Electric vehicle battery frame assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12024034-B2
Application number	US-202217804524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2022
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electric vehicle comprising a chassis, a front axle and a rear axle spaced apart and coupled to the chassis, and a battery frame assembly coupled to the chassis between the front axle and the rear axle. The battery frame assembly comprises a plurality of transversely extending members and a plurality of longitudinally extending members, wherein the plurality of transversely extending members and the plurality of longitudinally extending members define a matrix of battery pack receptacles configured to receive at least one battery pack. The battery frame assembly is configured to deflect torsionally in response to torsional deflection of the front axle relative to the rear axle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle, comprising:
a chassis comprising a first side member and a second side member;
a battery frame assembly coupled to the first side member and the second side member, the battery frame assembly comprising:
a first bracket plate outboard of the first side member and coupled to the first side member;
a second bracket plate outboard of the second side member and coupled to the second side member;
a third bracket plate coupled to the first side member and positioned rearward of the first bracket plate; and
a fourth bracket plate coupled to the second side member and positioned rearward of the second bracket plate,

wherein the first bracket plate, the second bracket plate, the third bracket plate, the fourth bracket plate, the first side member, and the second side member define a horizontal row of battery pack receptacles, and
wherein each battery pack receptacle of the horizontal row of battery pack receptacles permits selective installation or removal of a distinct battery pack.

2. The electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first bracket plate and the third bracket plate are mirrored about a vertical plane bisecting the horizontal row of battery pack receptacles.

3. The electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second bracket plate and the fourth bracket plate are mirrored about a vertical plane bisecting the horizontal row of battery pack receptacles.

4. The electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first bracket plate and the second bracket plate are mirrored about a vertical plane bisecting the electric vehicle in a longitudinal direction.

5. The electric vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the third bracket plate and the fourth bracket plate are mirrored about a vertical plane bisecting the electric vehicle in a longitudinal direction.

6. The electric vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a fifth bracket plate coupled to the first side member and one of the first bracket plate or the third bracket plate.

7. The electric vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising a sixth bracket plate coupled to the second side member and one of the second bracket plate and the fourth bracket plate.

8. An electric vehicle, comprising:
a chassis comprising a first side member and a second side member; and
a battery frame assembly coupled to the first side member and the second side member and defining a plurality of battery pack receptacles configured to receive an equal number of battery packs,
wherein the battery frame assembly is coupled to the first side member and the second side member such that each battery pack is positioned partially below the first side member or the second side member when the battery pack is installed in the electric vehicle, and
wherein the battery frame assembly comprises an underframe assembly positioned below the first side member and the second side member, the underframe assembly comprising at least one transversely extending push bar assembly.

9. The electric vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the battery frame assembly further comprises:
a first row of battery pack receptacles comprising a first battery pack receptacle outboard of the first side member;
a second battery pack receptacle inboard of the first side member and the second side member; and
and a third battery pack receptacle outboard of the second side member.

10. The electric vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the battery frame assembly further comprises:
a second row of battery pack receptacles comprising a fourth battery pack receptacle adjacent to the first battery pack receptacle in a longitudinal direction;
a fifth battery pack receptacle adjacent to the second battery pack receptacle in the longitudinal direction;
and a sixth battery pack receptacle adjacent to the third battery pack receptacle in the longitudinal direction.

11. The electric vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the battery frame assembly further comprises:
a third row of battery pack receptacles comprising a seventh battery pack receptacle adjacent to one of the first battery pack receptacle or the fourth battery pack receptacle in the longitudinal direction;
an eighth battery pack receptacle adjacent to one of the second battery pack receptacle or the fifth battery pack receptacle in the longitudinal direction; and
a ninth battery pack receptacle adjacent to one of the third battery pack receptacle or the sixth battery pack receptacle in the longitudinal direction.

12. The electric vehicle of claim 8 , wherein a topmost portion of the battery frame assembly is flush with a topmost portion of the first side member and the second side member.

13. The electric vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the battery frame assembly further comprises an impact plate outboard of each battery pack receptacle of the plurality of battery pack receptacles.

14. An electric vehicle, comprising:
a chassis comprising a first side member and a second side member; and
a battery frame assembly coupled to the first side member and the second side member and defining a plurality of battery pack receptacles configured to receive a battery pack;
wherein each battery pack receptacle of the plurality of battery pack receptacles includes an upper opening configured to allow the battery pack to be lowered into or lifted out of the battery frame assembly to install or remove the battery pack while the electric vehicle is in an operable orientation,
wherein the battery pack is configured to be installed in the battery frame assembly by a first fastener located near a first corner of the battery pack and a second fastener located near a second corner of the battery pack, and
wherein the first fastener and the second fastener are configured to be inserted or removed from the battery pack in a vertical direction.

15. The electric vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of mounting elements configured to support a weight of the battery pack to install or remove the battery pack.

16. The electric vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the battery frame assembly is positioned rearward of a front axle of the electric vehicle and forward of a rear axle of the electric vehicle.

17. The electric vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the battery frame assembly further comprises an underframe assembly extending along a longitudinal length of the battery frame assembly.

Assignees

• Nikola Corp

Inventors

• Borghi Cory
• Emami Saeid
• Ashraf Umran
• Konold Philipp
• Morath Matthias
• Dere Cihan
• Krug Christian

Classifications

• B60Y2200/14

  Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses · CPC title

• B60Y2306/01

  Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection · CPC title

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B62D21/09

  Means for mounting load bearing surfaces · CPC title

• B62D21/02

  comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members · CPC title