WO2020115840A1 - Chassis for electric vehicle, and electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

This chassis for an electric vehicle has: a floor surface; a base having a bottom surface on the opposite side from the floor surface; a front side frame that is located forward of the base, and forms a shock-absorbing region when an impact is inputted from the front; and a plurality of motors located on the outer sides in the left-right direction of the base, the plurality of motors being driven by power supplied from a battery and rotating the wheels, and being the same number as the number of wheels, or less than the number of wheels. A left-side surface and a right-side surface are formed by the base and the front side frame; the rear end of the front side frame is located on the outer side of a wheel base, where the wheel base is a gap between the wheel center of the frontmost row of wheels and the wheel center of the rearmost row of wheels, among the wheels; the upper end of the left-side surface and the right-side surface is located on the upper side in relation to the wheel center of the wheels; and the lower end of the left-side surface and the right-side surface is located on the lower side in relation to the wheel center of the wheels.

Description

Chassis for electric vehicles and electric vehicles

The present invention relates to a chassis for an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle.

For example, Japanese Patent No. 5062228 discloses a front-wheel drive vehicle. A suspension member is fixed to the front body in front of the driver's seat of this automobile. A motor unit is arranged above the suspension member. In the motor unit, a drive shaft that transmits power when the wheel is rotated extends in both the left direction and the right direction of the motor unit. The drive shafts penetrate the left side surface and the right side surface of the front body and project outward, and wheels are attached to respective distal ends.
When a vehicle of Japanese Patent No. 5062228 undergoes a frontal collision, for example, the collision load is distributed and borne by the front body and the suspension member.
The front body and the suspension member of the automobile of Japanese Patent No. 5062228 have a structure for penetrating the drive shaft, so that the structure for dispersing the collision load is complicated when the automobile collides with the front surface, for example.
In an electric vehicle, for example, a body and a chassis having a structure that is as simple as possible are desired to have a technique capable of distributing and carrying a collision load of a frontal collision.

An object of the present invention is to provide an undercarriage for an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle that can bear a collision load when the electric vehicle collides, for example, in a frontal collision, with a simple structure.
An undercarriage for an electric vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention is a base having a floor surface and a bottom surface opposite to the floor surface, and is in a front direction with respect to the base, and an impact from the front is input. A front side frame that serves as a buffer area when it is turned on and a lateral outside of the base, which is driven by electric power supplied from a battery to rotate the wheels. The same number as the number of the wheels or more than the number of the wheels. It has a small number of motors. Left side and right side are formed by the base and the front side frame, and when the wheel center is defined between the wheel center of the front row wheel and the wheel center of the last row wheel among the wheels, The rear end of the front side frame is outside the wheel base, the upper ends of the left side face and the right side face are above the wheel center of the wheel, and the lower ends of the left side face and the right side face are of the wheel. Located below the wheel center.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an electric vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a schematic side view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle according to the first embodiment is viewed from the left side. FIG. 2B is a schematic top view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle as seen from the direction indicated by arrow 2B in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C is a schematic bottom view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle as seen from the direction indicated by arrow 2C in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2D is a schematic front view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow 2D in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2E is a schematic rear view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle as seen from the direction indicated by arrow 2E in FIG. 2A. FIG. 3A is a positional relationship between a front side frame, a square pipe (battery storage part), a rear side frame, a front cap, a rear cap, a battery, a front pressure reducing valve, and a rear pressure reducing valve of a chassis of the electric vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the battery is stored in the battery storage part by covering the battery storage part with a front cap and a rear cap. FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the front cap and the rear cap are released from the battery storage portion shown in FIG. 3A so that the battery can be taken in and out of the battery storage portion. FIG. 4A is a schematic side view showing an electric vehicle as viewed from the left side of the electric vehicle according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4B is a schematic top view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle seen from the direction shown by arrow 4B in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4C is a schematic bottom view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle as seen from the direction indicated by arrow 4C in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4D is a schematic front view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle as seen from the direction indicated by arrow 4D in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4E is a schematic rear view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle as seen from the direction indicated by arrow 4E in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4F is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the chassis of the electric vehicle, taken along line 4F-4F in FIG. 4B. FIG. 4G is a schematic sectional view taken along the line 4G-4G in FIG. 4A, showing the chassis of the electric vehicle. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the plate-shaped body, the battery box, and the seat arrangement portion of the electric vehicle according to the modified example of the second embodiment.

A mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment described below, an example of the electric vehicles 10 and 210 that does not emit carbon dioxide and other harmful substances when stopped and running will be described.

(First embodiment)
The electric vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3B.
In the electric vehicle 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 2E, a longitudinal direction, a horizontal direction, and a vertical direction are defined.
In the general electric vehicle 10, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are always constant. When the electric vehicle 10 is moved by so-called automatic driving, there is a possibility that a predetermined driver's seat S1, a steering wheel SW, etc., which will be described later, become unnecessary. When the electric vehicle 10 is moved by automatic driving, the vertical direction of the electric vehicle 10 is always constant, but the front direction, front direction, rear direction, left direction, right direction. ) May change depending on the direction of travel. When the electric vehicle 10 is moved by automatic driving, the front side frame 24, which will be described later, can be a rear side frame, the rear side frame 26 can be a front side frame, and the left side frame 28 can be a right side frame, depending on the traveling direction. And the right side frame 30 can be a left side frame.

The left side frame 28 is fixed to the left side of a left side sill 62, which will be described later, of the base 22 by, for example, welding, and further bolted if necessary. The right side frame 30 is fixed to the right side of a right side sill 64, which will be described later, of the base 22 by, for example, welding, and further bolted if necessary.
The left side frame 28 and the right side frame 30 are imaginary along the vertical direction orthogonal to the left-right direction at the center in the left-right direction of the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the base 22 described later (the center of the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48). It is preferable that they are formed symmetrically with respect to the plane IS.

The chassis 12 of the electric vehicle 10 described in the present embodiment will be described as having four wheels, two wheels on the front side and two wheels on the rear side. The chassis 12 may have four wheels on the front side and two wheels on the rear side. The chassis 12 may have two wheels on the front side and four wheels on the rear side. The number of wheels and tires attached to the chassis 12 is set appropriately.

The electric vehicle 10 has a chassis (platform) 12 and a body 14 attached to the chassis 12. The body 14 is attached to the upper side of the chassis 12 and forms a passenger space together with a base 22 of the chassis 12 which will be described later. The body 14 can employ an appropriate structure. The body 14 may have a so-called frame structure (ladder structure), or may have a so-called monocoque structure capable of absorbing energy at the time of collision with an object in cooperation with the chassis 12. The body 14 is provided with connectors (not shown) for charging batteries B1, B2, B3, B4, which will be described later.

The chassis 12 has, for example, a base (main frame) 22, a front side frame 24, and a rear side frame 26. An occupant space (occupant room) is formed on the upper side of the base 22 together with the body 14. The front side frame 24 is in the front direction with respect to the base 22. The rear side frame 26 is rearward with respect to the base 22. In this embodiment, the chassis 12 includes a left side frame 28 and a right side frame 30. The left side frame 28 is on the left side (left side) with respect to the base 22. The right side frame 30 is on the right side (right side) of the base 22. The left side frame 28 and the right side frame 30 are not always necessary depending on the shapes of side sills 62 and 64 described later.
In this embodiment, the front end 22a of the base 22 is a front end (one end) in the front-rear direction of square pipes (battery boxes) 52, 54, 56, 58 described later. The rear end 22b of the base 22 is the rear end (other end) of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 in the front-rear direction.

Front side suspensions FS1 and FS2 and rear side suspensions RS1 and RS2 are attached to the base 22. The suspensions FS1 and FS2 are provided between the base 22 and/or the front side frame 24 and the wheels FW1 and FW2. The suspensions RS1 and RS2 are provided between the base 22 and/or the rear side frame 26 and the wheels RW1 and RW2.
As the suspensions FS1, FS2, RS1, RS2, it is preferable to use an independent type suspension in which the wheels FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2 independently move. The suspensions FS1, FS2, RS1, RS2 are appropriately selected from various types. Here, as an example, a strut type is used. In the suspension FS1, a motor FM1, a brake, a strut, a lower arm (suspension arm), etc. are supported by a known knuckle. The other suspensions FS2, RS1, RS2 are formed in the same manner. The front side suspensions FS1 and FS2 and the rear side suspensions RS1 and RS2 may be different types.
The struts of the suspension FS1 are supported by the floor surface 42 of the chassis 12, the left side surface 46, or the body 14. Similarly, the struts of the suspension FS2 are supported by the floor surface 42, the right side surface 48, or the body 14 of the chassis 12.
A motor FM1 is attached to the suspension FS1. A wheel FW1 is attached to the motor FM1. Similarly, a wheel FW2 is attached to the suspension FS2 via a motor FM2. A wheel RW1 is attached to the suspension RS1 via a motor RM1. A wheel RW2 is attached to the suspension RS2 via a motor RM2. The motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2 are arranged in the wheels FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2, respectively. Therefore, the motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2 are formed as in-wheel motors. The motors FM1 and FM2 are outside the base 22 and the front side frame 24 in the left-right direction. The motors RM1 and RM2 are outside the base 22 and the rear side frame 26 in the left-right direction.
An inverter INV is electrically connected via electric wires between the motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2 and the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4. The inverter INV converts a direct current from the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 into an alternating current and adjusts the frequency and the amount of current. The inverter INV is provided in the left side frame 28 as an example. The inverter INV may be arranged on the light side frame 30, the front side frame 24, or the rear side frame 26. The inverter INV is controlled by the control unit ECU via an electric wire. As an example, the control unit ECU is arranged in the light side frame 30. The control unit ECU controls the steering wheel SW, the accelerator, the brake, and the like in addition to the inverter INV.
The motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2 are driven by electric power supplied from batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 arranged in the base 22 to rotate the wheels FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2. Each of the motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2 is driven while the number of revolutions thereof is independently controlled by an inverter INV arranged at an appropriate position.
Tires (not shown) are attached to the respective wheels FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2.
A brake system such as a brake disc (not shown) is preferably attached to each of the motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2. The brake disk may be unnecessary depending on the control performance of each motor FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2 by the inverter INV.

▽The center of rotation of the front wheels FW1 and FW2 is assumed to be coaxial, and the center of rotation C1 is taken. The center of rotation of the rear wheels RW1 and RW2 is assumed to be coaxial, and the center of rotation C2 is taken. The wheelbase is defined as the distance between the centers of rotation C1, C2. The wheel base is defined as between the wheel center C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2 in the front row and the wheel center C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2 in the last row even if the chassis 12 has more than four wheels. ..

In the present embodiment, an example of four-wheel drive in which motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2 are attached to each suspension FS1, FS2, RS1, RS2 will be described. In the case of front-wheel drive, the motors RM1 and RM2 in the wheels RW1 and RW2 may be unnecessary. In this case, the wheels RW1 and RW2 are supported by the suspensions RS1 and RS2. In the case of rear-wheel drive, the motors FM1 and FM2 in the wheels FW1 and FW2 may be unnecessary. In this case, the wheels FW1 and FW2 are supported by the suspensions FS1 and FS2. In addition, the motor may be provided only on one of the four wheels FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2 as long as the balance can be achieved during traveling.
Depending on the performance of the motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2, the horsepower required for the electric vehicle 10, etc., the motors may be present only on some wheels but not all. That is, the number of wheels and the number of motors may be the same, or the number of wheels may be larger than the number of motors. If there is no motor in the wheel, the wheel is rotatably supported, for example, with respect to the knuckle (hub) of the suspension.

Here, it is assumed that the front side frame 24 is on the front side of the front end 22a of the base 22 and the rear side of the front end 22a is the base 22. The front side of the rear end 22b of the base 22 is the base 22, and the rear side of the rear end 22b is the rear side frame 26. In the present embodiment, the front end 22a is at the same position as the axis C1 or in front of it in the front-rear direction. The rear end 22b is located at the same position as the axis C2 or behind the axis C2 in the front-rear direction. It is assumed that the front side frame 24 is located on the front side of the position separated from the wheel base, and the rear side frame 26 is located on the rear side of the position separated from the wheel base. That is, the rear end of the front side frame 24 is located at the same position as the axis C1 along the front-rear direction or on the front side (outside) of the wheel base. The front end of the rear side frame 26 is located at the same position as the axis C2 along the front-rear direction or on the rear side (outside) of the wheel base.

The appearance of the base 22 is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped. The base 22 has a floor surface 42 and a bottom surface 44 opposite to the floor surface 42 and facing the road surface. The floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 are formed flat in this embodiment. The floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 are not limited to the flat state, and a protrusion may be formed by, for example, attaching an appropriate component.

The chassis 12 is formed by a side sill 62 of the base 22 described later and a left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 described later, and has a left side surface 46 extending in the front-rear direction. The left side surface 46 is formed by a continuous surface facing the left side sill 62 and the left front frame 72 toward the outside in the left direction. The chassis 12 is formed by a side sill 64 of the base 22 described later and a right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 described later, and has a right side surface 48 extending in the front-rear direction. The right side surface 48 is formed such that the right side sill 64 and the surface of the right front frame 74 facing outward in the right direction are continuously formed.

1 or more sheets are placed on the floor 42. Here, an example in which four sheets S1, S2, S3, S4 are placed on the floor surface 42 will be described. The number of sheets is set appropriately.

The length of the floor surface 42, the bottom surface 44, and the pair of side surfaces 46, 48 along the front-rear direction is longer than the length (width) along the left-right direction. The distance between the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 (thickness of the base 22) is formed smaller than the length of the base 22 along the left-right direction.
The length of the base 22 along the front-rear direction is, for example, 1200 mm to 2200 mm, the length (width) along the left-right direction is, for example, 800 mm to 1500 mm, and the length (height) along the vertical direction is For example, it is 100 mm to 150 mm.

The rotation center C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2 is between the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the base 22. The upper end of the front side frame 24 is above the rotation center (wheel center) C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2. The lower end of the front side frame 24 is below the rotation center (wheel center) C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2.
In the chassis 12 according to the present embodiment, the motors FM1 and FM2 are attached to the wheels FW1 and FW2. Therefore, the base 22 and/or the front side frame 24 do not need a through hole for passing the drive shaft. The left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48 of the base 22 and the front side frame 24 of the chassis 12 are formed without holes. In particular, when the rotation center C1 of the wheel FW1 is extended from the wheel FW1 toward the left side surface 46, no hole is formed in the intersection area with the left side surface 46. When the rotation center C1 of the wheel FW2 is extended from the wheel FW2 toward the right side surface 48, no hole is formed in the intersection region with the right side surface 48. That is, the positions of the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48 where the extension lines of the wheel centers C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2 in the front row intersect are closed without a hole. Therefore, it is not necessary to form the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48 of the base 22 and the front side frame 24 into complicated shapes. Since it is not necessary to form the holes in the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48, the degree of freedom in designing the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48 can be increased.
A left front frame 72 and a right front frame 74, which will be described later, of the front side frame 24 are preferably hollow and substantially rectangular when viewed in a cross section defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. That is, the cross section of the front side frame 24 orthogonal to the axis extending in the front direction (front-rear direction) is substantially rectangular.

The rotation center C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2 is between the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the base 22. The upper end of the rear side frame 26 is above the rotation center (wheel center) C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2. The lower end of the rear side frame 26 is below the rotation center (wheel center) C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2.
In the chassis 12 according to this embodiment, the motors RM1 and RM2 are attached to the wheels RW1 and RW2. Therefore, the base 22 and/or the rear side frame 26 need not have a through hole through which the drive shaft is inserted. The left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48 of the base 22 and the rear side frame 26 are formed without a hole. That is, the positions of the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48 where the extension lines of the wheel centers C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2 in the last row intersect are closed without a hole. Therefore, it is not necessary to form the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48 of the base 22 and the rear side frame 26 into complicated shapes. Since it is not necessary to form the holes in the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48, the degree of freedom in designing the left side surface 46 and the right side surface 48 can be increased.
A left rear frame 76 and a right rear frame 78, which will be described later, of the rear side frame 26 are preferably hollow and substantially rectangular when viewed in a cross section defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. . That is, the cross section of the rear side frame 26 orthogonal to the axis extending in the rear direction (front-back direction) is substantially rectangular.

The base 22 has, for example, a battery box (a plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58) and side sills (rocker panels) 62, 64. All of the plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are located above the bottom surface 44. The left side sill 62 is provided on the left side of the square pipe 52. The right side sill 64 is provided on the right side of the square pipe 58. The square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 extend in the front-rear direction and are arranged in the left-right direction. Each square pipe 52, 54, 56, 58 is open to the front and the rear. The plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are arranged between the side sills 62, 64.
Here, an example in which the base 22 has four square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 will be described. The number of the square pipes is appropriately set to one, two, three, five, or the like according to the shape of the battery described later and the like. Further, the number of square pipes is appropriately set depending on, for example, the size of the chassis 12 and the purpose of use.
It is preferable that the plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 have the same cross section orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the same length along the front-rear direction.
It is preferable that the side sills 62 and 64 are formed symmetrically with respect to an imaginary plane IS orthogonal to the center of the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 in the left-right direction. Here, for simplification of description, it is assumed that the cross sections of the side sills 62 and 64 orthogonal to the front-rear direction are the same and the lengths along the front-rear direction are the same.

The square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are formed in a tubular shape having a substantially rectangular cross section (a cross section defined by the left-right direction and the vertical direction) orthogonal to the front-rear direction. Since the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are hollow, they are lighter than the solid pipes and exhibit appropriate strength. The cross section of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 orthogonal to the front-rear direction may be square or rectangular. In the present embodiment, the cross sections of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 orthogonal to the front-rear direction are formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The square pipes 52, 54, 56, and 58 are required to have a load resistance against a collision from the front and the rear while achieving appropriate weight reduction. For this reason, it is preferable that the square pipes 52, 54, 56, and 58 have no joints.

The side sills 62, 64 are each formed in a tubular shape having a substantially rectangular cross section orthogonal to the front-rear direction. Therefore, the side sills 62 and 64 exhibit appropriate strength while achieving weight reduction as compared with the case of being solid. The cross section of the side sills 62, 64 orthogonal to the front-rear direction may be square or rectangular.
The width of the side sills 62, 64 along the left-right direction is preferably smaller than the width of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 along the left-right direction. The height of the side sills 62, 64 along the vertical direction may be the same as or higher than the height of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 along the vertical direction. That is, the upper surfaces of the side sills 62, 64 may project upward with respect to the floor surface 42 formed by the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58.
In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the upper surfaces of the side sills 62, 64 and the upper surfaces of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are continuous and planar to form the floor surface 42. It is assumed that the bottom surfaces 44 of the side sills 62 and 64 and the bottom surfaces of the square pipes 52, 54, 56 and 58 are continuous and planar.

Each of the square pipes 52, 54, 56 and 58 is preferably formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy. Here, each of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, and 58 will be described as extruded aluminum alloy, for example. Instead of the aluminum alloy, the square pipes 52, 54, 56 and 58 may be made of another metal material such as a square steel pipe. The square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are not limited to metal materials, and may be made of reinforced plastic such as CFRP.
The square pipes 52, 54 that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction are connected by, for example, welding. The welding is preferably continuous along the front-rear direction on both the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44, for example. That is, it is preferable that the square pipes 52 and 54 are continuously welded along the front-rear direction from the front end to the rear end. The square pipes 52 and 54 may be bolted if necessary. Therefore, the adjacent square pipes 52 and 54 are in close contact with each other.
Similarly, the square pipes 54, 56 and the square pipes 56, 58 are also connected by, for example, welding, and further bolted if necessary. By connecting and integrating a plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, and 58, for example, a flat floor surface 42 and a bottom surface 44 are formed, respectively.
When a reinforced plastic material such as CFRP is used as a material for the plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58, the square pipes adjacent to each other are fixed by bolts or the like. If the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are integrally molded, welding and bolting may be unnecessary.

Like the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58, the side sills 62, 64 are also made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or a reinforced plastic such as CFRP. Here, each side sill 62, 64 is also described as being formed as a square pipe by extruding an aluminum alloy, for example.

The square pipe 52 and the side sill 62 are connected by, for example, welding and/or bolting. The square pipe 58 and the side sill 64 are connected by, for example, welding and/or bolting. The square pipe 52 and the side sill 62 may be integrally molded. The square pipe 58 and the side sill 64 may be integrally molded.

A battery storage portion (tunnel) 52a extending in the front-rear direction is formed inside the square pipe 52. Similarly, inside the square pipes 54, 56, 58, battery storage portions 54a, 56a, 58a extending in the front-rear direction are formed. The batteries B (B1, B2, B3, B4) that are long in the front-rear direction and have substantially prismatic appearances are stored in the battery storage units 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a. That is, each of the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a has a hollow rectangular cross section orthogonal to the front-rear direction. It is preferable that the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a are in a non-communication state.
The batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 have appropriate weights. Therefore, when the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 are stored in the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a, the electric vehicle 10 can have a low center of gravity. Therefore, the electric vehicle 10 is likely to maintain a stable state even when traveling at high speed or steering.
As described above, each of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 is formed of a material having appropriate strength, such as a metal material or a plastic material. When the electric vehicle 10 collides, for example, in a frontal collision or a rearward collision, the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are difficult to deform, and the prismatic batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 are affected by buckling or bending. To prevent as much as possible. Therefore, the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a prevent the electric vehicle 10 from being deformed, for example, in the case of a frontal collision or a rearward collision, and prevent the battery B from being affected as much as possible. It is formed of a shape and material having appropriate strength.
As described above, in the present embodiment, an example in which a plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are connected to form a plurality of battery storage parts 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a will be described. The plurality of battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a may be formed by another structure. For example, a hollow box (not shown) having a size that forms the floor surface 42, the bottom surface 44, and the side surfaces 46 and 48 of the base 22 is prepared. The appearance of the box is a size in which four square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 and side sills 62, 64 are arranged in the left-right direction. When the space of the box is partitioned by, for example, a partition wall (not shown) having a surface parallel to the vertical direction, a plurality of battery storage parts 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a are formed. Further, positions corresponding to the side sills 62 and 64 are formed in the box. As described above, the base 22 accommodating the battery B does not necessarily need to use the plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 and the side sills 62, 64, and is formed by various structures.

The front side frame 24 has a front left frame 72 and a front right frame 74. A front bumper (not shown) is attached in front of the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74. The left front frame 72 is fixed in front of the left side sill 62 of the base 22. It is also preferable that the left front frame 72 is integrally molded with the left side sill 62. The front right frame 74 is fixed to the front of the right side sill 64 of the base 22. It is also preferable that the right front frame 74 is integrally molded with the right side sill 64. A space is formed between the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74. That is, the left front frame 72, the right front frame 74, the front end 22a of the base 22, and the bumper cooperate to form an appropriate space. This space is used as a buffer area. This space may be, for example, a position where the inverter INV is arranged, or may be a luggage carrier. In this case, it is preferable to form a space between the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a hollow box shape.
The left front frame 72 and the square pipe 52 are separated from each other, and the right front frame 74 and the square pipe 58 are separated from each other. That is, the front side frame 24 is separated from the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58.
The base 22 at the rear of the front side frame 24 is formed with high rigidity with respect to the front side frame 24 so that the shape of the position serving as an occupant space is maintained during a frontal collision. The shape of the base 22, particularly in the wheel base, is maintained.

The left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 are preferably formed symmetrically with respect to an imaginary plane IS orthogonal to the center of the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the base 22 in the left-right direction. The front left frame 72 is formed along the front-rear direction at a position shifted leftward from the position (virtual plane IS) along the vertical direction at the center in the left-right direction. The front right frame 74 is formed along the front-rear direction at a position displaced rightward from the position (virtual plane IS) along the up-down direction at the center in the left-right direction.
The left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 have a tubular shape along the front-rear direction intersecting the plane defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction. The cross sections of the front left frame 72 and the front right frame 74, which are orthogonal to the front-rear direction and are defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction, are substantially rectangular. Therefore, the front side frame 24 exhibits appropriate strength while achieving weight reduction as compared with the case of being solid. In the cross sections of the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74, the vertical edge Hf is longer than the horizontal edge Wf.
The upper ends of the right front frame 74 and the left front frame 72 are located at a position lower than the height corresponding to the height of the bumper specified by law. The upper ends of the front right frame 74 and the front left frame 72 of the front side frame 24 are, for example, 600 mm or less from the road surface.

In the present embodiment, the upper ends (upper surfaces) of the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 are respectively continuous with the floor surface 42 of the base 22. The upper end of the front end of the front side frame 24 is flush with or below the upper surface (floor surface 42) of the front end of the base 22. The lower ends (lower surfaces) of the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 are continuous with the bottom surface 44 of the base 22. The lower end of the front end of the front side frame 24 is flush with or above the lower surface (bottom surface 44) of the front end of the base 22.

As described above, the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 and the base 22 form the common left side surface 46. The right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 and the base 22 form a common right side surface 48.
As shown in FIG. 2D, when the rear side of the chassis 12 is viewed from the front side, the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 are within the range inside the outer edge of the base 22. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2E, when the front side of the chassis 12 is viewed from the rear side, a left rear frame 76 and a right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26, which will be described later, enter the inside of the outer edge of the base 22. There is.

The floor 42 of the base 22 and/or the upper ends of the front side frames 24 are arranged below the steering gear SG used for steering the wheels FW1 and FW2 via the knuckles of the suspensions FS1 and FS2. The steering gear SG is located above the floor surface 42 of the base 22 and/or above the front side frame 24, and extends in the left-right direction. The steering gear SG is connected to a steering wheel SW arranged on the front side of the seat S1. The steering gear SG steers the wheels FW1 and FW2 in conjunction with each other in accordance with the rotation of the steering wheel SW.

The rear side frame 26 has a left rear frame 76 and a right rear frame 78. Rear bumpers are attached to the rear of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78. The left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 are preferably formed symmetrically with respect to an imaginary plane IS orthogonal to the center of the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the base 22 in the left-right direction. The left rear frame 76 is fixed to the rear of the left side sill 62 of the base 22. It is also preferable that the left rear frame 76 is integrally molded with the left side sill 62. The right rear frame 78 is fixed to the rear of the right side sill 64 of the base 22. It is also preferable that the right rear frame 78 is integrally molded with the right side sill 64. A space is formed between the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78. That is, the left rear frame 76, the right rear frame 78, the rear end 22b of the base 22, and the bumper cooperate to form an appropriate space. This space is used as a buffer area. This space may be, for example, a position where the inverter INV is arranged, or may be a luggage carrier. In this case, it is preferable to form a space between the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a hollow box shape.
The front base 22 of the rear side frame 26 is formed to have a high rigidity with respect to the rear side frame 26 so that the shape of the position serving as an occupant space is maintained in the event of a rear surface collision. The shape of the base 22, particularly in the wheel base, is maintained.
The left rear frame 76 is formed along the front-rear direction at a position displaced leftward from the position (virtual plane IS) along the up-down direction at the center of the left-right direction. The right rear frame 78 is formed along the front-rear direction at a position displaced rightward from the position (virtual plane IS) along the up-down direction at the center in the left-right direction.
The left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 have a tubular shape along the front-rear direction intersecting the plane defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction. The cross sections of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78, which are orthogonal to the front-rear direction and are defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction, are substantially rectangular. Therefore, the rear side frame 26 is lighter than the solid side frame 26 while exhibiting appropriate strength. In the cross sections of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78, the vertical edge Hr is longer than the horizontal edge Wr.
The upper ends of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 are located at a position lower than the height of the rear bumper specified by law. The upper ends of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 are, for example, 600 mm or less from the road surface.

In the present embodiment, the upper ends (upper surfaces) of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 are respectively continuous with the floor surface 42 of the base 22. The lower ends (lower surfaces) of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 are continuous with the bottom surface 44 of the base 22. As described above, the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 and the base 22 form the common left side surface 46. The left side surface 46 is formed by a continuous surface facing the left side sill 62 and the left rear frame 76 toward the outside in the left direction. The right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 and the base 22 form a common right side surface 48. The right side surface 48 is formed such that the right side sill 64 and the surface of the right rear frame 78 facing outward in the right direction are continuously formed.

As shown in FIGS. 2B to 2D, 3A and 3B, a front side connecting portion (first connecting portion) 82 is fixed between the base 22 and the front side frame 24. Here, the connecting portion 82 has a pair of connecting bodies 84 and 86. The connecting bodies 84 and 86 may have the same shape or different shapes. The connecting bodies 84 and 86 of the connecting portion 82 are made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy material that forms the base 22, a reinforced plastic such as CFRP, or the like. It is made of a material that can be easily transmitted to 52, 54, 56 and 58. As the connecting members 84 and 86 of the connecting portion 82, it is preferable that a material such as a rubber material that does not easily transmit an impact (vibration isolator) is not used. It is preferable to combine, as the connecting bodies 84 and 86 of the connecting portion 82, a material that easily transmits an impact and a material that does not easily transmit an impact. One of the connecting bodies 84 is fixed to the floor surface 42 of the base 22. The other connecting body 86 is fixed to the bottom surface 44 of the base 22. At least one of the floor surface (upper side) 42 and the bottom surface (lower side) 44 of the plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 may be connected to the connecting portion 82. That is, the connecting portion 82 may have at least one of the one connecting body 84 and the other connecting body 86.
One of the connecting bodies 84 extends in the left-right direction and is between the square pipe 52 of the base 22 and the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24, and between the square pipe 58 of the base 22 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24. It is fixed between and. The connecting body 84 is fixed to the square pipes 52 and 58 of the base 22 as well as the square pipes 54 and 56 between the square pipes 52 and 58. Therefore, the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are connected to the connecting body 84. The connecting body 84 may be further fixed to the side sills 62 and 64. Although the connecting body 84 is mainly drawn in a rod shape in FIGS. 3A and 3B, various shapes such as a plate shape (planar plate shape) are allowed. The connecting body 84 is not limited to be straight and may be bent appropriately.
The other connecting body 86 extends in the left-right direction, and is between the square pipe 52 of the base 22 and the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24, and the square pipe 58 of the base 22 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24. It is fixed between and. The connecting body 86 is fixed to the square pipes 52 and 58 of the base 22 and also to the square pipes 54 and 56 between the square pipes 52 and 58. Therefore, the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are connected to the connecting body 86. The connecting body 86 may be further fixed to the side sills 62 and 64. The connecting body 86 is mainly drawn as a plate shape (planar plate shape) in FIGS. 2C and 2D, but various shapes such as a rod shape are allowed.

For example, the impact due to the collision of the object is input to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 through the body 14 including the front bumper or directly. That is, the impact due to the collision is input to the front end (one end) 22a from the opposite direction (front direction) to the rear end (other end) 22b. Then, the impact is transmitted from the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 to the left side sill 62, and the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are impacted via the connecting portion 82 (the connecting body 84 and the connecting body 86). Is transmitted. Further, the impact is transmitted to the right side sill 64 via the connecting portion 82. That is, the front side frame 24 transmits the impact to the left side sill 62 and the right side sill 64 when the impact due to the collision is input to the front side frame 24 from the side far from the battery box, and through the connecting portion 82. Distributes by transmitting to the battery box. Therefore, for example, an impact input to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 is not limited to the left side sill 62, but also the square pipes 52, 54, at the front position of the base 22 (in the vicinity of the front end 22a). 56, 58 and the right side sill 64. Therefore, when an impact is input to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24, the impact is suppressed from being concentrated on a certain member of the base 22.
Therefore, the strength of each member forming the base 22 can be designed to be smaller than that in the case where the impact is concentrated on a certain member. Further, even if the base 22 is formed in a state in which the load resistance is as small as possible, the deformation of the base 22 can be suppressed by transmitting and distributing the impact to each member constituting the base 22. By forming the base 22 in such a state that the load resistance is as small as possible, the weight and cost of the base 22 can be reduced.
At this time, the connecting portion 82 (the connecting body 84 and the connecting body 86) extends in the left-right direction at or near the front end 22a. Therefore, similarly to the torque box TB described later, the twist generated in the chassis 12 is suppressed.
As described above, by using the connecting portion 82 extending in the left-right direction, the impact input to the front side frame 24 is applied to each of the bases 22 at a position on the front side of the base 22 (in the vicinity of the front end 22a). It can be dispersed in the member. Therefore, the strength of each member forming the base 22 can be designed to be smaller than that when a shock is concentrated on a certain member, and the weight and cost of the base 22 can be reduced.
The left front frame 72 and the side sill 62, and the right front frame 74 and the side sill 64 have a tubular shape that does not require a through hole, and the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are also tubular. Even when the side sill 62 and the square pipe 52 are bolted together, the hole is smaller than the through hole through which the drive shaft is inserted. Therefore, the wall thickness of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 and the side sills 62, 64 is smaller than that in the case where the through holes for the drive shafts are formed, while the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 and The strength of the side sills 62 and 64 can be maintained in an appropriate state.
As described above, the left side sill 62 and the square pipe 52, the adjacent square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58, and the square pipe 58 and the right side sill 64 are welded and/or bolted, respectively. ing. Therefore, for example, when an impact is input to the left side sill 62, the impact is applied from the left side sill 62 to the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58, that is, the battery box and the right side sill 64 even at a position deviated from the connecting portion 82. Transmitted.
In this way, when a shock is input to the front side frame 24, the shock can be transmitted and dispersed to the respective members forming the base 22.

Between the above-mentioned bumper and the front end 22a of the base 22, that is, the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 are buffers that buffer the shock when the shock from the front of the electric vehicle 10 is input. Form an area.

A torque box TB extending in the left-right direction is arranged on the floor surface 42 of the base 22. Meters, a dashboard, and the like are arranged in the torque box TB. The torque box TB connects the side sill 62 continuous to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 and the side sill 64 continuous to the right front frame 74, and connects the floor surface 42, that is, the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58. Link. The torque box TB is formed of a metal material or a reinforced plastic similarly to the connecting portion 82. Therefore, the torque box TB prevents the chassis 12 from being twisted, like the connecting portion 82 described above.
The torque box TB is arranged between the steering wheel SW and the steering gear SG along the front-rear direction.

Here, consider the case where the base 22 does not have the connecting portion 82. The impact input to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 is different from that in the case where the connecting portion 82 is not provided, from the torque box TB behind the front end 22a of the base 22 to the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58. It is easy to be transmitted in the order of the side sills 64. The position of the torque box TB is closer to the seats S1 and S2 which are passenger spaces than the position of the connecting portion 82. Therefore, the presence of the connecting portion 82 facilitates the function of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 and the side sill 64 for the distance between the front end 22a and the torque box TB as a shock absorber. ..

A front cap 88 for sealing the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 is arranged on the front end 22a of the base 22. The front cap 88 may be one so as to block the front ends 22a of the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a of all the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 together, and the battery storage portion 52a. , 54a, 56a, 58a. Here, for simplification of description, it is assumed that one cap 88 is connected to the front end 22a of the base 22 by the hinge pin 102. The opening direction of the cap 88 can be set variously. 3A and FIG. It can be opened and closed as shown in 3B.
The front cap 88 may be supported on the other connecting body 86 of the connecting portion 82, that is, the bottom surface 44 or a position close to the bottom surface 44. That is, the cap 88 may be configured to rotate about the connecting body 86 arranged on the bottom surface 44 as a fulcrum. The front cap 88 may be supported between the front end 22a of the square pipe 52 and the side sill 62, or between the front end 22a of the square pipe 58 and the side sill 64. The front cap 88 may be supported by the left front frame 72 or the right front frame 74.
The cap 88 has, for example, a hinge pin 102 supported by one of the connecting bodies 84, a plate-shaped rotating body 104 that rotates by the hinge pin 102, and a block body 106 attached to the rotating body 104. The block body 106 is formed of, for example, a rubber material having electrical insulation. The block body 106 is used as a ring-shaped seal member surrounding the front end edges of the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58, and the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, It is used as a vibration isolator that suppresses the battery B from moving in the front-rear direction within 56a and 58a. For this reason, it is preferable that a part of the block body 106 is inserted rearward from the front edge of the battery storage parts 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a. At the front end 22a of the base 22, the battery B shown in FIG. 3A is sealed inside the base 22 by a cap 88.
A lock mechanism for fixing the cap 88 at the lock position will be described later.

A rear side connecting portion (second connecting portion) 92 is fixed between the base 22 and the rear side frame 26. Here, the connecting portion 92 has a pair of connecting bodies 94 and 96. The connecting bodies 94 and 96 may have the same shape or different shapes. One connecting body 94 is fixed to the floor surface 42 of the base 22. The other connecting body 96 is fixed to the bottom surface 44 of the base 22. At least one of the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the plurality of square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 may be connected to the connecting portion 92. That is, the rear side connecting portion 92 may have at least one of the one connecting body 94 and the other connecting body 96. It is preferable that the connecting body 94 and the connecting body 96 of the rear side connecting portion 92 are also made of the same material as the rear side connecting portion 92.
The one connecting body 94 is formed, for example, similarly to the one connecting body 84 of the front side connecting portion 82. The other connecting body 96 is formed, for example, similarly to the other connecting body 86 of the front side connecting portion 82.
One connecting body 94 extends in the left-right direction, and is between the square pipe 52 of the base 22 and the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26, and the square pipe 58 of the base 22 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26. It is fixed between and. The connecting body 94 may be fixed to the square pipes 52 and 58 of the base 22 as well as the square pipes 54 and 56 between the square pipes 52 and 58. The connector 94 may be further fixed to the side sills 62 and 64. Although the connecting body 94 is mainly drawn in a rod shape in FIGS. 3A and 3B, various shapes such as a plate shape (planar plate shape) are allowed. The connecting body 94 is not limited to be straight and may be bent appropriately.
The other connecting body 96 extends in the left-right direction, and is between the square pipe 52 of the base 22 and the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26, and the square pipe 58 of the base 22 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26. It is fixed between and. The connecting body 96 may be fixed to the square pipes 52 and 58 of the base 22 and also to the square pipes 54 and 56 between the square pipes 52 and 58. The connecting body 96 may be further fixed to the side sills 62 and 64. Although the connecting body 96 is mainly drawn as a plate shape (planar plate shape) in FIGS. 2C and 2D, various shapes such as a rod shape are allowed.

For example, the impact due to the collision of the object is input to the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 through the body 14 including the rear bumper or directly. That is, the impact due to the collision is input to the rear end (one end) 22b from the direction (rear direction) opposite to the front end (the other end) 22a. Then, the impact is transmitted from the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 to the left side sill 62, and the impact is applied to each of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 via the coupling portion 92 (the coupling body 94 and the coupling body 96). Is transmitted. Further, the impact is transmitted to the right side sill 64 via the connecting portion 92. For this reason, for example, the impact input to the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 is not limited to the left side sill 62, but also to the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 and the right side sill at a position rearward of the base 22. Dispersed at 64. That is, the rear side frame 26 transmits the impact to the left side sill 62 and the right side sill 64 when the impact due to the collision is input to the rear side frame 26 from the side far from the battery box, and also through the connecting portion 92 to the battery box. Distribute by transmitting to. Therefore, when an impact is input to the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26, the impact is suppressed from being concentrated on a certain member of the base 22.
At this time, the connecting portion 92 (the connecting body 94 and the connecting body 96) extends in the left-right direction at or near the rear end 22b. Therefore, like the torque box TB, the twist generated in the chassis 12 is suppressed.
As described above, by using the connecting portion 92 extending in the left-right direction, the impact input to the rear side frame 26 can be dispersed to each member of the base 22 at a position rearward of the base 22. .. Therefore, the strength of each member forming the base 22 can be designed to be smaller than that when a shock is concentrated on a certain member, and the weight and cost of the base 22 can be reduced.
The left rear frame 76 and the side sill 62, and the right rear frame 78 and the side sill 64 have a tubular shape that does not require a through hole, and the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are also tubular. Even when the side sill 62 and the square pipe 52 are bolted together, the hole is smaller than the through hole through which the drive shaft is inserted. Therefore, the strength of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 and the side sills 62, 64 can be reduced while making the wall thickness thinner than in the case where the through holes are formed in the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 and the side sills 62, 64. Can be maintained in an appropriate state.
For example, when an impact is input to the left side sill 62, the impact is transmitted from the left side sill 62 to the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58, that is, the battery box and the right side sill 64 even at a position deviated from the connecting portion 92. ..
In this way, when a shock is input to the rear side frame 26, the shock can be transmitted and dispersed to the respective members forming the base 22.

Between the above-mentioned bumper and the rear end 22b of the base 22, that is, the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 are buffers that buffer the impact when the impact from the rear of the electric vehicle 10 is input. Form an area.

A rear cap 98 that seals the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 is provided at the rear end 22b of the base 22. The rear cap 98 is preferably supported on the base 22 similarly to the front cap 88. The rear cap 98 may be one so as to close the rear ends 22b of the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a of all the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 together, and the battery storage portion 52a, There may be as many as 54a, 56a and 58a. Here, for simplification of description, it is assumed that one cap 98 is connected to the rear end 22b of the base 22 by the hinge pin 112. The opening direction of the cap 98 can be set variously. When the cap 98 is supported on the rear end 22b of the base 22 at the floor surface 42 or at a position close to the floor surface 42, the cap 98 can be opened and closed as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
The rear cap 98 may be provided on the other connecting body 96 of the connecting portion 92. That is, the cap 98 may be configured to rotate about the connecting body 96 arranged on the bottom surface 44 as a fulcrum. The rear cap 98 may be supported between the rear end 22b of the square pipe 52 and the side sill 62, or between the rear end 22b of the square pipe 58 and the side sill 64. The rear cap 98 may be supported by the left rear frame 76 or the right rear frame 78.
The cap 98 includes, for example, a hinge pin 112 supported by one of the connecting bodies 94, a plate-shaped rotating body 114 that rotates by the hinge pin 112, and a block body 116 attached to the rotating body 114. The block body 116 is formed of, for example, a rubber material. The block body 116 is used as a ring-shaped seal member that surrounds the rear end edges of the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58, and the battery storage portions 52a, 54a. , 56a, 58a are used as a vibration isolator for suppressing the battery B from moving in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is preferable that a part of the block body 116 enters from the rear end edge of the battery storage parts 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a toward the front. At the rear end 22b of the base 22, the battery B shown in FIG. 3A is sealed inside the base 22 by a cap 98.
The batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 are arranged at positions between the wheel center C1 of the front row wheels FW1 and FW2 and the wheel center C2 of the last row wheels RW1 and RW2. That is, the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 can be arranged between the wheel bases (between C1 and C2) of the base 22. The batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 are formed to have the same length as or shorter than the length of the wheel base. The cross sections of the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 orthogonal to the front-rear direction are formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 are properly connected to each other. The batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 are connected to the inverter INV via electric wires, for example, via caps 88, 98. The batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 may be connected in series or in parallel.

As described above, the impact input to the front side frame 24 and the impact input to the rear side frame 26 are appropriately applied to the side sills 62 and 64 and the square pipes 52, 54, 56 and 58 by the connecting portions 82 and 92. Can be distributed and received. The side sills 62, 64 and the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are prevented from being deformed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the load from being applied to the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 arranged in the battery storage parts 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a.

The caps 88 and 98 are fixed to the base 22 at a lock position (closed position) and a lock release position (open position) by a known lock mechanism. The caps 88 and 98 are supported by the connecting portions 82 and 92 and switch the opening between the open position and the closed position. As the lock mechanism, for example, a mechanism similar to a known oil supply port can be used. For example, a lever (not shown) fixed to the chassis 12 or the body 14 and caps 88 and 98 are connected by wires (not shown). The caps 88 and 98 are urged between the connecting body 84 and the hinge pin 102 and between the connecting body 94 and the hinge pin 112, respectively, so that the caps 88 and 98 are in the unlocked position. When the lever is operated, the caps 88 and 98 move from the lock position to the lock release position. The caps 88 and 98 may move from the locked position to the unlocked position at the same time, or the caps 88 and 98 may independently move from the locked position to the unlocked position. The shift from the unlocked position to the locked position may be performed manually, for example. Further, when a switch or the like fixed to the chassis 12 or the body 14 is operated, the lock release position may be moved to the lock position.
When the caps 88 and 98 are in the locked position, the batteries B extending in the front-rear direction are inserted in the base 22 in a sealed state in a state of being aligned in the left-right direction. When the caps 88 and 98 are in the unlocked position, the battery B extending in the front-rear direction can be inserted into and removed from the base 22 along the front-rear direction.
When the caps 88, 98 are in the unlocked position, the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 can be attached to and detached from the base 22 from the front direction and/or the rear direction. The batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 can be attached to and detached from the base 22 through the front side frame 24 and/or the rear side frame 26. When the caps 88, 98 are covered with the body 14, the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 can be attached to and detached from the base 22 through the front part and/or the rear part of the body 14.
When the caps 88 and 98 are in the lock position, the communication state between the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a and 58a and the outside of the base 22 is blocked. In this case, the fluid is prevented from flowing between the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a and the outside of the base 22.
When the caps 88, 98 are in the locked position, the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 prevent the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 from moving in the front-rear direction between the block bodies 106, 116. It is supported in a restrained state.

The body 14 is attached to the chassis 12. The caps 88 and 98 described above may be provided on the body 14. When the cap 88 is released, the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 are put in and taken out from the front side through the space between the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24. When the cap 98 is released, the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 are taken in and out from the rear side through the space between the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26.

When the electric vehicle 10 is stopped and/or is running, a fluid such as gas may be generated from the battery B due to abnormality of the battery B or deterioration over time. When a fluid such as gas is generated from the battery B, the internal pressure of each of the battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a may be higher than the pressure outside the base 22.
The square pipe 52 is preferably provided with pressure reducing valves Vf1 and Vr1. The pressure reducing valves Vf1 and Vr1 may be integrally molded with the square pipe 52. It is preferable that the pressure reducing valves Vf1 and Vr1 be located at positions on the square pipe 52 that will be the bottom surface 44 of the base 22. One pressure reducing valve Vf1 is preferably located near the front end 22a of the base 22. The other pressure reducing valve Vr1 is preferably located near the rear end 22b of the base 22.
Similarly, it is preferable that the square pipe 54 is provided with pressure reducing valves Vf2 and Vr2, the square pipe 56 is provided with pressure reducing valves Vf3 and Vr3, and the square pipe 58 is provided with pressure reducing valves Vf4 and Vr4.
Here, it is assumed that each square pipe 52, 54, 56, 58 has two pressure reducing valves, but each square pipe 52, 54, 56, 58 need only have one pressure reducing valve.
The pressure reducing valves Vf1 and Vr1 operate at a lower pressure than the caps 88 and 98 move to the unlocked position when the pressure inside the battery storage portion 52a reaches a predetermined pressure, and reduce the internal pressure inside the battery storage portion 52a. .. The inside of the battery storage portion 52a is continuous. Therefore, when the battery storage portion 52a is raised to a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure, either of the pressure reducing valves Vf1 and Vr1 may be operated.
Similarly, the pressure reducing valves Vf2, Vr2 of the battery storing portion 54a, the pressure reducing valves Vf3, Vr3 of the battery storing portion 56a, and the pressure reducing valves Vf4, Vr4 of the battery storing portion 56a have a predetermined pressure in the battery storing portions 54a, 56a, 58a. When reached, the caps 88, 98 operate at a lower pressure than they move to the unlocked position, reducing the internal pressure in the battery storage parts 54a, 56a, 58a.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the caps 88, 98 from unintentionally moving to the unlocked position due to the internal pressure in the battery storage parts 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the caps 88, 98 from unintentionally moving to the unlocked position, and the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 from being unintentionally movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the base 22.
The fluid generated from the batteries B1, B2, B3, B4 according to the present embodiment is released to the lower side of the chassis 12 through the pressure reducing valves Vf1, Vr1, Vf2, Vr2, Vf3, Vr3, Vf4, Vr4. For this reason, the fluid flowing through the pressure reducing valves Vf1, Vr1, Vf2, Vr2, Vf3, Vr3, Vf4, Vr4 is directed toward the driver or the like not only when the electric vehicle 10 is stopped but also when the vehicle is running, for example. Can be suppressed.
Note that, for example, when the plate-shaped member is arranged below the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58, the bottom faces of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 may not be the bottom face 44 of the base 22. In this case, the pressure reducing valves Vf1, Vr1, Vf2, Vr2, Vf3, Vr3, Vf4, Vr4 of the square pipes 52, 54, 56, 58 are directed from the bottom surface 44 of the base 22 to the ground via a duct not shown. The fluid may be releasable.

(Second embodiment)
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4G. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The same members as those described in the first embodiment or members having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and description thereof will be omitted. The contents described in the first embodiment can be appropriately combined and adopted.
In the first embodiment, the example in which the base 22 has the plurality of battery storage portions 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a has been described. Here, an example will be described in which the base 222 has one battery housing portion 250a extending in the front-rear direction at the center position in the width direction.

The chassis 212 of the electric vehicle 210 described in the present embodiment will be described assuming that the front side has two wheels and the rear side has four wheels, that is, a total of six wheels. The chassis 212 may have two wheels on the front side and two wheels on the rear side. In this way, the number of wheels and tires attached to the chassis 212 is set appropriately.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the electric vehicle 210 has a chassis (platform) 212 and a body 14 attached to the chassis 212. The body 14 is attached to the upper side of the chassis 212 and forms a passenger space together with a base 222 of the chassis 212 described later.

The chassis 212 has, for example, a base (main frame) 222, a front side frame 24, and a rear side frame 26. An occupant space (occupant compartment) is formed together with the body 14 on the upper side of the base 222. The front side frame 24 is in the front direction with respect to the base 222. The base 222 on the rear side of the front side frame 24 is formed with high rigidity with respect to the front side frame 24 so that the shape of the position serving as an occupant space is maintained during a frontal collision. The shape of the base 222, particularly the shape of the wheel base, is maintained. The rear side frame 26 is rearward with respect to the base 222. The base 222 on the front side of the rear side frame 26 is formed with high rigidity with respect to the rear side frame 26 so that the shape of the position serving as an occupant space is maintained in the event of a rear surface collision. The shape of the base 222, particularly the shape of the wheel base, is maintained. The base 222, the front side frame 24, and the rear side frame 26 are made of, for example, a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or a reinforced plastic such as CFRP.

Front side suspensions FS1, FS2 and rear side suspensions RS1, RS2, RS3, RS4 are attached to the base 222. The suspensions FS1 and FS2 are provided between the base 222 and/or the front side frame 24 and the wheels FW1 and FW2. The suspensions RS1 and RS2 are provided between the base 222 and/or the rear side frame 26 and the wheels RW1 and RW2. The suspensions RS3 and RS4 are provided between the base 222 and the wheels RW3 and RW4.
As the suspensions FS1, FS2, RS1, RS2, RS3, RS4, it is preferable to use an independent type suspension in which each wheel FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2, RW3, RW4 independently moves. The suspensions FS1, FS2, RS1, RS2, RS3, RS4 are appropriately selected from various types. Here, as an example, a double wishbone type is used. In the suspension FS1, a brake, an upper arm (suspension arm), a lower arm (suspension arm), and the like are supported by a motor FM1 serving as a hub. The other suspensions FS2, RS1, RS2, RS3, RS4 are similarly formed. The front side suspensions FS1 and FS2 and the rear side suspensions RS1 and RS2 may be different types. Further, the rear side suspensions RS1 and RS2 and the suspensions RS3 and RS4 may be different types.

Here, the chassis 212 is formed by a front side sill 262a of the base 222, which will be described later, and a left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24, and has a left front side surface 246a extending in the front-rear direction. The left front side surface 246a is formed such that the left front side sill 262a and the surface of the left front frame 72 facing the left side outward are continuously formed. The chassis 212 is formed by a front side sill 264a of the base 222, which will be described later, and a right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24, and has a right front side surface 248a extending in the front-rear direction. The right front side surface 248a is formed by continuously connecting the right front side sill 264a and the surface of the right front frame 74, which faces outward in the right direction.

The lower arm of the suspension FS1 is supported on the left front side surface 246a or the lower surface of the chassis 212. The upper arm of the suspension FS1 is supported by the left front side surface 246a of the chassis 212, the upper surface of the front side sill 262a, or the body 14. The suspension FS2 is supported at a position opposite to the battery box 250, which will be described later, like the suspension FS1.

Here, the chassis 212 is formed by a rear side sill 262b of the base 222, which will be described later, and a left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26, and has a left rear side surface 246b extending in the front-rear direction. The left rear side surface 246b is formed such that the left rear side sill 262b and the surface of the left rear frame 76 facing outward in the left direction are continuously formed. The chassis 212 is formed by a rear side sill 264b of the base 222, which will be described later, and a right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26, and has a right rear side surface 248b extending in the front-rear direction. The right rear side surface 248b is formed such that the right rear side sill 264b and the surface of the right rear frame 78 facing outward in the right direction are continuously formed.

The lower arm of the suspension RS1 is supported by the left side surface 246b of the chassis 212 or the spacer 266. The upper arm of the suspension RS1 is supported by the left side surface 246b of the chassis 212, the upper surface of the side sill 262b, or the body 14. The suspension RS2 is supported at a position on the opposite side of the battery box 250, like the suspension RS1.
The lower arm of the suspension RS3 is supported by the left side surface 246b of the chassis 212 or the spacer 266. The upper arm of the suspension RS2 is supported by the cross member CM of the chassis 212, the left side surface 246b, the upper surface of the side sill 262b, or the body 14. The suspension RS4 is supported at a position opposite to the battery box 250, like the suspension RS3.
In the present embodiment, an example of 6-wheel drive in which motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4 are attached to the suspensions FS1, FS2, RS1, RS2, RM3, RM4 will be described.
The motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4 are arranged in wheels FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2, RW3, RW4, respectively. The motors FM1 and FM2 are outside the base 222 and the front side frame 24 in the left-right direction. The motors RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4 are outside the base 222 and the rear side frame 26 in the left-right direction.
An inverter INV is electrically connected between the motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4 and the battery B. The inverter INV is provided in the front side frame 24 and/or the rear side frame 26 as an example. The control unit ECU is also arranged on the front side frame 24 and/or the rear side frame 26 as an example.
The motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4 are driven by electric power supplied from the battery B arranged in the base 222 to rotate the wheels FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2, RW3, RW4. Each of the motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4 is driven while the number of revolutions thereof is independently controlled by an inverter INV arranged at an appropriate position.
Tires FT1, FT2, RT1, RT2, RT3, RT4 are attached to the wheels FW1, FW2, RW1, RW2, RW3, RW4, respectively.
The rotation center is assumed to be coaxial with the wheels FW1 and FW2, and the rotation center C1 is set. The rotation centers of the wheels RW1 and RW2 are assumed to be coaxial, and the rotation center C2 is set. The rotation centers of the wheels RW3 and RW4 are assumed to be coaxial, and the rotation center C3 is set. The rotation center C3 is located ahead of the rotation center C2. The wheelbase is defined as the distance between the centers of rotation C1, C2. The wheel base is defined as between the wheel center C1 of the wheel in the front row and the wheel center C2 of the wheel in the last row, even if the chassis 212 has more than six wheels.
Here, the front side frame 24 is on the front side of the rotation center C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2, and the rear side is the base 222. The front side of the rotation center C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2 is the base 222, and the rear side is the rear side frame 26. That is, the inside of the wheel base is defined as the base 222. The front side of the position deviated from the wheel base is the front side frame 24, and the rear side is the rear side frame 26. That is, the rear end of the front side frame 24 is outside the wheel base. The front end of the rear side frame 26 is outside the wheel base.
Depending on the performance of the motors FM1, FM2, RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4, the horsepower required for the electric vehicle 210, etc., the motors may be present only on some wheels but not all. That is, the number of wheels and the number of motors may be the same, or the number of wheels may be larger than the number of motors. If there is no motor inside the wheel, the wheel is rotatably supported, for example, with respect to the suspension hub.

The base 222 has a plate-shaped body 240 and a battery box 250. The left front frame 72 and the battery box 250 are separated from each other, and the right front frame 74 and the battery box 250 are separated from each other. That is, the front side frame 24 is separated from the battery box 250.

In the present embodiment, the plate-shaped body 240 has a floor surface (left floor surface 242a and right floor surface 242b) and a bottom surface 244 opposite to the floor surfaces 242a and 242b and facing the road surface. The distance between the floor surfaces 242a and 242b and the bottom surface 244 is smaller than the distance between the floor surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 described in the first embodiment. The floor surfaces 242a and 242b and the bottom surface 244 may be flat surfaces or may be formed in a shape having appropriate irregularities. The base 222 has front side sills (rocker panels) 262a and 264a and rear side sills (rocker panels) 262b and 264b. The left side sills 262a and 262b are provided on the left side of the battery box 250. The right side sills 264a and 264b are provided on the right side of the battery box 250. In the present embodiment, the base 222 has a torque box TB and a cross member CM. A torque box TB extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the upper side of the plate body 240. The torque box TB is arranged between the steering wheel SW and the steering gear SG along the front-rear direction. A cross member CM extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the upper side of the plate body 240.

The base 222 has a front side panel (front side connecting surface) 243a between the torque box TB and the front side frame 24 on the upper side of the plate body 240. As an example, the upper surface of the front side panel 243a and the upper surface of the left front side sill 262a are flush and continuous, and the upper surface of the front side panel 243a and the right front side sill 264a are flush and continuous. The upper surface of the front side panel 243a and the upper surface of the battery box 250 are flush and continuous. Therefore, the front side panel 243a is used as a part of the connecting portion 282 described later. Further, as an example, the bottom surface 244 of the plate body 240 and the lower surface of the left front side sill 262a are flush with each other, and the bottom surface 244 of the plate body 240 and the lower surface of the right front side sill 264a are flush with each other. It is continuous. Further, the bottom surface 244 of the plate member 240 and the bottom surface of the battery box 250 are flush and continuous. Therefore, the plate-shaped body 240 and the front side panel 243a connect the left front side sill 262a and the battery box 250, and the battery box 250 and the right front side sill 264a. Therefore, the plate member 240 is used as a part of the connecting portion 282. As shown in FIG. 4D, when the rear side of the chassis 212 is viewed from the front side, the front side frame 24 (the front left frame 72 and the front right frame 74) is inside the range inside the outer edge of the base 222.

The base 222 has a rear side panel (rear side connecting surface) 243b between the cross member CM and the rear side frame 26 on the upper side of the plate body 240. As an example, the upper surface of the rear side panel 243b and the upper surface of the left side rear sill 262b are flush with each other, and the upper surface of the rear side panel 243b and the upper surface of the right rear side sill 264b are flush with each other. Therefore, the rear side panel 243b is used as a part of a connecting portion 292 described later. The plate body 240 is used as a part of the connecting portion 292. As shown in FIG. 4E, when the front side is viewed from the rear side of the chassis 212, the rear side frame 26 (the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78) is inside the range inside the outer edge of the base 222.

The length of the base 222 along the front-rear direction is formed longer than the length along the left-right direction. The distance between the floor surfaces 242a, 242b and the bottom surface 244 (the thickness of the plate-like body 240 of the base 222) is formed to be smaller than the length of the base 222 along the left-right direction.
The length of the base 222 along the front-rear direction is, for example, 2000 mm to 3000 mm, the length (width) along the left-right direction is, for example, 900 mm to 1500 mm, and the length (height) along the up-down direction is For example, it is 300 mm to 400 mm.

The battery box 250 is at the center in the left-right direction. The battery box 250 is formed similarly to the square pipe 52 described in the first embodiment. The battery box 250 is preferably formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy. Here, the battery box 250 will be described as an extruded aluminum alloy, for example.
The battery box 250 may use another metal material such as a square steel tube instead of the aluminum alloy. The battery box 250 is not limited to a metal material, and may be made of reinforced plastic such as CFRP.
The battery box 250 extends in the front-rear direction. The battery box 250 is formed in a tubular shape having a substantially rectangular cross section orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The battery box 250 has a battery storage portion (tunnel) 250a. Since the battery box 250 is hollow, it is lighter than a solid battery box and exhibits appropriate strength. The cross section of the battery box 250 orthogonal to the front-rear direction may be square or rectangular. In the present embodiment, the cross section of the battery box 250 orthogonal to the front-rear direction is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The battery box 250 needs to be load-bearing against collisions from the front and the rear while appropriately reducing the weight. Therefore, it is preferable to use the battery box 250 having no joint.
It is preferable that the battery box 250 of the present embodiment is formed in a vertically long shape such that the height in the vertical direction is larger than the width in the horizontal direction.
The battery box 250 is arranged between the right edge of the floor surface 242a and the left edge of the floor surface 242b. The bottom surface of the battery box 250 matches the bottom surface 244 of the base 222. Therefore, the upper surface of the battery box 250 is above the right edge of the floor surface 242a and the left edge of the floor surface 242b. Therefore, the floor surfaces 242a and 242b are formed at positions lower than the upper surface of the battery box 250.
The battery B has an appropriate weight. Therefore, when the battery B is stored in the battery storage portion 250a, the electric vehicle 210 can have a low center of gravity. Therefore, the electric vehicle 210 can easily maintain a stable state even when traveling at high speed or steering.

On the floor surface 242a, a pair of seat arrangement portions (rails) 332a and 332b on which the seat S1 is arranged so as to be movable in the front-rear direction are arranged. The pair of seat arranging portions 332a, 332b extend straight in the front-rear direction, for example. The seat arrangement portion 332a is arranged near the right edge portion of the floor surface 242a, and the seat arrangement portion 332b is arranged near the left edge portion of the floor surface 242a. A front side sill 262a is formed on the left edge of the floor surface 242a.
On the floor surface 242b, a pair of seat arrangement portions (rails) 334a and 334b on which the seat S2 is arranged so as to be movable in the front-rear direction are arranged. The pair of seat arranging portions 334a and 334b extend straight in the front-rear direction, for example. The seat arrangement portion 334a is arranged near the left edge portion of the floor surface 242b, and the seat arrangement portion 334b is arranged near the right edge portion of the floor surface 242b. A front side sill 264a is formed on the right edge of the floor surface 242b.
The battery box 250 is arranged between the seat arrangement portions 332a and 334a. At this time, as described above, since the battery box 250 is vertically long, the distance between the sheet placement portions 332a and 334a can be made smaller than when the battery box is horizontally long.
The seat placement portions 332a, 332b, 334a, 334b are below the upper surface of the battery box 250. Therefore, the center of gravity when the occupant is seated in the seats S1 and S2 can be lowered, and the center of gravity of the electric vehicle 210 can be lowered depending on the arrangement positions of the seats S1 and S2. Therefore, the electric vehicle 210 can easily maintain a stable state even when traveling at high speed or steering.

The floor surfaces 242a and 242b, the battery box 250, the torque box TB, and the cross member CM are arranged between the front side sills 262a and 264a. The front side sills 262a and 264a are preferably formed symmetrically with respect to a virtual plane IS that is orthogonal to the center of the floor surfaces 242a and 242b and the bottom surface 244 in the left-right direction. The bottom surfaces of the front side sills 262a and 264a coincide with the bottom surface 244 of the base 222. The upper surface of the front side sill 262a is above the left edge of the floor surface 242a, and the upper surface of the front side sill 264a is above the right edge of the floor surface 242b.
The front side sills 262a and 264a are formed in a tubular shape having a substantially rectangular cross section orthogonal to the front-rear direction. Therefore, the front side sills 262a and 264a exhibit appropriate strength while achieving weight reduction as compared with the case of being solid. The cross section of the front side sills 262a and 264a orthogonal to the front-rear direction may be square or rectangular.

In this embodiment, the rear ends of the front side sills 262a and 264a are fixed to the cross member CM. Rear side sills 262b and 264b are arranged between the cross member CM and the rear end 222b of the base 222.
The left front side surface 246a of the front side sill 262a and the left rear side surface 246b of the rear side sill 262b in the cross member CM are displaced from each other in the left-right direction. Therefore, the front side sill 262a and the rear side sill 262b are not continuous and are discontinuous. Here, the left front side surface 246a of the front side sill 262a is on the left side along the left-right direction with respect to the left rear side surface 246b of the rear side sill 262b. Therefore, the front left side surface 246a of the front side sill 262a and the rear left side surface 246b of the rear side sill 262b are not continuous and discontinuous.
A box-shaped spacer 266 is disposed on the left side of the rear side sill 262b and on the rear side of the cross member CM. The bottom surface of the spacer 266 is continuous with the bottom surface 244 of the base 222, for example. A left side surface 246b of the rear side sill 262b is formed above the left side edge of the spacer 266. The spacer 266 may support the lower arms of the suspensions RS1 and RS3. The lower arms of the suspensions RS1 and RS3 may be supported by the side surface 246b of the rear side sill 262b.
Similarly, the right front side surface 248a of the front side sill 264a and the right rear side surface 248b of the rear side sill 264b in the cross member CM are displaced from each other in the left-right direction. Therefore, the front side sill 264a and the rear side sill 264b are not continuous. Here, the right front side surface 248a of the front side sill 264a is on the right side along the left-right direction with respect to the right rear side surface 248b of the rear side sill 264b. Therefore, the right side surface 248a of the front side sill 264a and the right side surface 248b of the rear side sill 264b are not continuous.
A box-shaped spacer 268 is disposed on the right side of the rear side sill 264b and behind the cross member CM. The bottom surface of the spacer 268 is continuous with the bottom surface 244 of the base 222, for example. A right side surface 248b of the rear side sill 264b is formed above the right side edge of the spacer 268. The spacer 268 may support the lower arms of the suspensions RS2 and RS4. The lower arms of the suspensions RS2 and RS4 may be supported on the side surface 248b of the rear side sill 264b.

A rear side connecting portion 292, which will be described later, is arranged between the rear side sills 262b and 264b.

The center of rotation C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2 is between the upper surface and the bottom surface 244 of the front side sills 262a and 264a of the base 222. The upper end of the front side frame 24 is above the rotation center (wheel center) C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2. The lower end of the front side frame 24 is below the rotation center (wheel center) C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2.
In the chassis 212 according to this embodiment, the motors FM1 and FM2 are attached to the wheels FW1 and FW2. Therefore, the base 222 and/or the front side frame 24 need not have a through hole through which the drive shaft is inserted. The base 222 of the chassis 212 and the left front side surface 246a and the right front side surface 248a of the front side frame 24 are formed without a hole. In particular, when the rotation center C1 of the wheel FW1 is extended from the wheel FW1 toward the left front side surface 246a, no hole is formed in the intersection region with the left front side surface 246a. When the rotation center C1 of the wheel FW2 is extended from the wheel FW2 toward the right front side surface 248a, no hole is formed in the intersection region with the right front side surface 248a. That is, the positions of the left front side surface 246a and the right front side surface 248a where the extension lines of the wheel centers C1 of the wheels FW1 and FW2 in the front row intersect are closed without a hole. Therefore, it is not necessary to form the left front side surface 246a and the right front side surface 248a of the base 222 and the front side frame 24 into complicated shapes. Since it is not necessary to form a hole in the left front side surface 246a and the right front side surface 248a, the degree of freedom in designing the left front side surface 246a and the right front side surface 248a can be increased.
The rotation center C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2 is between the upper surface and the bottom surface 244 of the rear side sills 262b and 264b of the base 222. The upper end of the rear side frame 26 is above the rotation center (wheel center) C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2. The lower end of the rear side frame 26 is below the rotation center (wheel center) C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2.
In the chassis 212 according to this embodiment, motors RM1 and RM2 are attached to wheels RW1 and RW2. Therefore, the base 222 and/or the rear side frame 26 need not have a through hole through which the drive shaft is inserted. The left rear side surface 246b and the right rear side surface 248b of the base 222 and the rear side frame 26 are formed without holes. That is, the positions of the left rear side surface 246b and the right rear side surface 248b where the extension lines of the wheel centers C2 of the wheels RW1 and RW2 in the last row intersect are closed without a hole. Therefore, it is not necessary to form the left rear side surface 246b and the right rear side surface 248b of the base 222 and the rear side frame 26 into complicated shapes. Since it is not necessary to form the holes in the left rear side surface 246b and the right rear side surface 248b, the degree of freedom in designing the left rear side surface 246b and the right rear side surface 248b can be increased.

The front side sills 262a, 264a are formed in a tubular shape having a substantially rectangular cross section orthogonal to the front-rear direction. Therefore, the side sills 262a and 264a exhibit appropriate strength while achieving weight reduction as compared with the case of being solid. The cross section of the side sills 262a and 264a orthogonal to the front-rear direction may be square or rectangular.

The width of the side sills 262a, 264a along the left-right direction is preferably smaller than the width of the battery box 250 along the left-right direction. The height of the side sills 262a, 264a along the vertical direction is preferably lower than the height of the battery box 250 along the vertical direction. That is, the upper surface of the battery box 250 projects upward with respect to the upper surfaces of the side sills 262a and 264a.
Like the battery box 250, the side sills 262a and 264a are also formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or a reinforced plastic such as CFRP. Here, each side sill 262a, 264a is also described as being formed as a square pipe by extruding an aluminum alloy, for example.

The battery box 250 and the floor surface 242a and the battery box 250 and the floor surface 242b are connected by, for example, welding and/or bolting. The floor surface 242a and the front side sill 262a are connected to each other, and the floor surface 242b and the front side sill 264a are connected to each other by, for example, welding and/or bolting.

The battery storage section 250a is of a shape and material having appropriate strength that prevents the electric vehicle 210 from being deformed and prevents the battery B from being affected when the electric vehicle 210 collides with the front surface or the rear surface, for example. Has been formed.
As described above, the battery box 250 is made of a material having appropriate strength, such as a metal material or a plastic material. When the electric vehicle 210 has a frontal collision or a rearward collision, for example, the battery box 250 is not easily deformed, and buckling or bending of the prismatic battery B is prevented as much as possible.

The front side frame 24 has a front left frame 72 and a front right frame 74. A front bumper (not shown) is attached in front of the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74. The left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 are preferably formed symmetrically with respect to a virtual plane IS orthogonal to the center of the bottom surface 244 of the base 222 in the left-right direction. The front left frame 72 is fixed to the front of the left side sill 262a of the base 222. It is also preferable that the left front frame 72 is integrally molded with the left side sill 262a. The front right frame 74 is fixed to the front of the right side sill 264a of the base 222. It is also preferable that the right front frame 74 is integrally molded with the right side sill 264a. A space is formed between the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74. That is, the left front frame 72, the right front frame 74, the front end 222a of the base 222, and the bumper cooperate to form an appropriate space. This space is used as a buffer area. This space may be, for example, a position where the inverter INV is arranged, or may be a luggage carrier. In this case, it is preferable to form a space between the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a hollow box shape.
The front left frame 72 and the front right frame 74 of the front side frame 24 are cylindrical in the front-rear direction intersecting the plane defined by the left-right direction and the vertical direction. The cross sections of the front left frame 72 and the front right frame 74 of the front side frame 24, which are orthogonal to the front-rear direction and are defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction, are substantially rectangular. Therefore, the front side frame 24 exhibits appropriate strength while achieving weight reduction as compared with the case of being solid. In the cross sections of the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24, the vertical edge Hf is longer than the horizontal edge Wf.
In the present embodiment, the upper end of the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 is continuous with the upper surface of the side sill 262a. The upper end of the front right frame 74 of the front side frame 24 is continuous with the upper surface of the side sill 264a. The lower end of the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 is continuous with the lower surface of the side sill 262a. The lower end of the front right frame 74 of the front side frame 24 is continuous with the lower surface of the side sill 264a.
As described above, the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 and the base 222 form the common left front side surface 246a. The right front frame 74 and the base 222 of the front side frame 24 form a common right front side surface 248a.

The side sills 262a and 264a of the base 222 and/or the front side frame 24 are arranged below the steering gear SG used for steering the wheels FW1 and FW2 via the knuckles of the suspensions FS1 and FS2. The steering gear SG is located above the front side panel 243a of the base 222 and/or above the front side frame 24, and extends in the left-right direction. The steering gear SG is connected to the steering wheel SW, and steers the wheels FW1 and FW2 in conjunction with each other according to the rotation of the steering wheel SW.

The rear side frame 26 has a left rear frame 76 and a right rear frame 78. Rear bumpers are attached to the rear of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78. The left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 are preferably formed symmetrically with respect to an imaginary plane IS orthogonal to the center of the bottom surface 244 of the base 222 in the left-right direction. The left rear frame 76 is fixed to the rear of the left side sill 262a of the base 222. It is also preferable that the left rear frame 76 is integrally molded with the left side sill 262a. The right rear frame 78 is fixed to the rear of the right side sill 264a of the base 222. It is also preferable that the right rear frame 78 is integrally molded with the right side sill 264a. A space is formed between the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78. That is, the left rear frame 76, the right rear frame 78, the rear end 222b of the base 222, and the bumper cooperate to form an appropriate space. This space is used as a buffer area. This space may be, for example, a position where the inverter INV is arranged, or may be a luggage carrier. In this case, it is preferable to form a space between the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a hollow box shape.
The left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 have a tubular shape along the front-rear direction intersecting the plane defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction. The cross sections of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 that are orthogonal to the front-rear direction and are defined by the left-right direction and the up-down direction are substantially rectangular. Therefore, the rear side frame 26 is lighter than the solid side frame 26 while exhibiting appropriate strength. In the cross sections of the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26, the vertical edge Hr is longer than the horizontal edge Wr.
In the present embodiment, the upper end of the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 is continuous with the upper surface of the side sill 262a. The upper end of the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 is continuous with the upper surface of the side sill 264a. The lower end of the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 is continuous with the lower surface of the side sill 262a. The lower end of the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 is continuous with the lower surface of the side sill 264a.
As described above, the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 and the base 222 form the common left rear side surface 246b. The right rear frame 78 and the base 222 of the rear side frame 26 form a common right rear side surface 248b.

As shown in FIGS. 4B, 4C, and 4F, a front side connecting portion 282 is fixed between the base 222 and the front side frame 24. The connecting portion 282 connects the battery box 250 and the left front side sill 262a, and connects the battery box 250 and the right front side sill 264a. The connecting portion 282 extends in the left-right direction at or near the front end 222a. The connecting portion 282 is firmly fixed or integrated to a length of, for example, half or more of the left side surface and the right side surface of the battery box 250, and has an appropriate depth (thickness) in the front-rear direction. Is preferred. Therefore, the battery box 250 is connected by the connecting portion 282 so as to be sandwiched from the left side and the right side. The upper surface of the connecting portion 282 is the front side panel 243a. The connecting portion 282 connects the upper surface of the battery box 250 and the right side surface of the left side sill 262a with a material having appropriate rigidity. The connecting portion 282 connects the upper surface of the battery box 250 and the left side surface of the right side sill 264a with a material having appropriate rigidity. The connecting portion 282 is formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy material forming the base 222 or a reinforced plastic such as CFRP. The left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 is integrated with the front side of the side sill 262a. The right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 is integrated with the front side of the side sill 264a. Therefore, the connecting portion 282 connects the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 to the battery box 250.

For example, the impact due to the collision of the object is input to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 through the body 14 including the front bumper or directly. That is, the impact due to the collision is input to the front end (one end) 22a from the opposite direction (front direction) to the rear end (other end) 22b. Then, the impact is transmitted from the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 to the left side sill 262a, and at the same time, the impact is transmitted to the battery box 250 via the connecting portion 282. Further, the impact is transmitted to the right side sill 264a via the connecting portion 282. Therefore, for example, an impact input to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 is not limited to the left side sill 262a, but also to the battery box 250 and the right side sill 264a at a position in front of the base 22 (in the vicinity of the front end 222a). Is dispersed in. That is, the front side frame 24 transmits the impact to the left side sill 262a and the right side sill 264a when the impact due to the collision is input to the front side frame 24 from the side far from the battery box 250, and the connecting portion 82 Through the battery box 250 to disperse. Therefore, when an impact is input to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24, the impact is suppressed from being concentrated on a certain member of the base 222.
Therefore, the strength of each member forming the base 222 can be designed to be smaller than that in the case where the impact is concentrated on a certain member. Further, even if the base 222 is formed in a state where the load resistance is as small as possible, the deformation of the base 222 can be suppressed by transmitting and distributing the impact to each member forming the base 222. By forming the base 222 in such a state that it has the smallest load resistance, it is possible to reduce the weight and cost of the base 222.
At this time, the connecting portion 282 extends in the left-right direction, the up-down direction, and the front-back direction. The connecting portion 282 particularly extends in the left-right direction at or near the front end 222a. Therefore, like the torque box TB and the cross member CM, the twist generated in the chassis 212 is suppressed.
As described above, by using the connecting portion 282 extending in the left-right direction, the impact input to the front side frame 24 is applied to each of the bases 222 at a position on the front side of the base 22 (in the vicinity of the front end 222a). It can be dispersed in the member. Therefore, the strength of each member forming the base 222 can be designed to be smaller than that when a shock is concentrated on a certain member, and the weight and cost of the base 222 can be reduced.
When an impact is input to the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24, the impact is transmitted to the left side sill 262a, and the impact is transmitted to the plate body 240 and the front side panel 243a connected to the left side sill 262a. It The impact transmitted to the plate-shaped body 240 and the front side panel 243a is transmitted to the battery box 250 and also to the right side sill 264a via the plate-shaped body 240 and the front side panel 243a.
It is also preferable that the connecting portion 282 is integrated with the front side panel 243a. It is also preferable that the connecting portion 282 is integrated with the plate-shaped body 240. Therefore, it is also preferable that the connecting portion 282 connects the upper side of the battery box 250 by the front side panel 243a and/or connects the lower side of the battery box 250 by the plate-shaped body 240.
The left front frame 72 and the side sill 262a and the right front frame 74 and the side sill 264a have a tubular shape that does not require a through hole, and the battery box 250 also has a tubular shape. Therefore, the strength of the battery box 250 and the side sills 262a, 264a is maintained in an appropriate state while the wall thickness is made thinner than in the case where the through holes through which the drive shafts are formed are formed in the battery box 250 and the side sills 262a, 264a. can do.
For example, when an impact is input to the left side sill 262a, the impact is transmitted from the left side sill 262a to the battery box 250 and the right side sill 264a even at a position outside the connecting portion 282.
In this way, when a shock is input to the front side frame 24, the shock can be transmitted and dispersed to the respective members forming the base 222.

Between the bumper and the front end 222a of the base 222, that is, the front side frame 24 forms a buffer area for buffering a shock from the front of the electric vehicle 210.

A torque box TB extending in the left-right direction is arranged in front of the floor surfaces 242a and 242b of the base 222 and above the floor surfaces 242a and 242b of the base 222 and the battery box 250. Meters, a dashboard, and the like are arranged in the torque box TB. The torque box TB connects the side sill 262a continuous with the left front frame 72 of the front side frame 24 and the side sill 264a continuous with the right front frame 74, and also connects the floor surfaces 242a, 242b and the battery box 250. The torque box TB is formed of a metal material or a reinforced plastic similarly to the connecting portion 282. Therefore, the torque box TB prevents the chassis 212 from being twisted, like the connecting portion 282 described above.

The torque box TB is arranged between the steering wheel SW and the steering gear SG along the front-rear direction.
A cross member CM extending in the left-right direction is provided behind the floor surfaces 242a and 242b of the base 222 and above the floor surfaces 242a and 242b of the base 222 and the battery box 250. A part of the suspensions RS3 and RS4 is supported by the cross member CM. The cross member CM connects the side sill 262a continuous with the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 and the side sill 264a continuous with the right rear frame 78, and also connects the floor surfaces 242a, 242b and the battery box 250. The cross member CM is formed of a metal material or a reinforced plastic similarly to the connecting portion 292 described later. Therefore, the cross member CM prevents the chassis 212 from being twisted, like the above-described connecting portion 282 and torque box TB.

A front cap 88 that seals the battery box 250 is disposed on the front end 222 a of the base 222. The cap 88 is assumed to be connected to the front end 222a of the base 222 by the hinge pin 302. The opening direction of the cap 88 can be set variously. The cap 88 is formed, for example, similarly to the cap 88 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) described in the first embodiment.
At the rear end 222b of the base 222, a rear cap 98 that seals the battery box 250 is provided. The cap 98 is connected to the rear end 222b of the base 222 by a hinge pin 312. The opening direction of the cap 98 can be set variously. The cap 98 is formed similarly to the cap 98 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) described in the first embodiment, for example.
Therefore, when in the lock position (see FIG. 3A) for fixing the caps 88 and 98 to the base 222, the battery storage portion 250a of the battery box 250 can be sealed. When the caps 88 and 98 are in the unlocked position (see FIG. 3B), the battery B can be taken in and out from the battery storage portion 250a.
In addition, between the cross member CM and the rear cap 98, spare batteries (not shown) having a shorter length in the front-rear direction than the battery B can be arranged on the left side and the right side of the battery B. ..

As shown in FIGS. 4B, 4C, and 4E, a rear side connecting portion 292 is fixed between the base 222 and the rear side frame 26. The connecting portion 292 connects the battery box 250 and the side sill 262a, and connects the battery box 250 and the side sill 264a. The connecting portion 292 extends in the left-right direction at or near the rear end 222b. The connecting portion 292 is firmly fixed or integrated to a length of, for example, half or more of the left side surface and the right side surface of the battery box 250 in the vertical direction, and has an appropriate depth (thickness) in the front-rear direction. Is preferred. Therefore, the battery box 250 is connected by the connecting portion 292 so as to be sandwiched from the left side and the right side. The upper surface of the connecting portion 292 is a rear side panel 243b. The connecting portion 292 connects the upper surface of the battery box 250 and the right side surface of the left side sill 262b with a material having appropriate rigidity. The connecting portion 292 connects the upper surface of the battery box 250 and the left side surface of the right side sill 264b with a material having appropriate rigidity. The connecting portion 292 is formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy material forming the base 222 or a reinforced plastic such as CFRP. The left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 is integrated with the rear side of the side sill 262a. The right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 is integrated with the rear side of the side sill 264a. Therefore, the connecting portion 292 connects the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26 to the battery box 250.

For example, the impact due to the collision of the object is input to the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 through the body 14 including the rear bumper or directly. That is, the impact due to the collision is input to the rear end (one end) 22b from the direction (rear direction) opposite to the front end (the other end) 22a. Then, the impact is transmitted from the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 to the left side sill 262b, and the impact is transmitted to the battery box 250 via the connecting portion 292. Further, the impact is transmitted to the right side sill 264b via the connecting portion 292. Therefore, for example, an impact input to the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26 is generated not only by the left side sill 262b but also by the battery box 250 and the right side sill 264b at a position rearward of the base 22 (near the rear end 222b). Distributed. Therefore, when an impact is input to the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26, the impact is suppressed from being concentrated on a certain member of the base 222.
At this time, the connecting portion 292 extends in the left-right direction, the up-down direction, and the front-back direction. The connecting portion 292 extends in the left-right direction particularly at or near the rear end 222b. Therefore, like the torque box TB and the cross member CM, the twist generated in the chassis 212 is suppressed.
By using the connecting portion 292 extending in the left-right direction, the up-down direction, and the front-rear direction in this manner, the impact input to the rear side frame 26 is located at a position rearward of the base 22 (near the rear end 222b). It can be dispersed by each member of the base 222. Therefore, the strength of each member forming the base 222 can be designed to be smaller than that when a shock is concentrated on a certain member, and the weight and cost of the base 222 can be reduced.
When an impact is input to the left rear frame 76 of the rear side frame 26, the impact is transmitted to the left side sill 262b and the impact is transmitted to the plate-shaped body 240 and the rear side panel 243b connected to the left side sill 262b. .. The impact transmitted to the plate-shaped body 240 and the rear side panel 243b is transmitted to the battery box 250 and also to the right side sill 264b via the plate-shaped body 240 and the rear side panel 243b.
It is also preferable that the connecting portion 292 is integrated with the rear side panel 243b. It is also preferable that the connecting portion 292 is integral with the plate-shaped body 240. Therefore, it is also preferable that the connecting portion 292 connects the upper side of the battery box 250 with the rear side panel 243b and/or connects the lower side of the battery box 250 with the plate-shaped body 240.
The left rear frame 76 and the side sill 262b and the right rear frame 78 and the side sill 264b have a tubular shape that does not require a through hole, and the battery box 250 also has a tubular shape. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the strength of the battery box 250 and the side sills 262b, 264b in an appropriate state while reducing the thickness as compared with the case where the through holes are formed in the battery box 250 and the side sills 262b, 264b.
For example, when an impact is input to the left side sill 262b, the impact is transmitted from the left side sill 262b to the battery box 250 and the right side sill 264b even at a position separated from the connecting portion 292.
In this way, when a shock is input to the rear side frame 26, the shock can be transmitted and dispersed to the respective members forming the base 222.

The space between the bumper and the rear end 222b of the base 222, that is, the rear side frame 26 forms a buffer area for buffering a shock from the rear of the electric vehicle 210.

One or more sheets are placed on the floor surfaces 242a and 242b, respectively. Here, an example in which one sheet S1 is placed on the floor surface 242a and one sheet S2 is placed on the floor surface 242b will be described. The number of sheets is set appropriately.

In this embodiment, the front side sills 262a and 264a are not straight in the front-rear direction but are bent. The pair of side surfaces 246a and 248a are not straight in the front-rear direction but formed as curved surfaces. Particularly in the present embodiment, the distance (width in the left-right direction) between the pair of side surfaces 246a, 248a between the rear end of the connecting portion 282 and the rear end of the torque box TB is large.
In this embodiment, the rear side sills 262b and 264b are each formed straight in the front-rear direction. Each of the pair of side surfaces 246b and 248b is also formed straight in the front-rear direction.
Here, the width of the front side frame 24 in the left-right direction is larger than the width of the rear side frame 26 in the left-right direction.

The battery box 250 is preferably provided with pressure reducing valves Vf and Vr. The pressure reducing valves Vf and Vr may be integrally molded with the battery box 250. In the present embodiment, the pressure reducing valve Vf is located on the right side surface or the left side surface of the battery box 250 near the front end 222a. Here, it is assumed that the pressure reducing valve Vf is provided on the right side surface of the battery box 250 opposite to the steering wheel SW. The pressure reducing valve Vr is located on the right side surface or the left side surface of the battery box 250 near the rear end 222b. Here, it is assumed that the pressure reducing valve Vr is provided on the right side surface of the battery box 250. The pressure reducing valves Vf and Vr may be located at the bottom surface 244 of the base 222 in the battery box 250.
Here, it is assumed that the battery box 250 has two pressure reducing valves, but the battery box 250 only needs to have one pressure reducing valve.
The pressure reducing valves Vf and Vr operate at a lower pressure than the caps 88 and 98 move to the unlocked position when the pressure inside the battery storage portion 250a of the battery box 250 reaches a predetermined pressure, and the pressure reduction valves Vf and Vr inside the battery storage portion 250a. Reduce the internal pressure. The inside of the battery storage portion 250a is continuous. Therefore, when the battery storage portion 250a is raised to a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure, either of the pressure reducing valves Vf and Vr may be operated.
It is possible to prevent the caps 88 and 98 from unintentionally moving to the unlocked position due to the internal pressure in the battery storage portion 250a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery B from being unintentionally movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the base 222.
Here, a duct (drain) Df is connected to the pressure reducing valve Vf, and a duct (drain) Dr is connected to the pressure reducing valve Vr. One end of the duct Df is fixed to the pressure reducing valve Vf, and the other end is fixed to the bottom surface 244. The other end of the duct Df is open toward the ground. Similarly, one end of the duct Dr is fixed to the pressure reducing valve Vr, and the other end is fixed to the bottom surface 244. The other end of the duct Dr is open toward the ground. The presence of the ducts Df and Dr prevents the objects such as pebbles from directly colliding with the pressure reducing valves Vf and Vr during traveling, for example. Therefore, it is easy to keep the pressure reducing valves Vf and Vr in good condition.
The fluid generated from the battery B according to the present embodiment is released to the lower side of the chassis 212 through the pressure reducing valves Vf, Vr and the ducts Df, Dr. Therefore, not only when the electric vehicle 210 is stopped, but also when the vehicle is running, for example, it is possible to suppress the fluid that has passed through the pressure reducing valves Vf and Vr from going to the driver or the like.
The positions where the other ends of the ducts Df and Dr are opened are not limited to the positions facing the ground. The positions at which the other ends of the ducts Df and Dr are opened are, for example, between the left front frame 72 and the right front frame 74 of the front side frame 24 and/or the left rear frame 76 and the right rear frame 78 of the rear side frame 26. May be between. In this way, the positions where the other ends of the ducts Df and Dr are opened can be appropriately selected.

(Modification)
A modified example of the battery box 250 and the floor surfaces 242a and 242b will be described with reference to FIG.

The battery box 250 has a brim-shaped reinforcing member 253a protruding to the left of the battery box 250 and a brim-shaped reinforcing member 253b protruding to the right. The reinforcing body 253a extends from the battery box 250 toward the left front left side sill 262a. The reinforcing body 253b extends from the battery box 250 toward the right front side sill 264a. The floor surface 242a is on the upper side or the lower side of the reinforcing body 253a and strengthens the connection state with the battery box 250. The floor surface 242b is on the upper side or the lower side of the reinforcing body 253b and strengthens the connection state with the battery box 250.
The reinforcing body 253a extends in the front-rear direction. One rail 332a of the pair of rails (seat arranging portions) 332a and 332b on which the seat S1 is disposed is supported by both the reinforcing body 253a and the floor surface 242a. Similarly, the reinforcing body 253b extends in the front-rear direction. One rail 334a of the pair of rails (seat arranging portions) 334a and 334b on which the seat S2 is disposed is supported by both the reinforcing body 253b and the floor surface 242b. That is, seat arranging portions 332a and 334a for arranging passenger seats S1 and S2 in the passenger space are fixed to the reinforcing bodies 253a and 253b. Therefore, the battery box 250 is arranged between the seat arranging portions 332a and 334a in which the seats S1 and S2 are arranged. In this way, the distance between the sheets S1 and S2 can be maintained while the battery box 250 is reinforced by the reinforcing bodies 253a and 253b. Since the seat arranging portions 332a and 334a are connected to the battery box 250, it is possible to improve the resistance to impact as compared with the case where the rails 332a, 332b, 334a and 334b are arranged on the floor surfaces 242a and 242b. Further, by reinforcing the battery box 250, the battery B in the battery box 250 can be protected more reliably by the impact transmitted via the front side frame 24 or the rear side frame 26 described above.

The invention of the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified in an implementation stage without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, the respective embodiments may be combined as appropriate as much as possible, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Further, the embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements.

Claims (7)

1. A base having a floor surface and a bottom surface opposite the floor surface;
   A front side frame that is in the front direction with respect to the base and serves as a buffer area when an impact from the front is input,
   A motor that is outside the base in the left-right direction and that is driven by electric power supplied from a battery to rotate the wheels, and has the same number as the number of the wheels or less than the number of the wheels.
   A left side surface and a right side surface are formed by the base and the front side frame,
   Among the wheels, when the wheel center is defined between the wheel center of the front row wheel and the wheel center of the last row wheel, the rear end of the front side frame is outside the wheel base,
   Of the left side surface and the right side surface, the position where the extension line of the wheel center of the wheel in the front row intersects is closed without a hole,
   Upper ends of the left side surface and the right side surface are above the wheel center of the wheel,
   An undercarriage for an electric vehicle, wherein lower ends of the left side surface and the right side surface are below the wheel center of the wheel.
2. A base having a floor surface and a bottom surface opposite the floor surface;
   A front side frame that is in the front direction with respect to the base and serves as a buffer area when an impact from the front is input,
   A motor that is outside the base in the left-right direction and that is driven by electric power supplied from a battery to rotate the wheels, and has the same number as the number of the wheels or less than the number of the wheels.
   A left side surface and a right side surface are formed by the base and the front side frame,
   Among the wheels, when the wheel center is defined between the wheel center of the front row wheel and the wheel center of the last row wheel, the rear end of the front side frame is outside the wheel base,
   The storage unit in which the battery is disposed is within the range of the wheel base,
   Of the left side surface and the right side surface, the position where the extension line of the wheel center of the wheel in the front row intersects is closed without a hole,
   The upper end of the front side frame is above the wheel center of the wheel,
   An undercarriage for an electric vehicle, wherein a lower end of the front side frame is located below the wheel center.
3. When the storage section is closed, the storage section has a pressure reducing valve which operates when the pressure in the storage section reaches a predetermined value or more and discharges the fluid in the storage section to the outside to reduce the pressure in the storage section. The chassis according to claim 2, wherein the chassis is provided.
4. The upper end of the front end of the front side frame is flush with or below the upper surface of the front end of the base,
   The undercarriage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lower end of the front end of the front side frame is flush with or above the lower surface of the front end of the base.
5. The front side frame has a tubular shape extending from the front end of the base toward the front direction at a position displaced leftward and/or rightward from the center position in the left-right direction. The chassis according to any one of 4 above.
6. The chassis according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the floor surface of the base and/or the front side frame is arranged below a steering gear used for steering the wheel.
7. A chassis according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
   An electric vehicle having a body attached to the chassis.

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