IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,636,944
Granted Patent B2
US 12,636,944 · App. 18/110,372 · Granted May 26, 2026

Vehicle-body structure

Inventors: Eiji Kamemoto (Hiroshima, JP); Takehiro Kamei (Hiroshima, JP); Taiki Yotsuyanagi (Hiroshima, JP)
Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
B60K1/04B62D21/11B60K2001/0438B60L50/60
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 12,636,944
App. No.
18/110,372
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Peripheral components in a lower portion of a vehicle body are enabled to be efficiently mounted on the vehicle body with high mounting rigidity. To achieve efficient mounting and high mounting rigidity, a vehicle-body structure includes a battery protection frame which has a hollow cross-section. A partition wall portion is provided in an internal portion of the battery protection frame. Plural closed cross-section portions are formed in the battery protection frame by wall portions and the partition wall portion. Peripheral components which are different from each other are mounted on the plural closed cross-section portions.

Claims (41)

1 . A vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle, comprising:

a floor panel;

a battery disposed below the floor panel, the battery supplying electric power to a traveling motor of the electric vehicle;

a battery protection frame which is fixed to a vehicle body, protects the battery, and has a hollow cross-section, wherein

a partition wall portion which divides a space in an internal portion of the battery protection frame and wherein the partition wall portion is disposed within the internal portion of the battery protection frame,

a plurality of closed cross-section portions are formed in the battery protection frame by a wall portion and the partition wall portion, wherein the wall portion is an outer surface of the battery protection frame, and

a plurality of peripheral components to be disposed on a periphery of the battery protection frame are mounted on the plurality of closed cross-section portions, wherein each closed cross-section portion of the plurality of closed cross-section portions has at least one peripheral component of the plurality of peripheral components mounted thereon, and wherein respective different peripheral components are each mounted on respective different closed cross-section portions.

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

a plurality of nut and bolt assemblies mount a peripheral component of the peripheral components to one closed cross-section portion among the plurality of closed cross-section portions.

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

a first closed cross-section portion, a second closed cross-section portion, and a third closed cross-section portion are formed in the battery protection frame,

a vehicle body component which is a part of the vehicle body is mounted on the first closed cross-section portion,

a first peripheral component which is a part of a member supporting a suspension apparatus is mounted on the second closed cross-section portion, and

a second peripheral component which is a part of a battery unit including the battery is mounted on the third closed cross-section portion.

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

the battery protection frame extends in a vehicle width direction and is disposed below the vehicle body component, and

the first closed cross-section portion is formed in an upper-side portion of the battery protection frame.

5 . The vehicle-body structure according to claim 4 , wherein

the battery protection frame extends in the vehicle width direction at a position rearward of the battery,

the first closed cross-section portion is formed in a vehicle rear-side portion of the battery protection frame, and

the third closed cross-section portion is formed in a vehicle front-side portion of the battery protection frame.

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

the partition wall portion includes a first partition wall portion which extends in a vehicle front-rear direction and a vehicle width direction and a second partition wall portion which extends in an up-down direction and the vehicle width direction, and

the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion are joined together at an intersection where the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion meet.

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

a first closed cross-section portion, a second closed cross-section portion, and a third closed cross-section portion are formed in the battery protection frame,

a vehicle body component which is a part of the vehicle body is mounted on the first closed cross-section portion,

a first peripheral component which is a part of a member supporting a suspension apparatus is mounted on the second closed cross-section portion, and

a second peripheral component which is a part of a battery unit including the battery is mounted on the third closed cross-section portion.

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

the partition wall portion includes a first partition wall portion which extends in a vehicle front-rear direction and a vehicle width direction and a second partition wall portion which extends in an up-down direction and the vehicle width direction, and

the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion are joined together at an intersection where the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion meet.

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

the partition wall portion includes a first partition wall portion which extends in a vehicle front-rear direction and a vehicle width direction and a second partition wall portion which extends in an up-down direction and the vehicle width direction, and

the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion are joined together at an intersection where the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion meet.

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

the partition wall portion includes a first partition wall portion which extends in a vehicle front-rear direction and a vehicle width direction and a second partition wall portion which extends in an up-down direction and the vehicle width direction, and

the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion are joined together at an intersection where the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion meet.

11 . The vehicle-body structure according to claim 4 , wherein

the partition wall portion includes a first partition wall portion which extends in a vehicle front-rear direction and a vehicle width direction and a second partition wall portion which extends in an up-down direction and the vehicle width direction, and

the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion are joined together at an intersection where the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion meet.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2023
From: KAMEMOTO, EIJI; KAMEI, TAKEHIRO; YOTSUYANAGI, TAIKI
To: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062717/0333 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-026788 · Feb 24, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230264562A1 · Aug 24, 2023
References Cited (69)
US 5501289A · Nishikawa · 1996 [cited by examiner]
US 8336658B2 · Rawlinson · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 8479858B2 · Kodaira · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8608230B2 · Young · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8668248B2 · Ishizono · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 8702161B2 · Charbonneau · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 8733487B2 · Usami · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 8833839B2 · Young · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 9259998B1 · Leanza · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9281505B2 · Hihara · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 10112470B2 · Hamilton · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10131381B2 · Ashraf · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10259506B2 · Ayukawa · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10279693B2 · Shimizu · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10421345B2 · Kerspe · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10464406B2 · Kawabe et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10589790B2 · Ayukawa · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10597081B2 · Ayukawa · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10632827B2 · Ajisaka · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10688856B2 · Kasai · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10752292B2 · Kawase · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10780923B2 · Caliskan · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10829156B2 · Otoguro · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10894469B2 · Page · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 10938007B2 · Wesche · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 10988186B2 · Makowski · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11040740B2 · Grottke · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11059519B2 · Persson · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11124244B2 · Kim · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11148721B2 · Liu · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11173776B2 · Sasaki · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11220298B2 · Matsuda · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11485416B2 · Lian · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11565578B2 · Shimizu · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11753077B2 · Kellner · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 12103376B2 · Satou et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 12145653B2 · Sotty · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12220980B2 · Lee · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12246777B2 · Tanaka · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12388132B2 · Wang · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12388138B2 · Guo · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12388145B2 · Handing · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12391108B2 · Korada · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12401078B2 · Ishitobi · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12434546B2 · Boeck · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12434717B2 · Bobel · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12441411B2 · Athmani · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12448054B2 · Carl · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12451551B2 · Burja · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12454171B2 · Danneberg · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12489164B2 · Lee · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12496891B2 · Imashioya · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12503171B2 · Erber · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12533940B2 · Reich · 2026 [cited by examiner]
US 12548841B2 · Arai · 2026 [cited by examiner]
US 12555869B2 · Ren · 2026 [cited by examiner]
US 12573698B2 · Munjurulimana · 2026 [cited by examiner]
US 20120223113A1 · Gaisne · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20180065461A1 · Maier · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190393459A1 · Wesche et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210101464A1 · Matsushima · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220016966A1 · Kecalevic et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
DE 102019220252A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
DE 102020119504A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
EP 3588609A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2020105283A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2020120068A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Extended European search report issued on Jul. 20, 2023, in corresponding European patent Application No. 23157178.7, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action issued Jan. 21, 2025 in corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-026788, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]