Housing for battery

Abstract

This housing 3 for a battery 2 is arranged under a floor panel 1 of a vehicle and includes a front wall 12 extending in the vehicle width direction. The front wall 12 comprises a pair of right and left fastening sections 15A, 15B for fastening the housing 3 to the vehicle body. The front wall 12 has a protruding section 16 protruding toward the front of the vehicle between the fastening sections 15A, 15B. A hole 18 into which an electric component 31 is inserted is formed in the protruding section 16.

Description

Battery housing

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery enclosure.

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a battery frame having a front end member extending in the vehicle width direction, an insertion hole for inserting a harness into the front end member, and an attachment hole provided in an outer flange portion for attaching the battery frame to a vehicle body frame member.

[0003] JP 2011-6051 A

[0004] In the battery frame of Patent Document 1, the harness connector is disposed in a space inside the front end member, which is rearward of the vehicle from the mounting hole provided in the outer flange portion, which limits the space available for arranging the battery within the battery frame.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery housing that can reduce limitations on the space in which the battery can be placed.

[0006] A battery housing according to one aspect of the present invention is disposed below a floor panel of a vehicle and includes a front wall extending in the vehicle width direction. The front wall includes a pair of left and right fastening portions for fastening the housing to the vehicle body. The front wall includes a protruding portion that protrudes forward of the vehicle between the fastening portions. A hole is formed in the protruding portion, through which an electrical component is inserted.

[0007] According to the battery housing according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress limitations on the space in which the battery can be placed.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a battery housing according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a front structure of the battery housing according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a fastening structure between the battery housing according to an embodiment and a floor panel. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a rear structure of a protrusion of the battery housing according to an embodiment. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the front structure of the battery housing according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a cross-sectional structure of a front wall according to an embodiment.

[0009] The following describes the housing 3 of the battery 2 mounted on a vehicle according to the embodiment, with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, FW and BW indicate the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, respectively, UP indicates the upper side in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and LH and RH indicate the left and right sides in the width direction of the vehicle. In the following description, the front, front side, rear side, and rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the upper side, upper side, lower side, and lower side in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the left side, left side, right side, and right side in the width direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the front side, front side, rear side, rear side, upper side, upper side, lower side, lower side, left side, left side, right, and right side, respectively. Furthermore, components having the same functions as those already described will be designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0010] A housing 3 for the battery 2 covers the periphery of the battery 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). The battery 2 is disposed under a floor panel 1. The floor panel 1 includes, for example, members that constitute the floor of the vehicle body (floor panel, cross member, floor tunnel, etc.).

[0011] The housing 3 protects the battery 2 from loads applied from outside the vehicle. The housing 3 has left and right side walls 11, 11, a front wall 12 located at the front, and a rear wall 13 located at the rear (see FIG. 1). A cover 14 is attached to the bottom of the housing 3 (see FIG. 3).

[0012] Each of the side walls 11 is a cylindrical member extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and having a closed cross section. The closed cross section may be, for example, rectangular. The side walls 11 are made of an extruded material, for example, by extrusion molding.

[0013] The front wall 12 extends in the vehicle width direction (see Figures 1 and 2). The front ends of the side walls 11, 11 are joined to the rear ends of both ends of the front wall 12 in the vehicle width direction. The rear wall 13 extends in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 1). The rear ends of the side walls 11, 11 are joined to the front ends of both ends of the rear wall 13 in the vehicle width direction.

[0014] The front wall 12 and the rear wall 13 may be made of cast metal. That is, the front wall 12 and the rear wall 13 may be formed by melting the cast metal and injecting it into a mold to perform casting. Casting allows for the formation of reinforcing structures such as ribs, protrusions, and locally thickened structures. Therefore, the rigidity of the front wall 12 and the rear wall 13 can be improved relatively easily compared to when the front wall 12 and the rear wall 13 are formed by methods other than casting. The front wall 12 and the rear wall 13 according to the embodiment have reinforcing structures such as multiple vertical ribs extending in the up-down direction and multiple horizontal ribs extending in the vehicle width direction. The vertical ribs and horizontal ribs will be described later. Therefore, when a load is input in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the front wall 12 and the rear wall 13, which are made of highly rigid cast metal, can absorb the impact. Furthermore, the load can be distributed to the side walls 11, 11 joined to the front wall 12 and the rear wall 13, thereby absorbing the energy of the collision.

[0015] The front wall 12 and the rear wall 13 may be connected by a connecting member 32 (see FIG. 1 ). In the housing 3 according to this embodiment, one end of the connecting member 32 is fixed to a central portion 12A at the rear end of the front wall 12. The other end of the connecting member 32 is fixed to a central portion 13A at the front end of the rear wall 13. The connecting member 32 is formed of a member that is continuously connected in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The connecting member 32 is made of, for example, an extruded material formed by extrusion molding. Note that a plurality of connecting members 32 may be arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the fixing points of the connecting member 32 to the front wall 12 and the rear wall 13 are not limited to those described above.

[0016] The front wall 12 has a pair of left and right fastening portions 15A, 15B protruding forward from the front end (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Of the fastening portions 15A1, 15A2 constituting the pair of left fastening portions 15A, the fastening portion 15A1 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction may be fixed to a side member 4, which is a skeletal structure of the vehicle (see FIG. 3). Of the fastening portions 15A1, 15A2, the fastening portion 15A2 located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction may be fixed to a member different from the side member 4, for example, the floor panel 1, via a connecting part 5. Of the fastening portions 15B1, 15B2 constituting the pair of right fastening portions 15B, the fastening portion 15B1 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction may be fixed to the side member 4, which is a skeletal structure of the vehicle (see FIG. 3). Of the fastening portions 15B1, 15B2, the fastening portion 15B2 located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction may be fixed to the floor panel 1 via a connecting part 5.

[0017] Each of the fastening portions 15A1, 15A2, 15B1, and 15B2 has a generally semicircular shape, and an attachment hole may be formed near the center of each of the fastening portions (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The fastening portions 15A1, 15A2, 15B1, and 15B2 according to the embodiment are formed thicker than a first rib 21 (described later) and are fixed to the vehicle body (e.g., the side member 4 or the connection part 5) via the attachment hole with a fastener such as a bolt. The fastening portions 15A1, 15A2, 15B1, and 15B2 are located furthest forward of the vehicle among the fastening portions of the housing 3 that are fixed to the vehicle body.

[0018] The front wall 12 is provided with a protrusion 16 that protrudes forward of the vehicle between a pair of left and right fastening portions 15A, 15B (see FIGS. 1 and 2). More specifically, the protrusion 16 has a shape that curves forward of the vehicle so as to have a hat-like shape in a plan view. The protrusion 16 has a connecting portion 16A at its left end, a left side wall portion 16B, a front wall portion 16C, a right side wall portion 16D, and a connecting portion 16E at its right end. The front wall 12 also has a left portion 12B that forms the left portion of the front wall 12 and extends in the vehicle width direction, and a right portion 12C that forms the right portion of the front wall 12 and extends in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 5).

[0019] The left portion 12B is connected to a connection portion 16A at its left end. The left side wall portion 16B is formed to extend and curve forward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the connection portion 16A at its left end as a base end (see FIG. 5). That is, the left side wall portion 16B extends forward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the connection portion 16A at its left end, and is formed to be inclined so as to be positioned more inward in the vehicle width direction as it extends from the connection portion 16A toward the front of the vehicle. The right portion 12C is connected to a connection portion 16E at its right end. The right side wall portion 16D is formed to extend and curve forward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the connection portion 16E at its right end as a base end (see FIG. 5). That is, the right side wall portion 16D extends forward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the connection portion 16E at its right end, and is formed to be inclined so as to be positioned more inward in the vehicle width direction as it extends from the connection portion 16E toward the front of the vehicle. The front wall portion 16C is connected at both ends to the front end of the left side wall portion 16B and the front end of the right side wall portion 16D and extends in the vehicle width direction. The front wall portion 16C according to the embodiment is formed in a position close to the front ends of the fastening portions 15A and 15B in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Note that the shape and arrangement of the protrusion 16 are not limited to those described above. For example, the front wall portion 16C may be located further forward of the front ends of the fastening portions 15A and 15B in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0020] By providing the protrusions 16 on the front wall 12, the rigidity of the curved portions of the protrusions 16, such as the connecting portions 16A and 16E and both ends of the front wall portion 16C, becomes relatively weak. However, as described above, the front wall 12 is formed by casting, and has reinforcing structures such as vertical ribs extending in the up-down direction and horizontal ribs extending in the vehicle width direction, which will be described later. This makes it possible to prevent the rigidity of the protrusions 16 from decreasing.

[0021] The front wall 12 may be formed with a first rib 21 that is continuously connected from the fastening portions 15A, 15B to the protruding portion 16 (see FIG. 2 ). The first rib 21 according to the embodiment is formed in a flange shape that protrudes forward, extends in the vehicle width direction, and connects the fastening portions 15A, 15B and the protruding portion 16. Alternatively, the first rib 21 may be formed to extend continuously in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the front surface 12D to the rear surface 12E of the front wall 12. That is, the first ribs 21 may be provided at the same height in the vehicle vertical direction on the front surface 12D and the rear surface 12E of the front wall 12, and the first ribs 21 on the front surface 12D and the rear surface 12E may each extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The first rib 21 according to the embodiment is formed to extend parallel to the vehicle width direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction. The shape and arrangement of the first rib 21 are not limited to those described above, and the first rib 21 may be formed to be inclined with respect to the vehicle width direction or the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0022] A second rib 22 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction may be formed on the rear surface 12E of the protrusion 16 provided on the front wall 12 (see FIG. 4 ). In this embodiment, the second rib 22 includes a plurality of horizontal ribs 22A extending in both the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle width direction, and a plurality of vertical ribs 22B extending in both the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle up-down direction. The horizontal ribs 22A and the vertical ribs 22B are arranged intersecting each other to partition the space within the rear surface 12E of the protrusion 16, forming a partition 17. A hole 18 through which an electrical component 31 can be inserted is provided on the front surface 12D side of the partition 17. In this embodiment, four partitions 17 are provided, for example, and each partition 17 includes a hole 18. Electrical components 31, such as harnesses, high-voltage harnesses, and cables, are inserted through each hole 18 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 ). The shapes and arrangements of the partitions 17 and the hole 18 are not limited to those described above. Furthermore, the electrical components 31 to be inserted are not limited to those described above.

[0023] A box 31A that stores electrical components 31 and connectors for the electrical components 31 is disposed behind the partition 17 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The rear end of the box 31A is disposed in close proximity to the rear surface 12E of the front wall 12 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. That is, the box 31A is disposed in the space formed by the protrusion 16 that protrudes forward of the vehicle within the housing 3. Therefore, when the electrical components 31 and the box 31A are disposed within the housing 3, it is possible to prevent the space for arranging the battery 2 from being limited.

[0024] A third rib 23 extending in the vehicle vertical direction and a fourth rib 24 extending in the vehicle width direction may be provided on the rear surface 12E side of the connection portions 16A, 16E (see FIG. 4 ). That is, the third rib 23 and the fourth rib 24 may be arranged so as to intersect with each other. Also, the first rib and the third rib 23 may be arranged so as to intersect with each other. The third rib 23 and the fourth rib 24 may be arranged so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the front surface 12D to the rear surface 12E of the front wall 12. The third rib 23 and the vertical rib 22B may be arranged so as to be partially connected or overlapping. The fourth rib 24 and the horizontal rib 22A may be arranged so as to be partially connected or overlapping.

[0025] A fifth rib 25 may be formed on the rear surface 12E of the protrusion 16 at a lower portion 12F in the vehicle vertical direction of the connection between the left side wall portion 16B and the front wall portion 16C and the connection between the right side wall portion 16D and the front wall portion 16C (see FIG. 5 ). The fifth rib 25 is formed to extend further inward into the housing 3 than the fourth rib 24 in a top view. That is, the inner edge of the fifth rib 25 is located more inward into the housing 3 than the inner edge of the fourth rib 24. The inner side of the housing 3 refers to the side of the housing 3 where the battery 2 is located. Furthermore, the inner edge of the fifth rib 25 may be located more inward into the housing 3 than the inner edges of the first rib 21, the second rib 22, and the third rib 23. In consideration of possible work such as replacing parts inside the housing 3, no rib extending more inward in the vehicle width direction than the fourth rib 24 is formed at the upper portion of the connection in the vehicle vertical direction. However, a rib extending more inward in the vehicle width direction than the fourth rib 24 may also be formed at the upper part of the connection portion in the vehicle up-down direction.

[0026] (1) The housing 3 of the battery 2 is disposed below the floor panel 1 of the vehicle and has a front wall 12 extending in the vehicle width direction. The front wall 12 has a pair of left and right fastening portions 15A, 15B for fastening the housing 3 to the vehicle body. The front wall 12 has a protruding portion 16 that protrudes forward of the vehicle between the fastening portions 15A, 15B. The protruding portion 16 has a hole 18 formed therein through which an electrical component 31 is inserted.

[0027] That is, the protrusion 16 has a shape that is bent toward the front of the vehicle in a plan view. As a result, the connector of the electrical component 31 can be arranged through the hole 18 in the space formed by the protrusion 16 that protrudes toward the front of the vehicle. This allows the space inside the housing 3 to be used efficiently, and prevents restrictions on the space for arranging the battery 2 inside the housing 3. In other words, the degree of freedom in the layout for arranging the battery 2 is increased.

[0028] (2) In the embodiment, the front wall 12 is formed by casting and has a first rib 21 that connects the pair of fastening portions 15A, 15B and the protruding portion 16. This can improve the rigidity of the fastening portions 15A, 15B and the protruding portion 16.

[0029] (3) Furthermore, in the embodiment, the rear surface 12E of the protruding portion 16 is provided with a partition portion 17 partitioned by the second rib 22, and the hole portion 18 is disposed within the partition portion 17. As a result, the provision of the hole portion 18 can prevent a decrease in the rigidity of the protruding portion 16. Furthermore, in order to prevent a decrease in the rigidity of the protruding portion 16, it is more desirable to provide one hole portion 18 for each partition portion 17 than to provide multiple hole portions 18 for each partition portion 17.

[0030] (4) In the embodiment, the front wall 12 further includes a left portion 12B connected to the left end of the protruding portion 16 and extending in the vehicle width direction, and a right portion 12C connected to the right end of the protruding portion 16 and extending in the vehicle width direction. A third rib 23 extending in the vehicle up-down direction and a fourth rib 24 extending in the vehicle width direction are provided at connection portions 16A, 16E between the left portion 12B and the right portion 12C of the protruding portion 16. This can improve the rigidity of the connection portions 16A, 16E of the protruding portion 16.

[0031] (5) Furthermore, in the embodiment, a fifth rib 25 is formed on a lower portion 12F of the rear surface 12E of the protrusion 16 in the vehicle vertical direction. The fifth rib 25 extends further inward of the housing 3 than the fourth rib 24 in a top view. This improves the rigidity of the lower portions of the connection portions 16A, 16E.

[0032] (6) In the embodiment, the pair of fastening portions 15A, 15B each include a first fastening portion 15A1, 15B1 disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and a second fastening portion 15A2, 15B2 disposed on the inner side of the first fastening portion 15A1, 15B1 in the vehicle width direction. The first fastening portion 15A1, 15B1 is fixed to the side member 4. The second fastening portion 15A2, 15B2 is fixed to a member different from the side member 4. This prevents the input of a load transmitted from the side member 4 to the rear of the front wall 12 from being transmitted to the protrusion 16, thereby improving the rigidity in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0033] (7) Furthermore, in the embodiment, the protrusion 16 is inclined so as to be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction as it extends from the connection portions 16A, 16E toward the front of the vehicle. This prevents the load from concentrating on the portion of the protrusion 16 that is bent toward the front of the vehicle when a load is applied in the vehicle width direction.

[0034] (8) In the embodiment, the first ribs 21 are provided at the same height in the vehicle up-down direction on the front surface 12D and the rear surface 12E of the front wall 12, respectively, and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. This improves the rigidity of the fastening portions 15A, 15B and the protruding portion 16, and the connecting portions 16A, 16E provided between the fastening portions 15A, 15B and the protruding portion 16.

[0035] The above-described embodiments are merely examples described to facilitate understanding of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the specific technical matters disclosed in the above-described embodiments, but also includes various modifications, changes, alternative technologies, etc. that can be easily derived therefrom.

[0036] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 floor panel 2 battery 3 housing 4 side member 12 front wall 12B left portion 12C right portion 12E rear surface 12F lower portion 15A, 15B fastening portion 16 protrusion 16A, 16E connection portion 17 partition portion 18 hole portion 21 first rib 22 second rib 23 third rib 24 fourth rib 25 fifth rib 31 electrical component

Claims

1. A battery housing located beneath the vehicle's floor panel, It has a front wall that extends in the width direction of the vehicle, The front wall is provided with a pair of left and right fastening parts for fastening the housing to the vehicle body. The front wall has a protruding portion that extends forward of the vehicle between the fastening portions. The aforementioned protruding portion has a hole through which an electrical component is inserted. The aforementioned front wall is formed of casting, A housing having a first rib connecting the pair of fastening portions and the protruding portion.

2. A partitioned area is provided on the rear surface of the aforementioned protrusion, which is demarcated by a second rib. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the hole is located within the partitioned portion.

3. The front wall further comprises a left portion connected to the left end of the protrusion and extending in the vehicle width direction, and a right portion connected to the right end of the protrusion and extending in the vehicle width direction. The housing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection portion between the left and right portions of the protruding portion is provided with a third rib extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle and a fourth rib extending in the width direction of the vehicle.

4. The housing according to claim 3, wherein a fifth rib is formed on the lower part of the rear surface of the protruding portion in the vehicle vertical direction, extending inward from the fourth rib when viewed from above.

5. The pair of fastening parts each comprises a first fastening part located on the outside in the vehicle width direction and a second fastening part located inward from the first fastening part in the vehicle width direction. The housing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first fastening portion is fixed to a side member, and the second fastening portion is fixed to a member different from the side member.

6. The housing according to claim 3, wherein the protruding portion is inclined to be located inward in the vehicle width direction as it moves forward from the connecting portion towards the front of the vehicle.

7. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the first rib is provided at the same height in the vertical direction of the vehicle on the front and rear surfaces of the front wall and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.