# US 12,109,879 B2 · Vehicle floor structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,879 B2 - Document ID: US12109879B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/545,295 - Filed: 2021-12-08 - Published: 2023-01-19 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-07-14 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Inventors: Ji Ho Choi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109879B2 ## CPC - B60K 15/07: of gas tanks - B62D 25/20: Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)} - B60K 2001/0438: {Arrangement under the floor} - B60K 2015/03118: {Multiple tanks, i.e. two or more separate tanks} - B60K 2015/03151: {Mechanical connection between the tanks} - B60K 2015/03315: {for hydrogen} - B60K 2015/0634: {the fuel tank is arranged below the vehicle floor} - B60Y 2400/202: Fuel cells - B62D 27/00: Connections between superstructure {or understructure} sub-units {(B62D33/0207, B62D33/044 take precedence; between sub-units predominently made of synthetic material B62D29/048)} - Y02E 60/32: Hydrogen storage - 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 - 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) - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A vehicle floor structure may include a floor disposed on a bottom portion of a vehicle body; a plurality of tank mounting members attached to a bottom surface of the floor; and a plurality of hydrogen tanks mounted on the plurality of tank mounting members, wherein each tank mounting member is aligned to extend in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the plurality of tank mounting members is spaced from each other in a width direction of the vehicle, each tank mounting member has a plurality of lower recessed portions provided in a lower portion thereof, and at least predetermined upper portions of the hydrogen tanks are received in the lower recessed portions of the tank mounting members, respectively. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle floor structure of a vehicle, the vehicle floor structure comprising: a floor disposed on a bottom portion of a vehicle body; a plurality of tank mounting members attached to a bottom surface of the floor; and a plurality of hydrogen tanks mounted on the plurality of tank mounting members, wherein each tank mounting member is aligned to extend in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the plurality of tank mounting members is spaced from each other in a width direction of the vehicle, wherein each tank mounting member has a plurality of lower recessed portions provided in a lower portion thereof, and wherein at least predetermined upper portions of the hydrogen tanks are received in the lower recessed portions of the tank mounting members, respectively. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle floor structure of claim 1, wherein each hydrogen tank has a cylindrical shape having a predetermined radius, and wherein each lower recessed portion has an arced shape having a same radius as a radius of each hydrogen tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle floor structure of claim 1, wherein each hydrogen tank is aligned to extend in the width direction of the vehicle, and wherein a longitudinal axis of each hydrogen tank is aligned to be parallel to a width axis of the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle floor structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hydrogen tanks is mounted on the plurality of tank mounting members through a plurality of mounting bands, wherein the plurality of mounting bands is aligned with the plurality of tank mounting members, wherein each mounting band has a plurality of recesses, and wherein at least predetermined lower portions of the hydrogen tanks are accommodated in the recesses, respectively. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle floor structure of claim 4, further including: a frame attached to the bottom surface of the floor, wherein the frame includes a pair of side members disposed on first and second edge portions of the floor, respectively, and a plurality of crossmembers extending between the pair of side members, and wherein the plurality of tank mounting members is fixed to the plurality of crossmembers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle floor structure of claim 5, wherein each tank mounting member has a plurality of upper recessed portions provided in an upper portion thereof, and wherein the plurality of upper recessed portions receives the plurality of crossmembers therein, respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vehicle floor structure of claim 5, wherein the plurality of crossmembers includes: a front crossmember to which a front end portion of each of the tank mounting members is fixed; a rear crossmember to which a rear end portion of each of the tank mounting members is fixed; and a plurality of middle crossmembers disposed between the front crossmember and the rear crossmember. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle floor structure of claim 7, wherein a front end portion of each of the mounting bands is fixed to the front crossmember together with the front end portion of each of the tank mounting members via a first front bolt, and wherein the front crossmember is fixed to the bottom surface of the floor via a second front bolt. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle floor structure of claim 8, wherein the front crossmember has a cavity defined therein, wherein the front crossmember includes a first front nut and a second front nut provided in the cavity of the front crossmember, wherein the first front nut is positioned below the second front nut in the cavity, wherein the first front bolt is screwed into the first front nut through the front end portion of each of the mounting bands and the front end portion of each of the tank mounting members, and wherein the second front bolt is screwed into the second front nut through the floor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The vehicle floor structure of claim 8, wherein the front crossmember has a cavity defined therein, wherein the front crossmember includes a front nut provided in the cavity of the front crossmember, wherein the first front bolt is screwed into lower internal threads of the front nut through the front end portion of each of the mounting bands and the front end portion of each of the tank mounting members, and wherein the second front bolt is screwed into upper internal threads of the front nut through the floor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The vehicle floor structure of claim 7, wherein a rear end portion of each of the mounting bands is fixed to the rear crossmember together with the rear end portion of each of the tank mounting members via a first rear bolt, and wherein the rear crossmember is fixed to the bottom surface of the floor via a second rear bolt. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle floor structure of claim 11, wherein the rear crossmember has a cavity defined therein, wherein the rear crossmember includes a first rear nut and a second rear nut provided in the cavity of the rear crossmember, wherein the first rear nut is positioned below the second rear nut in the cavity of the rear crossmember, wherein the first rear bolt is screwed into the first rear nut through the rear end portion of each of the mounting bands and the rear end portion of each of the tank mounting members, and wherein the second rear bolt is screwed into the second rear nut through the floor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The vehicle floor structure of claim 11, wherein the rear crossmember has a cavity defined therein, wherein the rear crossmember includes a rear nut provided in the cavity of the rear crossmember, wherein the first rear bolt is screwed into lower internal threads of the rear nut, and wherein the second rear bolt is screwed into upper internal threads of the rear nut. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The vehicle floor structure of claim 7, wherein middle portions of the tank mounting members are fixed to the corresponding middle crossmembers through a plurality of first middle bolts. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle floor structure of claim 14, further including: a plurality of center slide rails mounted on a top surface of the floor, wherein each center slide rail is aligned to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein a longitudinal axis of each tank mounting member is aligned with a longitudinal axis of each center slide rail, and wherein the center slide rails are fixed to the floor together with the tank mounting members through a plurality of second middle bolts. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle floor structure of claim 15, wherein each middle crossmember has a cavity defined therein, wherein each middle crossmember includes a first middle nut and a second middle nut provided in the cavity of each middle crossmember, wherein the first middle nut is positioned below the second middle nut in the cavity of each middle crossmember, wherein a corresponding first middle bolt is screwed into the first middle nut, and wherein a corresponding second middle bolt is screwed into the second middle nut. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The vehicle floor structure of claim 15, wherein each middle crossmember has a cavity defined therein, wherein each middle crossmember includes a middle nut provided in the cavity of each middle crossmember, wherein a corresponding first middle bolt is screwed into lower internal threads of the middle nut, and wherein a corresponding second middle bolt is screwed into upper internal threads of the middle nut. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The vehicle floor structure of claim 15, wherein the plurality of center slide rails is fixed to the floor together with the plurality of tank mounting members via a plurality of upper bolts, wherein each of the tank mounting members includes a plurality of upper nuts embedded therein, and wherein the plurality of upper bolts is screwed into the plurality of upper nuts. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The vehicle floor structure of claim 1, further including: a plurality of reinforcing crossmembers extending between the plurality of tank mounting members, wherein a longitudinal axis of each reinforcing crossmember is aligned to be parallel to a longitudinal axis of each hydrogen tank. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The vehicle floor structure of claim 19, wherein the plurality of reinforcing crossmembers is fixed to the floor together with the plurality of tank mounting members.