Vehicle understructure

Abstract

To prevent a slide rail located below a rocker from hitting an interior member at the underfloor side hard during a vehicle collision, etc.SOLUTION: At the vehicle lower side relative to a rocker 30, a slide rail (a lower slide rail 19) which supports a slide door 20 in a manner that allows the slide door 20 to slide in an opening / closing direction and an impact absorption member 50 capable of absorbing an impact load during a vehicle collision are provided. The impact absorption member 50 is formed so as to extend in a vehicle inner-outer direction. Further, a vehicle outer end of the impact absorption member 50 is disposed, in the vehicle inner-outer direction, at the same position as an arrangement position (a reference position 19X) of a vehicle outer end of the slide rail (19) or a position at the vehicle outer side relative to the arrangement position (19X).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lower structure of a vehicle in which a slide rail for a sliding door is provided under a locker that forms the lower edge of a door opening.

Background Art

[0002] Related technologies are described in Patent Documents 1 to 3. In the vehicle of Patent Document 1, a door opening provided in a vehicle body is configured to be opened and closed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by a sliding door. A cylindrical side sill corresponding to the locker of the present application is provided at the lower edge of this door opening so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. And under the side sill, a slide rail for supporting the sliding door so as to be slidable is provided so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Further, an arm portion that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction is provided at the lower end portion of the sliding door, and a roller pivotally supported by this arm portion is slidably fitted to the slide rail. Thereby, the sliding door can slide in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by sliding the roller along the slide rail.

[0003] In the above-described vehicle, various internal members such as a battery may be disposed on the lower floor side. For example, in the vehicle of Patent Document 2, a battery case as an internal member is installed on the lower floor side. And a side sill corresponding to the locker of the present application is disposed outside the battery case in the vehicle width direction. Also in the vehicle of Patent Document 3, a fuel cell stack as an internal member is disposed on the lower floor side, and a locker is disposed outside the fuel cell stack in the vehicle width direction. Although an EA material is disposed under the locker of the vehicle of Patent Document 3 so as to extend in the vehicle width direction, the outer end portion of this EA material in the vehicle width direction is disposed inside the locker in the vehicle width direction. And in the above-described vehicle, generally, a slide rail for a sliding door is provided inside the side sill (locker). For example, in the vehicle of Patent Document 2, a part of the shape (cross-sectional shape) of the side sill is formed in a concave shape that opens to the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the slide rail is fixed to this concave portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-76482 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-18822 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-80116 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Incidentally, in this type of vehicle, there is a demand to place the slide rail under the rocker, as described in Patent Document 1. That is, by placing the slide rail under the rocker, the degree of freedom in selecting the shape of the rocker is increased, making it easier to ensure the rigidity of the rocker. Furthermore, by ensuring the rigidity of the rocker, the vertical dimensions of the vehicle can be made more compact, making it easier to ensure the ground clearance (distance in the height direction from the ground) of the rocker. However, when the slide rail is placed under the rocker, the slide rail is positioned on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the internal member. For this reason, in the above configuration, in the event of a vehicle collision, etc., care must be taken to prevent the slide rail, which is subjected to an impact load, from moving inward in the vehicle width direction and strongly hitting the internal member. The present invention was devised in view of the above points, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to prevent the slide rail under the rocker from strongly hitting the internal member on the underside of the floor in the event of a vehicle collision, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means to solve the above problems, the vehicle understructure of the first invention includes a sliding door that opens and closes the door opening of the vehicle body, and a cylindrical rocker that forms the lower edge of the door opening. On the underside of the rocker, there is a slide rail that supports the sliding door so that it can slide in the opening and closing direction, and an impact absorbing member that can absorb the impact load during a vehicle collision. In this type of configuration, it is desirable that the slide rail under the rocker does not come into strong contact with the internal member on the underside of the floor during a vehicle collision. Therefore, in the present invention, when the direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction is taken as the vehicle inward / outward direction with respect to a plan view in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the impact absorbing member is formed to extend in the vehicle inward / outward direction, and the outer end of the impact absorbing member is positioned in the vehicle inward / outward direction relative to the outer end of the slide rail. part or all The impact absorbing member is positioned at the same location as the slide rail, or further outward from the vehicle. In this invention, the impact absorbing member, which extends in the inward and outward directions of the vehicle, is positioned at the same location as the slide rail, or further outward from the vehicle. This ensures that the impact load during a vehicle collision is reliably applied by the impact absorbing member. By absorbing the impact load with the impact absorbing member, the impact load applied to the slide rail is reduced, making it less likely for the slide rail to be strongly struck against the internal components.

[0007] The 1 Vehicle understructure of the invention teeth, The shock-absorbing member and the internal member, which is disposed on the underside of the vehicle, are arranged adjacent to or in close proximity to each other from the inward and outward directions of the vehicle, and at least a portion of the shock-absorbing member is positioned on a virtual line extending outward from the center of gravity of the internal member. In this invention, when an impact load is applied to the shock-absorbing member, it comes into contact with the internal member from the inward and outward directions of the vehicle, thereby moving the internal member inward. Furthermore, a portion of the shock-absorbing member pushes the center of gravity of the internal member, thereby more reliably moving the internal member inward, that is, away from the slide rail.

[0008] The 1 Vehicle understructure of the invention teeth, The shock-absorbing member has a connecting portion that connects to the internal member. so as to fit into the side surface of the internal component in the direction of the vehicle's interior and exterior. It is provided. In this invention, the function of the connecting portion allows the shock-absorbing member and the internal member to move inward towards the vehicle while in more stable contact with each other when an impact load is applied.

[0009] The 2 The vehicle understructure of the invention is the first Ming In the understructure of a vehicle, the shock-absorbing member is provided with a receiving portion that receives the inner end of a slide rail to which an impact load is applied from the outside of the vehicle. In the present invention, the slide rail to which an impact load is applied can be received by the receiving portion of the shock-absorbing member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the first invention of the present invention, the sliding rail under the rocker can be prevented from being strongly struck against the internal member on the underside of the floor during a vehicle collision, etc. 1 According to the invention, it is possible to ensure that the slide rail is not strongly pressed against the internal member. 1 According to the invention, it is possible to prevent the slide rail from being pressed too hard against the internal member. 2 According to the invention, it is possible to prevent the slide rail from coming into contact with the internal components with greater force. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a partially perspective side view of a vehicle showing the lockers. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle, corresponding to the section along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective top view of the vehicle showing its internal components. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged perspective top view of the underside of the vehicle, showing the slide rails. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle, corresponding to the VV line cross-section in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the underside of a vehicle in the initial stages of a vehicle collision. [Figure 7]It is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of a vehicle after a vehicle collision.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. In each figure, arrow lines indicating the front-rear direction, left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and up-down direction (vehicle height direction) of the vehicle are appropriately illustrated. In FIGS. 1 and 3, reference numerals are attached only to the members on the left side of the vehicle. Also, based on FIG. 3 (plan view in the vehicle up-down direction), the front-rear direction corresponds to the opening and closing direction of the sliding door, and the vehicle width direction orthogonal to the opening and closing direction corresponds to the vehicle inside-outside direction. And in each figure, the left side which is the outside in the vehicle width direction corresponds to the outside of the vehicle, and the right side which is the inside in the vehicle width direction corresponds to the inside of the vehicle.

[0013] [Overview of the Vehicle] Before explaining the lower structure of the vehicle, first, the overview of the vehicle 2 shown in FIG. 1 will be explained. In the vehicle body 10 of this vehicle 2, a front door opening 11 corresponding to the front seat and a rear door opening 12 corresponding to the rear seat are formed. The front door opening 11 is configured to be opened and closed by a front door 15 that can rotate around a door hinge (not shown). Also, the rear door opening 12 is configured to be opened and closed by a sliding door 20 that slides in the vehicle front-rear direction. And at the lower edge portion of the rear door opening 12, a rocker 30 which is a cylindrical frame is provided so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. Also, a center pillar 13 extending in the vehicle up-down direction is erected between the front door opening 11 and the rear door opening 12, and the lower end portion of this center pillar 13 is connected to the rocker 30.

[0014] In the vehicle 2 shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of slide rails 17, 18, 19 are provided at appropriate positions to support the slide door 20 so as to be slidable in the vehicle longitudinal direction (opening / closing direction). For example, in the vehicle 2, an upper slide rail 17 is provided above the vehicle at the rear door opening 12. Also, a center slide rail 18 is provided at the central position in the height direction on the rear side of the rear door opening 12. And a lower slide rail 19 is provided below the vehicle of the rear door opening 12, that is, below the vehicle of the rocker 30.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, guide roller units 25 and the like are provided at the upper end position, lower end position, and intermediate position of the slide door 20, respectively (in FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, only the reference numeral 25 corresponding to the arrangement position of the lowermost guide roller unit is attached). And the slide door 20 is configured to be slidable along these slide rails 17 to 19 by the corresponding guide roller units 25 and the like moving (sliding, etc.) along the respective slide rails 17 to 19. Note that the slide door 20 moves linearly in the vehicle longitudinal direction near the fully open position, and then gradually moves obliquely inward in the vehicle width direction (right side) as it approaches the fully closed position (refer to the movement locus Do of the slide door in FIG. 4).

[0016] [Lower Structure of Vehicle] In the lower structure of the vehicle of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower slide rail 19 is disposed below the vehicle of the rocker 30 (under the rocker). Thereby, the degree of freedom in the shape selection of the rocker 30 is increased, etc., and it becomes easy to ensure rigidity. Also, inside the vehicle width direction (right side) of the rocker 30, internal members 3 such as a battery installed under the floor of the vehicle 2 are arranged. And the rocker 30 is provided at a height position higher than the height position H of the internal member 3, so that it is configured to be easy to take the height direction distance from the ground (ground height). Note that the internal member 3 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the vehicle longitudinal direction in the top view shown in FIG. 3, and is disposed in the portion from the front door opening 11 to the rear door opening 12.

[0017] In the configuration described above, as shown in Figure 2, the underbody internal member 3 is positioned on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction of the lower slide rail 19 below the rocker. In this type of configuration, care must be taken to prevent the slide rail 19, which is subjected to an impact load from the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction, from moving inward in the vehicle width direction and strongly hitting the internal member 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, an impact absorbing member 50, which will be described later, is used to prevent the lower slide rail 19 below the rocker from strongly hitting the underbody internal member 3. The underbody structure of the vehicle will be described in detail below, in the order of rocker 30, lower slide rail 19, slide door 20, internal member 3, and impact absorbing member 50.

[0018] [locker] First, the rocker 30 shown in Figure 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape from a rocker outer 31 and a rocker inner 32, and is provided to follow the lower edge of the rear door opening 12. The rocker outer 31 is formed in a roughly horizontal, roughly U-shape in cross-section from its upper plate surface 311, lower plate surface 312 and left plate surface 313, and its inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction is open. The upper plate surface 311 of this rocker outer 31 is bent inward and upward in the vehicle width direction. The lower plate surface 312 of the rocker outer 31 extends linearly inward in the vehicle width direction and protrudes more inward in the vehicle width direction than the upper plate surface 311. An upper flange portion 31a bent upward towards the vehicle is formed at the upper end of the upper plate surface 311, and a lower flange portion 31b bent downward towards the vehicle is formed at the lower end of the lower plate surface 312. The upper plate surface 311 and the lower plate surface 312 are continuous with the left plate surface 313, which extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle on the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction of the rocker outer 31.

[0019] Furthermore, the rocker inner 32 shown in Figure 2 is formed in a roughly horizontal, roughly U-shape in cross-section from its upper plate surface 321, lower plate surface 322, and right plate surface 323, with the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction being open. In the rocker inner 32, the upper plate surface 321 protrudes significantly outward relative to the other plate surface, extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and then slopes downward. Upper and lower flange portions 32a and 32b, which are bent in the vertical direction of the vehicle, are also formed at the upper and lower ends of the rocker inner 32.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the rocker 30 is formed in a roughly rectangular tubular shape by joining the rocker outer 31 and rocker inner 32 together from the vehicle width direction. Specifically, in the rocker 30, the upper flange portions 31a and 32a and the lower flange portions 31b and 32b are joined by welding or the like. In this way, the rocker 30 is formed in a roughly rectangular tubular shape with the recess for the slide rail omitted, and thus has a cross-sectional shape that contributes to ensuring rigidity. Furthermore, because the rocker 30 has a cross-sectional shape with excellent rigidity, its dimensions in the vehicle's vertical direction can be reduced, making it more compact. As a result, the rocker 30 is installed at a height higher than the height position H of the internal member 3, which contributes to ensuring ground clearance. In addition, by installing the rocker 30 at a relatively high height, the center pillar 13 shown in Figure 1 can be shortened, and the weight increase of the vehicle 2 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the rocker 30 does not need to be higher than necessary, it is also easier to ensure ease of entry and exit.

[0021] In the rocker 30 shown in Figure 2, the upper flange portions 31a and 32a are positioned near the outer (left) end in the vehicle width direction. A scuff 40, which serves as a tread surface, is provided on the upper side of the rocker 30, extending in the vehicle width direction. A weatherstrip WS is fitted into the gap between the front end of the scuff 40 and the rocker 30 (the upper flange portions 31a and 32a). Furthermore, a surface carpet 41 is laid on the inner (right) side of the scuff 40 in the vehicle width direction, covering the floor side of the vehicle 2. The lower plate surface 312 of the rocker outer 31 constitutes the underside surface of the rocker 30, and the lower flange portions 31b and 32b are positioned near the inner end of this lower plate surface 312 in the vehicle width direction.

[0022] [Lower slide rail (slide rail)] Next, the lower slide rail 19 is positioned below the rocker (on the underside of the vehicle to the lower plate surface 312) as shown in Figure 2. The lower slide rail 19 is formed to follow the movement trajectory Do of the sliding door 20 shown in Figure 4, and has a bent portion 190 and a straight portion 191. The bent portion 190 is formed on the front side of the lower slide rail 19 and is gradually bent inward (to the right) in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the front of the vehicle. A proximity region 19A is formed on the lower slide rail 19 in the area from the front end to the rear end of the bent portion 190, which is relatively close to the internal member 3. The straight portion 191 is continuous with the rear end of the bent portion 190 and extends linearly along the opening and closing direction of the sliding door 20 (vehicle longitudinal direction).

[0023] Furthermore, in the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 2, the lower slide rail 19 is formed from an upper wall portion 192, a lower wall portion 193, and a vertical wall portion 194 connecting the upper and lower wall portions. The upper wall portion 192 is formed in an inverted U-shape with the underside of the vehicle open, so that the guide roller 26 of the guide roller unit 25, which will be described later, can be slidably fitted into it. The lower wall portion 193 is a flat plate-like portion located on the underside of the vehicle of the upper wall portion 192, and is capable of slidably supporting the load roller 27 of the guide roller unit 25, which will be described later. The upper wall portion 192 and the lower wall portion 193 are continuous with the vertical wall portion 194 that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle on their inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the lower slide rail 19 is formed in a hollow column shape with the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction open, and is configured so that the guide roller unit 25 of the sliding door 20, which will be described later, can be inserted from the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, in the lower slide rail 19, the inner end portion 19E in the vehicle width direction is formed by its vertical wall portion 194.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the lower slide rail 19 is fixed to the rocker 30 via connecting members 35, 36, etc., which extend in the vehicle width direction. For example, a front connecting member 35 is provided at the front end of the bent portion 190 of the lower slide rail 19. In cross-sectional view, this front connecting member 35 is bent in a crank shape, and its left end portion 350 on the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction is raised. This raised left end portion 350 of the front connecting member 35 is fixed to the lower plate surface 312 of the rocker 30. The lower slide rail 19 is fixed to the lower right end portion 351 of the front connecting member 35 so as to protrude downwards from the vehicle. The front end of the bent portion 190 of the lower slide rail is positioned directly below the respective flange portions 31b and 32b on the lower side of the rocker 30.

[0025] Furthermore, a rear connecting member 36 is also provided on the rear side of the bent portion 190 shown in Figure 2. Unlike the front connecting member 35, the left end (not shown in numerals) of this rear connecting member 36, which is one step higher on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction, is fixed to the lower surface of the rocker 30. The rear connecting member 36 is formed to extend outward (left side) in the vehicle width direction from the rocker 30, and the lower slide rail 19 is fixed to its lower right end (not shown in numerals) so as to protrude downward from the vehicle. Referring to Figure 5, the straight portion 191 of the lower slide rail 19 is also similarly fixed to the rocker 30 via another connecting member 37.

[0026] Thus, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, the lower slide rail 19 is positioned below the rocker 30 via connecting members 35-37 fixed to the rocker 30. In the vehicle's understructure, the lower slide rail 19 is positioned on the outside (left side) in the vehicle width direction by utilizing the space below the sliding door 20, thereby avoiding interference with the internal member 3. Specifically, to avoid interference with the internal member 3, the front end of the bent portion 190 of the lower slide rail 19 is positioned directly below the respective flange portions 31b and 32b on the underside of the rocker 30. Furthermore, the portion from the rear of the bent portion 190 to the straight portion 191 is positioned on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the rocker 30, thereby ensuring the vehicle width dimension of the lower slide rail 19.

[0027] [Sliding door] Next, the sliding door 20 shown in Figure 2 is formed by joining a door outer panel 20a and a door inner panel 20b at their peripheral edges. An arm portion 23 for connecting to a sliding rail is fixed to the lower end of the door inner panel 20b side of the sliding door 20. The arm portion 23 is formed in a roughly L-shape in cross-section and is fixed to the lower end of the sliding door 20 by a vertical wall-like fixing portion 23a that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The arm portion 23 is also formed to extend roughly horizontally inward from the lower end of its fixing portion 23a (details of the protruding portion 62 which forms part of the movable member will be described later). The arm portion 23, with the guide roller unit 25 described later installed, extends towards the front of the vehicle and inward (right side) in the vehicle width direction, as shown in Figure 4.

[0028] [Guide roller unit (end of the arm section on the inside of the vehicle)] Here, the guide roller unit 25 has front and rear guide rollers 26 and a load roller 27, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 (in Figure 4, for convenience, the front and rear guide rollers are both denoted by the same reference numeral 26). The arm portion 23 has an upper support portion 261 for the guide roller and a lower support portion 271 for the load roller at the inner (right) end 23E in the vehicle width direction as shown in Figure 4. The upper support portion 261 is formed in a roughly U-shape in plan view, and a vertical first shaft member 260 is provided at the free end of its bifurcated branch. A horizontal guide roller 26 is rotatably supported on each first shaft member 260, and each guide roller 26 is slidably fitted into the upper wall portion 192 of the lower slide rail 19 as shown in Figure 2.

[0029] Furthermore, the arm portion 23 shown in Figure 4 has a vertically oriented second shaft member 270 at its inner (right) end 23E in the vehicle width direction, and a lower support portion 271 is rotatably supported on this vertically oriented second shaft member 270. The lower support portion 271 supports a horizontally oriented third shaft member 272 that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction, and a vertically oriented load roller 27 is rotatably supported on this third shaft member 272. The load roller 27 can change its orientation to align with the lower slide rail 19 by rotating the lower support portion 271 that supports it around the second shaft member 270. The load roller 27 is slidably supported on the lower wall portion 193 of the lower slide rail 19 shown in Figure 2.

[0030] [Internal components] Next, the internal member 3 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is, as described above, a member that is located under the floor, that is, inside the vehicle width direction (to the right in Figure 2) from the rocker 30. Examples of this type of internal member 3 include an on-board battery and a fuel storage member that houses liquid or gaseous fuel. As shown in Figure 2, the internal member 3 is located at a lower height than the rocker 30, so that the side portion 300 of the internal member 3 in the vehicle width direction faces the lower slide rail 19 and the arm portion 23. The side portion 300 of this internal member 3 has a flange portion 301 that protrudes outward (to the left) in the vehicle width direction at an intermediate position in the vehicle's vertical direction. The upper part 302 of the side portion 300, which is above the flange portion 301, is located at approximately the same height as the lower slide rail 19 and the arm portion 23. The lower part 303 of the side portion 300, which is below the flange portion 301, has a stepped shape that is recessed relatively inward in the vehicle width direction. The recessed lower section 303 of the side section 300 is positioned at a lower height than the lower slide rail 19 and the arm section 23, with the impact-absorbing member 50 (described later) connected to it.

[0031] [Shock absorbing material] Next, the impact absorbing member 50 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is a member capable of absorbing impact loads applied from the outside (left side) in the vehicle width direction, and is connected to the side portion 300 of the internal member 3. The impact absorbing member 50 is provided with a connecting portion 51 on the inside (right side) in the vehicle width direction as shown in Figure 2, which is connected to the side portion 300. This connecting portion 51 is formed to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower part of the impact absorbing member 50 and is fitted into the lower part 303 of the side portion 300 of the internal member 3. A connecting plate portion 52 is also fixed to the lower side of the connecting portion 51 by fastening or the like (see the first fastening point FX1 in Figure 2). This connecting plate portion 52 is formed to extend inward in the vehicle width direction from the connecting portion 51, and the part of the connecting plate portion 52 in the vehicle width direction is fixed to the internal member 3 by fastening or the like (see the second fastening point FX2 in Figure 2). As a result, the connecting portion 51 of the shock-absorbing member 50 is sandwiched between the flange portion 301 and the connecting plate portion 52 of the internal member 3, and is connected to the lower part 303 of the side portion 300 by interlocking grooves.

[0032] The impact absorbing member 50 is formed to extend outward (to the left) in the vehicle width direction from the internal member 3, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, and protrudes further outward in the vehicle width direction than the rocker 30. In the proximity region 19A of the lower slide rail 19 shown in Figure 4, the impact absorbing member 50 protrudes further outward in the vehicle width direction than the lower slide rail 19. More specifically, referring to Figure 2, if the position of the outer end of the bent portion 190 in the vehicle width direction in the proximity region 19A is taken as the reference position 19X, the outer end 50X of the impact absorbing member 50 in the vehicle width direction is located at the same position as the reference position 19X or further outward in the vehicle width direction than the reference position 19X. The impact absorbing member 50 protrudes further outward in the vehicle width direction than the lower slide rail 19 as it moves toward the front of the vehicle in the proximity region 19A. As a result, the impact absorbing member 50 is the first to receive impact loads applied from the outside in the vehicle width direction toward the proximity region 19A.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the shock-absorbing member 50 is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and has a length that covers approximately the entire length of the internal member 3. As a result, the shock-absorbing member 50 can receive impact loads applied from the outside (left side) in the vehicle width direction before the internal member 3. Moreover, by providing the shock-absorbing member 50 along approximately the entire length of the internal member 3, it can push against the center of gravity 3C of the internal member 3. That is, in the internal member 3, the center position in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction is the center of gravity 3C. And if a virtual line VL is set that extends in the vehicle width direction through the center of gravity 3C of the internal member 3, the shock-absorbing member 50 is positioned so that a part of it overlaps with the virtual line VL.

[0034] [Moving structure] Furthermore, the vehicle's understructure can be provided with a movable structure 60, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, which moves the inner (right) end 23E of the arm portion 23, to the upper side of the vehicle when an impact load is applied. The movable structure 60 can be composed of a receiving portion 61 of the impact absorbing member 50 and the protruding portion 62 and vulnerable portion 63 of the arm portion 23. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the impact absorbing member 50 is provided with a vertical wall-shaped receiving portion 61 that protrudes upward on the vehicle, thereby constituting a receiving member that can receive the inner (right) end 23E of the arm portion 23 in the vehicle width direction. The vertical wall-shaped receiving portion 61 is provided so as to protrude upward on the vehicle on the outer (left) side in the vehicle width direction of the connecting portion 51, and is positioned between the arm portion 23 and the upper part 302 of the internal member 3 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, by positioning the receiving portion 61 to receive the inner end 23E of the arm portion 23 in the vehicle width direction, it can also receive the inner end 19E of the lower slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction.

[0035] Furthermore, the arm portion 23 shown in Figure 2 is provided with a protruding portion 62 as a movable structure 60, which protrudes outward (to the left) in the vehicle width direction. This protruding portion 62 of the arm portion 23 is formed by bending the lower end of the fixed portion 23a outward in the vehicle width direction, and extends outward in the vehicle width direction beyond the fixed portion 23a (the fixing point with the sliding door 20). As a result, the arm portion 23 can receive impact loads applied from the outside in the vehicle width direction at the protruding portion 62. In addition, in the arm portion 23, by bending the lower end of the fixed portion 23a to form the protruding portion 62, the length dimension is increased by the length of the bent portion that forms the protruding portion 62.

[0036] Furthermore, on the upper surface of the arm portion 23 shown in Figure 2, a weak point 63 constituting the movable structure 60 is provided at approximately the midpoint in the vehicle width direction. This weak point 63 is a groove-shaped thin-walled portion provided on the upper surface of the arm portion 23, and is weaker and more easily bent than other parts of the arm portion 23. The weak point 63 extends linearly in the vehicle longitudinal direction on the upper surface of the arm portion 23, along the side portion 300 of the internal member 3 shown in Figure 4. In this way, the arm portion 23 is made more susceptible to bending and deforming downwards from this weak point 63 as a pivot point (see Figure 7).

[0037] [Sliding door opening and closing operation (function of the lower sliding rail)] The opening and closing operation of the sliding door 20 by the lower slide rail 19 will now be explained. First, as shown in Figure 5, when the sliding door 20 is in the fully open position, it is positioned on the rear side of the rear door opening 12 of the vehicle, as shown by the dashed lines in Figures 3 and 4. At this time, the guide roller unit 25 provided on the arm portion 23 is positioned at the rear end of the straight portion 191 of the lower slide rail 19, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4. Next, the sliding door 20 is slid forward (in the closing direction) to fully close the rear door opening 12. Referring to Figure 4, as the guide roller unit 25 moves forward along the straight portion 191 of the lower slide rail 19, the sliding door 20 moves linearly forward (see the movement trajectory Do of the sliding door 20 shown in Figure 4). Subsequently, as the guide roller unit 25 moves along the curved portion 190, the sliding door 20 gradually moves inward (to the right) in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the fully closed position. By closing the sliding door 20 completely, the guide roller unit 25 of its arm portion 23 is positioned at the front end of the bent portion 190 (see the state shown by the solid line in Figure 4).

[0038] [Sliding door in the fully closed position] As shown in Figure 2, when the sliding door 20 is in the fully closed position, the exterior part (garnish) at the lower end of the sliding door 20 covers the outer side (left side) of the lower slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction. The underbody internal member 3 is located on the inner side (right side) of the lower slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction below the rocker. In this type of configuration, as described above, care must be taken to prevent the slide rail 19, which receives an impact load F1 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction, from moving inward in the vehicle width direction and hitting the internal member 3 hard. Therefore, in the understructure of the vehicle, the impact absorbing member 50 is formed to extend in the vehicle width direction, and the outer end 50X of the impact absorbing member 50 in the vehicle width direction is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the position (reference position 19X) of the outer end of the slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction. With the above configuration, the impact load F1 applied to the slide rail 19 can be reduced by the action of the impact absorbing member 50. The action of the impact absorbing member 50 in the event of a vehicle side collision will be explained in detail below.

[0039] [Function of shock-absorbing material] Referring to Figures 4 and 6, let us consider the case where an impact load F1 during a vehicle side collision is applied to the area 19A adjacent to the lower slide rail 19. In the above configuration, the outer (left) end 50X of the impact absorbing member 50 in the vehicle width direction protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction at the same position as or further outward than the reference position 19X (the position where the outer end of the lower slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction is positioned), as described above. Therefore, the outer end 50X of the impact absorbing member 50 in the vehicle width direction is the first to receive the impact load F1 during a vehicle side collision. As shown in Figure 6, the impact absorbing member 50 deforms and absorbs the impact load F1, thereby reducing the impact load F1 applied to the lower slide rail 19. As a result, the movement of the lower slide rail 19 inward (right) in the vehicle width direction is suppressed due to the reduction in the impact load F1, making it less likely to hit the internal member 3 hard.

[0040] Referring to Figure 6, the shock-absorbing member 50 is connected to the side surface 300 of the internal member 3 at a connecting portion 51 on its inner (right) side in the vehicle width direction. As a result, when an impact load F1 is applied to the shock-absorbing member 50, it can press and move the internal member 3, which is in contact with the connecting portion 51, in the inward direction in the vehicle width direction, i.e., away from the lower slide rail 19 (see the arrow indicated by symbol A1 in Figure 6). At this time, the shock-absorbing member 50 can press the center of gravity 3C of the internal member 3 with a part of it, allowing the internal member 3 to be moved more stably inward in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the shock-absorbing member 50 is provided with a receiving portion 61 at a position that can receive the inner end 19E of the slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the lower slide rail 19, to which the impact load F1 is applied, can be received by the receiving portion 61 of the shock-absorbing member 50 in front of the internal member 3. The lower slide rail 19, to which the impact load F1 is applied, presses the impact absorbing member 50, which is provided with a receiving portion 61, inward in the vehicle width direction. This causes the impact absorbing member 50 to move the internal member 3 further inward in the vehicle width direction, maintaining the distance between the internal member 3 and the slide rail 19, thereby minimizing contact between them.

[0041] [Advantages of the vehicle's understructure] In the configuration described above, the impact-absorbing member 50, which extends in the vehicle width direction, is positioned at the same position as or further outward (left side) in the vehicle width direction than the lower slide rail 19. This ensures that the impact load during a vehicle collision is reliably applied by the impact-absorbing member 50. By absorbing the impact load with the impact-absorbing member 50, the impact load applied to the lower slide rail 19 is reduced, making it less likely for the lower slide rail 19 to be strongly struck against the internal member 3. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in the event of a vehicle collision, the lower slide rail 19 below the rocker can be prevented from being strongly struck against the internal member 3 on the underside of the floor.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the impact load is applied to the impact-absorbing member 50, it comes into contact with the internal member 3 from the vehicle width direction, thereby moving the internal member 3 inward (to the right) in the vehicle width direction. Then, a part of the impact-absorbing member 50 pushes the center of gravity 3C of the internal member 3, thereby moving the internal member 3 more reliably inward in the vehicle width direction, that is, away from the lower slide rail 19. Also in this embodiment, the action of the connecting portion 51 allows the impact-loaded impact-absorbing member 50 and the internal member 3 to move inward in the vehicle width direction while in more stable contact. And in this embodiment, the impact load applied to the lower slide rail 19 can be received by the receiving portion 61 of the impact-absorbing member 50.

[0043] [Another advantage of the vehicle's understructure (function of the mobile structure)] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the movement structure 60 (receiving portion 61, protruding portion 62, vulnerable portion 63) shown in Figure 2 makes it difficult for the arm portion 23 of the sliding door 20 to strongly strike the internal member 3. Now, referring to Figures 4 and 6, let's consider the case where the impact load F1 during a vehicle side collision is applied to the front end position of the lower slide rail 19, that is, the position where the arm portion 23 is located in the fully closed state. In this case, in the above configuration, when the impact load F1 during a vehicle side collision is applied to the arm portion 23, the arm portion 23 moves inward (to the right) in the vehicle width direction (see the direction indicated by the symbol A2 in Figure 6). Also, since the arm portion 23 has a protruding portion 62 that protrudes outward (to the left) in the vehicle width direction, the impact load F1 can be received more reliably at this protruding portion 62. And, as described above, the receiving portion 61 of the impact absorbing member 50 is located where the arm portion 23 moves to. Therefore, the inner end 23E of the arm portion 23 in the vehicle width direction is received by the receiving portion 61 of the shock absorbing member 50 (receiving member) before it reaches the internal member 3.

[0044] Then, as shown in Figure 6, the arm portion 23 is subjected to an impact load F1 from the outside (left) in the vehicle width direction, with its inner (right) end 23E in the vehicle width direction being supported by the receiving portion 61. The arm portion 23 is provided with a groove-shaped weak portion 63 that extends in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, which facilitates its bending deformation. As a result, the arm portion 23 subjected to the impact load F1 will smoothly bend and deform in an inverted V shape toward the underside of the vehicle, with the weak portion 63 as the pivot point, as shown in Figure 7. At this time, the length dimension of the arm portion 23 is increased at the protruding portion 62, ensuring an excess length that allows for bending deformation toward the underside of the vehicle. Therefore, the arm portion 23 can bend and deform more reliably toward the underside of the vehicle due to this excess length. As the arm portion 23 bends and deforms in an inverted V shape, the inner end 23E in the vehicle width direction of the arm portion 23 moves toward the upper side of the internal member 3, that is, away from the internal member 3 (see the arrow indicated by symbol A3 in Figure 7). In this way, the inner end 23E of the arm portion 23 in the vehicle width direction is moved away from the internal member 3 by the action of the moving structure 60, making it less likely for the arm portion 23 to come into strong contact with the internal member 3.

[0045] The vehicle substructure of this embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various other embodiments are possible. In this embodiment, the configuration of the slide rail and the shock-absorbing member is illustrated, but this is not intended to limit the configuration of these members. In the vehicle substructure, the outer end of the shock-absorbing member can be positioned at an appropriate position on the slide rail or along substantially the entire length of the slide rail, at the same position as the reference position (the position where the outer end of the slide rail is positioned) or further outward from the reference position. For example, referring to Figure 4, the outer end of the shock-absorbing member can be positioned at the same position as the reference position or further outward from the reference position along substantially the entire length of the bent section, or a part of or substantially the entire length of the straight section. Furthermore, the shock-absorbing member only needs to be adjacent to the internal member and does not necessarily need to be connected. Also, the shock-absorbing member only needs to be able to contact the internal member when an impact load is applied, and there may be a gap between the two members (they may be close together). Furthermore, the shock-absorbing member can be provided on at least a portion of the internal member (side portion) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In this case, it is desirable, but not limited, that a portion of the shock-absorbing member be provided on a virtual line passing through the center of gravity of the internal member. In this embodiment, an example in which a receiving portion is provided on the shock-absorbing member has been described, but the receiving portion can also be provided on various members (members exemplified in the receiving member described later) that are arranged on the outside of the internal member in the vehicle width direction. The receiving portion can take various shapes other than a vertical wall shape, and the surface on the outside of the vehicle may be tapered (for example, a tapered shape that slopes to the upper right in Figure 4). The opening and closing direction of the slide rail is not necessarily limited to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, multiple internal members of the same or different types can be arranged in the vehicle, and the configuration of this embodiment can be applied to at least one of multiple internal members. The rocker only needs to be formed in a cylindrical shape without recesses for the slide rail, and various shapes such as rectangular tubes and cylindrical shapes can be adopted.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the configuration of the movable structure was given as an example of the structure relating to the other advantages described above, but this is not intended to limit the configuration of the movable structure. For example, the movable structure only needs to be configured so that the outer end of the arm portion can be moved in a direction intersecting the in-vehicle and out-vehicle directions. In the case of Figure 4, at least one direction can be given as the intersecting direction: the upper side of the vehicle, the lower side of the vehicle, the front side of the vehicle, and the rear side of the vehicle. Also, when the outer end of the arm portion is bent and deformed by the movable structure, the direction of movement (bending direction) can be determined by considering the positional relationship between the arm portion, the shock absorbing member, and the rocker. That is, if the vertical gap between the arm portion and the shock absorbing member is relatively large, it is desirable to bend and deform the arm portion toward the lower side of the vehicle, and in this case, it is desirable to provide a weak point on the upper surface of the arm portion. Also, if the vertical gap between the arm portion and the rocker is relatively large, it is desirable to bend and deform the arm portion toward the upper side of the vehicle, and in this case, it is desirable to provide a weak point on the lower surface of the arm portion. As a weak point, groove-shaped or perforated thin-walled portions or through holes (including elongated holes) may be intermittently provided on the arm portion. Furthermore, when the arm is bent in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a notched, vulnerable portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle can be provided on either the front or rear edge of the arm. In addition, it is desirable to provide at least one of the above-described components, particularly a receiving member, as a movable structure. Examples of this receiving member include shock-absorbing members, as well as members positioned on the outside of the vehicle of internal components (rockers, underbody skeletal members, and receiving members of other components). The receiving member (receiving portion) may also be in contact with the arm before the impact load is applied. If a protruding portion is provided, examples of this protruding portion include a lateral wall-like portion or a thickened portion that protrudes from the arm outward from the vehicle. At least some of the structural aspects relating to other advantages can be omitted as necessary. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 2 vehicles 3 Internal components 3C (Center of gravity of internal components) 300 Side portion (of internal component) 301 Flange section 302 (Upper part of internal component) 303 (Lower part of internal component) 10 Vehicle Body 11 Front door opening 12 Rear door opening 13 Center pillar 15 Front Door 17 Upper slide rail 18 Center slide rail 19. Lower slide rail (slide rail of the present invention) 190 Bending section 191 Straight section 192 Upper wall section 193 Lower wall part 194 Vertical wall section 19X Reference position (position of the outer end of the slide rail on the vehicle) 19A Proximity Area 19E Inner end of lower slide rail in the vehicle width direction (inner end of slide rail on the vehicle side) 20 Sliding Door 20a Door Outer Panel 20b Door Inner Panel 23 Arm section 23a Fixed area 23E Inner end of the arm section in the vehicle width direction 25 Guide roller unit 26 Guide rollers 27 Load rollers 30 lockers 31 Locker Outer 311 (Top surface of rocker outer) 312 (Lower plate surface of rocker outer) 313 Left side panel (of the rocker outer) 32 Locker Inner 321 (Top surface of rocker inner) 322 (Lower plate surface of rocker inner) 323 Right side panel (of the locker inner) 31a, 32a Upper flange portions 31b, 32b Lower flange sections 35 Front connecting member 350 (Left end portion of the front connecting member) 351 Right end portion (of the front connecting member) 36 Rear connecting member 37 Another connecting member 40 Scuff 41 Carpet 50 Shock-absorbing material 50X Outer end of the impact absorbing member in the vehicle width direction (outer end of the impact absorbing member on the vehicle) 51 Connection site 52 Connecting plate part 60 Mobile structure 61 Receiving part 62 Protruding parts 63 Vulnerable parts 260 First shaft material 261 Upper support part 270 Second shaft material 271 Lower support part 272 Third shaft material FX1, FX2 fastening point WS Weatherstrip VL virtual line

Claims

1. In a vehicle understructure comprising a sliding door that opens and closes the door opening of the vehicle body, and a cylindrical rocker that forms the lower edge of the door opening, The lower side of the locker is provided with a slide rail that supports the sliding door so that it can slide in the opening and closing direction, and an impact absorbing member that can absorb the impact load in the event of a vehicle collision. When the direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction is defined as the inward / outward direction of the vehicle, based on a plan view in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the impact absorbing member is formed to extend in the inward / outward direction of the vehicle, and the outer end of the impact absorbing member is positioned at the same position as, or further outward than, the position of part or all of, the outer end of the slide rail in the inward / outward direction of the vehicle. The impact-absorbing member and the internal member disposed on the underside of the vehicle are arranged adjacent to or in close proximity to each other from the inward and outward directions of the vehicle, and at least a portion of the impact-absorbing member is positioned on a virtual line extending outward from the center of gravity of the internal member. A vehicle substructure in which the impact absorbing member is provided with a connecting portion that connects to the internal member, such that the connecting portion fits into the side portion of the internal member in the direction of inward and outward movement of the vehicle.

2. The lower structure of a vehicle according to Claim 1, wherein the impact absorbing member is provided with a receiving portion that receives the inner end of the slide rail of the vehicle to which an impact load is applied from the outside of the vehicle.

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