Vehicle structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12548841-B2
Application number	US-202118265729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2021
Priority date	Dec 7, 2020
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle structure disposed at a lower portion of a center of a vehicle body, the vehicle structure including: a battery cover, a battery tray, and a structural member A for absorbing impact energy. Each of the battery cover and the battery tray is configured with an integrally molded fiber-reinforced plastic. The structural member A is located outside in a vehicle width direction of at least the battery cover and the battery tray. The structural member A is fastened together with the battery cover and the battery tray.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A vehicle structure disposed at a lower portion of a center of a vehicle body, the vehicle structure comprising
a battery cover, a battery tray, and a structural member for absorbing impact energy, the structural member is located outside in a vehicle width direction of at least one of the battery cover and the battery tray, the structural member is fastened together with the battery cover and the battery tray wherein the battery cover includes a rib and has a natural frequency in a primary mode of 25 Hz or more; and wherein a relation of between a number n1 of fixed points between the structural member and the vehicle body and a number n2 of fixed points between the battery cover and the vehicle body satisfies n1>n2.

2 . The vehicle structure according to claim 1 , wherein the structural member is fastened together with the battery tray and the battery cover by a stepped bolt.

3 . The vehicle structure according to claim 2 , wherein the battery cover, the battery tray, and the structural member are stacked and fastened together.

4 . The vehicle structure according to claim 2 , wherein the structural member, the battery cover, and the battery tray are stacked and fastened together.

5 . The vehicle structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the structural member includes a first vertical wall and a second vertical wall located on an inside of the first vertical wall in the vehicle width direction, the first vertical wall and the second vertical wall extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and a minimum thickness of the first vertical wall is smaller than a maximum thickness of the second vertical wall.

6 . The vehicle structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the battery cover and the battery tray is configured with an integrally molded fiber-reinforced plastic using a sheet molding compound.

7 . The vehicle structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein a cross member of the structural member is inserted into the battery tray, (1) the battery tray includes a first bottom portion, a peripheral wall erected on an outer periphery of the first bottom portion, a first inner wall connected to the first bottom portion, a second inner wall connected to the first bottom portion, and a second bottom portion connected to both the first inner wall and the second inner wall and raised from the first bottom portion, (2) the first bottom portion, the peripheral wall, the first inner wall, the second inner wall, and the second bottom portion are configured with an integrally molded fiber-reinforced plastic, and (3) a recessed portion extending in the vehicle width direction is formed by the first inner wall, the second inner wall, and the second bottom portion, and the cross member is inserted into at least one location of the recessed portion.

8 . The vehicle structure according to claim 7 , wherein the cross member is joined to the structural member.

9 . The vehicle structure according to claim 7 , wherein an angle formed by the first bottom portion and the first inner wall and an angle formed by the first bottom portion and the second inner wall are 90 degrees or more and 135 degrees or less.

10 . The vehicle structure according to claim 7 , wherein discontinuous fibers are continuously dispersed in a boundary area between the first bottom portion and the first inner wall, a boundary area between the first bottom portion and the second inner wall, and a boundary area between the first bottom portion and the peripheral wall.

11 . The vehicle structure according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic has a minimum thickness of 1 to 5 mm.

12 . The vehicle structure according to claim 1 , wherein a lowermost part of the structural member is located at a lower position than a lowermost part of the battery tray.

13 . The vehicle structure according to claim 5 ,
wherein an upper end of the first vertical wall of the structural member is above a first bottom portion of the battery tray, and a lower end of the first vertical wall of the structural member is below a first bottom portion of the battery tray.

14 . The vehicle structure according to claim 5 ,
wherein an upper end of the second vertical wall of the structural member is above a first bottom portion of the battery tray, and a lower end of the second vertical wall of the structural member is below a first bottom portion of the battery tray.

15 . The vehicle structure according to claim 12 , further comprising a protective wall below the battery tray,
wherein the protective wall is connected to the structural member.

16 . The vehicle structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the structural member comprises a first vertical wall and a second vertical wall located on an inside of the first vertical wall in the vehicle width direction, the first vertical wall and the second vertical wall extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and a strength of the first vertical wall is lower than a strength of the second vertical wall.

Assignees

• Teijin Ltd
• Teijin Automotive Tech Inc

Inventors

• Arai Tsukasa
• Kashiwagi Yoshiki
• NAGATA Shota
• Miyauchi Hiroshi
• Teshima Masatomo
• Foran Hugh
• Kamiyama Max

Classifications

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B62D29/043

  Superstructures (B62D25/161 takes precedence) · 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

• 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

• B60K1/04 Primary

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title