Automobile vehicle battery tray with side impact rails

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773582-B2
Application number	US-201916275667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2019
Priority date	Feb 19, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A battery tray for a battery powered vehicle includes a battery tray having a side wall. An impact absorbing structure is connected to the side wall. The impact absorbing structure includes at least one roll-formed member fixed to the side wall. The at least one roll-formed member is created from a single metal plate and includes a first plate portion roll-formed to create a first cavity and having a first flange created in a member central wall of the first plate portion. The first flange is fixed to the first plate portion. A second plate portion is roll-formed to create a second cavity and has a second flange at an end of the second plate portion fixed to the member central wall. A roll-formed U-shaped attachment member is fixed to the at least one roll-formed member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A side rail assembly connected to a battery tray in a motor vehicle, the side rail assembly comprising:
a side impact rail having:
a first wall having a first rib extending entirely across a width and a length thereof from the first wall;
a second wall, the second wall spaced apart from the first wall, the second wall having a second rib extending entirely across a width and a length thereof from the second wall; and
a third wall, the third wall connected to the first wall and the second wall,
wherein the first rib extends towards the second rib and the second rib extends towards the first rib, and wherein the first rib extends on either side from the first wall.

2. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first rib is aligned with the second rib.

3. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first rib extends along an entire length of the first wall.

4. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second rib extends along an entire length of the second wall.

5. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the side impact rail is roll-formed from a single plate of metal.

6. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first wall and the second wall are substantially parallel.

7. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the third wall is substantially perpendicular to the first wall and to the second wall.

8. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a roll-formed member configured to be connected to the vehicle battery tray.

9. The side rail assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first wall includes a first flange connected to the roll-formed member and the second wall includes a second flange connected to the roll-formed member.

10. The side rail assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first flange is disposed at a first free end of the first wall and the second flange is disposed at a second free end of the second wall.

11. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall have the same thickness.

12. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second rib has a width greater than a width of the first rib.

13. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall define an interior of the side impact rail, and wherein the first rib extends into the interior and the second rib extends into the interior.

14. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the side impact rail is substantially U-shaped.

15. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first rib is disposed centrally along a width of the first wall and the second rib is disposed centrally along a width of the second wall.

16. A side rail assembly connected to a battery tray in a motor vehicle, the side rail assembly comprising:
a roll formed side impact rail configured to exhibit the properties of a roll formed tailor welded material, the roll formed side impact rail having:
a first wall having a first rib with opposite sides each extending away from the first wall;
a second wall, the second wall spaced apart from the first wall, the second wall having a second rib with opposite sides each extending away from the second wall; and
a third wall, the third wall connected to the first wall and the second wall,
wherein the first rib extends towards the second rib and the second rib extends towards the first rib, and wherein the first rib and the second rib are in alignment.

17. The side rail assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first wall and the second wall are substantially parallel, and the third wall is substantially perpendicular to the first wall and to the second wall.

18. The side rail assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first wall and the first rib have the same thickness and the second wall and the second rib have the same thickness.

19. The side rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second rib has a width greater than a width of the first rib.

20. A battery tray assembly for a battery powered vehicle, the battery tray assembly comprising:
a battery tray having a side wall; and
an impact absorbing structure connected to the side wall, the impact absorbing structure including:
a first member fixed to the side wall;
a side impact rail having:
a first wall having a first rib extending entirely across a width and a length thereof from the first wall to form a discrete raised first ridge relative to the first wall, the first wall connected to the first member;
a second wall, the second wall spaced apart from the first wall, the second wall having a second rib extending entirely across a width and a length thereof from the second wall to form a discrete raised second ridge relative to the second wall, the second wall connected to the first member; and
a third wall, the third wall connected to the first wall and the second wall,
wherein the first rib extends towards the second rib and the second rib extends towards the first rib, and wherein the first rib and the second rib are in alignment.

Assignees

• Dura Operating Llc

Inventors

• Steiner Walter J
• Page Indraneel
• Hendren Rob

Classifications

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• H01M50/249

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• B60K1/04 Primary

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B62D21/157

  for side impacts · CPC title