Vehicle battery frame

Abstract

A battery frame (1) has a plate-shaped bottom frame (11) and side frames fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the bottom frame (11) and including a pair of left and right side frames (12, 13) extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, the battery frame (1) being installed on the floor back of an automobile body (2) and supporting a battery (3), wherein a gas exhaust passage (4) is provided inside the side frames (12, 13).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a battery frame for supporting multiple battery modules on a vehicle body. Background Technology

[0002] As a structure for venting gases generated by the chemical reaction of the battery electrolyte, a structure in which an vent pipe is provided inside the battery pack casing is known (Patent Document 1). This vent pipe for the battery pack includes: a hollow conduit portion; an vent inlet for communicating between the inside of the casing and the conduit portion; an vent outlet for communicating between the inside of the conduit portion and the outside of the casing; and at least two vent guide members disposed within the conduit portion. Because this vent pipe for the battery pack has a structure with plate-shaped vent guide members disposed within the conduit portion, it offers a high degree of freedom in shape, allowing for the use of a flat cuboid shape suitable for installation in the narrow space within the casing, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the vent pipe for the battery pack.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. WO2019 / 176415 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, while the aforementioned prior art can improve the space utilization of the exhaust pipe for the battery pack, it also presents a fundamental problem: the battery pack casing and the exhaust pipe itself become correspondingly larger.

[0008] The problem to be solved by this invention is to improve space utilization in a vehicle battery frame with gas exhaust function.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by providing gas exhaust passages inside the left and right side frames of the battery frame, which are installed on the back of the floor of the automobile body and support the battery, and extend along the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0011] The effects of the invention

[0012] According to the present invention, since a gas exhaust passage is provided in the side frame constituting the battery frame, the space utilization rate can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a top view showing one embodiment of the battery frame of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 It means to Figure 1 A 3D view of the battery frame mounted on the back of the car body floor.

[0015] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along line III-III.

[0016] Figure 4A It is along Figure 1 A sectional view of the front frame along the IVA-IVA line.

[0017] Figure 4B It is along Figure 1 A sectional view of the side frame of the IVB-IVB line.

[0018] Figure 4C It is along Figure 1 A sectional view of the rear frame of the IVC-IVC line.

[0019] Figure 5A It means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the joint between the rear frame and the side frame of the VA section.

[0020] Figure 5B It means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the joint between the front frame and the side frame of the VB section.

[0021] Figure 6A It means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the valve (closed state) in section VI.

[0022] Figure 6B It means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the valve (open state) in section VI. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a top view showing the battery frame 1 of the present invention. Figure 2 It means to Figure 1 A perspective view of the battery frame 1 mounted on the back of the floor of the car body 2. Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along line III-III.

[0024] The vehicle battery frame 1 in this embodiment is a housing that is mounted on the back of the floor of the vehicle body 2 and supports the battery 3. Figure 1 As shown, the battery frame 1 includes a plate-shaped bottom frame 11 and a plurality of plate-shaped side frames 12, 13, 14, and 15 fixed to the outer periphery of the bottom frame 11.

[0025] The bottom frame 11 in this embodiment can also be configured as a single piece formed by extrusion molding of aluminum. However, instead, it can be divided into several sub-bottom frames by a dividing line along the front-rear direction of the car body 2, and assembled into a flat plate by welding the divided sub-bottom frames together. Alternatively, it can be as follows: Figure 3 As shown, a space 113 for refrigerant circulation is formed by joining one or more first bottom frames 111 with one or more identical second bottom frames 112. The bottom frame 11 is reinforced by multiple bottom beams 114 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2. Although not shown in the figure, in the bottom frame 11 of this embodiment, by circulating the refrigerant cooled by a refrigerant cooling device such as a cooler in the space 113 formed in the bottom frame 11, the battery 3 that is in contact with and placed on the first bottom frame 111 can be properly cooled.

[0026] The side frames 12-15 in this embodiment are composed of four components: a pair of left and right side frames 12 and 13 extending in the vehicle's longitudinal direction; a front frame 15 extending in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle's front ends of the side frames 12 and 13; and a rear frame 14 extending in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle's rear ends of the side frames 12 and 13. However, this is not a limitation; the side frames may be composed of fewer than four or more side frames. These bottom frames 11 and side frames 12-15 are not particularly limited and can be made of extruded aluminum. If they are made of extruded aluminum, they offer excellent heat transfer, lightweight design, and noise shielding. Furthermore, although not particularly limited, each pair of left and right side frames is formed as a single, integral component (a non-separable component) by extrusion molding of aluminum. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it extends as a component from the front end of the front floor 23 of the car body 2 to the front end of the rear floor 24. And, as... Figure 1 As shown, the two rear portions of a straight-shaped molded product obtained by extruding aluminum are bent to form a shape that follows the rear wheel arch.

[0027] Figures 4A to 4C They are along Figure 1 A sectional view of the front frame 15, side frames 12 and 13, and rear frame 14 along the IVA-IVA line to the IVC-IVC line. (See attached image.) Figures 4A to 4C As shown, the four side frames 12-15 are essentially the same, with a hollow cross-sectional structure containing multiple internal spaces (including gas exhaust passages 4). By forming these side frames 12-15 into hollow cross-sectional structures, weight reduction can be achieved while ensuring a certain level of strength. Furthermore, the axially continuous spaces formed inside these side frames 12-15 will be described later as gas exhaust passages 4.

[0028] Figure 1 The battery frame 1 shown is assembled into a generally rectangular housing by welding or other means, with the four side frames 12-15 fixed to the outer periphery of the bottom frame 11 and the opening on the upper surface closed by the cover 17. The battery 3 is housed in a space surrounded by the bottom frame 11, the cover 17 facing the bottom frame 11, and the four side frames 12-15, in a state of contact with at least one of the bottom frame 11 and the side frames 12-15.

[0029] The battery 3 (also called a battery pack) includes multiple battery modules 31, each battery pack housed in a cuboid module housing. Although not shown in the figure, multiple thin batteries (also called single cells) are stacked inside the module housing. In this embodiment, the multiple battery modules 31 are arranged and fixed to the surface of the bottom frame 11 with each main surface 311 of the multiple battery modules 31 perpendicular to the surface of the bottom frame 11.

[0030] In other words, the multiple battery modules 31 are arranged and fixed on the surface of the bottom frame 11 with each side 312 of the multiple battery modules 31 in contact with the surface of the bottom frame 11. In this way, by arranging the multiple battery modules 31 longitudinally, all battery modules 31 can be in contact with the bottom frame 11, and all battery modules 31 can be cooled without any omissions. Figure 1 The reference numeral 16 in the attached drawing indicates a crossbeam fixed to the upper surface of the bottom frame 11 by welding or other means. This crossbeam reinforces the bottom frame 11 and serves to separate and secure the battery 3. Figure 1 The configuration example of battery 3 is represented by a two-dot line.

[0031] Thus, as Figure 3 As shown, after the upper surface of the battery frame 1 housing the battery 3 is closed by the cover 17, it is mounted to the back 21 of the floor of the vehicle body 2 using multiple brackets 18. Specifically, as... Figure 3 As shown, the left and right sides of the battery frame 1 are installed on the inner plate 251 or outer plate 252 of the beam 25, and the front and rear sides are directly or indirectly installed on the front floor 23 or rear floor 24.

[0032] And, as Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the battery frame 1 is mounted on almost the entire surface of the rear floor 21 of the vehicle body 2, extending from the front of the front floor 23 to the front of the rear floor 24. Furthermore, in Figure 2 In the figure, reference numeral 22 indicates the front bulkhead, and reference numeral 25 indicates the beam.

[0033] In this embodiment, the battery frame 1 is fixed to the outer periphery of the bottom frame 11 by welding or other means, and the opening on the upper surface is closed by the cover 17, thereby assembling a roughly cuboid-shaped shell. This also ensures a watertight and airtight space for waterproofing. Therefore, it is necessary to exhaust the gas generated by the chemical reaction of the battery electrolyte from the internal space of the battery frame 1 to the outside. Here, in the battery frame 1 of this embodiment, a gas exhaust passage 4 is formed in part of the front frame 15, all of the side frames 12 and 13, and part of the rear frame 14, thereby exhausting the gas generated by the chemical reaction of the battery electrolyte from the internal space of the battery frame 1 to the outside. That is, by utilizing the space formed inside the side frames 12 to 15 during extrusion molding, it is not necessary to provide an additional gas exhaust passage inside the battery frame 1 as in conventional technology, thus increasing space utilization.

[0034] For the gas exhaust passage 4 in this embodiment, Figure 1 The battery frame 1 shown has a pair of front frames 15, 15, each end of which becomes an exhaust inlet 41, and an exhaust outlet 42 is formed in the rear frame 14. Furthermore, by connecting the front frame 15, the side frames 12, 13, and the rear frame 14, a gas exhaust passage 4 from the exhaust inlet 41 to the exhaust outlet 42 is formed inside these front frames 15, side frames 12, 13, and rear frame 14.

[0035] Figure 5A It means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the joint between the rear frame 14 and the side frame 12 of the VA section. Figure 5B It means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the joint between the front frame 15 and the side frame 12 of the VB section. For the joint on the rear side of the rear frame 14 and the side frame 12 in this embodiment, as shown... Figure 5A As shown, the end face of the rear frame 14 and the rear end face of the side frame 12 are cut at an angle of, for example, 45°, and then butt-jointed and welded together. At this time, the internal space of the rear frame 14 and the internal space of the side frame 12 are connected, and therefore, the gas exhaust passage 4 of the rear frame 14 and the gas exhaust passage 4 of the side frame 12 are connected.

[0036] In contrast, regarding the joint between the front frame 15 and the front side of the side frame 12 in this embodiment, such as Figure 5BAs shown, the front end face of the side frame 12 is closed by the cover 122, and an opening 121 is formed on the side. The end face of the front frame 15 is then joined to the side face of the side frame 12 by welding, with the opening 121 included. At this time, the internal space of the front frame 15 and the internal space of the side frame 12 are connected, therefore, the gas exhaust passage 4 of the front frame 15 and the gas exhaust passage 4 of the side frame 12 are connected. In addition, as... Figure 5B As shown, by connecting the front frame 15 and the side frame 12, manufacturing errors in the lengths of the side frames 12 and 13 can be absorbed. Alternatively, it can be as follows: Figure 5A As shown, the front joint of the front frame 15 and the front side frame 12 is formed, as shown. Figure 5B The rear joint of the rear frame 14 and the side frame 12 is formed as shown.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the gas generated inside the battery frame 1 flows into the gas exhaust passages 4, 4 from the exhaust inlets 41, 41 at the ends of the front frames 15, 15, and then through... Figure 5B The connecting parts shown reach the gas exhaust passages 4 and 4 of the side frames 12 and 13, and then, via Figure 5A The connecting portion shown flows down to the rear frame 14 and exhausts from the exhaust outlet 42 formed on the rear frame 14. The exhaust inlet 41 opens into a watertight and airtight space, while the exhaust outlet 42 is exposed on the back side of the floor of the vehicle body 2. Therefore, in the battery frame 1 of this embodiment, a valve 43 is provided at the exhaust outlet 42.

[0038] Figure 6A and Figure 6B It means in Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the valve 43 installed at the exhaust outlet 42 of section VI, showing its closed and open states. The valve 43 of this embodiment includes an elastic body (not shown) for opening and closing the opening of the exhaust outlet 42. Under the action of this elastic body, when the internal pressure of the gas exhaust passage 4 is less than a predetermined value, such as... Figure 6A As shown, valve 43 operates by closing the exhaust outlet 42. When the internal pressure of the gas exhaust passage 4 is above a specified value, such as... Figure 6B As shown, valve 43 operates by opening the exhaust outlet 42. By providing valve 43 at the exhaust outlet 42, water from the back of the floor can be prevented from entering the gas exhaust passage 4.

[0039] As described above, the vehicle battery frame 1 according to this embodiment includes a plate-shaped bottom frame 11 and side frames. The side frames are fixed to the outer periphery of the bottom frame 11 and include a pair of left and right side frames 12 and 13 extending in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The battery frame 1 is mounted on the back floor 21 of the vehicle body 2 and supports the battery 3. Gas exhaust passages 4 are provided inside the side frames 12 and 13. That is, by utilizing the space formed inside the side frames 12 and 13 during extrusion molding, it is not necessary to provide additional gas exhaust passages inside the battery frame 1 as in conventional technology, thus increasing space utilization.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the vehicle battery frame 1 of this embodiment, the side frames include: a pair of left and right side frames 12, 13; a front frame 15 extending along the vehicle width direction at the vehicle front ends of the side frames 12, 13; and a rear frame 14 extending along the vehicle width direction at the vehicle rear ends of the side frames 12, 13, with a gas exhaust passage 4 extending from the vehicle front ends of the side frames 12, 13 to the vehicle rear ends. Thus, high-temperature gas is exhausted to the outside while being cooled at least during its passage through the side frames 12, 13.

[0041] Furthermore, according to the vehicle battery frame 1 of this embodiment, a gas exhaust passage 4 and an exhaust inlet 41 are provided on the front frame 15. The gas exhaust passage 4 is connected to the gas exhaust passages 4 of a pair of left and right side frames 12 and 13, respectively. The exhaust inlet 41 connects the gas exhaust passage 4 to the space surrounded by the battery frame 1. A gas exhaust passage 4 and an exhaust outlet 42 are provided on the rear frame 14. The gas exhaust passage 4 is connected to the gas exhaust passages 4 of a pair of left and right side frames 12 and 13, respectively. The exhaust outlet 42 connects the gas exhaust passage 4 to the outside of the space surrounded by the battery frame 1. Thus, gas generated in the internal space of the battery frame 1 flows into the gas exhaust passages 4 and 4 from the exhaust inlets 41 and 41 at the ends of the front frames 15 and 15, and passes through... Figure 5B The connecting part reaches the gas exhaust passages 4 and 4 of the side frames 12 and 13, and then, via Figure 5A The connecting portion shown flows down to the rear frame 14 and exhausts from the exhaust outlet 42 formed on the rear frame 14. Even if the gas generated inside the battery frame 1 is at a high temperature, the gas is exhausted from the exhaust outlet 42 in a cooled state because the gas exhaust passage 4 is formed long enough. Furthermore, since the gas is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust outlet 42 provided on the rear frame 14 which extends in the vehicle width direction, the blowing of gas into the surroundings is also suppressed.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the vehicle battery frame 1 of this embodiment, such as Figure 5AAs shown, one end of one side of the side frames 12 and 13 is joined to the end of one of the front frame 15 and the rear frame 14 in such a way that the ends abut against each other; on the other hand, as... Figure 5B As shown, the end of one of the side frames 12 and 13 is joined to the end of the other of the front frame 15 and rear frame 14 in such a way that the side frames 12 and 13 are provided with openings 121 that communicate with the gas exhaust passages 4 of the other of the front frame 15 and rear frame 14, and the end of the other of the front frame 15 and rear frame 14 is aligned with these openings 121. Therefore, even if there are manufacturing errors in the length of the side frames 12 and 13, they can be absorbed.

[0043] Furthermore, according to the vehicle battery frame 1 of this embodiment, a valve 43 is provided at the exhaust outlet 42. This valve 43 closes the exhaust outlet 42 when the internal pressure of the gas exhaust passage 4 is less than a predetermined value, and opens the exhaust outlet 42 when the internal pressure of the gas exhaust passage 4 is above the predetermined value. This prevents water from the back of the floor from entering the gas exhaust passage 4.

[0044] Furthermore, in the vehicle battery frame 1 according to this embodiment, the left and right side frames 12 and 13 are each integral components, extending from the front end of the front floor 23 of the vehicle body 2 to the front end of the rear floor 24. This reduces welding and other assembly processes. Additionally, since the inner surface of the gas exhaust passage 4 is composed of a smooth plane or curved surface, the resistance to gas flow is reduced.

[0045] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example consisting of a pair of left and right front frames 15, 15 is shown, but alternatively, there may be only one front frame 15. In this case, an exhaust inlet 41 is formed at a predetermined position on the front frame 15.

[0046] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0047] 1. Battery frame; 11. Bottom frame; 111. First bottom frame; 112. Second bottom frame; 113. Space; 114. Bottom beam; 12, 13. Side frame; 121. Opening; 122. Cover; 14. Rear frame; 15. Front frame; 16. Crossbeam; 17. Cover; 18. Bracket; 2. Car body; 21. Floor back; 22. Front bulkhead; 23. Front floor; 24. Rear floor; 25. Beam; 3. Battery; 31. Battery module; 4. Gas exhaust passage; 41. Exhaust inlet; 42. Exhaust outlet; 43. Valve.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery frame comprising a plate-shaped bottom frame and side frames, the side frames being fixed to the outer periphery of the bottom frame and including a pair of left and right side frames extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the vehicle battery frame being mounted on the back of the floor of a vehicle body and supporting a battery, wherein, The side frame includes: The left and right side frames are provided with gas exhaust passages inside, extending from the end of the front side of the vehicle to the end of the rear side of the vehicle. The front frame, extending in the vehicle width direction at its end on the front side of the side frame; and The rear frame extends along the vehicle width direction at its end on the rear side of the side frame. The front frame is provided with a gas exhaust passage that is connected to the gas exhaust passages of the left and right side frames respectively, and an exhaust inlet that connects the gas exhaust passage to the space surrounded by the battery frame. The rear frame is provided with a gas exhaust passage that is connected to the gas exhaust passages of the left and right side frames respectively, and an exhaust outlet that connects the gas exhaust passage to the outside of the space surrounded by the battery frame.

2. The vehicle battery frame according to claim 1, wherein, One end of the side frame is joined to the end of one of the front frame and the rear frame in such a way that the ends mate with each other. The end of one side of the side frame engages with the end of the other of the front frame and the rear frame in such a way that the side frame has an opening that communicates with a gas exhaust passage of the end of the other of the front frame and the rear frame, such that the end of the other of the front frame and the rear frame abuts against the opening.

3. The vehicle battery frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, A valve is provided at the exhaust outlet. The valve closes the exhaust outlet when the internal pressure of the gas exhaust passage is less than a specified value, and opens the exhaust outlet when the internal pressure of the gas exhaust passage is above the specified value.

4. The vehicle battery frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The left and right side frames are each integral components, extending from the front end of the front floor of the vehicle body to the front end of the rear floor.

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