Vehicle body rear structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9987912-B2
Application number	US-201615375275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle body rear structure is provided with a battery pack disposed in a floor recess of a rear floor panel. The battery pack includes battery modules, a pair of front suspended frame and rear suspended frame that hold the battery modules at the front and rear ends in such a manner that the battery modules are suspended from a vehicle body, and load path members through which the front suspended frame and the rear suspended frame are coupled to each other. The front suspended frame and the rear suspended frame have flanged collars and through-holes that are fastened to rear frames and fragile portions that are provided in the vicinity of the flanged collars and the through-holes and at which the front suspended frame and the rear suspended frame are bent forward when the vehicle body is subjected to an impact load in a rear-end collision.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body rear structure comprising:
a floor recess depressed downward from a rear floor of a vehicle body; and
a battery pack disposed in the floor recess and comprising,

battery modules,
a pair of front and rear suspended frames that hold the battery modules at front and rear sides thereof in a manner that suspends the battery modules from the vehicle body, and
load path members through which the pair of suspended frames are connected to each other, and
wherein each of the front and rear suspended frames comprises,
vehicle body fastening points that are fastened to the vehicle body, and
fragile portions that are provided in a vicinity of the respective vehicle body fastening points and configured to allow each suspended frame to bend forward when the vehicle body is subjected to an impact load in an event of a rear-end collision,
wherein each of the pair of suspended frames has,
a frame main body having a closed cross-section and extending in a vehicle-width direction, and
vehicle body fastening members that are secured to respective ends of the frame main body in the vehicle-width direction via joining area formed between the frame main body and each of the vehicle body fastening members, the vehicle body fastening members including the respective vehicle body fastening points, and
wherein the fragile portions are formed in predetermined areas including the joining areas between the frame main body and each of the vehicle body fastening members.

2. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fragile portions have cutouts formed by cutting part of ends of the frame main body in the vehicle-width direction in regions adjacent to or close to the joining areas.

3. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the joining areas have one-side welded portions such that the frame main body and the vehicle body fastening members are partially joined to each other.

4. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle body fastening members extend upward toward the frame main body from the vehicle body and are bent toward the inboard side in the vehicle-width direction of the vehicle body, and
wherein the bent portions are disposed within regions of the fragile portions.

5. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of right and left rear frames that are disposed on right and left sides of the floor recess in the vehicle-width direction, respectively, and that extend in a vehicle rear-front direction,
wherein each of the rear frames has a higher-strength section located on a vehicle front side thereof and a lower-strength section located on a vehicle rear side of the higher-strength section and that has lower compressive strength against an impact load from the vehicle rear side than the higher-strength section;
wherein the vehicle body fastening members of the front suspended frame are fastened to the respective higher-strength sections; and
wherein the vehicle body fastening members of the rear suspended frame are bent toward the vehicle front and are fastened to the respective higher-strength sections.

6. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein each frame main body of the suspended frames is formed of a lower frame main body that is disposed in a lower part thereof and that has a U-shaped cross-section opened upward and an upper frame main body that is disposed in an upper part thereof and that has a U-shaped cross-section opened downward, the lower frame main body and the upper frame main body being fitted to each other in a vertical direction; and
wherein the lower frame main body and the upper frame main body have positioning portions, respectively, that define a vertical relationship thereof.

7. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the vehicle body fastening members is formed of a lower fastening member that is disposed in a lower part thereof and that has a U-shaped cross-section opened upward and an upper fastening member that is disposed in an upper part thereof and that has a U-shaped cross-section opened downward, the lower fastening member and the upper fastening member being fitted to each other in a vertical direction; and
wherein each of the vehicle body fastening members has a flanged collar mounted between the lower fastening member and the upper fastening member.

8. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the vehicle body fastening members has a recessed portion formed therein.

9. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 8 ,
wherein the recessed portions have jig brackets configured to hold jigs when the jigs are installed to the vehicle body.

10. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the load path members has a U-shaped cross-section.

11. The vehicle body rear structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lower frame disposed below the suspended frames, the plurality of battery modules being disposed between the suspended frames and the lower frame;
mounting plates with which the lower frame and the battery modules are mounted to the suspended frames; and
a rear cover fastened to a rear side of the rear suspended frame and the lower frame.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shinoda Ryo
• Okada Tomoyuki
• Fujii Ryo

Classifications

• B62D29/043

  Superstructures (B62D25/161 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60Y2410/124

  Welded parts · CPC title

• B62D21/155

  Sub-frames or underguards · CPC title

• B60K1/04 Primary

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B62D29/008

  predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded · CPC title