Mounting structures for battery packs in electric vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11007899-B2
Application number	US-201816168097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2018
Priority date	Oct 23, 2018
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods to provide electrical power to components in electric vehicles are described herein. A battery pack can be arranged in a first position within an interior opening defined by a lateral member. A connecting member can be coupled with the battery pack, and can have a head and a body. A panel can be disposed along the lateral member, and can have a top and bottom layer. The top layer can define an opening to pass the head and body. The bottom layer can define an opening to support the head. A plate can be disposed on the top layer and can define an opening. The opening of the plate can have a first region to hold the battery pack in the first position and a second region to allow the battery pack to move to a second position outside the interior opening responsive to an impact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus to provide electrical power to components in electric vehicles, comprising:
a battery pack arranged in a first position beneath a mounting surface and within an interior opening of an internal frame that is disposed within a bottom region of an electric vehicle, the interior opening partially defined by a lateral member of the internal frame and the mounting surface, the battery pack having a plurality of battery cells to store electric energy and having a support structure to hold the battery pack in the first position;
a connecting member mechanically coupled with the support structure of the battery pack, the connecting member having a head portion and a body portion;
a panel disposed along the lateral member of the internal frame in the bottom region of the electric vehicle, the panel having:
a top layer defining a top panel opening to pass the head portion and the body portion of the connecting member, and
a bottom layer separated from the top layer, the bottom layer defining a bottom panel opening, the bottom panel opening aligned with the top panel opening and having an area less than an area of the top panel opening to pass the body portion and to support the head portion on the bottom layer; and

a plate disposed on the top layer of the panel to couple the panel with the mounting surface of the electric vehicle, the plate defining a plate opening, the plate opening having:
a first region to support the head portion of the connecting member onto the plate to hold the battery pack in the first position; and
a second region contiguous with the first region, the second region having an area larger than an area of the first region to shift the head portion of the connecting member to the second region to allow the battery pack to move from the first position to a second position outside the interior opening of the internal frame in response to a lateral impact on the electric vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the plate disposed on the top layer of the panel arranged along a first side of the electric vehicle; and
a second plate disposed on a top layer of a second panel arranged along a second side opposite side of the first side to couple the second panel with the mounting surface of the electric vehicle, the second plate defining a plate opening, the plate opening having:
a first region to support the head portion of a second connecting member onto the second plate to hold the battery pack in the first position; and
a second region contiguous with the first region, the second region having an area larger than an area of the first region to shift a head portion of the second connecting member through the second region to allow the battery pack to move from the first position to the second position on the second side in response to the lateral impact on the first side of the electric vehicle opposite of the second side on which the second plate is arranged.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the plate defining a slot, the slot having a first region and a second region along a first side of the electric vehicle, the slot supporting a second connecting member on the plate to move the second connecting member from the first region to the second region in response to the lateral impact on the first side of the electric vehicle;
a structural element spanning the interior opening, the structural element having a first end connected to the plate on the first side via the second connecting member in the first region and having a second end connected to a second plate that is disposed on a top layer of a second panel that is disposed on a second lateral member of the internal frame on a second side opposite of the first side; and
the structural element to shift from a first end to a second end in response to the lateral impact on the first side to allow the battery pack to move to the second position outside the interior opening both on the first side and the second side.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the plate disposed on the top layer of the panel arranged along a first side of the electric vehicle;
a second plate disposed on a top layer of a second panel arranged along a second side opposite side of the first side to couple the second panel with the mounting surface of the electric vehicle;
a first structural element spanning the interior opening from the first side to the second side, the first structural element having a first end mechanically coupled with the panel and a second end mechanically coupled with the second panel;
a second structural element spanning the interior opening from the second side to the first side and intersecting with the first structural element at a midpoint, the second structural element having a first end mechanically coupled with the panel and a second end mechanically coupled with the second panel; and
the second linear structure element to move about the midpoint relative to the first linear structure element in response to the lateral impact on the electric vehicle to allow the battery pack to move to the second position outside the interior opening both on the first side and the second side.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the plate disposed on the top layer of the panel arranged along a first side of the electric vehicle;
a second plate disposed on a top layer of a second panel arranged along a second side opposite side of the first side to couple the second panel with the mounting surface of the electric vehicle;
a rotation element disposed on a top surface of the battery pack to mechanically couple the battery pack with the mounting surface;
a first structural element disposed within the interior opening, the first structural element having a first end mechanically coupled with the panel and a second end mechanically coupled with the rotation element;
a second structural element disposed within the interior opening, the second structural element having a first end mechanically coupled with the second panel and a second end mechanically coupled with the rotation element; and
the second structural element to shift in response to the lateral impact on the electric vehicle to cause the rotation element to turn and to cause the first structural element to shift in response to the rotation of the rotation element, to allow the battery pack to move to the second position outside the interior opening both on the first side and the second side.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the plate defining a plate mounting space, the plate mounting space supporting a second connecting member;
the battery pack having a holder element, the holder element supporting a third connecting member, the third connecting member having a body portion and a head portion; and
a structural element at least partially spanning the interior opening, the structural element having a first end mechanically coupled with the plate via the second connecting member and having a second end mechanically coupled with the battery pack via the third connecting member, the structural element defining a battery mounting space, the battery mounting space having:
a first region to support holding the head portion of the third connecting member to hold the battery pack in the first position; and
a second region contiguous with the first region, the second region having an area larger than an area of the first region to shift the head portion of the third connecting member from the first region to the second region to allow the battery pack to move from the first position to the second position in response to the lateral impact on the electric vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of connecting members each mechanically coupled with the support s

Assignees

• Sf Motors Inc
• Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Vehicle Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Jiaxian

Classifications

• B60L50/64 Primary

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

• B60L58/21 Primary

  having the same nominal voltage · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• B60L50/66

  Arrangements of batteries · CPC title

• B60L58/25

  by controlling the electric load · CPC title