Vehicle of monocoque construction formed from thermoplastic resin members

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802650-B2
Application number	US-201414892342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2014
Priority date	Jun 21, 2013
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

This vehicle of monocoque construction is formed by fastening together resin parts which are an upper body integrally made of a transparent thermoplastic resin composition, a lower body integrally made of a thermoplastic resin composition and a floor integrally made of a thermoplastic resin composition, wherein the vehicle is characterized in that the lower body is provided with a flange part rising up from the entire perimeter of the bottom surface and, in the center of the bottom surface, a convex rib part that continues rearward from the front of the vehicle, and the upper body and the floor being fastened to the flange part and the convex rib part of the lower body. In so doing, there can be provided a vehicle which is lightweight, affords a good field of view during driving, is simple in construction, and has the necessary rigidity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle body having monocoque construction formed by fastening together resin parts which are an upper body as an integrally molded article obtained by molding a transparent thermoplastic resin composition, a lower body as an integrally molded article obtained by molding a thermoplastic resin composition and a floor as an integrally molded article obtained by molding a thermoplastic resin composition, wherein
the transparent thermoplastic resin composition constituting the upper body is a polycarbonate resin composition, and the thermoplastic resin composition constituting the lower body and the floor is polycarbonate resin composition or polyamide resin composition;
the lower body has a bottom surface and a flange part rising up from an entire perimeter of the bottom surface;
in a center of the bottom surface of the lower body, a convex rib part is formed continuously from a front part to a rear part of the vehicle body;
at least two spaces surrounded by the flange part, the convex rib part and the bottom surface are formed in a center part of the lower body of the vehicle to allow auto parts such as a battery to be installed;
the auto parts to be installed in the space can be fixed through fastening of the lower body and the floor;
the upper body and the floor are mounted on the lower body, and the upper body and the floor are fastened together to the flange part and the convex rib part of the lower body; and
a front suspension sub-frame to which a suspension, a brake, and a steering are attached is contacted with and fixed to a large area of the bottom surface of the lower body.

2. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein a groove is formed on a back surface of the convex rib part, and a plurality of ribs crossing the groove are provided.

3. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the upper body is divided into resin parts which are a front upper body, a rear upper body and a roof.

4. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the resin parts are formed by heat press molding of a resin plate obtained from the thermoplastic resin composition.

5. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the resin parts are formed by injection molding of the thermoplastic resin composition.

6. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of independent protrusions are provided on the bottom surface of the lower body, and the fastening of the upper body and the floor to the lower body is performed at the protrusions in addition to the flange part and the convex rib part of the lower body.

7. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body is a vehicle body of a micro compact electric vehicle.

8. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein an opening forming an entrance is provided on the upper body, and a frame member is provided on an entire perimeter of the formed entrance.

9. The vehicle body according to claim 8 , wherein a seat belt, a fall prevention member, a rain guard door and the like are attached to the frame member.

10. The vehicle body according to claim 8 , wherein a part of the flange part which is positioned in a lower part of the entrance is extended outward, a cross-sectional shape of the extended part is made to a substantial U-shape which extends first downward and then upward, and a tip part of the extended part is connected to the frame member.

11. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein a vehicle body of the monocoque construction is egg-shaped.

12. The vehicle body according to claim 11 , wherein two ridge line parts which are symmetrical with respect to a center line of the vehicle body in a front and rear direction and substantially parallel to the center line are provided on at least an upper surface of the upper body.

13. The vehicle body according to claim 12 , wherein curvature of the ridge line part is smaller than curvature of any part of the upper body, and the curvature radius is 5mm or more.

Assignees

• Teijin Ltd

Inventors

• Nishida Shintaro
• Saito Yuka
• Iwasaki Kunio
• Aoki Shigeru

Classifications

• B60K2001/0438

  Arrangement under the floor · CPC title

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B62D25/20

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

• B62D29/046

  Combined superstructure and frame, i.e. monocoque constructions · CPC title

• B62D21/12

  assembled from readily detachable parts · CPC title