Vehicle structure

Abstract

A vehicle structure in which a motor (3) functioning as an on-vehicle device is supported by a rear-suspension cross member (2), wherein the motor (3) functioning as the on-vehicle device is positioned between a front cross member (10) and a rear cross member (11) of the rear-suspension cross member (2), a rear seat (36) in the rearmost row is attached to the top of a floor panel (35), and a rear-end surface of the motor (3) is positioned to the rear of the attachment point of the rear seat (36) onto the floor panel (35).

Description

Vehicle Structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle structure in which an on-vehicle device such as a travel motor is supported on a rear suspension cross member.

[0002] Conventionally, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle structure including a rear suspension cross member in which front and rear cross members and left and right side members are connected in a frame shape, and a travel motor fixed between the front and rear cross members of the rear suspension cross member.

[0003] In the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1, a lower front floor cross member and a lower rear floor cross member are provided on a vehicle floor. A third-row seat is mounted on the floor to the lower front floor cross member and the lower rear floor cross member, respectively.

[0004] Japanese Patent No. 7339608

[0005] In the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1, when a load is applied to the rear cross member of the rear suspension cross member upon a rear-end collision, the rear cross member deforms forward. When the rear cross member deforms forward, the deformed rear cross member hits the travel motor, causing damage to the travel motor.

[0006] Further, in the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1, the mounting points of the third-row seat and the lower rear floor cross member with respect to the floor are located rearward of the travel motor. For this reason, when a load is applied to the lower rear floor cross member upon a rear-end collision, the impact of the collision is transmitted to the third-row seat before reaching the travel motor, and thus there is a demand for improving the safety for an occupant seated on the seat.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to protect an on-vehicle device such as a travel motor fixed to a rear suspension cross member and an occupant seated on a seat in the event of a rear-end collision.

[0008] To solve the above problems, this invention can be adopted with the following configurations 1 to 9. [Configuration 1] A vehicle structure comprising: a rear suspension cross member having a front cross member and a rear cross member, and a pair of side members connecting the front cross member and the rear cross member at intervals in the front-rear direction; an in-vehicle device disposed between the front cross member and the rear cross member; and a plurality of seats fixed on the floor, wherein the rear end surface of the in-vehicle device is located behind the mounting point of the rearmost rear seat among the plurality of seats to the floor.

[0009] [Configuration 2] The vehicle structure according to Configuration 1, wherein the rear end surface of the in-vehicle equipment is positioned between the mounting point of the rear seat to the floor and the rear cross member in the front-rear direction.

[0010] [Configuration 3] A vehicle structure according to Configuration 1 or Configuration 2, comprising a pair of lower arms attached to the rear suspension cross member in an outward direction in the vehicle width direction, and a rear wheel attached to the pair of lower arms, wherein the rear cross member is located behind the rear wheel.

[0011] [Configuration 4] The vehicle structure according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the rear cross member has a flat rear end surface, and the vertical cross-sectional shape of the rear end surface is a straight line extending in the vertical direction.

[0012] [Configuration 5] The vehicle structure according to Configuration 3, comprising a suspension member connecting the pair of lower arms, wherein the suspension member is located between the front cross member and the rear cross member in the front-rear direction, and the ends of the suspension member on both sides in the vehicle width direction are fixed to the pair of side members.

[0013] [Configuration 6] The vehicle structure according to Configuration 5, wherein the suspension member comprises a pair of first support members extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner end of the lower arm in the vehicle width direction, and a second support member that connects the pair of first support members and is separate from the first support members.

[0014] [Configuration 7] The vehicle structure according to Configuration 6, wherein the first support member has a larger width dimension in the front-rear direction than the second support member.

[0015] [Configuration 8] The vehicle structure according to configuration 6 or 7, wherein the second support member is formed in a straight line along the vehicle width direction.

[0016] [Configuration 9] The vehicle structure according to any one of Configurations 6 to 8, wherein the first support member and the second support member are connected by fastening bolts and nuts, and the bolts are arranged perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0017] According to this invention, in the event of a rear-end collision, the rear cross member of the rear suspension cross member receives the collision load before the onboard equipment, thus preventing the onboard equipment from being subjected to the collision load and protecting it. Furthermore, in the event of a rear-end collision, since the rear cross member receives the collision load before the onboard equipment, it is possible to prevent the rear seat mounting points from being subjected to the collision load and protect the occupants sitting in the rear seats.

[0018] A side view showing a vehicle structure according to an embodiment of this invention; a bottom view showing a vehicle structure according to an embodiment shown; a front view showing a vehicle structure according to an embodiment shown; a front view showing a vehicle structure to which the vehicle structure according to an embodiment shown is applied side view showing a vehicle structure according to an embodiment shown; a bottom view showing a vehicle structure according to an embodiment shown; a front view showing a vehicle structure to which the suspension member shown in Figure 3 is provided; and an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle structure to which the vehicle structure according to an embodiment shown is applied.

[0019] A vehicle structure according to an embodiment of this invention will be described based on the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, a vehicle 30 to which the vehicle structure 1 is applied includes a rear suspension cross member 2 attached to the lower surface of a pair of rear side members 31, a motor 3 as an on-board device supported by the rear suspension cross member 2, a battery 4 positioned in front of the motor 3, front wheels 32, rear wheels 33 driven by the motor 3, a plurality of floor cross members 34 positioned at intervals in the front-rear direction between the upper surfaces of the pair of rear side members 31, a floor panel 35 supported by the plurality of floor cross members 34, and a rear seat 36 fixed to the floor panel 35. In the following, the vertical direction, front-rear direction, and vehicle width direction are based on a vehicle parked on level ground.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rear suspension cross member 2 is attached to the lower surface of a pair of rear side members 31. The rear suspension cross member 2 is a frame-shaped member. A pair of lower arms 13 are attached to the rear suspension cross member 2 in an outward direction in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] The rear suspension cross member 2 comprises a front cross member 10, a rear cross member 11, and a pair of left and right side members 12. The front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 11 are members that extend in the vehicle width direction with a distance between them in the front-rear direction. The front cross member 10 is a strip-shaped member with the front-rear direction being the thickness direction. Ends 10a are formed on both sides of the front cross member 10 in the vehicle width direction. The ends 10a extend outward in the vehicle width direction from the upper part of the front cross member 10. The ends 10a are formed in a plate shape with the vertical direction being the thickness direction. The ends 10a are attached to the lower surfaces of a pair of rear side members 31. Two support holes 10b are provided at a distance from the center portion in the vehicle width direction of the front cross member 10, extending outward in the vehicle width direction. The support holes 10b support the front side of the motor 3 while holding the mount portion 3b of the motor 3, which will be described later, inside. The rear cross member 11 has a flat rear end surface 11a. The cross-sectional shape of the rear end surface 11a in the vertical direction is a straight line extending in the vertical direction.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, of the pair of left and right side members 12, the left-side side member 12 is composed of an upper side member 14 and a lower side member 15. The upper side member 14 is a member that extends in the front-rear direction. The upper side member 14 has a curved portion 14a that curves upward at a position closer to the front. The front end of the upper side member 14 is fixed to the front cross member 10. The rear end of the upper side member 14 is fixed to the rear cross member 11. The rear end of the upper side member 14 is provided with an end face portion 14b that extends downward. The end face portion 14b is plate-shaped, and its surface faces in the front-rear direction. The upper end of the end face portion 14b is fixed to the lower surface of the rear cross member 11.

[0023] The lower side member 15 has a first side member 15a and a second side member 15b that extend in the front-rear direction. The first side member 15a is located at the front, and the second side member 15b is located at the rear. The front end of the first side member 15a is fixed to the front cross member 10. The rear end of the first side member 15a is fixed to the first support member 18 of the suspension member 17, which will be described later. The rear end of the second side member 15b is fixed to the end face portion 14b of the upper side member 14. The front end of the second side member 15b is fixed to the first support member 18. The first support member 18 is fixed between the first side member 15a and the second side member 15b.

[0024] A plate 16 is fixed between the upper side member 14 and the second side member 15b in the vertical direction. A bearing portion 16a is provided behind the plate 16. The bearing portion 16a rotatably supports a rotating shaft 16b that extends in the vehicle width direction. The upper side member 14 and the lower side member 15 connect the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 11 with a gap in the front-rear direction. Of the pair of left and right side members 12, the right-side side member 12 has the same structure as the left-side side member 12, so it is given the same reference numeral as the left-side side member 12 and its description is omitted.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a suspension member 17 is positioned between the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 11 in the front-rear direction. The suspension member 17 has a pair of left and right first support members 18 and a second support member 19 that connects the pair of left and right first support members 18. The first support members 18 have a plate-shaped fixing portion 18a and a plate-shaped connecting portion 18b. The upper end of the fixing portion 18a is fixed to the lower surface of the upper side member 14. The front-rear inner ends of the first side member 15a and the second side member 15b of the lower side member 15 are inserted into the lower part of the fixing portion 18a. As shown in Figure 3, the connecting portion 18b extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the fixing portion 18a. As shown in Figure 1, the connecting portion 18b curves rearward as it extends inward in the vehicle width direction. Two connecting pieces 18c are provided at the inner end of the connecting portion 18b in the vehicle width direction. In a pair of left and right first support members 18, a second support member 19 is positioned between the two connecting pieces 18c of each. The first support member 18 has a larger width dimension in the front-rear direction compared to the second support member 19.

[0026] A recess 18d is provided extending from the lower end of the fixing portion 18a to the outer end of the connecting portion 18b in the vehicle width direction. A shaft body 18e extending in the front-rear direction is fixed to the recess 18d on the connecting portion 18b side.

[0027] The second support member 19 is a strip-shaped member separate from the first support member 18. A curved portion 19a that curves upward is provided in the central part of the second support member 19 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figure 1, the curved portion 19a and the recess 3c of the motor 3, which will be described later, are arranged along the front-rear direction. Both ends of the second support member 19 in the vehicle width direction are connected between the two connecting pieces 18c of the left and right first support members 18 by fastening bolts 17a and nuts 17b. The bolts 17a are arranged in the front-rear direction, which is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0028] Motor 3 is equipped with a reduction gear. As shown in Figure 2, the rear of motor 3 is inclined upward as it approaches the rear. Mount brackets 3a are fixed to the rear of both ends of motor 3 in the vehicle width direction. The rear end of the mount bracket 3a and the bearing portion 16a of plate 16 are connected via a rotating shaft 16b. At its rear end, motor 3 is capable of swinging vertically around the rotating shaft 16b as the center of rotation.

[0029] Two mounting portions 3b are attached to the front end of the motor 3, spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. An annular elastic member is attached to the outer circumference of each mounting portion 3b. This elastic member is fitted into the support hole portion 10b of the front cross member 10. This fitting fixes the front end of the motor 3 to the support hole portion 10b of the front cross member 10 via the mounting portions 3b. As shown in Figure 3, on the lower surface of the front portion of the motor 3, a recess 3c is formed in the center of the vehicle width direction, recessed upward along the front-rear direction.

[0030] The battery 4 is positioned in front of the motor 3. The battery 4 supplies power to the motor 3. The rear wheels 33 are connected to the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the left and right integrated lower arms 13. The shaft 18e of the first support member 18 is connected to the inner end of the lower arm 13 in the vehicle width direction. The lower arm 13 is capable of swinging vertically around the shaft 18e.

[0031] The floor panel 35 constitutes the floor of the vehicle 30. The floor panel 35 is supported by a plurality of floor cross members 34 that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The plurality of floor cross members 34 have a front floor cross member 34a and a rear floor cross member 34b. The front floor cross member 34a is located above the front cross member 10. The rear floor cross member 34b is located above the rear cross member 11.

[0032] The rear floor cross member 34b has a flat rear end surface 34c. The vertical cross-sectional shape of the rear end surface 34c is a straight line extending in the vertical direction. The rear end surface 34c is positioned so as to overlap with the front-rear region of the rear cross member 11 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, it is preferable that, in a side view, the front-rear positions of the rear end surface 34c of the rear floor cross member 34b and the rear end surface 11a of the rear cross member 11 coincide (they are located on the same plane A).

[0033] The front seat rail 35a and the rear seat rail 35b are attached to the upper surface of the floor panel 35. The front seat rail 35a and the rear seat rail 35b are members that extend in the vehicle width direction with a gap between them in the front-rear direction. The front seat rail 35a is attached to the front floor cross member 34a by fastening with bolts and nuts. The rear seat rail 35b is attached to the floor panel 35 by a first fastener 37 consisting of bolts and nuts.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, the rear seat 36 is the last row of seats arranged at the rearmost position among the seats provided on the floor panel 35 of the vehicle 30. As shown in Figure 1, the rear seat 36 has a front leg portion 36a and a rear leg portion 36b. The front leg portion 36a is attached to the front seat rail 35a. The rear leg portion 36b is attached to the rear seat rail 35b by a second fastener 38 consisting of a bolt and nut.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the rear end surface of the motor 3 is located behind the mounting point of the rear seat 36 to the floor panel 35. Here, the mounting point of the rear seat 36 to the floor panel 35 refers to the mounting point located further back than the mounting point where the rear seat rail 35b is attached to the floor panel 35 by the first fastener 37 (first mounting point) and the mounting point where the rear leg portion 36b is attached to the rear seat rail 35b by the second fastener 38 (second mounting point). In this embodiment, it is the first mounting point. Furthermore, the rear end surface of the motor 3 is located between the mounting point of the rear seat 36 to the floor panel 35 and the rear cross member 11 in the front-rear direction.

[0036] An EV component 39 is installed below the rear seat 36, on the floor panel 35. The EV component 39 houses power equipment such as a motor, AC inverter, DC-DC converter, and onboard charger. The EV component 39 is located in front of the rear leg portion 36b of the rear seat 36.

[0037] The vehicle structure 1 according to this embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above. In this vehicle structure 1, the rear end surface of the motor 3 is located behind the mounting point of the rear seat 36 to the floor panel 35. The motor 3 is also positioned between the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 11.

[0038] In this vehicle structure 1, for example, if the vehicle 30 is hit from the rear, the rear cross member 11 of the rear suspension cross member receives the collision load before the motor 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the collision load from being applied to the motor 3. Also, since the rear cross member 11 receives the collision load, it is possible to prevent the collision load from being applied to the first mounting point. Thus, the motor 3 and the occupants sitting in the rear seat 36 can be protected.

[0039] In vehicle structure 1, the rear end surface of the motor 3 is positioned between the mounting point of the rear seat 36 to the floor panel 35 and the rear cross member 11 in the longitudinal direction. In this configuration, for example, if the vehicle 30 is subjected to a larger collision from the rear, the collision load is first absorbed by the rear cross member 11, and then by the rear end surface of the motor 3. This ensures that the collision load is not applied to the first mounting point, thereby improving the safety of occupants sitting in the rear seat 36.

[0040] Furthermore, in vehicle structure 1, the rear cross member 11 is located behind the rear wheels 33. In this positional relationship, if a collision occurs from the rear, the rear cross member 11 will be the first to receive the collision load.

[0041] Furthermore, the rear cross member 11 has a flat rear end surface 11a. The vertical cross-sectional shape of the rear end surface is a straight line extending in the vertical direction. Therefore, it can reliably receive collision loads from the rear on a flat surface. Also, in a side view, the rear end surface 34c of the rear floor cross member 34b and the rear end surface 11a of the rear cross member 11 are positioned to coincide in the front-rear direction (located on the same plane A). Therefore, collisions from the rear can be received simultaneously by the rear end surface 34c of the rear floor cross member 34b and the rear end surface 11a of the rear cross member 11, distributing the collision load in two directions.

[0042] In the vehicle structure 1, a suspension member 17 is provided between the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 11 of the rear suspension cross member 2 in the longitudinal direction. This suspension member 17 connects to a pair of lower arms 13. The suspension member 17 also comprises a pair of first support members 18 and a second support member 19 that is separate from the first support members 18 and connects the pair of first support members 18 to each other. The fixing portion 18a of the first support members 18 is fixed to the upper side member 14 and the lower side member 15 of the rear suspension cross member 2.

[0043] In this vehicle structure 1, for example, if the rear wheel 33 is struck from the side in the vehicle width direction, an inward collision load in the vehicle width direction is applied from the rear wheel 33 to the lower arm 13. This collision load applied to the lower arm 13 is transmitted to the first support member 18 of the suspension member 17. The impact load transmitted to the first support member 18 is shared and received by the upper side member 14 and the lower side member 15 on both sides in the vehicle width direction via the fixing portion 18a of the pair of first support members 18. As a result, inward deformation of the upper side member 14 and the lower side member 15 in the vehicle width direction can be suppressed, and the motor 3, which is an on-board device supported by the rear suspension cross member 2, can be protected.

[0044] Furthermore, in this vehicle structure 1, the first support member 18 of the suspension member is provided with a larger width dimension in the front-rear direction relative to the second support member 19. The collision load applied to the aforementioned lower arm 13 can be reliably received by the first support member 18, which has a larger width dimension in the front-rear direction than the second support member 19. Additionally, the first support member 18 having such a large width dimension in the front-rear direction is fixed to the upper side members 14 and lower side members 15 on both sides in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the collision load can be received in a larger region in the front-rear direction of the upper side members 14 and lower side members 15 via the first support member 18. Also in this case, deformation of the upper side members 14 and lower side members 15 inward in the vehicle width direction can be suppressed.

[0045] In this vehicle structure 1, a recess 3c that is recessed upward across the front-rear direction is provided on the lower surface on the front side of the motor 3, which is an on-vehicle device. When the vehicle 30 is a hybrid vehicle (HV) including the motor 3 and an engine (not shown) as driving sources for traveling, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) in which a mounted secondary battery can be charged from an external charging facility and power can be supplied from the secondary battery to the outside, as shown in Fig. 3, the exhaust pipe P of the engine can be disposed in the recess 3c on the lower surface of the motor 3. This disposition makes it possible to lower the position of the motor 3 supported by the rear suspension cross member 2. As a result, both lowering the position of the floor panel 35 and securing the minimum height of the motor 3 from the ground can be achieved.

[0046] Furthermore, the second support member 19 of the suspension member 17 has a curved portion 19a that protrudes upward. The curved portion 19a of the second support member 19 and the recess 3c of the motor 3 are disposed along the front-rear direction. This allows the aforementioned exhaust pipe P of the engine to be disposed within the curved portion 19a of the second support member 19, and prevents the second support member 19 from interfering with the exhaust pipe P.

[0047] In the vehicle structure 1, both ends of a second support member 19 in the vehicle width direction are connected between two connecting pieces 18c of a pair of left and right first support members 18 by fastening a bolt 17a and a nut 17b. The bolt 17a is arranged in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Therefore, when the vehicle 30 is traveling, the rigidity of the suspension member 17 achieved by the fastening of the bolt 17a and the nut 17b can be ensured against vertical vibration of the vehicle 30.

[0048] Further, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the description has been given by taking as an example a configuration in which the second support member 19 of the suspension member 17 has a curved portion 19a protruding upward. However, as shown in FIG. 4, a configuration in which the second support member 19 of the suspension member 17 is formed linearly along the vehicle width direction may also be adopted. This configuration can be adopted for an electric vehicle (BEV) in which the vehicle 30 includes only the motor 3 as a driving source for traveling and does not include the exhaust pipe P shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] In this embodiment, the configuration of the present invention has been described assuming a hybrid vehicle (HV) including a motor 3 and an engine as a driving source for traveling, particularly a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) in which a mounted secondary battery can be charged from an external charging facility and can supply power from the secondary battery to the outside. However, the present invention can also be applied to an electric vehicle (electric vehicle (EV)) including only the motor 3 as a driving source for traveling.

[0050] 1 Vehicle structure 2 Rear suspension cross member 3 Motor 3a Mount bracket 3b Mount part 3c Recess 4 Battery 10 Front cross member 11 Rear cross member 11a Rear end face 12 Side member 13 Lower arm 14 Upper side member 15 Lower side member 15a First side member 15b Second side member 16 Plate 17 Suspension member 17a Bolt 17b Nut 18 First support member 18a Fixing part 18b Connecting part 18c Connecting piece part 18d Recess 18e Shaft 19 Second support member 19a Curved part 30 Vehicle 31 Rear side member 32 Front wheel 33 Rear wheel 34 Floor cross member 34a Front floor cross member 34b Rear floor cross member 34c Rear end face 35 Floor panel 35a Front seat rail 35b Rear seat rail 36 Rear seat 37 First fastener 38 Second fastener 39 EV component A Flat surface P Exhaust pipe

Claims

1. A vehicle structure comprising: a rear suspension cross member having a front cross member and a rear cross member, and a pair of side members connecting the front cross member and the rear cross member at intervals in the front-rear direction; on-board equipment disposed between the front cross member and the rear cross member; and a plurality of seats fixed to the floor, wherein the rear end surface of the on-board equipment is located behind the mounting point of the rearmost seat among the plurality of seats to the floor.

2. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the rear end surface of the in-vehicle equipment is positioned between the mounting point of the rear seat to the floor and the rear cross member in the longitudinal direction.

3. The vehicle structure according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a pair of lower arms attached to the rear suspension cross member in an outward direction in the vehicle width direction, and a rear wheel attached to the pair of lower arms, wherein the rear cross member is located behind the rear wheel.

4. The vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rear cross member has a flat rear end surface, and the vertical cross-sectional shape of the rear end surface is a straight line extending in the vertical direction.

5. The vehicle structure according to claim 3, comprising a suspension member connecting the pair of lower arms, wherein the suspension member is located between the front cross member and the rear cross member in the longitudinal direction, and the ends of the suspension member on both sides in the vehicle width direction are fixed to the pair of side members.

6. The vehicle structure according to claim 5, wherein the suspension member comprises a pair of first support members extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner end of the lower arm in the vehicle width direction, and a second support member that connects the pair of first support members and is separate from the first support members.

7. The vehicle structure according to claim 6, wherein the first support member has a larger width dimension in the front-rear direction than the second support member.

8. The vehicle structure according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the second support member is formed in a straight line along the vehicle width direction.

9. The vehicle structure according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the first support member and the second support member are connected by fastening bolts and nuts, and the bolts are arranged perpendicular to the vertical direction.

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