MOTOR VEHICLE WITH AT LEAST PARTIALLY ELECTRIC DRIVE

Abstract

The disclosure concerns a motor vehicle with at least partially electric drive, having a floor structure of a motor vehicle bodyshell and a traction battery. The traction battery is arranged on an underside of the floor structure and is connected thereto. The floor structure has a central tunnel extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and having a profile open towards the bottom. A plurality of reinforcing webs is arranged on the central tunnel, which stiffen the central tunnel and are fixedly connected thereto. The traction battery is attached at least to some of the reinforcing webs.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle with at least partially electric drive, comprising: a floor of a bodyshell; a traction battery arranged on and connected to an underside of the floor, the floor having a tunnel extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction and a profile open towards the underside; and a plurality of reinforcing webs arranged on and fixedly connected to the tunnel, wherein the traction battery is attached to at least one of the webs.

2. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the open underside of the tunnel is bridged by at least two of the plurality of reinforcing webs.

3. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of reinforcing webs extend substantially in the longitudinal direction.

4. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing webs are bolted to the tunnel.

5. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction battery is bolted to the plurality of reinforcing webs.

6. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one crossmember, disposed on the floor, extending substantially in a transverse direction, and fixedly connected to the tunnel with an end portion facing the tunnel such that at least one of the plurality of reinforcing webs bridges the tunnel to connect the end portion of the crossmember on each side of the tunnel.

7. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the crossmember is a seat crossmember for fixing of a seat.

8. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing webs form a ladder frame structure having at least two longitudinal reinforcing webs running substantially in the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of transverse reinforcing webs extending in a transverse direction to connect the at least two longitudinal reinforcing webs and bridge the tunnel.

9. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the longitudinal reinforcing webs are attached to the tunnel and the traction battery is attached to at least two of the transverse reinforcing webs.

10. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the traction battery extends to both sides of the tunnel in the transverse direction, and the tunnel defines a tunnel-like recess extending in the longitudinal direction and follows the tunnel to house an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine.

11. A bodyshell for a vehicle comprising: a floor having an underside and defining a tunnel extending in a longitudinal direction having a profile being open towards the underside; and a plurality of reinforcing webs extending in the longitudinal direction and a transverse direction fixedly connected to and bridged across the tunnel such that a traction battery is supported by at least one of the plurality of reinforcing webs in the transverse direction and the tunnel is supported by at least two of the plurality of reinforcing webs in the longitudinal direction.

12. The bodyshell as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tunnel is bridged by at least two of the plurality of reinforcing webs.

13. The bodyshell as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a crossmember disposed on the floor, extending substantially in the transverse direction, and fixedly connected to the tunnel with an end portion facing the tunnel such that at least two of the plurality of reinforcing webs bridges the tunnel to connect the end portion of the crossmember on each side of the tunnel.

14. The bodyshell as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of reinforcing webs form a ladder frame structure having at least two reinforcing webs running substantially in the longitudinal direction, and at least one reinforcing web extending in a transverse direction to connect the at least two reinforcing webs running in the longitudinal direction and bridge the tunnel.

15. The bodyshell as claimed in claim 11, wherein the traction battery extends to both sides of the tunnel in the transverse direction, and the tunnel defines a recess extending in the longitudinal direction to house an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine.

16. A floor for a vehicle bodyshell comprising: a plurality of reinforcing webs, extending in longitudinal and transverse directions, fixedly connected to and bridged across a tunnel defined on an underside of the floor such that a traction battery is supported by the transversely-extending reinforcing webs and the tunnel is supported by the longitudinally-extending reinforcing webs.

17. The floor as claimed in claim 16 further comprising a crossmember disposed on the floor, extending substantially in the transverse direction, and fixedly connected to the tunnel with an end portion facing the tunnel such that at least two of the plurality of reinforcing webs bridges the tunnel to connect the end portion of the crossmember on each side of the tunnel.

18. The floor as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plurality of reinforcing webs form a ladder frame structure such that at least two reinforcing webs run substantially in the longitudinal direction, and at least one reinforcing web extends in the transverse direction to connect the at least two reinforcing webs running in the longitudinal direction and bridge the tunnel.

19. The floor as claimed in claim 16, wherein a traction battery extends to both sides of the tunnel in the transverse direction, and the tunnel defines a recess extending in the longitudinal direction to house an exhaust system.

20. The floor as claimed in claim 16, wherein the tunnel is bridged by at least two of the plurality of reinforcing webs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view from below of a bodyshell, in particular a floor structure, of a motor vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of the floor structure of the bodyshell in FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the floor structure from FIG. 2 from below;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the floor structure from FIG. 3 from below and a partial cross-sectional view along section line A-A marked in the plan;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the floor structure from FIG. 3 from below and a partial cross-sectional view along section line B-B marked in the plan;

[0033] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the floor structure from FIG. 3 from below and a partial cross-sectional view along section line C-C marked in the plan;

[0034] FIG. 7 is a first arrangement of line-like elements in a central tunnel of the floor structure from FIG. 6; and

[0035] FIG. 8 is a second arrangement of the line-like elements from FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.

[0037] In the various figures, parts of equivalent function carry the same reference numerals so these are usually only described once.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from below of a bodyshell 1 of the motor vehicle (not shown in detail) according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. In the exemplary embodiment described here, the motor vehicle is a hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicle which, as well as at least one electric motor (not shown), also has an internal combustion engine (also not shown).

[0039] The vehicle bodyshell 1 comprises a floor structure 2, which has a central tunnel 3 running in the vehicle longitudinal direction and having a profile open at the bottom. In mounted state, a traction battery 4, which is not shown in FIG. 1, is arranged below the floor structure 2 (see e.g. FIG. 6) and is connected to the floor structure 2. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of reinforcing webs 5 and 6 is arranged on the central tunnel 3, which stiffen the central tunnel 3 and are fixedly connected thereto. In particular, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the reinforcing webs comprise two longitudinal reinforcing webs 5 and five transverse reinforcing webs 6. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the reinforcing webs 5 and 6 form a ladder frame structure comprising the longitudinal reinforcing webs 5 and the transverse reinforcing webs 6 connecting these longitudinal reinforcing webs 5 together. As will be explained in more detail below, in this exemplary embodiment, the traction battery 4 is attached to at least some of the reinforcing webs 6.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the longitudinal reinforcing webs 5 extend substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the transverse reinforcing webs 6 extend substantially in the vehicle transverse direction. Accordingly, the open underside of the central tunnel 3 is bridged by some of the reinforcing webs 5, 6, namely here by the five transverse reinforcing webs 6, so that the open cross section of the central tunnel 3 is closed by the transverse reinforcing webs 6, achieving a substantial increase in the stiffness of the central tunnel 3. In particular, in the event of a side impact of an obstacle against the vehicle bodyshell 1, in which the collision forces are introduced into the bodyshell 1 and into the floor structure 2 substantially in the vehicle transverse direction, the transverse reinforcing webs 6 provide additional load paths in the vehicle transverse direction along which the collision forces can be dissipated, so that in this case the central tunnel 3 is protected from substantial deformation.

[0041] Furthermore, the longitudinal reinforcing webs 5 provide additional load paths in the vehicle longitudinal direction for the central tunnel 3, in particular in relation to a frontal collision of the motor vehicle with an obstacle, so that the collision forces acting in the vehicle longitudinal direction can also be effectively dissipated using the longitudinal reinforcing webs 5.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view from below of the floor structure 2, alone, of the bodyshell 1 from FIG. 1. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, on both sides of the central tunnel 3, the floor structure 2 has three crossmembers 7 extending substantially in the vehicle transverse direction. As evident in FIG. 2, the respective end portions of the crossmembers 7 facing the central tunnel 3 are fixedly connected to the central tunnel 3. According to FIG. 2, the opposite end portions of the crossmembers 7 are each connected to a longitudinal member 8 on the left and right vehicle sides. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the crossmembers 7 are seat crossmembers for fixing of seats (not shown) in a passenger cell (also not shown) of the motor vehicle.

[0043] In FIG. 3, which shows a plan view of the floor structure from FIG. 2 from below, it is clear that in the exemplary embodiment shown, particularly preferably, some of the reinforcing webs 6 bridging the central tunnel 3 are arranged such that they connect together the respective end portions of the crossmembers 7 connected to the central tunnel 3 on both sides of the central tunnel 3. Thus, a closed load path is formed from a crossmember 7 on the one side of the central tunnel 3 to a respective corresponding crossmember 7 on the other side of the central tunnel 3, whereby in particular side impact forces acting on the vehicle bodyshell 1 and the floor structure 2 can be dissipated by the crossmembers 7 and the reinforcing webs 6 connecting these together, which advantageously helps avoid an early deformation of the floor structure 2 in the event of a collision. Accordingly, in the event of a collision of the motor vehicle with an obstacle, in particular on a side impact, the crossmembers 7 secure the position of the seating in the passenger cell and thus in this case guarantee an adequate survival space for the occupants of the motor vehicle.

[0044] Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically how the two longitudinal reinforcing webs 5 are each attached to the central tunnel 3 by a total of eight bolted connections 9, four bolted connections for each longitudinal reinforcing web 5. Moreover, two bolted connections 10 are shown for each transverse reinforcing web 6, which serve to bolt the traction battery 4 (see e.g. FIG. 6) to the reinforcing webs 6.

[0045] A floor panel 11 indicated in FIG. 3 closes the floor structure 2 towards the underside (facing the viewer). Since the crossmembers 7 are covered by the floor plate 2 in the depiction, these are accordingly drawn in dotted lines in FIG. 3.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the floor structure 2 from FIG. 3 from below (left half of the image) and a partial cross-sectional view (right half of the image) along section line A-A shown in the plan. The partial cross-sectional view, because of the longitudinally symmetrical structure of the floor structure 2, shows only the left half of the total cross-section along section line A-A. The partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 clearly shows that the crossmember 7 (seat crossmember), at its end portion facing the central tunnel 3, is fixedly connected to the central tunnel 3, preferably welded thereto. According to the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, in total three panels (end portion of crossmember 7, floor panel 11 and central tunnel 3) are connected together, preferably welded, at the fixing point of the crossmember 7 to the central tunnel 3.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the floor structure 2 from FIG. 3 from below (left half of the image) and a partial cross-sectional view (right half of the image) along section line B-B shown in the plan. The partial cross-sectional view, because of the longitudinally symmetrical structure of the floor structure 2, shows only the left half of the total cross-section along section line B-B. The partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 shows that a weld nut 12 is provided on the top of the central tunnel 3 for the bolted connection 9 of the longitudinal reinforcing webs 5 (see FIG. 3). Accordingly, at this point the shape of the central tunnel 3 deviates from the otherwise substantially U-shaped cross-section into a corresponding bulge at which the weld nut 12 is attached. The weld nut 12 allows simple installation or bolting of the respective longitudinal reinforcing web 5 to the central tunnel 3 from the underside of the central tunnel 3.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the floor structure 2 from FIG. 3 from below (left image half) and a partial cross-sectional view (right image half) along section line C-C shown in the plan. The partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 shows how the traction battery 4 is connected to one of the plurality of transverse reinforcing webs 6, preferably bolted thereto by means of the bolted connection 10. For this, the transverse reinforcing web 6 on its top side has a weld nut 13 for each bolted connection 10. As shown in the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the bolted connection 10 is preferably created by the spacer bush 14 bridging the traction battery 4 at this point. The weld nut 13 allows simple installation or bolting of the traction battery 4 to the respective transverse reinforcing web 6 from the underside of the transverse reinforcing web 6.

[0049] It is also clear from the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 that the traction battery 4 extends to both sides of the central tunnel 3 in the vehicle transverse direction, and has in the region of the central tunnel 3 tunnel-like recesses 15 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction (perpendicular to the image plane of the partial cross-sectional view) and following the central tunnel 3. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this recess 15 houses an exhaust system 16, in particular an exhaust pipe 16, of the internal combustion engine (not shown) of the motor vehicle. As shown in the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the exhaust system 16 does not protrude beyond the underside of the traction battery 4, which guarantees an improved ground clearance of the motor vehicle.

[0050] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, advantageously, line-like elements 18, for example brake lines, fuel lines and/or electric lines, can be accommodated compactly and space-savingly in the intermediate or tunnel space 17 formed by the downwardly open profile of the central tunnel 3, between the top side of the traction battery 4 or the transverse reinforcing web 6 and the curvature of the central tunnel 3 running above this.

[0051] The partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 furthermore shows depressions 19 made in the top side of the traction battery 4 at the site of the bolted connections 9. These serve to create sufficient space for receiving the part of the bolted connection 9, for example a bolt head, protruding from the reinforcing web 5 or 6.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows a first specific arrangement of the line-like elements 18 from FIG. 6 in the central tunnel 3. FIG. 8 shows a second specific arrangement of the line-like elements 18 from FIG. 6. It is clear from FIG. 7 that the line-like elements 18, for example brake lines, fuel lines and/or electric lines and similar, which preferably have a smaller diameter than the exhaust system 16 shown in the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, are attached to the inside of the central tunnel 3. In contrast, the lines 18 in FIG. 8 are attached to the reinforcing webs 5 and/or 6, and are preferably pre-assembled thereon before the reinforcing webs 5 and/or 6 are mounted on the central tunnel 3.

[0053] The motor vehicle according to the disclosure has been explained in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. The motor vehicle is not however restricted to the embodiments described herein, but also comprises further embodiments with similar function.

[0054] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the disclosure. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosure.