Hybrid vehicle packaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9499205-B1
Application number	US-201514862452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle includes a fuel tank, a battery, a first exoskeleton, and a second exoskeleton. The fuel tank and the battery straddle a driveline and are each disposed below a seating area. The first exoskeleton has a first pair of rails secured to each other by a first cross member. The second exoskeleton has a second pair of rails secured to each other by a second cross member. The first and second exoskeletons surround the fuel tank and battery, respectively, and are configured to absorb energy during an impact to protect the fuel tank and battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a fuel tank and a battery straddling a driveline and disposed below a seating area;
a first exoskeleton having a first pair of rails secured to each other by a first cross member; and
a second exoskeleton having a second pair of rails secured to each other by a second cross member, wherein the first and second exoskeletons surround the fuel tank and battery, respectively, and are configured to absorb impact energy.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a first of the first pair of rails and a first of the second pair of rails define a tunnel for routing a driveshaft that comprises a portion of the driveline.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the rails that define the tunnel are secured to each other by a reinforcement member that spans the tunnel.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein a second of the first pair of rails and a second of the second pair of rails are disposed on opposing sides of the first of the first pair of rails and the first of the second pair of rails, respectively, relative to the driveline, and wherein the second of the first pair of rails and the second of the second pair of rails splay outward, relative to the driveline, defining receiving areas for the fuel tank and battery.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the first of the first pair of rails and the first of the second pair of rails splay inward, relative to the driveline, further defining the receiving areas for the fuel tank and battery.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising reinforcement rocker members secured to the second of the first pair of rails and the second of the second pair of rails, wherein the reinforcement rockers are configured to absorb impact energy.

7. A vehicle comprising:
a driveline;
a cabin floor;
a fuel tank and a battery straddling the driveline and disposed below the floor; and
a frame having,
a first pair of rails extending along a direction of the driveline, each of the first pair of rails disposed on opposing sides of the fuel tank from the other,
a first cross member spanning the first pair of rails such that the first pair of rails and the first cross member form a first cage that surrounds the fuel tank and absorbs energy during an impact event,
a second pair of rails extending along the direction of the driveline, each of the second pair of rails disposed on opposing sides of the battery from the other, and
a second cross member spanning the second pair of rails such that the second pair of rails and the second cross member form a second cage that surrounds the battery and absorbs energy during an impact event.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein a first of the first pair of rails and a first of the second pair of rails define a tunnel for routing a driveshaft that comprises a portion of the driveline.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the frame further comprises a reinforcement member that spans the tunnel, and wherein the rails that define the tunnel are secured to each other by the reinforcement member.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein a second of the first pair of rails and a second of the second pair of rails are disposed on opposing sides of the first of the first pair of rails and the first of the second pair of rails, respectively, relative to the driveline, and wherein the second of the first pair of rails and the second of the second pair of rails splay outward, relative to the driveline, defining receiving areas for the fuel tank and battery.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first of the first pair of rails and the first of the second pair of rails splay inward, relative to the driveline, further defining the receiving areas for the fuel tank and battery.

12. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the fuel tank and the battery are disposed below a front seating portion of the cabin floor.

13. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the frame further comprises reinforcement rocker members secured to the second of the first pair of rails and the second of the second pair of rails, wherein the reinforcement rockers are configured to absorb energy during an impact event.

14. A vehicle comprising:
a pair of rails defining a driveshaft routing tunnel;
a fuel tank and a battery disposed on opposing sides of the pair of rails and below a cabin floor;
a first side rail disposed adjacent to the fuel tank opposite of a first of the pair of rails;
a first cross member abridging the first of the pair of rails and the first side rail to form a first cage that surrounds the fuel tank configured to absorb energy during an impact event;
a second side rail disposed adjacent to the battery opposite of a second of the pair of rails; and
a second cross member abridging the second of the pair of rails and the second side rail to form a second cage that surrounds the battery configured to absorb energy during an impact event.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising a reinforcement member spanning the tunnel and securing the pair of rails to each other.

16. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the fuel tank is disposed below a front seating portion of the cabin floor.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the battery is disposed below the front seating portion of the cabin floor.

18. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the first and second side rails splay outward, relative to the driveshaft routing tunnel, defining areas for receiving the fuel tank and battery.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein each of the pair of inner rails splay inward, relative to the driveshaft routing tunnel, further defining the areas for receiving the fuel tank and battery.

20. The vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising reinforcement rocker members secured to the first and second side rails, wherein the reinforcement rockers are configured to absorb energy during an impact event.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Elia Paul
• Thakolkaran Justin I
• Jarocki Corey John
• Sherwood William Moore
• Doyle Ii John Patrick

Classifications

• B62D21/03

  transverse members providing body support · CPC title

• Y10S903/907

  Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor · CPC title

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B60K2001/0438

  Arrangement under the floor · CPC title

• Y10S903/951

  Assembly or relative location of components · CPC title