Impact load reduction structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789908-B2
Application number	US-201615261525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

An impact load reduction structure includes a battery frame and a load reduction frame. The battery frame is fixed to a vehicle body frame of an electrically-powered vehicle and supports a battery. The load reduction frame is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the battery frame. A rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An impact load reduction structure configured to reduce an impact load transmitted to a battery for driving an electrically-powered vehicle, the impact load reduction structure comprising:
a crash area that is disposed in a front section of the electrically-powered vehicle and configured to deform in a collision;
a battery frame that is disposed rearward of the crash area and fixed to a vehicle body frame of the electrically-powered vehicle, the battery frame being configured to support the battery and to be engaged with the vehicle body frame in accordance with an inertia force of the collision to be supported from a frontward area; and
a load reduction frame that is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the battery frame,
wherein the load reduction frame extends rearward toward the battery frame from near the crash area and is movable rearward by being pushed after the deformation of the crash area, and a rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision.

2. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 1 , wherein the load reduction frame is disposed in a substantially same plane as the battery frame.

3. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the battery frame is disposed under a floor of a vehicle cabin.

4. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the load reduction frame has lower rigidity than the battery frame.

5. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and the battery frame comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on the opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and
wherein front ends of the frames of the battery frame are positioned on extensions of the side frames of the load reduction frame.

6. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises a rear frame extending in a vehicle width direction at the rear section, and the battery frame comprises a front frame extending in the vehicle width direction at the front section, and
wherein the rear frame of the load reduction frame is disposed parallel to the front frame of the battery frame.

7. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises a guide that widens in a vertical direction rearward from the rear section so as to guide the front section of the battery frame to a front surface of the rear section of the load reduction frame.

8. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle body frame comprises front side frames in pairs spaced apart from each other in a vehicle width direction and extending rearward from near a front section of the electrically-powered vehicle and comprises floor side frames in pairs coupled to rear ends of the front side frames and extending rearward under a floor of a vehicle cabin,
wherein the load reduction frame is fixed to front side frames in pairs, and
wherein the battery frame is disposed within the floor side frames in pairs and is fixed to the floor side frames in pairs.

9. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 1 , wherein the battery frame is disposed under a floor of a vehicle cabin.

10. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the load reduction frame has lower rigidity than the battery frame.

11. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the load reduction frame comprise side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and the battery frame has comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-mar direction on the opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and
wherein front ends of the frames of the battery frame are positioned on extensions of the side frames of the load reduction frame.

12. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises a rear frame extending in a vehicle width direction at the rear section, and the battery frame comprises a front frame extending in the vehicle width direction at the front section, and
wherein the rear frame of the load reduction frame is disposed parallel to the front frame of the battery frame.

13. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the load reduction frame comprises a guide that widens in a vertical direction rearward from the rear section so as to guide the front section of the battery frame to a front surface of the rear section of the load reduction frame.

14. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 9 , wherein the vehicle body frame comprises front side frames in pairs spaced apart from each other in a vehicle width direction and extending rearward from near a front section of the electrically-powered vehicle and comprises floor side frames in pairs coupled to rear ends of the front side frames and extending rearward under a floor of a vehicle cabin,
wherein the load reduction frame is fixed to front side frames in pairs, and
wherein the battery frame is disposed within the floor side frames in pairs and is fixed to the floor side frames in pairs.

15. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 1 , wherein the load reduction frame has lower rigidity than the battery frame.

16. The impact load reduction structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the load reduction frame is disposed in a same plane as the battery frame and contacts with the battery frame with a wide area, and
the load reduction frame has side frames which are formed parallel in pairs extending in the front-rear direction and a front frame and a rear frame which are formed parallel in pairs extending in the vehicle width direction, and
wherein the front frame couples the front ends of the side frames to each other, and the rear frame couples the rear ends of the side frames to each other.

17. An impact load reduction structure that reduces an impact load transmitted to a battery for driving an electrically-powered vehicle, the impact load reduction structure comprising:
a battery frame that is fixed to a vehicle body frame of the electrically-powered vehicle and that supports the battery; and
a load reduction frame that is disposed so as to extend in a front-rear direction on a front side of the batter frame,
wherein a rear section of the load reduction frame is disposed facing a front section of the battery frame with a predetermined gap therebetween such that the load reduction frame comes into contact with the battery frame when the electrically-powered vehicle is involved in a collision,
wherein the load reduction frame comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and the battery frame comprises side frames in pairs extending in the front-rear direction on the opposite sides of the electrically-powered vehicle, and
wherein front ends of the frames of the battery frame are positioned on extensions of the side frames of the load reduction frame.

18. An impact load reduction structure that reduces an impact load tr

Assignees

• Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd
• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Tsukada Takehisa
• Matsuda Hiroshi

Classifications

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B60Y2306/01

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

• B60K2001/0438

  Arrangement under the floor · CPC title

• B62D21/155 Primary

  Sub-frames or underguards · CPC title

• B60K1/04 Primary

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title