IP Library Granted Patent US 9,789,908
Granted Patent B2
US 9,789,908 · App. 15/261,525 · Granted Oct 17, 2017

Impact load reduction structure

Inventors: Takehisa Tsukada (Tokyo, JP); Hiroshi Matsuda (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
B62D21/155B60K1/04B62D25/082B62D25/2018B60K2001/0438B60Y2306/01
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,789,908
App. No.
15/261,525
Granted
Oct 17, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An impact load reduction structure includes a battery frame and a load reduction frame. The battery frame is fixed to a vehicle body frame of an electrically-powered vehicle and supports a battery. The load reduction frame is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the battery frame. A rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision.

Claims (55)

1. An impact load reduction structure configured to reduce an impact load transmitted to a battery for driving an electrically-powered vehicle, the impact load reduction structure comprising:

a crash area that is disposed in a front section of the electrically-powered vehicle and configured to deform in a collision;

a battery frame that is disposed rearward of the crash area and fixed to a vehicle body frame of the electrically-powered vehicle, the battery frame being configured to support the battery and to be engaged with the vehicle body frame in accordance with an inertia force of the collision to be supported from a frontward area; and

a load reduction frame that is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the battery frame,

wherein the load reduction frame extends rearward toward the battery frame from near the crash area and is movable rearward by being pushed after the deformation of the crash area, and a rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision.

2. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 1 , wherein the load reduction frame is disposed in a substantially same plane as the battery frame.

3. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the battery frame is disposed under a floor of a vehicle cabin.

4. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the load reduction frame has lower rigidity than the battery frame.

5. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and the battery frame comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on the opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and

wherein front ends of the frames of the battery frame are positioned on extensions of the side frames of the load reduction frame.

6. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises a rear frame extending in a vehicle width direction at the rear section, and the battery frame comprises a front frame extending in the vehicle width direction at the front section, and

wherein the rear frame of the load reduction frame is disposed parallel to the front frame of the battery frame.

7. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises a guide that widens in a vertical direction rearward from the rear section so as to guide the front section of the battery frame to a front surface of the rear section of the load reduction frame.

8. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle body frame comprises front side frames in pairs spaced apart from each other in a vehicle width direction and extending rearward from near a front section of the electrically-powered vehicle and comprises floor side frames in pairs coupled to rear ends of the front side frames and extending rearward under a floor of a vehicle cabin,

wherein the load reduction frame is fixed to front side frames in pairs, and

wherein the battery frame is disposed within the floor side frames in pairs and is fixed to the floor side frames in pairs.

9. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 1 , wherein the battery frame is disposed under a floor of a vehicle cabin.

10. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the load reduction frame has lower rigidity than the battery frame.

11. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the load reduction frame comprise side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and the battery frame has comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-mar direction on the opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and

wherein front ends of the frames of the battery frame are positioned on extensions of the side frames of the load reduction frame.

12. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises a rear frame extending in a vehicle width direction at the rear section, and the battery frame comprises a front frame extending in the vehicle width direction at the front section, and

wherein the rear frame of the load reduction frame is disposed parallel to the front frame of the battery frame.

13. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises a guide that widens in a vertical direction rearward from the rear section so as to guide the front section of the battery frame to a front surface of the rear section of the load reduction frame.

14. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the vehicle body frame comprises front side frames in pairs spaced apart from each other in a vehicle width direction and extending rearward from near a front section of the electrically-powered vehicle and comprises floor side frames in pairs coupled to rear ends of the front side frames and extending rearward under a floor of a vehicle cabin,

wherein the load reduction frame is fixed to front side frames in pairs, and

wherein the battery frame is disposed within the floor side frames in pairs and is fixed to the floor side frames in pairs.

15. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 1 , wherein the load reduction frame has lower rigidity than the battery frame.

16. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 1 ,

wherein the load reduction frame is disposed in a same plane as the battery frame and contacts with the battery frame with a wide area, and

the load reduction frame has side frames which are formed parallel in pairs extending in the front-rear direction and a front frame and a rear frame which are formed parallel in pairs extending in the vehicle width direction, and

wherein the front frame couples the front ends of the side frames to each other, and the rear frame couples the rear ends of the side frames to each other.

17. An impact load reduction structure that reduces an impact load transmitted to a battery for driving an electrically-powered vehicle, the impact load reduction structure comprising:

a battery frame that is fixed to a vehicle body frame of the electrically-powered vehicle and that supports the battery; and

a load reduction frame that is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the batter frame,

wherein a rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision,

wherein the load reduction frame comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and the battery frame comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on the opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and

wherein front ends of the frames of the battery frame are positioned on extensions of the side frames of the load reduction frame.

18. An impact load reduction structure that reduces an impact load transmitted to a battery for driving an electrically-powered vehicle, the impact load reduction structure comprising:

a battery frame that is fixed to a vehicle body frame of the electrically-powered vehicle and that supports the battery; and

a load reduction frame that is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the battery frame,

wherein a rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision,

wherein the load reduction frame comprises a rear frame extending in a vehicle width direction at the rear section, and the battery frame comprises a font frame extending in the vehicle width direction at the front section, and

wherein the rear frame of the load reduction frame is disposed parallel to the front frame of the battery frame.

19. An impact load reduction structure that reduces an impact load transmitted to a battery for driving an electrically-powered vehicle the impact load reduction structure comprising:

a battery frame that is fixed to a vehicle body frame of the electrically-powered vehicle and that supports the battery; and

a load reduction frame that is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the battery frame,

wherein a rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision,

wherein the load reduction frame comprises a guide that widens in a vertical direction rearward from the rear section so as to guide the front section of the battery frame to a front surface of the rear section of the load reduction frame.

20. An impact load reduction structure that reduces an impact load transmitted to a battery for driving an electrically-powered vehicle, the impact load reduction structure comprising:

a battery frame that is fixed to a vehicle body frame of the electrically-powered vehicle and that supports the battery; and

a load reduction frame that is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the battery frame,

wherein a rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision,

wherein the vehicle body frame comprises front side frames in pairs spaced apart from each other in a vehicle width direction and extending rearward from near a front section of the electrically-powered vehicle and comprises floor side frames in pairs coupled to rear ends of the front side frames and extending rearward under a floor of a vehicle cabin,

wherein the load reduction frame is fixed to front side frames in pairs, and

wherein the battery frame is disposed within the floor side frames in pairs and is fixed to the floor side frames in pairs.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 12, 2017
From: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: SUBARU CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 042624/0886 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2016
From: TSUKADA, TAKEHISA; MATSUDA, HIROSHI
To: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 039705/0788 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-193461 · Sep 30, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170088181A1 · Mar 30, 2017