Patent ID: 12195087

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification or application are merely exemplified for the purpose of describing the embodiments according to the present disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms, and the present inventive concept is not to be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure or application.

The embodiment according to the present disclosure may be subject to various modifications and have various forms. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the present disclosure or application. It is to be understood that this is not intended to limit the concept of the present disclosure to the specific disclosed forms and that all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes within the spirit and technical scope of the present inventive concept are included.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not to be limited by the terms. The terms may only be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component may be denoted as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be denoted as a first component.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another component, the component may be directly connected or coupled to the another component, but it is to be understood that other components may exist in between. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another component, it is to be understood that there are no intervening components present. Other expressions describing a relationship between components, that is, “between”, “just between”, “neighboring”, and “directly neighboring” are to be interpreted in the same manner.

The terms used herein are used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of implemented features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification and are not to be understood to preclude the presence or additional possibilities of one or more of other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof in advance.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meanings as are generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. The terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the related technology and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. When a component, device, element, or the like of the present disclosure is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, or the like, the component, device, or element should be considered herein as being “configured to” meet that purpose or perform that operation or function.

Hereinafter, the present inventive concept is described in detail by describing embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals presented in each drawing refer to the same members.

FIG.1is a view illustrating a frame structure for a purpose built vehicle (PBV) to which the present disclosure is applied and presents an example in which the frame1may be divided into a front part FP, a middle part MP, and a rear part RP in the length direction of a vehicle and a battery3is mounted on an inner side of the middle part MP.

FIGS.2-6further show that, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the frame structure for the PBV includes an inner panel7connected to the rear of a middle part MP of a side member5to form an inner side of a rear part RP of the side member5, a front outer panel9connected to the rear of the middle part MP of the side member5and coupled to an outer side of the inner panel7to form a closed cross-section, a center outer panel13connected to the rear of the front outer panel9and coupled to the outer side of the inner panel7to form a space in which a rear suspension member11is coupled, and a rear outer panel15connected to the rear of the center outer panel13and coupled to the outer side of the inner panel7to form a closed cross-section.

In other words, the rear part RP of the side member5is made of the inner panel7on the inside of the vehicle and the front outer panel9, the center outer panel13, and the rear outer panel15in sequential order from the front rearward on the outside of the vehicle. The center outer panel13is configured to form a space to which the rear suspension member11is coupled inside the side member5.

Accordingly, the front side of the rear wheel suspension is allowed to be compactly and firmly fixed to the frame1without protruding outside the vehicle, and a sufficient distance between the side members5on either side is secured, thereby ensuring easier mounting of the battery3in the PBV.

The inner panel7forms a kick-up portion KU extending upward from the rear of the middle part, and the center outer panel13is installed at a position where the kick-up portion KU starts in the rear of the middle part MP.

The center outer panel13includes a front bulkhead17sealing the rear of the front outer panel9, a rear bulkhead19sealing the front of the rear outer panel15, an upper cover portion21coupled to an upper surface of the front outer panel9and an upper surface of the rear outer panel15between the front bulkhead17and the rear bulkhead9, and an outer cover portion23to which the front bulkhead17, the rear bulkhead19, and the upper cover portion21are connected and which forms an outer surface of the side member5.

In other words, as illustrated inFIGS.5and6, one panel bends a plurality of times such that the front bulkhead17, the rear bulkhead19, and the upper cover portion21are integrally formed around the outer cover portion23.

Since the center outer panel13as described above is coupled to the outside of the inner panel7at a position where the kick-up portion KU of the side member5starts, an opening portion OP into which the rear suspension member11may be inserted is formed by the front bulkhead17, the rear bulkhead19, the outer cover portion23of the center outer panel13and the inner panel7on a lower side of the kick-up portion KU of the side member5.

In other words, the center outer panel13forming the opening portion OP is installed in the kick-up portion KU of the side member5, and the inner panel7is installed on an inner side of the center outer panel13to form the opening portion OP.

Accordingly, the rear suspension member11is coupled in an inserted state through the opening portion OP provided on the lower side of the kick-up portion KU of the side member5, so that the rear suspension member11is coupled inside the side member5without protruding outside, thereby allowing compact vehicle assembly.

In addition, as described above, the front bulkhead17of the center outer panel13prevents foreign substances from entering the closed cross-section formed by the front outer panel9and the inner panel7and strengthens the rigidity of the coupling portion in which the center outer panel13is coupled to the front outer panel9and the inner panel7so that stronger rigidity may be provided against a rear-end collision and the like of a vehicle.

The rear bulkhead19of the center outer panel13also prevents foreign substances from entering the closed cross-section formed by the rear outer panel15and the inner panel7and strengthens the rigidity of the relevant portion.

Support portions25rotatably supporting the rear suspension member11are formed to respectively protrude toward each other in the outer cover portion23of the center outer panel13and the inner panel7opposite thereto.

In the present embodiment, the support portions25protrude in a circular shape and respectively provided with shaft mounting holes27into which a rotating shaft of the rear suspension member11may be inserted.

Accordingly, a structure is formed such that the rear suspension member11may smoothly rotate without interference from other portions of the side member5according to the changes in the relative position of the wheel with respect to the frame while the vehicle travels so that the suspension may function properly without generating noise or vibration.

In the present embodiment, a first coupling surface29to be coupled to the inner panel7and a second coupling surface31to be coupled to the front outer panel9are integrally formed in the front bulkhead17of the center outer panel13, and a third coupling surface33to be coupled to the inner panel7and a fourth coupling surface35to be coupled to the rear outer panel15are integrally formed in the rear bulkhead19of the center outer panel13.

In addition, a fifth coupling surface37to be coupled to the front outer panel9and a sixth coupling surface39to be coupled to the rear outer panel15are integrally formed in the upper cover portion21of the center outer panel13.

The plurality of coupling surfaces provided in the center outer panel13as described above are coupled to the inner panel7, the front outer panel9, and the rear outer panel15by welding and the like so that the very high rigidity around the center outer panel13may be secured so that the battery3fixed in front of the center outer panel13may be effectively prevented from being damaged by an impact force input from the rear of the vehicle.

On the other hand, a rear cross member41connecting side members5on either side to each other is provided on an inner side of the portion where the opening portion OP of the side member5is formed.

The rear cross member41extending in the lateral direction of the vehicle is coupled to the inner panel7across from a portion to which the center outer panel13is coupled.

The rear cross member41is supported while a certain distance is maintained to the rear of the battery3so that the effect on the battery3of the impact force input from the rear of the vehicle is minimized.

Specific embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described, but it should be self-evident to those of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be variously improved upon and modified within a scope not deviating from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.