Battery fire protection apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery fire prevention apparatus for a vehicle, which can effectively prevent a battery fire due to collision with an obstacle. When an obstacle collision on a side surface of a vehicle is predicted, a battery is effectively protected from an impact caused by an obstacle and a battery fire is prevented by controlling operation of a battery fixing device, an airbag device, and a height control device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery fire prevention device for a vehicle, which can effectively prevent a battery fire caused by a collision with an obstacle. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing use of environmentally friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles, the risk of fire due to external impact or internal short circuit of batteries, high-voltage wires, etc. is increasing.

[0003] Once a lithium-ion battery used in an electric vehicle catches fire, it is difficult to completely extinguish the fire due to problems such as thermal runaway, and it takes a lot of time and effort to completely extinguish the fire. It is well known that when a lithium-ion battery catches fire, it is almost impossible to extinguish the fire only by spraying water or a fire extinguishing agent.

[0004] In particular, because the battery pack has a closed interior in which combustible materials and materials containing a large amount of oxygen exist, it is difficult to completely extinguish the fire due to the presence of residual oxygen in the battery pack. This difficulty exists even when using conventional methods such as water spray or a fire extinguishing agent (e.g., fire extinguishing powder or fire extinguishing liquid) employed in conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. As a result, the fire may not be completely extinguished and may re-spread into the vehicle over time.

[0005] This type of battery fire may also occur in the event of an obstacle collision, and since it is difficult to extinguish the fire after a collision, it is best to prevent the occurrence of a battery fire in advance.

[0006] The above description is only intended to help understand the background technology of the present invention, and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the scope of the prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention is made in view of the above problems arising in the prior art, and the present invention aims to provide a battery fire prevention device for a vehicle. In particular, the device can effectively prevent battery fires caused by collisions with obstacles.

[0008] The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above description, and other objects not explicitly disclosed herein should be clearly understood by a person of ordinary knowledge in the field to which the present invention belongs (hereinafter referred to as "technicians") based on the description provided below.

[0009] In order to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned purposes, according to one aspect of the present invention, a battery fire prevention device for a vehicle is provided. The battery fire prevention device includes a mounting frame to which the battery can be fixedly engaged. In particular, the mounting frame is configured to guide the battery to move in a slidable manner when the battery is unfixed. The battery fire prevention device further includes an obstacle detector and a controller, wherein the obstacle detector is configured to detect an obstacle expected to collide with the vehicle, and the controller is configured to output a control signal to protect the battery from the obstacle and prevent a battery fire when the obstacle collision of the vehicle is predicted according to a signal from the obstacle detector. The battery fire prevention device further includes: a battery fixing device, which is arranged on the mounting frame and is configured to fix the battery to the mounting frame and unfix the battery in response to a control signal from the controller; and an airbag device, each of which is configured to inflate and deploy the airbag in response to a control signal from the controller to protect the battery from the impact caused by the obstacle, while pushing the battery to slide and move along the mounting frame.

[0010] The mounting frame may guide the battery to slidably move in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. The obstacle detector may detect an obstacle expected to collide with one side of the vehicle. The airbag device may be arranged at a side of the vehicle.

[0011] The controller may be configured to output a control signal when an obstacle collision on one side of the vehicle is predicted based on a signal from the obstacle detector. The controller may control the battery fixing device to release the battery from being fixed, and also control the airbag device in the airbag device on the side that has collided with the obstacle to perform a deployment operation to push the battery and move the battery away from the side that has collided with the obstacle.

[0012] The mounting frame may include: a pair of first frames, which are arranged at the left and right parts of the vehicle body and extend in the front-rear longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; and a pair of second frames, which are arranged at the front and rear parts of the vehicle body in parallel and extend in the left-right lateral direction of the vehicle body.

[0013] The battery may be arranged between the pair of first frames and coupled to the pair of second frames to be slidably movable in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. The battery may be fixed to or released from the second frames by a battery fixing device.

[0014] In an embodiment, the front end and the rear end of the battery can be joined to the second frame by means of a rail structure. The rail structure can include a rail joint and a rail portion. The rail joint is respectively arranged at the front end and the rear end of the battery, and the rail portion is arranged at a pair of second frames. The rail joint is slidably joined to the rail portion.

[0015] The battery fixing devices may include stoppers respectively, and the stoppers are configured to move forward and backward in response to a control signal output by the controller. The guide rail engaging portions may include stopper fixing portions respectively, and the corresponding stoppers of the stoppers are assembled into the stopper fixing portions by moving forward, thereby fixing the battery by the battery fixing device.

[0016] In an embodiment, the stopper fixing portion may include: a first fixing recess, which allows the stopper of the battery fixing device to be assembled into the first fixing recess by moving forward when the battery is located in the installation position under the normal state at normal time; and a second fixing recess, which allows the stopper of the battery fixing device to be assembled into the second fixing recess by moving forward when the battery is moved by the inflated and unfolded installation airbag.

[0017] The airbag devices may be respectively disposed at the pair of first frames, and the airbag devices are configured to inflate and deploy corresponding airbags to push the battery and move the battery along the second frame.

[0018] The airbag device may be arranged at the front and rear of the first frame with respect to the vehicle body direction.

[0019] The battery fire prevention device may further include a height control device configured to adjust the vehicle height of the left and right parts of the vehicle body in response to a control signal from the controller.

[0020] In one embodiment, the controller may be configured to: determine the height of the obstacle based on the signal from the obstacle detector; compare the determined height of the obstacle with the current vehicle ground height. When the current vehicle ground height is higher than the height of the obstacle by a predetermined clearance height, the controller does not operate the height control device and the airbag device, and maintains the current vehicle height and the airbag non-deployment state. The phrase "airbag non-deployment state" refers to the condition or state of the airbag system in the vehicle when the airbag is not activated or deployed.

[0021] When the current vehicle ground height is not higher than the predetermined clearance height of the obstacle, the controller may compare the height of the obstacle with a predetermined maximum adjustable vehicle height. When the height of the obstacle is lower than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, the controller outputs a control signal to control the operation of the height control device to increase the vehicle height of the side of the vehicle that collides with the obstacle and decrease the vehicle height of the side of the vehicle that is opposite to the obstacle.

[0022] In one embodiment, the controller may output a control signal to control the operation of the height control device to increase the vehicle height on the side of the vehicle that collided with the obstacle to a maximum adjustable vehicle height and to reduce the vehicle height on the side of the vehicle opposite to the obstacle collision to a minimum adjustable vehicle height.

[0023] An airbag device among the airbag devices located at a side of the vehicle body that collides with the obstacle may be controlled to perform a deployment operation to push the battery.

[0024] The airbag device may be arranged at the front and rear of the mounting frame at the side of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle body direction. The controller may be configured to: when the height of the obstacle is lower than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, in response to a signal from the obstacle detector, determine the portion that will collide with the obstacle from the front and rear of one side of the vehicle; and control only the airbag device of the portion that will collide with the obstacle among the front airbag device and the rear airbag device to perform a deployment operation to push the battery.

[0025] The controller may be configured to: determine the height of the obstacle to be collided based on the signal from the obstacle detector; compare the determined height of the obstacle with a predetermined maximum adjustable vehicle height. When the height of the obstacle is higher than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, the controller may output a control signal to control the operation of the height control device to reduce the vehicle height of the left and right parts of the vehicle body to a predetermined minimum adjustable vehicle height.

[0026] When the height of the obstacle is higher than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, the controller may control the airbag device of the side of the vehicle that collides with the obstacle to perform a deployment operation to push and move the battery away from the obstacle collision.

[0027] In the battery fire prevention device according to the present invention, when a collision with an obstacle on the side of the vehicle is predicted, by controlling the operation of the battery fixing device, the airbag device and the height control device, the battery can be effectively protected from the impact caused by the obstacle and a battery fire can be prevented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an airbag device and a height control device according to an embodiment of the present invention are arranged in a battery fire prevention device and a direction in which a battery is moved by an airbag in a collision;

[0030] Figure 2is a block diagram showing the main components of a battery fire prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 is a plan view showing a state of a battery installed in a battery fire prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an operating state of a battery fixing device in a battery fire prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 is a plan view showing a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention and rail engaging portions located at a front end portion and a rear end portion of the battery;

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a battery is moved by an airbag in a battery fire prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a height control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged in a vehicle using a battery fire prevention device;

[0036] Fig.9A , Fig. 9B and Fig. 9C is a schematic diagram showing an operation state of a height control device according to the height of an obstacle in a side collision in a battery fire prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Fig.10 : is a flowchart showing an operation process of a battery fire prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The specific structure and function description of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein are only used to illustrate the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention. The present invention can be embodied in a variety of different forms without departing from the spirit and salient features of the present invention. In addition, the present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternative embodiments, modified embodiments, equivalent embodiments and other embodiments that can be included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0039] Although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the teachings of the present invention, the first element discussed below may be referred to as the second element. Similarly, the second element may also be referred to as the first element.

[0040] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "engaged," "connected," or "linked" to another element, it may be directly engaged or connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element between them. Conversely, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "directly engaged," "directly connected," or "directly linked" to another element, there are no intermediate elements. Other expressions describing the relationship between elements, such as "between," "directly between," "adjacent to," or "directly adjacent to," should be interpreted in the same manner.

[0041] Throughout the present invention, the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts. The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, otherwise not clearly stated to the contrary. It should be further understood that when the terms "comprise", "comprising", "having" etc. are used in the present invention, it is indicated that the features, numerical values, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof are present, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, numerical values, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof are not excluded.

[0042] When a component, device, element, etc. of the present invention is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the component, device or element should be considered herein as “configured to” satisfy the purpose or perform the operation or function.

[0043] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an airbag device and a height control device are arranged in a battery fire prevention device according to the present invention and a direction in which the battery is moved by the airbag in a collision, Figure 2 is a block diagram showing main components of a battery fire prevention device according to the present invention.

[0044] The vehicle provided with the battery fire prevention device according to the present invention may be an electric vehicle equipped with the battery 1. In the following description, the battery 1 may be a group of batteries (ie, a battery pack).

[0045] A battery pack generally includes a battery case and a battery module arranged in the battery case. The battery module includes a plurality of unit batteries, ie, battery cells.

[0046] When a collision with an obstacle on the side of the vehicle is predicted, the battery fire prevention device according to the present invention can protect the battery of the vehicle from the impact caused by the obstacle and effectively prevent the occurrence of a battery fire by controlling the operation of the battery fixing device, the airbag device and the height control device.

[0047] In one embodiment, the battery fire protection device includes a mounting frame 5 arranged on the vehicle body, and the battery can be fixedly coupled to the mounting frame 5. When the battery 1 is in an unfixed state (i.e., an unfixed state), the mounting frame 5 can also provide support for the battery 1 so that the battery 1 can move and slide transversely to the vehicle body.

[0048] In addition, the battery fire prevention device further includes an obstacle detector 10 and a controller 20, the obstacle detector 10 is arranged on the vehicle to detect an obstacle 60 that is expected to collide with the side of the vehicle, and the controller 20 can output a control signal to protect the battery 1 from the impact caused by the obstacle 60 and prevent a battery fire when an obstacle collision on the side of the vehicle is predicted based on a signal from the obstacle detector 10.

[0049] In addition, the battery fire prevention device further includes a battery fixing device 30, which is arranged on the mounting frame 5 and is configured to fix the battery 1 to the mounting frame 5 and release the battery 1 in response to a control signal from the controller 20. The battery fire prevention device further includes an airbag device 40 arranged on the side of the vehicle body, each of which is configured to inflate and deploy an airbag 41 in response to a control signal from the controller 20 to protect the battery 1 from the impact caused by the obstacle 60 and simultaneously push and move the battery 1 in the lateral direction of the vehicle body. The battery fire prevention device further includes a height control device 50, which is configured to adjust the height of the left or right part of the vehicle body in response to a control signal from the controller 20.

[0050] The mounting frame 5 is a structure for mounting the battery 1 on the vehicle body, and is configured to fix the battery 1 to the vehicle body and guide the unfixed battery 1 in a left-right slidable manner.

[0051] The mounting frame 5 is configured as a rectangular frame structure capable of fixing or supporting the battery 1 as required so that it can slide left and right. The mounting frame 5 may be a part of the vehicle body structure as a frame structure of the vehicle body, or may be additionally arranged on an existing vehicle body.

[0052] In another embodiment, the mounting frame 5 may include a first frame 6 and a second frame 7. The mounting frame 5 is configured such that the battery 1 is substantially horizontally arranged at a floor position as a lower position of the vehicle body in a state where the battery 1 is coupled to and supported by the mounting frame 5.

[0053] In the mounting frame 5, a pair of first frames 6 are arranged parallel to each other at the left and right parts of the vehicle body. The pair of first frames 6 parallel to each other may be side members of a vehicle body assembly extending in the longitudinal direction at the left and right parts of the vehicle body, or a separate frame arranged along the side members.

[0054] In addition, a pair of second frames 7 are arranged parallel to each other at the front and rear of the vehicle body. The pair of second frames 7 parallel to each other may be a cross member of a vehicle body assembly connecting left and right side members, or a separate frame arranged to connect a pair of first frames.

[0055] In one form, the first frame 6 is a frame extending front-to-rear in the longitudinal direction on both sides of the vehicle body, and the second frame 7 is a frame extending in the left-right lateral direction of the vehicle body.

[0056] A pair of first frames 6 and a pair of second frames 7 are arranged in a rectangular shape and then assembled together to form a rectangular frame structure. The ends of the first frames 6 are connected and fixed to the ends of the second frames 7, thereby forming a rectangular frame structure.

[0057] In an embodiment of the present invention, the battery 1 may be coupled to and supported by a second frame 7 arranged in the left-right lateral direction of the vehicle body. The battery 1 may be coupled to the second frame 7 by means of a guide rail structure so that the battery 1 may move left-right along the second frame 7 relative to the vehicle body direction (i.e., in the lateral direction of the vehicle body).

[0058] Specifically, the protruding rail engaging portions 2 are respectively arranged at the front and rear of the battery 1 to extend longitudinally in the left-right direction. The rail portions 8 are respectively arranged at the portions of the pair of second frames 7 facing the front and rear of the battery 1. The rail engaging portion 2 of the battery 1 is engaged to the rail portion 8 to be slidably guided.

[0059] Therefore, the battery 1 can be Figure 1 The battery 1 slides and moves in the direction indicated by the arrow A1 in FIG. 7 (ie, in the left-right lateral direction of the vehicle body). The movement of the battery 1 on the second frame 7 can be guided by the rail structure including the rail joint portion 2 and the rail portion 8 .

[0060] In addition, the battery fire prevention device includes a battery fixing device 30 to fix the position of the battery 1 on the second frame 7. The battery fixing device 30 is a device that selectively fixes the battery 1 to the second frame 7 or releases (or unfixes) the battery 1 from the second frame 7, and the operation of the battery fixing device 30 is controlled by the controller 20.

[0061] In other words, when the battery 1 is fixed to the second frame 7 by the battery fixing device 30, when the controller 20 outputs a control signal (i.e., a collision detection signal) to loosen or release the battery, in response to the control signal output by the controller 20, the operation of the battery fixing device 30 is controlled to loosen (or release the battery 1).

[0062] The construction of the battery holding device is described in more detail below.

[0063] Accordingly, the battery mounting structure is normally secured by the battery fixture and the guide rail structure, but when a side collision is predicted, the battery can be mounted along the guide rail structure. Figure 1 Move in the direction indicated by arrow A1.

[0064] In another embodiment, the battery fire prevention device further includes an airbag device 40 arranged to expand and deploy in the direction in which the battery 1 is pushed. The airbag device 40 is arranged to absorb impact and move the battery 1 in a side collision of the vehicle, and is used to protect the battery and ultimately prevent a battery fire.

[0065] The airbag device 40 may be arranged on any one of the first frames 6 or on both of the pair of first frames 6. Furthermore, a plurality of airbag devices 40 may be arranged on each of the first frames 6.

[0066] In this case, the airbag device 40 can be arranged to be located at the left and right sides of the battery 1 in the vehicle, and can be arranged at the front position and the rear position on both sides of the vehicle, respectively. In other words, two airbag devices 40 can be arranged at each of the first frames 6, so that a single airbag device 40 is arranged at each of the front position and the rear position. The airbag device 40 can be arranged on the inner surface of the first frame 6 so that the airbag 41 can be inflated and deployed on the first frame 6 toward the position of the battery 1.

[0067] In response to a control signal (ie, a collision detection signal) output by the controller 20 , the operation of each airbag device 40 is also controlled by the controller 20 to inflate and deploy the airbag 41 .

[0068] In addition, the battery fire prevention device may further include a height control device 50 arranged between the vehicle body and each wheel. The height control device 50 is configured to adjust the height of the vehicle at the wheel position (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle height") in response to a control signal output by the controller 20.

[0069] Various configurations are known in the art for the height control device 50 configured to adjust the vehicle height at each wheel position in response to a control signal (i.e., an electrical signal) output by the controller 20. One of the known height control devices may be adopted and applied in the present invention to adjust the vehicle height (i.e., vehicle body height) at each wheel position.

[0070] For example, height control devices include hydraulic height control devices, pneumatic height control devices, and electronic height control devices. Hydraulic height control devices use valves to control the supply and discharge of hydraulic pressure to adjust and maintain the height of the vehicle. Electronic height control devices can be configured to use ball screws and mechanical devices to adjust and maintain the height of the vehicle, respectively.

[0071] In one form, a height control device usable in the present invention may include a piston fixed to an outer peripheral surface of a damping rod of a suspension, a cylinder provided outside the piston to be movable along the damping rod, and a driving portion to move the cylinder up and down.

[0072] The driving unit is configured to move the cylinder up and down. The driving unit can use various driving methods as long as the cylinder can move up and down. For example, the driving unit can be a hydraulic device driven by hydraulic pressure, a pneumatic device driven by compressed air, an electronic device driven by a motor, etc.

[0073] In addition, the height control device 50 can be connected to the structure of the vehicle suspension to variably adjust the height of the vehicle body. In this case, each of the height control devices 50 can be installed on the shock absorber of each component of the vehicle suspension to variably adjust the height of the vehicle body.

[0074] In this case, each vehicle suspension may include a damping rod, a support and a spring. In the assembly of each height control device 50, a cylinder is arranged to surround the damping rod and support the bottom end of the spring that elastically supports the vehicle body to adjust the vehicle height due to upward and downward movement.

[0075] This configuration of the height control device is illustrative, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The configuration of the height control device may be variously modified as long as the vehicle height is adjustable at each wheel position in response to a control signal output by the controller.

[0076] In addition, the battery fire prevention device according to the present invention may further include an obstacle detector 10 to detect an obstacle that is expected to collide with the side of the vehicle. The obstacle detector 10 is electrically connected to the controller 20. Therefore, the obstacle detector 10 can input an electrical signal, i.e., an obstacle detection signal, to the controller 20 in response to the detection of an object.

[0077] In one embodiment, the obstacle detector 10 may be a sensor that detects an obstacle that is expected to collide with the side of the vehicle, or may be a known autonomous driving sensor installed in an autonomous driving vehicle. In this case, such an autonomous driving sensor that detects an obstacle may include a camera, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, or a radar.

[0078] Therefore, the controller 20 may determine whether there is an obstacle approaching the side of the vehicle according to the obstacle detection signal received from the obstacle detector 10 to predict and detect a side collision of the vehicle due to the obstacle and determine the height of the collision obstacle.

[0079] In addition, when a side collision of the vehicle is detected, the controller 20 controls a corresponding one of the airbag devices 40 to perform a deployment operation so that the airbag 41 is inflated and deployed, and in response, the airbag 41 pushes and moves the battery 1 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle comes. At this time, the airbag 41 absorbs the impact applied to the battery 1 by the obstacle and protects the side of the battery 1.

[0080] Figure 3 is a plan view showing a state of a battery installed in a battery fire prevention device according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 and Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view obtained along the line A2-A2 in Figure 6 is a plan view showing a battery and rail engaging portions at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the battery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Figure 3 The up and down directions in are the left and right directions relative to the vehicle body direction. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The operating state of the battery fixing device 30 is shown, which is configured to selectively fix the battery 1 to the vehicle body (ie, the mounting frame) or release it from the vehicle body, wherein Figure 4 The figure shows the state where the battery 1 is fixed by the battery fixing device 30 under normal circumstances. Figure 5 The state in which the battery fixing device 30 releases (or releases the fixing of) the battery when a collision is detected is shown.

[0082] like Figure 3 As shown, the mounting frame 5 is a frame structure arranged and assembled so that a pair of first frames 6 and a pair of second frames 7 form a rectangular shape. The first frame 6 and the second frame 7 are integrated by welding the respective ends of the frame 6 and the frame 7 or fastening the respective ends using fastening members such as bolts and nuts.

[0083] The airbag devices 40 are arranged at a front position and a rear position with respect to the vehicle body direction, respectively. Each airbag device 40 is arranged so that when the airbag device 40 operates, the airbag 41 expands and deploys toward the battery 1.

[0084] Therefore, the airbag 41 that expands and deploys during the operation of the airbag device 40 may push the battery 1. The battery 1 may be moved away from the position where the operating airbag device is located by the expansion and deployment of the airbag 41.

[0085] exist Figure 3In the figure, when the left side in the figure is the front side in the vehicle body direction and the right side in the figure is the rear side in the vehicle body direction, two battery fixtures 30 may be arranged on each of the front second frame 7 and the rear second frame 7. That is, two battery fixtures 30 may be arranged on each second frame 7, one at the left position and one at the right position.

[0086] Each battery fixing device 30 may be operated to selectively fix or release the battery 1 in response to a control signal output by the controller 20 , and may include a stopper 31 that is operated to move forward and backward in response to the control signal output by the controller 20 .

[0087] In addition, the battery fixing device 30 may be a solenoid driven actuator including a solenoid 32 as a driving portion for moving the stopper 31 up and down and forward and backward. The solenoid 32 of the battery fixing device 30 is configured to be able to apply the battery current as the driving current or cut off the driving current in response to a control signal of the controller 20.

[0088] Therefore, in the battery holding device 30, the position of the stopper 31 is determined according to whether the current is applied to the solenoid 32 or the direction in which the current is applied to the solenoid 32. Figure 4 When the battery 1 is moved downward (i.e., moved forward) as shown in FIG. Figure 5 When moving upward (ie, moving backward) as shown, the fixing state of the battery 1 by the battery fixing device 30 is released.

[0089] In addition, the battery 1 includes a stopper fixing portion to which the stopper 31 of the battery fixing device 30 can be fixed. The stopper fixing portion can be provided at the rail engaging portion 2 of the battery 1. Specifically, the stopper fixing portion can have a structure into which a corresponding one of the stoppers 31 can be inserted.

[0090] Reference Figure 6 It can be seen that the rail joint 2 protrudes from the front and rear ends of the battery 1 and extends in length along the left and right directions of the battery. Figure 4 and Figure 5 It can be seen that the rail joint 2 is formed at the distal end portion of one end (ie, the front end or the rear end) of the battery 1 and the rail joint 2 is assembled into the rail portion 8 provided on the second frame 7 .

[0091] Therefore, the rail joint portion 2 of the battery 1 assembled into the rail portion 8 of the second frame 7 can slide and move in the left and right direction of the vehicle body in its longitudinal direction, and the battery 1 can slide and move in the left and right direction of the vehicle body along the second frame 7 of the mounting frame 5.

[0092] The rail portion 8 may be a groove-shaped component provided on the inner surface of the second frame 7 or a hole-shaped component extending through the second frame 7, thereby allowing the rail engaging portion 2 provided on the battery 1 to be fitted therein to be guided in the longitudinal direction thereof.

[0093] The guide rail portion 8 may be variously modified in structure and shape as long as the guide rail engaging portion 2 is engaged in a slidably movable manner for moving the battery 1 through the deployment of the airbag 41, without being limited to grooves or holes, and any structure or shape that allows the guide rail engaging portion 2 to be engaged in a slidably movable manner may be used.

[0094] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the rail portion 8 may be formed to have a cross-sectional structure wound around the upper and lower ends of the rail engaging portion 2 inserted and fitted into the rail portion 8. This structure may be referred to as a rail structure, which is used to facilitate sliding between each rail engaging portion 2 and the corresponding rail portion 8 when the battery 1 moves in a state where the rail engaging portion 2 is fitted into the rail portion 8.

[0095] A stopper fixing portion into which the stopper 31 can be fixedly inserted is provided on the rail joint portion 2. The stopper fixing portion includes fixing recesses 3 and 4 into which the stopper 31 moved downward from the battery fixing device 30 provided on the second frame 7 can be fitted.

[0096] The fixing recess includes a first fixing recess 3 and a second fixing recess 4. The stopper 31 of the battery fixing device 30 can be assembled into the first fixing recess 3 by moving downward (i.e., forward) when the battery 1 is in the installation position under the normal state at normal times. The stopper 31 of the battery fixing device 30 can be assembled into the second fixing recess 4 by moving downward when the battery 1 is moved by the airbag 41 in a side collision of the vehicle.

[0097] like Figure 6 As shown, the first fixing recesses 3 may be respectively disposed in both ends of the guide rail joint 2. The second fixing recesses 4 may be respectively disposed at the left and right positions of the guide rail joint 2 between the first fixing recesses 3.

[0098] As described above, the position of the stopper 31 in the battery holding device 30 is determined according to whether current is applied to the solenoid 32 or the direction in which current is applied to the solenoid 32. Figure 4 As shown, the stopper 31 moves downward and fits into the first fixing recess 3 provided in the rail engaging portion 2 of the battery 1 in a normal state at normal time.

[0099] Therefore, the battery 1 does not move along the guide rail portion 8 of the second frame 7, but is held fixed by the battery fixing device 30. In this case, the position of the battery 1 can be set so that the battery 1 is fixed at the center position between the pair of first frames 6, such as Figure 3 shown.

[0100] Furthermore, when the controller 20 detects a side collision, the stopper 31 of the battery fixing device 30 moves upward and leaves the first fixing recess 3 of the rail engaging portion 2 of the battery 1. Therefore, the battery 1 can freely move along the rail portion 8 of the second frame 7.

[0101] As described above, after the battery 1 is moved by the airbag 41 , the controller 20 operates two of the battery fixing devices 30 , which are more widely spaced apart from each other on the side that has collided with the obstacle, to fix the battery 1 .

[0102] When the battery fixture 30 is arranged on the second frame 7 between the left position and the right position in the vehicle body direction, the battery fixture 30 arranged on the left portion of the second frame 7 is farther from the right side of the vehicle than the battery fixture 30 arranged on the right portion of the second frame 7. Conversely, the battery fixture 30 arranged on the right portion of the second frame 7 is farther from the left side of the vehicle than the battery fixture 30 arranged on the left side of the second frame 7.

[0103] When an obstacle collides with the right side of the vehicle, after the battery 1 moves to the left through the corresponding airbag 41 in the airbag 41, the stoppers 31 of the two battery fixing devices 30 arranged on the left part of a pair of second frames 7 move downward to be assembled into the two second fixing recesses 4 of the guide rail joint 2.

[0104] Therefore, the battery 1 moved to the left by the airbag 41 is fixed again to the second frame 7 of the mounting frame 5 by the stopper 31 of the battery fixing device 30 and then no longer moves to the left or right.

[0105] Similarly, when an obstacle collides with the left side of the vehicle, after the battery 1 moves to the right through the corresponding airbag 41 in the airbag 41, the stoppers 31 of the two battery fixing devices 30 arranged on the right part of a pair of second frames 7 move downward to be assembled into the second fixing recess 4 of the guide rail joint 2.

[0106] Therefore, the battery 1 moved to the right by the airbag 41 is fixed again to the second frame 7 of the mounting frame 5 by the stopper 31 of the battery fixing device 30 and then no longer moves to the left or right.

[0107] Figure 7 Schematic diagram showing a state in which a battery 1 is moved by an airbag 41 in a battery fire prevention device according to the present invention. Figure 7In the case where the left side in the figure is the front side in the vehicle body direction and the right side in the figure is the rear side in the vehicle body direction, when an obstacle is detected on the right side of the vehicle and a collision with the right side of the vehicle is predicted, the airbag device 40 arranged on the right part of the mounting frame 5 is controlled by the controller 20 to perform a deployment operation, such as Figure 7 shown.

[0108] Reference Figure 7 As the airbag 41 expands and deploys from the airbag device 40 on the right side of the vehicle, the battery 1 is pushed by the airbag 41 and moves to the left. Therefore, the battery 1 can be protected from an obstacle that collides with the right side of the vehicle.

[0109] At this time, the right first frame 6 mainly absorbs the impact caused by the obstacle, and the deployed airbag 41 secondarily absorbs the impact. In addition, the deployed airbag 41 also serves as an actuator to move the battery 1 along the guide rail portion 8 of the second frame 7.

[0110] When an obstacle is detected on the left side of the vehicle and a collision with the left side of the vehicle is predicted, the controller 20 operates the airbag 41 disposed at the left portion of the mounting frame 5 to deploy.

[0111] Therefore, the battery 1 is pushed and moved to the right part of the vehicle by the airbag 41 that expands and deploys on the left part of the vehicle. Therefore, the battery 1 can be protected from the obstacle that collides with the left side of the vehicle.

[0112] Furthermore, the controller may be configured to selectively control only the front airbag device or the rear airbag device to perform a deployment operation according to whether the obstacle collides with the front or rear of one side of the vehicle.

[0113] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a height control device 50 according to the present invention is arranged in a vehicle using a battery fire prevention device, Fig.9A , Fig. 9B and Fig. 9C 2 is a schematic diagram showing an operation state of a height control device according to a height of an obstacle 60 in a side collision in a battery fire prevention device according to the present invention.

[0114] Fig.10 is a flow chart showing the operation process of the battery fire prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.10 To describe the operation process of the battery fire protection equipment.

[0115] Figure 8 is along Figure 1 A schematic diagram is obtained in the direction of arrow A3. Figure 8Height control devices 50 provided on the left and right parts of the vehicle, a battery 1 , and an obstacle 60 colliding with the right side of the vehicle are shown.

[0116] exist Figure 8 In , "X" represents the height of the obstacle 60, and "Y" represents the height of the vehicle from the ground before the collision (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle ground height"). Figure 8 In the figure, "A" and "B" also represent the vehicle heights at the corresponding positions adjusted by the height control device 50. "A" represents the vehicle height adjusted by the height control device 50 at the right part of the vehicle, and "B" represents the vehicle height adjusted by the height control device 50 at the right part of the vehicle.

[0117] In one embodiment, the height control device 50 is connected to a component of a corresponding wheel-side suspension to variably adjust a vehicle height (ie, vehicle height) at a corresponding arrangement position, ie, a vehicle height between the corresponding wheel and the vehicle body.

[0118] exist Figure 8 , the height control device 50 on the right side of the vehicle represents two height control devices arranged at the front and rear of the right side of the vehicle, and the height control device 50 on the left side of the vehicle represents two height control devices arranged at the front and rear of the left side of the vehicle.

[0119] In one form, the controller 20 can control the two height control devices 50 arranged at the front and rear of the right part of the vehicle to have the same operating state at the same time, or control the two height control devices 50 arranged at the front and rear of the left part of the vehicle to have the same operating state at the same time.

[0120] In other words, at the left portion of the vehicle, the vehicle height of the left portion of the vehicle can be adjusted to be the same regardless of the front position or the rear position by two height control devices 50 disposed between the corresponding wheels (i.e., the left front wheel and the left rear wheel) and the vehicle body. In the same manner, at the right portion of the vehicle, the vehicle height of the right portion of the vehicle can be adjusted to be the same regardless of the front position or the rear position by two height control devices 50 disposed between the corresponding wheels (i.e., the right front wheel and the right rear wheel) and the vehicle body.

[0121] Fig.9A An example is shown in which the collision barrier 60 has a lower height and thus no impact is applied to the battery 1 when the default vehicle ground height is maintained.

[0122] like Fig.9A As shown, since each of the vehicle ground height and the height of the battery 1 before the collision is higher than the height of the obstacle 60, no impact is applied to the battery 1 in the obstacle collision. In this case, the height of the obstacle 60 can be determined by the controller 20 based on the obstacle detection signal received from the obstacle detector 10.

[0123] In the present invention, when predicting an obstacle collision based on the obstacle detection signal received from the obstacle detector 10, the controller 20 determines the height X ( Fig.10 The height X is compared with the current vehicle ground height Y to determine whether to operate the height control device 50 and the airbag device 40 ( Fig.10 , step S12 in the process.

[0124] like Fig.9A As in the example in FIG. 1 , when the current vehicle ground height Y is higher than the height X of the obstacle 60 by a predetermined clearance height (e.g., 10 mm) or more (Y ≥ X + 10 mm), there is no need to adjust the vehicle height and move the battery, and the height control device 50 and the airbag device 40 are not operated (i.e., the current vehicle height is maintained in step S13 and the airbag is not deployed in step S14). That is, the current heights of all height control devices 50 are maintained, and the airbag 41 is not deployed.

[0125] also, Fig. 9B The height of the obstacle 60 showing the collision prediction is an example of a height at which the vehicle ground height can be adjusted so that the impact is not applied to the battery 1 .

[0126] When the ground height of the vehicle as exemplified above can be adjusted so that impact is not applied to the battery 1 , the left and right height control devices 50 are operated to tilt the vehicle to one side.

[0127] At this time, the height control device 50 of the left and right parts of the vehicle can be controlled by the controller 20 to increase the ground height of the vehicle on the left and right sides of the vehicle that has collided with the obstacle 60, while reducing the ground height of the vehicle on the other side.

[0128] In addition, only the airbag device 40 located in the obstacle collision portion of the front and rear parts of the vehicle side that collides with the obstacle 60 is controlled to perform the deployment operation. This is because even if only the airbag 41 in the portion that collides with the obstacle 60 is deployed in a state where the vehicle is tilted, the battery 1 can be moved to the other side.

[0129] When an obstacle collision is predicted based on the obstacle detection signal received from the obstacle detector 10, the controller 20 determines the height ( Fig.10 When the current vehicle ground height Y is not higher than the height of the obstacle 60 by a predetermined clearance height (e.g., 10 mm) or more, the controller 20 compares the height X of the obstacle with the predetermined maximum adjustable vehicle height ( Fig.10 .

[0130] When the height X of the obstacle 60 is lower than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, all of the left and right height control devices 50 and 50 are operated to tilt the vehicle to one side to prevent the impact caused by the obstacle 60 from being applied to the battery 1 .

[0131] Because in Fig. 9B In the example of FIG. 5 , the obstacle 60 collides with the right side of the vehicle, so the controller 20 controls the right height control device 50 to increase the vehicle height and controls the left height control device 50 to reduce the vehicle height ( Fig.10 , step S16 in the process).

[0132] At this time, the front height control device and the rear height control device 50 on the side of the vehicle that collides with the obstacle 60 are both controlled to adjust the vehicle height to the maximum adjustable height (or the highest height, i.e., the maximum adjustable vehicle height), while the front height control device and the rear height control device 50 on the other side of the collision are both controlled to adjust the vehicle height to the minimum adjustable height (or the lowest height, i.e., the minimum adjustable vehicle height).

[0133] All left height control devices 50 and right height control devices 50 are operated in this way to increase the vehicle height on the obstacle collision side and reduce the vehicle height on the other side. In this way, the height of both sides of the battery 1 is adjusted to avoid the obstacle 60 as much as possible.

[0134] When the vehicle is tilted, the lateral moving force of the battery 1 may increase, in which case the battery 1 may easily move to the lowered side of the tilted vehicle body. In this regard, the controller 20 may be configured to operate only the airbag device 40 ( ) in the obstacle collision area in the front and rear of the collision side of the vehicle (e.g., the right side that collides with the obstacle). Fig.10 , step S17 in the process.

[0135] When the airbag 41 is deployed only at the portion actually colliding with the obstacle 60 in a state where the vehicle is tilted, the expansion force of the airbag 41 and the weight of the battery 1 may both work together to promote movement of the battery 1 away from the collision side.

[0136] Next, Fig. 9C An example is shown in which the height of the obstacle 60 is higher than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, and even if the vehicle ground height is adjusted to the maximum height, direct impact of the obstacle on the battery 1 is inevitable.

[0137] like Fig. 9C As shown, when a direct impact is unavoidable, the controller 20 controls the operation of the height control device 50 to lower the vehicle ground height to as low as possible ( Fig.10The step S18 in FIG. 10 is executed and all the front and rear air bag devices 40 on the collision side are controlled to perform the deployment operation ( Fig.10 Step S19).

[0138] At this time, all height control devices 50 adjust the vehicle height to the minimum adjustable height so that the vehicle does not tilt. The vehicle ground height is the minimum ground height within the adjustable range.

[0139] As described above, in the case where the direct impact of the obstacle 60 on the battery 1 is unavoidable, the safety of the vehicle's behavior in response to the impact is improved by adjusting the ground height and center of gravity of the vehicle as low as possible and controlling the vehicle not to tilt. At the same time, both the front and rear airbag devices 40 on the collision side are controlled to perform deployment operations so that the battery 1 can be smoothly moved to the other side of the collision through the airbag 41.

[0140] Because the vehicle is not tilted (ie, the lateral moving force of the battery is insufficient), both the front and rear airbag devices 40 on the collision side are controlled to perform deployment operations simultaneously, thereby allowing the battery 1 to move smoothly through the airbag 41 .

[0141] As described above, the construction and operation state of the battery fire prevention device according to the present invention have been described in detail. According to the above-mentioned battery fire prevention device, after detecting the collision of the obstacle on the vehicle side, by controlling the operation of the battery fixing device 30, the airbag device 40 and the height control device 50, the battery 1 can be effectively protected from the impact caused by the obstacle 60 and the battery fire can be prevented.

[0142] Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements based on the principles of the present invention defined by the appended claims without departing from the scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery fire prevention device for a vehicle, the battery fire prevention device comprising: a mounting frame to which the battery can be fixedly engaged; an obstacle detector configured to detect an obstacle that is expected to collide with the vehicle; The controller is configured as: When an obstacle collision of the vehicle is predicted based on a signal from an obstacle detector, a control signal is output to protect the battery from the obstacle and prevent a battery fire; a battery fixing device disposed on the mounting frame and configured to fix the battery to the mounting frame and to release the battery in response to a control signal from a controller, wherein when the battery is released, the mounting frame is configured to guide the battery in a manner that allows the battery to slide; as well as The airbag devices are each configured to inflate and deploy an airbag in response to a control signal from a controller to protect the battery from an impact caused by an obstacle while pushing the battery to slide and move along the mounting frame.

2. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The mounting frame is configured to guide the battery to slide in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. The obstacle detector is configured to detect an obstacle that is expected to collide with a side of the vehicle, The airbag device is arranged at a side portion of a vehicle.

3. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein: The controller is configured as follows: outputting a control signal when a collision with an obstacle on one side of the vehicle is predicted based on a signal from the obstacle detector; controlling the battery fixing device to release the battery; At least one of the airbag devices on the side that has collided with the obstacle is controlled to perform a deployment operation to push and move the battery away from the side that has collided with the obstacle.

4. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein: The mounting frame comprises: a pair of first frames arranged at left and right portions of the vehicle body and extending in the front-rear longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; and A pair of second frames are arranged in parallel with each other at the front and rear of the vehicle body and extend in the left-right lateral direction of the vehicle body.

5. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein: The battery is arranged between the pair of first frames and joined to the pair of second frames to be slidably movable in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, The battery is fixed to the second frame or released from the second frame by the battery fixing device.

6. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein: The front and rear ends of the battery are joined to the second frame via a guide rail structure. The guide rail structure comprises: rail joints, which are respectively disposed at the front end and the rear end of the battery, and The guide rail portion is arranged on the pair of second frames, wherein the guide rail engaging portion is slidably engaged to the guide rail portion.

7. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: The battery fixing devices respectively include stoppers, and the stoppers are configured to move forward and backward in response to a control signal output by the controller, The rail engaging portions respectively include stopper fixing portions into which the corresponding stoppers of the stoppers are fitted by being moved forward, thereby fixing the battery by the battery fixing device.

8. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: The stopper fixing portion comprises: a first fixing recess that allows a stopper of the battery fixing device to be fitted into the first fixing recess by moving forward when the battery is located at a mounting position in a normal state at a normal time; and The second fixing recess allows the stopper of the battery fixing device to be fitted into the second fixing recess by moving forward when the battery is moved by the mounting air bag being inflated and deployed.

9. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein: The airbag devices are respectively disposed on the pair of first frames and are configured to inflate and deploy corresponding airbags to push the battery and move the battery along the second frame.

10. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The airbag devices are arranged at the front and rear of the first frame with respect to the vehicle body direction. 11 . The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a height control device configured to adjust the vehicle height of the left and right parts of the vehicle body in response to a control signal from the controller.

12. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein: The controller is configured as follows: determining a height of an obstacle based on a signal from an obstacle detector; comparing the determined height of the obstacle with the current ground height of the vehicle; When the current vehicle ground height is higher than the height of the obstacle by a predetermined clearance height, the height control device and the airbag device are not operated, and the current vehicle height and the airbag non-deployment state are maintained.

13. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein: The controller is configured as follows: determining a height of an obstacle based on a signal from an obstacle detector; comparing the determined height of the obstacle with the current ground height of the vehicle; When the current ground height of the vehicle is not higher than the predetermined clearance height of the obstacle, comparing the height of the obstacle with a predetermined maximum adjustable vehicle height; When the height of the obstacle is lower than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, a control signal is output to control the operation of the height control device to increase the vehicle height on the side of the vehicle that collides with the obstacle and reduce the vehicle height on the side of the vehicle opposite to the obstacle collision.

14. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein: The controller is configured to output a control signal to control the operation of the height control device to increase the vehicle height on the side of the vehicle that collides with the obstacle to a maximum adjustable vehicle height and to reduce the vehicle height on the side of the vehicle opposite to the obstacle collision to a minimum adjustable vehicle height.

15. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein: An airbag device located at a side of the vehicle body that collides with an obstacle among the airbag devices is controlled to perform a deployment operation to push the battery.

16. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein: The airbag device is arranged at the front and rear of the mounting frame at the side of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle body direction, The controller is configured to: when the height of the obstacle is lower than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, determining, in response to a signal from an obstacle detector, a portion that will collide with an obstacle from a front portion and a rear portion of one side of the vehicle; Only the airbag device of a portion of the front airbag device and the rear airbag device that will collide with the obstacle is controlled to perform a deployment operation to push the battery.

17. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein: The controller is configured as follows: determining a height of an obstacle to be collided with based on a signal from an obstacle detector; comparing the determined height of the obstacle with a predetermined maximum adjustable vehicle height; When the height of the obstacle is higher than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, a control signal is output to control the operation of the height control device to reduce the vehicle height of the left and right parts of the vehicle body to a predetermined minimum adjustable vehicle height.

18. The battery fire prevention device for a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein: When the height of the obstacle is higher than the maximum adjustable vehicle height, the controller is configured to control the airbag device of the side of the vehicle that collides with the obstacle to perform a deployment operation to push and move the battery away from the obstacle collision.

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