Patent ID: 12202545

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention with reference toFIGS.1to5follows hereunder.

A group of motor vehicles according to the exemplary embodiment comprises the vehicle types: battery drive vehicle (100,100′), hybrid drive vehicle (200), fuel cell drive vehicle (300) and internal combustion engine drive vehicle (400). The vehicle types of the group of motor vehicles have floor pan assemblies101,101′,201,301,401which in some parts are of identical embodiment and in other parts are of different embodiments. All floor pan assemblies101,101′,201,301,401have a left rocker rail3and a right rocker rail5which are embodied so as to be substantially identical for all vehicle types. Furthermore, all floor pan assemblies101,101′,201,301,401have an upper floor pan107,107′,207,307,407which is a body-in-white component and is non-releasably connected to the body, in particular to the rocker rails3,5and optionally to crossbeams. The upper floor pan107,107′,207,307,407at the same time forms a floor pan for a vehicle interior, that is to say a passenger cabin. Furthermore, all floor pan assemblies101,101′,201,301,401have a lower floor pan109,109′,209,309,409which is an assembly part and is releasably connected to the body, in particular to the rocker rails3,5and optionally to crossbeams. The lower floor pan109,109′,209,309,409is connected in a fluid-tight manner to the body. The lower floor pan109,109′,209,309,409can be removed in particular for the purpose of servicing and repairing. As a result, assembly parts can furthermore be assembled in the floor pan assembly101,101′,201,301,401during the manufacturing of the motor vehicle.

All floor pan assemblies101,101′,201,301,401furthermore have a central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411. Vehicle electrical/electrical lines which are usually also referred to as a cable harness run in the central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411of all vehicle types. Furthermore, vehicle operating equipment lines such as hydraulic or pneumatic brake lines, windshield washer fluid lines, coolant lines, etc. can run in the central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411of all vehicle types. Interior ventilation outlet and interior ventilation inlet lines, for example of an air conditioning system, can likewise run in the central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411of all vehicle types. The central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411of the vehicle types extends substantially across an entire length of the floor pan assembly101,101′,201,301,401and has a plurality of chambers which extend in the longitudinal direction. The central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411can be configured by one longitudinal chassis beam or a plurality of longitudinal chassis beams. Crossbeams which are not shown in the figures and are conceived for transmitting or supporting, respectively, collision loads in the event of a collision of the respective motor vehicle extend between the left rocker rail3or the right rocker rail5, respectively, and the central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411.

All floor pan assemblies101,101′,201,301,401furthermore have one left and one right closed additional installation space or energy storage installation space113,113′,213,313,413, respectively, which are delimited by the central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411, the left rocker rail3or the right rocker rail5, respectively, the upper floor pan107,107′,207,307,407and the lower floor pan109,109′,209,309,409. The energy storage installation spaces113,113′,213,313,413are embodied so as to be fluid-tight. The energy storage installation space113,113′,213,313,413is thus protected in relation to environmental influences, and substances from the energy storage installation space113,113′,213,313,413can likewise not make their way into the environment or into the vehicle interior.

The floor pan assemblies101,101′,201,301,401of all vehicle types are configured in such a manner that the rocker rails3and5can absorb collision energy by deformation, in particular in the event of a lateral collision, the structure between the rocker rails3,5including the upper floor pan107,107′,207,307,407, the lower floor pan109,109′,209,309,409, the crossbeams and the central tunnel structure111,111′,211,311,411being configured so as to be sufficiently stiff in order for collision loads to be transmitted.

The floor pan assembly101of the battery drive vehicle100is shown inFIG.1. The battery drive vehicle100has a purely electrical drive having only one externally chargeable drive battery as the energy source, and at least one electric motor for driving the vehicle. The battery drive vehicle100can also be referred to as a BEV vehicle (BEV being an abbreviation of battery electric vehicle). The battery drive vehicle100does not have any further drive apart from the electric drive.

A battery assembly115is accommodated in the energy storage spaces113of the battery drive vehicle100. The battery drive vehicle100thus has a drive battery which is integrated in the body and thus does not have any drive battery which as a separate unit is able to be assembled in a separate housing on the vehicle body. The battery assembly115has a plurality of battery modules in which a multiplicity of battery cells are connected by a circuit, a power control unit and a cooling unit for temperature-controlling the battery modules.

The central tunnel structure111of the battery drive vehicle100has a longitudinal chassis beam which configures a chamber for receiving operating equipment lines and optionally a cable harness, that is to say vehicle electrical/electrical lines, which extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Battery lines of the battery assembly115are furthermore accommodated in lateral regions of the central tunnel structure111to the left and the right of the longitudinal chassis beam. The battery lines comprise high-voltage lines for the drive, or for charging, respectively, low-voltage lines for controlling the battery assembly115, and cooling lines having a coolant for temperature-controlling the battery modules.

The floor pan assembly101′ of a battery drive vehicle100′ is shown inFIG.2as a variant of the floor pan assembly101of the battery drive vehicle100. Only the difference between the floor pan assembly101′ and the floor pan assembly101is described hereunder. A central tunnel structure111′ here is configured in such a manner that the central tunnel structure111′ has one chamber or a plurality of chambers for receiving lines such as operating equipment lines, a cable harness, battery lines, etc., which extends/extend in vehicle longitudinal directions, only in a lower region. Extending in an upper half of the central tunnel structure is a crossbeam structure for absorbing and transmitting collision loads in the vehicle transverse direction such that no continuous routing of lines in the vehicle longitudinal direction is possible here.

The floor pan assembly201of a hybrid drive vehicle200is shown inFIG.3. The hybrid drive vehicle200has an electric drive having only one externally chargeable drive battery as the energy source and at least one electric motor for driving the vehicle. The hybrid drive vehicle200furthermore has an internal combustion engine for driving the vehicle and a corresponding fuel tank as the energy storage unit.

Only the difference between the floor pan assembly101and the floor pan assembly201is described hereunder. A chamber which is configured by one longitudinal chassis beam or a plurality of longitudinal chassis beams and in the longitudinal direction extends across an entire length of the floor pan assembly201is provided in the central tunnel structure211, an exhaust system231of the internal combustion engine being disposed in this chamber. Additionally provided in the central tunnel structure211, in the same chamber or in a separate chamber which extends across an entire length of the floor pan assembly201, are operating equipment lines as well as a cable harness. Battery lines furthermore preferably run in a lateral region of the central tunnel structure211. The longitudinal chassis beams of the central tunnel structure211are conceived in such a manner that these longitudinal chassis beams can also transmit transverse loads, for example in the event of a lateral collision, by way of the crossbeams of the floor pan assembly301.

As opposed to the central tunnel structures111and111′, the central tunnel structure211is configured so as to be somewhat larger in order to provide sufficient installation space for the exhaust system231. The central tunnel structure211is in particular wider and also higher.

The upper floor pan207can largely be embodied so as to be identical to the upper floor pan107or107′ but differs from the latter two in the central region. The upper floor pan207is in particular not embodied so as to be completely flat but has an elevation in the central region.

A battery assembly215is accommodated in the energy storage spaces213of the hybrid drive vehicle200. The hybrid drive vehicle200thus also has a drive battery which is integrated in the body. A storage capacity of the battery assembly215is less than the storage capacity of the battery assembly115or115′, respectively.

One fuel tank or a plurality of fuel tanks is/are furthermore accommodated in the energy storage spaces213of the hybrid drive vehicle200. The energy storage spaces213by virtue of the larger width of the central tunnel structure211are comparatively smaller in the vehicle transverse direction.

The floor pan assembly301of a fuel cell drive vehicle300is shown inFIG.4. The fuel cell drive vehicle300has an electric drive having a drive battery, which is normally not externally chargeable, as a temporary storage unit of electrical energy, and at least one electric motor for driving the vehicle. The fuel cell drive vehicle300furthermore has a fuel cell for generating electrical energy and a pressure vessel339for storing hydrogen under pressure for operating the fuel cell. A fuel cell drive vehicle of this type is also referred to as an FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle).

A chamber337(that is to say an energy storage installation space), in which the pressure vessel339of the fuel cell drive vehicle300is accommodated and which is configured by one longitudinal chassis beam or a plurality of longitudinal chassis beams and in the longitudinal direction extends across an entire length of the floor pan assembly301, is provided in the central tunnel structure311. The central tunnel structure311by virtue of a diameter of the pressure vessel339protrudes significantly beyond the plane of an upper floor pan307of the floor pan assembly301. The pressure vessel339is installed in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Operating equipment lines as well as a cable harness are additionally provided in the central tunnel structure311so as to be in the same chamber or a separate chamber which extends across an entire length of the floor pan assembly301. Battery lines furthermore preferably run in a lateral region of the central tunnel structure311. The longitudinal chassis beams of the central tunnel structure311are conceived in such a manner that these longitudinal chassis beams can also transmit transverse forces by way of crossbeams of the floor pan assembly301, for example in the event of a lateral collision.

A fuel cell drive vehicle, which is not shown in the figures, in an alternative embodiment has one pressure vessel or a plurality of pressure vessels which can be accommodated in the energy storage installation spaces313.

A further vehicle of the exemplary embodiment, shown inFIG.5, is an internal combustion engine drive vehicle400. The internal combustion engine drive vehicle400can also be referred to as an ICE vehicle (ICE being an abbreviation of internal combustion engine). The internal combustion engine drive vehicle400has only one internal combustion engine for driving the vehicle, and at least one fuel tank. The internal combustion engine drive vehicle400does not have any electrical drive and accordingly also no battery as an energy source for driving the vehicle, that is to say no drive battery. Of course, the internal combustion engine drive vehicle400can have a starter battery which however has a significantly smaller size than a drive battery.

The floor pan assembly401of the internal combustion engine drive vehicle400can be constructed in a manner similar to the floor pan assembly201of the hybrid drive vehicle200, with the difference that no battery and no battery lines are provided.

By virtue of the absent battery, a larger fuel tank, or larger fuel tanks, respectively, or one additional fuel tank or a plurality of additional fuel tanks, respectively, can correspondingly be provided in an additional installation space or energy storage installation space413of the internal combustion engine drive vehicle400.

Operating equipment lines, a cable harness as well as an exhaust system413are accommodated in a central tunnel structure411of the internal combustion engine drive vehicle400.

In all figures, vehicle lines in the central tunnel structure are illustrated in an exemplary manner as circular disks which are however not provided with reference signs and are not specified in more detail in terms of the type of these vehicle lines. A multiplicity of possibilities for disposing these lines exist. It is a common feature of the vehicle types that these lines in the central tunnel structure run in the vehicle longitudinal direction to the extent that this is expedient and possible.

Overall, the floor pan assemblies of all vehicle types described are of a fundamentally very similar construction and differ from one another in terms of a central tunnel structure and optionally in terms of a size of the additional installation space or energy storage installation space, respectively, in which the battery and/or the fuel tank or the pressure vessel, respectively, can be accommodated, the size being adapted to the central tunnel structure. From the point of view of construction and from the point of view of manufacturing, it is thus possible for a vehicle model range with different drive concepts to be implemented in a simple manner. As a result, a number of identical parts shared by the described vehicle types is advantageously very large. Any change in the market in terms of the demand for drive concepts can thus be responded to in a rapid and cost-effective manner.