Vehicle structure

Abstract

This vehicle structure is provided with: a first cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction; a second cross member that is disposed in front of the first cross member and extends in the vehicle width direction; a pair of side members that are disposed apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and extend in the front-rear direction so as to connect the first cross member and the second cross member; a connection member that is disposed between the pair of side members in the vehicle width direction and extends in the front-rear direction so as to connect the first cross member and the second cross member; and a battery case that accommodates a battery. The battery case is fixed (i) to the connection member, (ii) in the vicinity of a connection part between the connection member and the first cross member, or (iii) in the vicinity of a connection part between the connection member and the second cross member.

Description

Vehicle structure

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle body with an improved rear structure to prevent impact energy from being transmitted to a high-voltage battery. The body of Patent Document 1 includes side sills (100) coupled to both sides of a floor panel in the longitudinal direction, rear side members (200) whose front ends overlap the rear ends of the side sills and extend rearward along the sides of the floor panel, a battery (700) located below the floor panel and mounted on the side sill portions in front of the rear side members and on the portions where the side sills and rear side members overlap, and a rear extension member (300) formed to have lower strength than the side sills and rear side members, whose front ends are connected to the rear ends of the rear side members and extend rearward along the sides of the floor panel.

[0003] As a result, when a collision occurs at the rear of the vehicle, the rear extension member is weaker in strength than the rear side members and side sills in front of it, so the rear extension member is compressively deformed and crushed in the rear first energy absorption section, primarily absorbing the collision energy.The front second energy absorption section is equipped with rear side members made of a material stronger than the rear extension member, so the rear side members are bent and deformed, further absorbing the collision energy that could not be absorbed in the first energy absorption section.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-181300

[0005] The invention of Patent Document 1 described above has a structure in which a rear side member (200) and a rear extension member (300) are connected to the vehicle width outer sides of a first cross member (400) and a second cross member (500), which respectively extend in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in the event of a rear collision, a load input to the second cross member (500) is transferred to the front side sill (100) and the first cross member (400) via the rear side member (200) and rear extension member (300) on the vehicle width outer sides. Because the load transfer path is limited to the path via the rear side member (200) and the rear extension member (300), the load is not dispersed but is concentrated in certain areas, potentially resulting in damage to those areas.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle structure that is capable of dispersing a load even when an impact is applied from behind the vehicle.

[0007] The present invention has the following configuration: A vehicle structure comprising: a first cross member extending in the vehicle width direction, a second cross member disposed in front of the first cross member and extending in the vehicle width direction, a pair of side members disposed spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and extending in the front-to-rear direction to connect the first cross member and the second cross member, a connecting member disposed between the pair of side members in the vehicle width direction and connecting the first cross member and the second cross member, and a battery case that houses a battery, wherein the battery case is fixed to (i) the connecting member, (ii) near the connection portion between the connecting member and the first cross member, or (iii) near the connection portion between the connecting member and the second cross member.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle structure that is capable of dispersing a load even when an impact is applied from behind the vehicle.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle structure according to this embodiment, as seen from below. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the vehicle structure, as seen from below. Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing a state in which a battery case has been attached in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top view of the vehicle structure, as seen from above. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the front part of the vehicle structure, as seen from above. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a bracket. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the periphery of a bracket fixed to a rear stringer. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the periphery of a bracket fixed to a rear side member.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the symbol FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the symbol UP indicates the top of the vehicle, and the symbol LH indicates the left side in the vehicle width direction (left side in the direction of travel). The opposite direction of the symbol FR is the rear of the vehicle, the opposite direction of the symbol UP is the bottom of the vehicle, and the opposite direction of the symbol LH is the right side in the vehicle width direction (right side in the direction of travel). Hereinafter, these directions may be simply referred to as the front, rear, top, bottom, left side, and right side.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle structure according to this embodiment, as seen from below. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the vehicle structure, as seen from below. Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing a state in which a battery case is attached in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top view of the vehicle structure, as seen from above. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the front part of the vehicle structure, as seen from above.

[0012] The vehicle structure 1 according to this embodiment is mainly applied to front and rear structural portions of a vehicle such as an automobile. The type of automobile to which the vehicle structure 1 is applied is not limited, and may be an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a battery electric vehicle (BEV).

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the vehicle structure 1 includes a dash panel 3 disposed at the front thereof, a floor pan 5 disposed behind the dash panel 3, and a pair of side sills 9, 9 provided at both ends of the floor pan 5 in the vehicle width direction.

[0014] The dash panel 3 is a partition plate at the front end of the passenger compartment that separates the passenger compartment from a front area of ​​the passenger compartment (e.g., the engine compartment), and is formed, for example, by pressing a steel plate. As shown in Fig. 5, the rear end of the dash panel 3 is connected to the front end of the floor pan 5, and the dash panel 3 has a curved shape that curves upward from the rear end toward the front. The dash panel 3 has a bow-like shape that convex forward when viewed in the vehicle width direction, and as will be described later, a pair of front stringers 40, 40 arranged along the dash panel 3 also have a bow-like shape that convex forward when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] The floor pan 5 is a plate material that constitutes the lower part of the vehicle compartment and is formed, for example, by pressing a steel plate. The front end of the floor pan 5 is connected to the rear end of the dash panel 3 and extends substantially horizontally rearward to the rear of the vehicle. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, a tunnel-shaped backbone 7 that protrudes upward and extends in the fore-and-aft direction is provided in the center of the floor pan 5 in the vehicle width direction.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 5, the front end of the backbone 7 is connected to the rear surface 3a of the dash panel 3 on the passenger compartment side (rear side). Also, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the rear end of the backbone 7 is located forward of the front ends of a second rear cross member 60 and a pair of rear side members 70, 70, which will be described later, and is located near the center of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction.

[0017] The backbone 7 is not necessarily provided, but is preferable because it improves the rigidity of the floor pan 5. Furthermore, as will be described later, it is also preferable to provide the backbone 7 because it can transmit and distribute loads from the front to the backbone 7.

[0018] The pair of side sills 9, 9 extend in the front-rear direction at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the floor pan 5. As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the lower parts of the front pillars 8 are connected to the front ends of the pair of side sills 9, 9, respectively.

[0019] The front portion 1A of the vehicle structure 1 and the rear portion 1B of the vehicle structure 1 will be described below.

[0020] The front portion 1A of the vehicle structure 1 includes a dash cross member 10, a backbone cross member 20, a pair of front side members 30, 30, a pair of front stringers 40, 40, and a battery case 90.

[0021] The rear portion 1B of the vehicle structure 1 includes a first rear cross member 50, a second rear cross member 60, a pair of rear side members 70, 70, a pair of rear stringers 80, 80, and a battery case 90.

[0022] First, the front portion 1A of the vehicle structure 1 will be described.

[0023] (Front of vehicle structure) As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the front 1A of the vehicle structure 1 comprises a dash cross member 10 as a first cross member extending in the vehicle width direction, a backbone cross member 20 as a second cross member arranged behind the dash cross member 10 and extending in the vehicle width direction, a pair of front side members 30 arranged spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and extending in the fore-and-aft direction to connect the dash cross member 10 and the backbone cross member 20, a front stringer 40 as a connecting member arranged between the pair of front side members 30 in the vehicle width direction and extending in the fore-and-aft direction to connect the dash cross member 10 and the backbone cross member 20, and a battery case 90 that houses a battery.

[0024] By adopting such a structure for the front portion 1A, in the event of a frontal collision, the load input to the pair of front side members 30, 30 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction can be distributed to the front stringer 40 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction via the dash cross member 10. In this way, the load from the front can be transmitted to the backbone cross member 20 via multiple paths. Therefore, even when an impact is applied from the front of the vehicle, the collision energy can be efficiently distributed, and localized load concentration can be suppressed.

[0025] The dash cross member 10 is welded and connected to the dash panel 3. The dash cross member 10 has a dash cross member inner 11 disposed on the rear surface 3a of the dash panel 3 facing the passenger compartment (rear), and a dash cross member outer 13 disposed on the front surface 3b of the dash panel 3 facing the exterior (front) of the vehicle. The dash cross member inner 11 and dash cross member outer 13 both have a hat-shaped cross section, and are welded to the dash panel 3 with the dash panel 3 sandwiched between the dash cross member inner 11 and dash cross member outer 13.

[0026] 1 to 3, the dash cross member outer 13 extends in the vehicle width direction so as to connect a pair of front side members 30, 30 that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. Both vehicle width direction end portions of the dash cross member outer 13 are welded to the vicinity of the longitudinal center portions of the pair of front side members 30, 30. Both vehicle width direction end portions of the dash cross member outer 13 are connected to longitudinal extension portions 31, 31 (described later) of the pair of front side members 30, 30, and do not protrude outward in the vehicle width direction beyond the longitudinal extension portions 31, 31 of the pair of front side members 30, 30.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 , the dash cross member inner 11 is similar to the dash cross member outer 13 in that it extends in the vehicle width direction to connect the pair of front side members 30. That is, the dash cross member inner 11 is welded to the front-rear center portions of the pair of front side members 30 (front-rear extending portions 31) at two locations in its vehicle width central portion. The dash cross member inner 11 also extends outward in the vehicle width direction beyond the front-rear extending portions 31 of the pair of front side members 30, bends rearward along the rear surface 3 a of the dash panel 3, and connects to the pair of front pillars 8. Both vehicle width end portions of the dash cross member inner 11 are welded to the lower portions of the pair of front pillars 8.

[0028] The backbone cross member 20 has a hat-shaped cross section that extends in the vehicle width direction, and is welded and fixed to the underside 5a of the floor pan 5. The backbone cross member 20 is connected to the floor pan 5 and has a shape that follows the shape of the floor pan 5 including the backbone 7, and its central portion in the vehicle width direction protrudes above the vehicle along the backbone 7.

[0029] More specifically, the backbone cross member 20 has a protruding portion 21 that protrudes upward along the backbone 7 and a pair of base portions 23, 23 that extend to both sides in the vehicle width direction from both ends of the protruding portion 21 in the vehicle width direction. The protruding portion 21 is welded to the underside 7a of the backbone 7. The pair of base portions 23, 23 are welded to the underside 5a of the floor pan 5 on both sides of the backbone 7 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, a load input to the backbone cross member 20 is transmitted to the backbone 7.

[0030] Both transverse ends of the backbone cross member 20 (i.e., the transversely outer ends of the pair of base portions 23) have widened portions 23a that increase in width in the fore-and-aft direction as they extend outward in the transverse direction of the vehicle. These widened portions 23a are welded to and connected to the inclined portions 33 of the pair of front side members 30, as described below.

[0031] The front side member 30 has a hat-shaped cross section extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and its rear side is welded to the front surface 3b of the dash panel 3 and the underside 5a of the floor pan 5. The front side member 30 has a fore-and-aft extending portion 31 extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and an inclined portion 33 connected to the rear end of the fore-and-aft extending portion 31 and inclined outward in the vehicle width direction as it extends rearward.

[0032] The rear end of the longitudinal extension 31 is positioned so as to overlap the lower surface 5a of the floor pan 5. The longitudinal extension 31 bends upward as it extends forward from the rear end, and is shaped to fit along the front surface 3b of the dash panel 3. The longitudinal extension 31 extends further forward than the dash panel 3.

[0033] The inclined portions 33 constituting the rear ends of the front side members 30 extend rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the rear ends of the longitudinally extending portions 31 and are fixed by welding to the front ends of the side sills 9. In this manner, the rear ends of the pair of front side members 30 are connected to the front ends of the pair of side sills 9, respectively. This allows load to be transmitted from the pair of front side members 30 to the pair of side sills 9, increasing the number of load transmission paths and enabling load distribution.

[0034] The inclined portions 33 of the pair of front side members 30 are welded and connected to both vehicle width directional ends (the pair of widened portions 23a) of the backbone cross member 20. This facilitates load transmission from the pair of front side members 30 toward the backbone cross member 20 in a vehicle width inward direction. Loads can also be transmitted outward in the vehicle width direction toward the pair of side sills 9 connected to the vehicle width outward sides of both vehicle width directional ends (the inclined portions 33) of the pair of front side members 30. In this way, the load can be distributed from the pair of front side members 30 toward the vehicle width outward and inward.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5, the front side member 30 has a corner 35 on the vehicle width direction inside formed at the connection between the longitudinal extension 31 and the inclined portion 33. A pair of widened portions 23a, 23a at both ends of the backbone cross member 20 in the vehicle width direction are welded and connected across the front and rear portions of the corners 35, 35 of the pair of front side members 30. Therefore, the widened portions 23a are welded across a portion of the longitudinal extension 31 in front of the corner 35 and a portion of the inclined portion 33 behind the corner 35. This facilitates load transmission from the pair of front side members 30, 30 toward the backbone cross member 20 in the vehicle width direction inside.

[0036] In this embodiment, a pair of front stringers 40 are provided, and these pair of front stringers 40, 40 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and extend in the fore-and-aft direction so as to connect the dash cross member 10 and the backbone cross member 20. The number of front stringers 40 is not limited to a pair, and may be one, or three or more.

[0037] The pair of front stringers 40, 40 have a hat-shaped cross section and are welded to the front surface 3b of the dash panel 3. The front surface 3b of the dash panel 3 has an arched shape that convex forward when viewed in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of front stringers 40, 40 are shaped to fit the dash panel 3 and have an arched shape that convex forward when viewed in the vehicle width direction. As such, because the front stringers 40 have an arched shape without corners, they can efficiently transmit loads to the backbone cross member 20. If the front stringers 40 had corners, there is a possibility that the load would be concentrated locally.

[0038] Furthermore, the front stringer 40 extends linearly in the fore-and-aft direction when viewed from the top-down direction, thereby enabling the fore-and-aft load applied in a frontal or rear collision to be efficiently transmitted from one side of the dash cross member 10 to the other side of the backbone cross member 20.

[0039] The front ends of the pair of front stringers 40, 40 are welded to the vehicle width directional center of the dash cross member outer 13 while spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. The rear ends of the pair of front stringers 40, 40 are welded to the vehicle width directional inner portions of the pair of base portions 23, 23 of the backbone cross member 20 (near the connection between the pair of base portions 23, 23 and the protruding portion 21). The pair of front stringers 40, 40 are each formed to extend outward in the vehicle width direction as they extend rearward, and the vehicle width directional distance between the rear ends of the pair of front stringers 40, 40 is greater than the vehicle width directional distance between the front ends of the pair of front stringers 40, 40. In this way, by arranging the pair of front stringers 40, 40 in a generally V-shaped configuration that opens outward as it extends rearward, rigidity can be increased.

[0040] 1 and 5, the inner end portions 41, 41 of the pair of front stringers 40, 40 in the vehicle width direction are welded and connected to both end portions 7b, 7b of the backbone 7 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the load can be efficiently transmitted from the pair of front stringers 40, 40 to the backbone 7. Note that, because the dash panel 3 is interposed between the inner end portions 41, 41 of the pair of front stringers 40, 40 in the vehicle width direction and both end portions 7b, 7b of the backbone 7 in the vehicle width direction, these three members are welded in an overlapping state (triple-lap welding).

[0041] Fig. 3 illustrates a battery case 90 for accommodating a battery (not shown). Note that Fig. 3 mainly illustrates frame members of the battery case 90, such as an inner side member 93 and an inner cross member 95, which will be described later, and does not illustrate covers that cover the top and bottom. Note that the battery case 90 in the illustrated example accommodates a battery for driving a motor of a plug-in hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, or the like, but the type of battery is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a 12V battery.

[0042] The battery case 90 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and is arranged along the underside 5a of the floor pan 5. In the illustrated example, both sides of the battery case 90 in the vehicle width direction overlap with a pair of side sills 9, 9, its front end overlaps with the backbone cross member 20, and its rear end overlaps with a second rear cross member 60 and a pair of rear stringers 80, 80, which will be described later.

[0043] Both ends of the battery case 90 in the vehicle width direction are fixed to a pair of side sills 9, 9 by a plurality of bolts 91 arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-rear direction. This allows the load input to the pair of side sills 9, 9 to be transmitted to the battery case 90 and distributed.

[0044] The center of the front end of the battery case 90 in the vehicle width direction is fixed to a pair of bases 23, 23 of the backbone cross member 20 by a pair of brackets 101, 101. Therefore, the load input to the backbone cross member 20 can be transmitted to the battery case 90 and distributed.

[0045] The portion where the backbone cross member 20 and the battery case 90 are fixed by the pair of brackets 101 overlaps in the vehicle width direction with the portion where the pair of front stringers 40 and the backbone cross member 20 are connected, and are positioned so as to overlap when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. By adopting this positional relationship, the load transmitted from the pair of front stringers 40 to the backbone cross member 20 is efficiently transmitted to the battery case 90 via the pair of brackets 101.

[0046] Both sides of the front end of the battery case 90 in the vehicle width direction are fixed to the inclined portions 33, 33 of the pair of front side members 30, 30 by a pair of brackets 103, 103. Therefore, the load input to the pair of front side members 30, 30 can be transmitted to the battery case 90 and distributed. In particular, the inclined portions 33 of the front side members 30 are the base portions that connect to the side sills 9, and therefore the load is likely to be concentrated thereon. By fixing the battery case 90 to these inclined portions 33, the load can be distributed across the battery case 90, and the concentration of the load on the inclined portions 33 can be suppressed.

[0047] Furthermore, the bracket 103 is positioned rearward of the backbone cross member 20. Therefore, the battery case 90 is fixed to the pair of front side members 30, 30 rearward of the dash cross member 10, front stringer 40, and backbone cross member 20, so that the load, which has been dispersed and weakened through multiple paths, can be transmitted to the battery case 90. Therefore, the load to the battery case 90 can be dispersed while suppressing excessive load input to the battery case 90, preventing damage to the battery.

[0048] The battery case 90 may be fixed directly to the backbone cross member 20 or the pair of front side members 30, 30 with bolts or the like without using the brackets 101, 103. However, since the brackets 101, 103 have the function of absorbing collision energy, it is preferable to provide the brackets 101, 103. The structure of the brackets 101, 103 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0049] The battery case 90 includes, inside thereof, inner side members 93 that extend in the front-to-rear direction so as to extend from the front end to the rear end of the battery case 90. In the illustrated example, the inner side members 93 include a pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a and a second inner side member 93b. By providing such inner side members 93, a load transmitted from the front to the battery case 90 can be transmitted rearward via the inner side members 93. Furthermore, because the inner side members 93 are strong framework members, the battery case 90 can function as part of the framework members of the vehicle.

[0050] The pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a are each connected to the front end of the battery case 90 and extend in the front-rear direction. The pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a are disposed spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and overlap with a pair of fixing portions (a pair of brackets 101, 101) between the battery case 90 and the backbone cross member 20 in the vehicle width direction. In this manner, by positioning the pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a and the pair of brackets 101, 101 so as to overlap each other when viewed in the front-rear direction, a load input to the front end of the battery case 90 via the pair of brackets 101, 101 is efficiently transmitted to the pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a. The rear ends of the pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a are connected to a first inner cross member 95a, which will be described later.

[0051] More preferably, the vehicle width direction positions of the pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a, the pair of fixing portions (pair of brackets 101, 101) between the battery case 90 and the backbone cross member 20, and the connection portions between the pair of front stringers 40, 40 and the backbone cross member 20 all overlap, and are positioned so as to overlap as viewed from the front-to-rear direction. With this positional relationship, load is efficiently transmitted to the first inner side member 93a via the front stringer 40, the backbone cross member 20, and the bracket 101.

[0052] The second inner side member 93b extends in the front-rear direction so as to connect the rear end of the battery case 90 to a first inner cross member 95a (described later). The position of the second inner side member 93b in the vehicle width direction is not particularly limited, but in the illustrated example, it is disposed in the vehicle width center of the battery case 90. With this arrangement, the vehicle width positions of the pair of second inner side members 93b, 93b and the second inner side member 93b do not coincide. Therefore, a load input to the pair of second inner side members 93b, 93b is first distributed to both sides in the vehicle width direction by the first inner cross member 95a (described later) and then transmitted to the second inner side member 93b, thereby enhancing the load distribution effect. Furthermore, considering that a battery (not shown) is housed in multiple areas divided by the second inner side member 93b and the first to fourth inner cross members 95a to 95d (described later), it is preferable from the standpoint of space efficiency to dispose the second inner side member 93b in the vehicle width center.

[0053] The battery case 90 includes an internal cross member 95 extending in the vehicle width direction from the left end to the right end of the battery case 90. In the illustrated example, the internal cross member 95 includes first to fourth internal cross members 95a to 95d arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-to-rear direction. The first to fourth internal cross members 95a to 95d are arranged in this order from the front to the rear. By providing such internal cross members 95, a load input to the battery case 90 from the outside in the vehicle width direction can be transmitted in the vehicle width direction via the internal cross member 95. Furthermore, since a strong framework member, the internal cross member 95, is provided, the battery case 90 can function as part of the framework member of the vehicle.

[0054] The first inner cross member 95a connects the rear ends of the pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a and the front end of the second inner side member 93b, and extends in the vehicle width direction so as to extend from the left end to the right end of the battery case 90. This allows a load transmitted from the front to the battery case 90 to be transmitted in this order through the pair of first inner side members 93a, the first inner cross member 95a, and the second inner side member 93b, and then to the rear end of the battery case.

[0055] The second to fourth inner cross members 95b to 95d, which are arranged rearward of the first inner cross member 95a, extend in the vehicle width direction so as to extend from the left end to the right end of the battery case 90. The center portions in the vehicle width direction of the second to fourth inner cross members 95b to 95d are connected to the second inner side member 93b so as to intersect with the second inner side member 93b.

[0056] (Load transfer path in the front of the vehicle structure) When a frontal collision (head-on collision) occurs at the front 1A of the vehicle structure 1 configured as described above, a load is input to the pair of front side members 30, 30. The load input to the pair of front side members 30, 30 is transmitted and dispersed to both vehicle widthwise ends of the dash cross member 10, both vehicle widthwise ends (widened portions 23 a, 23 a) of the backbone cross member 20, brackets 103, 103 of the battery case 90, and front ends of the pair of side sills 9, 9.

[0057] The load input to the dash cross member 10 is transmitted to a pair of front stringers 40, 40 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

[0058] The load input to the pair of front stringers 40, 40 is transmitted to the backbone 7 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the backbone cross member 20 on the rear side, and is dispersed.

[0059] The load input to the backbone cross member 20 is transmitted to the upper backbone 7 and the rear battery case 90 (bracket 101) and dispersed there.

[0060] The load input to the pair of side sills 9, 9 is transmitted to and dispersed by the battery case 90 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and a pair of rear side members 70, 70 described below.

[0061] The load input to the battery case 90 is transmitted and dispersed in the vehicle width direction and rearward via the inner side members 93 and the inner cross members 95 .

[0062] In this way, even if the vehicle is subjected to a frontal impact, the load can be dispersed and damage can be reduced because multiple load transmission paths are provided.

[0063] Next, the rear portion 1B of the vehicle structure 1 will be described.

[0064] (Rear of vehicle structure) As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the rear 1B of the vehicle structure 1 comprises a first rear cross member 50 as a first cross member extending in the vehicle width direction, a second rear cross member 60 as a second cross member arranged in front of or behind the first cross member and extending in the vehicle width direction, a pair of rear side members 70, 70 arranged spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and extending in the fore-and-aft direction to connect the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60, and a rear stringer 80 as a connecting member arranged between the pair of rear side members 70 in the vehicle width direction and extending in the fore-and-aft direction to connect the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60.

[0065] By adopting such a structure for the rear portion 1B, in the event of a rear collision, the load input to the pair of rear side members 70, 70 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction can be distributed to the rear stringer 80 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction via the first rear cross member 50. In this way, the load from the rear can be transmitted to the second rear cross member 60 via multiple paths. Therefore, even when an impact is applied from the rear of the vehicle, the collision energy can be efficiently distributed, and localized load concentration can be suppressed.

[0066] Rear side member 70 has a hat-shaped cross section that extends in the fore-and-aft direction, and is welded to the underside 5a of floor pan 5. Rear side member 70 has a fore-and-aft extending portion 71 that extends in the fore-and-aft direction, and an inclined portion 73 that connects to the front end of fore-and-aft extending portion 71 and inclines outward in the vehicle width direction as it extends rearward.

[0067] The longitudinal extension portions 71, 71 of the pair of rear side members 70, 70 are connected by a third rear cross member 110 and a fourth rear cross member 120, which are positioned rearward of the first rear cross member 50. The third rear cross member 110 and the fourth rear cross member 120 extend in the vehicle width direction, and both ends of these in the vehicle width direction are welded to the pair of longitudinal extension portions 71, 71. The third rear cross member 110 and the fourth rear cross member 120 have a hat-shaped cross section extending in the vehicle width direction, and are welded to the underside 5a of the floor pan 5.

[0068] The inclined portions 73, 73 of the pair of rear side members 70, 70 extend forward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the front end of the longitudinal extending portion 71 and are fixed by welding to the rear end of the side sill 9. In this manner, the front end portions of the pair of rear side members 70, 70 are respectively connected to the rear end portions of the pair of side sills 9, 9. Therefore, load can be transmitted from the pair of rear side members 70, 70 to the pair of side sills 9, 9, thereby increasing the number of load transmission paths.

[0069] The inclined portions 73, 73 of the pair of rear side members 70, 70 are welded and connected to both vehicle width directional ends of the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60, respectively. This facilitates load transmission inward in the vehicle width direction from the pair of rear side members 70, 70 to the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60. Loads can also be transmitted outward in the vehicle width direction toward the pair of side sills 9, 9 connected to both vehicle width directional ends (inclined portions 73, 73) of the pair of rear side members 70, 70. In this way, the load can be distributed outward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the pair of rear side members 70, 70.

[0070] The first rear cross member 50 has a hat-shaped cross section extending in the vehicle width direction, and is welded to the underside 5a of the floor pan 5. The first rear cross member 50 is disposed forward of the longitudinally extending portions 71 of the rear side members 70, and both ends of the first rear cross member 50 in the vehicle width direction are welded to the inclined portions 73, 73 of the pair of rear side members 70, 70.

[0071] The second rear cross member 60 has a hat-shaped cross section that extends in the vehicle width direction forward of the first rear cross member 50, and is welded to the underside 5a of the floor pan 5. Both ends of the second rear cross member 60 in the vehicle width direction are welded to the inclined portions 73, 73 of a pair of rear side members 70, 70.

[0072] In this way, by connecting the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60 to the inclined portion 73 rather than the longitudinal extension portion 71, load transmission from the inclined portion 73 toward the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60 in the inward direction of the vehicle width can be promoted.

[0073] It is preferable that at least one of the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60 has widened portions at both vehicle widthwise ends, the widened portions increasing in the fore-and-aft direction as they extend outward in the vehicle widthwise direction. Figures 1 to 4 show an example in which both vehicle widthwise ends of the first rear cross member 50 have widened portions 51, 51, and these widened portions 51 connect to the inclined portions 73, 73 of the pair of rear side members 70, 70. Providing such widened portions 51 can promote load transfer inward in the vehicle width direction toward the first rear cross member 50. Although not shown, both vehicle widthwise ends of the second rear cross member 60 may have widened portions, in which case the widened portions of the second rear cross member 60 connect to the inclined portions 73, 73 of the pair of rear side members 70, 70.

[0074] In this embodiment, a pair of rear stringers 80 are provided, and these pair of rear stringers 80, 80 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and extend in the front-to-rear direction so as to connect the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60. The number of rear stringers 80 is not limited to a pair, and may be one, or three or more. The pair of rear stringers 80, 80 have a hat-shaped cross section and are welded to the underside 5a of the floor pan 5.

[0075] The rear stringer 80 extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the top-to-bottom direction, thereby enabling the front-to-rear load applied during a frontal or rear collision to be efficiently transmitted from one of the first rear cross member 50 and the second rear cross member 60 to the other.

[0076] As described above, Fig. 3 illustrates a battery case 90 for accommodating a battery (not shown). The rear end of the battery case 90 is fixed at a central portion in the vehicle width direction to a pair of rear stringers 80 via a pair of brackets 105 (first brackets). In the example of Fig. 3, the bracket 105 is fixed to the rear stringer 80 forward of the first rear cross member 50 and rear of the second rear cross member 60.

[0077] In addition, the fixing location of the bracket 105 is not limited to (i) the rear stringer 80, but may be (ii) near the connection between the rear stringer 80 and the first rear cross member 50, or (iii) near the connection between the rear stringer 80 and the second rear cross member 60.

[0078] Here, "(ii) the vicinity of the connection between the rear stringer 80 and the first rear cross member 50" refers to a portion of the first rear cross member 50 that includes the connection and the vicinity of the connection. "(ii) the vicinity of the connection between the rear stringer 80 and the first rear cross member 50" is preferably a portion of the first rear cross member 50 that overlaps with the rear stringer 80 or the connection in the vehicle width direction (the portion that overlaps when viewed from the front-to-rear direction).

[0079] Furthermore, "(iii) the vicinity of the connection between the rear stringer 80 and the second rear cross member 60" refers to a portion of the second rear cross member 60 that includes the connection and the vicinity of the connection. "(iii) the vicinity of the connection between the rear stringer 80 and the second rear cross member 60" is preferably a portion of the second rear cross member 60 that overlaps with the rear stringer 80 or the connection in the vehicle width direction (the portion that overlaps when viewed from the front-to-rear direction).

[0080] During a rear-end collision, a load input to the rear side member 70 is transmitted and dispersed via a path that transmits the load inward in the vehicle width direction via the first rear cross member 50 and a path that transmits the load inward in the vehicle width direction via the second rear cross member 60. The weakened load that has been dispersed via multiple paths can then be transmitted to the battery case 90, which is fixed to (i) the rear stringer 80, (ii) near the connection between the rear stringer 80 and the first rear cross member 50, or (iii) near the connection between the rear stringer 80 and the second rear cross member 60. This allows the load to be distributed to the battery case 90 while suppressing excessive load input to the battery case 90, thereby preventing damage to the battery. Furthermore, because the battery case 90 is fixed via the bracket 105 (first bracket), impact is absorbed by the bracket 105 during a collision from behind the vehicle (rear-end collision), preventing damage to the battery.

[0081] Both vehicle width direction sides of the rear end of the battery case 90 are fixed to the inclined portions 73, 73 of the pair of rear side members 70, 70 by a pair of brackets 107, 107 (second brackets). Therefore, the load input to the pair of rear side members 70, 70 can be transmitted to the battery case 90 and distributed. In particular, the inclined portions 33 of the front side members 30 are the base portions that connect to the side sills 9, and therefore the load is likely to be concentrated thereon. By fixing the battery case 90 to these inclined portions 33, the load can be distributed across the battery case 90, and the concentration of the load on the inclined portions 33 can be suppressed.

[0082] Furthermore, the bracket 107 is disposed forward of the second rear cross member 60. Therefore, the battery case 90 is fixed to the pair of rear side members 70, 70 forward of the first rear cross member 50, the rear stringer 80, and the second rear cross member 60, so that the load, which has been dispersed and weakened through multiple paths, can be transmitted to the battery case 90. Therefore, the load to the battery case 90 is dispersed while suppressing excessive load input to the battery case 90, preventing damage to the battery. Furthermore, in the event of a rear-end collision, the bracket 107 absorbs the impact, suppressing damage to the battery.

[0083] The battery case 90 may be fixed directly to the second rear cross member 60 or the pair of rear side members 70, 70 using bolts or the like without using the brackets 105, 107. However, since the brackets 105, 107 have the function of absorbing collision energy in the event of a rear-end collision, it is preferable to provide the brackets 105, 107.

[0084] Brackets 101 and 103 for fixing the front portion of the battery case 90 and brackets 105 and 107 for fixing the rear portion will be described using Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the brackets. Although brackets 101, 103, 105, and 107 differ in dimensions, shape, etc., they have the same main configuration, so Figure 6 will be used to describe all brackets 101, 103, 105, and 107. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the area around bracket 105, which is fixed to the rear stringer. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the area around bracket 107, which is fixed to the rear side member.

[0085] As shown in Figure 6, brackets 101, 103, 105, and 107 include an upper surface 102 that is perpendicular to the up-down direction, and a hanging surface 104 that hangs down vertically from one end of the upper surface 102. A pair of flanges 102a, 102a that hang down vertically from the upper surface 102 are formed on both side ends of the upper surface 102. A pair of flanges 104a, 104a that are perpendicular to the hanging surface 104 are provided on both side ends of the hanging surface 104. The flanges 102a of the upper surface 102 and the flanges 102a of the hanging surface 104 are parallel to each other, and upper portions of the flanges 102a and 102a overlap each other.

[0086] The hanging surface 104 is fixed to the battery case 90 by bolts 104b, and the upper surface 102 is fixed to the mating members (backbone cross member 20, front side member 30, rear stringer 80, rear side member 70) by bolts 102b.

[0087] 3, the hanging surface 104 of bracket 101 is fixed to the center of the front end of battery case 90 in the vehicle width direction, and the hanging surface 104 of bracket 103 is fixed to both end portions of the front end of battery case 90 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the hanging surface 104 of bracket 105 (first bracket) is fixed to the center of the rear end of battery case 90 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the hanging surface 104 of bracket 107 is fixed to the center of the rear end of battery case 90 in the vehicle width direction.

[0088] As shown in Figure 3, the upper surface 102 of bracket 101 is fixed to the lower surface of the base 23 of the backbone cross member 20, and the upper surface 102 of bracket 103 is fixed to the lower surface of the inclined portion 33 of the front side member 30. As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the upper surface 102 of bracket 105 is fixed to the lower surface of the rear stringer 80. As shown in Figures 3 and 8, the upper surface 102 of bracket 107 is fixed to the lower surface of the inclined portion 73 of the rear side member 70.

[0089] Brackets 101, 103, 105, and 107 have a shape that is open in a direction perpendicular to vertical surface 104 and toward the mating members (backbone cross member 20, front side member 30, rear stringer 80, and rear side member 70). It can also be said that brackets 101, 103, 105, and 107 have a shape that is open in the vertical direction of the pair of flanges 104a, 104a of vertical surface 104.

[0090] For example, bracket 101 has a shape that opens forward, that is, toward the base 23 of backbone cross member 20, which is the mating member. Bracket 103 has a shape that opens forward, that is, toward the inclined portion 33 of front side member 30, which is the mating member, and outward in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 7 , bracket 105 (first bracket) has a shape that opens rearward, that is, toward rear stringer 80, which is the mating member. As shown in FIG. 8 , bracket 107 (second bracket) has a shape that opens rearward, that is, toward the inclined portion 73 of rear side member 70, which is the mating member, and outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0091] Because the brackets are shaped in such a way that they are open in the direction in which the load is input, when a large load is input to the brackets 101, 103, 105, and 107, the brackets themselves collapse and exhibit a shock absorbing function, thereby preventing a large load from being transmitted to the battery case 90 and preventing damage to the battery.

[0092] 3, the in-vehicle device A is disposed behind the bracket 105. The in-vehicle device A is various devices disposed below the floor pan 5, such as a suspension, a fuel tank, a drive motor, etc. In this way, since the in-vehicle device A is disposed behind the rearmost bracket 105, even if the in-vehicle device A moves forward in the event of a rear-end collision, the impact is absorbed by the bracket 105 and the bracket 107, and damage to the battery can be suppressed.

[0093] 3, the battery case 90 includes internal side members 93 extending in the front-to-rear direction so as to extend from the front end to the rear end of the battery case 90, so that a load transmitted from the rear to the battery case 90 can be transmitted forward via the internal side members 93. Furthermore, because the internal side members 93 are strong framework members, the battery case 90 can function as part of the framework members of the vehicle.

[0094] As described above, the inner side member 93 includes a pair of first inner side members 93a, 93a and a second inner side member 93b. The second inner side member 93b is located between the pair of rear stringers 80 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, a load input to the rear end of the battery case 90 from the pair of rear stringers 80, 80 or their vicinity can be distributed in the vehicle width direction and then input to the second inner side member 93b. This improves the load distribution effect within the battery case 90.

[0095] The battery case 90 also includes an internal cross member 95 that extends in the vehicle width direction so as to extend from the left end to the right end of the battery case 90. By providing such an internal cross member 95, a load input to the battery case 90 from the outside in the vehicle width direction can be transmitted in the vehicle width direction via the internal cross member 95. Furthermore, since a strong framework member such as the internal cross member 95 is provided, the battery case 90 can function as part of the framework member of the vehicle.

[0096] As described above, the inner cross member 95 includes the first to fourth inner cross members 95a to 95d. The battery case 90 is fixed to the inclined portions 73 of the pair of rear side members 70, 70 forward of the second rear cross member 60 by a pair of brackets 107, 107. The fourth inner cross member 95d of the inner cross members 95 is disposed near the fixed portions (inclined portions 73, 73) between the battery case 90 and the pair of rear side members 70, 70, and extends in the vehicle width direction. More specifically, both vehicle width direction ends of the fourth inner cross member 95d are disposed so as to overlap the front ends of the pair of inclined portions 73, 73. This configuration allows a load transmitted from the pair of rear side members 70, 70 via the pair of brackets 107, 107 to the battery case 90 to be transmitted in the vehicle width direction via the fourth inner cross member 95d.

[0097] (Load transfer path at rear of vehicle structure) In the event of a rear collision (rear impact) occurring at the rear 1B of the vehicle structure 1 configured as described above, a load is input to the pair of rear side members 70, 70. The load input to the pair of rear side members 70, 70 is transmitted and dispersed to both ends in the vehicle width direction of the first rear cross member 50, both ends in the vehicle width direction of the second rear cross member 60, brackets 107, 107 of the battery case 90, and rear ends of the pair of side sills 9, 9.

[0098] The load input to the first rear cross member 50 is transmitted to a pair of rear stringers 80, 80 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

[0099] The load input to the pair of rear stringers 80, 80 is transmitted to the rear stringer 80 (bracket 105) and the second rear cross member 60 and dispersed.

[0100] The load input to the pair of side sills 9, 9 is transmitted to and dispersed by the battery case 90 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the pair of front side members 30, 30.

[0101] The load input to the battery case 90 is transmitted and dispersed in the vehicle width direction and rearward via the inner side members 93 and the inner cross members 95 .

[0102] In this way, even if the vehicle is subjected to an impact from behind, the load can be distributed and damage can be reduced because multiple load transmission paths are provided.

[0103] As such, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention also contemplates the mutual combination of the various components of the embodiments, as well as modifications and applications by those skilled in the art based on the description in the specification and well-known techniques, and these modifications and applications are included in the scope of protection sought.

[0104] As described above, this specification discloses the following: (1) A vehicle structure comprising: a first cross member extending in the vehicle width direction; a second cross member disposed in front of the first cross member and extending in the vehicle width direction; a pair of side members disposed spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and extending in the front-to-rear direction to connect the first cross member and the second cross member; a connecting member disposed between the pair of side members in the vehicle width direction and connecting the first cross member and the second cross member; and a battery case that houses a battery, wherein the battery case is fixed to (i) the connecting member, (ii) near a connection portion between the connecting member and the first cross member, or (iii) near a connection portion between the connecting member and the second cross member. (2) The vehicle structure described in (1), wherein the battery case is fixed via a first bracket to (i) the connecting member, (ii) near a connection portion between the connecting member and the first cross member, or (iii) near a connection portion between the connecting member and the second cross member. (3) The vehicle structure described in (2), wherein the battery case is fixed to (i) the connecting member via a first bracket. (4) The vehicle structure described in any one of (1) to (3), wherein the battery case is fixed to the pair of side members forward of the second cross member. (5) The vehicle structure described in (4), wherein the battery case is fixed to the pair of side members forward of the second cross member via a second bracket. (6) The vehicle structure according to any one of (2), (3), and (5), wherein the first bracket or the second bracket includes an upper surface perpendicular to the up-down direction and a downward surface hanging down perpendicularly from the upper surface, the downward surface being fixed to the battery case, and the upper surface being fixed to a mating member, and the first bracket or the second bracket has a shape that is open in a direction perpendicular to the downward surface and toward the mating member. (7) The vehicle structure according to any one of (2), (3), and (6), wherein an on-vehicle device is disposed behind the first bracket. (8) The vehicle structure according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the connecting member includes a pair of connecting members.(9) The vehicle structure according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the pair of side members each include a longitudinally extending portion extending in the longitudinal direction, and an inclined portion connected to a front end of the longitudinally extending portion and inclined outward in the vehicle width direction as it extends rearward, and the inclined portion of the side member is connected to a vehicle width outer end of the first cross member and a vehicle width outer end of the second cross member. (10) The vehicle structure according to (9), wherein both vehicle width end portions of at least one of the first cross member and the second cross member have widened portions that widen in the longitudinal direction as they extend outward in the vehicle width direction, and the widened portions are connected to the inclined portions of the side members. (11) The vehicle structure according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein a pair of side sills are provided at both vehicle width end portions of the floor pan, and front end portions of the pair of side members are respectively connected to rear end portions of the pair of side sills. (12) The vehicle structure according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the battery case includes an internal side member therein extending in the front-rear direction so as to extend from the front end to the rear end of the battery case. (13) The vehicle structure according to (12), wherein the connecting member includes a pair of connecting members, and the internal side member includes a second internal side member connected to the rear end of the battery case and extending in the front-rear direction, and the second internal side member is located between the pair of connecting members in the vehicle width direction. (14) The vehicle structure according to any one of (1) to (13), wherein the battery case includes an internal cross member therein extending in the vehicle width direction so as to extend from the left end to the right end of the battery case. (15) The vehicle structure according to (14), wherein the battery case is fixed to the pair of side members forward of the second cross member, and the internal cross member includes a second internal cross member positioned in the vehicle width direction and disposed near a fixed portion between the battery case and the pair of side members.

[0105] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle structure 1A front portion 1B rear portion 3 dash panel 3a rear surface 3b front surface 5 floor pan 5a lower surface 7 backbone 7a lower surface 8 front pillar 9 side sill 10 dash cross member (first cross member) 11 dash cross member inner 13 dash cross member outer 20 backbone cross member (second cross member) 21 protruding portion 23 base portion 23a widened portion 30 front side member (side member) 31 longitudinal extension portion 33 inclined portion 35 corner portion 40 front stringer (stringer) 41 vehicle width direction inner end portion 50 first rear cross member (first cross member) 51 widened portion 60 second rear cross member (second cross member) 70 rear side member (side member) 71 longitudinal extension portion 73 inclined portion DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 80 Rear stringer (stringer) 90 Battery case 91 Bolt 93 Inner side member 93a First inner side member 93b Second inner side member 95 Inner cross member 95a First inner cross member 95b Second inner cross member 95c Third inner cross member 95d Fourth inner cross member 101 Bracket 102 Upper surface 102a Flange 103 Bracket 104 Downward surface 104a Flange 104b Bolt 105 Bracket (first bracket) 107 Bracket (second bracket) 110 Third rear cross member 120 Fourth rear cross member A On-vehicle equipment

Claims

1. A vehicle structure comprising: a first cross member extending in the vehicle width direction; a second cross member arranged in front of the first cross member and extending in the vehicle width direction; a pair of side members arranged spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and extending in the fore-and-aft direction so as to connect the first cross member and the second cross member; a connecting member arranged between the pair of side members in the vehicle width direction and connecting the first cross member and the second cross member; and a battery case that houses a battery, wherein the battery case is fixed to (i) the connecting member, (ii) near the connection portion between the connecting member and the first cross member, or (iii) near the connection portion between the connecting member and the second cross member.

2. A vehicle structure as described in claim 1, wherein the battery case is fixed via a first bracket to (i) the connecting member, (ii) near the connection portion between the connecting member and the first cross member, or (iii) near the connection portion between the connecting member and the second cross member.

3. The vehicle structure according to claim 2, wherein the battery case is (i) fixed to the connecting member via a first bracket.

4. The vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the battery case is fixed to the pair of side members forward of the second cross member.

5. The vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein the battery case is fixed to the pair of side members via second brackets in front of the second cross member.

6. A vehicle structure as claimed in any one of claims 2, 3 and 5, wherein the first bracket or the second bracket includes an upper surface that is vertical in the up-down direction and a downward surface that hangs down vertically from the upper surface, the downward surface being fixed to the battery case, and the upper surface being fixed to a mating member, and the first bracket or the second bracket having a shape that is open in a direction perpendicular to the downward surface and toward the mating member.

7. The vehicle structure according to any one of claims 2, 3 and 6, wherein an on-vehicle device is disposed behind the first bracket.

8. A vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the connecting member includes a pair of connecting members.

9. A vehicle structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each of the pair of side members comprises a longitudinally extending portion extending in the longitudinal direction, and an inclined portion connected to the front end of the longitudinally extending portion and inclined outward in the vehicle width direction as it extends rearward, and the inclined portion of the side member is connected to the transversely outer end of the first cross member and the transversely outer end of the second cross member.

10. A vehicle structure as described in claim 9, wherein at least one of the first cross member and the second cross member has widened portions at both ends in the vehicle width direction that widen in the fore-and-aft direction as they move outward in the vehicle width direction, and the widened portions are connected to the inclined portions of the side members.

11. A vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a pair of side sills are provided at both ends of the floor pan in the vehicle width direction, and the front ends of the pair of side members are respectively connected to the rear ends of the pair of side sills.

12. A vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the battery case has an internal side member therein that extends in the front-to-rear direction from the front end to the rear end of the battery case.

13. The vehicle structure according to claim 12, wherein the connecting member includes a pair of connecting members, the inner side member includes a second inner side member connected to a rear end of the battery case and extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and the second inner side member is located between the pair of connecting members in the vehicle width direction.

14. A vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the battery case has an internal cross member therein that extends in the vehicle width direction so as to extend from the left end to the right end of the battery case.

15. A vehicle structure as described in claim 14, wherein the battery case is fixed to the pair of side members forward of the second cross member, and the inner cross member includes a second inner cross member positioned near the fixed portion between the battery case and the pair of side members and extending in the vehicle width direction.

Images