IP Library Granted Patent US 12,415,575
Granted Patent B2
US 12,415,575 · App. 17/938,942 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Vehicle-body structure with controller

Inventors: Takuma Inami (Hiroshima, JP); Nobuyuki Nakayama (Hiroshima, JP); Hiroyuki Baba (Hiroshima, JP); Hiroshi Tanaka (Hiroshima, JP)
Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
B62D25/2045B60H1/00392B60H1/00564B60H1/00571B60H1/246B60K1/04B60L50/60B60L50/66B62D21/11B62D25/20B62D25/2018B60K2001/006B60K2001/0438
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,415,575
App. No.
17/938,942
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle-body structure may include a floor panel constituting a floor of an occupant space, a center frame disposed to be higher than and away from the floor panel at a vehicle-width-direction central portion of the occupant space and extending in a vehicle front-rear direction, and a control device configured to control a control target unit mounted on an automobile. The control device may be arranged at a lower position than a vehicle front portion of the center frame.

Claims (31)

1. A vehicle-body structure provided in an automobile, the vehicle-body structure comprising:

a floor panel constituting a floor of an occupant space including a seat on which a passenger sits;

a center frame disposed to be higher than and away from the floor panel at a vehicle-width-direction central portion of the occupant space and extending in a vehicle front-rear direction;

a controller that is configured to control a control target structure mounted on the automobile; and

a connecting structure extending upward from the floor panel, having an upper portion fixed to the center frame, and connecting the center frame to the floor panel, wherein

the controller is arranged at a lower position than a front portion of the center frame,

the connecting structure includes a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure, the first connecting structure being provided on a vehicle front side of the controller, and the second connecting structure being provided on a vehicle rear side of the controller,

the floor panel includes a cross structure extending in a vehicle width direction such that the cross structure intersects with the center frame in a plan view in the occupant space, the cross structure includes a front-portion cross structure and an intermediate cross structure, and

the first connecting structure and the second connecting structure extend upward from the front-portion cross structure and the intermediate cross structure respectively, the first connecting structure and the second structure each have the upper portion fixed to the center frame, and connect the center frame to the front-portion cross structure and the intermediate cross structure respectively.

2. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 1 , comprising:

an air-conditioner provided on a vehicle front side of the center frame; and

an air introducing duct that provides communication between a vent portion provided to the air-conditioner and inside of the center frame formed in a hollow shape and through which air-conditioned air vented out of the vent portion is introduced into the center frame, wherein

the air introducing duct is arranged at a higher position than the controller.

3. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 2 , wherein

an instrument panel is arranged at a higher position than a front portion of the center frame.

4. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 1 , further comprising

a dash panel extending upward from a front portion of the floor panel and partitioning a vehicle front portion of the occupant space, wherein

the front portion of the center frame is connected to the dash panel.

5. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 1 , wherein

an instrument panel is arranged at a higher position than the front portion of the center frame.

6. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 2 ,

wherein the air-conditioner is closer to the controller than a powertrain mounted on the automobile.

7. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the center frame includes a left-side frame structure and a right-side frame structure constituting the front portion of the center frame, and the left-side frame structure and the right-side frame structure are provided at an interval from each other in the right-left direction.

8. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 2 , wherein the air introducing duct is a structure that constitutes part of the center frame.

9. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 2 , wherein the center frame includes a front-side frame structure extending in the front-rear direction, a rear-side frame structure disposed on the vehicle rear side of the front-side frame structure and extending toward the rear side, and a connection structure connecting a rear portion of the front-side frame structure and a front portion of the rear-side frame structure.

10. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 9 , wherein a front portion of the air introducing duct is connected to the vent portion, and a rear portion of the air introducing duct is connected to the front portion of the front-side frame structure of the center frame.

11. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 9 , wherein the front-side frame structure is tilted at a first tilt angle relative to a horizontal plane and extends straight, and the rear-side frame structure is tilted at a second tilt angle smaller than the first tilt angle relative to the horizontal plane and extends straight.

12. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 9 , wherein the front-side frame structure is positioned higher than the rear-side frame structure relative to the floor panel.

13. The vehicle-body structure according to claim 10 , wherein the air-conditioner is disposed on a front side of a front portion of the front-side frame structure.

14. An automobile comprising the vehicle-body structure according to claim 1 .

15. The automobile of claim 14 , wherein the automobile is an electric vehicle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2022
From: INAMI, TAKUMA; NAKAYAMA, NOBUYUKI; BABA, HIROYUKI; TANAKA, HIROSHI
To: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061014/0304 →
Priority Claims (5)
JP 2021-161834 · Sep 30, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183253 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183255 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183319 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183336 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63403800 · Sep 5, 2022
Related Publication 20230094047A1 · Mar 30, 2023
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