Electric vehicle with battery protection device and corresponding method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle with a battery protection device and a corresponding method. An example electric vehicle includes a battery protection device having a first shell portion and a second shell portion. The first and second shell portions each include a sandwich structure and present a U-shaped profile. The U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell portions face each other to provide an inner cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle with a battery protection device and a corresponding method. Background Art

[0002] The need to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in motor vehicles is well known. As a result, vehicles are being developed that reduce or completely eliminate reliance on internal combustion engines. Electric vehicles are one type of vehicle currently being developed for this purpose. In general, electric vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles in that they are selectively driven by one or more battery-powered electric motors. In contrast, conventional motor vehicles rely entirely on internal combustion engines to drive the vehicle.

[0003] Electric vehicles include rechargeable batteries, which are used as the main power source for electric motors, such as the electric drive of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Due to the energy that can be stored in rechargeable batteries, rechargeable batteries must have sufficient impact resistance. Many protection devices for rechargeable batteries are known in the prior art.

[0004] For example, U.S. Patent No. 8,637,173 describes a battery pack having a guide groove arranged in a housing. The battery pack includes a battery core, a housing for accommodating the battery core, and an upper cover covering the battery core, the battery core having a non-insulated battery cell and a protection circuit electrically connected to the non-insulated battery cell. The housing includes a base plate, a reinforcing plate extending vertically from the edge of the base plate, and a synthetic resin portion surrounding the reinforcing plate. A guide groove is arranged inside the synthetic resin portion. The reinforcing plate is bent at least once and can be implemented so that at least two edges face each other (i.e., each reinforcing plate side wall can be folded back on itself).

[0005] CN 201111306 relates to a battery housing and a battery pack. The housing has an upper housing and a lower housing, both of which are cylindrical. Specifically, the upper housing includes a cylindrical tube and a through hole. The upper plate is fixedly arranged on the top side of the upper cylindrical tube, and the through hole is arranged on the wall of the upper cylindrical tube. The lower housing includes a lower cylindrical tube, a shell and a blower. The shell includes a plurality of air inlets and is also fixedly arranged in the lower cylindrical tube at the lower part of the lower shell. The blower arranged below the air inlet of the shell is fixedly connected to the shell. The battery pack includes a battery pack support, cathode and anode wires, and an assembled battery cell arranged in a battery pack container. The cathode and anode of the assembled battery cell are electrically connected to one end of the cathode wire or the anode wire, and the other end of the cathode wire or the anode wire extends through the upper plate to guide the wire into the external space of the battery pack container.

[0006] Another known arrangement is described in CN 205542942. The battery impact protection housing comprises an energy absorbing layer which is fixed to the battery housing via fixing points. The housing may also comprise a reinforcing rib structure.

[0007] Thus, for example, a corrugated sandwich protective structure for a housing of a battery for an electric vehicle is described in CN 203674294. The corrugated sandwich protective structure for a housing of a battery for an electric vehicle comprises a box body and a box cover. The box body is provided with an open top surface and is composed of a bottom plate and a bottom wall plate, which is fixed to the periphery of the bottom plate. The box body is used to receive the battery. The box cover comprises a top plate and a top wall plate, which is fixed to the periphery of the top plate. The box cover and the box body are buckled together to form an airtight space.

[0008] Furthermore, US22012 / 0183828 describes an HEV with a battery which is arranged between two wheel housings. In the event of a side impact, an elongated protective element is provided between the wheel housings in the area of ​​the battery. The elongated protective element can be a sandwich panel with two top plates, which have a core made of rigid foam. The rigid foam made of foamed plastic material can be replaced by a metal foam, for example an aluminum foam. Alternatively, the sandwich panel can comprise two top plates which surround a core of a corrugated metal sheet, the wavy lines of the core extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the sandwich panel. Such sandwich panels are commercially available, for example under the trade name

[0009] Another proposal for a battery protection device is disclosed in an article by the Fraunhofer Society entitled "Crash-proof Battery Protection for Electric Vehicles". The article describes a battery housing made of a fiber-reinforced composite material that is both lightweight and impact-resistant. In particular, the battery housing ensures the integrity of the battery located therein at impact speeds of up to 60 kph (about 37 mph) while also protecting the battery from moisture. In addition, a semipermeable membrane arranged in the battery housing enables pressure equalization by gas exchange. Summary of the invention

[0010] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an electric vehicle includes, among other things, a battery protection device, which includes a first shell portion and a second shell portion. The first and second shell portions each include a sandwich structure and present a U-shaped profile. The U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell portions face each other to provide an inner cavity.

[0011] In another non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing electric vehicle, the U-shaped profiles of the first and second housing portions are arranged at substantially 90° relative to each other.

[0012] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the first housing portion includes a base and opposing side walls providing the first housing portion with a U-shaped profile, and the second housing portion includes a base and opposing side walls providing the second housing portion with a U-shaped profile.

[0013] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the side walls of the first and second shell portions define sides of the interior cavity, the base of the first shell portion defines one of the top and bottom of the interior cavity, and the base of the second shell portion defines the other of the top and bottom of the interior cavity.

[0014] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the first housing portion is a lower housing portion and includes an overhang portion that protrudes generally vertically from one sidewall of the first housing portion.

[0015] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, at least one side surface of the first housing portion includes a through hole.

[0016] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the width of the U-shaped profile of the second shell portion substantially corresponds to the length of the U-shaped profile of the first shell portion, and the length of the U-shaped profile of the second shell portion substantially corresponds to the width of the U-shaped profile of the first shell portion.

[0017] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the length of the U-shaped profile of the first shell portion substantially corresponds to the inner width of the U-shaped profile of the second shell portion, and the length of the U-shaped profile of the second shell portion substantially corresponds to the outer width of the U-shaped profile of the first shell portion.

[0018] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, an interior height of the U-shaped profile of the second housing portion substantially corresponds to an exterior height of the U-shaped profile of the first housing portion.

[0019] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the sandwich structure of the first and second shell parts includes one of the following: (a) a core layer including a metal honeycomb structure, (b) a metal corrugated structure having corrugations extending in the length direction of the U-shaped profile of a corresponding one of the first and second shell parts, and (c) a polymer rigid foam material.

[0020] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the sandwich structure of the first and second housing portions consists essentially of one of (a) expanded polypropylene, (b) aluminum, and (c) steel.

[0021] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the electric vehicle further includes at least one foam panel disposed within the interior cavity.

[0022] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the electric vehicle further includes a fan unit disposed within the interior cavity.

[0023] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the electric vehicle further includes a battery disposed within the interior cavity.

[0024] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing electric vehicles, the electric vehicle further comprises an electric motor. The battery is configured to power the electric motor, and the electric motor is configured to provide a rotational output to drive the electric vehicle.

[0025] The method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, forming the first component into a first shell part presenting a U-shaped profile, forming the second component into a second shell part presenting a U-shaped profile, and arranging the U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell parts to face each other to provide an inner cavity.

[0026] In another non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing method, the forming step of forming the first component into a first shell portion includes bending the ends of the first component toward each other along two parallel, spaced-apart bend lines, and the forming step of forming the second component into a second shell portion includes bending the ends of the second component toward each other along two parallel, spaced-apart bend lines.

[0027] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes bending the bent end portion of the first housing portion in directions away from each other about two parallel, spaced-apart bend lines to provide a protrusion extending from a remainder of the bent end portion.

[0028] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the arranging step includes rotating one of the first and second shell portions so that the U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell portions are arranged at substantially 90° relative to each other and so that the sides of the first and second shell portions provide side walls for the inner cavity.

[0029] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes disposing a battery within the internal cavity, wherein the battery is configured to power the motor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery module with a battery protection device in an open state;

[0031] Figure 2 is in a closed state Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of a battery module battery housing of a battery protection device;

[0032] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 A schematic diagram of details of a battery protection device;

[0033] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1A schematic diagram of an arrangement of a rechargeable battery and a fan unit of a battery module;

[0034] Figure 5 Shows Figure 1 A schematic exploded view of a battery module;

[0035] Figure 6 Shows the manufacturing Figure 1 A flow chart of a method for a battery protection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle with a battery protection device and a corresponding method. An example electric vehicle includes a battery protection device having a first shell portion and a second shell portion. The first and second shell portions are both made of a sandwich structure and present a U-shaped profile. The U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell portions (i.e., the first and second shell portion cross-sections are presented in a U-shaped cross-section) face each other to provide an inner cavity. The battery protection device is lightweight and relatively easy to manufacture while also providing enhanced battery protection. These and other benefits will be understood from the following description.

[0037] A battery protection device according to the present disclosure includes a battery housing having an inner cavity for receiving a rechargeable battery for mobile applications. The inner cavity of the battery protection device is defined by two housing parts, namely an upper housing part and a lower housing part of the battery housing. Both the upper housing part and the lower housing part include a sandwich structure and each is implemented in the form of a U-shaped profile, which means that their cross-section generally resembles a U-shape.

[0038] In one example, the U-shaped profile of the upper shell portion includes an inner width that substantially corresponds to the length of the U-shaped profile of the lower shell portion. The U-shaped profile of the upper shell portion also includes a length that substantially corresponds to the outer width of the U-shaped profile of the lower shell portion. In addition, the inner height of the U-shaped profile of the upper shell portion substantially corresponds to the outer height of the U-shaped profile of the lower shell portion. In the present disclosure, the term "substantially corresponding" is understood to mean that the difference between the two relevant dimensions is less than the thickness of the wall defining the U-shaped profile of the lower shell portion.

[0039] The battery protection device of the present disclosure can absorb forces acting locally from any direction on the upper housing part or the lower housing part in the event of a collision, and can transfer them to a larger surface area of ​​the upper housing part or the lower housing part so as to reduce the effective local surface pressure, as a result of which damage to the rechargeable battery can be largely prevented. In addition, the battery protection device includes a particularly high torsional stiffness due to its structure. In addition, the proposed battery protection device has a simple design and can therefore be produced in a simple manner.

[0040] The present disclosure may be used in the field of vehicle engineering, in particular in the field of motor vehicle engineering. For the purposes of the present disclosure, a "vehicle" is to be understood as in particular a passenger vehicle, a heavy goods vehicle or a bus. The present disclosure extends to all types of electric vehicles, including battery electric vehicles (BEV) and all types of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), such as full hybrid vehicles, parallel hybrid vehicles, series hybrid vehicles, mild hybrid vehicles and micro hybrid vehicles, etc.

[0041] When the battery protection device is in the installed state, the U-shaped profile of the upper housing part is rotated 90° relative to the U-shaped profile of the lower housing part and turned upside down so that the open sides of the U-shaped profile face each other. To form the inner cavity, the upper housing part is placed on the lower housing part until the inner side of the U-shaped profile of the upper housing part directly abuts at least a part of the end face of the U-shaped profile of the lower housing part.

[0042] In one embodiment of the battery protection device, the lower housing part includes an overhang portion which protrudes vertically from the side surface of the U-shaped profile on the side of the U-shaped profile form. As a result, the battery protection device can be installed in a vehicle in a simple manner. A further advantage is that the length of the upper housing part can be selected so that the upper housing part is positioned in the installed state to mechanically abut against two overhang portions on the longitudinal edges of the U-shaped profile form and is additionally supported by the above-mentioned overhang portions to resist forces acting on the upper housing part in the length direction.

[0043] The overhanging part may be a rectangular plate, whereby a good support of the upper shell part may be achieved. In particular, the overhanging part may comprise a sandwich structure. The sandwich structure may correspond to the sandwich structure of the upper shell part or the lower shell part or both.

[0044] The overhang at the longitudinal edge of the U-shaped profile of the lower housing part can be integral with the remainder of the lower housing part, whereby a particularly high torsional rigidity of the battery protection device can be achieved.

[0045] In another embodiment of the battery protection device, the side surfaces of the lower housing part each include at least one through hole. In this way, simple ventilation of the inner cavity of the battery protection device can be achieved to cool the rechargeable battery.

[0046] At least one foam plate can be arranged inside the inner cavity and parallel to and close to an inner side surface of the upper shell part. In this way, in the event of an impact event, the local surface pressure generated by the force acting locally on the upper shell part and / or the lower shell part is further reduced.

[0047] At least one foam board may consist of soft foam or hard foam. At least one foam board may comprise a substantially rectangular form. The term "substantially rectangular" of the present disclosure is to be understood as meaning in particular that the amount of the foam board surface deviates from the amount of the smallest rectangular form surrounding the foam board by less than 20%, and may be less than 15% or 10%.

[0048] An introduction of the forces onto a larger surface area and thus a reduced surface pressure can be achieved in a particularly effective manner when the at least one foam plate is positioned directly against the side surface of the upper shell part.

[0049] In an embodiment of the battery protection device, the sandwich structure of the upper shell part and the sandwich structure of the lower shell part include a core layer, which includes a metal honeycomb structure, a metal corrugated structure with corrugations extending in the length direction, or a polymer rigid foam material. A semi-finished product having a sandwich structure and such a core layer is commercially available (e.g., ), and the battery protection device can be designed in a lightweight manner. The sandwich structure of the upper shell part and the sandwich structure of the lower shell part can be made of the same material or different materials.

[0050] At least one of the core layers of the sandwich structure of the upper shell part and of the sandwich structure of the lower shell part can consist essentially of expanded polypropylene (EPP), whereby a particularly low weight of the shell part can be achieved. The term "essentially consisting" is to be understood in the present disclosure as a proportion of the component exceeding 50% by volume, and includes the possibility of a major proportion of 100% by volume.

[0051] In an embodiment of the battery protection device, the sandwich structure of the upper housing part and the sandwich structure of the lower housing part mainly include aluminum or steel. In this way, the battery protection device for mobile applications can be provided with sufficient strength.

[0052] In one specific example, the inner cavity of the battery protection device is designed to receive a rechargeable battery with a power output of up to 15kW. Such rechargeable batteries are particularly suitable for small vehicles, where it is naturally more difficult to identify an installation space that will not be damaged in the event of a collision. In these cases, the battery protection device of the present disclosure can provide sufficient mechanical protection for the rechargeable battery. However, it should be understood that the battery protection device of the present disclosure is not limited to use with a certain size of battery.

[0053] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing the disclosed battery protection device is provided. Figure 6 Discuss the approach.

[0054] The following is a discussion of the drawings. In the various figures, identical components have the same reference numerals and are therefore generally described only once.

[0055] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a battery module 10 is shown in an opened state.

[0056] The battery module 10 includes a rechargeable battery 12 for use in a motor vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a fan unit 16, and a battery protection device 20 for ensuring the integrity of the rechargeable battery 12 in the event of a collision.

[0057] The mechanical battery protection device 20 includes an inner cavity 24 ( Figure 1 ) of the battery housing 22 ( Figure 2 ), the inner cavity is used to receive the rechargeable battery 12 and the fan unit 16, the fan unit having at least one electrically operable fan (not shown). The inner cavity 24 is defined (i.e., bounded) by the upper housing portion 26 and the lower housing portion 44 of the battery housing 22. Specifically, the inner cavity 24 is defined and limited by the U-shaped profile of the upper and lower housing portions 26, 44. Both the upper housing portion 26 and the lower housing portion 44 include a sandwich structure and are implemented in the form of a U-shaped profile, which in turn means that they are generally U-shaped in cross-section.

[0058] The U-shaped profile of the upper housing part 26 is inverted in shape relative to the U-shaped profile of the lower housing part 44 , so that the open sides of the two U-shaped profiles face each other.

[0059] The U-shaped profile of the upper housing portion 26 includes an inner width 28 and a length 30 , and the U-shaped profile form of the lower housing portion 44 includes an outer width 46 and a length 48 .

[0060] For the upper housing portion 26, the interior width 28 is measured between the inner surfaces of the side walls of the upper housing portion 26. The length 30 is equal to the length measured between the ends of the base of the upper housing portion 26. The base extends generally perpendicular to the side walls. The base and the side walls together provide a U-shaped profile for the upper housing portion.

[0061] The inner width 28 of the upper housing portion 26 corresponds to the length 48 of the lower housing portion 44. The outer width 46 of the lower housing portion 44 corresponds to the length 30 of the upper housing portion 26. The outer width is measured between the outer surfaces of the side walls of the lower housing portion 44. On the other hand, the length 48 is measured between the ends of the base of the lower housing portion 44. The base extends generally perpendicular to the side walls, and the base and the side walls together provide a U-shaped profile for the lower housing portion 44.

[0062] Furthermore, the interior height 32 of the profile of the upper housing portion 26 and the exterior height 50 of the profile of the lower housing portion 44 are substantially the same size.

[0063] To form the inner cavity 24, the U-shaped profile of the upper housing portion 26 is rotated 90° relative to the U-shaped profile of the lower housing portion 44. Specifically, the U-shaped profile of the upper housing portion 26 is rotated about a direction 72 perpendicular to the base arrangement of the upper housing portion 26 and is placed directly adjacent to a portion of the end surface of the U-shaped profile of the lower housing portion 44. The closed installation state of the battery protection device 20 is Figure 2 It is schematically shown in FIG.

[0064] In another aspect of the present disclosure, each longitudinal edge of the U-shaped profile of the lower housing portion 44 includes an overhang 58 that protrudes vertically from the sides of the U-shaped profile and is used to install the battery protection device 20 in the vehicle. In the closed installation state, the longitudinal edges of the profile shape of the upper housing portion 26 are positioned so that they directly abut against the two overhangs 58 and are mechanically supported by the overhangs 58.

[0065] In a possible embodiment of the battery protection device 20, the sandwich structure of the upper housing portion 26 includes top layers 34, 36 made of aluminum and a core layer 38 including a metal corrugated structure ( Figure 5 ), the tops of the corrugations of the corrugated structure are arranged parallel to the corresponding length of the U-shaped profile. The sandwich structure of the lower shell part 44 also includes top layers 52, 54 made of aluminum and a core layer 56 realized in the same manner as the core layer 38 of the sandwich structure of the upper shell part 26. The sandwich structure has the advantages of high strength, durability, high level of impact resistance, high level of shock resistance, good impact energy absorption, light weight, etc.

[0066] In other embodiments, the sandwich structure of the upper shell part 26 and the sandwich structure of the lower shell part 44 can be realized differently from each other. The sandwich structure of the upper shell part 26 and / or the sandwich structure of the lower shell part 44 can include a top layer, which can include, for example, other metals, such as steel, and the core layer can be mainly composed of a polymer rigid foam material, such as expanded polypropylene (EPP).

[0067] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing details of the side surface 60 of the lower housing portion 44 of the battery housing 22 of the battery protection device 20. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, one or both side surfaces 60 of the lower housing portion 44 may include a generally rectangular through hole 62, Figure 3 Only one of them is shown.

[0068] from Figure 1As can be seen from Figures 4 (top), the rechargeable battery 12 and the fan unit 16 are arranged side by side in the inner cavity 24. The fan unit 16 can draw air from the surrounding area of ​​the battery protection device 20 through one of the rectangular through holes 62. The drawn air flows around the rechargeable battery 12 and can enter the outer surrounding area of ​​the battery protection device 20 at the other rectangular through hole 62.

[0069] Figure 5 Shown according to Figure 1 A schematic exploded view of a battery module 10 is shown. Figure 1 and Figure 5 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , a rectangular rigid foam board 74, which may be made of, for example, EPP, is disposed inside the inner cavity 24 for further mechanical protection of the rechargeable battery 12. One side of the rigid foam board 74 is adjacent to the rechargeable battery 12 and the fan unit 16 ( Figure 4 ) mechanically abuts against the end sides 14, 18 of the upper housing portion 26. When the battery protection device 20 is in a closed state, the other side of the hard foam plate 74 is arranged parallel to the inner surface of the upper housing portion 26 and directly abuts against the inner surface of the upper housing portion 26 ( Figure 5 ).

[0070] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example method according to the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, the example method is to manufacture (i.e., produce or produce) according to Figure 1 Method for protecting the battery. Figure 1 , 5 and 6 explain the method.

[0071] In a first step, one or more plate-shaped semi-finished products including the above-described sandwich structure are provided at 76. The plate-shaped semi-finished products are oversized relative to the required dimensions of the upper housing portion 26 and the lower housing portion 44 of the battery protection device 20.

[0072] At step 78, the end of the first plate-shaped semi-finished product is bent along the two bending lines 40, 42 ( Figure 5 ) is bent in a right-angled and mutually directed motion, with the bending lines 40 , 42 being spaced apart from each other and parallel to each other to achieve the inner width 28 of the upper shell portion 26 .

[0073] In the next step, at 80, two rectangular through holes 62 ( Figure 5 ).

[0074] In a further step, at 82, the end of the second plate-like semi-finished product is bent along the two bending lines 64, 66 ( Figure 5 ) is bent in a right-angled and mutually directed motion, with the bending lines 64 , 66 being spaced apart from each other and parallel to each other to achieve the outer width 46 of the lower shell portion 44 .

[0075] The bent ends of the second plate-like semi-finished product are bent at right angles in the connecting step 84 along bending lines 68, 70 which are parallel to and vertically spaced from the bending lines 64, 66 of the previous bending step 82, and the bending direction extends in the opposite direction to the previous bending step 82. In other words, in step 84, the ends are bent away from each other, whereas in step 82, the ends are bent toward each other.

[0076] The bent ends of the first plate-like semi-finished product are cut to substantially the same length in a further step 86 in order to achieve the inner height 32 of the contour shape of the upper housing part 26 .

[0077] The U-shaped profile of the upper shell part 26 is cut in a further step 88 to obtain the length 30 . The U-shaped profile of the lower shell part 44 is cut in a next step 90 to a length 48 to correspond substantially to the inner width 28 of the upper shell part 26 .

[0078] The length 30 of the upper housing portion 26 and the outer width 46 of the lower housing portion 44, as well as the length 48 of the lower housing portion 44 and the inner width 28 of the upper housing portion 26, are substantially corresponding to each other in pairs in the following manner: when the battery housing 22 of the battery protection device 20 is in the closed state, the upper housing portion 26 and the lower housing portion 44 are connected together in a press fit. The upper housing portion 26 and the lower housing portion 44 can be further welded together or connected together using another technique.

[0079] It should be understood that terms such as "approximately," "substantially," and "typically" are not intended to be open-ended terms and should be interpreted consistent with how those skilled in the art would interpret such terms. Additionally, terms such as "front" and "rear" are used herein with reference to the normal operating attitude of a motor vehicle and should not be considered limiting.

[0080] Although different examples have specific components shown in the figures, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those specific combinations. Some components or features from one example may be used in combination with features or components from another example. In addition, the various drawings accompanying the present disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show certain details of a particular component or arrangement.

[0081] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above embodiments are exemplary and not restrictive. That is, modifications of the present disclosure will fall within the scope of the claims. Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine their true scope and content.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle, comprising: A battery protection device, the battery protection device includes a first shell part and a second shell part, wherein the first and second shell parts each include a sandwich structure and present a U-shaped profile, and wherein the U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell parts face each other to provide an inner cavity, wherein the first shell part includes a base and opposite side walls, providing the U-shaped profile for the first shell part, the second shell part includes a base and opposite side walls, providing the U-shaped profile for the second shell part, and the U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell parts are arranged at substantially 90° relative to each other so that the length dimension of the base of the first shell part is arranged at substantially 90° relative to the length dimension of the base of the second shell part.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The side walls of the first and second housing parts define sides of the interior cavity, The base of the first housing portion defines one of a top and a bottom of the interior cavity, and The base of the second housing portion defines the other of the top and the bottom of the interior cavity. 3 . The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing portion is a lower housing portion, and includes an overhang portion protruding substantially vertically from one side wall of the first housing portion. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein at least one side surface of the first housing portion includes a through hole.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The width of the U-shaped profile of the second housing portion substantially corresponds to the length of the U-shaped profile of the first housing portion, and The length of the U-shaped profile of the second housing portion substantially corresponds to the width of the U-shaped profile of the first housing portion.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein: The length of the U-shaped profile of the first housing portion substantially corresponds to an inner width of the U-shaped profile of the second housing portion, and The length of the U-shaped profile of the second housing portion substantially corresponds to an outer width of the U-shaped profile of the first housing portion. 7 . The electric vehicle of claim 5 , wherein an inner height of the U-shaped profile of the second housing portion substantially corresponds to an outer height of the U-shaped profile of the first housing portion.

8. An electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the sandwich structure of the first and second shell parts includes one of the following: (a) a core layer including a metal honeycomb structure, (b) a metal corrugated structure having corrugations extending in the length direction of the U-shaped profile of a corresponding one of the first and second shell parts, and (c) a polymer rigid foam material.

9. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the sandwich structure of the first and second housing portions consists essentially of one of (a) expanded polypropylene, (b) aluminum, and (c) steel.

10. The electric vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one foam panel disposed within the interior cavity.

11. The electric vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a fan unit disposed within the inner cavity.

12. The electric vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a battery disposed within the interior cavity.

13. The electric vehicle of claim 12, further comprising an electric motor, wherein the battery is configured to power the electric motor, and wherein the electric motor is configured to provide a rotational output to drive the electric vehicle.

14. A method for manufacturing a battery protection device, comprising: forming the first component into a first housing portion presenting a U-shaped profile; forming the second component into a second housing portion presenting a U-shaped profile; and arranging the U-shaped profiles of the first and second housing parts to face each other to provide an inner cavity; The first shell part includes a base and relative side walls, providing the first shell part with the U-shaped profile, and the second shell part includes a base and relative side walls, providing the second shell part with the U-shaped profile, and the U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell parts are arranged at substantially 90° relative to each other so that the length dimension of the base of the first shell part is arranged at substantially 90° relative to the length dimension of the base of the second shell part.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The step of forming the first component into the first housing portion includes bending ends of the first component toward each other along two parallel, spaced-apart bend lines, and The step of forming the second component into the second housing portion includes bending ends of the second component toward each other along two parallel, spaced-apart bend lines.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising bending the bent end portion of the first housing portion in directions away from each other about two parallel, spaced-apart bend lines to provide a protrusion extending from a remainder of the bent end portion.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the arranging step includes rotating one of the first and second shell parts so that the U-shaped profiles of the first and second shell parts are arranged at substantially 90° relative to each other and so that the sides of the first and second shell parts provide side walls for the inner cavity.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising disposing a battery within the interior cavity, wherein the battery is configured to power a motor.

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