Electric vehicle battery assembly enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9590216-B2
Application number	US-201414266062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

An example battery assembly enclosure includes a tray and a lid secured to the tray to provide an interior therebetween. A plurality of molded retention features secure a battery assembly received in the interior.

First claim

We claim:

1. A battery assembly enclosure, comprising:
a tray;
a lid secured to the tray to provide an interior therebetween; and
a plurality of molded retention features to secure a battery assembly received in the interior, each of the plurality of molded retention features positioned within the interior and including one of an aperture or a tab configured to engage with a corresponding aperture or tab provided by the battery assembly.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the retention features are molded together with the lid or the tray and are positioned entirely within the interior.

3. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the retention features comprise a flange defining the aperture, the flange deflecting to receive the tab within the aperture in response to the battery assembly being installed within the interior.

4. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the tray, the lid, or both are thermoplastic.

5. The enclosure of claim 4 , wherein the lid is welded to the tray.

6. The enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising a connecting wall extending from the tray, the lid, or both into the interior, the connecting wall separating a serviceable area of the interior from a non-serviceable area.

7. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the tray includes corrugations that deflect away from the lid when the battery assembly is positioned within the interior.

8. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the interior is undersized relative to the battery assembly when the battery assembly is outside the interior, such that the tray and the lid both compress the battery assembly when the battery assembly is inside the interior.

9. An assembly comprising the battery assembly enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising a battery assembly within the interior, the battery assembly secured relative to the tray and the lid exclusively using the plurality of molded retention features.

10. An enclosure, comprising:
a tray;
a lid secured to the tray to provide an interior therebetween to house an assembly, wherein the interior is designed to be undersized relative to the assembly such that the assembly housed in the interior is compressed by both the tray and the lid; and
a plurality of retention features within the interior and molded together with the lid or the tray, the plurality of retention features configured to move from a more flexed position to a less flexed position to engage and to secure the assembly received in the interior.

11. The enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the retention features comprise a flange defining an aperture, the flange deflecting to receive a tab within the aperture when the assembly is installed within the interior.

12. The enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the tray, the lid, or both are thermoplastic.

13. The enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the lid is welded to the tray.

14. The enclosure of claim 10 , further comprising a connecting wall extending from the tray, the lid, or both into the interior, the connecting wall separating a serviceable area of the interior from a non-serviceable area.

15. The enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the tray includes corrugations that deflect when the assembly is positioned within the interior.

16. A method, comprising:
engaging an assembly by moving an attachment feature of an electric vehicle enclosure from a more flexed to a less flexed position, and securing the assembly within the electric vehicle enclosure by compressing the assembly between a lid and a tray,
wherein both the lid and the tray directly contact the assembly during the securing,
wherein the lid, the tray, or both deflect during the securing in response to the compressing.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the assembly is a battery assembly, wherein the lid, the tray, or both are thermoplastic.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising securing the assembly to the lid and the tray using molded fasteners within an interior of the electric vehicle enclosure.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising supporting the electric vehicle enclosure with a strap secured to a floorpan of the electric vehicle and extending beneath the electric vehicle enclosure such that the electric vehicle enclosure is held between the strap and the floor pan.

20. The enclosure of claim 14 , further comprising a peel-off cover of the enclosure and configured to be removed to providing an opening within the enclosure that permits access to the serviceable area.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Maguire Patrick Daniel
• Zhang Yi
• Palma Rodolfo
• Baek Hyung Min

Classifications

• H01M50/278 Primary

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/262

  with fastening means, e.g. locks · CPC title

• H01M50/227

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/24 Primary

  adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49112

  including laminating of indefinite length material · CPC title