IP Library Granted Patent US 12,319,356
Granted Patent B2
US 12,319,356 · App. 17/938,966 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Electric-vehicle-body structure having a center frame that is higher than a floor panel

Inventors: Takuma Inami (Hiroshima, JP); Nobuyuki Nakayama (Hiroshima, JP); Hiroyuki Baba (Hiroshima, JP)
Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
B62D25/2009B62D25/20B62D25/2018B62D25/2027B62D25/2045B60H1/00564B60K1/04B60K2001/0438B60N2/005B62D21/17
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,319,356
App. No.
17/938,966
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle-body structure includes 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 front-rear direction, and connecting members each extending upward from the floor panel, having an upper portion fixed to the center frame, and connecting the center frame to the floor panel.

Claims (73)

1. An electric-vehicle-body structure provided in an electric vehicle including a traveling motor and a battery that supplies electric power to the traveling motor, the electric-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; 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

a rear end of the center frame is disposed rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction more than a position where the seat is attached to the floor panel,

the center frame includes a bend portion that bends downward,

the center frame includes a front-side member extending in the front-rear direction and a rear-side frame member disposed on a vehicle rear side of the front-side frame member and extending toward a rear side of the electric-vehicle body structure,

the front-side frame member is tilted at a first tilt angle relative to a horizontal plane, and

the rear-side frame member is tilted at a second tilt angle smaller than the first tilt angle relative to the horizontal plane.

2. An electric-vehicle-body structure provided in an electric vehicle including a traveling motor and a battery that supplies electric power to the traveling motor, the electric-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; 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

a rear end of the center frame is disposed rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction more than a position where the seat is attached to the floor panel,

the connecting structure includes a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure separately disposed on a vehicle rear side from the first connecting structure,

a lower portion of the first connecting structure and a lower portion of the second connecting structure are fixed to respective sites separated from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction on the floor panel,

an upper portion of the first connecting structure and an upper portion of the second connecting structure are fixed to respective sites separated from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction on the center frame,

the center frame includes a bend portion that bends downward,

the center frame includes a front-side member extending in the front-rear direction and a rear-side frame member disposed on a vehicle rear side of the front-side frame member and extending toward a rear side of the electric-vehicle body structure,

the front-side frame member is tilted at a first tilt angle relative to a horizontal plane, and

the rear-side frame member is tilted at a second tilt angle smaller than the first tilt angle relative to the horizontal plane.

3. An electric-vehicle-body structure provided in an electric vehicle including a traveling motor and a battery that supplies electric power to the traveling motor, the electric-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; 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

a rear end of the center frame is disposed rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction more than a position where the seat is attached to the floor panel,

the floor panel includes a cross structure extending in a vehicle width direction,

a lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to the cross structure,

the cross structure includes a bracket which supports the seat, and

the lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to the bracket.

4. An electric-vehicle-body structure provided in an electric vehicle including a traveling motor and a battery that supplies electric power to the traveling motor, the electric-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; 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

a rear end of the center frame is disposed rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction more than a position where the seat is attached to the floor panel,

the connecting structure includes a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure separately disposed on a vehicle rear side from the first connecting structure,

a lower portion of the first connecting structure and a lower portion of the second connecting structure are fixed to respective sites separated from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction on the floor panel,

an upper portion of the first connecting structure and an upper portion of the second connecting structure are fixed to respective sites separated from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction on the center frame,

the floor panel includes a cross structure extending in a vehicle width direction,

a lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to the cross structure,

the cross structure includes a bracket which supports the seat, and

the lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to the bracket.

5. An electric-vehicle-body structure provided in an electric vehicle including a traveling motor and a battery that supplies electric power to the traveling motor, the electric-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; 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

a rear end of the center frame is disposed rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction more than a position where the seat is attached to the floor panel,

the connecting structure includes a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure separately disposed on a vehicle rear side from the first connecting structure,

a lower portion of the first connecting structure and a lower portion of the second connecting structure are fixed to respective sites separated from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction on the floor panel,

an upper portion of the first connecting structure and an upper portion of the second connecting structure are fixed to respective sites separated from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction on the center frame,

a closed cross-section structure is constituted in a side view by the center frame, the first connecting structure, the floor panel, and the second connecting structure,

the floor panel includes a cross structure extending in a vehicle width direction,

a lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to the cross structure,

the cross structure includes a bracket which supports the seat, and

the lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to the bracket.

6. An electric-vehicle-body structure provided in an electric vehicle including a traveling motor and a battery that supplies electric power to the traveling motor, the electric-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; 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

a rear end of the center frame is disposed rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction more than a position where the seat is attached to the floor panel,

the connecting structure includes a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure separately disposed on a vehicle rear side from the first connecting structure,

a lower portion of the first connecting structure and a lower portion of the second connecting structure are fixed to respective sites separated from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction on the floor panel,

an upper portion of the first connecting structure and an upper portion of the second connecting structure are fixed to respective sites separated from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction on the center frame,

a closed cross-section structure is constituted in a side view by the center frame, the first connecting structure, the floor panel, and the second connecting structure,

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

a front portion of the center frame is connected to the dash panel,

the connecting structure is separately disposed on a vehicle rear side from the dash panel,

a lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to a site on the floor panel, the site on the floor panel being separated on the vehicle rear side from the dash panel,

the upper portion of the connecting structure is fixed to a site on the center frame, the site on the center frame being separated on the vehicle rear side from the dash panel,

the floor panel includes a cross structure extending in a vehicle width direction,

the lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to the cross structure,

the cross structure includes a bracket which supports the seat, and

the lower portion of the connecting structure is fixed to the bracket.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2022
From: INAMI, TAKUMA; NAKAYAMA, NOBUYUKI; BABA, HIROYUKI
To: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061008/0777 →
Priority Claims (6)
JP 2021-161834 · Sep 30, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183238 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183245 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183251 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183312 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
JP 2021-183323 · Nov 10, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63403872 · Sep 6, 2022
Related Publication 20230112413A1 · Apr 13, 2023
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