Sectional type frame assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of pure electric commercial vehicle chassis, and particularly discloses a sectional type frame assembly which comprises a front section assembly, a middle section assembly and a rear section assembly which are three independent parts, the front section assembly comprises at least two first longitudinal beams and at least two first cross beams, and the rear section assembly comprises at least two second longitudinal beams and at least two second cross beams. The first cross beams are assembled at the front ends and the rear ends of the two first longitudinal beams and between the two first longitudinal beams, the rear section assembly comprises at least two second longitudinal beams and at least two second cross beams, and the second cross beams are assembled at the front ends and the rear ends of the two second longitudinal beams and between the two second longitudinal beams. The middle section assembly adopts a frame structure and is used for arranging a battery pack, and the front section assembly and the middle section assembly as well as the middle section assembly and the rear section assembly are fixedly connected through a connecting plate and a cross beam; according to the invention, the high integration of the battery pack frame and the frame system is realized, the modular design can be better realized, different structures and materials can be selected according to the bearing and assembling requirements, the light weight of the frame assembly is realized, and the universality of the whole vehicle is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pure electric commercial vehicle chassis, and in particular to a segmented vehicle frame assembly. Background Art

[0002] The main feature of the electrification of commercial vehicles is that the vehicle's drive and energy storage methods are switched from the engine, gearbox, and fuel tank to the drive motor and power battery. Based on the current development trend of power battery technology and industry level, pure electric commercial vehicles have a vehicle weight increase of about 1-2 tons compared to traditional fuel vehicles at the same cruising range. Creating pure electric heavy trucks with long battery life, low weight, high reliability, and low energy consumption is the development goal of every commercial vehicle manufacturer. The frame system should meet the new layout requirements brought about by new energy.

[0003] Option 1: The frame assembly continues to use the ladder frame of the fuel vehicle.

[0004] At present, when traditional commercial vehicle companies are developing new energy vehicles, they mostly use the ladder-shaped frame of fuel vehicles. The frame is composed of two longitudinal beams running from front to back and several cross beams. The size of this frame structure is affected by the processing technology. The frame width is generally between 800 and 1000 mm. At present, the installation of battery packs generally requires a large space. Therefore, the battery packs of new energy vehicles are often arranged behind the cab or on both sides of the frame. Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the battery frame is relatively independent and its space utilization is low. This type of frame assembly has the following disadvantages:

[0005] 1) Poor space utilization: The battery pack is relatively independent and is assembled to the vehicle chassis through a frame. Since the frame is often connected to the frame longitudinal beam using additional brackets, additional space is required to arrange the brackets, resulting in low space utilization.

[0006] 2) Low transportation efficiency: The longitudinal beam adopts a straight beam structure. When matching cargo boxes of different lengths, a longer wheelbase is required to meet the loading space requirements, resulting in a decrease in the maneuverability and transportation efficiency of the vehicle, and there is a regulatory risk of exceeding the vehicle length limit.

[0007] 3) Poor power expansion: The current battery density is low, and the battery power that can be arranged in the same space is limited. When the wheelbase is the same, the use of a back frame or a bottom frame will be affected by space issues such as the wheelbase, resulting in limited battery packs that can be arranged in the vehicle, which cannot meet the power requirements of long-range driving.

[0008] 4) Poor overall vehicle comfort: This type of frame has low torsional stiffness, and the frame deforms significantly on bumpy roads, resulting in poor overall vehicle comfort.

[0009] 5) Safety: The rear-mounted battery frame will inevitably increase the center of gravity of the vehicle, affecting the handling stability of the vehicle, especially the risk of rollover at high speeds.

[0010] 6) Heavy chassis weight: To solve the problem of the center of mass of the vehicle, some companies currently place the battery pack at the bottom of the frame. At this time, the battery pack is closer to the ground. To avoid battery bumps, an additional protective frame is needed to ensure the stability of the battery, which increases the chassis weight.

[0011] 7) The frame material has poor scalability. The frame uses a longitudinal beam that runs from front to back, so only a single material can be used. It is impossible to expand new materials according to the load-bearing requirements, which is not conducive to the promotion of lightweighting.

[0012] Option 2: The frame assembly adopts a truss frame.

[0013] In order to meet the battery pack capacity required for increased driving range, some companies use truss-type structural frames for buses, such as Figure 3 As shown in the figure, this type of truss frame can meet the changes in battery pack size caused by the power demand of different market segments through the adjustment of the truss. This type of frame has good wrapping properties for the battery and is light in overall weight, but it still has the following disadvantages:

[0014] 1) Poor assembly processability: There are many frame parts, and most of them are connected by welding, which has high requirements for processing processability.

[0015] 2) Poor frame performance: Due to structural limitations, the bending stiffness and torsional stiffness of the truss frame system are poor.

[0016] 3) Poor load-bearing capacity: Truss-type frames are mostly made of aluminum tubes and small-section steel parts welded together. When used in buses, they often form a cavity above the body. However, since heavy-duty commercial vehicles have a larger load, this type of frame cannot meet the load-bearing capacity of heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

[0017] Therefore, it is necessary to design a segmented frame assembly to solve the problems of low space utilization, poor versatility, low safety, poor reliability and insufficient battery pack scalability caused by new energy vehicles sharing the frame of fuel vehicles. Summary of the invention

[0018] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a segmented frame assembly with an integrated battery pack frame. The assembly requirements of battery packs of different specifications and the expandability of the wheelbase can be met by adjusting the structure of the middle section assembly. The front section assembly and the rear section assembly are basically universal, and different materials and structures are optimized in different sections to achieve lightweight frame system. After the front section assembly, the middle section assembly and the rear section assembly are connected, they have strong load-bearing capacity and rigidity, meeting the use requirements of different market segments of heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

[0019] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is: a segmented frame assembly, including a front section assembly, a middle section assembly, and a rear section assembly, wherein the front section assembly, the middle section assembly, and the rear section assembly are three independent parts, the front section assembly includes at least two longitudinal beams 1 and at least two cross beams 1, the cross beams 1 are assembled at the front and rear ends and between the two longitudinal beams 1, and the rear section assembly includes at least two longitudinal beams 2 and at least two cross beams 2, the cross beams 2 are assembled at the front and rear ends and between the two longitudinal beams 2;

[0020] The middle section assembly adopts a frame structure and is used to arrange the battery pack. The front section assembly and the middle section assembly as well as the middle section assembly and the rear section assembly are fixedly connected through connecting plates and cross beams.

[0021] Preferably, the front section assembly, the middle section assembly and the rear section assembly are independent of each other, and the sizes of the front section assembly, the middle section assembly and the rear section assembly are only affected by the accessories assembled on each assembly, and have no influence on each other's sizes.

[0022] Preferably, the front section assembly, the middle section assembly and the rear section assembly are independent of each other, and the parts in each assembly are reasonably selected from high-strength steel or aluminum alloy according to the load-bearing conditions of the assembly.

[0023] Preferably, the number of cross beam 1 of the front section assembly and cross beam 2 of the rear section assembly is selected and arranged at intervals of 1m-1.3m depending on the stiffness of the entire frame system, and cross beam 1 and cross beam 2 are grooved beams or cast beams.

[0024] Preferably, the longitudinal beam 1 of the front section assembly and the longitudinal beam 2 of the rear section assembly are both made of C-shaped steel, T-shaped steel or rectangular steel according to requirements.

[0025] Preferably, the crossbeam 1 and the longitudinal beam 1 of the front section assembly are fixedly connected by bolts or rivets, and the crossbeam 2 and the longitudinal beam 2 of the rear section assembly are fixedly connected by bolts or rivets. The crossbeam 1 at the rearmost end of the front section assembly and the crossbeam 2 at the frontmost end of the rear section assembly are both provided with connecting holes, and the front section assembly and the rear section assembly are fixedly connected to the middle section assembly through the connecting holes.

[0026] Preferably, connecting plates are provided at the connections between the front section assembly and the middle section assembly, and between the rear section assembly and the middle section assembly, and the front section assembly, the middle section assembly and the rear section assembly are fixed to form a frame assembly via the connecting plates, and the connecting plates are connected to the end face or side face of the middle section assembly.

[0027] Preferably, the mid-section assembly is equipped with a battery mounting bracket and a reinforcing plate for arranging the battery pack and the controller.

[0028] Preferably, the middle section assembly adopts an independently detachable frame structure.

[0029] A new energy vehicle equipped with a segmented frame assembly, wherein the front section assembly and the rear section assembly are kept universal, and the size of the middle section assembly is adjusted to meet the requirements of battery packs with different capacities, so as to adapt to vehicle models with different wheelbases.

[0030] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] The segmented frame assembly designed by the present invention adopts a segmented frame layout design to realize the integration of the battery frame and the frame system, which can better realize modular design and effectively reduce the number of parts; the front section assembly and the rear section assembly remain unchanged, and different wheelbases and different power requirements are achieved only by adjusting the structure and size of the middle section assembly, effectively improving the versatility of the product; the battery pack and the control structure are arranged in the middle section assembly of the frame, which is located below the center of gravity of the whole vehicle, thereby improving driving safety; the middle section assembly of the frame adopts a frame structure to protect the battery pack from impact, ensure the safety of the working environment of the battery pack, and improve the reliability of the battery pack; the front section assembly, the middle section assembly, and the rear section assembly are relatively independent, and the width of different sections is set only according to the requirements of the accessories assembled on the frame, thereby getting rid of the limitation of the width of the frame assembly by the straight longitudinal beam rolling process, and realizing that different segment assemblies can use different materials to achieve lightweight frame assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the traditional fuel vehicle frame and battery frame Figure 1 .

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the traditional fuel vehicle frame and battery frame Figure 2 .

[0034] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of a truss frame.

[0035] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a segmented frame assembly.

[0036] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure expansion of the segmented frame assembly with a short wheelbase.

[0037] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure expansion of the segmented frame assembly with a long wheelbase.

[0038] In the figure: 1-front section assembly, 1-1-right longitudinal beam 1, 1-2-left longitudinal beam 1, 1-3-front cross beam 1, 1-4-rear cross beam 1;

[0039] 2-rear section assembly, 2-1-right longitudinal beam 2, 2-2-left longitudinal beam 2, 2-3-front cross beam 2, 2-4-rear cross beam 2;

[0040] 3 - Middle Section Assembly, 3 - 1 - Upper Frame, 3 - 2 - Lower Frame, 3 - 3 - Mounting Mechanism;

[0041] 4 - Connecting Plate One; 5 - Connecting Plate Two. Specific Embodiment

[0042] The following will further describe in detail the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention clearly and completely in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0043] Embodiment 1:

[0044] A segmented vehicle frame assembly adopts the following structural form.

[0045] 1) To achieve the above object, the segmented vehicle frame provided by the present invention includes a front section assembly 1, a middle section assembly 3, and a rear section assembly 2, which are three independent assemblies. The structures and dimensions of the three assemblies are only affected by the accessories assembled on this section of the vehicle frame. The three vehicle frame assemblies are overlapped by a connecting crossbeam or docked or inserted together by a positioning pin, and effectively connected by forms such as bolts, rivets, or welding.

[0046] 2) The front section assembly 1 is composed of two longitudinal beams one and at least two crossbeams one. The longitudinal beam one generally runs through the entire front section assembly. The structure adopts C-shaped steel, T-shaped steel, or rectangular steel according to the layout requirements. The two longitudinal beams one are arranged in a V-shape or parallel according to the layout requirements. There are at least 2 crossbeams one supporting between the two longitudinal beams one. Crossbeams one should be arranged at both the front end and the rear end of the front section assembly 1. Among them, there are mounting holes on the rear crossbeam one for fixed connection with the middle section assembly 3.

[0047] 3) The middle section assembly 3 is mainly used for the installation of the battery pack and the controller. It adopts a frame-type middle section vehicle frame structure welded by steel stamping, rectangular tube profiles, or special-shaped aluminum rectangular tube profiles according to the battery pack installation requirements. The main connecting structure cross-sections include C-shaped beams or square tube high-strength steel structures, day-shaped or eye-shaped aluminum rectangular tubes, or mixed welded structures. There are mounting points and reinforcing plates for installing the battery pack (PACK) or battery modules fixed up, down, left, and right in the middle section assembly 3 and at the battery layers.

[0048] 4) The structure of the middle section assembly 3 consists of a fixed part and a quick-disassembly part. Among them, the fixed part bears the vertical load of the middle section vehicle frame and the torsion and impact under various working conditions. The quick-disassembly part bears the fixation and protection of the battery pack or battery modules. During battery swapping, partial quick disassembly and assembly are realized through the unlocking structure of the fully automatic locking mechanism to meet the requirements of bottom battery swapping vehicle models.

[0049] 5) The outer dimensions of the middle section assembly 3 are determined by the layout requirements of accessories such as the battery pack, and its width has nothing to do with the width of the front and rear end frame assemblies.

[0050] 6) The rear section assembly 2 is composed of two longitudinal beams 2 and at least two cross beams 2. The longitudinal beams 2 generally run through the entire rear section assembly 2. The structure adopts C-shaped steel, T-shaped steel or rectangular steel according to the layout requirements. According to the layout requirements, the two longitudinal beams 2 are arranged in parallel, and there are at least two cross beams 2 between the two longitudinal beams 2 for support. Cross beams 2 should be arranged at the front and rear ends of the assembly, and there are mounting holes on the front cross beam 2 for fixed connection with the middle section assembly 3.

[0051] 7) The front section assembly 1 and the rear section assembly 2 of the frame assembly remain common, and the size and structure of the middle section assembly 3 are adjusted to meet the expansion of the vehicle wheelbase and the installation of battery packs of different specifications.

[0052] 8) The front section assembly 1, the middle section assembly 3, and the rear section assembly 2 are relatively independent, and the components can be made of high-strength steel or aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy or non-metallic materials of different specifications according to the load-bearing, structural and performance requirements to achieve lightweight frame assembly.

[0053] 9) In one embodiment of the present invention, when the width of the middle section assembly 3 is different from that of the front section assembly 1 and the rear section assembly 2, an additional connecting plate 4 needs to be installed. The connecting plate 4 is connected to the longitudinal beams of the front section assembly 1 and the rear section assembly 2, and is connected to the end face or side face of the middle section assembly 3, so as to enhance the overall rigidity of the frame.

[0054] Embodiment 2: The specific connection structure is explained in combination with embodiment 1.

[0055] like Figure 4-Figure 6 As shown, a segmented frame assembly includes a front section assembly 1 for installing accessories such as a front axle and a suspension, a rear section assembly 2 for installing accessories such as a rear axle and a suspension, a middle section assembly 3 for installing accessories such as a battery pack, a connecting plate 4 for connecting the front section assembly 1 and the middle section assembly 3, and a connecting plate 5 for connecting the rear section assembly 2 and the middle section assembly 3.

[0056] The front section assembly 1 is a frame structure composed of a right longitudinal beam 1-1, a left longitudinal beam 1-2, a front cross beam 1-3 and a rear cross beam 1-4. The front section assembly 1 is connected to the front end surface of the middle section assembly 3 through the rear cross beam 1-4. The rear section assembly 2 includes a right longitudinal beam 2-1, a left longitudinal beam 2-2, a front cross beam 2-3 and a rear cross beam 2-4. The rear section assembly 2 is connected to the rear end surface of the middle section assembly 3 through the front cross beam 2-3. The middle section assembly 3 includes an upper frame 3-1, a lower frame 3-2 and a mounting mechanism 3-3.

[0057] The right longitudinal beam 1-1 and the left longitudinal beam 1-2 of the front section assembly 1 are in parallel, and the two longitudinal beams 1 adopt a trough beam structure. Two cross beams 1 are arranged between the two longitudinal beams 1. The two cross beams 1 are in parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal beams 1. Among them, the rear cross beam 1-4 is used to connect with the front end surface of the upper frame 3-1 of the middle section assembly 3.

[0058] The right longitudinal beam 2-1 and the left longitudinal beam 2-2 of the rear section assembly 2 are in parallel. The two longitudinal beams 2 adopt a trough structure. Two cross beams 2 are arranged between the two longitudinal beams 2. The two cross beams 2 are parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal beams 2. The front cross beam 2-3 is used to connect with the rear end face of the upper frame 3-1 of the middle section assembly 3.

[0059] The width of the middle section assembly 3 is greater than the distance between the right longitudinal beam 1 - 1 and the left longitudinal beam 1 - 2 in the front section assembly 1 , and the width of the middle section assembly 3 is greater than the distance between the right longitudinal beam 2 - 1 and the left longitudinal beam 2 - 2 in the rear section assembly 2 .

[0060] The connecting plate 4 connecting the front section assembly 1 and the middle section assembly 3 is connected to the underside of the longitudinal beam of the front section assembly 1 and is connected to the front end surface of the upper frame 3 - 1 of the middle section assembly 3 .

[0061] The connecting plate 5 connecting the rear section assembly 2 and the middle section assembly 3 is connected to the second belly surface of the longitudinal beam of the rear section assembly 2 and is connected to the rear end surface of the upper frame 3 - 1 of the middle section assembly 3 .

[0062] The upper frame 3-1 of the middle section assembly 3 has fixing holes for installing the mounting mechanism 3-3.

[0063] The mounting mechanism 3 - 3 on the middle assembly 3 is used to connect the upper frame 3 - 1 and the lower frame 3 - 2.

[0064] The lower frame 3-2 of the middle section assembly 3 can be disassembled along with the battery pack for replacing the battery pack, ensuring the normal operation of the battery and preventing the battery pack from being violently impacted.

[0065] The commonality of the front section assembly 1 and the rear section assembly 2 is ensured to remain unchanged, and the model of the middle section assembly 3 is adjusted to meet the needs of vehicle models with different wheelbases and battery packs of different sizes to meet different power requirements.

[0066] The right longitudinal beam 1-1 and the left longitudinal beam 1-2 of the front section assembly 1 are made of aluminum alloy, the right longitudinal beam 2-1 and the left longitudinal beam 2-2 of the rear section assembly 2 are made of high-strength steel, and the upper frame 3-1 of the middle section assembly is made of aluminum alloy, which can realize lightweighting of the frame system.

[0067] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned implementation modes, and anyone should be aware of the structural changes made under the enlightenment of the present invention, and all those having the same or similar technical solutions as the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0068] The techniques, shapes, and structural parts not described in detail in the present invention are all well-known techniques.

Claims

1. A segmented frame assembly, It is characterized in that The invention comprises a front section assembly (1), a middle section assembly (3) and a rear section assembly (2), wherein the front section assembly (1), the middle section assembly (3) and the rear section assembly (2) are three independent parts, the front section assembly (1) comprises at least two longitudinal beams 1 and at least two transverse beams 1, the transverse beams 1 are assembled at the front and rear ends and between the two longitudinal beams 1, and the rear section assembly (2) comprises at least two longitudinal beams 2 and at least two transverse beams 2, the transverse beams 2 are assembled at the front and rear ends and between the two longitudinal beams 2; The middle section assembly (3) adopts a frame structure and is used to arrange the battery pack. The front section assembly (1) and the middle section assembly (3) as well as the middle section assembly (3) and the rear section assembly (2) are fixedly connected via a connecting plate and a crossbeam.

2. The segmented frame assembly according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The front section assembly (1), the middle section assembly (3) and the rear section assembly (2) are independent of each other. The sizes of the front section assembly (1), the middle section assembly (3) and the rear section assembly (2) are only affected by the accessories assembled on each assembly, and have no influence on each other's sizes.

3. The segmented frame assembly according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The front section assembly (1), the middle section assembly (3) and the rear section assembly (2) are independent of each other, and the parts in each assembly are reasonably selected from high-strength steel or aluminum alloy according to the load-bearing conditions of the assembly.

4. The segmented frame assembly according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The number of cross beam 1 of the front section assembly (1) and cross beam 2 of the rear section assembly (2) is affected by the rigidity of the entire frame system and the selection and arrangement interval are 1m-1.3m. Cross beam 1 and cross beam 2 are grooved beams or cast beams.

5. The segmented frame assembly according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The longitudinal beam 1 of the front section assembly (1) and the longitudinal beam 2 of the rear section assembly (2) are both made of C-shaped steel, T-shaped steel or rectangular steel according to requirements.

6. The segmented frame assembly according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The cross beam 1 and the longitudinal beam 1 of the front section assembly (1) are fixedly connected by bolts or rivets, and the cross beam 2 and the longitudinal beam 2 of the rear section assembly (2) are fixedly connected by bolts or rivets. The cross beam 1 at the rear end of the front section assembly (1) and the cross beam 2 at the front end of the rear section assembly (2) are both provided with connecting holes, and the front section assembly (1) and the rear section assembly (2) are fixedly connected to the middle section assembly (3) through the connecting holes.

7. The segmented frame assembly according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The connecting plate comprises a first connecting plate (4) and a second connecting plate (5). The first connecting plate (4) is provided at the connection between the front section assembly (1) and the middle section assembly (3), and the second connecting plate (5) is provided at the connection between the rear section assembly (2) and the middle section assembly (3). The front section assembly (1), the middle section assembly (3) and the rear section assembly (2) are fixed together to form a frame assembly via the connecting plates, and the connecting plates are connected to the end face or side face of the middle section assembly (3).

8. The segmented frame assembly according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The middle section assembly (3) is equipped with a battery mounting bracket and a reinforcing plate for arranging the battery pack and the controller.

9. The segmented frame assembly according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The middle section assembly (3) adopts an independently detachable frame structure.

10. A new energy vehicle equipped with the segmented frame assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, It is characterized in that The front section assembly (1) and the rear section assembly (2) are kept universal, and the size of the middle section assembly (3) is adjusted to meet the requirements of battery packs with different capacities, so as to adapt to vehicle models with different wheelbases.

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