IP Library Granted Patent US 11,661,114
Granted Patent B2
US 11,661,114 · App. 17/217,804 · Granted May 30, 2023

Vehicle floor structure

Inventor: Ji Ho Choi (Hwaseong-si, KR)
Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Cornoration
B62D25/2009B60K1/04B62D21/03B60K2001/0438B60K2015/03315B60K2015/0635
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,661,114
App. No.
17/217,804
Granted
May 30, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle floor structure includes a center floor panel, a tunnel extending along a central longitudinal axis of the center floor panel, and having a tunnel cavity, a hydrogen tank located in the tunnel cavity of the tunnel, and a tank support frame configured to support the hydrogen tank so that the hydrogen tank is held in the tunnel cavity.

Claims (57)

1. A vehicle floor structure, comprising:

a center floor panel;

a tunnel extending along a central longitudinal axis of the center floor panel, and having a tunnel cavity;

a hydrogen tank located in the tunnel cavity of the tunnel;

a tank support frame configured to support the hydrogen tank so that the hydrogen tank is held in the tunnel cavity; and

a pair of lower longitudinal members attached to a bottom surface of the center floor panel, and disposed on both edges of the tunnel, respectively;

wherein the tank support frame includes a plurality of tank-side transversal members extending in a width direction of the hydrogen tank, and a tank-side longitudinal member extending in a longitudinal direction of the hydrogen tank; and

wherein the plurality of tank-side transversal members extend in a width direction of the tunnel to connect the pair of lower longitudinal members.

2. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a pair of first lower crossmembers attached to the bottom surface of the center floor panel, being symmetrical to each other with respect to the tunnel, and being adjacent to a front of the tunnel; and

a pair of second lower crossmembers attached to the bottom surface of the center floor panel, being symmetrical to each other with respect to the tunnel, and being adjacent to a rear of the tunnel.

3. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 2 , wherein at least one tank-side transversal member among the plurality of tank-side transversal members is aligned with and connected to the pair of first lower crossmembers along a width direction of a vehicle.

4. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a pair of first seat crossmembers attached to a top surface of the center floor panel; and

a pair of second seat crossmembers attached to the top surface of the center floor panel, and located behind the pair of first seat crossmembers,

wherein the pair of first lower crossmembers are vertically aligned with the pair of first seat crossmembers.

5. A vehicle floor structure, comprising:

a center floor panel;

a tunnel extending along a central longitudinal axis of the center floor panel, and having a tunnel cavity;

a pair of first lower crossmembers attached to a bottom surface of the center floor panel, being symmetrical to each other with respect to the tunnel, and being adjacent to a front of the tunnel;

a pair of second lower crossmembers attached to the bottom surface of the center floor panel, being symmetrical to each other with respect to the tunnel, and being adjacent to a rear of the tunnel; and

a pair of lower longitudinal members attached to the bottom surface of the center floor panel, and disposed on both edges of the tunnel, respectively;

a hydrogen tank located in the tunnel cavity of the tunnel;

a tank support frame configured to support the hydrogen tank so that the hydrogen tank is held in the tunnel cavity, wherein the tank support frame comprises:

a plurality of tank-side transversal members extending in a width direction of the hydrogen tank and extending in a width direction of the tunnel to connect the pair of lower longitudinal members, wherein at least one tank-side transversal member among the plurality of tank-side transversal members is aligned with and connected to the pair of first lower crossmembers along a width direction of a vehicle; and

a tank-side longitudinal member extending in a longitudinal direction of the hydrogen tank;

wherein the pair of first lower crossmembers, the pair of second lower crossmembers, and the pair of lower longitudinal members define a pair of cavities; and

wherein the pair of cavities are symmetrical to each other with respect to the tunnel.

6. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 5 , further comprising a battery pack mounted in at least one cavity of the pair of cavities.

7. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 6 , further comprising a battery support frame configured to support the battery pack so that the battery pack is held in the cavity.

8. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 7 , wherein the battery support frame includes a plurality of battery-side transversal members extending in a width direction of the battery pack.

9. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 8 , wherein at least one battery-side transversal member among the plurality of battery-side transversal members is aligned with and connected to a tank-side transversal member among the plurality of tank-side transversal members along the width direction of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one battery-side transversal member and the at least one tank-side transversal member are connected to one of the pair of lower longitudinal members by a fastener.

11. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 5 , further comprising a third lower crossmember disposed in at least one cavity of the pair of cavities, wherein the third lower crossmember extends in the width direction of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one battery-side transversal member, wherein the at least one battery-side transversal member and at least one tank-side transversal member among the plurality of tank-side transversal members are aligned with and connected to the third lower crossmember along the width direction of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a battery pack mounted in a first cavity of the pair of cavities; and

an electronic component device mounted in a second cavity of the pair of cavities.

14. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 5 , further comprising a pair of battery packs mounted in the pair of cavities, respectively.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

a center floor panel disposed at a bottom of the vehicle body;

a rear floor panel disposed at the bottom the vehicle body and behind the center floor panel in a front-to-back direction of the vehicle body;

a tunnel extending along a central longitudinal axis of the center floor panel, and having a tunnel cavity;

a hydrogen tank located in the tunnel cavity of the tunnel;

a tank support frame configured to support the hydrogen tank so that the hydrogen tank is held in the tunnel cavity; and

a pair of lower longitudinal members attached to a bottom surface of the center floor panel, and disposed on both edges of the tunnel, respectively,

wherein the tank support frame includes a plurality of tank-side transversal members extending in a width direction of the hydrogen tank, and a tank-side longitudinal member extending in a longitudinal direction of the hydrogen tank, and

wherein the plurality of tank-side transversal members extend in a width direction of the tunnel to connect the pair of lower longitudinal members.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 , further comprising:

a pair of first lower crossmembers attached to a bottom surface of the center floor panel, being symmetrical to each other with respect to the tunnel, and being adjacent to a front of the tunnel; and

a pair of second lower crossmembers attached to the bottom surface of the center floor panel, being symmetrical to each other with respect to the tunnel, and being adjacent to a rear of the tunnel.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16 , wherein at least one tank-side transversal member among the plurality of tank-side transversal members is aligned with and connected to the pair of first lower crossmembers along a width direction of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle according to claim 16 , further comprising:

a pair of first seat crossmembers attached to a top surface of the center floor panel; and

a pair of second seat crossmembers attached to the top surface of the center floor panel, and located behind the pair of first seat crossmembers,

wherein the pair of first lower crossmembers are vertically aligned with the pair of first seat crossmembers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2021
From: CHOI, JI HO
To: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055773/0399 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0119042 · Sep 16, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220081040A1 · Mar 17, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,280,649