Body Structure
Body Structure Outline
^ A crash safety body is used to ensure the world's top-level occupant protection performance in its class, as well as Toyota's own stringent targets. Moreover, this vehicle pursues safety from various aspects, such as through the use of the "head impact protection structure" or the "Brake Pedal Construction for Collison".
^ An "omni-directional compatibility body sructure", an evolved form of the crash safety body sructure that aims at the preservation of both vehicles during a collision between vehicles of different weight classes, is used. In terms of ensuring the survival space for the occupants, this vehicle aims at the world's top level of crash safety performance in its class.
^ Based on a monocoque structure, the allocation of the various parts and mateflals and their joining structure have been optimized. Hightensile sheet steel is positively used, comprising 45% of the entire body frame. Thus, a lightweight and highly rigid body with a minimal amount of vibration and noise has been achieved.
^ To ensure a high level of rustproofing performance, the body uses rusproof sheet steel extensvely, and the wheel housings and the front floor area (which are exposed to water and gravel) have been provided with a lightweight, chip-resistant undercoating.
^ Sound-absorbing materials have been used throughout the body to ensure its quietness.
^ To reduce wind noise, the shape of the various areas of the upper body has been optimized in accordance with the movement of air that flows from the front to the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, items that guide airflow such as an engine under cover and spats have been provided under the floor in order to achieve superior aerodynamics.
Safety Features
^ A crash safety body, which minimizes the deformation of the cabin by effectively absorbing and dissipating the energy of a collison through the use of crushable front and rear body sections and highly rigid cabin parts, is used.
^ It has an omni-directional compatibility body structure that gives the vehicle the world's top-level collision safety performance in its class* for preserving the cabin space during a frontal, side, or rear collison.
Reference
*Comparison of vehicles with the same cylinder displacement in the class.
^ A rational body structure has been achieved through the use of computer-generated collision simulations and numerous on-vehicle tests. It effectively absorbs and dissipates the energy of the impact not only during a frontal or side collision, but during an offset frontal collision (in which an impact is applied only to one end of the vehicle) as well.
Impact Absorbing Structure for Front Collision
^ This structure effectively dissipates the energy of a frontal collision to the right and left front side members by way of large front bumper reinforcements. Furthermore, crush boxes have been designed with repairability in mind, and front side members with a hexagon-shaped cross section provide high yield strength. Thus, an efficient energy absorbing structure has been achieved.
^ With respect to the energy of an offset frontal collision, the load that is applied to the front pillar is effectively dissipated by enhancing the energy transmission to the door belt line area. This has been accomplished by reducing the gap between the front door hinge side panel and the side outer panel (see A-A cross section).
^ A rocker outer extension is provided at the front end of the rocker, and the rocker has been extended forward, in order to absorb the impact of a collision that is transmitted from the wheel during an offset frontal collision. This feature minimizes the deformation of the body around the cabin.
^ The portion in which the engine rear mounting member is mounted to the floor panel has been revised. When the load from the engine and the transmission is applied to this area during a frontal collision, this portion separates. By suppressing the intrusion of the dash panel into the cabin in this manner, this structure helps to reduce the injury sustained by the occupants.
Impact Absorbing Structure for Side Collision
^ A center body pillar upper reinforcement, which is shaped with different thicknesses by joining materials with different thicknesses, is provided at the center pillar. In addition, the strength distribution of the center pillar has been optimized. Furthermore, the center pillar upper hinge No.1 reinforcement is provided inside the center pillar to ensure its rigidity. As a result, a sructure that minimizes cabin deformation has been achieved.
^ Various materials are used effectively in order to transmit the energy of the collision (which has dissipated from the center pillar to the rocker during a side collison) to the floor tunnel via pads and rods provided in the seats, thus reducing the extent of body deformation. A bracket is provided to join the roof side rail and the large roof reinforcement in order to effectively transmit the energy of the collison that has dissipated above the center pillar, thus suppressing the intrusion of the roof side rail into the cabin.
^ The rocker consists of a rocker outer panel made of high tensile strength sheet steel and a bulkhead that is provided in the cross section in order to effectively dissipate the energy of the collision, which is input from the bottom of the center pillar, to the floor.
^ The portion of the floor cross member that is joined to the rocker has been raised (see A-A cross section) in order to strengthen the joint between the floor and the rocker. In addition, gussets made of high tensile strength sheet steel are provided to ensure the proper strength.
^ In the door panel, the side impact protection beam has been located to overlap at the bottom with the pillars in order to effectively absorb and dissipate the energy of a collision. Furthermore, the reinforcements at the belt line and inside the door panel have been located optimally in order to ensre the proper door strength.
^ Energy absorbers are provided insde the front doors in order to dampen the impact that is applied to the occupants during a collision (see A-A cross section).
^ A floor side panel reinforcement, which overlaps with the rear door side impact protection beam, is provided at the rear end of the rocker facing the cabin, in order to ensure the proper strength and reduce the extent of body deformation during a collision (see B-B cross section).
Impact Absorbing Structure for Rear Collision
^ On all models, an aluminum rear bumper reinforcement is provided inside the rear bumper for weight reduction. In addition, crush boxes are provided between the rear bumper and the body lower back panel in order to absorb the impact of a minor collision.
Head Impact Protection Structure
^ A "head impact protection structure" is provided to dampen the impact applied to the head of an occupant in the event the occupant's head collides with a pillar or the roof side, as a reaction during a vehicle collision.
^ The impact-absorbing garnishes integrated with ribs, and the impact-absorbing hard urethane pads provided inside the roof headlining collapse to dampen the impact that is applied to the occupant's head.
Brake Pedal Construction for Collision
^ A "Brake Pedal Construction for Collision" is used so that the brake pedal moves downward during a frontal collison, in order to minimize the extent of the backward movement of the brake pedal and dampen the impact that is applied to the driver's lower limbs.
^ The brake pedal is joined to the brake pedal lever. If the backward movement of the engine during a collision pushes on the brake booster, the dash panel intrudes into the floor and the instrument panel reinforcements move, causng the No.3 brake pedal bracket and the brake pedal lever to rotate forward. As a result, the brake pedal, which is joined to the brake pedal lever, moves forward and downward.
Cabin Frame Construction
^ In addition to optimizing the cross-sectional areas of the pillars, frame materials are provided effectively in the side outer panels. These strengthening measures increase rigidity and reduce road noise.
Body Shell(Around The Rear)
^ A large room partition panel has been created by laser welding the upper back panel and the No.2 center floor cross member, thus achieving both weight reduction and improved rigidity.
Body Shell (Suspension member fitting portion)
^ Various types of floor cross members are provided to join the right and left areas to which the rear suspension member is mounted. This ensures the proper rigidity at the force application point, which reduces road noise.