Safety device for a battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a safety device (1) for a battery (2) of an electric or hybrid vehicle, which device comprises a floor portion (8) of the vehicle equipped with a fusible means (16) covering an opening for accessing the battery in order to spray an extinguishing fluid, characterised in that it further comprises a guide member (5) configured to guide said extinguishing fluid towards the battery, said guide member (5) comprising a mounting plate (26) arranged on a structure of the vehicle around the fusible means (16), and further comprising deployable means (28) such that the guide member (5) is configured to move from a position wherein it is retracted against the floor portion (8) to a position wherein it is deployed in the vicinity of the battery.

Description

[0001] Title of the invention: Safety device for a battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of batteries, in particular for electric or hybrid vehicles, and more particularly to batteries comprising safety devices, participating in the function of extinguishing the battery in the event of a fire in the vehicle.

[0003] Electric or hybrid vehicles have an energy storage battery to supply power to the electric motor.

[0004] These batteries release heat during operation and their operating temperature is monitored to avoid being exposed to very high temperatures at which they can deteriorate or even ignite. This risk is particularly present in the event of an accident to the vehicle which may involve deterioration of the battery, and in particular of the electrochemical cells which are housed within a casing delimiting the battery. In the event of a fire, the very high heat release near the battery can trigger a thermal runaway phenomenon inside the electrochemical cells which can then in turn ignite inside the battery. Such a chemical fire is very difficult to extinguish, especially if it is confined within the battery casing. This results in a risk of the battery exploding. In addition, the electrochemical cells can emit toxic and flammable liquids and / or gases.

[0005] To prevent these risks of explosion, it is important to inject a large quantity of extinguishing fluid into the battery box as quickly as possible, in order to flood all the components inside the battery box.

[0006] To this end, it is known to provide a safety device which has two distinct technical elements, namely on the one hand an opening in the floor associated with a fusible means which ensures the sealing of the floor under normal conditions of use of the vehicle and which is capable of giving way under appropriate conditions to allow passage to one end of a fire hose, through which the extinguishing fluid is projected at high pressure, and on the other hand a cover formed in a top part of the battery box, which again is capable of giving way under appropriate conditions to allow the extinguishing fluid projected by the fire hose to penetrate into the battery box.

[0007] Advantageously, the cover is arranged in line with the fusible means so that almost all of the extinguishing fluid projected through the fusible means enters the housing through the cover.

[0008] The electrification of an ever-increasing number of vehicles implies a diversity in the services offered by manufacturers. It is now possible to choose, for a given vehicle, the type of battery that is desired, in particular for financial considerations, considerations of power supply to be provided to the electric motor and / or considerations of autonomy. These different types of battery have different shapes and dimensions, so that the cover formed in the upper part of the battery can be found in different positions on the vehicle on which a particular battery is mounted. As far as possible, manufacturers provide a floor in which the fuse means is arranged in line with the cover. For various reasons, particularly space requirements, this may not be possible.

[0009] Furthermore, in a context of economies of scale, the platforms, i.e. the structural base of the vehicles, can be made common to several vehicles which can be equipped with batteries of different dimensions. The position of the fuse means on the floor must be fixed for all vehicles having this common platform and the fuse means can thus be found for certain types of battery opposite the cover and for others be offset in one or more directions.

[0010] The present invention falls within this context and aims to propose a safety device for a motor vehicle which makes it possible to effectively carry out operations of spraying extinguishing fluid within each of the different types of battery likely to equip this vehicle.

[0011] The main subject of the present invention is thus a safety device for a battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle, comprising a portion of the floor of the vehicle equipped with a fusible means covering an access opening to the battery for the projection of an extinguishing fluid, characterized in that it further comprises a guide member configured to guide said extinguishing fluid towards the battery, said guide member comprising on the one hand a fixing plate, arranged on a structure of the vehicle around the fusible means, and on the other hand deployable means such that the guide member is configured to move from a retracted position against the floor portion to a deployed position in the vicinity of the battery.

[0012] The safety device according to the invention aims to perform a battery extinguishing function in the event of a fire, by allowing an extinguishing fluid to be guided towards the battery and more particularly within this battery, water representing an extinguishing fluid.

[0013] The deployable, or telescopic, nature of the guide member ensures that the free end of the guide member is in contact with the battery, and more particularly in the vicinity of a battery access fuse device, regardless of the position of this battery. The deployed position of the guide member can thus be understood as being the maximum deployment position or as an intermediate deployment position in which the free end of the guide member is in contact with the battery. It is thus possible, for the same platform with a standard floor and a standard guide member arranged opposite this floor, to allow the arrangement of several types of batteries while ensuring that the extinguishing fluid is correctly guided to flood the battery, without losses between the floor and the battery.

[0014] For example, battery types may differ depending on certain parameters, such as electrical power supply or range. Thus, for vehicles requiring high power supply and range, a battery of a first type, larger in size to accommodate more electrochemical elements, is housed under the floor, the access fuse device being located near the floor. Conversely, for vehicles requiring lower power supply and range, a battery of a second type, smaller in size, is housed under the floor, which implies a greater distance between the access fuse device of this battery and the floor than for batteries of the first type.

[0015] As mentioned, the floor of the vehicle includes a fusible means which constitutes a positioning marker for the fire hose during an intervention by fire professionals. The guide member makes it possible to guide the extinguishing fluid towards the battery access fusible device, regardless of the battery housed under the floor, the free end of the guide member being able to be deployed at a greater or lesser distance from the floor until it comes into contact with the surface of the battery opposite the floor.

[0016] The deployable nature of the guide member is thus intended to ensure, with a single part mounted in a standard manner on the floors of different vehicles, that the battery mounted elsewhere on the vehicle, whatever the type of this battery, is supplied with as much as possible of the quantity of extinguishing fluid projected by the fire hose, by adapting the distance of deployment of the guide member according to the dimensions specific to each type of battery. This combines an effective system for combating battery combustion, in a context of multiplication of the type of batteries that can be installed on vehicles, with a standardization of the means implemented.

[0017] According to an optional characteristic of the invention, the guide member is configured to deploy under the effect of pressure exerted by the extinguishing fluid.

[0018] According to an optional feature of the invention, the guide member is configured to be in a deployed position when it receives the extinguishing fluid.

[0019] According to an optional characteristic of the invention, the floor portion comprises an upper face facing a passenger compartment of said vehicle and a lower face facing the battery, the guide member being arranged opposite the lower face of the floor portion.

[0020] According to an optional feature of the invention, the fixing plate of the guide member is fixed to the underside of the floor. This ensures that the guide member is arranged directly against the underside of the floor and that the extinguishing fluid is fully directed through the guide member, without loss between the floor and the guide member, which has the effect of optimizing the efficiency of the system.

[0021] Alternatively, in cases where this would simplify the factory assembly process for example, it could be provided that the guide member, via its fixing plate, is fixed to other structural elements of the vehicle and for example to cross members forming a floor support. According to an optional characteristic of the invention, the deployable means comprise a fixed base secured to the fixing plate, the fixed base being sized to surround the access opening covered by the fusible means.

[0022] In the event of a battery fire, or a fire hazard, firefighters position a fire hose over the access opening and the extinguishing fluid is projected through this opening, once the fusible link has failed. The fact that the fixed base of the deployable means surrounds the access opening ensures that all the projected extinguishing fluid spreads within the guide member until it reaches the burning battery and allows it to be effectively drowned.

[0023] According to an optional characteristic of the invention, the guide member comprises a system for retaining the deployable means, the retaining system being capable of maintaining the guide member in a retracted position, said retaining system being configured to yield under a determined pressure and / or under a determined temperature.

[0024] In normal situations of use of the vehicle, that is to say in particular in the case where there is no fire which risks generating a temperature runaway within the battery, the guide member is not stressed and it maintains a retracted position, as it has had since it was assembled on the structure of the vehicle. This retracted position thus forms a basic position of the guide member. When the high-pressure extinguishing fluid is projected onto the guide member, or when the latter is subjected to an excessive temperature, representative of the start of a fire, the restraint system gives way and the deployable means can take a deployed position to form a conduit for guiding the extinguishing fluid.

[0025] According to an optional feature of the invention, the deployable means comprise a plurality of rings arranged successively one inside the other and capable of sliding in pairs one inside the other when the guide member passes from the retracted position to the deployed position. In other words, the deployable means are nested means taking the form of rings, substantially concentric in the retracted position of the guide member. And a ring of the deployable means is caused to slide, during deployment of the guide member, inside the directly adjacent ring which surrounds it and forms with it a pair of rings. According to an optional feature of the invention, the fixed base of the deployable means is formed by the larger ring inside which each of the other rings are successively housed.

[0026] According to an optional feature of the invention, the rings comprise angular indexing means configured to allow the rings to be placed in angular position relative to each other in the retracted position.

[0027] According to an optional characteristic of the invention, the rings extend around a main elongation axis, said deployable means comprising deflection means carried by at least one of the rings and configured to guide the movement of a ring relative to the ring which surrounds it in a direction inclined relative to the main elongation axis of this ring which surrounds it.

[0028] These deflection means gradually make it possible to give a curved profile to the deployment of the guide member, and thus to orient the free end of the guide member towards a battery cover when the latter is not in line with the access opening in the floor and the associated fuse means.

[0029] According to an optional characteristic of the invention, at least one ring comprises at its free end edge, facing away from the floor portion, a beveled geometry to facilitate the movement of the ring which it surrounds in said inclined direction.

[0030] According to an optional characteristic of the invention, at least one ring has a stop means configured to limit the movement of this ring relative to the ring which surrounds it.

[0031] In other words, the at least one ring comprises a dropped edge capable of coming into abutment against a raised edge of the ring which surrounds it, the at least one ring being able to slide to this end-of-travel stop once the retaining system of the guide member has given way.

[0032] According to a variant, each ring could be retained by a system of chains respectively arranged between this ring and the ring which surrounds it, each chain being dimensioned so that the ring which moves within the ring which surrounds it does not move beyond a free end edge of the ring which surrounds it. According to an optional characteristic of the invention, the guide member can be composed of plastic material loaded with fibers.

[0033] The fibers are chosen in particular for their thermal properties, in order to allow the guide member to withstand high temperatures linked to fire and, if necessary, the runaway of the electrochemical means present within the battery housing. Alternatively, the guide member could be made of steel, which has the advantage of having good fire resistance capabilities. To overcome the potential disadvantage of a higher weight to be considered in the total weight of the vehicle, the guide member made of steel is configured with thin sheets.

[0034] According to an optional characteristic of the invention, the fusible means present in the floor and capable of providing access to the battery is thermofusible, configured to break in the event of a temperature exceeding a given temperature threshold, and / or capable of breaking in the event of overpressure exerted by means of pressurized projection of the extinguishing fluid.

[0035] The invention also relates to an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, comprising a battery arranged under a floor and a safety device as previously mentioned, said battery having an upper face facing the floor which comprises a fusible means covering an access opening, characterized in that the deployable means of the guide member are configured to give the guide member a deployed position facing the battery access fusible device.

[0036] In the retracted position, the guide member is advantageously retracted between structural elements supporting the floor, in particular crosspieces, to protect the guide member.

[0037] As mentioned, it can be ensured, thanks to the presence of the deployable, or telescopic, guide member, that the free end of this guide member is always in the vicinity, advantageously in contact with the top surface of the battery and therefore of the access fuse device, or cover, whatever the type of battery present under the floor, that is to say whatever the size and shape of the battery and more particularly whatever the position of the cover forming the access fuse device relative to the floor and to the fuse means on which the fire hose will be positioned.The invention also relates to a method for securing a battery fitted to a motor vehicle as previously mentioned, in which an extinguishing fluid is projected towards the battery when the latter is in a risky situation, said fluid being projected through the access opening present in the floor, once the fusible means has failed, and in which the guide member is configured in a deployed position to position it opposite an appropriate area of ​​the battery by the projection force of the extinguishing fluid coming out of a fire hose.

[0038] Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description of a detailed embodiment which follows, given for informational and non-limiting purposes with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which:

[0039] [Fig.l] illustrates, in perspective and partially, an electric or hybrid vehicle equipped with a battery of a first type and a safety device in accordance with one aspect of the invention, with a floor in which is formed an opening for access to the battery which is closed here by a fusible means and a member for guiding an extinguishing fluid, for example a jet from a fire hose, towards a cover formed at the top of the battery;

[0040] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates, in section, the safety device of figure 1, with the guide member which is in a retracted position, this figure making visible two different types of battery which can be associated with the operation of the safety device and among which the first type of battery of figure 1, in solid lines, and a second type of battery, in dotted lines;

[0041] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates, in section, the safety device of figure 2, with the guide member which is this time in a deployed position when the safety device is associated with the first type of battery;

[0042] [Fig.4] schematically illustrates, in section, the safety device of figure 2, with the guide member which is this time in a deployed position when the safety device is associated with the second type of battery;

[0043] [Fig.5] illustrates, schematically, an embodiment of the deployable guide member illustrated in the preceding figures, here in a retracted position; [Fig.6] illustrates, schematically, the deployable guide member of figure 5, in the deployed position visible in figure 4;

[0044] [Fig.7] illustrates, schematically, one of the components of the guide member of figures 5 and 6; and

[0045] [Fig.8] illustrates, schematically, an alternative embodiment of a component forming a deployable guide member.

[0046] The features, variants and different embodiments of the invention, as described or as will be presented in the detailed description which follows, may be combined with each other, in various combinations, to the extent that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. In particular, variants of the invention may be imagined comprising only a selection of features described below in isolation from the other features described, if this selection of features is sufficient to confer a technical advantage and / or to differentiate the invention from the prior art.

[0047] As a reminder, the invention proposes a safety device 1 intended to equip a vehicle, in particular a vehicle with an electric or hybrid motor, allowing, in the event of a fire in a battery 2 integrated within said vehicle, to deploy a guide member 5 under the effect of the force exerted by the jet of an extinguishing fluid by a fire hose 4, the deployment of the guide member aiming to guide the extinguishing fluid appropriately onto the burning battery to drown it as effectively as possible. In this context, the invention proposes more particularly a guide member capable of taking appropriate deployed positions to effectively guide the extinguishing fluid to several types of battery likely to equip the vehicle on which the safety device is mounted.

[0048] In the remainder of the description, we will speak of battery to cover in particular the notion of battery pack, that is to say a case within which are arranged electrical energy storage cells and a plurality of electronic components participating in managing the charging and discharging of these cells, regardless of the shape of the cells.

[0049] Figures 1 and 2 thus illustrate a part of the vehicle equipped with a safety device according to the invention, with a guide member 5 which is in a retracted position. The vehicle comprises a floor 8 which is arranged between the passenger compartment and the underbody of the vehicle, resting on different structural elements of the vehicle including here two cross members 11 extending transversely to the main longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0050] The floor 8 comprises a lower face 10 and an upper face 12, the upper face 12 facing the passenger compartment of the vehicle and the lower face facing the underbody of the vehicle.

[0051] The floor 8 comprises a fusible means 16 arranged in the thickness of the floor portion, which covers an access opening passing through the floor 8 from the upper face 12 to the lower face 10. The access opening makes it possible, when the fusible means has failed, to index the position of the fire hose 4, in order to direct the jet of extinguishing fluid projected by the fire hose 4 towards the base and the battery 2.

[0052] The lower face 10 of the floor 8 faces the battery 2, and in particular faces a top surface 14 of the battery 2. This top surface 14 comprises an access fuse device, here a cover, 6 which covers an access zone inside the battery. It is understood that during a fire or a fire starting within the battery, the people intervening to secure the vehicle aim to project a maximum quantity of extinguishing fluid through this cover 6 so that the extinguishing fluid, in particular the jet of water coming from the fire hose 4, spreads within the battery and up to a battery back wall 17 to drown the flames.

[0053] The previously mentioned guide member 5 has the function of guiding the jet of extinguishing fluid more precisely. For this purpose, it is arranged between the battery 2 and a portion of floor 8, here between the crosspieces 11, surrounding the fuse means 16.

[0054] As can be seen in Figure 2, a clearance distance 100 is defined for each type of battery capable of being mounted on the vehicle equipped with the safety device, this clearance distance 100 being measured between the lower face 10 of the floor and the top surface portion 14 comprising the cover 6. The guide member 5 of the safety device 1 is deployable such that its free end 50 is able to come opposite the cover 6 of the top surface regardless of the clearance distance 100.In other words, the guide member is configured to extend, in the event of a fire or accident and an operation of projecting an extinguishing fluid towards the battery, between the floor 8 and the top surface 14 of the battery 2, and this regardless of the type of battery 2 mounted on the vehicle equipped with the safety device, as is notably visible respectively in FIG. 3 for a first type of battery 2a and in FIG. 4 for a second type of battery 2b.

[0055] Two types of battery are shown in Figure 2, but it should be noted that their respective shapes and dimensions, and in particular the position of their cover 6 relative to the fuse means 16 of the floor, are shown here as an example to illustrate the fact that the guide member 5 is configured to take several deployed positions, and that other types of battery could equip the vehicle with the same advantages of using the safety device according to the invention, namely providing a standard means which makes it possible to effectively guide the extinguishing fluid for several types of battery.

[0056] In the example illustrated in Figure 2, the battery 2 may be of a first type 2a or of a second type 2b, the battery of the first type 2a corresponding to a battery of larger dimensions than those of the battery of the second type 2b. Depending on the options desired by the purchasers of these vehicles, it is desirable to be able to implement under the floor a battery offering greater autonomy, which is made possible by the larger dimensions of the battery of the first type 2a, or a less expensive battery such as the battery of the second type 2b.

[0057] Figure 2 schematically illustrates the context of an integration of two different types of batteries on a standard vehicle structure, which remains broadly the same regardless of the type of integrated battery. The second type battery 2b, in dotted lines, is smaller than the first type battery so that the clearance distance 100b previously mentioned which is associated with it is greater than the clearance distance 100a which is associated with a first type battery 2a. Furthermore, the cover 6 present in the top surface 14 of the second type battery 2b is offset longitudinally relative to the fuse means 16 formed in the floor portion 8 arranged directly above the battery.

[0058] The guide member 5 will now be described more particularly, with reference to FIG. 2 to describe its retracted position, with reference to FIG. 3 to describe a deployed position when it is associated with the battery of the first type 2a and with reference to FIG. 4 to describe a deployed position when it is associated with the battery of the second type 2b.

[0059] The guide member 5 comprises a fixing plate 26 and deployable means 28 forming a conduit for guiding the extinguishing fluid, and the deployment of which relative to the fixing plate defines the elongation of the guide member.

[0060] The fixing plate 26 is configured to allow the fixing of the guide member 5 to the structure of the vehicle, and more particularly here to the lower face 10 of the floor 8. The fixing plate 26 is arranged around the opening formed in the floor and covered by the fusible means 16, in order to arrange the conduit formed by the deployable means opposite this opening.

[0061] The guide member comprises a retaining system 27, shown schematically in FIG. 2, which makes it possible to maintain the guide member in its retracted position under normal conditions of use of the vehicle, that is to say when no fire, or risk of fire, of the battery is identified.

[0062] It is notable that the guide member 5, in its retracted position, is not in contact with the top surface 14 of the battery regardless of the type of battery fitted to the vehicle, this clearance making it easier to mount the battery on the vehicle and avoiding noise due to vibrations of the parts when the vehicle is moving.

[0063] The retaining system 27 can be produced in several ways without departing from the context of the invention, since it makes it possible to maintain the guide member in its retracted position when the vehicle is in normal conditions of use and it becomes inoperative, to allow the guide member to take its deployed position, as soon as a rise in temperature occurs representative of the start of a fire or as soon as an extinguishing fluid is projected through the opening in the floor. For example, the retaining system can be a hot-melt device arranged across the direction of movement of the deployable means of the guide member, or it can be a ring with frangible portions which are sized to yield under the pressure of an extinguishing fluid projected by a fire hose.

[0064] In the embodiment described in detail below, with components of the deployable means moving relative to each other to form a telescopic device, the retaining system 27 may also consist of dimensions of the components relative to each other that provide a tight fit preventing movement during normal operating conditions but that does not prevent movement under pressure from extinguishing fluid sprayed from a fire hose.

[0065] When such pressure is exerted, or when an excessive temperature representative of the start of a fire is reached, the restraint system becomes inoperative and the guide member 5 deploys until it takes on its maximum elongation configuration or until it comes into contact with the top surface 14 of the battery 2 equipping the vehicle.

[0066] An elongation distance 102 of the guide member 5 is determined as being a vertical distance, substantially perpendicular to the floor 8 opposite which the guide member is arranged, between the fixing plate 26 and the free end 50 of the guide member, opposite the fixing plate 26. The deployable means 28 of the guide member 5 are configured to be able to have a maximum elongation distance at least equal to the greatest clearance distance that can be achieved with one of the types of battery capable of equipping the vehicle.

[0067] In the example of Figure 3, with a battery of the first type 2a which generates a clearance distance 100a less than this maximum elongation distance 102, the deployable means 28 do not deploy completely and the deployed position of the guide member is reached when the free end 50 of the guide member 5 comes into contact with the top surface of the battery of the first type 2a.

[0068] In the example of figure 4, with a battery of the second type 2b which generates a clearance distance 100b at least equal to this maximum elongation distance 102, the deployable means 28 deploy fully and the deployed position of the guide member is reached with the free end 50 of the guide member which is either in contact with the top surface of the battery of the second type 2b, or in its immediate vicinity.

[0069] In the example of Figure 4, and as mentioned previously, the battery of the second type 2b comprises a cover 6 which is offset longitudinally relative to the opening formed in the hatch and the associated fuse means 16. The deployed position of the guide member is such that the deployable means 28 extend with an inclination relative to a direction normal to the floor. Appropriate deflection means are provided within the guide member to give it a curved shape during deployment. Of course, if all the batteries intended to equip the vehicle are configured so that their cover 6 is arranged in line with the fuse means 16, the guide member 5 does not comprise such deflection means and the deployable means are deployed in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the floor.

[0070] In this context of deployable means equipped with deflection means to give the guide member an inclined deployed position, it is notable that the deployed position of the guide member 5 when a battery of the first type 2a equips the vehicle remains substantially perpendicular to the floor due to the short deployment distance necessary to come into contact with the top surface 14 of the battery 2.

[0071] The guide member will now be described in more detail, with reference to an embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 to 7, it being understood that the general points specified previously may apply to other embodiments.

[0072] As mentioned, the guide member comprises a fixing plate 26, which is configured to allow fixing to a structural element of the vehicle and in particular on the lower face 10 of a floor portion 8. In the example illustrated, the fixing plate comprises orifices 260 allowing the passage of appropriate assembly means, in particular fixing screws. The fixing plate could be made integral with the structure of the vehicle by other means, for example by welding, in particular because the guide member 5 is a standard part equipping the vehicle regardless of the type of battery used.

[0073] The deployable means 28 of the guide member 5, forming a conduit capable of guiding the extinguishing fluid, comprises a plurality of rings 30 arranged successively one inside the other, in a concentric arrangement when the guide member is in its retracted position. Considering a radial dimension of the rings 30, here the diameter around a main elongation axis substantially perpendicular to the floor, it is possible to identify an initial ring 31, of larger radial dimension which surrounds all the others, a final ring 32, of smaller radial dimension which is surrounded by all the others, and where appropriate, one or more intermediate rings whose corresponding radial dimension decreases as they approach the final ring.

[0074] The initial ring forms a fixed base 31 of the guide member, made integral with the fixing plate. The height, that is to say the axial dimension along the main elongation axis of the rings, of this fixed base 31 is at least equal to and where appropriate greater than the height of the other rings so that in the retracted position, none of the other rings protrude from the fixed base.

[0075] The retaining system 27 mentioned above is in the illustrated example formed by a membrane 34 arranged at the free end edge 35 of the fixed base 31, across the passage section defined by the initial ring forming this fixed base. The membrane is dimensioned to resist the pressure exerted by the rings under the effect of gravity but to yield when there is an extinguishing fluid pressure or a temperature equivalent to that which occurs during a fire. It should be noted that the thickness of the membrane may have been exaggerated in Figure 5 to make it visible and to make its positioning clearer.

[0076] When the retaining system 27 gives way, each ring 30 is able to slide inside the ring which surrounds it, under the effect of gravity and the pressure of the extinguishing fluid if necessary, the guide member then passing from the retracted position to the deployed position.

[0077] The sliding of the rings ends either because the free end edge of one of the rings, in particular the free end edge 35 of the final ring 32, comes into contact with the battery 2, or because the deployable means 28 are extended to the maximum. In this case, each of the movable rings inside the initial ring forming the fixed base 31 is in the end-of-travel stop position.

[0078] Stop means are thus provided to limit the deployment of each ring 30 within the ring which surrounds it and to ensure that each ring remains engaged with the other rings and participates in forming a conduit for the extinguishing fluid guide. In the illustrated embodiment, each movable ring thus comprises a dropped edge 34, as visible in FIG. 7, which forms a radial projection, towards the outside of the ring, at an end edge facing the floor portion 8, and which is intended to come into contact with a raised edge 38 present on the ring which surrounds it and which forms a radial projection towards the inside of this ring.

[0079] Each ring also comprises angular indexing means which aim to ensure good positioning of the ring within the ring which surrounds it and which aim in particular to allow the angular positioning of the rings relative to each other in the retracted position. In the illustrated embodiment, each movable ring comprises a local deformation 40, which reduces the passage section of the conduit at the level of this ring. The insertion of a ring between another ring of larger radial dimension is made possible by the complementarity of shapes of these local deformations.

[0080] Furthermore, to the extent that at least one of the types of battery has a cover 6 offset longitudinally relative to the fuse means 16 and that it is appropriate to give an inclination to the guide member during its deployment, as mentioned previously, at least one of the rings may comprise deflection means for guiding the movement of a ring relative to the ring which surrounds it in a direction inclined relative to the main elongation axis of this ring which surrounds it.

[0081] In the illustrated embodiment, these deflection means are partly formed by the local deformation 40 mentioned above, insofar as it has a slope inclined relative to the main elongation axis. The ring which slides along the local deformation 40 formed in the ring which surrounds it is caused to move with a direction of movement inclined relative to the main elongation axis of the ring which surrounds it. Gradually, the final ring 32 has a main elongation axis inclined multiple times relative to the main elongation axis of the initial ring 31. Furthermore, in order to allow the sliding of the ring which it surrounds with an inclined direction, at least the initial ring and the intermediate rings have a beveled shape at their free end edge 35. The bevel is made so that the axial dimension of the ring is reduced opposite to the local deformation.

[0082] Of course, shape variants are possible to obtain deployable means equivalent to what has just been described and capable of generating a telescopic effect making it possible to position the free end 50 of the guide member 5 as close as possible to the cover 6 formed in the top surface 14 of the battery. As a non-limiting example, Figure 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a ring forming the deployable means. According to this variant, the ring comprises on its external surface a helical groove 52 making it possible to guide the movement of a ring within the ring which surrounds it. The helical groove here replaces the local deformation to form angular indexing means. In a manner equivalent to what has been described previously, movement stop means are provided and formed here by a fallen edge 34.The deflection means comprise, as previously, a beveled end edge of the ring and the ramp forming an inclined plane for guiding the ring in a direction inclined relative to the elongation axis can be formed by a local excess thickness not shown here.

[0083] It follows from the above that the invention has indeed achieved the aims it set itself, namely to propose a system which makes it possible to effectively guide the extinguishing fluid projected by a fire hose during an intervention on a damaged vehicle to direct it to a precise location on the battery, regardless of the type of battery fitted to the vehicle, in a context of standardization of mounting platforms which implies that several types of battery can be mounted on the same vehicle structure.

[0084] The guide member which is the main subject of the invention can maintain a retracted position until the use of the fire hose begins, that is to say until the fire hose is positioned opposite the fusible means present on the floor portion. The deployed position of the guide member is obtained thanks to the pressure exerted by the extinguishing fluid projected by the fire hose, which has the effect of rendering inoperative the restraint system associated with the deployable means of the guide member.

[0085] Alternatively, the guide member which is the main subject of the invention can take its deployed position before the use of the fire hose, as soon as the restraint system is rendered inoperative, for example by excessive temperature or by unusual jolts occurring during a violent impact suffered by the vehicle.

[0086] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous adjustments can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention, provided that a deployable structure makes it possible to guide an extinguishing fluid between the floor and the battery, in particular to adapt to this or that type of battery equipping the vehicle.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Safety device (1) for a battery (2) of an electric or hybrid vehicle, comprising a floor portion (8) of the vehicle equipped with a fusible means (16) covering an access opening to the battery for the projection of an extinguishing fluid, characterized in that it further comprises a guide member (5) configured to guide said extinguishing fluid towards the battery, said guide member (5) comprising on the one hand a fixing plate (26), arranged on a structure of the vehicle around the fusible means (16), and on the other hand deployable means (28) such that the guide member (5) is configured to move from a retracted position against the floor portion (8) to a deployed position in the vicinity of the battery.

2. Safety device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the floor portion (8) comprises an upper face (12) facing a passenger compartment of said vehicle and a lower face (10) facing the battery (2), the guide member (5) being arranged opposite the lower face (10) of the floor portion (8).

3. Safety device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the fixing plate (26) of the guide member (5) is fixed on the lower face (10) of the floor.

4. Safety device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deployable means (28) comprise a fixed base (31) secured to the fixing plate (26), the fixed base (31) being sized to surround the access opening covered by the fusible means (16).

5. Safety device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide member (5) comprises a retaining system (27) for the deployable means (28), the retaining system being capable of maintaining the guide member (5) in a retracted position, said retaining system being configured to yield under a determined pressure and / or under a determined temperature.

6. Safety device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the deployable means (28) comprise a plurality of rings (30) arranged successively one inside the other and capable of sliding in pairs one inside the other when the guide member (5) passes from the retracted position to the deployed position.

7. Safety device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the rings (30) comprise angular indexing means (32) configured to allow the rings to be placed in angular position relative to each other in the retracted position.

8. Safety device (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the rings (30) extend around a main elongation axis, said deployable means (28) comprising deflection means (40, 41) carried by at least one of the rings and configured to guide the movement of a ring relative to the ring which surrounds it in a direction inclined relative to the main elongation axis of this ring which surrounds it.

9. Safety device (1) according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that at least one ring (30) has a stop means (34, 38) configured to limit the movement of this ring relative to the ring which surrounds it.

10. Electric or hybrid motor vehicle, comprising a battery (2, 2a 2b) arranged under a floor (8) and a safety device according to one of the preceding claims, said battery having an upper face facing the floor which comprises an access fuse device (6), characterized in that the deployable means (28) of the guide member (5) are configured to give the guide member (5) a deployed position facing the access fuse device (6) of the battery (2, 2a, 2b).

11. Method for securing a battery fitted to a motor vehicle according to the preceding claim, in which an extinguishing fluid is projected towards the battery when the latter is in a risky situation, said fluid being projected through the access opening present in the floor, once the fusible means (16) has failed, and in which the guide member (5) is configured in a deployed position to position it opposite an appropriate area of ​​the battery by the projection force of the extinguishing fluid coming out of a fire hose.

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