Floor structure with controlled deformation

Abstract

The invention relates to a floor structure (1) for a motor vehicle body (2), having a first zone (5) designed to be arranged facing a rear side member (6) when the floor structure (1) is mounted on the vehicle body (2), the floor structure (1) having a second zone (7) designed to be arranged facing a reinforcement of the transmission tunnel of the vehicle when the structure (1) is mounted on the body (2), the structure (1) having a plurality of holes (8) passing through the structure (1) and arranged in at least one of the first zone (5) and second zone (7), each hole (8) being sized to modify the diffusion of the deformation forces in the structure (1) in the event of a side impact experienced by the body (2) equipped with the structure (1). The invention also relates to a body (2) having such a floor structure (1).

Description

Description Title of the invention: Controlled deformation floor structure.

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2406593 filed on June 20, 2024, the content of which (text, drawings, and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The technical field relates to floor structures for motor vehicle bodies, vehicle bodies comprising such a floor structure, and finally, motor vehicles having such a body.

[0002] To ensure passenger safety, vehicles undergo various standardized crash simulation procedures involving impacts against a rigid obstacle. These standardized procedures are described, for example, by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is responsible for road safety and vehicle regulations, or by the international organization Euro NCAP.

[0003] One of these procedures involves simulating an impact against a rigid pole, striking the vehicle on the side, at the level of the passenger doors. This is called a side impact against a pole or simply a side impact. In a side impact, the deformations experienced by the vehicle are carefully studied to minimize the pole's intrusion into the protected space around the passengers.

[0004] In this context, many motor vehicles are equipped with battery packs located under the floor. Thus, some so-called micro-hybrid vehicles have battery modules occupying a limited area under the floor, generally located on the left side for left-hand drive vehicles, resulting in an asymmetry between the left and right sides of the floor. This asymmetry creates a stiffness imbalance between the left and right sides of the vehicle, and this imbalance is particularly detrimental to the vehicle's handling in the event of a side impact. Indeed, in a side impact against a pole, the stiffer left side causes significant forces to be transferred to the right side of the floor, resulting in localized deformations on the right side. These localized deformations then create a high risk of the floor tearing.However, a tear in the floor in the event of a side impact means a behavior that would disqualify the vehicle from being approved.

[0005] Thus, there is a need for a solution to improve the behavior of such a micro-hybrid vehicle in the event of a side impact and in particular a solution to prevent tears in the floor.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide a floor structure whose behavior in the event of a lateral impact guarantees the absence of tearing.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to a floor structure for a motor vehicle body, having a first zone designed to be positioned opposite a rear stretcher when the floor structure is mounted on the vehicle body, the floor structure having a second zone designed to be positioned opposite a transmission tunnel reinforcement of the vehicle when the structure is mounted on the body, the structure having a plurality of holes through the structure and provided in at least one of the first and second zones, each hole being dimensioned to modify the diffusion of deformation forces in the structure in the event of a lateral impact suffered by the body equipped with the structure.

[0008] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle body comprising at least one floor structure according to the invention, the first zone being located opposite a rear stretcher of the body and the second zone being located opposite a transmission tunnel reinforcement.

[0009] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one vehicle body according to the invention.

[0010] Thus, the floor structure according to the invention makes it possible to form a body according to the invention that exhibits suitable behavior in the event of a lateral impact: Experience shows that the perforations modify the distribution of deformation forces within the structure in the event of a lateral impact sustained by the body equipped with the structure, and prevent tearing. Drilling the perforations in the first and / or second zones limits the weakening of the floor structure since each of the first and second zones is located opposite a structural part of the body, such as the rear frame and the tunnel reinforcement.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the floor structure has a longitudinal median axis, with the first and second zones located on the same side. of the longitudinal median axis. The floor structure according to the invention exhibits particularly suitable behavior when it has an asymmetry around the longitudinal median axis.

[0012] According to one possibility, the floor structure includes a battery module implantation area located on the side of the longitudinal median axis opposite to the side of the first and second areas.

[0013] According to one embodiment, each of the first and second zones comprises a plurality of perforations.

[0014] According to one embodiment, several drillings in at least one of the first and second zones form at least one alignment of drillings.

[0015] Advantageously, the drilling is spaced from other drillings by a distance at least equal to three times its radius.

[0016] According to one possibility of the casing, when the structure has a longitudinal median axis, the first and second zones being located on the same side of the longitudinal median axis and when the structure has a battery module implantation zone located on the side of the longitudinal median axis opposite to the first and second zones, the casing has a battery module disposed in the implantation zone of the structure.

[0017] The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description that follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the attached drawing in which:

[0018] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 represents a partial top view of a vehicle body according to the invention showing a floor structure according to the invention.

[0019] A floor structure 1 according to the invention, illustrated in Figure 1, is designed to equip a motor vehicle body 2, partially shown in Figure 1. The structure 1 according to the invention is particularly suitable for hybrid vehicles, especially mild hybrids. In the example illustrated in the figure, the body 2 has a longitudinal median axis AA and a mounting area 3 for a battery module 4, partially visible in the figure. The mounting area 3 is entirely located on one side of the longitudinal median axis. The structure 1 is, for example, made by assembling stamped sheet metal.

[0020] The floor structure 1 according to the invention has a first zone 5, delimited by a rectangle in Figure 1, designed to be arranged opposite of a rear stretcher 6, partially shown by transparency in the figure, when the floor structure 1 is mounted on the vehicle body 2. One of the faces of the structure 1 located in the first zone 5 is thus fixed to the rear stretcher 6.

[0021] The floor structure 1 also has a second zone 7, also delimited by a rectangle in the figure, designed to be positioned opposite a vehicle transmission tunnel reinforcement when structure 1 is mounted on body 2.

[0022] In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, the first 5 and second 7 zones are located on the same side of the longitudinal median axis AA. The implantation zone 3 is then located on the opposite side of the longitudinal median axis AA to the side of the first 5 and second 7 zones.

[0023] Structure 1 has a plurality of holes 8 passing through it and located in at least one of the first 5 and second 7 zones. Each hole 8 is sized to modify the distribution of deformation forces in structure 1 in the event of a lateral impact on the body 2 equipped with structure 1. For example, each hole 8 has a diameter of 18 mm.

[0024] In the illustrated example, each of the first 5 and second 7 zones has a plurality of holes 8. In this case, several holes 8, in each of the first 5 and second 7 zones, form alignments 9. As illustrated in the figure, each of the first 5 and second 7 zones has 9 holes 8.

[0025] As illustrated in the figure, each hole 8 is spaced from the other holes 8 by a distance at least equal to three times its radius, in this case at least 30 mm. Such spacing prevents weakening the floor structure 1.

[0026] Thus, the floor structure 1 allows the formation of a box 2 which exhibits adequate behavior in the event of a lateral impact: Experience shows that the holes 8 allow the diffusion of deformation forces to be modified in the structure 1 in the event of a lateral impact suffered by the box 2 equipped with the structure by significantly reducing plastic deformation, particularly in areas where tears are usually encountered on conventional floors.

[0027] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the floor structure described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments may be devised by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. Floor structure (1) for a motor vehicle body (2), having a first zone (5) designed to be positioned opposite a rear frame (6) when the floor structure (1) is mounted on the vehicle body (2), the floor structure (1) having a second zone (7) designed to be positioned opposite a transmission tunnel reinforcement of the vehicle when the structure (1) is mounted on the body (2), the structure (1) being characterized in that it has a plurality of holes (8) passing through the structure (1) and provided in at least one of the first (5) and second (7) zones, each hole (8) being dimensioned to modify the diffusion of deformation forces in the structure (1) in the event of a lateral impact suffered by the body (2) equipped with the structure (1), several holes (8) in at least one of the first (5) and second (7) zones forming at least one alignment (9) of holes (8),each hole (8) being spaced from the other holes (8) by a distance at least equal to three times its radius.

2. Floor structure (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure (1) has a longitudinal median axis (AA), the first (5) and second (7) zones being located on the same side of the longitudinal median axis (AA).

3. Floor structure (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises an implantation zone (3) of a battery module (4) located on the side of the longitudinal median axis (AA) opposite to the side of the first (5) and second (7) zones.

4. Floor structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each of the first (5) and second (7) zones comprises a plurality of holes (8).

5. Motor vehicle body (2) comprising at least one floor structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the first zone (5) being located opposite a rear stretcher (6) of the body (2) and the second zone (7) being located opposite a transmission tunnel reinforcement.

6. Vehicle body (2) according to claim 5, in combination with claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a battery module (4) disposed in the implantation area (3) of the structure (1).

7. Motor vehicle having at least one vehicle body (2) according to claim 5 or 6.

8. Motor vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that it has a hybrid engine.

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