Patent ID: 8668248
Filing Date: 2014-03-11
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
1. A vehicle body structure comprising: left and right front side frames located in a front portion of a vehicle body on left and right sides thereof and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; a dashboard located behind the left and right front side frames and partitioning the vehicle body into the front portion and a rear portion; left and right side sills located behind the dashboard and on outer sides of the left and right front side frames in a vehicle-width direction and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; a floor panel running between the left and right side sills and extending rearward from a lower portion of the dashboard; a tunnel portion protruding upward from the floor panel and extending from a vehicle-width direction center and lower end of the dashboard to a rear portion of the floor panel; a tunnel cross-member extending in the vehicle-width direction along a lower surface of a front portion of the tunnel portion and running across the tunnel portion; left and right side frame extensions extending rearward from rear ends of the left and right front side frames and located along a lower surface of the dashboard; and a rear cross-member running between the left and right side sills along a lower surface of a rear portion of the tunnel portion, wherein the floor panel has left and right protrusions protruding toward a passenger compartment so that a low-profile energy container is accommodated in a space located under a front seat and surrounded by the left and right side sills and the rear cross-member, the tunnel portion is made of a material having greater rigidity and strength than the floor panel, protrudes upward by a greater amount than the left and right protrusions of the floor panel, has an inverted U shape, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, a front end of the tunnel portion being bonded to the vehicle-width direction center and lower end of the dashboard and a rear end of the tunnel portion being bonded to the rear cross-member located behind the energy container and connecting the left and right side sills, the tunnel cross-member is bonded along a lower surface of the tunnel portion in front of the left and right protrusions to form a closed cross-section, the left and right side frame extensions have left and right bifurcating portions under the dashboard where the left and right side frame extensions bifurcate into left and right side-sill-side extensions and left and right tunnel-side extensions, the left and right side-sill-side extensions extend from the left and right bifurcating portions outward in the vehicle-width direction and obliquely rearward, and are bonded to the left and right side sills in front of the left and right protrusions, the left and right tunnel-side extensions extend from the left and right bifurcating portions inward in the vehicle-width direction and obliquely rearward and are bonded to left and right ends of the tunnel cross-member in front of the left and right protrusions, and a first tilt angle by which the left and right side-sill-side extensions are inclined outward in the vehicle-width direction and rearward is set to be substantially equal to a second tilt angle by which the left and right tunnel-side extensions are inclined inward in the vehicle-width direction and rearward.