EV Body Center Frame Layout for Cabin Deformation Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle-body structures without a floor tunnel face challenges in suppressing deformation of the vehicle cabin during impact loads from the front-rear direction, as they lack the structural elements to effectively disperse and absorb such loads.
Innovation Solution
The electric-vehicle-body structure incorporates a center frame and battery frame elements that overlap in a plan view, with motor support frames and cross members, to disperse impact loads across multiple points in the up-down direction, enhancing cabin deformation suppression by distributing the force across the center frame, battery frame, and motor support frames.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a floor tunnel structure is removed to simplify the vehicle body structure, then the space utilization is improved, but the ability to suppress cabin deformation during impact loads deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a conventional floor tunnel structure (horizontal dimension) to a vertical frame structure. The center frame and battery frame elements are arranged in the up-down direction, creating a three-dimensional load distribution system that suppresses cabin deformation during impact loads while maintaining space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle body structure is segmented into multiple independent frame elements: center frame, battery frame elements, and motor support frames. These segmented elements are strategically positioned at different heights and locations to collectively absorb and disperse impact loads, replacing the monolithic floor tunnel structure.
2Strength
If frame elements are positioned at multiple heights to disperse impact loads, then the cabin deformation suppression is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery frame elements serve dual functions: they provide structural support for cabin deformation suppression and simultaneously serve as mounting structures for the battery unit. The center frame and motor support frames also fulfill multiple roles including load bearing, component mounting, and structural reinforcement, reducing the need for separate dedicated components.
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To suppress deformation of a vehicle cabin due to an impact load in a vehicle front-rear direction with a vehicle-body structure including no floor tunnel largely bulging upward from a floor panel. [Means for Solution] An electric-vehicle-body structure A includes a floor panel 41 constituting a floor of an occupant space R1, and a center frame 80 disposed to be higher than and away from the floor panel 41 at a vehicle-width-direction central portion of the occupant space R1 and extending in a front-rear direction. A battery unit Y includes battery frames 16 to 19 disposed at a lower position than the floor panel 41 and extending in the front-rear direction. Such a positional relation is achieved in which the battery frames 16 to 19 and the center frame 80 overlap each other in a plan view.