Composite battery enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10431789-B2
Application number	US-201816103571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A battery enclosure for a vehicle chassis having a base member with raised surface features on the upper surface outlining individual cells, each cell configured to receive at least one battery; a cover member having a plurality of depending surface features on the lower surface which are aligned with the surface features of the base member. The cover member includes a channel formed in the upper surface thereof, aligned with and extending along a length of the depending surface feature disposed on the bottom surface. A lattice support structure is also included which has a plurality of support members extending axially and transversely, wherein the lattice support structure is configured to be at least partially disposed within the channel of the cover member and mounted to the vehicle chassis. The lattice support member providing increased rigidity and a load distribution path for externally applied forces (e.g. crash events) to prevent or inhibit enclosure breakage or puncture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery enclosure for a vehicle chassis comprising:
a base member having an upper and lower surface, the base member having a plurality of raised surface features on the upper surface outlining individual cells, each cell configured to receive at least one battery;
a cover member having an upper and lower surface, the cover member having a plurality of depending surface features on the lower surface outlining individual cells, the surface features of the cover member aligned with the surface features of the base member, and
the cover member having at least one channel formed in the upper surface thereof, aligned with and extending along a length of the depending surface feature disposed on the bottom surface;

a lattice support structure, the lattice support structure including a plurality of support members extending axially and a plurality of support members extending transversely,
wherein the lattice support structure is configured to be at least partially disposed within the channel of the cover member and mounted to the vehicle chassis; and
wherein a top surface of the lattice support structure is coplanar with a top surface of the cover member.

2. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the support members of the lattice support structure includes hollow beams.

3. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the lattice support structure is composed of metal.

4. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the lattice support structure is composed of a plurality of individual layers of continuous fiber reinforcement having at least 60% of reinforcing fibers aligned with a primary axis of the support member.

5. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the lattice support structure is coupled to the vehicle chassis.

6. The battery enclosure of claim 5 , wherein boundary edges of the lattice support structure are disposed between rocker panels of the vehicle chassis.

7. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the individual cells include a plurality of symmetric cells.

8. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the lattice support structure includes a first axial support member and a second axial support member having a common cross-section, and a third axial support member having a different cross-section.

9. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein at least one depending surface feature of the cover member extends a distance greater than at least one raised surface feature of the base member.

10. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the surface features of the cover member engage with the surface features of the base member to form at least one closed volume cell.

11. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the cover member has a flange extending around the periphery, the bottom surface of the lattice support structure engaging the upper surface of the cover member flange.

12. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the cover member and lattice support structure form a load-bearing floor of the vehicle.

13. The battery enclosure of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the cover member and base member are formed as a unitary molding.

14. The battery enclosure of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the cover member and base member are formed with reinforcing fibers disposed within a resin.

15. The battery enclosure of claim 13 , wherein the fibers include at least one carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, polyethylene or polypropylene fiber.

16. The battery enclosure of claim 13 , wherein the resin includes is a liquid thermosetting resin including at least one of epoxy, unsaturated isophthalic polyester, vinyl-ester, methyl-methacrylate or phenolic resin.

17. The battery enclosure of claim 13 , wherein the resin includes a thermoplastic resin including at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, acrylic, polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin.

18. The battery enclosure of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the cover member and base member include a plurality of individual layers of continuous fiber reinforcement aligned in a cross-plied fashion where the angle of the fiber with respect to the axial orientation of the vehicle is greater than +/−20 degrees and less than +/−70 degrees.

19. The battery enclosure of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the cover member and base member include a plurality of individual layers having randomly oriented discontinuous reinforcing fibers.

20. A battery enclosure for a vehicle chassis comprising:
a base member having an upper and lower surface, the base member having a plurality of raised surface features on the upper surface outlining individual cells, each cell configured to receive at least one battery;
a cover member having an upper and lower surface, the cover member having a plurality of depending surface features on the lower surface outlining individual cells, the surface features of the cover member aligned with the surface features of the base member, and
the cover member having at least one channel formed in the upper surface thereof, aligned with and extending along a length of the depending surface feature disposed on the bottom surface;

a lattice support structure, the lattice support structure including a plurality of support members extending axially and a plurality of support members extending transversely to surround each cell contained within the enclosure,
wherein upper and lower surfaces of the lattice support structure define a thickness, the thickness of the lattice support structure equal to a depth of the channel in the cover member; and
wherein a top surface of the lattice support structure is coplanar with a top surface of the cover member.

Assignees

• Tpi Composites Inc

Inventors

• Lucchesi Brian
• Nolet Stephen
• Veloso Mckevin

Classifications

• H01M50/20

  Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders (structural combination of accumulators with charging apparatus H01M10/46) · CPC title

• B60K1/04 Primary

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B60K2001/0438

  Arrangement under the floor · CPC title

• H01M50/28

  Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials · CPC title

• H01M50/229

  Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials · CPC title