Coupling element for connecting vehicle components of an underfloor arrangement and underfloor arrangement of a battery-operated motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11331994-B2
Application number	US-202016881662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2020
Priority date	May 24, 2019
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a coupling element for connecting vehicle components of an underfloor arrangement of a battery-powered motor vehicle, wherein the underfloor arrangement having a battery holder and at least one axle arrangement, the coupling element having at least one first connecting portion for fastening on the axle arrangement, and having at least one planar attachment surface for fastening on the battery holder, wherein the coupling element is designed in the form of an extruded multichamber profile. The disclosure also relates to an underfloor arrangement, for a motor vehicle, having two axle arrangements and a battery holder, arranged between the axle arrangements, wherein the battery holder has a side wall which delimits the battery holder in the outward direction, wherein at least one coupling element according to one of the preceding claims is provided, and connects at least one axle arrangement and the battery holder in a load-directing manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coupling element for connecting vehicle components of an underfloor arrangement of a battery-powered motor vehicle,
wherein the underfloor arrangement comprises:
a battery holder,
at least one axle arrangement,

the coupling element comprising
at least one first connecting portion for fastening on the axle arrangement, and
at least one planar attachment surface for fastening on the battery holder,

wherein the coupling element has an extruded multichamber profile and at least one second connecting portion for connection to a chassis part, the at least one axle arrangement, a body component, a longitudinal member of the underfloor arrangement, or the battery holder, and
one of
at least one of the first and second connecting portions establishes a screw connection,
at least one of the first and second connecting portions is a profile chamber, or
at least one of the first and second connecting portions is a sleeve element.

2. The coupling element according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one planar attachment surface comes into full-surface abutment with the battery holder.

3. The coupling element according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first and second connecting portions has an upper side and an underside,
the upper side of the first connecting portion is spaced apart from the upper side of the second connecting portion in a vertical direction of the vehicle, and
the underside of the first connecting portion is spaced apart from the underside of the second connecting portion in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

4. The coupling element according to claim 3 , wherein a spacing between the upper sides and a spacing between the undersides are defined by mechanical structure of the multichamber profile.

5. The coupling element according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling element has a longitudinal profile axis which extends perpendicularly in relation to a vertical direction of the vehicle.

6. The coupling element according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the second connecting portions are formed by through-passages in an upper profile wall and in a lower profile wall of the extruded multichamber profile.

7. The coupling element according to claim 3 , wherein
the upper side and the underside of the first connecting portion are formed by an upper profile wall and a lower profile wall,
the upper side and the underside of the second connecting portion are formed by the upper profile wall and the lower profile wall,
a spacing between the upper sides are defined by different wall thicknesses of the upper profile wall and the lower profile wall, and
a spacing between the undersides are defined by the different wall thicknesses of the upper profile and the lower profile wall.

8. The coupling element according to claim 3 , wherein
the upper side and the underside of the first connecting portion are formed by an upper profile wall and a lower profile wall,
the upper side and the underside of the second connecting portion are formed by the upper profile wall and the lower profile wall,
a spacing between the upper sides are defined by different profile chambers of the multichamber profile, and
a spacing between the undersides are defined by different profile chambers of the multichamber profile.

9. The coupling element according to claim 1 , further comprising a closure panel, wherein
the coupling element has a longitudinal profile axis which extends parallel to a vertical direction of the vehicle, and
the coupling element is at least partially closed by the closure panel on an upper side or an underside of at the coupling element.

10. A coupling element for connecting vehicle components of an underfloor arrangement of a battery-powered motor vehicle,
wherein the underfloor arrangement comprises:
a battery holder,
at least one axle arrangement,

the coupling element comprising
at least one first connecting portion for fastening on the axle arrangement, and
at least one planar attachment surface for fastening on the battery holder, wherein the coupling element has an extruded multichamber profile,
a first individual profile and a second individual profile, wherein the first and second individual profiles are connected to one another in a form-fitting or integral manner, and
at least one intermediate wall, which extends, in a rectilinear or arcuate manner, from the attachment surface toward the first connecting portion to transmit a load.

11. The coupling element according to claim 10 , wherein, the first and second individual profiles, on their mutually facing walls, have complementary-formation connecting elements having a groove-and-tongue connection, and are connected to one another in a form-fitting manner.

12. The coupling element according to claim 10 , wherein the first individual profile is arranged at least to some extent within the second individual profile.

13. The coupling element according to claim 10 , wherein the first individual profile has a longitudinal profile axis which extends at an angle in relation to a longitudinal profile axis of the second individual profile.

14. The coupling element according to claim 10 , wherein the first individual profile has an extent in a vertical direction of the vehicle which differs in relation to the second individual profile.

15. The coupling element according to claim 1 , wherein
the coupling element has at least one wall portion which constitutes a predetermined deformation location such that, when a defined first load level applied to the at least one wall portion is exceeded, the coupling element is deformed, and
the predetermined deformation location is formed in the at least one wall portion by
a reduction in a wall thickness or in a yield strength, or
a wall through-passage, or
a slot, or
a cross-sectional tapering, or
a stamped formation.

16. An underfloor arrangement of a motor vehicle, the underfloor arrangement comprising:
two axle arrangements,
a battery holder arranged between the two axle arrangements,
wherein the battery holder has a plurality of side walls which delimits the battery holder in an outward direction, and

a coupling element comprising
at least one first connecting portion for fastening on at least one of the two axle arrangements, and
at least one planar attachment surface for fastening on the battery holder,
wherein the coupling element has an extruded multichamber profile,
wherein the coupling element connects the at least one of the two axle arrangements and the battery holder in a load-directing manner,
wherein the coupling element has at least one intermediate wall, which extends from the first connecting portion as far as the attachment surface of attachment to the battery holder and is configured to transmit a load,
wherein the battery holder has a strut, which extends between opposite first and second side walls among the plurality of side walls of the battery holder,
wherein the strut is arranged opposite to the at least one intermediate wall of the coupling element, and
wherein the load is directed from the first connecting portion of the coupling element, via the intermediate wall, the first side wall and the strut, into the opposite second side wall.

17. The underfloor arrangement of the motor vehicle according to claim 16 ,
wherein the coupling element is configured to be deformed at a first load level,
wherein the plurality of side walls of the battery holder is a crash frame comprising hollow-chamber profiles and configured to be deformed when a second load level is ex

Assignees

• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Handing Christian
• Grewe Jochem
• Schmitz Stefan

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

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title