Vehicle floor structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11760250-B2
Application number	US-202217580201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2022
Priority date	Feb 24, 2021
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle floor structure includes a floor member having an opening and a floor panel covering the opening. The floor panel is configured by sequentially arranging and integrating a plurality of kinds of unit panels in a lateral direction of the unit panels, the unit panels having rectangular shapes as viewed from above a vehicle. Two end sides of the floor panel extending along a direction in which the unit panels are arranged (x direction) and one side of at least one of two unit panels arranged at opposite ends of the floor panel are supported by support portions of a floor member. A unit panel of which the one side is supported by the support portion of the floor member has a lighter weight per unit area than other unit panels having lateral lengths equal to or greater than a lateral length of the unit panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a ramp to facilitate egress and ingress in the vehicle; and
a vehicle floor structure comprising:
a floor member including an opening in which the ramp is provided; and
a floor panel covering the opening, wherein:
the floor panel is configured by sequentially arranging and integrating a plurality of kinds of unit panels in a lateral direction of the unit panels, the unit panels having rectangular shapes as viewed from above a vehicle;
two end sides of the floor panel extending along a direction in which the unit panels are arranged and one side of at least one of two unit panels arranged at opposite ends of the floor panel are supported by the floor member; and
a unit panel of which the one side is supported by the floor member has a lighter weight per unit area than other unit panels having lateral lengths equal to or greater than a lateral length of the unit panel,
wherein the ramp is operable to protrude from the vehicle by moving outwardly relative to the vehicle floor structure.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein one side of another of the two unit panels arranged at the opposite ends of the floor panel is a free side that is not supported by the floor member.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the unit panel of which the one side is supported by the floor member has a lighter weight per unit area than the unit panel including the free side.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
each unit panel has a hollow plate shape and includes ribs that extend in a longitudinal direction of the unit panel inside the unit panel and connect an upper wall and a lower wall of a hollow cross section; and
a rib of the unit panel of which the one side is supported by the floor member is thinner in the lateral direction of the unit panel than a rib of the unit panel including the free side.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein each unit panel has a hollow plate shape and includes ribs that extend in a longitudinal direction of the unit panel inside the unit panel and connect an upper wall and a lower wall of a hollow cross section.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the unit panel of which the one side is supported by the floor member has a smaller number of the ribs per unit length in the lateral direction as compared with the other unit panels having the lateral lengths equal to or greater than the lateral length of the unit panel.

7. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein a rib included in the unit panel of which the one side is supported by the floor member is thinner in the lateral direction of the unit panel than ribs of the other unit panels having the lateral lengths equal to or greater than the lateral length of the unit panel.

8. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein:
an inner side of the hollow cross section of each unit panel is divided into a plurality of chambers by one or more of the ribs;
the chambers include a fastening chamber that includes the lower wall fastened to the floor member at longitudinal ends of the unit panel and an unfastening chamber that includes the lower wall that is not fastened to the floor member; and
the lower wall of the unfastening chamber is thinner in a vehicle up-down direction than the lower wall of the fastening chamber.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein each unit panel is made of aluminum.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Muta Masahiro
• Murata Soshiro
• Kagami Ayaka
• Matsuo Yasuhide
• Atsuta Ken

Classifications

• B62D25/20 Primary

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

• B60P1/431 Primary

  the ramp being stored under the loading floor when not in use · CPC title

• B60P1/433 Primary

  the loading floor or a part thereof being movable to form the ramp · CPC title

• B62D25/2009

  in connection with other superstructure subunits · CPC title

• B60R3/007

  Removable steps or ladders, e.g. foldable (as access means for vehicle tops B60R3/005) · CPC title