Battery frame structure

Abstract

The present application relates to a battery frame structure. The battery frame structure includes: left and right first skeletal members extending in a front-rear direction on both sides of a battery in a width direction, having a closed cross-sectional shape orthogonal to a longitudinal direction, and including a partition wall separating an upper space and a lower space in an up-down direction; front-rear second skeletal members extending in the width direction on both sides of the battery in the front-rear direction, having a closed cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and provided on a vehicle front side or a vehicle rear side of the battery to be joined to a vehicle body structure; and corner retainers each including a first portion and a second portion, and fixed with the first portion placed into the lower space and the second portion placed into an end portion of the second skeletal member in the longitudinal direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a battery frame structure. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-39004 (JP 2007-39004 A) discloses a fuel cell electric vehicle in which the fuel cell is mounted under the floor panel of the vehicle via a battery frame. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The battery frame housing the fuel cell comprises a pair of side frames extending along the vehicle's longitudinal direction on both sides in the vehicle's width direction, and a transverse frame extending between the side frames. As an example, the side frames and transverse frame are joined by welding, adhesives, etc. Therefore, achieving dimensional accuracy of the battery frame in the vehicle's width direction is difficult, leading to variations in product dimensions. When product dimensions vary, gaps or interference may occur when connecting the body structure, which forms the vehicle's skeleton, and the battery frame, making assembly difficult and demanding higher precision.

[0004] In view of the above, the present invention has been made, and the object of the present invention is to provide a battery frame structure that makes it easier to assemble the vehicle body structure and the battery frame.

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides a battery frame structure comprising: a pair of left and right first skeleton members extending along the vehicle longitudinal direction on both sides of a battery mounted on a vehicle for driving, the pair of left and right first skeleton members having a closed cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the pair of left and right first skeleton members including a partition wall separating an upper space and a lower space in the vehicle vertical direction; a pair of front and rear second skeleton members extending along the vehicle width on both sides of the battery in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the pair of front and rear second skeleton members having a closed cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the pair of front and rear second skeleton members disposed on the front or rear side of the battery to engage with a vehicle body structure constituting a vehicle body frame; and corner retainers, each corner retainer comprising a first portion and a second portion, and the corner retainers being fixed when the first portion is placed in the lower space and the second portion is placed in the longitudinal end of the second skeleton member.

[0006] In the battery frame structure according to the first aspect of the invention, by adjusting the fixed positions of the corner retainers and the second frame members, the vehicle width direction of the left and right first frame members can be aligned with the surface of the vehicle body structure in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, by inserting the corner retainers into the lower space of the first frame members, a step can be formed between the second frame members and the first frame members, and the vehicle body structure can be joined while aligned with this step. In this way, in the battery frame structure according to the first aspect of the invention, the dimensions of the left and right first frame members in the vehicle width direction can be adjusted, and a step is formed by which the vehicle body structure is aligned for joining, making it easier to assemble the vehicle body structure and the battery frame.

[0007] A second aspect of the invention provides a battery frame structure according to the first aspect, wherein: the corner retainer includes a first corner retainer and a second corner retainer, the first corner retainer being used to connect a first frame member and a second frame member disposed on the front side of the vehicle, and the second corner retainer being used to connect the first frame member and a second frame member disposed on the rear side of the vehicle; and the first corner retainer and the second frame member, as well as the second corner retainer and the second frame member, are fixed by the distal end of a second portion.

[0008] In the battery frame structure according to the second aspect of the invention, the first corner retainer, the second corner retainer, and the second skeleton member are all fixed by the distal end of the second part. Therefore, by changing the shape of at least one of the first corner retainer and the second corner retainer, excluding the distal end, the length of the battery frame in the vehicle width direction can be changed according to the shape of the vehicle body structure.

[0009] A third aspect of the invention provides a battery frame structure according to the second aspect, wherein: a distal end has one or more protrusions on its surface; and a second frame member has an elongated hole corresponding to the location of one or more protrusions when the distal end is placed in the second frame member, the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole corresponding to the vehicle width direction.

[0010] In the battery frame structure according to the third aspect of the invention, elongated holes can be used to adjust the position of the corner retainer in the vehicle width direction, and thus absorb dimensional changes of the first frame member in the vehicle width direction.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the invention provides a battery frame structure according to a second or third aspect, wherein the second portion includes a distal end and a base with a width greater than the distal end.

[0012] In the battery frame structure according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the position in the vehicle width direction is adjusted only by the positional relationship between the distal end and the second skeleton member, thus limiting the adjustment range in the vehicle width direction.

[0013] As described above, the battery frame structure according to the present invention makes it easier to assemble the vehicle body structure and the battery frame. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like symbols denote like elements, and wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 This is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a battery frame having a battery frame structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Vertical cross-section view of the side frame taken along line II-II;

[0017] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of a portion of the battery frame;

[0018] Figure 4 It schematically shows the assembly of the vehicle body structure into... Figure 1 A perspective view of the mounting portion in the case of the battery frame;

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A planar cross-sectional view of the installation section along line VV; and

[0020] Figure 6 It is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery frame having a battery frame structure according to related technologies. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The battery frame structure S according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are indicated by the same reference numerals to omit redundant explanations. In the drawings, arrow FR indicates the front side in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and arrow UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle's vertical direction. Arrow W indicates the vehicle's width direction. Hereinafter, unless otherwise stated, the terms "front," "rear," "up," "down," "left," and "right" refer to the front and rear in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, the upper and lower in the vehicle's vertical direction, and the left and right in the vehicle's left-right direction (vehicle width direction), respectively.

[0022] Figure 1This is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a battery frame 10 having a battery frame structure S according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 The planar cross-section diagram taken from line II-II in the diagram. (See figure.) Figure 1 As shown, the battery frame 10 according to this embodiment is a structure that supports the battery pack 20, which serves as a battery, within a frame. For example, when viewed in a plan view, the battery frame 10 has a rectangular frame shape whose longitudinal direction corresponds to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and includes a pair of side frames 30 as first skeleton members, a pair of transverse frames 40 as second skeleton members, and corner retainers 50.

[0023] The side frame 30 extends along the vehicle longitudinal direction on the two outer sides of the battery pack 20 in the vehicle width direction. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The image shows a vertical cross-section of the side frame 30 taken along line II-II. The side frame 30 has a closed cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and is formed using materials such as aluminum alloy and magnesium alloy through extrusion molding. Besides metal, the side frame 30 can also be formed from resins such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Specifically, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the side frame 30 includes a main body 32 and a partition wall 34. The main body 32 is formed such that, for example, when viewed from the front, the cross-section of the main body 32 is a rectangular tube shape with its long side corresponding to the vertical direction. The partition wall 34 divides the interior of the main body 32 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2 in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0024] The transverse frames 40 extend in the vehicle width direction on both outer sides of the battery pack 20 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Of the transverse frames 40, the frame located on the front side of the vehicle is referred to as the front transverse frame 42, and the frame located on the rear side of the vehicle is referred to as the rear transverse frame 44. In this embodiment, as an example, the front transverse frame 42 is formed to have a longer length in the vehicle width direction than the rear transverse frame 44. The transverse frames 40 have a closed cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and are formed using materials such as aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, etc., through extrusion molding, etc. In addition to metals, the transverse frames 40 can be formed from resins such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).

[0025] Specifically, as an example, the transverse frames 40 (i.e., the front transverse frame 42 and the rear transverse frame 44) are formed such that, when viewed from the front, their cross-section is rectangular tubular, with their shorter sides corresponding to the vertical direction. The upper surfaces of the transverse frames 40 in the vertical direction of the vehicle are provided with elongated holes 46 and 48 at positions corresponding to the protrusions 56A and 55, which will be discussed later. Specifically, as an example, the upper surface of the front transverse frame 42 has two elongated holes 46 arranged side-by-side on both sides in the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction). As an example, the upper surface of the rear transverse frame 44 has one elongated hole 48 on each side in the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction). Each elongated hole 46 and 48 is configured such that its longitudinal direction corresponds to the vehicle width direction.

[0026] The corner retainer 50 includes a front corner retainer 52 serving as a first corner retainer for connecting the side frame 30 and the front transverse frame 42, and a rear corner retainer 54 serving as a second corner retainer for connecting the side frame 30 and the rear transverse frame 44. The front corner retainers 52 and the rear corner retainers 54 are disposed on both sides in the vehicle width direction. That is, the battery frame 10 includes two front corner retainers 52 and two rear corner retainers 54.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the front corner retainer 52 includes a first portion 52A and a second portion 52B, and, as an example in this embodiment, the front corner retainer 52 is formed in a generally L-shape. As an example in this embodiment, the second portion 52B is formed to be longer than the first portion 52A.

[0028] Furthermore, the first portion 52A is formed in a shape corresponding to the lower space S2 of the side frame 30 described above, and as an example, the entire first portion 52A is inserted into the lower space S2 from the front side of the vehicle. The first portion 52A is fixed to the side frame 30 by known fixing methods (e.g., adhesives or welding). In this embodiment, the entire first portion 52A is inserted into the lower space S2. However, the invention is not limited to this, and only a portion of the first portion 52A on the distal side may be inserted into the lower space S2.

[0029] The second portion 52B extends from the end of the first portion 52A in a direction orthogonal to the first portion 52A, and includes a distal end portion 56 and a base portion 58 extending from the distal end portion 56 toward the first portion 52A. As an example, the base portion 58 is formed such that its width in the vehicle longitudinal direction is greater than the width of the distal end portion 56.

[0030] The distal end portion 56 is inserted into the end of the front transverse frame 42 in the longitudinal direction and is formed to correspond to the inner diameter of the front transverse frame 42. In this embodiment, as an example, the entire distal end portion 56 is inserted into the front transverse frame 42. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and only a portion of the distal end portion 56 on the distal side can be inserted into the front transverse frame 42.

[0031] Furthermore, the distal end 56 includes two protrusions 56A on the surface above the vehicle (i.e., on the upper surface). As an example, the protrusions 56A are cylindrical, and the two protrusions 56A are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction. The protrusions 56A are elastic in the vehicle vertical direction and are fitted into the elongated hole 46 by inserting them into the front transverse frame 42 in a contracted state toward the lower side of the vehicle and returning (stretching) in the elongated hole 46. The elasticity of the protrusions 56A in the vehicle vertical direction can be achieved by using a spring member (e.g., the protrusions 56A themselves are made of an elastic material) or by using any known technique. The distal end 56 of the second part 52B of the front corner retainer 52 is secured to the front transverse frame 42 by fitting the protrusions 56A into the elongated hole 46.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the rear corner retainer 54 includes a first portion 54A and a second portion 54B, which extend from both ends of a connecting portion 54C formed in the shape of a quadrangular prism. Specifically, the first portion 54A and the second portion 54B extend in substantially orthogonal directions, and the connecting portion 54C is obliquely connected to the first portion 54A and the second portion 54B.

[0033] Similar to the first portion 52A of the front corner retainer 52 discussed above, the first portion 54A of the rear corner retainer 54 is formed in a shape corresponding to the lower space S2 of the side frame 30 discussed above, and as an example, the entire first portion 54A is inserted into the lower space S2 from the rear side of the vehicle. The first portion 54A is fixed to the side frame 30 by known fixing methods (e.g., adhesives or welding). In this embodiment, the entire first portion 54A is inserted into the lower space S2. However, the invention is not limited to this, and only a portion of the first portion 54A on the distal side may be inserted into the lower space S2.

[0034] The second portion 54B of the rear corner retainer 54 serves as the distal end 56 of the rear corner retainer 54 and includes a protrusion 56A on the upper surface of the vehicle (i.e., on the upper surface). The protrusion 56A has a similar structure to the protrusion 56A provided on the distal end 56 of the aforementioned front corner retainer 52, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0035] The battery pack 20 is supported on the battery frame 10 configured as described above, and as an example, serves as the front body structure 62 of the body structure 60, which is integrally molded by casting (see...). Figure 4 The battery frame 10 is attached to the rear body structure (not shown), for example, on the front and rear sides of the vehicle. Figure 4 This schematically shows the assembly of the body structure 60 to... Figure 1 A perspective view of the mounting portion of the battery frame 10 in the case of the battery. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The planar cross-section view taken along line VV of the installation part. Figure 4 Only a portion of the front body structure 62, including the connection point with the battery frame 10, is shown; other parts are not shown. The rear body structure can be assembled in the same manner as the front body structure 62, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0036] like Figure 4 As shown, the front vehicle body structure 62 includes a pair of longitudinal beams 64 and a transverse beam 66. The longitudinal beams 64 are attached to cover the upper and inner surfaces of the side frames 30 of the battery frame 10, and the transverse beams 66 connect to the longitudinal beams 64. Figure 5 As shown, the longitudinal beam portion 64 has an opening cross-sectional shape with openings on the lower and outer sides, and includes a side wall 64A covering the inner surface of the side frame 30 and an upper wall 64B covering the upper surface of the side frame 30. The side frame 30 is fastened to the side wall 64A and the upper wall 64B in two directions (i.e., the vehicle vertical direction and the vehicle width direction) using fastening members such as bolts. The side frame 30 is fastened in both directions using the wall defining the upper space S1 of the main body portion 32.

[0037] Additionally, as an example, the lower wall of the lower space S2 of the defining main body portion 32 of the side frame 30 is fastened to the flange 22 provided on the battery pack 20 using fastening members such as bolts. The battery frame 10 according to this embodiment is constructed to have the aforementioned battery frame structure S.

[0038] Functions and effects

[0039] The functions and effects of the first implementation scheme will be described next.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery frame 100 having a battery frame structure according to related technologies. (See diagram below.) Figure 6 As shown, in the battery frame 100 with a battery frame structure according to the prior art, the side frame 130 has a rectangular closed cross-sectional shape and extends on both sides in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle longitudinal direction. That is, although the side frame 30 according to the above embodiment includes a partition wall 34, the side frame 130 according to the prior art does not include a partition wall.

[0041] Additionally, at both ends of the battery frame 100 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a transverse frame 140 extends between the front or rear ends of the side frame 130. As an example, the transverse frame 140 is fixed to the side frame 130 on its lower side in the vehicle longitudinal direction by welding, adhesive, or the like. The battery pack 120 is fixed from the lower side to the battery frame 100, which is thus composed of the side frame 130 and the transverse frame 140. Furthermore, on both sides of the battery frame 100 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a vehicle body structure (not shown) is fastened to the side frame 130 in two directions (i.e., the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle width direction) using fastening members such as bolts, as in the embodiment described above.

[0042] In the battery frame 100 constructed as described above according to the relevant technology, the transverse frame 140 and the side frame 130 are fixed by welding, adhesives, etc., as described above. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve accuracy in the dimension D in the vehicle width direction, leading to variations in product dimensions. When product dimensions vary in this way, gaps or interference may occur when connecting the vehicle body structure and the battery frame 100, making assembly difficult.

[0043] Therefore, in the battery frame structure S of the battery frame 10 according to this embodiment, by adjusting the fixed positions of the corner retainers 50 and the lateral frames 40, the vehicle width direction of the left and right side frames 30 can be aligned with the surface of the body structure 60 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, by inserting the corner retainers 50 into the lower space S2 of the side frames 30, a step can be formed between the lateral frames 40 and the side frames 30, and the body structure 60 can be joined while aligned with the step. In this way, in the battery frame structure S according to this embodiment, the dimensions of the left and right side frames 30 in the vehicle width direction can be adjusted, and a step can be formed to align and join the body structure 60 with it, making it easier to assemble the body structure 60 and the battery frame 10.

[0044] Furthermore, in the battery frame structure S of the battery frame 10 according to this embodiment, the front corner retainer 52, the rear corner retainer 54 and the lateral frame 40 are all fixed by the distal end 56, and thus the length of the battery frame 10 in the vehicle width direction can be changed according to the shape of the vehicle body structure 60 by changing the shape of at least one of the front corner retainers 52 and the rear corner retainers 54, excluding the distal end 56.

[0045] Furthermore, in the battery frame structure S of the battery frame 10 according to this embodiment, the position of the corner retainer 50 in the vehicle width direction can be adjusted using elongated holes 46 and 48, thus absorbing the dimensional changes of the side frame 30 in the vehicle width direction.

[0046] Furthermore, in the battery frame structure S of the battery frame 10 according to this embodiment, the position in the vehicle width direction is adjusted only by the positional relationship between the distal end 56 and the transverse frame 40, thus limiting the adjustment range in the vehicle width direction.

[0047] Supplementary Explanation

[0048] In the above embodiments, the front body structure 62 mounted on the front side of the vehicle has been described as an example of a body structure. However, the invention is not limited thereto. The invention is also applicable to the rear body structure mounted on the rear side of the vehicle.

[0049] Furthermore, the vehicle body structure 60 according to the above embodiment is integrally molded by casting. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and vehicle body structures that are not integrally molded can also be assembled.

[0050] In the battery frame structure S according to the above embodiment, the front corner retainer 52 and the rear corner retainer 54 have different shapes. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the front corner retainer 52 and the rear corner retainer 54 may have the same shape.

[0051] Furthermore, in the battery frame structure S according to the above embodiment, the holes that mate with the protrusion 56A are elongated holes 46 and 48. However, the present invention is not limited thereto; the holes that mate with the protrusion 56A can be any holes extending in the vehicle width direction, and can be, for example, slits.

[0052] The structure of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the structure can be appropriately modified as long as the problem can be solved.

Claims

1. A battery frame structure, comprising: A pair of left and right first skeleton members, the pair of left and right first skeleton members extending on both sides of a battery for driving the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and in the vehicle front-rear direction, the pair of left and right first skeleton members having a closed cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the pair of left and right first skeleton members including a partition wall separating an upper space and a lower space in the vehicle vertical direction. A pair of front and rear second frame members, the pair of front and rear second frame members extending on both sides of the battery in the vehicle longitudinal direction in the vehicle width direction, the pair of front and rear second frame members having a closed cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the pair of front and rear second frame members being disposed on the front or rear side of the battery in the vehicle to engage with the body structure constituting the body frame. as well as The corner retainers each include a first portion and a second portion, and the corner retainers are secured when the first portion is placed in the lower space and the second portion is placed in the longitudinal end of the second skeleton member.

2. The battery frame structure according to claim 1, wherein: The corner retainer includes a first corner retainer and a second corner retainer, wherein the first corner retainer is used to connect the first frame member and the second frame member disposed on the front side of the vehicle, and the second corner retainer is used to connect the first frame member and the second frame member disposed on the rear side of the vehicle; and The first corner retainer and the second skeleton member, as well as the second corner retainer and the second skeleton member, are secured by the distal end of the second portion.

3. The battery frame structure according to claim 2, wherein: The distal end has one or more protrusions on its surface; and The second skeleton member has an elongated hole that corresponds to the position of the one or more protrusions when the distal end is placed into the second skeleton member, and the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole corresponds to the vehicle width direction.

4. The battery frame structure according to claim 2, wherein, The second part includes the distal end portion and a base portion with a width greater than the distal end portion.

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