Vehicle rear structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9308805-B2
Application number	US-201313906087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2013
Priority date	Jul 5, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle rear structure protects a battery unit in a rear-end collision. The vehicle rear structure has a battery unit positioned behind a torsion beam; first and second cross members spanning between side members; a frame member that supports the battery unit; a bridge member spanning from the first cross member to the second cross member, and connected at a rear flange to the second cross member; and reinforcements that are respectively disposed to the side members and reinforce the side members from the front edge to the rear edge of the second cross member. The torsion beam is positioned near directly below the second cross member. The side members slope down to the front from the front end part of the reinforcement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle rear structure comprising:
a rear floor panel forming a rear floor of a hybrid vehicle;
a suspension member disposed below the rear floor panel and extending in a vehicle width direction;
a battery unit disposed behind the suspension member;
a pair of side members disposed extending in a vehicle front-rear direction alongside edges of the rear floor panel;
a first cross member spanning between the pair of side members at a position below and near a front end of the rear floor panel;
a second cross member disposed behind the first cross member on an underside of the rear floor panel and spanning between the pair of side members;
a rectangular frame member that surrounds and supports the battery unit;
a bridge member that is disposed spanning, in the middle of the vehicle width, from the first cross member to the second cross member, has a rear flange projecting to the rear at its rear end, and is connected by the rear flange to the second cross member;
a pair of reinforcements that are disposed inside the pair of side members and reinforce areas of the pair of side members that correspond to from a front edge to a rear edge of the second cross member;
a fuel tank mounted between the bridge member and one of the pair of side members; and
an electrical component mounted between the bridge member and the other of the pair of side members;
wherein the suspension member is positioned directly below the second cross member or positioned forward and downward from the second cross member,
wherein the pair of side members slopes down from or near front ends of the pair of reinforcements to the first cross member, and
wherein the fuel tank and the electrical component are fastened to the bridge member, the pair of side members, and the first cross member, and not fastened to the second cross member.

2. A vehicle rear structure comprising:
a rear floor panel forming a rear floor of a hybrid vehicle;
a suspension member disposed below the rear floor panel and extending in a vehicle width direction;
a battery unit disposed behind the suspension member;
a pair of side members disposed extending in a vehicle front-rear direction alongside edges of the rear floor panel;
a first cross member spanning between the pair of side members at a position below and near a front end of the rear floor panel;
a second cross member disposed behind the first cross member on an underside of the rear floor panel and spanning between the pair of side members;
a rectangular frame member that surrounds and supports the battery unit;
a bridge member that is disposed spanning, in the middle of the vehicle width, from the first cross member to the second cross member, has a rear flange projecting to the rear at its rear end, and is connected by the rear flange to the second cross member;
a pair of reinforcements that are disposed inside the pair of side members and reinforce areas of the pair of side members that correspond to from a front edge to a rear edge of the second cross member;
a fuel tank mounted between the bridge member and one of the pair of side members; and
an electrical component mounted between the bridge member and the other of the pair of side members;
wherein the suspension member is positioned directly below the second cross member or positioned forward and downward from the second cross member,
wherein the pair of side members slopes down from or near front ends of the pair of reinforcements to the first cross member,
wherein the second cross member has an upside-down hat shape including a first flange projecting to the front, a second flange projecting to the rear, and a protrusion that protrudes down between the first flange and the second flange,
wherein the first flange and the second flange are fastened to the underside of the rear floor panel, and
wherein the fuel tank and the electrical component are fastened to the bridge member, the pair of side members, and the first cross member, and not fastened to the second cross member.

3. A vehicle rear structure comprising:
a rear floor panel forming a rear floor of a hybrid vehicle;
a suspension member disposed below the rear floor panel and extending in a vehicle width direction;
a battery unit disposed behind the suspension member;
a pair of side members disposed extending in a vehicle front-rear direction alongside edges of the rear floor panel;
a first cross member spanning between the pair of side members at a position below and near a front end of the rear floor panel;
a second cross member disposed behind the first cross member on an underside of the rear floor panel and spanning between the pair of side members;
a rectangular frame member that surrounds and supports the battery unit;
a bridge member that is disposed spanning, in the middle of the vehicle width, from the first cross member to the second cross member, has a rear flange projecting to the rear at its rear end, and is connected by the rear flange to the second cross member;
a pair of reinforcements that are disposed inside the pair of side members and reinforce areas of the pair of side members that correspond to from a front edge to a rear edge of the second cross member;
a fuel tank mounted between the bridge member and one of the pair of side members; and
an electrical component mounted between the bridge member and the other of the pair of side members;
wherein the suspension member is positioned directly below the second cross member or positioned forward and downward from the second cross member,
wherein the pair of side members slopes down from or near front ends of the pair of reinforcements to the first cross member,
wherein the second cross member has an upside-down hat shape including a first flange projecting to the front, a second flange projecting to the rear, and a protrusion that protrudes down between the first flange and the second flange,
wherein the first flange and the second flange are fastened to the underside of the rear floor panel,
wherein the rear flange of the bridge member is connected to a first flange of the second cross member, and
wherein the fuel tank and the electrical component are fastened to the bridge member, the pair of side members, and the first cross member, and not fastened to the second cross member.

4. A vehicle rear structure comprising:
a rear floor panel forming a rear floor of a hybrid vehicle;
a suspension member disposed below the rear floor panel and extending in a vehicle width direction;
a battery unit disposed behind the suspension member;
a pair of side members disposed extending in a vehicle front-rear direction alongside edges of the rear floor panel;
a first cross member spanning between the pair of side members at a position below and near a front end of the rear floor panel;
a second cross member disposed behind the first cross member on an underside of the rear floor panel and spanning between the pair of side members;
a rectangular frame member that surrounds and supports the battery unit;
a bridge member that is disposed spanning, in the middle of the vehicle width, from the first cross member to the second cross member, has a rear flange projecting to the rear at its rear end, and is connected by the rear flange to the second cross member;
a pair of reinforcements that are disposed inside the pair of side members and reinforce areas of the pair of side members that correspond to from a front edge to a rear edge of the second cross member;
a fuel tank mounted between the bridge member and one of the pair of side members; and
an electrical component mounted between the bridge member and the other of the pair of side members;
wherein the suspension member is positioned directly below the second cross member or positioned forward and downward from the seco

Assignees

• Suzuki Motor Corp

Inventors

• Shiromura Hiroyasu
• Tamaki Hideyuki

Classifications

• B60L2270/145

  Structure borne vibrations · CPC title

• Y02T10/7061

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T10/7005

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L3/0046

  relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title

• Y02T10/7241

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic