Vehicle rear structure
11161400 · 2021-11-02
Assignee
Inventors
- Tetsuo Nuruki (Toyota, JP)
- Kohei Hisada (Nagoya, JP)
- Kazuki Otake (Toyota, JP)
- Takashi Matsui (Toyota, JP)
Cpc classification
B60Y2306/01
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60K2001/0416
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60K1/04
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60L50/64
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B60K1/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60K1/04
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A vehicle rear structure includes a battery outer case, a side frame provided in a side portion of the battery outer case and extending forward from a rear side of the battery outer case, a rear vehicle frame member provided behind the battery outer case and inwardly from an end of a vehicle body so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a front vehicle frame member provided in front of the battery outer case so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction and being connected to a front end portion of the side frame. The rear vehicle frame member is connected to a rear end portion of the side frame.
Claims
1. A vehicle rear structure comprising: a battery outer case disposed on a rear side of a floor panel in a vehicle front-rear direction and below the floor panel in a vehicle up-down direction; a side frame provided in a side portion of the battery outer case in a vehicle width direction so as to be integrated with the battery outer case, the side frame extending forward from a rear side of the battery outer case in the vehicle front-rear direction, the side frame including an inclined portion inclined downward in the vehicle up-down direction from a rear end portion of the side frame toward a front end portion of the side frame; a rear bumper extending in the vehicle width direction; a rear vehicle frame member provided behind the battery outer case in the vehicle front-rear direction and inwardly from an end of a vehicle body in the vehicle width direction so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, the rear vehicle frame member being connected to the rear end portion of the side frame in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a rear end portion of the rear vehicle frame member being connected to the rear bumper; and a front vehicle frame member provided in front of the battery outer case in the vehicle front-rear direction so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, the front vehicle frame member being connected to the front end portion of the side frame in the vehicle front-rear direction, wherein the rear vehicle frame member is a rear side member includes an inclined extending portion extending inclined outwardly in the vehicle width direction and forward in the vehicle front-rear direction, a front end portion of the inclined extending portion in the vehicle front-rear direction being connected to a rear side of a rocker provided in an end of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction, and the inclined portion is in front of the inclined extending portion of the rear side member in the vehicle front-rear direction and the inclined portion does not overlap with the inclined extending portion a plan view.
2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein the front vehicle frame member is an underfloor reinforcement placed below the floor panel in the vehicle up-down direction.
3. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein the front vehicle frame member is a rocker provided in an end of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction.
4. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein the rear vehicle frame member is a rear side member includes a forward extending portion provided inwardly from the end of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction so as to extend forward in the vehicle front-rear direction from the rear bumper, a front end portion of the forward extending portion being connected to the rear end portion of the side frame in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the inclined extending portion extends from the front end portion of the forward extending portion in the vehicle front-rear direction.
5. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle rear structure includes a pair of the rockers, and a cross-member having two ends is provided in front of the battery outer case in the vehicle front-rear direction, one of the two ends of the cross-member is connected to one of the rockers, and the other of the two ends of the cross-member is connected to the other one of the rockers.
6. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein the battery outer case is attached to the vehicle body via the side frame.
7. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein a battery is accommodated inside the battery outer case.
8. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein a front end portion of the rear vehicle frame member is connected to the rear end portion of the side frame in the vehicle front-rear direction.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:
(2)
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
First Embodiment
(10) The following describes a vehicle rear structure according to a first embodiment of the disclosure with reference to
(11) Configuration
(12) Schematic Structure of Vehicle Bottom Face
(13)
(14) The following will first schematically describe a configuration of a whole bottom face of a vehicle. As illustrated in
(15) Further, the vehicle body 11 includes a first cross-member 22 disposed in a kick-up portion that is a stepped portion of the floor panel 14 so as to extend between the rockers 16 in the vehicle width direction, and a second cross-member 24 provided behind the first cross-member 22 in the vehicle front-rear direction so as to extend between the rear side members 20 in the vehicle width direction.
(16) Further, in the vehicle body 11, a battery outer case 26 is disposed between the first cross-member 22 and the second cross-member 24, below the floor panel 14 in the vehicle up-down direction.
(17) The front side member 12 is a vehicle frame member having a closed section structure extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on the front side of the vehicle body 11 in the vehicle front-rear direction. A front end portion of the front side member 12 in the vehicle front-rear direction (hereinafter referred to as the “front end portion”) is connected to a front bumper 28 extending in the vehicle width direction in a vehicle front portion, and a rear end portion of the front side member 12 in the vehicle front-rear direction (hereinafter referred to as the “rear end portion”) is connected to a front end portion of the underfloor R/F 18.
(18) As illustrated in
(19) The front end portion of the underfloor R/F 18 is connected to the rear end portion of the front side member 12, and a rear end portion of the underfloor R/F 18 is connected to the first cross-member 22. Further, the vicinity of the rear end portion of the underfloor R/F 18 is connected to a front end portion of a corresponding one of side frames 92 (described later) provided in the opposite ends of the battery outer case 26 in the vehicle width direction.
(20) The rockers 16 are provided in the opposite ends of the floor panel 14 in the vehicle width direction so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. The first cross-member 22 extending in the vehicle width direction between the rockers 16 is disposed on the rear side of the kick-up portion of the floor panel 14 in the vehicle front-rear direction.
(21) As illustrated in
(22) The rocker inner panel 40 has a hat-shaped section in the vehicle width direction so as to be opened outwardly in the vehicle width direction, and includes a top wall 44 extending in the vehicle up-down direction, inclined walls 46 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the opposite ends of the top wall 44 in the vehicle up-down direction, and flange portions 48 provided such that one of the flange portions 48 extends upward in the vehicle up-down direction from an outer end portion, in the vehicle width direction, of a corresponding one of the inclined walls 46 and the other one of the flange portions 48 extends downward in the vehicle up-down direction from an outer end portion, in the vehicle width direction, of a corresponding one of the inclined walls 46. Similarly to the rocker inner panel 40, the rocker outer panel 42 also has a hat-shaped section in the vehicle width direction so as to be opened inwardly in the vehicle width direction and includes a top wall 50, inclined walls 52, and flange portions 54. The rocker 16 is a vehicle frame member having a closed sectional structure by joining the flange portions 48 of the rocker inner panel 40 to the flange portions 54 of the rocker outer panel 42.
(23) Note that a flange portion 56 provided in each end of the floor panel 14 in the vehicle width direction so as to extend downward in the vehicle up-down direction is joined to the top wall 44 of the rocker inner panel 40.
(24) As illustrated in
(25) As illustrated in
(26) Note that a rear end portion of the rear side member 20 is connected to a rear bumper 68 extending in the vehicle width direction. Further, the rear side member 20 includes a forward extending portion 70 extending forward in the vehicle front-rear direction from the rear bumper 68 to a position in front of the second cross-member 24, and an inclined extending portion 72 extending forward in the vehicle front-rear direction from a front end of the forward extending portion 70 in a direction inclined outwardly in the vehicle width direction such that a front end of the inclined extending portion 72 is connected to the rocker 16. Note that a front end portion of the forward extending portion 70 is connected to a rear end portion of the side frame 92 (described later).
(27) Structure Around Battery Outer Case
(28) Next, a structure around the battery outer case 26 will be described more specifically.
(29) As illustrated in
(30) Further, as illustrated in
(31) Further, as illustrated in
(32) Note that a bottom wall 90 of the battery outer case 26 is a horizontal surface.
(33) The side walls 88 of the battery outer case 26 are respectively provided with the side frames 92 formed to project outward in the vehicle width direction. The side frames 92 are formed integrally with the battery outer case 26. The battery outer case 26 and the side frames 92 may be integrally made of a metallic material such as steel or aluminum or resin such as CFRP, or they may be formed separately and integrated with each other by joining or the like.
(34) As illustrated in
(35) As illustrated in
(36) Accordingly, as illustrated in
(37) In the meantime, as illustrated in
(38) As illustrated in
(39) Accordingly, the upper wall 94 in the front connecting portion 106 of the side frame 92 is brought into contact with a bottom face of the top wall 30 of the underfloor R/F 18, and the bolt 116 is passed through the insertion hole 118 of the upper wall 94 and a hole (not shown) of the top wall 30 and tightened to a weld nut 122, so that the side frame 92 is connected to the underfloor R/F 18.
(40) Hereby, as illustrated in
(41) Operation
(42) The operation of the vehicle rear structure 10 configured as such will be described below.
(43) In the vehicle rear structure 10, the side frame 92 is provided on the side wall 88 of the battery outer case 26, and the forward extending portion 70, of the rear side member 20, provided behind the battery outer case 26 in the vehicle front-rear direction so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction is connected, via the side frame 92, to the underfloor R/F 18 provided in front of the battery outer case 26 in the vehicle front-rear direction so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction.
(44) Accordingly, in a case where the vehicle has a rear end collision, when a barrier (not shown) collides with a rear part of the vehicle body 11, for example, a collision load is input into the rear side members 20 from the rear bumper 68. The collision load is transmitted to the front side of the rocker 16 in the vehicle front-rear direction from the forward extending portion 70 of the rear side member 20 via the inclined extending portion 72. Further, the collision load is transmitted from the forward extending portion 70 of the rear side member 20 to the front side member 12 via the side frame 92 and the underfloor R/F 18.
(45) That is, a load transmission passage through which the collision load is transmitted from the rear side member 20 to the rocker 16 at the time of a rear end collision of the vehicle is formed, and in addition, a load transmission passage through which the collision load is transmitted from the rear side member 20 to the underfloor R/F 18 via the side frame 92 is formed. Accordingly, the collision load is efficiently transmitted to a part in front of the battery outer case 26 in the vehicle front-rear direction.
(46) As a result, deformation of the vehicle body 11 near the battery outer case 26 in the vehicle front-rear direction of the vehicle body 11 is restrained, so that the battery outer case 26 (or the battery accommodated therein) can be prevented or restrained from being damaged.
(47) Particularly, the forward extending portion 70 of the rear side member 20, the side frame 92, the underfloor R/F 18 are disposed generally linearly in a bottom view of the vehicle, that is, an offset amount L1 between the forward extending portion 70 and the underfloor R/F 18 in the vehicle width direction is smaller than an offset amount L2 between the forward extending portion 70 and the rocker 16 in the vehicle width direction. Accordingly, the collision load is still more efficiently transmitted from the side frame 92 to the underfloor R/F 18.
(48) As a result, the deformation of the vehicle body 11 near the position of the battery outer case 26 is further restrained, so that the battery outer case 26 (or the battery accommodated therein) can be further prevented or restrained from being damaged.
(49) Further, since the load transmission passage from the rear side member 20 to the underfloor R/F 18 is formed, a collision load to be transmitted from the rear side member 20 to the rocker 16 at the time of a rear end collision of the vehicle is reduced. As a result, the rocker 16 is prevented or restrained from being broken by the load transmitted at the time of a rear end collision.
(50) Further, a bending moment caused due to input of the collision load from the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction at the time of a rear end collision is applied to the inclined extending portion 72 inclined outwardly in the vehicle width direction and downward in the vehicle up-down direction toward the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction in the rear side member 20. However, in the vehicle rear structure 10, the collision load to be input into the inclined extending portion 72 from the forward extending portion 70 of the rear side member 20 is reduced, so that the bending moment to be applied to the inclined extending portion 72 is restrained, thereby restraining deformation of the inclined extending portion 72. As a result, the battery outer case 26 (or the battery accommodated therein) can be prevented or restrained from being damaged.
(51) Further, as illustrated in
(52) Further, since the rigidity of the vehicle body 11 is increased as such, the controllability and stability of the vehicle improves. Further, the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) of the vehicle also improves.
(53) Further, the battery outer case 26 is supported by the rear side member 20 and the underfloor R/F 18 via the side frame 92. In other words, the battery outer case 26 is attached to the vehicle body 11 via the side frame 92. Accordingly, since the battery outer case 26 is attached to the vehicle body 11, it is not necessary to use a component such as a bracket separately.
Second Embodiment
(54) The following describes a vehicle rear structure 200 according to the second embodiment of the disclosure with reference to
(55) Configuration
(56) As illustrated in
(57) In the meantime, a side frame 210 includes the rear connecting portion 102, the inclined portion 104, and the front connecting portion 106, generally similarly to the side frame 92 in the first embodiment. However, the rear connecting portion 102 is connected to the front end of the forward extending portion 70 of the rear side member 20 and extends forward in the vehicle front-rear direction along the rear side wall 206.
(58) Further, the inclined portion 104 is inclined outwardly in the vehicle width direction and inclined downward in the vehicle up-down direction toward the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction, from the front end of the rear connecting portion 102 along the front side wall 204. That is, the inclined portion 104 is inclined toward the rocker 16.
(59) Further, as illustrated in
(60) Operation
(61) As such, the side frame 210 is connected to the forward extending portion 70 of the rear side member 20 and is connected to the rear side of the rocker 16 in the vehicle front-rear direction. Hereby, when the vehicle has a rear end collision, a collision load can be transmitted from the forward extending portion 70 of the rear side member 20 to the rocker 16 via the inclined extending portion 72 of the rear side member 20 and the inclined portion 104 of the side frame 210. That is, since two load transmission passages are provided around the battery outer case 202, the collision load is efficiently transmitted to a part in front of the battery outer case 202 in the vehicle front-rear direction. As a result, deformation of a part of the vehicle body around the battery outer case 202 is restrained at the time of a rear end collision, and the battery outer case 202 is prevented or restrained from being damaged.
(62) Other effects obtained when the number of load transmission passages to the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction is increased are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore descriptions thereof are omitted.
(63) Further, since the battery outer case 202 is configured such that the side frames 210 are connected to the rockers 16 respectively placed in the opposite ends of the floor panel 14 in the vehicle width direction, in front of the battery outer case 202 in the vehicle front-rear direction, the width of the front wall 80 in the vehicle width direction can be made larger than that of the rear wall 82. That is, in comparison with a case where the side frame 92 is connected to the underfloor R/F 18 like the first embodiment, the capacity of the battery outer case 202 can be increased.
(64) Further, as illustrated in
(65) Others
(66) The series of embodiments describe that the side frame 92, 210 and the battery outer case 26, 202 are made of the same material, but they may be formed separately by use of different materials and integrated with each other by joining or the like.