Vehicle lower portion structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850775-B2
Application number	US-201816191983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2018
Priority date	Nov 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

In a vehicle lower portion structure, a plurality of cross members are suspended along a vehicle width direction between a pair of side rails. Further, an oil pan guard is suspended along a longitudinal direction between a No. 2 cross member and a No. 3 cross member to protect an oil pan of a transmission from below. When a vehicle collides on its front, engagement between the oil pan guard and the cross member is released, to thereby prevent a decrease in the amount of collision energy to be absorbed by the pair of side rails.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle lower portion structure, comprising:
a pair of right and left side members that are extended along a vehicle longitudinal direction on both sides of a vehicle width direction of a vehicle, and constitute a part of a vehicle body;
a first cross member that is suspended between the pair of side members along the vehicle width direction;
a second cross member that is suspended between the pair of side members along the vehicle width direction, and arranged rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the first cross member so as to be spaced from the first cross member in the vehicle longitudinal direction;
an on-board component that is mounted on the vehicle body in a lower portion of the vehicle; and
a guard member that is disposed downward, in a vehicle vertical direction, of the on-board component, wherein
the guard member includes a brace member that is suspended between the first cross member and the second cross member along the vehicle longitudinal direction and fastened to at least one of the first cross member and the second cross member by a bolt, the brace member having an insertion hole through which the bolt is inserted,
the insertion hole is formed in a shape of an elongated hole including a passable portion that is extended from a fastening position where the bolt inserted through the insertion hole is tightened to fasten the brace member, toward a center region, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of the brace member, and
the insertion hole includes, in a region from the fastening position to the passable portion, a tied-up section in which a size of the insertion hole in the vehicle width direction is not increased.

2. The vehicle lower portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion hole includes a wider width section in which the size of the insertion hole in the vehicle width direction is defined to be greater than that in the fastening position, so as not to limit relative vertical movement of the bolt in the passable portion.

3. The vehicle lower portion structure according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first cross member comprises;
a bottom surface that faces downward in the vehicle vertical direction, and
a rear surface that is joined to the bottom surface via a first joint portion and arranged on a rear portion of the first cross member so as to face rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and
the brace member comprises;
a first bottom portion that is formed substantially in parallel with the bottom surface of the first cross member so as to face the bottom surface, the first bottom portion in which the insertion hole is defined, and
a first sloped wall portion that is formed in a rear portion of the first bottom portion so as to be raised above toward a rear region, and located rearward, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of the first joint portion in the first cross member.

4. The vehicle lower portion structure according to claim 2 , wherein:
the second cross member comprises;
a bottom surface that faces downward in the vehicle vertical direction, and
a front surface that is joined to the bottom surface via a second joint portion and arranged on a front portion of the second cross member so as to face forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction; and
the brace member comprises;
a second bottom portion that is formed substantially in parallel with the bottom surface of the second cross member so as to face the bottom surface, the second bottom portion in which the insertion hole is defined, and
a second sloped wall portion that is formed in a front portion of the second bottom portion so as to be raised above toward a front region, and located forward, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of the second joint portion in the second cross member.

5. The vehicle lower portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion hole includes a wider width section in which a size of the insertion hole in the vehicle width direction is defined to be greater than that in the fastening position, so as not to limit relative vertical movement of the bolt in the passable portion.

6. The vehicle lower portion structure according to claim 5 , wherein:
the first cross member comprises;
a bottom surface that faces downward in the vehicle vertical direction, and
a rear surface that is joined to the bottom surface via a first joint portion and arranged on a rear portion of the first cross member so as to face rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and
the brace member comprises;
a first bottom portion that is formed substantially in parallel with the bottom surface of the first cross member so as to face the bottom surface, the first bottom portion in which the insertion hole is defined, and
a first sloped wall portion that is formed in a rear portion of the first bottom portion so as to be raised above toward a rear region, and located rearward, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of the first joint portion in the first cross member.

7. The vehicle lower portion structure according to claim 5 , wherein:
the second cross member comprises;
a bottom surface that faces downward in the vehicle vertical direction, and
a font surface that is joined to the bottom surface via a second joint portion and arranged on a front portion of the second cross member so as to face forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction; and
the brace member comprises;
a second bottom portion that is formed substantially in parallel with the bottom surface of the second cross member so as to face the bottom surface, the second bottom portion in which the insertion hole is defined, and
a second sloped wall portion that is formed in a front portion of the second bottom portion so as to be raised above toward a front region, and located forward, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of the second joint portion in the second cross member.

8. The vehicle lower portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the pair of side members comprises a first curved portion which is curved so as to cause a rear portion of the each of the pair of side members to be outwardly displaced from a front portion thereof, and a second curved portion which is arranged rearward of the first curved portion and curved so as to align the each of the pair of side members with the vehicle longitudinal direction, and
the first curved portion and the second curved portion are formed on a site situated, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, between a location where the first cross member is suspended and a location where the second cross member is suspended on the each of the pair of side members.

9. The vehicle lower portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the brace member has a region having a closed shape in cross section taken along a direction perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal direction, and comprises a pair of brace members that are arranged so as to be spaced from each other in the vehicle width direction; and
the guard member further comprises a plate shaped member suspended between the pair of brace members.

10. A vehicle lower portion structure, comprising:
a pair of right and left side members that are extended along a vehicle longitudinal direction on both sides of a vehicle width direction of a vehicle, and constitute a part of a vehicle body;
a first cross member that is suspended between the pair of side members along a vehicle width direction;
a second cross member that is suspended between the pair of side members along the vehicle width direction, and arranged rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the first cross member so as to be spaced from the first cross member in the vehic

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Makoto
• Shirotori Kotaro
• Watanabe Shota

Classifications

• B62D21/05 Primary

  pinched frame type, i.e. formed of at least two longitudinal frame sections connected by other longitudinal frame sections of lesser transverse dimension · CPC title

• B62D25/2072

  Floor protection, e.g. from corrosion or scratching (floor mats B60N3/04, armour F41H7/042, insulation B60R13/08, streamlining B62D35/02) · CPC title

• B62D21/15

  having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body (bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F) · CPC title

• B62D21/03

  transverse members providing body support · CPC title

• F01M2011/0008

  with means for reducing vibrations · CPC title