Battery frame assembly, battery assembly, and electric vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a battery frame assembly, a battery assembly and an electric vehicle. The battery frame assembly comprises: a battery pack border frame comprising a plurality of support beams connected together to define an inner side space for accommodating a battery pack; and one or more fender blocks arranged on an outer surface of at least one support beam opposite to the inner side space, the fender block comprising a base plate fixed to the outer surface of the support beam, a top plate spaced apart from the base plate, and a pair of side plates connecting the top plate to the base plate, the pair of side plates being spaced apart from each other to define an energy absorption cavity extending through the fender block. The battery frame assembly absorbs and dissipates impact energy through the energy absorption cavity of the fender block, effectively protects the battery pack from collision damage, and improves the safety of the electric vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electric vehicle technology, and more specifically to a battery frame assembly for a battery pack for an electric vehicle, a battery assembly including the battery frame assembly, and an electric vehicle including the battery assembly. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, the market share of electric vehicles continues to grow, and their safety, especially the safety of the power battery, is receiving increasing attention. Power battery packs are typically located at the bottom of the electric vehicle body to utilize the space beneath the floor, lower the vehicle's center of gravity, and improve driving stability. However, this bottom-mounted arrangement also makes the battery packs susceptible to mechanical impacts from road debris, obstacles, and collisions during vehicle operation.

[0003] In common bottom-impact collision scenarios, debris such as stones, curbs, and speed bumps from the road can directly impact the battery pack. In frontal, side, or rear-end collisions, deformation of the vehicle body structure and displacement of chassis components like the subframe and traction motor can also compress and impact the battery pack. Traditional battery packs typically use metal frames to secure and support the battery pack, with a protective plate at the bottom to withstand impacts. However, these protective structures mostly provide only limited rigidity and lack effective energy absorption and dissipation mechanisms. When the impact load exceeds the protective structure's tolerance limit, the frame and protective plate may undergo severe plastic deformation or even fracture, causing the impact force to be directly transmitted to the cells inside the battery pack. This can lead to cell structural damage, internal short circuits, and ultimately thermal runaway, potentially resulting in fire or explosion, threatening the lives of occupants.

[0004] Furthermore, in the chassis layout of electric vehicles, the subframe is typically located in front of or behind the battery pack, and is used to mount components such as the traction motor and steering mechanism. In the event of a frontal or rear-end collision, the subframe may be pushed towards the battery pack, and its protruding structures may puncture the battery pack frame, directly impacting the battery pack and causing catastrophic consequences. While some existing technologies employ simple buffer blocks on the battery pack frame to mitigate collisions, these buffer blocks are often structurally simple, have limited energy absorption capacity, and cannot effectively guide and dissipate impact loads, making it difficult to meet increasingly stringent collision safety requirements.

[0005] Therefore, how to design a battery frame assembly that can effectively resist, absorb and guide impact loads in order to maximize the protection of the battery pack and reduce the risk of thermal runaway in a collision accident has become an urgent technical problem to be solved in the field of electric vehicle safety technology. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the problems in the prior art described above, this disclosure proposes an improved battery frame assembly comprising: a battery pack frame including a plurality of support beams connected together to define and enclose an inner space; and one or more blocks disposed on an outer surface of at least one support beam opposite to the inner space, the block including a base plate fixed to the outer surface of the support beam, a top plate spaced apart from the base plate, and a pair of side plates connecting the top plate to the base plate, the pair of side plates being spaced apart from each other to define an energy-absorbing chamber extending through the block.

[0007] According to an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the block further includes one or more guide plates disposed within the energy-absorbing chamber, the guide plates being connected between the base plate and the top plate to divide the energy-absorbing chamber into a plurality of sub-chambers, and each sub-chamber extending through the block.

[0008] According to an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, the stop includes a first guide plate spaced apart from the pair of side plates and two second guide plates located on both sides of the first guide plate.

[0009] According to an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, the first guide plate divides the energy-absorbing chamber into two sub-chambers, and each second guide plate is arranged diagonally within one of the two sub-chambers.

[0010] According to an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, each second guide plate is connected at one end to the corner between the substrate and the corresponding side plate, and at the other end to the corner between the top plate and the first guide plate.

[0011] According to an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, the stop is constructed and arranged such that the first guide plate and the pair of side plates are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, and The thickness of the upper second guide plate is greater than the thickness of the lower second guide plate; and / or The second guide plate located below has a bend arranged in the horizontal direction; and / or The thickness of the portion of the top plate located above the first guide plate is greater than the thickness of the portion of the top plate located below the first guide plate.

[0012] According to an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, the stop is arranged and configured such that the pair of side plates are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, and the thickness of the upper side plate is greater than the thickness of the lower side plate.

[0013] According to an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, the stop is arranged such that the extension direction of the energy-absorbing chamber is parallel to the length direction of the support beam.

[0014] Similarly, in order to address the problems in the prior art described above, this disclosure also proposes an improved battery assembly, comprising: a battery frame assembly as described in this disclosure; and a battery pack housed in the inner space of a battery pack frame of the battery frame assembly, wherein each support beam of the battery pack frame is arranged along one edge of the battery pack.

[0015] Similarly, in order to address the problems in the prior art described above, this disclosure also proposes an improved electric vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; and a subframe mounted to the underside of the vehicle body and spaced apart from each other along the length of the vehicle, and a battery assembly as described in this disclosure, wherein the subframe includes a plurality of legs projecting toward the battery assembly, each leg being aligned in the length of the vehicle with a stop of a battery frame assembly of the battery assembly such that the top surface of the top plate of the stop faces the leg.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the leg has an end plane facing the top surface at its end, and The dimension of the end plane in the vehicle height direction is smaller than the dimension of the top surface in the vehicle height direction; and / or The dimension of the end plane in the vehicle width direction is smaller than the dimension of the top surface in the vehicle width direction; and / or The projection of the end plane along the length of the vehicle is completely within the projection of the top surface along the length of the vehicle.

[0017] According to an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, the vehicle body includes: a cabin floor including a chassis portion for holding the battery assembly and an inclined portion that slopes upward from the chassis portion; and a reinforcing plate including a support portion attached to the chassis portion and an energy-absorbing portion attached to the inclined portion, wherein the reinforcing plate is constructed and arranged such that the mechanical strength of the support portion is higher than the mechanical strength of the energy-absorbing portion, and the energy-absorbing portion and the subframe are located on the same side of the battery assembly in the vehicle length direction.

[0018] According to an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the electric vehicle further includes a traction motor mounted on the subframe, the traction motor being aligned with the energy-absorbing portion in the vehicle length direction, and the battery assembly being aligned with the support portion in the vehicle height direction.

[0019] According to an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the distance between the stop block and the support leg in the vehicle length direction is less than the distance between the traction motor and the energy-absorbing portion in the vehicle length direction.

[0020] According to an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, the cabin floor has a central passage area extending along the length direction of the vehicle and centered along the width direction of the vehicle, and the reinforcing plate is arranged in the central passage area and has bent ribs conforming to the shape of the central passage area.

[0021] According to an optional embodiment of this disclosure, the reinforcing plate further includes an auxiliary reinforcing portion disposed at the bending rib of the supporting portion.

[0022] This disclosure may be embodied in the illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings are merely illustrative, and any variations contemplated under the teachings of this disclosure should be considered to be included within the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. These drawings should not be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of this disclosure, wherein: Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of a battery assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A schematic side view of the battery assembly shown; Figure 3 A schematic side view of a battery assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 4 A schematic side view of a portion of an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 A schematic top view of the battery assembly and subframe of the electric vehicle shown. Figure 6 It shows Figure 4 A schematic bottom view of a portion of the body of the electric vehicle shown; and Figure 7 A schematic bottom view of a portion of the body of an electric vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Further features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, and the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. However, this disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as necessarily limited to the exemplary embodiments shown herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided merely to illustrate this disclosure and to convey the spirit and essence of this disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0025] This disclosure aims to propose an improved battery pack assembly and its battery frame assembly as a power source for electric vehicles. The battery frame assembly features a novelly designed battery pack frame that not only provides basic support and mounting for the battery pack but also effectively resists, absorbs, and guides impact loads generated by side collisions, thereby preventing the impact loads from directly acting on the battery pack. This significantly reduces the risk of cell structure damage, internal short circuits, and even thermal runaway caused by side collisions, improving the safety of the battery pack assembly and the entire electric vehicle. The detailed construction of the battery pack frame and its technical principles for achieving impact protection will be explained below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The diagrams show a schematic perspective view and a schematic side view of a battery assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the battery assembly 10 includes a battery pack 100 for storing electrical energy and supplying power to the traction motor and other electrical devices of an electric vehicle, and a battery frame assembly surrounding the battery pack 100. The battery frame assembly includes a battery pack frame 200 for supporting the battery pack 100 and attaching it to, for example, the underside of the passenger compartment floor of the electric vehicle body to mount the battery pack 100 to the bottom of the electric vehicle body. The battery pack frame 200 includes a plurality of (four shown in the figure) support beams 210 connected together. Each of the plurality of support beams 210 is arranged along one edge of the battery pack 100 such that the battery pack 100 is surrounded by the plurality of support beams 210 along its entire periphery, thereby being situated within an inner space enclosed by the plurality of support beams 210. Additionally, each support beam 210 has an inner surface facing this inner space (i.e., facing the battery pack 100). Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery frame assembly also includes one or more stops 300 disposed on the outer surface 211 of at least one of the plurality of support beams 210 (not visible in the middle) and an outer surface 211 opposite to the inner surface and thus facing away from the inner space (i.e., away from the battery pack 100), and preferably as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the enlarged view, the stop 300 includes a base plate 310 fixed to the outer surface 211 of the support beam 210 (e.g., by fasteners such as screws and bolts or by welding), a top plate 320 spaced apart from the base plate 310, and a pair of side plates 330 connecting the top plate 320 to the base plate 310 and spaced apart from each other. This positions the top plate 320 in a position protruding away from the outer surface 211 of the support beam 210. The stop 300 is not a solid structure but rather a generally hollow structure. Specifically, the base plate 310, the top plate 320, and the pair of side plates 330 together define an energy-absorbing chamber 340 extending through the stop 300. It should be noted that although in Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, only two stops 300 are provided on the outer surface 211 of the front support beam 210. However, this is merely exemplary and not limiting. In other embodiments not shown, any number of stops 300 can be provided on the outer surface 211 of any support beam 210. In the case of multiple stops 300 on the outer surface 211 of a support beam 210, the multiple stops 300 are spaced apart from each other along the length direction of the support beam 210.

[0027] With the above configuration, after the battery pack 10 is installed at the bottom of the electric vehicle body, the stop 300 can effectively cope with mechanical loads from road debris, obstacles, or sudden impacts during the operation of the electric vehicle. When the battery pack 10 encounters a foreign object such as a stone or curb, or an impact from other components also installed at the bottom of the vehicle body (e.g., the subframe), the stop 300, which is located on the outer surface 211 of the support beam 210, is the first to come into contact with the outside and bear the impact. The top plate 320 of the stop 300, due to its position protruding from the outer surface 211 of the support beam 210, can form a physical barrier at the first moment, preventing the impact load from acting directly on the battery pack frame 200 and the battery pack 100 inside, thereby providing a primary protective barrier for the battery pack 100. Furthermore, the stop 300 adopts a hollow structure and is provided with an energy-absorbing chamber 340. When impacted, the top plate 320, side plate 330, and base plate 310 can undergo controlled deformation in coordination to absorb and dissipate part of the impact energy. The presence of the energy-absorbing chamber 340 allows the baffle 300 to convert external impact energy into plastic deformation energy through cavity collapse and material yielding during deformation, effectively reducing the peak residual load transmitted to the support beam 210 and battery pack 100. Therefore, even in the event of a strong bottom impact, the battery pack frame 200 can resist and dissipate the impact load through the baffle 300, significantly slowing down the transmission speed and intensity of the shock wave and improving the overall impact resistance of the battery assembly 10. Furthermore, the distribution of the baffles 300 is highly flexible, allowing for targeted arrangement based on the stress characteristics of different areas at the bottom of the electric vehicle, achieving focused protection for critical stress areas. In particular, the multiple baffles 300 spaced apart along the length of the support beam 210 help disperse and distribute impact loads, preventing structural damage caused by single-point stress, and further enhancing the safety and durability of the battery assembly 10.

[0028] Still referencing Figure 1 and Figure 2The stop block 300 is positioned on the outer surface 211 of the support beam 210 in such a way that a pair of side plates 330 are spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to (or transverse to) the length direction of the support beam 210, thereby causing the energy absorption chamber 340, which is defined by the base plate 310, the top plate 320 and the pair of side plates 330, to extend through the stop block 300 along the length direction of the support beam 210. In other words, the extension direction of the energy absorption chamber 340 is parallel to the length direction of the support beam 210. In the above configuration, since the energy-absorbing chamber 340 extends through the stop block 300 along the length of the support beam 210, the stop block 300 exhibits higher bending and compressive stiffness in the length direction of the support beam 210, while exhibiting lower bending and compressive stiffness in the direction perpendicular to this length direction (i.e., the spacing direction of the pair of side plates 330). This makes the stop block 300 more resistant to deformation in the length direction of the support beam 210 than in the direction perpendicular to the length direction of the support beam 210. In other words, the stop block 300 is more prone to deformation in the direction perpendicular to the length direction of the support beam 210. Therefore, during impact, the pair of side plates 330 tend to buckle perpendicular to the length direction of the support beam 210, causing the top plate 320 to collapse toward the base plate 310 while moving along the direction perpendicular to the length direction of the support beam 210. This deformation mode helps to guide the impact load along the direction perpendicular to the length direction of the support beam 210, rather than along the length direction of the support beam 210. This prevents the impact force from being transmitted to the support beam 210 after crushing the stop block 300, effectively protecting the overall structural integrity of the battery pack frame 200 and preventing frame twisting or compression of the battery pack 100 that might occur due to load transmission to the support beam 210. Simultaneously, because the energy-absorbing chamber 340 is open at both ends along its length, the lateral deformation of the side plate 330 is not constrained at the ends, making the impact guidance process more stable and controllable.

[0029] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the baffle 300 also includes one or more guide plates 350 disposed within the energy-absorbing chamber 340. Each guide plate 350 is connected at one end to the base plate 310 and at the other end to the top plate 320, thereby dividing the energy-absorbing chamber 340 into a plurality of sub-chambers 341. Each sub-chamber 341 also extends through the baffle 300. That is, the guide plates 350 do not divide the energy-absorbing chamber 340 along its length, but are arranged along the length of the energy-absorbing chamber 340 to divide it into a plurality of sub-chambers 341 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the length of the energy-absorbing chamber 340. Furthermore, since the baffle 300 is positioned such that the energy-absorbing chamber 340 extends through the baffle 300 along the length of the support beam 210, each sub-chamber 341 also extends through the baffle 300 along the length of the support beam 210. In the above configuration, the guide plate 350 establishes an additional load-bearing path between the base plate 310 and the top plate 320, which significantly enhances the structural stiffness and bending resistance of the stop 300. When the top plate 320 bears an impact load, the guide plate 350 and a pair of side plates 330 share the load, allowing the impact force to be more evenly distributed to the base plate 310, effectively suppressing premature collapse of the top plate 320. In addition, the guide plate 350 divides the energy-absorbing chamber 340 into multiple sub-chambers 341 laterally. During the impact, the guide plate 350 itself buckles and deforms as the top plate 320 is pressed down, thereby converting the impact kinetic energy into the deformation energy of the guide plate 350, which greatly increases the impact absorption capacity of the stop 300. Meanwhile, the deformation of the guide plate 350 and the deformation of the side plate 330 guide and constrain each other, which ensures that the side plate 330 and the guide plate 350 buckle and deform in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the support beam 210, thereby guiding and dissipating the impact load along this lateral direction, rather than transmitting it along the length direction of the support beam 210, further protecting the overall structural integrity of the battery pack frame 200.

[0030] In particular, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the baffle 300 includes a plurality of guide plates 350 disposed within the energy-absorbing chamber 340. The plurality of guide plates 350 includes a first guide plate 351 spaced apart from a pair of side plates 330, which divides the energy-absorbing chamber 340 into two sub-chambers 341 located on either side thereof. The plurality of guide plates 350 also includes two second guide plates 352 located on either side of the first guide plate 351 and disposed within the two sub-chambers 341 respectively. Each second guide plate 352 is arranged diagonally within its respective sub-chamber 341. Specifically, each second guide plate 352 is connected at one end to the corner between the base plate 310 and the corresponding side plate 330, and at the other end to the corner between the top plate 320 and the first guide plate 351. In the above configuration, the first guide plate 351 and the second guide plate 352 together form multiple triangular support units within the energy absorption chamber 340. This not only increases the maximum impact load that the stop block 300 can withstand, but also significantly improves the torsional resistance of the stop block 300 under eccentric impact, thereby ensuring that the impact load is guided along a direction perpendicular to the length of the support beam 210. In addition, when the top plate 320 bears an impact load, the impact force is first transmitted to the substrate 310 via the first guide plate 351, and simultaneously decomposed and guided to the corner between the substrate 310 and the side plate 330 through the diagonal path of the second guide plate 352. This force transmission path causes the side plate 330 to be subjected to an outward thrust, thereby causing the side plate 330 to buckle and deform outward, thereby further ensuring that the impact load is guided and dissipated along a direction perpendicular to the length of the support beam 210, and more reliably suppressing the transmission of the impact load along the length of the support beam 210, so as to protect the overall structural integrity of the battery pack frame 200.

[0031] refer to Figure 3 The illustration shows a schematic side view of a battery assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The embodiments shown are the same as Figure 1 and Figure 2The difference in the illustrated embodiment lies in the different configurations of the stop 300. Specifically, the pair of side plates 330 of the stop 300 have different thicknesses. With the battery assembly 10 positioned such that each support beam 210 is arranged horizontally, the stop 300 is arranged such that the thicker side plate 330 is located above, and the thinner side plate 330 is located below. That is, the stop 300 is constructed and arranged such that the pair of side plates 330 are spaced apart from each other vertically, and the thickness of the upper side plate 330 is greater than the thickness of the lower side plate 330. In particular, the thicknesses of the two second guide plates 352 are also different, with the upper second guide plate 352 being thicker than the lower second guide plate 352. Specifically, the lower second guide plate 352 also has a bend 353 arranged along its entire length (i.e., horizontally), which also extends horizontally. In particular, the thickness of the top plate 320 is not uniform, wherein the thickness of the portion of the top plate 320 above the first guide plate 351 is greater than the thickness of the portion of the top plate 320 below the first guide plate 351.

[0032] In one or more of the above configurations, the stop block 300 forms an asymmetrical structure with high upper stiffness and low lower stiffness in the vertical direction. Specifically, the portions of the upper side plate 330, the upper second guide plate 352, and / or the top plate 320 above the first guide plate 351 have a large thickness, thus providing high resistance to deformation; while the portions of the lower side plate 330, the lower second guide plate 352, and / or the top plate 320 below the first guide plate 351 are relatively thin, especially when the lower second guide plate 352 has a bend 353 extending horizontally along its entire length, which serves as a pre-set deformation... The inducing location further reduces the deformation resistance of the lower structure of the stop 300. This means that when the stop 300 is subjected to horizontal impact loads, such as collision forces from the front, rear, and / or sides of the vehicle, the impact force acts on the front of the stop 300. Since the stiffness of the lower structure is significantly lower than that of the upper structure, under horizontal impact, the lower second guide plate 352 buckles first around the horizontal axis at the bending portion 353, which in turn causes the lower side plate 330 to bulge outward and the lower part of the top plate 320 to collapse downward. This plastic deformation that occurs preferentially in the lower part makes the overall deformation mode of the stop 300 show a clear downward tendency, that is, the stop 300 tends to bend and collapse towards the ground rather than arch towards the vehicle body. Through this downward-guided deformation mechanism, the horizontal impact energy is mainly dissipated in the lower sub-cavity 341 of the stop 300 and transmitted and released along the path towards the ground, thereby significantly reducing the impact load transmitted to the support beam 210 and the vehicle body above the battery pack 10. Meanwhile, the stronger upper structure maintains sufficient integrity, providing a stable support base for guiding impact loads downwards and preventing the load from being directly transferred to the support beam 210 or the vehicle body above due to excessive deformation of the block 300. Therefore, this configuration effectively achieves directional guidance of horizontal impact loads, prioritizing the direction of collision energy towards the ground and maximizing the protection of the battery pack and the vehicle body structure above it, as well as the safety of the occupants.

[0033] The foregoing has described alternative but non-limiting embodiments of the battery frame assembly and the battery assembly including the battery frame assembly according to this disclosure. Building upon this, this disclosure also aims to provide an improved electric vehicle including the battery assembly as described in this disclosure. Alternative but non-limiting embodiments of the electric vehicle according to this disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. References Figure 4The illustration shows a schematic side view of a portion of an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric vehicle 1 includes a battery assembly 10, a body (also referred to as a body-in-white) 20, and a subframe 30 as described in the present disclosure. The battery assembly 10 and the subframe 30 are located below and mounted to the body 20, and are spaced apart from each other along the vehicle's length direction L; that is, the battery assembly 10 and the subframe 30 are arranged along the vehicle's length direction L. Further reference... Figure 5 , which shows Figure 4 The schematic top view of the battery assembly and subframe of the electric vehicle shown illustrates that the battery assembly 10 and subframe 30 are constructed and arranged such that the subframe 30 includes a plurality of (two shown) legs 31 projecting toward the battery assembly 10, wherein each leg 31 is aligned with a stop 300 of the battery assembly 10 in the vehicle length direction L, and the top surface 321 of the top plate 320 of the stop 300 (i.e., the surface facing away from the battery pack frame 200) faces the leg 31. It is worth noting that in this disclosure, the term "alignment" has its usual meaning in the mechanical field; specifically, alignment of the leg 31 with the stop 300 in the vehicle length direction L means that when projected along the vehicle length direction L onto a plane perpendicular to the vehicle length direction L, the projections of the leg 31 and the stop 300 onto that plane at least partially coincide.

[0034] Under the above configuration, when the subframe 30 is impacted toward the battery pack 10, the stop block 300 can effectively absorb the impact energy through its own buckling deformation, acting as a buffer element between the subframe 30 and the battery pack frame 200, preventing the battery pack frame 200 from being directly impacted by the support leg 31 and breaking or undergoing serious deformation that endangers the inner battery pack 100, thereby playing a basic anti-collision protection role. Specifically, when the stop block 300 is constructed as an asymmetrical structure with high upper stiffness and low lower stiffness, under horizontal impact from the support leg 31, the lower part of the stop block 300 will buckle and collapse preferentially over the upper part. This results in the overall deformation mode of the stop block 300 exhibiting a downward bending trend. This downward bending deformation mechanism guides the horizontal impact load towards the ground, thereby significantly reducing the impact force transmitted to the vehicle body 20 above the battery pack 10 and the battery pack 100 inside the battery pack 10. This reduces the risk of the battery pack 100 catching fire due to excessive compression, while preventing the subframe 30 from intruding into the upper passenger compartment. This achieves directional guidance and graded dissipation of collision energy, improving the overall safety performance of the electric vehicle during a collision. It should be noted that, although Figure 5Only two legs 31 and two blocks 300 aligned with the two legs 31 are shown in the diagram. However, the subframe 30 may include more than two legs 31, and the battery assembly 10 may include other blocks 300 for resisting impacts from other directions in addition to the blocks 300 aligned with the legs 31. Therefore, any modifications, additions or further limitations made to the above embodiments are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0035] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, each support leg 31 has an end face 32 formed at its end, and the battery assembly 10 and subframe 30 are arranged such that the end face 32 of each support leg 31 faces the top surface 321 of the top plate 320 of a stop 300. Specifically, as... Figure 4 As shown, the dimension of the end plane 32 of each support leg 31 in the vehicle height direction H (i.e., the vertical direction) is smaller than the dimension of the top surface 321 of the top plate 320 of the corresponding stop 300 in the vehicle height direction H. Specifically, as... Figure 5 As shown, the dimension of the end plane 32 of each support leg 31 in the vehicle width direction W is smaller than the dimension of the top surface 321 of the top plate 320 of the corresponding stop 300 in the vehicle width direction W. In particular, the projection of the end plane 32 of each support leg 31 along the vehicle length direction L is completely within the projection of the corresponding stop 300 (especially the top plate 320 of the stop 300) along the vehicle length direction L. With the above configuration, when the electric vehicle 1 is involved in a collision, the end plane 32 of the support leg 31 contacts the top surface 321 of the top plate 320 of the stop 300 first. The larger top surface 321 can provide a larger contact and buffer area for the support leg 31. Even if the subframe 30 or the support leg 31 is displaced to a certain extent due to the impact, the support leg 31 can still be effectively intercepted by the stop 300, avoiding the support leg 31 directly impacting the battery pack frame 200 of the battery assembly 10, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the battery pack 100 inside the battery pack frame 200. In particular, since the top surface 321 of the roof plate 320 is larger than the end plane 32 of the support leg 31 in both the vehicle height direction H and the vehicle width direction W, the roof plate 320 can constrain and guide the movement of the support leg 31 over a wider range. When the support leg 31 comes into contact with the roof plate 320 during a collision, the stop block 300 can not only effectively disperse and absorb the impact load from the support leg 31 through the roof plate 320, but also guide the movement path of the support leg 31 through its extension structure in the height and width directions, causing the impact load to be transferred and released downward. In this way, the collision energy will not be concentrated on a local area of ​​the battery pack frame 200, but will be dissipated and guided in an orderly manner by the stop block 300, thereby further reducing the impact intensity on the battery pack 10 and the passenger compartment above it, and improving the safety performance of the whole vehicle under collision conditions.

[0036] Back Figure 4 The subframe 30 is located in front of the battery pack 10, meaning the subframe 30 is closer to the front of the vehicle, while the battery pack 10 is closer to the rear. The electric vehicle 1 also includes a traction motor 40 and a front axle (not shown) mounted on the subframe 30; therefore, the subframe 30 can be referred to as the front subframe. During operation, the electrical energy stored in the battery pack 100 is supplied via a power supply circuit to a high-voltage inverter, where it is converted into three-phase electricity to drive the traction motor 40. The traction motor 40, in turn, drives the front and / or rear axles via a drivetrain (e.g., a gearbox) to propel the electric vehicle 1 on the road. Further, refer to... Figure 6 , which shows Figure 4 The schematic bottom view of a portion of the electric vehicle body shown depicts a body 20 including a cabin floor 21. The cabin floor 21 includes a chassis portion 22 for holding the battery assembly 10 and a sloping portion 23 located in front of and sloping upwards from the chassis portion 22. The body 20 also includes a front cabin crossbeam 241 located in front of the cabin floor 21 and extending across the entire width of the sloping portion 23. The sloping portion 23 is connected to the front cabin crossbeam 241 to enhance the impact and deformation resistance of the cabin floor 21. Additionally, the body 20 includes a seat crossbeam 242 extending across the entire width of the chassis portion 22 of the cabin floor 21. The chassis portion 22 is connected to the seat crossbeam 242 to further enhance the impact and deformation resistance of the cabin floor 21.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle body 20 also includes a reinforcing plate 25 attached to the lower side of the cabin floor 21. The reinforcing plate 25 includes a support portion 26 of the chassis portion 22 attached to the cabin floor 21 and an energy-absorbing portion 27 of the inclined portion 23 attached to the cabin floor 21. Figure 4 From this perspective, the chassis portion 22 of the cockpit floor 21 is covered by the support portion 26 of the reinforcing plate 25, and the inclined portion 23 of the cockpit floor 21 is covered by the energy-absorbing portion 27 of the reinforcing plate 25; therefore, the markings for the chassis portion 22 and the inclined portion 23 are shown as dashed lines. Specifically, the reinforcing plate 25 is arranged between the front crossbeam 241 and the seat crossbeam 242. Further, as... Figure 4As shown, the support portion 26 of the reinforcing plate 25 is arranged to align with the battery assembly 10 in the vehicle height direction H, while the energy-absorbing portion 27 of the reinforcing plate 25 is arranged to align with the traction motor 40 in the vehicle length direction L. Therefore, the energy-absorbing portion 27 is also located in front of the battery assembly 10. In addition, the reinforcing plate 25 is configured such that the mechanical strength (e.g., yield strength, tensile strength, stiffness, etc.) of the support portion 26 is higher than that of the energy-absorbing portion 27.

[0038] Under the above configuration, when the electric vehicle 1 suffers a frontal collision, causing the subframe 30, which is equipped with the traction motor 40, to be pushed backward toward the battery pack 10, the support leg 31 of the subframe 30 first comes into contact with the stop block 300. Since the stop block 300 can provide a contact and buffer area for the support leg 31, even if the subframe 30 is displaced to a certain extent due to the impact, the support leg 31 can still be effectively captured and intercepted by the stop block 300, thereby preventing the support leg 31 from directly impacting the battery pack frame 200 of the battery pack 10, thus achieving basic protection for the battery pack 10. As the collision load continues to act, the subframe 30 and traction motor 40 are rotated clockwise under the obstruction of the stop block 300 and come into contact with the energy-absorbing part 27 of the reinforcing plate 25. Since the mechanical strength of the energy-absorbing part 27 is constructed to be lower than that of the supporting part 26, the energy-absorbing part 27 can undergo controlled plastic deformation during the impact. It absorbs a large amount of impact energy through the deformation of its own structure, effectively reducing the maximum load transmitted to the battery pack 10 and the cabin floor 21, and avoiding direct damage to key components from rigid impact. After the energy-absorbing part 27 deforms and absorbs energy, the subframe 30 and traction motor 40 continue to rotate clockwise until they contact the support part 26 of the reinforcing plate 25. The support part 26 has high mechanical strength and is aligned with the battery pack 10 in the vehicle height direction H, providing strong structural support. At this time, the stop block 300 and the support part 26 work together. The stop block 300 presses against the subframe 30 from below, and the support part 26 presses against the subframe 30 and traction motor 40 from above. Together, they restrict the further rearward movement of the subframe 30 and traction motor 40, preventing them from embedding into the narrow space between the cabin floor 21 and the battery pack 10, thereby ensuring the structural safety of the battery pack 10 and the passenger compartment. Through the sequential action of the aforementioned stop 300, energy-absorbing part 27, and support part 26, the above configuration achieves graded dissipation of collision energy and active guidance of the movement path, so that the impact load is orderly decomposed, absorbed, and transferred, avoiding local failure caused by energy concentration on a single component. Furthermore, by guiding the rollover trajectory of the subframe 30 and traction motor 40, the impact energy is released in a predetermined direction, further reducing the safety risk of the entire vehicle under frontal collision conditions and improving the overall protection performance of the electric vehicle 1.

[0039] Specifically, to ensure that the mechanical strength of the supporting portion 26 of the reinforcing plate 25 is higher than that of the energy-absorbing portion 27, this disclosure provides several feasible construction methods. For example, the reinforcing plate 25 can be a one-piece stamped metal sheet, wherein the thickness of the supporting portion 26 is designed to be greater than the thickness of the energy-absorbing portion 27. This difference in thickness allows the supporting portion 26 and the energy-absorbing portion 27 to have different mechanical strengths, making the supporting portion 26 less prone to deformation under impact. Alternatively, the reinforcing plate 25 can also be made of different materials. For example, the supporting portion 26 can be made of high-strength steel or hot-formed steel, while the energy-absorbing portion 27 can be made of ordinary cold-rolled steel or aluminum alloy, which have good ductility. This achieves different mechanical strengths for the supporting portion 26 and the energy-absorbing portion 27 at the material level, ensuring that the energy-absorbing portion 27 yields preferentially to absorb energy. Furthermore, to ensure more reliable implementation of the aforementioned graded dissipation of collision energy and active guidance of the motion path, the battery assembly 10, reinforcing plate 25, subframe 30, and traction motor 40 are arranged such that the distance between the stop 300 of the battery assembly 10 and the support leg 31 of the subframe 30 in the vehicle length direction L is less than the distance between the traction motor 40 and the energy-absorbing portion 27 of the reinforcing plate 25 in the vehicle length direction L. Thus, during the collision, the contact between the stop 300 and the support leg 31 can precede the contact between the traction motor 40 and the energy-absorbing portion 27, thereby effectively intercepting the rearward movement of the subframe 30 in the early stage of the collision and forcing the subframe 30 and traction motor 40 to begin clockwise rotation.

[0040] like Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the cabin floor 21 has a central passage area 28 extending along the length L of the vehicle. Figure 6In the diagram, the central tunnel area 28 is shown as a dashed line because it is covered by the reinforcing plate 25. This central tunnel area 28 is centrally located within the passenger compartment floor 21 in the vehicle width direction W and exhibits an undulating profile in that direction. Specifically, the central tunnel area 28 has multiple bent ribs extending along the vehicle length direction L to enhance the structural rigidity of the passenger compartment floor 21 and its resistance to frontal collisions and torsional stresses. The reinforcing plate 25 is positioned within the central tunnel area 28 and also has bent ribs that conform to the bent ribs of the central tunnel area 28. Specifically, the bent ribs of the reinforcing plate 25 correspond at least partially to the bent ribs of the central tunnel area 28 in position, orientation, and cross-sectional shape, allowing the reinforcing plate 25 to be attached to the central tunnel area 28 in a surface-fitting manner. Through this conformal forming, the reinforcing plate 25 can not only further enhance the bending stiffness of the supporting part 26 and the energy-absorbing part 27 in a specific direction by utilizing its own bending ribs, but also form a more reliable load transfer path with the cabin floor 21. This allows the impact force acting on the reinforcing plate 25 during a collision to be efficiently dispersed to a larger area of ​​the cabin floor 21 through the fit of the bending ribs, avoiding stress concentration that could lead to local tearing or weld failure.

[0041] Under the above configuration, the overall stiffness and energy absorption capacity of the central passage area 28 are significantly enhanced in a collision through the synergistic effect of the bending ribs of the reinforcing plate 25 and the cabin floor 21. When the reinforcing plate 25 is subjected to impact from the subframe 30 or the traction motor 40, the bending ribs can more efficiently absorb and resist the collision load directly through their local reinforcement, causing a large amount of impact energy to be dissipated during the plastic deformation of the bending ribs. This effectively suppresses the tendency of the reinforcing plate 25 to peel or warp relative to the cabin floor 21, ensuring that the reinforcing plate 25 continuously and reliably plays its intended protective role during impact dissipation and guidance.

[0042] Further, refer to Figure 7 The illustration shows a schematic bottom view of a portion of the body of an electric vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The embodiments shown are the same as Figure 6The difference in the illustrated embodiment is that the reinforcing plate 25 further includes an auxiliary reinforcing portion 29, which is disposed on the underside of the supporting portion 26 at the bending ribs of the supporting portion 26 and is shaped to conform to the shape of these bending ribs. Furthermore, the reinforcing plate 25 is configured such that the mechanical strength of the auxiliary reinforcing portion 29 is also higher than that of the energy-absorbing portion 27, thereby forming a sub-region with further increased mechanical strength at the supporting portion 26. For example, the auxiliary reinforcing portion 29 can be a locally thickened portion of the supporting portion 26 at the bending ribs, for example, by overlaying, laser cladding, or using patch welding to locally increase the material thickness at the bending ribs, so that the thickness of the supporting portion 26 at the bending ribs is greater than the thickness in other areas. As another example, the auxiliary reinforcing portion 29 can also be a separately formed reinforcing member, such as a reinforcing sheet stamped from a higher-strength steel plate, which can be attached to the bending ribs of the supporting portion 26 by spot welding, seam welding, structural adhesive bonding, or riveting, and closely adhere to the surface of the bending ribs. Regardless of the specific construction method, the auxiliary reinforcement 29 conforms to the shape of the bent rib, but significantly improves the local yield strength, tensile strength and bending stiffness of the support 26 at the bent rib.

[0043] In the above configuration, the auxiliary reinforcement 29 provides additional reinforcement at the bending ribs of the support 26, enabling the support 26 to maintain sufficient rigidity after the energy-absorbing part 27 has undergone plastic deformation and absorbed energy. This ensures reliable execution of the final stop and movement path guidance for the subframe 30 and traction motor 40, preventing the support 26 from losing its overall support capacity due to premature buckling or crushing at the bending ribs. Furthermore, since the mechanical strength of the auxiliary reinforcement 29 is also higher than that of the energy-absorbing part 27, and it is only locally located at the bending ribs of the support 26, it does not change the deformation priority of the energy-absorbing part 27 as a pre-defined weakened area. The graded dissipation mechanism of the entire reinforcement plate 25 is maintained, while the stopping capacity of the support 26 is significantly enhanced, achieving more reliable protection for the battery assembly 10. It is also worth mentioning that the auxiliary reinforcement portion 29 conforms to the bending rib, does not occupy additional arrangement space, does not affect the assembly process of the reinforcement plate 25 and the cabin floor 21, and can flexibly adjust the size, thickness and material grade of the auxiliary reinforcement portion 29 according to the specific vehicle's collision safety objectives, exhibiting good process adaptability and performance adjustability. Furthermore, it should be noted that although the reinforcement plate 25 was described above in the application scenario of resisting, absorbing and guiding impacts on the front subframe, those skilled in the art will understand that the above teachings are equally applicable to resisting, absorbing and guiding impacts on the rear subframe. As long as the energy-absorbing portions of the subframe and the reinforcement plate are located on the same side of the battery assembly in the vehicle's length direction, the resistance, absorption and guidance of impact loads can be achieved in the manner described above, and therefore this is also within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0044] The accompanying drawings have described in detail optional but non-limiting embodiments of the battery frame assembly, battery assembly, and electric vehicle according to the present disclosure. Modifications and additions to the technology and structure, as well as recombinations of features in the various embodiments, should be considered within the scope of this disclosure without departing from its spirit and essence. Therefore, such modifications and additions conceivable under the teachings of this disclosure should be considered part of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure includes equivalent technologies known at the filing date of this disclosure and equivalent technologies not yet foreseen.

Claims

1. A battery frame assembly, characterized in that, include: A battery pack frame (200) comprising a plurality of support beams (210) connected together to define and enclose an inner space; and One or more blocks (300) are arranged on the outer surface (211) of at least one support beam (210) opposite to the inner space. The blocks (300) include a base plate (310) fixed to the outer surface (211) of the support beam (210), a top plate (320) spaced apart from the base plate (310), and a pair of side plates (330) connecting the top plate (320) to the base plate (310), the pair of side plates (330) being spaced apart from each other to define an energy-absorbing chamber (340) extending through the blocks (300).

2. The battery frame assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The baffle (300) also includes one or more guide plates (350) disposed within the energy-absorbing chamber (340), the guide plates (350) being connected between the base plate (310) and the top plate (320) to divide the energy-absorbing chamber (340) into a plurality of sub-chambers (341), and each sub-chamber (341) extending through the baffle (300).

3. The battery frame assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The stop (300) includes a first guide plate (351) spaced apart from the pair of side plates (330) and two second guide plates (352) located on both sides of the first guide plate (351).

4. The battery frame assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first guide plate (351) divides the energy-absorbing chamber (340) into two sub-chambers (341), and each second guide plate (352) is arranged diagonally in one of the two sub-chambers (341).

5. The battery frame assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each second guide plate (352) is connected at one end to the corner between the base plate (310) and the corresponding side plate (330), and at the other end to the corner between the top plate (320) and the first guide plate (351).

6. The battery frame assembly according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, The stop (300) is constructed and arranged such that the first guide plate (351) and the pair of side plates (330) are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and The thickness of the upper second guide plate (352) is greater than the thickness of the lower second guide plate (352); and / or The second guide plate (352) located below has a bend (353) arranged in the horizontal direction; and / or The thickness of the portion of the top plate (320) above the first guide plate (351) is greater than the thickness of the portion of the top plate (320) below the first guide plate (351).

7. The battery frame assembly according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The stop (300) is arranged and configured such that the pair of side plates (330) are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and the thickness of the upper side plate (330) is greater than the thickness of the lower side plate (330).

8. The battery frame assembly according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The stop (300) is arranged such that the extension direction of the energy-absorbing chamber (340) is parallel to the length direction of the support beam (210).

9. A battery assembly, characterized in that, include: Battery frame assembly according to any one of claims 1-8; as well as A battery pack (100) is housed in the inner space of the battery pack frame (200) of the battery frame assembly, wherein each support beam (210) of the battery pack frame (200) is arranged along one edge of the battery pack (100).

10. An electric vehicle, characterized in that, include: Body (20); as well as A subframe (30) is mounted to the underside of the vehicle body (20) and spaced apart from each other along the vehicle length direction (L), and a battery assembly according to claim 9. The subframe (30) includes a plurality of legs (31) protruding toward the battery assembly (10), each leg (31) being aligned in the vehicle length direction (L) with a stop (300) of the battery frame assembly of the battery assembly (10) such that the top surface (321) of the top plate (320) of the stop (300) faces the leg (31).

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 10, characterized in that, The support leg (31) has an end plane (32) at its end facing the top surface (321), and The dimension of the end plane (32) in the vehicle height direction (H) is smaller than the dimension of the top surface (321) in the vehicle height direction (H); and / or The dimension of the end plane (32) in the vehicle width direction (W) is smaller than the dimension of the top surface (321) in the vehicle width direction (W); and / or The projection of the end plane (32) along the vehicle length direction (L) is completely within the projection of the top surface (321) along the vehicle length direction (L).

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The vehicle body (20) includes: The cabin floor (21) includes a chassis portion (22) for holding the battery assembly (10) and an inclined portion (23) that slopes upward from the chassis portion (22); and The reinforcing plate (25) includes a support portion (26) attached to the chassis portion (22) and an energy-absorbing portion (27) attached to the inclined portion (23), wherein the reinforcing plate (25) is constructed and arranged such that the mechanical strength of the support portion (26) is higher than that of the energy-absorbing portion (27), and the energy-absorbing portion (27) is located on the same side of the battery assembly (10) in the vehicle length direction (L) as the subframe (30).

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that, The electric vehicle also includes a traction motor (40) mounted on the subframe (30), the traction motor (40) being aligned with the energy-absorbing portion (27) in the vehicle length direction (L), and the battery assembly (10) being aligned with the support portion (26) in the vehicle height direction (H).

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 13, characterized in that, The distance between the stop (300) and the support leg (31) in the vehicle length direction (L) is less than the distance between the traction motor (40) and the energy-absorbing part (27) in the vehicle length direction (L).

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that, The cabin floor (21) has a central passage area (28) extending along the vehicle length direction (L) and centered along the vehicle width direction (W), and the reinforcing plate (25) is arranged in the central passage area (28) and has a bent rib conforming to the shape of the central passage area (28).

16. The electric vehicle according to claim 15, characterized in that, The reinforcing plate (25) also includes an auxiliary reinforcing part (29) disposed at the bent rib of the supporting part (26).

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