Battery pack of electric vehicle, electric vehicle chassis and method for replacing battery modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9755202-B2
Application number	US-201715425118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for configuring battery packs in electric vehicles. A battery pack may include a plurality of battery modules, a support part, and at least one opening provided on the support part. The support part may be provided with a bottom for supporting the plurality of battery modules, sides, a top, and an accommodation space formed by the bottom, the sides, and the top for accommodating the plurality of battery modules. The opening provided on the bottom of the support part may enable the plurality of battery modules to be passed through the at least one opening and be detachably mounted to the bottom of the support part so as to be supported by the bottom.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack for an electric vehicle, the battery pack comprising:
a plurality of battery modules;
a support part for supporting the plurality of battery modules, wherein at least one opening provided on either a bottom or a side of the support part such that at least one of the plurality battery modules pass through the at least one opening and be detachably mounted to either the bottom or the side of the support part;
a layer mounted above the top of the support part to cover the plurality of battery modules; and
a protector sheet mounted below the bottom of the support part to cover the plurality of battery modules.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 , further comprising:
first and second mounting flanges provided on each of the plurality of battery modules, wherein the first and second mounting flanges are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of a bottom of each of the plurality of battery modules so that the plurality of battery modules can be mounted to the bottom of the support part using the first and second mounting flanges, and wherein the first and second mounting flanges are mounted below the bottom of the support part.

3. The battery pack of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery modules are mounted to the bottom of the support part through fasteners.

4. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the layer mounted above the top of the support part is a carbon fiber composite layer.

5. An electric vehicle chassis comprising:
an underbody panel located below a cabin of an electric vehicle;
two side sills extending along the longitudinal direction of the underbody panel, wherein each of the two side sills comprises an upper part and a lower part and is connected to one of the two opposite sides of the underbody panel through the upper part thereof;
a battery pack located below the underbody panel and between the two side sills, wherein the battery pack comprises:
a plurality of battery modules; and
a support part for supporting the plurality of battery modules, wherein at least one opening provided on either a bottom or a side of the support part such that at least one of the plurality battery modules can pass through the at least one opening and be detachably mounted to either the bottom or the side of the support part; and, wherein
wherein the battery pack is configured to be mounted to the lower parts of the two side sills through the bottom of the support part.

6. The electric vehicle chassis of claim 5 , further comprising:
a layer mounted above the top of the support part to cover the plurality of battery modules accommodated in the support part.

7. The electric vehicle chassis of claim 5 , wherein the at least one opening provided on the support part is provided on the bottom of the support part.

8. The electric vehicle chassis of claim 7 , wherein the bottom of the support part is provided with mounting flanges extending along the longitudinal direction of the underbody panel, wherein the battery pack is mounted to the lower parts of the two side sills using the mounting flanges.

9. The electric vehicle chassis of claim 8 , wherein the mounting flanges of the support part are mounted to the lower parts of the two side sills through fasteners.

10. The electric vehicle chassis of claim 7 , further comprising:
first and second mounting flanges provided on each of the plurality of battery modules, wherein the first and second mounting flanges are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of a bottom of each of the plurality of battery modules so that the plurality of battery modules can be mounted to the bottom of the support part using the first and second mounting flanges, and wherein the first and second mounting flanges are mounted below the bottom of the support part.

11. The electric vehicle chassis of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of battery modules are mounted to the bottom of the support part through fasteners.

12. The electric vehicle chassis of claim 7 , further comprising:
a protector sheet mounted below the bottom of the support part to cover the plurality of battery modules accommodated in the support part.

13. The electric vehicle chassis of claim 7 , wherein the layer mounted above the top of the support part is a carbon fiber composite layer.

14. A method for replacing a battery module in an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
identifying a first battery module from among a plurality of battery modules in a battery pack, wherein the battery pack is located within the electric vehicle and comprises:
the plurality of battery modules;
a support part for supporting the plurality of battery modules, wherein at least one opening provided on either a bottom or a side of the support part such that at least one of the plurality battery modules can pass through the at least one opening and be detachably mounted to either the bottom or the side of the support part;
a layer mounted above the top of the support part to cover the plurality of battery modules; and
a protector sheet mounted below the bottom of the support part to cover the plurality of battery modules;

detaching the first battery module from the bottom of the support part;
removing the first battery module from the support part by passing the first battery module through the at least one opening;
inserting a second battery module into the support part by passing the second battery module through the at least one opening; and
mounting the second battery module to the bottom of the support part.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second battery module has a higher electrical potential energy than the first battery module.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
removing a protector sheet from below the bottom of the support part.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
removing fasteners that are configured to mount the first battery module to the bottom of the support part.

Assignees

• Thunder Power Hong Kong Ltd
• Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Dev Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sham Wellen

Classifications

• B60K1/04 Primary

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B60S5/06

  Supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles (exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B60L50/66

  Arrangements of batteries · CPC title

• B60K2001/0472

  from below · CPC title