Vehicle floor structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933916-B2
Application number	US-201916257320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2019
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle floor structure includes a floor tunnel arranged in a center of a vehicle interior in a vehicle width direction from a front end of the vehicle interior to a rear side, the floor tunnel projecting upwardly from a floor surface of the vehicle interior, a tunnel reinforcement that is a reinforcing member covering the floor tunnel, the tunnel reinforcement projecting upwardly from the floor surface of the vehicle interior and extending in a vehicle length direction, and a first floor crossmember extending in the vehicle width direction on the floor surface of the vehicle interior. An opening is formed in each of a pair of side walls of the tunnel reinforcement, the side walls facing each other in the vehicle width direction and the first floor crossmember is arranged so as to go across an inside of the tunnel reinforcement through the openings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle floor structure comprising:
a floor tunnel that is arranged in a center of a vehicle interior in a vehicle width direction from a front end of the vehicle interior to a rear side, the floor tunnel projecting upwardly from a floor surface of the vehicle interior;
a tunnel reinforcement that is a reinforcing member covering the floor tunnel, the tunnel reinforcement projecting upwardly from the floor surface of the vehicle interior and extending in a vehicle length direction; and
a first floor crossmember extending in the vehicle width direction on the floor surface of the vehicle interior, wherein:
an opening is formed in each of a pair of side walls of the tunnel reinforcement, the side walls facing each other in the vehicle width direction, and the openings passing through the side walls in the vehicle width direction; and
the first floor crossmember is arranged so as to go across an inside of the tunnel reinforcement through the openings.

2. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 1 , further comprising
a second floor crossmember that is provided on a rear side with respect to the first floor crossmember, and extends on the floor surface of the vehicle interior in the vehicle width direction, wherein
the second floor crossmember is arranged on the rear side with respect to a rear end of the tunnel reinforcement.

3. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 2 , wherein:
a rear end flange is formed in the rear end of the tunnel reinforcement, the rear end flange extending from the rear end to the rear side and being fastened to the second floor crossmember; and
a side flange is formed in a periphery of each of the openings of the tunnel reinforcement, the side flange being fastened to the first floor crossmember that passes through the openings.

4. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 3 , wherein:
the side flange of the tunnel reinforcement is fastened to the first floor crossmember by a bolt; and
the rear end flange of the tunnel reinforcement is fastened to the second floor crossmember by a bolt.

5. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first floor crossmember projects upwardly from the floor surface of the vehicle interior.

6. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first floor crossmember and the second floor crossmember project upwardly from the floor surface of the vehicle interior.

7. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 6 , wherein:
the tunnel reinforcement has a higher rigidity than the floor tunnel.

8. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the tunnel reinforcement has a higher rigidity than the floor tunnel.

9. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
each opening of the openings formed in the side walls of the tunnel reinforcement comprises
a front edge extending upwardly from a floor panel which defines the floor surface of the vehicle interior, and
a rear edge extending upwardly from the floor panel, and arranged rearward from the front edge in the vehicle length direction, and

the first floor crossmember extends upwardly from the floor panel, and is arranged, in the vehicle length direction, between the front edge and the rear edge of each opening of the openings.

10. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 9 , wherein:
the first floor crossmember comprises a front wall configured to, upon a frontal collision, come into contact with the front edge of each opening of the openings to restrain the tunnel reinforcement from moving rearward in the vehicle length direction.

11. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 10 , wherein:
each opening of the openings further comprises a top edge connecting the front edge and the rear edge of said each opening, and
the tunnel reinforcement further comprises a side flange extending in the vehicle width direction from the top edge of each opening of the openings, the side flange being fastened to an upper wall of the first floor crossmember that passes through said each opening underneath the top edge of said each opening.

12. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a second floor crossmember arranged rearward from the first floor crossmember in the vehicle length direction, the second floor crossmember extending upwardly from the floor panel and also extending in the vehicle width direction, wherein
the second floor crossmember is arranged rearward from a rear end of the tunnel reinforcement in the vehicle length direction, and
the second floor crossmember has a front wall configured to, upon the frontal collision, come into contact with the rear end of the tunnel reinforcement to restrain the tunnel reinforcement from moving rearward in the vehicle length direction.

13. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 12 , wherein:
the tunnel reinforcement further comprises an upper wall connecting the side walls of the tunnel reinforcement, and
the upper wall of the tunnel reinforcement comprises a rear end flange extending further rearward in the vehicle length direction beyond the front wall of the second floor crossmember, and being fastened to an upper wall of the second floor crossmember.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kasai Satoshi

Classifications

• B62D25/2027

  the subunits being rear structures · CPC title

• B62D25/2036

  the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars (B62D21/157 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D25/2045

  the subunits being fire walls · CPC title

• B62D27/065

  using screwthread (connection of crossbeam to A- pillars B62D25/147; mounting load bearing surfaces B62D21/09; securing mudguards B62D25/163; connections for synthetic parts B62D29/048) · CPC title

• B62D25/20 Primary

  Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)} · CPC title