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US 10,118,482 B2Granted
Vehicle body structure
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsYuki Muramatsu, Hiroyuki Hattori, Taichi Nezasa, Akifumi Katsuno
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle body structure includes a first middle floor unit for a gasoline vehicle and a second middle floor unit for a hybrid vehicle, and the first and second middle floor units are made interchangeable with each other. A front floor unit and a rear floor unit are made shareable by the gasoline vehicle and the hybrid vehicle. That is, the front floor unit and the rear floor unit can be regarded as a platform. Additionally, the second middle floor unit includes a housing, and an IPU is stored in an interior of the housing.
Claims11
A vehicle body structure settable in a gasoline vehicle and a hybrid vehicle, the vehicle body structure comprising:
- a front floor unit, a rear floor unit, and a middle floor unit which couples the front floor unit and the rear floor unit, wherein
- the gasoline vehicle and the hybrid vehicle share the front floor unit and the rear floor unit,
- the middle floor unit includes a gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit or a hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit, the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit and the hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit being interchangeable with each other,
- the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit includes a kick-up portion which extends upward and a planar portion which extends rearward from an upper end portion of the kick-up portion such that the planar portion is substantially flat,
- the hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit includes a housing which has an opening at an upper portion and has a recess extending downward from the opening, the housing including an electrical component provided in an interior of the housing,
- the gasoline vehicle includes a fuel tank which extends under the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit and the rear floor unit, and
- the hybrid vehicle includes a fuel tank which is disposed under the rear floor unit.
4 more elements
A kit of a vehicle body structure comprising:
- a front floor unit, a rear floor unit, and a middle floor unit which is configured to connect the front floor unit to the rear floor unit, wherein
- the middle floor unit includes a gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit for a gasoline vehicle and a hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit for a hybrid vehicle, the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit and the hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit being interchangeable with each other,
- the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit includes a kick-up portion which extends upward and a planar portion which extends rearward from an upper end portion of the kick-up portion such that the planar portion is substantially flat,
- the hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit includes a housing which has an opening at an upper portion and has a recess extending downward from the opening, the housing including an electrical component provided in an interior of the housing,
- the kit further comprising:
- a gasoline-vehicle fuel tank being configured to be installed into a space extending under the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit and the rear floor unit, and
- a hybrid vehicle fuel tank being configured to be installed into a space under the rear floor unit.
4 more elements
A method of producing a vehicle body structure comprising steps of:
- preparing a front floor unit, a rear floor unit, and a middle floor unit which is configured to connect the front floor unit to the rear floor unit, wherein
- the middle floor unit includes a gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit for a gasoline vehicle or a hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit for a hybrid vehicle, the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit and the hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit being interchangeable with each other,
- the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit includes a kick-up portion which extends upward and a planar portion which extends rearward from an upper end portion of the kick-up portion such that the planar portion is substantially flat,
- the hybrid-vehicle middle floor unit includes a housing which has an opening at an upper portion and has a recess extending downward from the opening, the housing including an electrical component provided in an interior of the housing,
- the method further comprising steps of:
- preparing a gasoline-vehicle fuel tank being configured to be installed into a space extending under the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit and the rear floor unit;
- preparing a hybrid vehicle fuel tank being configured to be installed into a space under the rear floor unit;
- connecting the front floor unit and the rear floor unit via the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit;
- and
- installing the gasoline-vehicle fuel tank into the space extending under the gasoline-vehicle middle floor unit and the rear floor unit.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.