Battery pack mounting structure of a vehicle

Abstract

Battery pack mounting structure (19) of a vehicle, comprising: a battery pack (9) installed longitudinally in an installation space of a center console between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat (1, 3) and containing a plurality of battery modules (5); a cooling air supply means (7) configured to supply cooling air to the front portion of the battery pack (9); a cooling air distribution means (11) configured to distribute the cooling air from the cooling air supply means (7) individually to each battery module (5) of the plurality of battery modules (5); and an outlet duct means (13) configured to receive the cooling air that has already flowed over each battery module (5) of the plurality of battery modules (5) and to discharge the cooling air through the rear portion of the battery pack (9) out of the vehicle body, wherein the battery pack (9), the means (7) for providing cooling air, and the means (11) for distributing the cooling air are integrally constructed in a modular manner and are installed longitudinally on a mounting plate (15) extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction; and the mounting plate (15) sits on the top of the center tunnel (17) of the floor panel and is fixed to it.

Description

BACKGROUND(a) Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack mounting structure of a vehicle, and more particularly to a structure configured for mounting a high-voltage battery pack of a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, a cooling structure being provided therefor. (b) Background technology

[0002] Typically, a high-voltage battery pack capable of delivering high current is installed in a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. Because the battery pack has a significant volume, providing suitable installation space within a vehicle is one of the most important technical issues for vehicle manufacturers. Because the battery pack also has a significant weight, ensuring good installation conditions is also important.

[0003] Additionally, these battery packs generate heat during operation and therefore require appropriate cooling to prevent failure and extend their service life. These cooling measures have a significant impact on the service life of all battery packs in the system and are therefore crucial for producing a high-quality product.

[0004] From WO 2012 / 028 927 A2, a battery pack mounting structure of a vehicle is known, comprising: a battery pack installed longitudinally in an installation space of a center console between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat and containing a plurality of battery modules; a means for providing cooling air configured to supply cooling air to the front portion of the battery pack; a means for distributing the cooling air configured to distribute the cooling air from the means for providing cooling air individually to each battery module of the plurality of battery modules; and an outlet duct configured to receive the cooling air that has already flowed over each battery module of the plurality of battery modules and to discharge the cooling air through the rear portion of the battery pack out of the vehicle body.

[0005] The matter described as background art is intended only to help better understand the background of the present invention, but should not be construed as corresponding to related art already known to those skilled in the art. OVERVIEW OF REVELATION

[0006] It is the object of the present invention to provide a battery pack mounting structure of a vehicle which is configured to minimize modifications to an existing vehicle structure and to maximize the use of space in the vehicle by minimizing the space required by the battery pack mounting structure in the existing effective interior or trunk space, providing excellent installation conditions for the battery pack, cooling each of the battery cells constituting the battery pack equally and preventing the occupants from being exposed to an unpleasant draft by directing the air cooling one battery to the outside.

[0007] The object is achieved by a battery pack mounting structure having the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments can be found in the subclaims.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention provides a battery pack mounting structure in a vehicle, including: a battery pack installed longitudinally in an installation space of a center console between the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat; cooling air supply means configured to supply cooling air from the front of the battery pack; cooling air distribution means configured to distribute the cooling air from the cooling air supply means to a plurality of battery modules constituting the battery pack; and an exhaust duct installed to receive the cooling air after passing through the battery pack and to exhaust the cooling air through the rear of the battery pack out of the vehicle body.The battery pack, the means for providing cooling air and the means for distributing the cooling air are integrally designed in a modular manner and are installed longitudinally on a mounting plate which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the mounting plate is seated on the upper side of the center tunnel of the floor panel and is fixed thereto. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The above and other features of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof which are shown by way of example only in the accompanying drawings and thus do not limit the present invention; in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack mounting structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the battery pack, a means for providing cooling air and a means for distributing the cooling air from Fig. 1 are arranged in modular form on a mounting plate; Fig. 3 a sectional view along the line III-III of Fig. 1, which is a diagram of the structure with the mounting plate attached to the top of the center tunnel; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the state in which a battery pack module of Fig. 2 is mounted in a vehicle in a movable manner; Fig. 5 a diagram of the means for distributing the cooling air from Fig. 2; Fig. 6 a sectional view of sections of the branch channels of Fig. 5, which are coupled to an outlet hole of a cooling fan; and Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 diagrams illustrating a cooling air flow path from the cooling fan through the battery module to the outlet. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of the various preferred features illustrative of the principles of the invention.

[0010] In the figures, identical reference numerals designate the same or equivalent parts of the present invention in the different figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] It is to be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms used herein generally refer to motor vehicles such as passenger cars, including sports utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, personal watercraft including various boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and also includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (chargeable from a wall outlet), hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As used herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle with two or more power sources, e.g., vehicles with both gasoline and electric power.

[0012] As can be seen from the Fig. 1 to 8, a battery pack mounting structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery pack 9 installed longitudinally in an installation space of the center console between the driver's seat 1 and the passenger's seat 3, a cooling air supply means 7 (e.g., a cooling fan 27) that supplies cooling air to a front portion of the battery pack 9, a cooling air distribution means 11 (e.g., a plurality of branch ducts 29) that supplies the cooling air from the cooling air supply means 7 to a plurality of battery modules 5 constituting the battery pack 9, and an exhaust duct means 13 configured to receive the cooling air that has already passed through one of the battery modules 5 and to discharge the received cooling air through a rear portion of the battery pack mounting structure 19 to the outside of the vehicle body. The cooling air may, for example,through a lower rear section of the battery pack mounting structure 19.

[0013] This means that the battery pack 9 is arranged in a space previously occupied by the center console, resulting in more efficient use of the vehicle's trunk space. Since the battery pack 9 is arranged in a space conventionally used by consumers, the vehicle's space utilization can be maximized. Furthermore, the battery modules 5 can be installed without any change in the position of the driver's seat 1 and the front passenger seat 3.

[0014] In the exemplary embodiment, the battery pack 9, the cooling air supply means 7, and the cooling air distribution means 11 are integrally constructed in a modular manner and installed longitudinally on a mounting plate 15 extending in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The mounting plate 15 can be placed on top of the center tunnel 17 of the floor panel and fixed thereto. That is, if a battery pack mounting structure 19 in a modular form according to Fig. 2 and is installed in the vehicle, the battery pack module 19 can be moved in the vehicle as shown in Fig. 4 shown.

[0015] Furthermore, the battery pack mounting structure 19 can be installed by sliding the mounting plate 15 into fitting sections on the upper side of the center tunnel 17. To allow the battery pack module 19 to be pushed into the fitting sections, the mounting plate 15 in the exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of bends. Both sides of the mounting plate are configured to receive a plurality of retaining clips 21 attached to the center tunnel 17. The retaining clips 21 are configured to fix the mounting plate to the center tunnel 17 on both sides of the mounting plate.

[0016] Therefore, a rail-like structure is located between the mounting plate 15 and the center tunnel 17 as well as the retaining clips 21, so that when the battery pack mounting structure 19 is pushed over this structure, the battery pack mounting structure 19 moves linearly over the retaining clips 21 into the correct position, so that the battery pack mounting structure can be installed precisely.

[0017] When the battery pack module 19 has been accurately positioned by the above procedure, the mounting plate 15 and the holding brackets 21 are connected to each other and secured by, for example, a connecting screw, thus completing the installation operation of the battery pack mounting structure 19.

[0018] If the profile of the attachment plate 15 is configured to include a central projection 23 whose center projects downwards and forms a horizontal plane, the central projection 23 of the floor panel lies on the upper side of the center tunnel 17 as in Fig. 3 to ensure a firmer and more stable installation condition.

[0019] In the embodiment, the cooling air supply means 7 may be implemented as a cooling fan 27 installed on the mounting plate 15 in front of the battery pack 9 to supply air by rotation and blow it through an exhaust pipe 25 into the cooling air distribution means 11. In the embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust pipe 25 is open rearward toward the top of the frontmost battery pack 9.

[0020] Although the embodiment of the present invention illustrates the cooling air supply means 7 as a cooling fan, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a fan in an air conditioner installed elsewhere in the vehicle may perform the function of the cooling air supply means 7.

[0021] The battery pack mounting structure is configured such that each of the battery modules 5 is arranged in series in the longitudinal direction from front to rear in the vehicle, and one end of the cooling air distribution means 11 is connected to the exhaust pipe 25 of the cooling fan 27 and the other end is connected to each battery module 5, as shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 5. The means for distributing the cooling air 11 may be configured as a plurality of branch ducts 29 that overlap to deliver cooling air from the cooling fan 27 individually to each battery module. These branch ducts may each have cross-sectional areas that communicate with the exhaust pipe 25 and are relatively large.

[0022] Therefore, due to the individual supply system of each individual channel for each individual battery module, each of the battery modules 5 can receive the same amount of cooling air of approximately the same temperature almost simultaneously.

[0023] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the branch channels 29 are formed in the form of a plurality of hollow plates overlapped and arranged on the top of the battery pack 9 to achieve a compact configuration, minimizing the volume occupied by the branch channels 29.

[0024] The exhaust duct means 13 may be configured as an exhaust duct 33 connected to the rear underside of the battery pack 9, branched to both sides of the center tunnel 17, and communicating with a center floor reinforcement frame 31 mounted on the vehicle floor panel in the horizontal direction of the vehicle body, to discharge the cooling air from the vehicle body to the outside through an external opening in the center floor reinforcement frame 31. Accordingly, the battery-cooling air does not disturb the vehicle occupants.

[0025] The present invention advantageously minimizes modifications to an existing vehicle structure and maximizes vehicle space utilization by minimizing the space required to install a battery pack in a hybrid or electric vehicle. The embodiment of the present invention also provides for efficient operation of the battery pack by individually cooling each of the battery modules, while simultaneously preventing occupants from experiencing discomfort from the cooling air escaping into the vehicle interior.

Claims

[1] Battery pack mounting structure (19) of a vehicle, comprising: a battery pack (9) installed longitudinally in an installation space of a center console between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat (1, 3) and containing a plurality of battery modules (5); a cooling air supply means (7) configured to supply cooling air to the front portion of the battery pack (9); a cooling air distribution means (11) configured to distribute the cooling air from the cooling air supply means (7) individually to each battery module (5) of the plurality of battery modules (5); and an outlet duct means (13) configured to receive the cooling air that has already flowed over each battery module (5) of the plurality of battery modules (5) and to discharge the cooling air through the rear portion of the battery pack (9) out of the vehicle body, wherein the battery pack (9), the means (7) for providing cooling air, and the means (11) for distributing the cooling air are integrally constructed in a modular manner and are installed longitudinally on a mounting plate (15) extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction; and the mounting plate (15) sits on the top of the center tunnel (17) of the floor panel and is fixed to it. [2] A battery pack mounting structure (19) of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the mounting plate (15) contains a plurality of curvatures, both sides of which are designed to receive a plurality of retaining clips (21) which are attached to the center tunnel (17) of a floor panel, and the plurality of retaining clips (21) are configured to fix the mounting plate (15) in a specific position on the center tunnel (17). [3] A battery pack mounting structure (19) of a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a profile structure of the mounting plate (15) is configured to include a central projection (23) whose center projects downward and forms a horizontal plane. [4] A battery pack mounting structure (19) of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the means (7) for providing cooling air comprises a cooling fan (27) which is arranged on the mounting plate (15) in a front region of the battery pack (9) in order to provide air by a rotational force and to blow this air into the means (11) for distributing the cooling air through an exhaust pipe (25), the exhaust pipe (25) being open towards the rear and on an upper side of the battery pack (9). [5] A battery pack mounting structure (19) according to claim 4, wherein: the battery pack (9) is configured such that the plurality of battery modules (5) are arranged in series in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and one end of the cooling air distribution means (11) is connected to the exhaust pipe (25) of the cooling fan (27) and the other end is connected to each battery module (5) individually, the cooling air distribution means (11) being implemented as a plurality of branch ducts (29) which overlap to supply cooling air from the cooling fan (27) individually to each battery module (5). [6] A battery pack mounting structure (19) of a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the branch channels (29) are formed in the form of a plurality of hollow plates overlapped one above the other and arranged on the upper surface of the battery pack (9). [7] A battery pack mounting structure (19) of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust duct means (13) is an exhaust duct (33) connected to the rear underside of the battery pack (9), branched to both sides of the center tunnel (17), and communicated with a center floor reinforcing frame (31) mounted on the floor panel of the vehicle in the horizontal direction of the vehicle body to guide the cooling air from the vehicle body to the outside from an outer exhaust port.

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