# US 11,299,211 B2 · Lower vehicle-body structure of electric vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,211 B2 - Document ID: US11299211B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/820,420 - Filed: 2020-03-16 - Published: 2020-11-19 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-15 - Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation - Applicants: Mazda Motor Corporation - Inventors: Yamato Matsuda; Nobuyuki Nakayama; Morihide Yamada; Katsuhito Kouno; Toshihiro Takebayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299211B2 ## CPC - B62D 25/20: Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)} - B62D 25/2036: {the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars (B62D21/157 takes precedence)} - B62D 21/09: Means for mounting load bearing surfaces - B62D 21/155: {Sub-frames or underguards} - B62D 27/023: {Assembly of structural joints} - B60K 1/04: of the electric storage means for propulsion - B60K 2001/0427: {Arrangement between the seats} - B62D 25/2045: {the subunits being fire walls} - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES ## Abstract A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle to increase resistance to lateral collision and also improve front-end collision load transfer performance of a tunnel. The lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle includes a floor having a tunnel formed in a front part at a middle in a vehicle-width direction; and a floor cross member spanning, above the floor, between side sills disposed on opposite sides of the floor. Also, a rear end of the tunnel is located directly in front of the floor cross member, and reinforcing brackets are provided extending from the tunnel toward an upper end of the floor cross member and connected to the upper end of the floor cross member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle comprising: a dash panel; a floor having a tunnel formed in a front part below the dash panel at a middle in a vehicle-width direction, wherein the tunnel houses an expanding portion expanding upward, of a battery unit disposed below the floor; and a floor cross member spanning, above the floor, between side sills disposed on opposite sides of the floor, wherein a rear end of the tunnel is located directly in front of the floor cross member, a reinforcing bracket is provided extending from the tunnel toward the floor cross member on a rear side of the tunnel, spaced upward from the floor, and connected to an upper part of the floor cross member, the reinforcing bracket includes a tunnel reinforcing bracket extending rearward from the tunnel, and a console support bracket provided on a rear side of the tunnel reinforcing bracket and connected to a rear part of the tunnel reinforcing bracket and the floor cross member on the rear side of the tunnel reinforcing bracket, the tunnel reinforcing bracket and the console support bracket are separately formed and partially overlap each other at the rear part of the tunnel reinforcing bracket, the tunnel reinforcing bracket and the console support bracket each include opposite side walls and an upper wall to form an inverted U-shaped section in front view of the vehicle, and a recess is continuously formed across the upper wall of the tunnel reinforcing bracket and the upper wall of the console support bracket. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tunnel reinforcing bracket is connected to an upper end of the floor cross member via the console support bracket. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the opposite side walls and the upper wall of the tunnel reinforcing bracket are welded to the tunnel, the opposite side walls and the upper wall of the console support bracket are connected to the floor cross member by fasteners, and the opposite side walls and the upper walls of the tunnel reinforcing bracket and the console support bracket are connected by fasteners. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising: a reinforcing element including opposite side walls and an upper wall to form an inverted U-shaped section in front view of the vehicle, and mounted to the floor cross member across the tunnel reinforcing bracket and the console support bracket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a connecting bracket connecting an upper wall of the tunnel and the upper wall of the reinforcing bracket above the tunnel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a reinforcing element including opposite side walls and an upper wall to form an inverted U-shaped section in front view of the vehicle, and mounted to the floor cross member across the tunnel reinforcing bracket and the console support bracket. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a connecting bracket connecting an upper wall of the tunnel and the upper wall of the reinforcing bracket above the tunnel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: a connecting bracket connecting an upper wall of the tunnel and the upper wall of the reinforcing bracket above the tunnel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising: a connecting bracket connecting an upper wall of the tunnel and the upper wall of the reinforcing bracket above the tunnel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising: a connecting bracket connecting an upper wall of the tunnel and the upper wall of the reinforcing bracket above the tunnel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising: a connecting bracket connecting an upper wall of the tunnel and the upper wall of the reinforcing bracket above the tunnel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcing element comprises a reinforcement of the tunnel reinforcing bracket disposed on a lower surface of the rear part of the tunnel reinforcing bracket. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein a vehicle-width-direction middle part of an upper wall of the reinforcement of the tunnel reinforcing bracket is recessed downward corresponding to the recess in the tunnel reinforcing bracket. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcing element comprises a reinforcement of the console support bracket which reinforces a front part of the console support bracket from below. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein a vehicle-width-direction middle part of an upper wall of the reinforcement of the console support bracket is recessed downward corresponding to the recess in the console support bracket.