High-voltage battery for a vehicle and method for producing vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a high-voltage battery for an at least partially electrically powered vehicle, which can be installed with its battery housing (13) in an assembly space (7) of a vehicle body structure (11) that is open towards the bottom of the vehicle, wherein a plate-shaped contact protection device (10) is assigned to the base of the high-voltage battery (9), which is a separate component from the high-voltage battery (9). According to the invention, the high-voltage battery (9) is largely free of any connections to the vehicle body structure (11). The plate-shaped contact protection device (10) is a component of a battery support element (8) on which the high-voltage battery (9) is supported with its component weight, wherein the battery support element (8) can be connected to the vehicle body structure (11) via body-side connection points (K).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a high-voltage battery for an at least partially electrically operated vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method for producing vehicles according to claim 4.

[0002] A high-voltage battery, with its battery housing, can be installed in an assembly space of a vehicle body that is open to the bottom of the vehicle. A plate-shaped contact protection is attached to the base of the high-voltage battery, which is a separate component from the high-voltage battery and is connected to the vehicle body structure via body-side connection points.

[0003] The current state of the art is to use specially adapted high-voltage battery systems for different vehicle variants in vehicle manufacturing plants. Therefore, there is a wide variety of battery system variants to be maintained.

[0004] DE 10 2016 207 231 A1 discloses an arrangement for a high-voltage electrical energy storage device on a vehicle. DE 10 2012 000 622 A1 discloses a battery arrangement for an electric vehicle. DE 22 41 548 B discloses an installation arrangement for the replaceable batteries of an electric vehicle. JP H07-81 623 A1 discloses a floor structure for an electric vehicle.

[0005] A generic high-voltage battery for a vehicle is known from US 2015 / 0249240 A1. Further high-voltage batteries for vehicles are known from DE 10 2017 005 314 A1 and DE 10 2010 022 876 A1.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a high-voltage battery for an at least partially electrically operated vehicle and a method for producing such vehicles, in which the number of variants of the high-voltage batteries to be kept in stock is reduced compared to the prior art.

[0007] The object is solved by the features of claim 1 or claim 4. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0008] The invention is based on the fact that, in the prior art, connection points are formed directly on the battery housing of the high-voltage battery on the body side in order to connect the battery housing directly to the vehicle body structure. Therefore, the connection points formed on the battery housing must be adapted to the specific vehicle geometry of the vehicle body structure. In contrast, according to the invention, the battery housing of the high-voltage battery is largely, in particular completely, free of connections to the vehicle body structure. According to the invention, the plate-shaped contact protection is part of a battery support element on which the high-voltage battery is supported with its entire component weight.

[0009] In one embodiment, the high-voltage battery according to the invention can, for example, be connected to the vehicle body at a suitable location via at least one connection point (e.g., a screw point). In another embodiment, the high-voltage battery can be without connection points, i.e., completely free of connection to the vehicle body.

[0010] In a technical implementation, the battery support element can have, in addition to the body-side connection points (for connection to the vehicle body structure), additional battery-side connection points via which the battery housing of the high-voltage battery can be mounted on the battery support element.

[0011] According to the invention, the high-voltage battery, together with the battery power electronics, can form a fully electrically functional battery system that meets all requirements for electrical functions, EMC, sealing, and defined mechanical loads, regardless of the battery support element. In contrast, the specific vehicle requirements for crash, crush, and bollard protection, as well as the brackets or fastening points for screwing into the vehicle body structure, can be met by the additional battery support element. This is screwed underneath the battery system. Using the battery support element, the vehicle class- and model-specific requirements can be implemented without modifying the basic battery system. This reduces the variety of battery system variants required, both in production and in customer service.The assembly of the battery system and the battery support element results in the high-voltage battery to be installed in the vehicle.

[0012] The core of the invention therefore lies in the separation of the battery support element from the fully functional and homologable battery system (vehicle-specific battery support element). The battery support element can be optimally scaled to suit the various vehicle installation spaces and load requirements in a modular manner, without modifying the battery system. This enables a positive ratio of battery weight to energy density, provided the battery support element is assigned to the vehicle. The battery system can be used without the battery support element for test bench tests, resulting in cost reduction. A standard battery is manufactured during series assembly of the battery systems. The completion of the individual vehicle-specific variants to form the high-voltage battery does not have to take place immediately afterward, but can also take place at the vehicle manufacturing plant.If the battery system is to be integrated into a new vehicle, only the battery support element needs to be redesigned as an adapter.

[0013] Aspects of the invention are highlighted in detail below: Accordingly, the vehicle can be manufactured in the vehicle manufacturing plant in at least a first vehicle variant and a second vehicle variant. Identical battery systems can be assigned to both vehicle variants across all variants. In contrast, each vehicle variant is assigned a variant-specific battery support element that is adapted to the respective vehicle variant.

[0014] The battery housing of the high-voltage battery consists of a surrounding housing frame. A housing top and a housing base are attached to the surrounding housing frame. The battery housing is connected to the battery-side connection points of the battery support element via its housing frame.

[0015] The battery-side connection points and the body-side connection points of the battery support element are formed on the battery support element independently of each other.

[0016] An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the attached figures.

[0017] They show: Fig. 1 shows a side view with partial elevation of a vehicle with a high-voltage battery installed therein; Fig. 2 an enlarged sectional view along the section plane AA from the Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a battery system and a battery support element in a perspective exploded view; and Fig. 4 a roughly schematic block diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a vehicle in different vehicle variants.

[0018] In the Fig. 1 shows a side view of a two-track vehicle. The vehicle has a rear area 1 with an indicated rear seat bench 3. The rear seat bench 3 is mounted on a Fig. 1 in the elevation partially visible body floor assembly. This is located in the Fig. 1 and in the Fig. 2 only to the extent necessary for understanding the invention. Therefore, both the Fig. 1 as well as the Fig. 2 does not provide a realistic structure of the vehicle's body and floor assembly. Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, the body floor assembly has a rear panel part 5, the underside of which defines an assembly space 7, open towards the bottom of the vehicle, for a high-voltage battery 9. The battery assembly space 7 is separated from the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle transverse direction y by a rear-side body longitudinal member 11 ( Fig. 2). A plate-shaped contact protection 10 is assigned to the base of the high-voltage battery 9. This is implemented as a separate component from the high-voltage battery 9 and is part of a battery support element 8. The battery support element 8 is connected to the vehicle body via body-side connection points K ( Fig. 2) connected to the vehicle body structure.

[0019] The following is based on the Fig. 2, the structure of the battery housing 13 of the high-voltage battery 9 is described: Accordingly, the battery housing 13 has a surrounding housing frame 15, which is realized as an aluminum casting. A housing upper shell 17 is mounted on the top of the housing frame 15, and a housing base 19 is mounted on its underside. A number of battery modules 21 are arranged in the battery interior thus delimited, of which Fig. 2 only a battery module 21 is partially indicated. The battery module 21 is in the Fig. 2 is supported via its battery module mounting section 37 on a screw boss 33 formed on the housing frame 15 and is screwed thereto (by means of a screw bolt 39). Its screw axis is aligned perpendicular to a horizontal frame plane spanned by the housing frame 15.

[0020] The core of the invention is that the high-voltage battery 9 is largely, in particular completely, free from any connection to the vehicle body structure and is supported with its component weight completely on the battery support element 8. Therefore, both a battery support function and a touchdown protection function are integrated in the battery support element 8. As can be seen from the Fig. 2, the battery housing 9 is connected to its surrounding frame 15 via battery-side connection points B (i.e. screw points) on the battery support element 8.

[0021] In the Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of the battery housing 9 and the battery support element 8. The battery housing 9, with the battery modules 21 integrated therein, together with battery power electronics 14, forms a fully electrically functional battery system 16. Outwardly projecting mounting brackets 12 with the body-side connection points K are formed on the battery support element 8 at each corner, via which the battery support element 8 can be connected to the vehicle body structure.

[0022] The following is a rough schematic block diagram of the Fig.4 describes a method for producing vehicles in a first vehicle variant I and in a second vehicle variant II: Accordingly, identical battery systems 16 (i.e., high-voltage battery 9 and battery power electronics 14) are provided for both vehicle variants I and II across all variants. In addition, each of the vehicle variants I and II is assigned a variant-specific battery support element 8, 8', which are adapted to the geometric conditions of the respective vehicle variant I, II. For example, in the battery support element 8 adapted to the first vehicle variant I, the mounting brackets 12 protrude upwards from the plate-shaped contact protection 10 by a first overall height h1. In contrast, in the battery support element 8' adapted to the second vehicle variant II, the mounting brackets 12 protrude upwards from the plate-shaped contact protection 10 by a second overall height h2.

[0023] The advantages of the invention can be summarized as follows: The battery system 16 is fully functional without the battery support element 8 and can therefore be used independently for test bench tests. The variety of battery systems 16 that must be maintained can be significantly reduced. The testing effort required to adapt the high-voltage battery 9 to different vehicles is reduced. In addition, logistics costs are reduced by uniform transport packaging for the battery system 16. Furthermore, a positive energy density-to-battery weight ratio of the battery system 16 is provided. In addition, the battery support element 8 can be individually adapted for each vehicle without modifying the battery system 16. Since the battery system 16 is subjected to only minimal stress, further development with alternative materials to reduce costs and / or weight is possible.The combination of the battery system 16 with the battery support element 8 does not have to take place at the battery system production site, but can take place in the vehicle manufacturing plant. List of reference symbols 1 fund area 3 rear seat bench 5 rear panel part 7 Assembly room 8, 8' battery support elements 9 High-voltage battery 10 plate-shaped impact protection 12 Mounting bracket 11 Body longitudinal members 13 Battery housing 14 Battery power electronics 15 housing frames 16 Battery system 17 Upper housing part 19 Case bottom 21 Battery module 33 screw dome 37 Battery module assembly section 39 screw bolts K Body-side connection point B battery-side connection point I, II vehicle variants h1, h2 Height of the mounting bracket 12

Claims

[1] A high-voltage battery for an at least partially electrically powered vehicle, which can be installed with its battery housing (13) in an assembly space (7) of a vehicle body structure (11) that is open towards the bottom of the vehicle, wherein the high-voltage battery (9) is assigned a plate-shaped contact protection device (10) on the bottom side, which is a separate component from the high-voltage battery (9), wherein the high-voltage battery (9) is connected to the vehicle body structure (11) completely without any connection or via at least one connection point, wherein the plate-shaped contact protection device (10) is a component of a battery support element (8) on which the high-voltage battery (9) is supported with its component weight, wherein the battery support element (8) can be connected to the vehicle body structure (11) via body-side connection points (K), and wherein a number of battery modules (21) are arranged in the battery housing interior, characterized bythat the battery housing (13) is constructed from a circumferential housing frame (15) to which a housing upper part (17) and a housing base (19) are connected, that the battery housing (13) is connected via its housing frame (15) to battery-side connection points (B) of the battery support element (8), and that the respective battery module (21) is supported via its battery module mounting section (37) on a screw dome (33) formed on the housing frame (15) and is screwed by means of a screw bolt (39). [2] High-voltage battery according to claim 1, characterized by that the high-voltage battery (9) together with the associated battery power electronics (14) forms a completely electrically functional battery system (16) which meets all requirements for electrical function, EMC, tightness and defined mechanical loads, independently, i.e. dismantled, from the battery support element (8). [3] High-voltage battery according to claim 2, characterized by that the vehicle can be produced in at least a first vehicle variant (I) and a second vehicle variant (II), and that both vehicle variants (I, II) are assigned identical battery systems (16) across all variants, and that each vehicle variant (I, II) is assigned a variant-specific battery support element (8, 8') which is adapted to the respective vehicle variant (I, II). [4] Method for producing vehicles in at least a first vehicle variant (I) and a second vehicle variant (II), wherein identical high-voltage batteries (9) according to one of the preceding claims are assigned to the two vehicle variants (I, II) across variants, and a variant-specific battery support element (8, 8') is assigned to the two vehicle variants (I, II) in each case, which is adapted to the respective vehicle variant (I, II).

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