Modular battery carrier

Abstract

Battery carrier for an electric motor vehicle, comprising a tray for accommodating batteries with a base and a circumferential side wall and a lid, wherein the lid is designed as a hood (2) and the circumferential side wall is designed by a circumferential frame (6) made of hollow profiles, wherein the frame (6) is coupled to a base plate (7), wherein the hood (2) is placed on the hollow profile in the closed state, characterized in that a cooling system is formed below the base by a cooling channel plate (17) which is coupled to the base plate (7) in a fluid-tight manner and in that a protective base is arranged below the cooling system.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a modular battery carrier for an electric vehicle according to the features in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Electromobility has become increasingly relevant in the use of motor vehicles. Electric vehicles are powered exclusively by electrical energy. To store this electrical energy in the electric vehicle, batteries, also known as accumulators, high-voltage batteries, or traction batteries, are required. These batteries have a significant volume and a relatively high weight. Such batteries are installed under the floor of a motor vehicle to store a sufficient amount of energy, for example, to achieve a range of 300 km on a single battery charge. The batteries themselves are housed in a battery tray, which protects them from external weather influences and prevents the substances contained in the batteries from escaping into the environment.

[0003] Battery housings made of plastic, fiber composite, or even metallic materials are known from the state of the art. These battery carriers are also referred to as "battery trays."

[0004] Such a battery housing is usually mounted on the bottom of a motor vehicle and extends over a large part of the vehicle's width and also part of its length.

[0005] The battery housing essentially consists of a battery carrier and a housing cover.

[0006] A battery tray is characterized by a trough-shaped housing in which a plurality of batteries are arranged. To ensure the appropriate rigidity of the battery tray, a frame made of a hollow profile is arranged around the outside, which can also function as the surrounding wall of the tray. A battery tray is located in the non-visible underfloor area of the vehicle. The requirements regarding sealing and production tolerances are high. However, the manufacturing costs of the battery tray are subject to massive cost pressure.

[0007] The tub-shaped battery carrier of a battery housing is sometimes manufactured as a sheet metal component. A generic document on this subject is US 2016 / 0263639 A1.

[0008] However, in the corner areas, problems arise during bending or deep drawing with regard to tightness and maximum interior utilization.

[0009] DE 10 2016 114 839 A1 discloses a battery tray in which a base plate is coupled to a surrounding frame. DE 10 2016 125693 A1 discloses a battery tray made of extruded profiles, which can be coupled together using a tongue and groove system.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a battery carrier which is improved in terms of its manufacturing effort compared to battery carriers known from the prior art while ensuring optimal use of the interior space.

[0011] According to the invention, the object is achieved with a battery carrier for an electric vehicle according to the features in claim 1.

[0012] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0013] The battery tray is designed for an electric vehicle and features a tray for accommodating batteries. The tray has a base, a surrounding side wall, and a lid. The surrounding side wall can be rectangular in plan view, but can also be polygonal, such as hexagonal or octagonal, so that the battery tray can have a trapezoidal shape or a hybrid of trapezoidal and rectangular in plan view.

[0014] According to the invention, the battery carrier is characterized by its modular construction. For this purpose, the peripheral side wall is formed by a peripheral frame made of hollow profiles. For this purpose, individual hollow profile pieces, preferably made by extrusion from a light metal alloy, are coupled together in the resulting corner regions, in particular by thermal joining. Thus, the frame forms a peripheral side wall, with the peripheral side wall being formed as a hollow profile in cross section.

[0015] The surrounding side wall is then coupled to a floor. The floor is designed as a floor plate, preferably made of a metallic material.

[0016] A cover is then placed on the frame itself. The cover is specifically designed as a hood. This advantageously ensures that the frame itself does not have to cover the entire height of the interior space available for batteries; instead, the cover partially covers the interior height for battery accommodation. When closed, the hood is placed on the hollow profile of the frame.

[0017] A cooling system is also arranged below the floor and a protective floor is arranged below the floor, in particular below the cooling system.

[0018] The battery tray's modular design allows for cost-effective production and a correspondingly high degree of design freedom with regard to the external conditions of the electric vehicle in which the battery tray is installed, as well as with regard to the interior in which the batteries are to be arranged. The cooling system located beneath the floor also allows for the necessary cooling performance to be adjusted. Furthermore, safety is enhanced by the placement of a protective floor beneath the cooling system, so that if the vehicle hits an obstacle in the floor, only the protective floor is damaged, and not the cooling system and, in particular, not the batteries. The modular design allows the protective floor to be replaced as part of a repair process. There is no need to replace the entire battery tray and batteries.

[0019] The hood itself is made of metallic material, either as a cast component or as a folded sheet metal component. In the latter case, a sheet metal blank is first produced and then folded or beveled to create the geometric shape of a hood. The beveled sheet metal parts are then thermally joined together in the resulting corner areas, particularly in such a way that the hood is tightly sealed.

[0020] By coupling the cover to the frame and the frame to the base, preferably with the inclusion of a gasket and / or sealant, the interior of the battery tray is sealed from the environment. Weather influences, such as moisture, cannot penetrate the interior of the battery tray. Vapors or liquids generated by the batteries, in turn, cannot escape to the environment.

[0021] Appropriate charging electronics and electrical connections can then be routed through the cover, but can also be routed through the frame or the floor in order to connect the batteries arranged in the interior to the electric vehicle, in particular to a drive of the electric vehicle.

[0022] The cooling system is formed by a cooling channel plate, which is fluid-tightly coupled to the base. The cooling channel plate can preferably also be formed as a single layer and have corresponding embossing, so that when the cooling channel plate and base are coupled, cooling channels for the passage of a fluid are created. The cooling channels can also be used to heat the battery tray.

[0023] For particularly simple production, it is also possible to screw the hollow profile of the frame to the floor using a sealing compound. Minor manufacturing tolerances are compensated for by the sealing compound and the screw connection, while at the same time achieving high precision in terms of tightness and external geometric dimensions due to the inherent rigidity of the frame.

[0024] The hollow profile of the surrounding frame can further have a projecting web on its upper side and / or a projecting web on its lower side, such that a defined gap remains when the hollow profile is coupled to the hood and the hollow profile to the floor.

[0025] Additionally, the cooling channel plate can be screwed together with the floor and with the hollow profile of the frame.

[0026] The protective floor itself is made of hollow profiles. The hollow profiles are also preferably extruded and, in particular, have a certain height in the vertical direction of the vehicle, in particular more than 3 cm, preferably more than 5 cm. The height in the vertical direction of the vehicle should not exceed 20 cm. Particularly preferably, the hollow profiles of the protective floor are approximately 5 to 10 cm high in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0027] The individual hollow profiles of the protective floor are interlocked using a tongue and groove system. This makes it possible to first produce the hollow profiles by extrusion, then join them together using the tongue and groove system to form a large surface area when viewed from above, so that the battery tray is largely covered by the protective floor from the underside.

[0028] Preferably, an underrun protection plate can also be arranged beneath the protective floor. This distributes the forces applied to the hollow profiles in the event of a collision with an obstacle, such as a stone or curb.

[0029] A cover plate can also be provided on the side of the protective floor, in particular the hollow profiles. The battery carrier for an electric vehicle preferably has a tray and / or hood. The tray or hood is each configured in a tray-shaped manner. This means that each of the components has a base and a circumferential side wall projecting beyond the base. The side wall projects above or beyond the base, in particular, at an angle of approximately 90°.

[0030] On the side wall, particularly at the upper end of the side wall, a flange protrudes outward. The flange also protrudes essentially 90° from the side wall.

[0031] The battery tray then has batteries arranged inside. The tray or hood is each closed with a lid. The tray and hood can also be used together on a battery tray.

[0032] For improved manufacturing, it is now proposed that the tray and / or the hood be manufactured as a single, folded component from a single metal plate. If the tray and hood are used on a battery tray, each component is manufactured from a single plate.

[0033] In particular, an aluminum material with a wall thickness between 1.5 mm and 2 mm is used for this purpose. However, a steel material can also be used. This preferably has a wall thickness between 0.8 mm and 2 mm, in particular between 1 mm and 1.5 mm.

[0034] According to the invention, the tray or hood is not manufactured as a deep-drawn component from the metallic material, but as a folded component. This means that the blank is first cut to size, and then the respective protruding areas are formed by folding or bending, also known as chamfering. Typically, the parts that will later form the surrounding side wall are bent or folded relative to the base.

[0035] The flange then protrudes from the side wall.

[0036] This results in a corner area between each two side wall parts which is not sealed, in particular against fluids or gases in the interior and external weather influences, and which also has no structural connection to one another. For this purpose, the invention now provides for a weld seam to be formed in an interior space or on the inside. It has been found according to the invention that a particularly high quality of the welded connection with regard to the mechanical connection created by materially bonded joining, but also the tightness that can be achieved with it, is achieved if the weld seam does not start exactly in a corner of the corner area, i.e. between the floor and the two side walls and then runs over the side walls, but if the weld seam starts at an offset relative to the corner.The weld seam is therefore drawn as a continuous weld seam, starting between the side wall and the base, across the corner area to the flange. According to the invention, it has been found to be particularly preferred if the weld seam begins in this area 1 cm, in particular 2 cm, before the actual corner. The weld seam is then continued along the entire corner area between the two side wall parts. In particular, the flange protrudes outwards. Here, the weld seam is preferably continued through to the outer end of the flange. Welding is preferably carried out using MIG / CMT welding. The quality of the welded joint can be particularly preferably increased by an inlet zone, starting between the side wall and the base, and an outlet zone on the flange, which is then removed by subsequent mechanical finishing.

[0037] A supplementary or alternative improvement has been shown here. The flange is not only used for coupling with other components, but also as the resulting sealing flange. According to the invention, it has proven advantageous if the end of the flange in the area of the weld seam is initially longer or protrudes further, so that the flange protrudes further from the side wall or protrudes from it. The weld seam is therefore initially carried through to the end of this further section. The flange is then mechanically machined, in particular by machining or cutting, and thus also the outer end of the flange. The end of the flange resulting from machining has a particularly high connection quality, especially in the area of the weld seam between the two joined flange areas.

[0038] To further improve the present invention, it is possible to form at least one joining tab on a side wall, which then overlaps the adjacent side wall on the outside after the folding process, and the joining tab and the overlapped side wall are further joined together. For this purpose, an adhesive process or a welding process can be used. A spot welding process has proven particularly advantageous. This joining tab further increases the mechanical strength. In conjunction with the internally arranged weld seam, particularly for tightness and mechanical strength, both requirements can thus be met very well.

[0039] In addition to the weld seam, it has also proven advantageous to apply a sealing seam made of a sealing material, particularly a sealing bead, to the weld seam from the inside. For example, an elastomer- or silicone-based sealing material that cures to a permanently elastic state can be used. In particular, after completion of the welding process and any further processing steps, a further sealing seam is applied, overlapping the weld seam.

[0040] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous to provide an additional fold or step on the outside of the flange. Particularly when the aforementioned folding component is used as a hood, the hood can cover a floor panel or frame. The flange acts as a sealing flange. The additional fold or step can then overlap, particularly in the vertical direction of the vehicle during installation, and center the hood on the frame or floor panel in the transverse and / or longitudinal directions of the vehicle.

[0041] Furthermore, functional units can be integrated into the floor. For example, the floor can have a cutout, allowing an additional equipment rack or equipment cover to be placed above it.

[0042] It is also possible to create a single-piece, uniformly shaped bulge in the base of the hood or pan. Because no additional stress is exerted on the base by forming the side walls and flange, a higher degree of forming is possible in the base area. Only then can the side walls and flanges be manufactured using folding technology.

[0043] The present invention thus also relates to a battery carrier having a floor panel that is positioned vertically downwards in the installation direction in the motor vehicle. The previously described hood is then placed on the floor panel. The batteries are arranged in the resulting interior space between the floor panel and the hood. These batteries can preferably stand on the floor panel. This enables good heat transfer from the batteries to the floor panel.

[0044] The floor panel therefore has a cooling system. The cooling system is produced in particular by coupling the floor panel to a cooling channel plate. The cooling channel plate has three-dimensional bulges. By coupling the cooling channel plate and the floor panel, the bulges provide cooling channels through which a cooling fluid can be conducted. In particular, the floor panel and the cooling channel plate are soldered to one another. The subject matter of the invention, according to which a floor panel with a cooling channel plate soldered to it is arranged in a battery carrier, can also be viewed as an independent inventive concept. In particular, this independent inventive concept can then be combined with the underrun protection in the form of hollow profiles described below.

[0045] Furthermore, a circumferential frame can particularly preferably be arranged between the base plate and the housing cover or the hood, in particular the flange of the hood. The circumferential frame is made in particular from extruded profiles. This serves as an impact absorber and as a spacer to protect the accumulators or cells and to increase the rigidity of the battery carrier and for connection or installation in the electric vehicle. The frame preferably has a spacer, in particular in the form of a linearly circumferential spacer boss formed integrally on the frame. The spacer boss creates in particular a sealing gap between the frame surface and the flange or between the frame surface and the base plate. An adhesive and / or sealant can also be arranged in this sealing gap. The spacer boss also serves as an electrically conductive contact between the flange, frame and base plate.In particular, with the hollow profiles described below in the area of the floor, the frame, which is preferably also manufactured as an extruded component, can provide a bumper and impact absorber arrangement. The frame itself can absorb the thrust and kinetic energy of objects impacting the vehicle in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the vehicle, or convert their kinetic energy into deformation work. The frame therefore deforms according to the principle of a folding impact absorber. The hollow profiles arranged at the bottom in the installed position serve as underrun protection and also deform when the electric vehicle or the battery carrier comes into contact with a surface or with an object impacting the battery carrier from below, according to the principle of a folding or compression impact absorber.Thus, the side frame and the hollow profiles arranged below provide protection against impacts and against the penetration of foreign objects into the battery housing. The arrangement with the surrounding frame and hollow profiles arranged below can also be considered an independent inventive concept.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the invention, hollow profiles running transversely relative to the direction of travel or in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle can be arranged below the floor panel, in particular below the cooling channel plate. The hollow profiles serve, on the one hand, as crash protection or load path in the event of a side impact. At the same time, however, the hollow profiles serve as collision protection or underrun protection if the electric vehicle comes into contact with uneven ground from below during operation. The hollow profiles thus have a stiffening effect in the transverse direction of the vehicle. In the vertical direction of the vehicle, they serve according to the principle of a crash absorber or crash protection against the penetration of objects from below. The hollow profiles can be designed according to the principle of panels, which are coupled to one another, in particular, using a tongue and groove system. This makes it possible to produce the hollow profiles by extrusion.These have a relatively narrow extrusion width and a groove on one side and a tongue on the opposite side. Now, several hollow profiles can be arranged one behind the other using the tongue and groove system, allowing the base area of a battery tray to be more than 1 m wide. 2 , especially more than 2 m 2 , can be covered over its entire surface. Within the scope of the invention, it is also possible to integrate cooling channels directly into these extruded hollow profiles. Thus, hollow chambers are formed during the extrusion process, through which a cooling fluid is later conducted. In the installed situation, the hollow profiles with the cooling channels would then lie directly against the base of the battery modules in order to transfer the heat generated there to the cooling fluid by means of thermal conduction and then dissipate it via the cooling fluid.

[0047] A tunnel can also be formed in the hollow profiles, running in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This tunnel serves, for example, to carry an exhaust system, provided the vehicle is not a purely electric vehicle but one that also has an internal combustion engine. Furthermore, a heat shield can be arranged in the tunnel. The heat shield itself can also be manufactured as an extruded component. This then extends with its hollow chambers in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The heat shield simultaneously serves as a connection between the hollow profiles arranged on the left and right sides of the vehicle transverse direction, in order to enable a load path in the transverse direction of the vehicle despite the interruption of the tunnel.

[0048] Further features, properties, and aspects of the present invention are the subject of the following description. Preferred embodiments are illustrated in schematic figures. These serve to facilitate understanding of the invention. They show: Fig. 1 a battery carrier according to the invention in perspective view, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section along the section line II-II Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a cross-sectional view according to section line III-III of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 to 7 show an exploded view during the assembly process for a battery carrier according to the invention, Fig. 8 a perspective and combined sectional view of the floor panel with attached frame and hollow profiles arranged underneath, Fig. 9 a detailed cross-sectional view of an edge region through a battery carrier according to the invention, Fig. 10 to 14 the production of a welded joint in a corner area with optional sealing bead, Fig. 15 a hood produced according to the invention, Fig. 16 a hood manufactured according to the invention with an additional step in a side wall, Fig. 17 a longitudinal section view along the section line AA of Fig. 16, Fig. 18 an alternative embodiment of a hood according to the invention, Fig. 19a to 19f various cross-sectional views of the surrounding frame, Fig. 20 a perspective view of a battery carrier from below, Fig. 21 a detailed view of a battery carrier from below with heat protection plate, Fig. 22 the production of a tub as a folding tub with a step integrated into the side wall.

[0049] In the figures, the same reference symbols are used for identical or similar components, even if a repeated description is omitted for reasons of simplification.

[0050] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a battery carrier 1 according to the invention, which can also be referred to as a battery housing. The battery carrier 1 has a hood 2 located at the top, relative to the vertical direction Z of the motor vehicle. The hood 2 itself has a base 3 as well as a circumferential side wall 4 and a flange 5 protruding from the side wall 4. The hood 2 thus engages over a circumferential frame 6, with the frame 6 resting on a floor panel 7. Hollow profiles 8 are arranged below the floor panel 7. The hollow profiles 8 run essentially in the transverse direction Y of the motor vehicle and cover the battery carrier flatly from below. In the middle, the hollow profiles 8 can also be interrupted by a central profile 9. For example, an exhaust tract (not shown in detail) can be arranged in a recessed area 10 below the central profile 9. Fastening tabs 11 are arranged on the sides.The fastening tabs 11 themselves can be manufactured, for example, as extruded profile components or cast components. The fastening tabs 11 themselves are, in particular, screwed to the battery carrier 1 and serve to couple it to a vehicle (not shown in detail). Screw connections 12 provided for this purpose are then coupled to the surrounding frame 6. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section along the section line II-II of Fig. 1. It can be seen here that the hood 2 is designed as a formed component with the base 3, the circumferential side wall 4 and, in turn, a circumferentially projecting flange 5 from the side wall 4. In addition, the flange 5 has a collar 14 or fold which is oriented so as to protrude essentially by 90° from the flange 5. Batteries 16 are arranged, indicated schematically, in an interior 15 of the battery carrier 1. The batteries 16 stand on a base plate 7. A cooling channel plate 17 is arranged below the base plate 7, relative to the vertical direction Z of the motor vehicle. The cooling channel plate 17 has formations 18 such that cooling channels 19 for the passage of a fluid are formed between the base plate 7 and the cooling channel plate 17. The batteries 16 arranged on the floor panel 7 thus transfer the heat generated to the floor panel 7, which in turn is dissipated by the cooling medium in the cooling channels 19.The base plate 7 itself is then coupled to the frame 6. The frame 6 itself has a spacer boss 20 at the top and bottom. A gap 21 created between the frame 6 and the base plate 7 can thus be filled with additional sealant and / or adhesive. The spacer boss 20 provides electrically conductive contact between the frame 6 and the base plate 7. The frame 6 also has a spacer boss 20 to the flange 5 of the hood 2. A gap 21 created here can also be filled with an adhesive and / or sealant.

[0051] The hollow profiles 8 are also arranged below the floor panel 7 or the cooling channel plate 17, relative to the vertical direction Z of the vehicle. The hollow profiles 8 extend with the course of their hollow chambers 23 in the transverse direction Y of the vehicle. The hollow profiles 8 can be coupled to one another via a tongue and groove system 22. The hollow profiles 8 thus cover almost the entire floor. The hollow chambers 23 thus form a space to dampen impacts or forces coming from below, relative to the vertical direction Z of the vehicle, in the event of a contact with a surface, or to dissipate the kinetic energy in order to protect the batteries 16 from damage. Furthermore, an underrun protection plate 24 can be arranged below the hollow profiles 8. This can be made of aluminum, for example. It therefore has low corrosion properties, a low dead weight, and is easy to produce using forming technology.

[0052] The hood 2 itself can have a recess 25. An additional device hood 26 is then arranged on the recess 25. This can, for example, be welded to the base 3 or coupled in some other way.

[0053] Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view along the section line III-III of Fig. 1. Here, too, the individual batteries 16 can be seen, which rest on the floor panel 7, with heat generated below the floor panel 7 being dissipated via cooling channels 19. The hollow profiles 8 do not run continuously in the transverse direction Y of the vehicle, but are interrupted by the central profile 9. For example, an exhaust system (not shown) of an internal combustion engine can be arranged in the recessed area 10 of the central profile 8. It can be seen in each case that the frame 6 runs around the outside and couples the flange 5 of the hood 2 and the floor panel 7 to one another.

[0054] Fig. Figure 4 shows an assembly process for a battery carrier 1 according to the invention. First, the hollow profiles 8 running in the transverse direction Y of the vehicle and the central profile 9 are arranged. A surrounding frame 6 is then placed on top of this. Arranged in the frame 6 itself are fastening profiles in the form of receiving blocks 27 for coupling to batteries (not shown in detail).

[0055] Fig. 5 shows a perspective view in a further manufacturing step, wherein the cooling channel plate 17 is placed in place and the formations 18 are arranged in a linear or channel-shaped manner in this.

[0056] Fig. 6 shows the base plate 7 arranged thereon, which provides a flat surface for receiving Fig. 7. It can be seen that the battery 16 shown is coupled to the receiving blocks 27.

[0057] Fig. Figure 8 shows another sectional view. The cooling channels 19 created between the base plate 7 and the cooling channel plate 17, as well as the hollow profiles 8 arranged below the cooling channels 19, can be seen.

[0058] Fig. Figure 9 shows a detailed view. The surrounding frame 6 can be seen with its spacer boss 20 projecting above and below in the vertical direction Z of the vehicle. The gaps 21 created therebetween can be filled with a sealant and / or adhesive (not shown in detail). The hollow profiles 8 are screwed to the frame 6 from below with screws 28, penetrating the floor panel 7 and the cooling channel plate 17. A lateral cover plate 54 can also be arranged here, which laterally closes the hollow profiles 8.

[0059] Fig. Figure 15 shows a hood 2 in a partial view from below in the area of a developing corner. An opening thus points upwards relative to the image plane. First, a sheet metal blank (not shown) was prepared, and then the hood 2 was produced as a folded component by forming the sheet metal blank. For this purpose, the side walls 4 and the flanges 5 are each folded or bent and then come into contact with the corner 30 according to Fig. 10 to the system. However, these are not yet connected. A circumferential side wall 4 is formed by four side walls 4 or side wall sections, each of which meets in a corner area 29. A flange 5 protrudes laterally on the outside of the side walls 4.

[0060] According to the invention, the tub is designed or manufactured as a folding tub. Fig. 10 shows such a corner area 29 created after folding. Welding this corner area 29 and in particular the lower corner 30, which also applies to the outwardly projecting part of the flange 5, is problematic.

[0061] Fig. Figure 11 shows a solution approach according to the invention. A weld seam 32 is drawn from the inside, not starting at the corner 30, but with an offset 33 from the corner 30 in a transition area from the base 3 to the side wall 4, continuously across the corner 30 and the corner area 29, extending to the outer part of the flange 5. The weld seam is produced by fusion welding, in particular arc welding such as MIG welding.

[0062] Fig. Figure 12 shows a further embodiment of the present invention. Here, the outwardly projecting portion of the flange 5 of both side walls 4 is initially extended outward or further projected in the area of the corner connection. The weld seam 32 is then extended to the outer end 34 of the further outwardly projecting flanges 5.

[0063] The flange 5 is then Fig. 13a and Fig. 13b is machined along a cutting line 35 by cutting or other abrasive or mechanical means, resulting in a smooth outer peripheral edge 36 of the flange 5, which has a high connection quality, especially in the area of the weld seam of the flange 5. Weld seam defects, particularly in the flange area, are thus avoided according to the invention.

[0064] Fig. Figure 14 shows a supplementary design variant. Here, a sealing bead 37 is additionally applied to the weld seam 32 from the inside, at least in lengthwise sections.

[0065] Fig. Figure 16 shows a further embodiment of an independent inventive concept. It shows a cover 2 of a battery carrier 1. This cover is also manufactured as a folding component and has a base 3 and a circumferential side wall 4. The side wall 4 has four sides or side wall sections, which are joined together in a respective corner region 29 after the folding process. According to the invention, an additional step 38 is now formed on each of two opposite side walls 4, on the left and right with respect to the image plane. This can also be clearly seen in the sectional view along section line AA in Fig. 17. The step 38 allows for the installation of battery modules in the hood 2 or the tray. Furthermore, the step 38 stiffens the corresponding side wall 4. The inventive design of a step 38, 57 in the side wall 4 can be combined with any of the previously described corner connection techniques.

[0066] Fig. Figure 18 shows a further embodiment of the present invention. Here, the step 38 is formed on three sides of the circumferential side wall 4. Punch nuts 39 are arranged on the step 38 or inserted into it, so that in Fig. 18 not shown in detail batteries or battery modules can be attached in the tray or hood 2.

[0067] Fig. 19a to 19f show different cross-sectional views of the surrounding frame 6. Fig. 19a shows the frame 6 in a cross-sectional view. Spacer bosses 20 arranged both at the top and at the bottom can be seen. The spacer bosses 20 can also be referred to as a shield edge. This results in an external impact surface 40 which is oriented in the transverse and longitudinal directions X, Y of the vehicle, respectively, so that it first comes into contact with an impacting object. Predetermined bending points 43 are formed in an upper chord 41 and a lower chord 42. The predetermined bending points 43 indicate a corresponding deformation. A groove 45 and a tongue 46 can optionally be formed on a standing chord 44 arranged towards an inner region of the battery tray. Another spacer boss, not shown in detail, could also be formed here. In particular, the frame or the profile for producing the frame is manufactured by extrusion.

[0068] Fig. 19b shows an alternative design variant in which the predetermined bending points 43 are not arranged in the region of an inner hollow chamber 47, but are arranged outside.

[0069] Fig. 19c shows an alternative in which the hollow chamber 47 is larger and the standing belt 44 is less massive.

[0070] Fig. Figure 19d shows an alternative design variant with three hollow chambers 47 arranged in each upper chord 41 and lower chord 42. Two hollow chambers are arranged on the outside, and one hollow chamber 47 is arranged on the inside. The hollow chambers 47 thus serve as triggers in the event of an impact in the direction of force F, enabling targeted deformation or folding.

[0071] According to the design variant of Fig. 19e, the hollow chamber 47 is further configured such that two tips 48 extend toward the impact surface 40, with one tip 48 arranged at the top and one at the bottom, respectively. This also allows for targeted deformation in the event of an impact in the direction of force F.

[0072] Fig. Figure 19f shows an alternative design variant in which a total of five predetermined bending points 43 are incorporated in each of the upper chord 41 and lower chord 42. This allows the folding behavior to be specifically influenced. The frame 6 thus operates according to the principle of a crash box, particularly in the event of lateral intrusion of objects into the battery tray.

[0073] Fig. Figure 20 shows the entire system of the battery tray from below. An exhaust system (not shown in detail) can be routed through the recessed area 10, which can also be referred to as the center tunnel 49.

[0074] According to Fig. 21, a heat shield 50 is arranged in this center tunnel 49. The heat shield 50 itself overlaps the respective hollow chambers 8 with a flange 51. The heat shield 50 is then formed in the region of the center tunnel 49 with two hollow chambers 52 with a triangular cross-section and a web 53 connecting them in the middle. The heat shield 50 is designed in particular as an extruded component. The web 53 preferably has a wall thickness between 4 mm and 5 mm, in particular 4.5 mm, the triangular hollow chambers 52 have a wall thickness in the range of 3.5 mm to 4.5 mm, in particular 4 mm, and the flange 51 has a wall thickness of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm, in particular 3 mm. The heat shield 50 thus simultaneously serves as a load path in the transverse direction Y of the vehicle.

[0075] Fig. 22 shows a tray 55 according to the invention. The tray 55 has a base plate 56 and a circumferential side wall 4. The side wall 4 and the base plate 56 are manufactured in one piece and from the same material by cutting out a blank and then folding the blank. The front side 4v of the side wall 4 and the rear side 4h of the side wall 4, relative to the image plane, are each smooth. The left side 4l of the side wall 4 and the right side 4r of the side wall 4, relative to the image plane, are formed with an additional step 57. The step 57 is molded in and serves as a support surface for battery modules arranged in the tray 55 and / or for additional stiffening. The front side 4v of the side wall 4 is folded upwards in a subsequent manufacturing step and then welded to the side 4l and side 4r in the resulting corner areas. Furthermore, a bending area 58 between the floor panel 56 and the side wall 4 is shown.According to the invention, this is manufactured with a particularly small bending radius relative to the thickness or wall thickness W of the sheet metal blank. This is possible due to the folding technique.

[0076] The tub 55 shown here can also be used as a hood in the embodiment according to Fig. 1. In this case, it is also conceivable that the steps stiffen the hood itself and, when installed, also the battery carrier. Thus, the hollow profiles of frame 3 could be made lighter and / or thinner, or even eliminated entirely. Reference symbols: 1 battery tray 2 hood 3 Floor 4 side wall 5 Flange 6 frames 7 floor plate 8 hollow profile 9 Middle profile 10 excluded area 11 Mounting tab 12 screw connection 14 collars 15 Interior 16 Battery 17 Cooling channel plate 18 Formation to 17 19 cooling channels 20 spacer humps 21 gap 22 tongue and groove system 23 hollow chambers 24 Underrun protection plate 27 Recording block 28 screw 29 Corner area 30 corner 31 part to 5 32 Weld seam 33 Offset 34 outer end 35 Cutting line 36 outer edge 37 Sealing bead 38th level 39 Punch nut 40 impact surface 41 Upper chord 42 lower chord 43 Predetermined bending point 44 standing belt 45 groove 46 spring 47 hollow chamber 48 lace 49 Central tunnel 50 heat protection plate 51 flange 52 triangular hollow chambers 53 jetty 54 Cover plate 55 tub 56 floor panel 57th level 58 bending area Z Motor vehicle vertical direction Y vehicle transverse direction K Force direction

Claims

[1] Battery carrier for an electric vehicle, comprising a tray for receiving batteries with a base and a circumferential side wall and a lid, wherein the lid is designed as a hood (2) and the circumferential side wall is designed by a circumferential frame (6) made of hollow profiles, wherein the frame (6) is coupled to a base plate (7), wherein the hood (2) is placed on the hollow profile in the closed state, characterized by that a cooling system is formed below the floor, by a cooling channel plate (17) coupled fluid-tight to the floor plate (7) and that a protective floor is arranged below the cooling system. [2] Battery carrier according to claim 1, characterized by that the hood (2) is made of metallic material as a cast component or as a folded component made of sheet metal. [3] Battery carrier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the cooling system is formed by a cooling channel plate (17) which is coupled to the base in a fluid-tight manner, such that cooling channels (19) for the passage of a fluid are formed between the cooling channel plate (17) and the base plate (7). [4] Battery carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the hollow profile (8) of the frame (6) is screwed to the floor with the inclusion of a sealing compound. [5] Battery carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the hollow profile (8) has a projecting web on its upper side and / or that the hollow profile (8) has a projecting web on its underside, such that when the hollow profile (8) is coupled to the hood (2) and / or the hollow profile (8) is coupled to the floor, a defined gap remains. [6] Battery carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the base and the cooling channel plate (17) are screwed to the frame (6). [7] Battery carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the protective floor is formed from hollow profiles (8), wherein preferably several hollow profiles (8) are plugged into one another by means of a tongue and groove plug-in system (22). [8] Battery carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a cover plate is arranged to the side of the protective floor. [9] Battery carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an underrun protection plate is arranged below the hollow profiles (8) of the protective floor. [10] Battery carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that holders are attached to the inside of the frame for coupling and / or holding batteries.

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