Vehicle lower structure

Abstract

A vehicle lower structure according to the present invention comprises a battery pack that is provided below a front seat of a vehicle and above a floor panel, a fan that is provided below a center console and above the floor panel and cools the battery pack, and a floor carpet that is laid between the center console and the fan and has a vertical wall that extends downward from a lower end of a rear part of the center console behind the fan.

Description

Vehicle undercarriage

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

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a structure including a battery pack arranged below a pair of left and right front seats, a cooling fan arranged above the battery pack, and a floor carpet laid between the center console and the cooling fan.

[0003] International Publication No. 2023 / 053206

[0004] Incidentally, electrical components, air conditioning ducts, and other components are arranged inside the center console. A cross member may also be located below the center console. In this case, the height of the center console may be increased in order to accommodate the components in the center console and the space below it.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle undercarriage structure that can prevent the height of a center console from increasing.

[0006] A vehicle undercarriage structure according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a battery pack located below the front seats of the vehicle and above a floor panel, a fan located below the center console and above the floor panel for cooling the battery pack, and a floor carpet laid between the center console and the fan and having a vertical wall extending downward from the lower end of the rear of the center console behind the fan.

[0007] The above vehicle undercarriage structure allows the fan to be positioned rearward within the center console, which prevents the center console from becoming too tall compared to a configuration in which the vertical wall of the floor carpet does not extend downward from the lower end of the rear of the center console.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle underbody structure according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the vehicle underbody structure according to an embodiment. Fig. 3A is a perspective view of the vehicle underbody structure according to an embodiment with a center console and a floor carpet removed. Fig. 3B is a perspective view of Fig. 3A with a converter removed. Fig. 3C is a perspective view of Fig. 3B with a bracket removed. Fig. 3D is a perspective view of Fig. 3C with a harness removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified example of a plate according to an embodiment.

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an example in which a vehicle undercarriage according to an embodiment is applied to a vehicle that runs using an electric motor as a power source will be described. In each drawing, FW indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, UP indicates the upper side in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and RH indicates the right side in the width direction of the vehicle. In the following description, the front, front side, and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the upper and lower sides in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the left and right sides in the width direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the front, front side, rear, upper, lower, left side, and right side, respectively. Furthermore, components having the same functions as those already described will be assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0010] The vehicle undercarriage includes a battery pack 11, a fan 21 for cooling the battery pack 11, and a floor carpet 31 laid between the center console 3 and the fan 21 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The floor carpet 31 has a vertical wall 32 that extends downward from a lower end 3A of the rear portion of the center console 3.

[0011] The battery pack 11 is disposed below the front seats 1 of the vehicle and above the floor panel 2 (see FIGS. 3A-3D). In the following description, the floor panel 2 includes components (such as cross members and a floor tunnel) that constitute the floor of the vehicle body. The space within the vehicle above the floor panel 2 is defined as the passenger compartment. The battery pack 11 extends in the vehicle width direction and may be disposed below a pair of left and right front seats 1 that are adjacent in the vehicle width direction.

[0012] The center console 3 is disposed between a pair of left and right front seats 1 in approximately the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 1). Note that the left front seat 1 is not shown in FIG. 1. A shift knob, an armrest, etc. may be disposed on the upper part of the center console 3. A console box may also be housed inside the center console 3.

[0013] The fan 21 that cools the battery pack 11 is disposed below the center console 3 and above the floor panel 2 (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the fan 21 is disposed behind the battery pack 11 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the fan 21 may be disposed behind a cross member 5 that extends in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 2). An exhaust duct 22 may be connected to the fan 21. The exhaust duct 22 extends rearward from the fan 21 and is disposed along the floor panel 2 (see FIG. 2), for example.

[0014] The floor carpet 31 is laid between the center console 3 and the fan 21 (see FIG. 2). The floor carpet 31 forms the floor surface of the vehicle interior and is laid on the floor panel 2 in an area excluding the seat rail installation area and a part of the center console 3. A mat (not shown) may be laid below or above the floor carpet 31.

[0015] The floor carpet 31 has a vertical wall 32. The vertical wall 32 extends downward from the lower end 3A of the rear portion of the center console 3. That is, the vertical wall 32 extends from the lower end 3A of the rear portion of the center console 3 to the outside of the center console 3 and is exposed inside the vehicle cabin (see FIGS. 1 and 2 ). In other words, the vertical wall 32 forms part of the floor surface of the vehicle cabin, and passengers in the rear seats 6 may be able to see the vertical wall 32 below the center console 3. The configuration of the floor carpet 31 is not limited to the above, as long as it is laid between the center console 3 and the fan 21 and extends downward from the lower end 3A of the rear portion of the center console 3. For example, the vertical wall 32 may extend downward from its base end (toward the lower end 3A of the rear portion of the center console 3) while sloping rearward. Alternatively, the vertical wall 32 may extend downward from the lower end 3A at the rear end of the center console 3.

[0016] A support member 41 may be provided above the fan 21 (see FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B). The support member 41 according to the embodiment includes a mounting surface 42, a plate 43, and legs 44 that secure the support member 41 to the floor panel 2. Note that the shape and arrangement of the support member 41 are not limited to those described above.

[0017] The mounting surface 42 according to the embodiment forms the upper surface of the support member 41 and has a generally rectangular flat plate shape in top view (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). An electrical component 4 to be disposed in the center console 3 can be placed on the upper surface of the mounting surface 42 (see FIGS. 2 and 3A). The electrical component 4 according to the embodiment is a DC-DC converter. Note that the electrical component 4 is not limited to the above and may be another electrical component. The legs 44 are composed of four legs extending downward from the mounting surface 42 and are fixed to the floor panel 2 or the cross member 5 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B).

[0018] The plate 43 may be provided between the vertical wall 32 and the fan 21 (see FIG. 2 ). For example, the weight of an occupant in the rear seat 6 may be input to the vertical wall 32. In this case, since the plate 43 is provided between the vertical wall 32 and the fan 21, the fan 21 is protected by the plate 43. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the fan 21 from being damaged by the weight of the occupant in the rear seat 6 being input to the fan 21. Furthermore, components such as a harness 51 and a connector 61 may be disposed between the vertical wall 32 and the fan 21. In this case, the plate 43 may be provided between the vertical wall 32 and components such as the harness 51 and the connector 61 to protect these components. Furthermore, the plate 43 may extend along the front side surface 32A of the vertical wall 32, and may be adjacent to or abut against the front side surface 32A, for example. Furthermore, there may be a gap between the plate 43 and the front side surface 32A.

[0019] The plate 43 may be formed to extend downward from the rear end of the mounting surface 42 (see FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B). That is, the plate 43 and the mounting surface 42 may be configured as an integrated part. In this case, the manufacturing costs of the member can be reduced compared to when the plate 43 is configured separately from the support member 41.

[0020] The plate 43 may extend downward from the rear end of the mounting surface 42 while sloping rearward (see FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B). That is, the lower end of the plate 43 may be located rearward of the upper end, which is the base end portion of the plate 43.

[0021] The plate 43 may be formed to extend in the vehicle width direction from the left end 32L, which is one end of the front side surface 32A of the vertical wall 32, to the right end 32R, which is the other end (see FIG. 1). That is, the plate 43 may extend in the vehicle width direction and be close to or abutting the left end 32L and the left end 32R. Furthermore, the entire surface of the plate 43 may be close to or abutting the front side surface 32A, or only a portion of the plate 43 may be close to or abutting the front side surface 32A.

[0022] A harness 51 may be routed between the floor panel 2 and the plate 43. In this embodiment, three harnesses 51 are used for driving the rear motor, the battery, communications, etc. These harnesses 51 extend rearward from below the center console 3 and the plate 43, for example, and are routed between the floor panel 2 and the floor carpet 31. In this case, a flange 43A extending rearward may be provided at the lower end of the plate 43.

[0023] A connector 61 to which the harness 51 is connected may be disposed below the center console 3. In this case, the lower end of the plate 43 may extend below the connector 61. That is, the connector 61 may be disposed between the upper end, which is the base end portion of the plate 43, and the lower end, which is the tip end portion of the plate 43, in the up-down direction. The harness 51 connected to the connector 61 may extend downward and rearward from the connector 61 and be routed between the floor panel 2 and the plate 43, for example.

[0024] 4 shows a modified example of the plate 43. The plate 43 may be provided between the vertical wall 32 and the fan 21 and have a notch 43B in the center in the vehicle width direction. This reduces the weight of the plate 43 while preventing damage to components disposed forward of the vertical wall 32 due to the input of the weight of an occupant in the rear seat 6.

[0025] (1) The vehicle undercarriage structure according to the embodiment includes a battery pack 11 provided below the front seat 1 of the vehicle and above the floor panel 2, a fan 21 provided below the center console 3 and above the floor panel 2 for cooling the battery pack 11, and a floor carpet 31 laid between the center console 3 and the fan 21 and having a vertical wall 32 extending downward from the lower end 3A of the rear of the center console 3 behind the fan 21.

[0026] That is, the vertical wall 32 is exposed from the lower end 3A of the rear portion of the center console 3 toward the passenger compartment, i.e., outside the center console 3. This makes it possible to ensure more space behind the fan 21 within the center console 3 than in a case where the vertical wall 32 of the floor carpet 31 does not extend downward. This makes it possible to position the fan 21 rearward within the center console 3. This makes it possible to prevent the height of the center console 3 from increasing compared to a configuration in which the vertical wall 32 of the floor carpet 31 does not extend downward.

[0027] (2) In the embodiment, a plate 43 for protecting the fan 21 is provided between the vertical wall 32 and the fan 21. With the above configuration, the plate 43 can prevent components disposed forward of the vertical wall 32 from being damaged by the load of an occupant in the rear seat 6. The plate 43 can also maintain the shape of the vertical wall 32 from the front side, preventing the shape of the vertical wall 32 from being deformed by being recessed forward.

[0028] (3) Furthermore, in the embodiment, the support member 41 is provided above the fan 21 and has a mounting surface 42 on which the electrical components 4 arranged in the center console 3 are placed, and the plate 43 is formed to extend downward from the rear end of the mounting surface 42. With the above configuration, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs for the component compared to when the plate 43 is provided separately from the support member 41.

[0029] (4) In the embodiment, the plate 43 extends from the rear end of the mounting surface 42 while inclining rearward. With this configuration, when a load is input to the side of the vehicle body and the plate 43 deforms, the plate 43 is urged to deform so that the lower end of the plate 43 is displaced rearward. Therefore, when the plate 43 deforms, components arranged below can be protected.

[0030] (5) Furthermore, in the embodiment, a harness 51 is provided between the floor panel 2 and the plate 43, and a flange 43A extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction is provided at the lower end of the plate 43. With the above configuration, even if a load is input to the side of the vehicle body, causing the plate 43 to deform and the harness 51 to be sandwiched between the deformed floor panel 2 and the plate 43, the flange 43A comes into planar contact with the harness 51, and therefore, the plate 43 can prevent the harness 51 from being broken.

[0031] (6) In the embodiment, the connector 61 is disposed under the center console 3 and is connected to the harness 51, and the lower end of the plate 43 extends below the connector 61. With the above configuration, when water enters the underside of the vehicle, the plate 43 allows the water to be drained below the connector 61, thereby preventing the connector 61 from shorting out.

[0032] (7) Furthermore, in the embodiment, the plate 43 is formed to extend in the vehicle width direction from one end 32L to the other end 32R of the front side surface 32A of the vertical wall 32. With the above configuration, the components disposed forward of the vertical wall 32 can be more reliably protected and the shape of the floor carpet 31 can be more suitably maintained from the front side.

[0033] (8) In the embodiment, the plate 43 may have a notch 43B in the center in the vehicle width direction. With the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the weight of the plate 43 while suppressing damage to components disposed forward of the vertical wall 32 due to the load of an occupant in the rear seat 6 being input thereto.

[0034] The above-described embodiments are merely examples described to facilitate understanding of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the specific technical matters disclosed in the above-described embodiments, but also includes various modifications, changes, alternative technologies, etc. that can be easily derived therefrom.

[0035] In the above embodiment, a DC-DC converter has been described as an example of the electrical component 4, but the present invention can of course be applied to cases where the electrical component 4 is a different electrical component such as an inverter.

[0036] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Front seat 2 Floor panel 3 Center console 3A Lower end 4 Electrical component 11 Battery pack 21 Fan 31 Floor carpet 32 ​​Vertical wall 32A Front side surface 32L One side end 32R Other side end 41 Support member 42 Placement surface 43 Plate 43A Flange 43B Notch 51 Harness 61 Connector

Claims

1. A vehicle undercarriage comprising: a battery pack located below the front seats of a vehicle and above a floor panel; a fan located below a center console and above the floor panel for cooling the battery pack; and a floor carpet laid between the center console and the fan, the floor carpet having a vertical wall extending downward from the lower end of the rear of the center console behind the fan.

2. The vehicle undercarriage according to claim 1, wherein a plate for protecting the fan is provided between the vertical wall and the fan.

3. A vehicle undercarriage structure as described in claim 2, further comprising a support member provided above the fan and having a mounting surface on which electrical components to be placed in the center console are placed, the plate being formed to extend downward from the rear end of the mounting surface.

4. The vehicle undercarriage structure according to claim 3, wherein the plate extends obliquely rearward from the rear end of the mounting surface.

5. A vehicle undercarriage structure as set forth in claim 3 or 4, further comprising a harness routed between the floor panel and the plate, and a flange extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle being provided at the lower end of the plate.

6. The vehicle undercarriage structure according to claim 3, further comprising a connector disposed below the center console to which a harness is connected, and the lower end of the plate extends below the connector.

7. A vehicle undercarriage structure according to claim 3, wherein the plate is formed to extend from one end to the other end of the front side surface of the vertical wall in the vehicle width direction.

8. The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 3, wherein the plate has a notch in the center in the vehicle width direction.

Images