IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,441,420
Granted Patent B2
US 12,441,420 · App. 17/636,410 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Group of motor vehicles

Inventors: Thomas Breu (Edling, DE); Josip Durmis (Poing, DE); Wolfram Haug (Sauerlach, DE); Joerg Kutzschbach (Petershausen, DE)
Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
B62D63/025B60K1/04B60K5/04B62D25/08B62D25/085B62D25/087B62D25/2018B62D65/04B60K2001/0438
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,441,420
App. No.
17/636,410
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a group of motor vehicles of one vehicle type, hybrid-drive motor vehicles are derived from the electric-drive motor vehicles. By using the architecture of electric-drive motor vehicles for the hybrid-drive motor vehicles, the architecture has a floor pan subassembly that sits in a higher position in comparison to that in motor vehicles having an internal combustion engine drive. An installation space for housing a battery on the underside of the floor pan subassembly is made available, which, in comparison to the motor vehicle in the prior art, allows significantly larger batteries to be housed.

Claims (66)

1. A group of motor vehicles of one vehicle type, comprising:

motor vehicles with three different drive concepts, wherein

the three different drive concepts comprise a combustion engine (“combustion drive”) or an electric motor (“electric drive”) or a combination of a combustion engine and an electric motor (“hybrid drive”),

two different floor panel subassemblies are provided, wherein a first floor panel subassembly, in an installed position in the motor vehicle, is arranged higher than a second floor panel subassembly, wherein

a bodyshell structure of the motor vehicles with the electric drive and of the motor vehicles with hybrid drive have the first floor panel subassembly and

a bodyshell structure of the motor vehicles with the combustion drive have the second floor panel subassembly, and

the motor vehicles with the electric drive and the motor vehicles with the hybrid drive have at least one battery arranged over a large area under the first floor panel subassembly,

wherein two different front-end subassemblies are provided,

wherein floor regions of the bodyshell structures of the motor vehicles are formed, in a manner dependent on the drive concept, by a combination of one of the two front-end subassemblies and one of the two floor panel subassemblies,

wherein the two front-end subassemblies have front longitudinal members, and

wherein:

in the case of a first front-end subassembly, the front longitudinal members end in the region of a bulkhead without continuation in a member structure at the underside of the floor panel subassembly, and

in the case of a second front-end subassembly, the front longitudinal members are adjoined by central longitudinal members which extend into the region underneath the floor panel subassembly.

2. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

the floor regions of the bodyshell structures of the motor vehicles with the electric drive or with the hybrid drive are formed by combination of the first front-end subassembly with the first floor panel subassembly.

3. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

the floor region of the bodyshell structure of the motor vehicles with the combustion drive is formed by combination of the second front-end subassembly with the second floor panel subassembly.

4. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

the floor region of the bodyshell structure of the motor vehicles with the combustion drive is formed by combination of the first front-end subassembly with the first floor panel subassembly.

5. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 4 , wherein

a housing for accommodating components of the motor vehicle is arranged underneath the first floor panel subassembly.

6. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 2 , wherein

in the case of a motor vehicle with the hybrid drive or with the combustion drive, the combustion engine is installed in a transverse direction of the motor vehicle, and

an exhaust system of the motor vehicle ends in the front region of a passenger cell of the motor vehicle.

7. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 4 , wherein

in the case of a motor vehicle with the hybrid drive or with the combustion drive, the combustion engine is installed in a transverse direction of the motor vehicle, and

an exhaust system of the motor vehicle ends in the front region of a passenger cell of the motor vehicle.

8. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 4 , wherein

in the case of a motor vehicle with the hybrid drive or with the combustion drive, a battery which extends over a major part of the vehicle width, or a housing which extends over a major part of the vehicle width, is provided.

9. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

a first embodiment of the first front-end subassembly is configured for accommodating a combustion engine arranged in a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, and

a second embodiment of the first front-end subassembly is configured for accommodating a combustion engine arranged in a transverse direction of the motor vehicle.

10. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

the bodyshell structure of the motor vehicles is configured, in the region underneath a bulkhead of the motor vehicles, for attachment of different batteries.

11. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

a region of side longitudinal members of the motor vehicles is configured for attachment of different batteries.

12. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 11 , wherein

the region of the side longitudinal members of the motor vehicles has a pattern of holes with a multiplicity of screw connection points which pattern is configured for the screw connection of different batteries, wherein the screw connection points for the attachment of the different batteries are at least partially identical.

13. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

the two floor panel subassemblies each have, at a front side, attachment regions that are configured for attachment to a uniform bulkhead.

14. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

the two floor panel subassemblies have different central tunnels that are configured for the attachment of uniform central consoles.

15. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

in the case of the motor vehicles with the hybrid drive, in a region of a central tunnel, at least one battery bridge and/or stiffening bridge is provided which runs transversely with respect to a direction of travel and which connects a right-side and a left-side battery to one another.

16. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

the motor vehicles with the combustion drive and the motor vehicles with the hybrid drive have a fuel tank arranged in front of a rear axle.

17. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

two different luggage compartment floor subassemblies are provided, wherein

a front region of a first luggage compartment floor subassembly, in its installed position in the motor vehicle, is arranged higher than the front region of a second luggage compartment floor subassembly.

18. The group of motor vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein

the motor vehicles are assembled from at least two front-end modules, which are designed as identical parts and which have different spacings of engine mounts, and at least two passenger cell modules with different spacings of the front seats, wherein the front-end modules and the passenger cell modules are combinable so as to form at least two groups of motor vehicles of different vehicle categories.

19. A method for producing a group of motor vehicles of one vehicle type, wherein

the group comprises motor vehicles with three different drive concepts,

the three drive concepts comprise a combustion engine (“combustion drive”) or an electric motor (“electric drive”) or a combination of a combustion engine and an electric motor (“hybrid drive”), and,

to form floor regions of the bodyshell structures of the motor vehicles, two different floor panel subassemblies are provided, wherein a first floor panel subassembly, in its installed position in the motor vehicle, is arranged higher than a second floor panel subassembly,

wherein bodyshell structures of the motor vehicles with the electric drive and of the motor vehicles with the hybrid drive are produced using the first floor panel subassembly,

the bodyshell structure of the motor vehicles with the combustion drive concept are produced using the second floor panel subassembly, and

in case of the motor vehicles with the electric drive and the motor vehicles with the hybrid drive, at least one battery is arranged over a large area under the first floor panel subassembly,

wherein two different front-end subassemblies are provided,

wherein:

floor regions of the bodyshell structures of the motor vehicles with the electric drive or with the hybrid drive are formed by combination of the first front-end subassembly with the first floor panel subassembly,

the floor region of the bodyshell structure of the motor vehicles with the combustion drive is formed by combination of the second front-end subassembly with the second floor panel subassembly,

wherein the two front-end subassemblies have front longitudinal members, and

wherein:

in the case of the first front-end subassembly, the front longitudinal members end in the region of a bulkhead without continuation in a member structure at the underside of the floor panel subassembly, and

in the case of the second front-end subassembly, the front longitudinal members are adjoined by central longitudinal members which extend into the region underneath the floor panel subassembly.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2022
From: BREU, THOMAS; DURMIS, JOSIP; HAUG, WOLFRAM; KUTZSCHBACH, JOERG
To: BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 059931/0171 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 122 195.1 · Aug 19, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220281542A1 · Sep 8, 2022
References Cited (72)
US 6981736B2 · Morsch et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 9096277B2 · Grosse et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 10363979B2 · Haug et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11780336B2 · Dupper · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20060108834A1 · Boulay et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20080169669A1 · Tietje · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20110139534A1 · Klimek et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20150266515A1 · Hulbert · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160272245A1 · Berger et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170113542A1 · Muramatsu et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170246943A1 · Salz-Breuer et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180086401A1 · Haug et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180229787A1 · Harmusz et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180229788A1 · Erlacher et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190061507A1 · Nitta et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20220212721A1 · Eiletz et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220281542A1 · Breu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220281543A1 · Breu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230242195A1 · Beals · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230331323A1 · Haug et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230373289A1 · Grosse et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
CN 1684866A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
CN 102085883A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
CN 105984508A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 106608284A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 107128373A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 107667054A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108423092A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 114269636A · 2022 [cited by applicant]
CN 114269637A · 2022 [cited by applicant]
CN 116157319A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
CN 114269636B · 2023 [cited by applicant]
CN 114269637B · 2023 [cited by applicant]
DE 10154353A1 · 2002 [cited by applicant]
DE 10129738A1 · 2003 [cited by applicant]
DE 102005032180A1 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
DE 102008055738A1 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
DE 102010051783A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
DE 102010011267A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
DE 102011012124A1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
DE 102013000626A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
DE 202014002557U1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
DE 102014215813A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
DE 102015016954A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
DE 102018214265A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 102019122195A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
DE 102020129667A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
GB 2479978A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020230010721A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2004009429A1 · 2004 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2004024543A1 · 2004 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2005056370A1 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2012084085A1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2016192921A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2021032790A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2021032791A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2022006381A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2022037808A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2022049170A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2022101180A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
DE102015016954A1 computer translation (Year: 2016). [cited by examiner]
DE102008055738A1 computer translation (Year: 2010). [cited by examiner]
Computer translation DE10154353A1. [cited by examiner]
Computer translation of WO2004024543A1 (Year: 2004). [cited by examiner]
English translation of Chinese Office Action issued in Chinese Application No. 202080058441.0 dated Apr. 14, 2023 (9 pages). [cited by applicant]
English translation of Chinese Office Action issued in Chinese Application No. 202080058442.5 dated Apr. 14, 2023 (9 pages). [cited by applicant]
International Search Report (PCT/ISA/210) issued in PCT Application No. PCT/EP2020/073225 dated Nov. 16, 2020 with English translation (five (5) pages). [cited by applicant]
German-language Written Opinion (PCT/ISA/237) issued in PCT Application No. PCT/EP2020/073225 dated Nov. 16, 2020 (nine (9) pages). [cited by applicant]
German-language Search Report issued in German Application No. 10 2019 122 195.1 dated Jul. 20, 2020 with partial English translation (13 pages). [cited by applicant]
International Search Report (PCT/ISA/210) issued in PCT Application No. PCT/EP2020/073224 dated Nov. 16, 2020 with English translation (six (6) pages). [cited by applicant]
German-language Written Opinion (PCT/ISA/237) issued in PCT Application No. PCT/EP2020/073224 dated Nov. 16, 2020 (eight (3) pages). [cited by applicant]
U.S. Non-Final Office Action issued in U.S. Appl. No. 17/636,598 dated May 21, 2024 (19 pages). [cited by applicant]