64 (described later) and joined by welding or the like.

[0028] A resin step 54 for passengers to use when getting on and off is attached to the first lateral wall portion 52C of the step under panel 52. The step 54 is formed in a substantially L-shape when viewed from the front, and the lower end of the step 54 forms a fixed portion 54A that is bent along the first lateral wall portion 52C. The fixed portion 54A is fastened and fixed to the first lateral wall portion 52C with a bolt 68 and a nut 69.

[0029] The step 54 extends upward from the fixing portion 54A and further outward in the vehicle width direction. A reinforcing rib 54C extending in the front-rear direction is provided on the step main body 54B extending in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of ribs 54C (five in the figure) are provided, and each rib 54C protrudes upward integrally from the step main body 54B.

[0030] A lower guide portion 56 is formed on the underside of the step main body 54B. The lower guide portion 56 includes a pair of left and right guide pieces 56A that protrude downward from the step main body 54B. The pair of guide pieces 56A extend in the front-rear direction along the step main body 54B, and the guide roller 44 of the lower hinge 30 fits between the pair of guide pieces 56A. In other words, the lower guide portion 56 guides the lower hinge 30 to move in the front-rear direction.

[0031] A resin scuff plate 58 is provided above the step 54. The scuff plate 58 extends from the outer end of the floor panel 50 in the vehicle width direction to the outer end of the step main body 54B in the vehicle width direction, and is attached to the step 54 by a clip or the like (not shown). An opening / closing device 18 for the sliding door 20 is also attached to the step 54. The opening / closing device 18 is disposed on the upper surface of the first lateral wall portion 52C, and includes parts such as a motor and pulleys required for automatically opening and closing the sliding door 20.

[0032] Additionally, a rocker 60 having a closed cross-sectional structure and extending in the front-rear direction is provided on the vehicle width outer side of a battery case 70 (described later) and below the lower hinge 30. The rocker 60 includes a rocker outer panel 62 located on the vehicle width outer side and a rocker inner panel 64 located on the vehicle width inner side.

[0033] The rocker outer panel 62 is formed in a generally crank shape when viewed from the front. Specifically, the rocker outer panel 62 extends downward from an upper flange portion 62A at its upper end, and its lower portion is bent inward in the vehicle width direction. A lower flange portion 62B extends downward from the inner end portion in the vehicle width direction.

[0034] The rocker inner panel 64 has a generally hat-shaped cross section that is open outward in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front. Specifically, an upper flange portion 64A is formed at the upper end of the rocker inner panel 64, and this upper flange portion 64A is overlapped with the upper flange portion 62A of the rocker outer panel 62 and joined by welding or the like. A lower flange portion 64B is formed at the lower end of the rocker inner panel 64, and this lower flange portion 64B is overlapped with the lower flange portion 62B of the rocker outer panel 62 and joined by welding or the like. This gives the rocker 60 a closed cross-sectional structure.

[0035] A weatherstrip 66 is attached to the joined upper flange portions 62A and 64A, and this weatherstrip 66 seals the gap with the sliding door 20. A rocker molding 63 is attached to the outer side of the rocker outer panel 62 in the vehicle width direction by clips or the like (not shown). The rocker molding 63 is made of resin and covers the lower part of the rocker outer panel 62 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0036] A metal battery case 70 is disposed on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the rocker 60 and the base portion 40 of the lower hinge 30, and below the floor panel 50. The battery case 70 covers almost the entire area of ​​the floor panel 50 in a plan view. The battery case 70 is supported by side members, cross members, and the like (not shown).

[0037] The battery case 70 includes a bottom wall 72, a peripheral wall 74, and a cover wall 76, and houses therein a battery stack 80 (see FIG. 3) consisting of a plurality of battery cells, a wire harness, a cooling device (both not shown), etc. The battery stack 80 is configured to supply power to a drive motor (not shown).

[0038] The bottom wall 72 of the battery case 70 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in a plan view with the thickness direction extending in the up-down direction, and a peripheral wall 74 is provided integrally with and erected on the outer periphery of the bottom wall 72. That is, the peripheral wall 74 is formed in a generally rectangular frame shape along the outer periphery of the bottom wall 72. The cover wall 76 is formed in a generally rectangular shape with the thickness direction extending in the up-down direction to correspond to the outer shapes of the bottom wall 72 and the peripheral wall 74, and the outer periphery of the cover wall 76 is fastened to the upper surface of the peripheral wall 74 by bolts 68.

[0039] The left and right side portions 74S of the peripheral wall 74 located on the outer sides in the vehicle width direction are formed to have a closed cross-sectional structure in a front view, and are divided into two upper and lower closed cross-sections by a flat partition wall 74A integrally provided at approximately the center in the vertical direction. An undercover 67 is provided below the battery case 70, and both ends of the undercover 67 in the vehicle width direction are fastened to the step under-panel 52 together with the step 54 by bolts 68 and nuts 69.

[0040] 2, when the sliding door 20 is in a closed state, the base support portion 36 and the base portion 40 (the inner end portion 40A in the vehicle width direction) of the lower hinge 30 are disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the battery case 70 in a front view. In other words, when the sliding door 20 is in a closed state, the base support portion 36 and the base portion 40 (the inner end portion 40A in the vehicle width direction) of the lower hinge 30 are disposed in a position overlapping with the side portion 74S of the battery case 70 facing outward in the vehicle width direction in a side view seen from the vehicle width direction (hereinafter simply referred to as "side view").

[0041] 3, a plurality of partition members 78 (four in the figure) are provided inside the battery case 70, extending in the vehicle width direction to connect the left and right side portions 74S and dividing the interior of the battery case 70 into a plurality of compartments aligned in the front-rear direction. The partition members 78 are formed in a closed cross-sectional shape (a flattened rectangular tube with the vertical direction as viewed from the side), and a certain degree of strength is ensured against loads input from the vehicle width direction.

[0042] 3 and 4, at least the vehicle width direction inner end portion 40A of the base portion 40 of the lower hinge 30, which is disposed on the vehicle width direction outer side of the battery case 70 in a front view, is disposed in approximately the same position in the front-rear direction as the vehicle width direction outer end portion 78A of one partition member 78 in a plan view. In other words, at least the vehicle width direction inner end portion 40A of the base portion 40 of the lower hinge 30 faces the vehicle width direction outer end portion 78A of one partition member 78.

[0043] Next, the operation of the vehicle side structure 10 according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described.

[0044] As described above, in the vehicle 12 according to this embodiment, when the sliding door 20 is in a closed state, the base support portion 36 and the base portion 40 (vehicle width direction inner end portion 40A) of the lower hinge 30 are disposed on the vehicle width outer side of the battery case 70 in a front view (disposed in a position overlapping with the side portion 74S of the battery case 70 in a side view). Therefore, when the vehicle 12 is subjected to a side collision, the base support portion 36 and the base portion 40 (vehicle width direction inner end portion 40A) of the lower hinge 30 are displaced inward in the vehicle width direction.

[0045] Here, when the sliding door 20 is in a closed state, at least the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40 of the lower hinge 30 is disposed at approximately the same position in the front-rear direction as the vehicle width direction outer end 78A of one partition member 78 extending in the vehicle width direction inside the battery case 70 (opposing in the vehicle width direction to the vehicle width direction outer end 78A of one partition member 78). Therefore, the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40, which has been displaced toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, interferes with (comes into contact with) the vehicle width direction outer end 78A of the partition member 78.

[0046] That is, the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40 that has been displaced toward the vehicle width direction inner side is unlikely to interfere with (come into contact with) the battery stack 80 (battery cells). Thus, according to this embodiment, even if the base support portion 36 and the base portion 40 (vehicle width direction inner end 40A) of the lower hinge 30 are positioned on the vehicle width outer side of the battery case 70 in a front view, it is possible to prevent the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40 of the lower hinge 30 from interfering with the battery stack 80 (battery cells) housed inside the battery case 70.

[0047] (Variation) 5 and 6, when the sliding door 20 is in the closed state, a spacer 82 may be disposed between at least the inner end 40A of the base portion 40 of the lower hinge 30 in the vehicle width direction and the side portion 74S of the battery case 70. In this case, a through-hole may be formed in a predetermined position of the first vertical wall portion 52B, and the spacer 82 may be disposed in the through-hole.

[0048] The spacer 82 is made of resin (engineering plastic) such as polyamide (PA) or polycarbonate (PC) and has a certain degree of rigidity. The spacer 82 is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape in plan view. That is, the length of the outer surface 82A of the spacer 82 facing the inner end 40A of the base 40 in the vehicle width direction, along the front-rear direction, is longer than the length of the inner surface 82B facing the side 74S of the battery case 70 along the front-rear direction.

[0049] By providing a spacer 82 of this shape, even if the position of the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40 relative to the vehicle width direction outer end 78A of the partition member 78 is slightly misaligned in the front-to-rear direction when viewed in a plane, the collision load can be transmitted from the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40 to the vehicle width direction outer end 78A of the partition member 78 via the spacer 82.

[0050] In other words, even if the position of the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40 relative to the vehicle width direction outer end 78A of the partition member 78 is slightly misaligned in the front-to-rear direction in plan view, it is possible to make it difficult for a collision load to be transmitted from the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40 to the battery stack 80 (battery cells). This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle width direction inner end 40A of the base portion 40 of the lower hinge 30 from interfering with the battery stack 80 (battery cells) housed inside the battery case 70.

[0051] While the vehicle side structure 10 according to this embodiment has been described above with reference to the drawings, the vehicle side structure 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the one shown in the drawings and can be modified in design as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. For example, the spacer 82 may be made of metal.

[0052] Furthermore, a convex portion (not shown) that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction in a plan view may be integrally formed on the side portion 74S of the battery case 70 so as to have the same function as the spacer 82. Furthermore, the spacer 82 is not limited to the trapezoidal shape shown in the drawing, as long as it can efficiently transmit a collision load from the vehicle width direction inner end portion 40A of the base portion 40 to the vehicle width direction outer end portion 78A of the partition member 78. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 10 Vehicle side structure 12 vehicles 20 Sliding Door 30 Lower hinge 40A Inside end of vehicle width 50 floor panel 70 Battery case 78 Partition member 78A Outer end of vehicle width 80 Battery Stack 82 spacer 82A External surface 82B Inner surface

Claims

1. a battery case that is disposed on a vehicle lower side of a floor panel of the vehicle, that houses a battery stack therein, and that has a partition member that extends in the vehicle width direction; a lower hinge that is provided at a lower portion of a sliding door that opens and closes a side portion of the vehicle, supports the sliding door so that the sliding door can slide in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and has at least an inner end portion in a vehicle width direction that is positioned outer in the vehicle width direction of the battery case when the sliding door is in a closed state; Equipped with A vehicle side structure in which, when the sliding door is closed, the vehicle width direction inner end portion of the lower hinge is positioned at the same position in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction as the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the partition member in a plan view.

2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein a spacer is disposed between the inner end of the lower hinge in the vehicle width direction and the battery case when the sliding door is in a closed state.

3. 3. The vehicle side structure according to claim 2, wherein the length of the outer surface of the spacer facing the vehicle width direction inner end of the lower hinge along the vehicle fore-and-aft direction is longer than the length of the inner surface of the spacer facing the battery case along the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

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