DEVICE FOR ATTACHING A BATTERY AND A SPARE WHEEL

Abstract

A device for mounting a battery (20) and a spare wheel (30), wherein the device comprises: a battery holder (22) which secures the battery (20) to a receiving compartment (12) which is recessed or embedded in a rear floor (10) of a vehicle; and a wheel bracket (32) which is attached to the spare wheel (30) by a wheel bolt (36) which is located on an upper side of the battery (20), and which secures the spare wheel (30) to the rear floor (10), wherein the battery holder (22) and the wheel holder (32) are separated in such a way that a load applied to the spare wheel (30) is not transferred to the battery (20), wherein ends of the battery holder (22) are connected to a pair of vehicle body mounts (14) which project to the left and right of the battery (20), the wheel mount (32) is arranged at a distance from an upper section of the battery holder (22) and ends of the wheel mount (32) are connected separately from the battery holder (22) to the vehicle body mounts (14), and the battery holder (22) has: first battery mounting feet (22a) extending from an upper surface of the battery (20) in the left and right directions and connected to the pair of vehicle body mounts (14) by screws; and a second battery support foot (22b) which extends from the upper surface of the battery (20) to the rear and is mounted in the receiving compartment (12) of the rear floor (10).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Area of ​​the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a device or structure for mounting or attaching a battery and a spare wheel or spare tire (in short: device for attaching a battery and a spare wheel) for a vehicle, and in particular a device for attaching a battery and a spare wheel in which the battery and the spare wheel are mounted in such a way that they are completely separated from each other, and as a result, a load applied to the spare wheel is not transferred to the battery, and it is possible to restrict the position of the battery in a left-right direction or in a transverse or y-direction of the vehicle while the battery is being used. Description of related technology

[0002] To prepare for a situation where a wheel is punctured or damaged due to an unexpected accident while a vehicle is in motion, rendering it unable to continue driving, a spare wheel is generally carried in the vehicle to replace the damaged one. The spare wheel is usually housed in a separate compartment located in the vehicle's trunk.

[0003] As in Fig. Figure 1 shows a typical device for mounting a spare wheel and a battery in the related technology, comprising a structure in which a spare wheel 3 and a battery 2 are arranged in a left-right direction on a rear floor 1 located at the rear of the vehicle. In this case, the spare wheel 3 is connected to the rear floor 1 by means of a wheel bolt 3a, the battery 2 is connected to the rear floor 1 by means of a battery holder 2a, and the spare wheel 3 and the battery 2 are arranged between a pair of side elements 4.However, in the case of the device for attaching a battery and a spare wheel in the related technology, the battery 2 must be moved forward or to the right by a worker because the battery 2 is placed in an inaccurate position by a machine during assembly of the battery 2 without a separate position limitation, and this process causes problems because the number of work operations and the assembly time are increased.

[0004] A mounting structure or mounting device in which the battery 2 and the spare wheel 3 are mounted in an up-down direction to solve the above-mentioned problem, as shown in Fig. The arrangement shown in Figure 2 has the advantage that the battery 2 and the spare wheel 3 can be arranged regardless of any boundary, but has the disadvantage that it remains difficult to restrict the position of the battery 2, and therefore the battery must be moved directly by the worker. In the case of the structure or device in which the battery 2 and the spare wheel 3 are mounted in the top-bottom direction, the battery 2 is secured by the battery holder 2a and the spare wheel 3 is attached to the battery holder 2a by means of the wheel bolt 3a, as shown in Figure 2. Fig. 2 shown, however the problem is that with this structure or device the probability is increased that the battery will be disconnected at the time of a rear-end collision of the vehicle.

[0005] The information disclosed in this “Background of the Invention” section is intended solely to improve the understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be construed as confirmation or any form of suggestion that this information constitutes prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

[0006] EP 1 561 646 A1 discloses a module for mounting a battery in a motor vehicle.

[0007] DE 195 36 511 C1 discloses an arrangement of a component in the rim recess of a spare wheel.

[0008] US 2011 / 0 011 654 A1 reveals a hybrid vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a device for mounting a battery and a spare wheel, in which the battery and the spare wheel are mounted by a battery holder and a wheel holder respectively, which are spaced apart from each other, and it is therefore possible to cope with a rear-end collision.

[0010] In addition, the present invention is based on the objective of providing a device for mounting a battery and a spare wheel in which a vehicle body bracket or a bracket attached to the body (hereinafter referred to as vehicle body bracket) serves to limit the position of the battery in a left-right direction while the battery is being inserted, and consequently an increased number of separate work operations and an increased assembly time are not required.

[0011] To solve this problem, the present invention provides a device for attaching a battery and a spare wheel, wherein the device comprises: a battery holder which secures the battery to a receiving compartment recessed or embedded in the rear floor of a vehicle (e.g.(offset) is, attached, and a wheel bracket which is attached by a wheel bolt to the spare wheel which is arranged on an upper side of the battery, and which secures the spare wheel to the rear floor, wherein the battery bracket and the wheel bracket are separated in such a way that a load applied to the spare wheel is not transferred to the battery, wherein ends of the battery bracket are connected to a pair of vehicle body mounts which project to the left and right of the battery, the wheel bracket is arranged at a distance from an upper section of the battery bracket and ends of the wheel bracket are connected separately from the battery bracket to the vehicle body mounts, and wherein the battery bracket comprises: first battery feet orBattery mounting feet (hereinafter referred to as first battery mounting feet) extending from an upper surface of the battery in the left and right directions and connected to the pair of vehicle body mounts by screws; and a second battery foot or battery mounting foot (hereinafter referred to as second battery mounting foot) extending from the upper surface of the battery to the rear and mounted in the receiving compartment of the rear floor.

[0012] The device or structure (hereinafter referred to as "device") may further include a front support extending forward from the battery and touching a front section of the battery to restrict forward and backward movement of the battery.

[0013] The device may further comprise an attachment section or mounting section (hereinafter referred to as attachment section) that protrudes convexly from a central section of the wheel holder, and the wheel bolt may be connected to the attachment section.

[0014] The distance between the vehicle body mounts in the left-right direction can be equal to the width of the battery in the left-right direction.

[0015] The side surfaces of the vehicle body mounts can have a certain angle of inclination, as the width between the side surfaces progressively decreases.

[0016] The wheel support can have first wheel feet or wheel support feet (abbreviated: first wheel support feet) that extend from an upper surface of the battery in the left and right directions and are connected to the pair of vehicle body mounts by screwing, and a second wheel foot or wheel support foot (abbreviated: second wheel support foot) that extends forward from the upper surface of the battery and is mounted in the receiving compartment of the rear floor.

[0017] According to the present invention, which has the aforementioned designs, the battery and the spare wheel can be mounted regardless of any demarcation of the rear floor, and the battery holder for securing the battery and the wheel holder for securing the spare wheel are completely separate from each other, and as a result, at the time of a rear-end collision of a vehicle, the wheel bolt is broken and the spare wheel is separated at an early stage.

[0018] Therefore, according to the present invention, a load applied to the spare wheel is not transmitted to the battery by a barrier, and consequently the battery holder is not damaged, even in the event of a rear-end collision of a vehicle, so that the battery is not disconnected.

[0019] According to the present invention, the vehicle body mounts, which are arranged in the left and right directions with respect to the battery, serve to limit the position of the battery in the left-right direction during battery insertion, and as a result, the position to which the battery is placed is fixed or reproducible, and the number of separate work operations performed by a worker and the assembly time are neither increased nor decreased compared with the battery in the related technology.

[0020] According to the present invention, the front bracket, which is arranged on a front side with respect to the vehicle body brackets and the battery, blocks force moments or torques in the left-right direction and in the front-back direction of the battery, and consequently the battery is not disconnected.

[0021] According to the present invention, the bracket which was used in the related technology to mount a spare wheel and a battery is omitted or the size of the shape of the bracket is reduced, and as a result, the production costs of the vehicle and the weight of a vehicle body are reduced.

[0022] A battery intended for the invention can in particular be a motor vehicle battery; it can, for example, be block-shaped and have, for example, the following dimensions: a width between 10 cm and 35 cm, a height between 6 cm and 25 cm, and a depth between 6 cm and 25 cm. However, other shapes and dimensions are also possible.

[0023] According to a further aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle is provided with a device according to the invention for attaching a battery and a spare wheel. The battery and / or the spare wheel can be mounted, in particular detachably.

[0024] It should be understood that the terms "vehicle" or "vehicle-..." or other similar terms used herein include motor vehicles in general, such as passenger cars including so-called sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and they include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other vehicles with alternative fuels (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). A hybrid vehicle, as referred to herein, is a vehicle that has two or more energy sources, for example, vehicles that run on both gasoline and electricity.

[0025] The devices of the present invention have other features and advantages, which will become clear from the accompanying figures included herein and the following detailed description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention, or which are explained in more detail therein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Fig. Figure 1 is a view depicting a state in which a spare wheel and a battery are mounted in a left-right direction on the rear floor of a typical vehicle in the related technology. Fig. Figure 2 is a view that schematically represents a state in which a spare wheel and a battery are mounted in an up-down direction on the rear floor of a vehicle in the related technology. Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an exemplary device for mounting a battery and a spare wheel according to the present invention. Fig. Figure 4 is a side view showing the exemplary device for attaching the battery and the spare wheel according to the present invention. Fig. Figure 5 is a view representing a state in which a battery holder is connected to the battery according to the present invention. Fig. Figure 6 is a view showing a state in which a wheel holder is connected in a state in which the battery holder is connected according to the present invention. Fig. 7A, Fig. 7B and Fig. Figures 7C are views that each represent a state in which the battery is inserted into a receiving compartment according to the present invention.

[0026] It should be understood that the attached figures, which present a somewhat simplified representation of various properties to illustrate the basic principles of the invention, are not necessarily to scale. The specific design features of the present invention, including, for example, certain dimensions, directions, positions, and shapes as disclosed herein, are partly determined by the intended application and environment of use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures and described below. Although the invention is described in connection with exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the present description is not intended to limit the invention to these exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended not only to cover the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the scope and meaning of the invention as defined by the attached claims.

[0028] Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a device for attaching a battery and a spare wheel according to various embodiments of the present invention, and Fig. Figure 4 is a side view showing the device for attaching the battery and the spare wheel according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] As shown, a battery 20 according to the present invention is housed in a receiving compartment 12 which is formed by a recess in a rear floor 10 of a vehicle, and a spare wheel 30 is arranged on an upper side of the battery 20 such that it overlaps with the battery 20.

[0030] In comparison with the device in the related technology in which a battery and a spare wheel are arranged in a left-right direction, in the case of the device in which the battery 20 and the spare wheel 30 are mounted in the top-bottom direction (vertical direction) as described above, it is not necessary to consider a demarcation of the rear floor 10, thereby improving or increasing a degree of design freedom.

[0031] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the battery 20 is firmly connected to the rear floor 10 by means of a battery holder 22 and the spare wheel 30 is firmly connected to the rear floor 10 by means of a wheel holder 32 and a wheel bolt 36.

[0032] In this case, because the battery holder 22 and the wheel holder 32 are completely separate and arranged at a distance from each other, the battery holder 22 is not damaged, but only the wheel bolt 36 of the wheel holder 32 can be broken at the time of a rear-end collision of a vehicle, so that the spare wheel 30 is separated at an early stage and as a result a load applied to the spare wheel is not transferred to the battery 20.

[0033] Fig. Figure 5 is a view representing a state in which the battery holder is connected to the battery according to various embodiments of the present invention, and Fig. Figure 6 is a view showing a state in which the wheel holder is connected in a state in which the battery holder is connected according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the ends of the battery holder 22 are connected to a pair of vehicle body mounts 14, which project in a left and a right direction with respect to the battery 20, and the battery holder 22 serves to secure the battery 20. In particular, a first battery holder foot 22a is provided, which is connected to a first vehicle body mount 14 projecting in the left direction, and a second battery holder foot 22a, which is connected to a second vehicle body mount 14 projecting in the right direction.

[0035] In particular, the battery holder 22 has first battery holder feet 22a, which extend in the left direction and in the right direction from an upper surface of the battery 20 and are connected to the pair of vehicle body mounts 14 by screwing, and a second battery holder foot 22b, which extends backwards from the upper surface of the battery 20 and is mounted in the receiving compartment 12 of the rear floor 10.

[0036] The battery holder 22, which has the first battery holder feet 22a and the second battery holder foot 22b, is arranged such that it surrounds the top surface, a left surface and a right surface and a rear surface of the battery 20, thereby preventing the battery 20 from being separated from the rear floor 10.

[0037] A front bracket 16 protrudes from a front side relative to the battery 20, and the front bracket 16 is in contact with a front section of the battery 20 and serves to restrict forward and backward movement of the battery.

[0038] This means that at the time of a rear-end collision of a vehicle, a force moment or torque (or load) in the front-back direction or in the left-right direction is applied to the battery 20 due to inertia or inertial forces, and in this case the front bracket 16 absorbs the force moment in the front-back direction or the torque, thus preventing the battery 20 from being dislodged or lifted upwards.

[0039] As in Fig. Figure 6 shows the wheel mount 32 arranged at a distance from an upper section of the battery mount 22 and installed separately from the battery mount, and ends of the wheel mount 32 are connected to the vehicle body mounts 14.

[0040] This means that the wheel bracket 32 ​​is attached in such a way that it is separate from the battery bracket 22, and a central section of the wheel bracket 32 ​​is attached to the spare wheel 30 by means of the wheel screw 36, thereby fixing the spare wheel.

[0041] In particular, the wheel support 32 has first wheel support feet 32a, which extend from the upper surface of the battery 20 in the left and right directions and are connected to the pair of vehicle body supports 14 by screwing, and a second wheel support foot 32b, which extends forward from the upper surface of the battery 20 and is mounted in the receiving compartment 12 of the rear floor 10.

[0042] In this case, a mounting section 34 protrudes convexly from a central section of the wheel bracket 32, and the wheel bolt 36 is attached to the mounting section 34 in such a way that it connects the spare wheel 30 and the wheel bracket 32.

[0043] As described above, the mounting height of the spare wheel 30 can be adjusted by forming the mounting section 34 on the wheel bracket 32, and since at the time of a rear-end collision of a vehicle only the wheel bolt 36 is broken and only the spare wheel 30 is separated at an early stage, a load applied to the spare wheel is not transferred to the battery bracket 22.

[0044] Fig. 7A - Fig. Figures 7C are views that each represent a state in which the battery 20 is inserted into the receiving compartment according to different embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] In particular, Fig. 7A is a view showing a state in which the battery 20 is inserted into the receiving compartment 12 from an upper side by means of a machine (not shown). Fig. 7B is a view that represents a state in which the battery 20, after being inserted, is moved to a lower section of the receiving compartment 12. Fig. 7C is a view that represents a state after the battery 20 has been fully placed.

[0046] As in Fig. 7A, represented by dashed circles, a space or distance of approximately 10 mm is formed between the battery 20 and the vehicle body mount 14 to account for a probability that, when the battery 20 is inserted into the receiving compartment 12 from the top side by the machine, the battery 20 will not be inserted into an exact position due to a fault of the machine (not shown).

[0047] Furthermore, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 7B, the inserted battery 20 is moved downwards along the side surfaces of the vehicle body mounts 14 to the lower section of the receiving compartment 12, and the side surfaces of the vehicle body mounts 14 can have a certain angle of inclination θ, as a width between the side surfaces progressively decreases downwards, thus guiding the battery 20 so that the battery 20 is placed in an exact position.

[0048] The inclination angle θ formed on the side surfaces of the vehicle body mounts 14 can be set to different angles or angle values ​​depending on the vehicle type, the size of the battery and the size of the receiving compartment, and the inclination angle θ can be approximately 5° in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, but it is not limited to this.

[0049] As indicated by dashed circles in Fig. As shown in Figure 7C, the battery 20, which has been moved downwards along the side surfaces of the vehicle body mounts 14, is placed exactly on the lower section of the receiving compartment 12, and in this case a distance in the left-right direction between the vehicle body mounts 14 can be equal to or slightly greater than a width in the left-right direction of the battery 20.

[0050] In various embodiments of the present invention, the distance between the battery 20 and the vehicle body mount 14 can be less than or equal to approximately 2 mm; however, the distance can be set or defined variably, taking into account a design that depends on the vehicle type, the size of the battery, and the size of the receiving compartment.

[0051] The device for mounting the battery and the spare wheel according to the present invention, which is designed as described above, can accommodate the battery 20 and the spare wheel 30 regardless of any limitation of the rear floor 10. The battery holder 22 is not damaged even in the event of a rear-end collision with a vehicle, so that the battery 20 is not separated. The vehicle body mounts 14 serve to limit the position of the battery 20 in the left-right direction during installation. Consequently, compared to the battery in related technology, the position to which the battery 20 is placed is fixed and reproducible, and the number of separate work operations performed by a worker and the assembly time are neither increased nor decreased.

[0052] For the sake of a simpler explanation and a precise definition in the attached claims, the terms “upper” or “lower”, “inner” or “outer”, etc. are used to describe properties of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the position of such properties as shown in the figures.

Claims

[1] A device for attaching a battery (20) and a spare wheel (30), the device comprising: a battery holder (22) which secures the battery (20) to a receiving compartment (12) which is recessed or embedded in a rear floor (10) of a vehicle; and a wheel bracket (32) which is attached to the spare wheel (30) by a wheel bolt (36) which is located on an upper side of the battery (20), and which secures the spare wheel (30) to the rear floor (10), wherein the battery holder (22) and the wheel holder (32) are separated in such a way that a load applied to the spare wheel (30) is not transferred to the battery (20), wherein ends of the battery holder (22) are connected to a pair of vehicle body mounts (14) which project to the left and right of the battery (20), the wheel mount (32) is arranged at a distance from an upper section of the battery holder (22) and ends of the wheel mount (32) are connected separately from the battery holder (22) to the vehicle body mounts (14), and the battery holder (22) has: first battery mounting feet (22a) extending from an upper surface of the battery (20) in the left and right directions and connected to the pair of vehicle body mounts (14) by screws; and a second battery support foot (22b) which extends from the upper surface of the battery (20) to the rear and is mounted in the receiving compartment (12) of the rear floor (10). [2] The device according to claim 1, further comprising a front support (16) which projects forward from the battery (20) and contacts a front section of the battery (20) to restrict forward movement and backward movement of the battery (20). [3] The device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an attachment section (34) which projects convexly from a central section of the wheel holder (32), wherein the wheel screw (36) is connected to the attachment section (34). [4] The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a distance between the vehicle body supports (14) in the left-right direction is equal to a width of the battery (20) in the left-right direction. [5] The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side surfaces of the vehicle body supports (14) have a certain angle of inclination (θ) as the width between the side surfaces progressively decreases. [6] The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wheel holder (32) comprises: first wheel mounting feet (32a) extending from an upper surface of the battery (20) in the left and right directions and connected to the pair of vehicle body mounts (14) by screws; and a second wheel support foot (32b) which extends forward from the upper surface of the battery (20) and is mounted in the receiving compartment (12) of the rear floor (10). [7] A motor vehicle with a device for attaching a battery (20) and a spare wheel (30) according to one of the preceding claims. [8] A motor vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a battery (20) and / or a spare wheel (30) which is / are received by means of the device.

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