IP Library Granted Patent US 11,400,983
Granted Patent B2
US 11,400,983 · App. 17/199,982 · Granted Aug 2, 2022

Vehicle lower section structure

Inventor: Masaru Toyota (Toyota, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B62D25/02B60J5/06B60R9/04B62D21/157B62D25/025B62D25/06B62D25/2036B60K1/04B60K2001/0438B60Y2306/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,400,983
App. No.
17/199,982
Granted
Aug 2, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle lower section structure includes a battery unit that is disposed below a floor panel, a sliding door that is provided to a side section of a vehicle body, and a lower hinge that is attached to a lower portion of the sliding door, that supports the sliding door with respect to the vehicle body such that the sliding door is capable of sliding in a vehicle front-rear direction, and that is disposed further toward a vehicle upper side than the battery unit.

Claims (22)

1. A vehicle lower section structure comprising:

a battery unit disposed at a vehicle lower side of a floor panel;

a rocker having an upper face;

a step under-panel disposed between the floor panel and the rocker, the step under-panel includes a vertical wall and a transverse wall, the vertical wall extends upward from the upper face of the rocker, the transverse wall extends toward a vehicle width direction inner side from an upper end portion of the vertical wall;

a sliding door provided at a side section of a vehicle body; and

a lower hinge that is disposed further toward a vehicle upper side than the battery unit, that is attached to a lower portion of the sliding door, and that supports the sliding door with respect to the vehicle body so as to be slidable in a vehicle front-rear direction, the lower hinge disposed so as to overlap with the transverse wall of the step under-panel as viewed from above the vehicle.

2. The vehicle lower section structure of claim 1 , wherein the lower hinge includes a load roller, the load roller contacts the transverse wall of the step under-panel.

3. The vehicle lower section structure of claim 1 , wherein the battery unit is disposed so as to overlap with the lower hinge as viewed from above the vehicle.

4. The vehicle lower section structure of claim 1 , wherein:

the vehicle body is provided with a step used when entering or leaving the vehicle; and

a lower guide to guide the lower hinge is integrally formed at the step such that the lower hinge is movable in the vehicle front-rear direction.

5. The vehicle lower section structure of claim 4 , wherein:

an opening/closing device of the sliding door is attached to the step; and

the opening/closing device is disposed further toward the vehicle upper side than the battery unit.

6. The vehicle lower section structure of claim 1 , further comprising a side member that is disposed at a lower face side of the floor panel so as to configure a closed cross-section with the floor panel and so as to be disposed further toward the vehicle upper side than the battery unit.

7. The vehicle lower section structure of claim 1 , wherein a shock absorbing member is disposed further toward a vehicle width direction outer side than the battery unit.

8. The vehicle lower section structure of claim 7 , wherein:

the rocker extends along the vehicle front-rear direction at a lower section of the vehicle body; and

the shock absorbing member is disposed within a cross-section of the rocker.

9. The vehicle lower section structure of claim 7 , wherein:

a peripheral wall is provided at a side portion of the battery unit, the peripheral wall being partitioned into a plurality of closed cross-sections arranged along a vehicle vertical direction by an up-down partitioning wall extending in the vehicle width direction; and

the shock absorbing member is disposed at the vehicle width direction outer side of the peripheral wall, and is partitioned into a plurality of closed cross-sections arranged along the vehicle width direction by a left-right partitioning wall extending in the vehicle vertical direction.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2021
From: TOYOTA, MASARU
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 055577/0134 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-112974 · Jun 13, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16405170 · May 7, 2019
Related Publication 20210197898A1 · Jul 1, 2021