IP Library Granted Patent US 12,202,545
Granted Patent B2
US 12,202,545 · App. 17/595,200 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Group of motor vehicles with a battery drive vehicle and/or a hybrid drive vehicle and/or a fuel cell drive vehicle and/or an internal combustion engine drive vehicle

Inventors: Richard Eiletz (Deisenhofen, DE); Robert Harrison (Sankt Wolfgang, DE); Robert Loch (Munich, DE); Alexander-Wilhelm Otte (Egenhofen, DE); Christoph Warkotsch (Munich, DE); Alexander Weingardt (Munich, DE)
Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
B62D25/025B60K1/04B60L50/66B60L50/71B62D21/157B62D27/06B60K2001/0438
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,202,545
App. No.
17/595,200
Granted
Jan 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A group of motor vehicles contains at least vehicles of two different vehicle types of the following vehicle types: a battery drive vehicle with only one electric motor drive, a hybrid drive vehicle with an electric motor drive and an internal combustion engine drive, a fuel cell drive vehicle with a fuel cell drive, and an internal combustion engine drive vehicle with only one internal combustion engine drive. All of the vehicle types of the group of motor vehicles have a base assembly with a left-side sill structure, a right-side sill structure, an upper base, a lower base, and a central tunnel structure.

Claims (64)

1. A vehicle comprising:

a floor pan assembly comprising:

a left rocker rail,

a right rocker rail,

an upper floor pan,

a lower floor pan extending from the left rocker rail to the right rocker rail,

a central tunnel, and

an energy storage installation space disposed between the upper floor pan and the lower floor pan and both between the left rocker rail and the central tunnel and between the right rocker rail and the central tunnel,

wherein the central tunnel includes at least one of drive battery lines, vehicle operating equipment lines, electrical lines, and/or interior ventilation lines disposed in the central tunnel,

wherein the vehicle is a battery drive vehicle, a hybrid drive vehicle, a fuel cell drive vehicle, or an internal combustion engine drive vehicle, and

wherein the floor pan assembly comprises:

a drive battery assembly disposed in the energy storage installation space when the vehicle is the battery drive vehicle, the hybrid drive vehicle, or the fuel cell drive vehicle; and

a fuel tank disposed in the energy storage installation space when the vehicle is the internal combustion engine drive vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the central tunnel has a construction based on a vehicle type of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the central tunnel comprises:

one or more chambers, wherein

in a longitudinal direction of the floor pan assembly, the one or more chambers extend across an entire length of the floor pan assembly and are disposed below one another and/or next to one another.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein

the one or more chambers of the central tunnel are configured by one or more longitudinal chassis beams, and/or

the one or more chambers of the central tunnel are configured by the upper floor pan and/or the lower floor pan.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the floor pan assembly further comprises:

a central tunnel energy storage installation space disposed in the central tunnel and which extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein

the vehicle is the fuel cell drive vehicle; and

the fuel cell drive vehicle further comprises:

a fuel pressure vessel disposed in the central tunnel energy storage installation space.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the vehicle is the hybrid drive vehicle; and

the hybrid drive vehicle further comprises:

a fuel tank disposed in the energy storage installation space.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the upper floor pan and/or the lower floor pan are configured to be integral to a body of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the lower floor pan and/or the upper floor pan are releasably fastened.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the upper floor pan and/or the lower floor pan in the central tunnel have a closable opening configured across an entire length of the floor pan assembly.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the floor pan assembly further comprises:

one or more crossbeams disposed between the left rocker rail and the central tunnel and between the right rocker rail and the central tunnel.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the floor pan assembly is configured for absorbing and transmitting collision loads in a vehicle transverse direction and/or vehicle longitudinal direction, and

the right and left rocker rails, the lower floor pan, the upper floor pan, and the central tunnel are configured to transmit collision loads.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the right and left rocker rails is configured to absorb collision energy by deformation.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a floor pan assembly comprising:

a left rocker rail,

a right rocker rail,

an upper floor pan,

a lower floor pan spanning from the left rocker rail to the right rocker rail,

a central tunnel, and

an energy storage installation space disposed between the upper floor pan and the lower floor pan and both between the left rocker rail and the central tunnel and between the right rocker rail and the central tunnel,

wherein the central tunnel includes at least one of drive battery lines, vehicle operating equipment lines, electrical lines, and/or interior ventilation lines disposed in the central tunnel,

wherein the vehicle is at least one of a battery drive vehicle, a hybrid drive vehicle, a fuel cell drive vehicle, or an internal combustion engine drive vehicle, and

wherein the floor pan assembly comprises:

a drive battery assembly disposed in the energy storage installation space when the vehicle is the battery drive vehicle, the hybrid drive vehicle, or the fuel cell drive vehicle; and

a fuel tank disposed in the energy storage installation space when the vehicle is the internal combustion engine drive vehicle.

15. A vehicle floor pan assembly comprising:

a left rocker rail;

a right rocker rail;

an upper floor pan;

a lower floor pan spanning from the left rocker rail to the right rocker rail;

a central tunnel configured to route electrical, interior ventilation, and/or vehicle operating lines; and

an energy storage installation space disposed between the upper floor pan and the lower floor pan and both between the left rocker rail and the central tunnel and between the right rocker rail and the central tunnel and configured to store a drive battery assembly in a first configuration and a fuel tank in a second configuration.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2021
From: EILETZ, RICHARD; HARRISON, ROBERT; LOCH, ROBERT; OTTE, ALEXANDER-WILHELM; WARKOTSCH, CHRISTOPH; WEINGARDT, ALEXANDER
To: BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 058086/0073 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 113 700.4 · May 22, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220212721A1 · Jul 7, 2022
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