WO2021175919A1

WO2021175919A1 - Chassis structure for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2021175919A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/055331
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas Stern; Dimitri Smeljanski
Original assignee: Psa Automobiles Sa
Priority date: 2020-03-06
Filing date: 2021-03-03
Publication date: 2021-09-10
Also published as: DE102020202884A1

Abstract

A chassis structure for a vehicle, in particular for an electric or hybrid vehicle comprises two longitudinal members (1), a battery (5) accommodated between the longitudinal members (1), and two side sills (7) that are at least partially arranged at the same level as the longitudinal members (1) and are spaced apart in the vehicle longitudinal direction on each side from the adjacent longitudinal members (1). A crash protection structure (10) is located in a space between each of the side sills (7) and the adjoining longitudinal member (1) and can be compressed when the side sill (7) is deflected by a side crash.

Description

SUBSTRUCTURE FOR A VEHICLE

Description

The present invention relates to a substructure for a vehicle, in particular for a vehicle with an electric or hybrid drive.

The large dimensions of the batteries, which are required for the operation of such a vehicle, make it difficult to effectively protect the batteries from damage in the event of a collision, particularly in the event of a collision from the side. Since the batteries largely fill the space available on the floor of the body between the usual longitudinal members, a slight inward deformation of the longitudinal members is sufficient to damage the battery.

A vehicle is known from DE 102018206100 A1 in which the side members, in order to increase their rigidity, are locally widened to below the door sill and reinforcing elements are inserted into their inner cavities. The widening of the side members is technically complex and costly; in addition, because of the space required by the side members, it is difficult to use in existing vehicle models or requires a high level of construction effort.

One object of the present invention is to create a substructure for a vehicle that provides effective protection for a battery and can be implemented with minor adjustments to an existing substructure.

The object is achieved by a substructure for a vehicle with two side members, a battery housed between the side members, two door sills, which are at least partially at the same height as the side members and in the transverse direction of the vehicle from the adjacent Longitudinal beams are spaced apart, and with an impact protection, which is arranged in a space between each of the door sill and the respective adjacent longitudinal beam in order to be compressed when the door sill is deflected by a side impact, and which comprises at least one curved structural sheet that is in Vehicle transverse direction oriented axes is curved. Even if the structural sheet is thin, the bends considerably increase its absorption capacity for impact energy, since it cannot yield to a load in the transverse direction of the vehicle without being folded and sheared many times in a small space.

Since the shape of the impact protection can be adapted to existing conditions, its installation requires at most minor adjustments to a known substructure; therefore, the invention can be easily integrated into ongoing production.

In order not to displace the impact protection up or down in the event of a collision, but rather to compress it reliably and dissipate collision energy in the process, the side members and the sills should have vertical side walls that are opposite each other at the same height and between which the impact protection can be placed.

In order to increase the resistance of the side members to a side impact, they are preferably connected to a plurality of inner cross members to form a ladder structure. The space between the cross members can then be used to accommodate the battery or parts thereof.

The structural sheet is preferably elongated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a small number of structural sheets is sufficient to create impact protection that is effective over a large length. A wavy or zigzag curved structural sheet can in principle be manufactured in any length with little effort.

In order to give a structural sheet metal that has wall sections extending between upper and lower vertices, which can also provide increased dimensional stability in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the lower vertices and / or the upper vertices can be fastened to a common carrier. the end For manufacturing reasons, it is preferred if only either the lower or the upper apex are attached to a carrier.

The common carrier can in particular be a wall, preferably a horizontal wall, of a roll profile element.

At least two roll profile elements can jointly delimit a hollow chamber in which the structural sheet metal is received.

The plurality of rolling profile elements are preferably organized as an upper and a lower group which each form an upper and a lower cross-sectional area of the impact protection. Each of these cross-sectional areas can contain at least one hollow chamber receiving a structural sheet.

In order to take account of irregularities in the cross-section of the intermediate space receiving the impact protection, which are predetermined by an existing construction of the vehicle body, the structural sheet metal and the rolling profile elements, which delimit the hollow chamber receiving the structural sheet metal, can be divided into sections spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

The gaps between the sections can then be used, for example, to accommodate outer cross members that each connect one of the longitudinal members to the adjacent door sill.

Furthermore, roll profile elements can be provided with laterally open recesses in order to form a lateral recess of the impact protection. A structural sheet, which is accommodated in a hollow chamber cut through such a recess, should also be interrupted at the level of the recess. Such a recess can, for example, accommodate tools conventionally used to manipulate the body-in-white during assembly.

In an analogous manner, the profile elements can also form an outer and an inner group, which each form an outer and an inner cross-sectional area of the impact protection; in this case laterally open recesses could be used of the impact protection are formed by gaps between different sections of a profile element and recesses open to the top by recesses in the individual profile elements.

The roll profile elements can be formed and joined together to form hollow chamber profiles in a simple manner and with a high degree of manufacturing tolerance if at least one first roll profile element forms at least one U-profile section and a flange angled from a first side wall of the U-profile section and a second roll profile element forms an L- Forms profile section which is attached to a second side wall of the U-profile section and the flange. The boundary surfaces at which the roll profile sections are connected to one another extend essentially at right angles to one another.

According to a preferred embodiment, an upper roll profile element comprises two U-profile sections which are each connected in one piece via their angled flange, and a lower roll profile element comprises two L-profile sections which close the open sides of the U-profile sections.

In order to adapt the impact protection to a width that varies over the length of the gap, it may be necessary to cut away one or the other of the side walls of the roll profile element over part of the length of the impact protection. In order not to impair the stability of the impact protection too much, a support profile can be provided which has a first flange to which an upper roll profile element is attached, a second flange to which a lower roll profile element is attached, one the first and the second flange connecting wall, a third flange to which a lower end profile element is attached, and a wall connecting the second and third flange.

The intermediate space in which the impact protection is accommodated is typically delimited at the top by a floor panel of a passenger compartment of the vehicle supported on the side members and the door sills.

Since the gap, even if it is not yet closed by the floor panel, continues downwards due to the cross-section of the side members is open than at the top, the impact protection is preferably inserted into the space from below. It can be fastened therein in particular with screws.

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a substructure of a

Motor vehicle;

2 shows a perspective view of an impact protection device according to the invention;

3 shows a cross section of the impact protection and adjacent components of the substructure; and

FIG. 4 structural sheets of the impact protection in a perspective view analogous to FIG. 2. The substructure shown in FIG. 1 comprises, in a manner known per se, two longitudinal members 1 which extend over the entire length of a motor vehicle. The side members 1 are each assembled from a plurality of molded parts following one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, one or more of the front parts of which, however, have been omitted in FIG ) Passenger cell extends to the rear of the vehicle. The two longitudinal members 1 are connected to one another by a plurality of inner cross members 2 which run under the passenger compartment or a cargo space of the vehicle. The molded parts of the longitudinal members 1 and the inner cross members 2 each have a hat-shaped cross section with a central channel 3 and on both sides of the channel 3 upwardly facing flanges 4, which are provided to attach floor panels 26 (see Fig. 3) of the passenger compartment and the To attach the cargo space. The flanges 4 of the longitudinal and cross members run essentially in one

Level, but the height of the side members 1 is greater than that of the inner cross members 2. A battery 5 extends under the inner cross members 2 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the longitudinal members 1 over a large part of the length of the body. The battery 5 has a housing with a plurality of bulges 6 which each engage between two of the inner cross members 2 and in each of which there is space for a group of cells of the battery 5.

Approximately parallel to the side members 1 and at a distance from them, rocker panels 7 extend on both sides of the substructure between a rear wheel arch 8 and a front wheel arch (not shown). The rocker panels 7 are connected to the adjacent longitudinal member 1 via outer cross members 9. These also have a hat-shaped cross-section with upwardly facing flanges 4, which are flush with those of the side members 1 and inner cross members 2, and a lower height than the side members 1. Longitudinal members 1 and sills 7 thus delimit an elongated space in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

An impact protection 10 housed in this space reduces the risk of damage to the battery 5 in the event of a side impact by absorbing the impact energy through its own deformation and thus considerably reducing the amount of energy that can reach the side member 1 and deform it. Additional protection is provided by an intermediate space 27 between the battery 5 and the longitudinal members 1, into which a longitudinal member can yield with simultaneous compression of the inner cross member 2 without immediately hitting the battery 5.

Fig. 2 shows the impact protection 10 for the left side of the vehicle, seen obliquely from behind from the inside of the vehicle, Impact protection built-in structural sheets in the arrangement in which they are distributed in the impact protection 10. As can be seen particularly well in FIG. 3, the impact protection 10 comprises a plurality of metal sheets that are roll-formed into roll-shaped profile elements 11-14 and is located between vertical side walls 17 of the longitudinal members 1 and 18 of the sills 7 that are opposite one another at the same height.

One of the roll profile elements, referred to as the lower end profile element 11, has a stepped cross-section with two vertical walls 11a, 11c, one horizontal wall 11b connecting the vertical walls 11a and 11c and one horizontal wall 11d, which extends from an upper edge of the wall 11c to below the longitudinal beam 1. A lower roll profile element 12 has four vertical walls 12a, c, e, g, these connecting horizontal walls 12b, d, f and a flange 12h angled from the wall 12. A lower edge of the vertical wall 12a is welded to the wall 11a. The walls 11a-d, 12a-h each extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The horizontal wall 12d rests on the horizontal wall 11b, and a lower edge of the vertical wall 12e contacts the vertical wall 11c. Weld seams - the profile elements 11-14 are laser-welded to one another - extend along the walls 12d and / or 11c. The walls 12a-c form a downwardly open U-profile section, which is deformable in the transverse direction of the vehicle before the assembly of the profile elements 11, 12 and is thus able to compensate for their manufacturing tolerances. The walls 12e-h form a further downwardly open U-profile section. This is also able to compensate for manufacturing tolerances by pulling a flange angled from a lower edge of the wall 12h against the wall 11d or bending it upwards away from it. By welding the roll profile elements 11, 12 to one another, two hollow chambers 28a, 28c are formed. The outer hollow chamber 28a extends over the entire length of the impact protection 10; the inner hollow chamber 28c is interrupted at the level of a recess 19.

The upper roll profile element 13 has a similar cross-section to the lower one, with vertical walls 13a, c, e, g and horizontal walls 13b, d, f connecting these. Lower edges of the walls 13a, g are each with the upper edges of the walls

12 a, g welded. The wall 13d is welded to the walls 12b and f at both of its edges. Thus, the roll profile element 13 and the lower roll profile element 12 delimit three further hollow chambers, a middle hollow chamber 28b between the hollow chambers 28a and 28c, which is limited on three sides by the lower roll profile element 12, and on three sides by the upper roll profile element

13 delimited hollow chambers 29a, 29c above the hollow chambers 28a, 28c.

The upper end profile element 14 has an L-shaped cross section with a horizontal wall 14a which is welded to the wall 13b, and a vertical wall which is welded to the wall 13e. Together with the upper roll profile element 13, it delimits a further hollow chamber 29b. The height of the various vertical walls is dimensioned in such a way that the lower profile element 12 can be accommodated in the space between the rocker panel 7 and the side member 1 below the outer cross member 9. The lower profile element 12 can therefore extend uninterrupted over the entire length of the space. The upper profile element 13, the upper end profile element 14 and the hollow chambers 29a-c delimited by them, on the other hand, are interrupted several times in the longitudinal direction in order to create gaps 15 which offer space for the outer cross members 9.

Several of the hollow chambers, here the hollow chambers 28a, 28c, 29a and 29c, contain structured sheets 30a-d curved in a wave-like manner. 4 shows the structural sheets in a perspective view in which the rolling profile elements 11-14 surrounding them have been omitted. The structural plates 30a-d are curved in a wave-like manner with upper vertices 31, lower vertices 32 and inclined surfaces 33 connecting the vertices 31, 32. 32 be bent about axes oriented in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

In the case of the structural plates 30a, 30b, the upper vertices 31 are continuously curved, while the lower vertices 32 each have a short straight section 34 between two curved sections. The straight sections 34 are provided to be welded to the wall 11b or 11d of the lower end profile 11 before the lower roll profile element 12 is slipped over it and welded to the lower end profile 11. In an analogous manner, the structural sheets 30c, 30d each have straight sections 34 in their upper apices 31, which facilitate welding to the walls 13b, 13f of the upper roll profile element 13,

The structural plates 30c, 30d running in the upper hollow chambers 29a, 29c are interrupted at the level of the gaps 15.

The width of the structural sheets can vary according to the width of the hollow chambers that accommodate them, as can be seen in FIG. The structural sheets 30b, 30d can be composed of several pieces, each formed from sheet metal strips of different widths.

In order to fit the impact protection 10 into a space in an existing vehicle structure that has not been designed in advance to accommodate an impact protection, it may be necessary to vary the width of the impact protection 10 along its length. Such a variable width cannot be taken into account when roll forming the profile elements 11-14; Instead, parts of the metal sheets have to be cut away before or after roll forming, which means that at least one of the external vertical walls has to be omitted. 2 shows this situation at the end of the impact protection 10 facing the viewer: in order to reduce the width here, the walls 12g, 13g are completely omitted, and the width of the walls 12f, 13f is reduced. In order to still achieve the necessary rigidity, a support profile 16 is inserted. The support profile 16 is also roll formed and comprises horizontal webs 16a, c, e, which are respectively welded to the edges of the walls 11d, 12f and 13f, and the webs 16a, c, e connecting vertical walls 16b, d. The horizontal walls 11d, 12f, 13f are fixed vertically by the support profile 16, so that the rigidity of the profile elements 11, 12, 13 remains in spite of the missing walls.

At the recess 19, the walls 11d, 12f, 13f are completely cut away in order to form space for a bracket 20 attached to the side of the longitudinal member 1, on which the body can be supported and raised. The recess 19 crosses the hollow chambers 28c, 29c and interrupts the structural sheets 30b, 30d running in them.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the rocker panel 7 comprises at least two or three metal sheets 21, 22, 23, connected to form a hollow profile, of relatively high wall thickness, which are surrounded by thin-walled cladding 24, 25 which has little influence on the deformation in the event of a side impact . If the sill 7 is deflected towards the interior of the vehicle in the event of a side impact, its vertical side wall 18 hits a side wall of the impact protection 10, here the wall 12a, and forces the impact protection 10 against the side wall 17 of the side member 1. Since the side walls 17, 18 are the same are high and parallel to each other, the impact protection is not displaced in the vertical direction, but together with the Sill 7 compressed. In this way, a large amount of impact energy can be absorbed before the side member 1 starts to deflect sideways, which could bring it into contact with the battery. The above-described principle of the structure of the impact protection can be modified, the number of stacked profile elements and / or the number of their walls can be varied. In any case, the dimensions of the profile elements should be chosen so that the upper horizontal walls of one of the profile elements run closely below the outer cross members, so that the profile elements above this one profile element can be completely interrupted at the location of the outer cross member without the impact protection to weaken more than is strictly necessary.

SIGNS

1 side member

2 inner cross members 3 gutter

4 flange

5 battery

6 bulge

7 rocker panels 8 rear wheel arch

9 outer cross member

10 impact protection

11 (lower end) profile element 11a-d walls of the profile element 11 12 (lower) profile element

12a-h walls of the profile element 12

13 (upper) profile element 13a-g walls of the profile element 13

14 (upper terminating) profile element 14a-b walls of the profile element 14

15 gap

16 support profile

16a-e walls of the support profile

17 side wall 18 side wall

19 recess

20 booms

21 sheet

22 sheet 23 sheet

24 casing

25 casing

26 floor pan

27 Gap 28a-c hollow chamber

29a-c hollow chamber 30a-d structured sheet metal

31 upper parting

32 lower parting

33 inclined surface 34 straight section

Claims

Expectations

1. Substructure structure for a vehicle, in particular for an electrically or hybrid-powered vehicle, with two longitudinal members (1), a battery (5) accommodated between the longitudinal members (1), two door sills (7) which are at least partially at the same height as the Side members (1) are arranged and in the transverse direction of the vehicle from the respective adjacent side members (1) are spaced, and with an impact protection (10) which is arranged in a space between each of the door sills (7) and the respective adjacent side member (1) to go to a

Deflection of the door sill (7) to be compressed by a side impact and which comprises at least one bent structural plate (30a-d) which is bent about axes oriented in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

2. Substructure according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal beams (1) and the

Rockers (7) have vertical side walls (17, 18) which are opposite one another at the same height.

3. Substructure according to claim 1 or 2, in which the longitudinal members (1) are connected to a plurality of inner cross members (2) to form a conductor structure and the battery (5) engages between the cross members (2).

4. Substructure according to one of the preceding claims, in which the structural sheet is elongated in the vehicle longitudinal direction and is preferably bent in a wave or zigzag shape.

5. Substructure structure according to one of the preceding claims, in which the structural plate (30a-d) has wall sections (33) extending between upper and lower vertices (31, 32), and the lower vertices (32) and / or the upper vertices ( 31) are attached to a common carrier.

6. substructure according to claim 5, wherein the common carrier is a wall (11, 11 d, 13b, 13f) of a roll profile element (11, 13).

7. Substructure according to claim 5 or 6, in which the structural sheet (30a-d) is received in a hollow chamber (28a, 28c, 29a, 29c) delimited by at least two roll profile elements (11, 12; 12, 13).

8. Substructure structure according to claim 7, wherein the roll profile elements (11-14) form an upper (13, 14) and a lower group (11, 12), which each form an upper and a lower cross-sectional area of the impact protection (10), and that the upper and the lower cross-sectional area each form at least one hollow chamber (29a, c; 28a, c) receiving a structural sheet (30a-d).

9. Substructure according to claim 8, in which the structural plate (30c, 30d) and at least one (13) of the roll profile elements (12, 13) which delimit the hollow chamber (29a, 29c) receiving the structural plate (30c, 30d), are divided into sections spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

10. Substructure according to claim 9, in which the outer cross member (9), which connect the longitudinal members (1) to the door sills (7), are received in the gaps (15).

11. Substructure according to one of claims 7 to 10, in which at least some of the rolling profile elements (12, 13) are cut out laterally in order to form a lateral recess (19) of the impact protection.

12. Substructure according to one of claims 7 to 11, in which at least one first rolled profile element (12; 13) at least one U-profile section (12a-c; 13c-e) and one of a first side wall (12c; 13c) of the U- Profile section (12a-c; 13c-e) angled flange (12d; 13b) and a second roll profile element (11, 14) forms an L-profile section (11a, 11b; 14a,

14b) which is attached to a second side wall (12a; 13e) of the U-profile section (12a-c; 13c-e) and the flange (12d; 13b).

13. Substructure according to claim 12, in which an upper profile element (13) comprises two U-profile sections (13a-c, 13e-g) which are each connected in one piece via their angled flange (13d), and a lower one Profile element (12) comprises two L-profile sections (12a-b, 12f-g) which close the open sides of the U-profile sections (13a-c, 13e-g).

14. Substructure structure according to one of claims 7 to 13, with a support profile (16) which has a first flange (16a) to which an upper profile element (13) is attached, a second flange (16c) to which a lower profile element ( 12) is attached, a wall (16b) connecting the first and second flange (16a, 16c), a third flange (16e) to which a lower end profile element (11) is attached, and a second and third flange ( 16c, 16e) connecting wall (16d).

15. Substructure structure according to one of the preceding claims, with a floor panel (26) of a passenger compartment and / or a loading space which is supported by the longitudinal members (1) and the door sills (7).