Electric or hybrid motor vehicle comprising a device for fastening pipes
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- STELLANTIS AUTO SAS
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing temporary fixing systems for conduits in electric or hybrid vehicles are prone to softening, leading to a loss of retention capability, which compromises the secure placement of pipes and affects vehicle aerodynamics and battery life.
A fixing device with an asymmetrical clamp and screw mechanism that maintains pipes of different diameters, utilizing a spacer for enhanced resistance and aerodynamic protection, while optimizing battery width and avoiding collisions.
The solution provides a secure, long-term pipe fixation that preserves battery life and aerodynamics, reduces the overall width of the fixing device, and enhances vehicle autonomy by preventing collisions and maintaining effective liquid transport.
Smart Images

Figure FR2024050714_30012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
DESCRIPTION TITLE OF THE INVENTION: ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING A PIPE FIXING DEVICE
[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application No. 2308032 filed on 26.07.2023, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] The invention relates to the field of electric or hybrid motor vehicles, and more particularly to pipe fixing devices for said vehicles.
[0003] Prior art patent application US2120828 A describes a temporary conduit fastening system for use in the construction industry. The fastening system comprises a malleable band, the two ends of which are configured to fold back on themselves, each designed to enclose a conduit of different dimensions. Between the two ends, the band has an opening into which a screw is inserted to keep the system closed. In this way, the conduits are held firmly and cannot escape from the system. A bolt secures the screw. The objective of the invention is to provide a temporary solution for securing conduits so that the technician in charge of the construction site can have their hands free before permanently tying the conduits together. However, some drawbacks remain.Because the tape is malleable, there is a high risk of it becoming more flexible with repeated use. When the tape becomes flexible, the conduits are no longer held securely and will therefore hang loose. Eventually, the fastening system will no longer be able to hold the conduits in place.
[0004] The objective of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by providing a robust fastening device that allows the pipes of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle to be held permanently.
[0005] To achieve this objective, the invention proposes an electric or hybrid motor vehicle comprising a running gear whose points of contact with the ground defines a base plane defined by a first longitudinal direction corresponding to forward rolling in a straight line, and by a second transverse direction oriented towards the inside of said vehicle and orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction and a third vertical direction orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction and to the second transverse direction and is oriented away from the ground, said vehicle comprising a battery comprising a support, a first longitudinal member having a first part and a second longitudinal member having a second part, said vehicle comprising a first pipe and a second pipe, said vehicle comprising an air screen, said vehicle comprising a fastening device, said fastening device comprising a screw fixed by a nut and an asymmetrical clamp, said screw passing through said air screen, said support and the first longitudinal member,the first part of the first spar and the second part of the second spar forming a docking zone opposite said asymmetric clamp, characterized in that said asymmetric clamp holds a first pipe having a first outside diameter and a second pipe having a second outside diameter different from the first outside diameter.
[0006] Thanks to this invention, the pipes are retained while leaving space to optimize the width of the vehicle's battery. This preserves the battery's range and maintains the vehicle's aerodynamics. This configuration also prevents collisions between the first and second frame rails.
[0007] Advantageously, the said fastening device includes at least one spacer.
[0008] The spacer improves the strength of the fastening device.
[0009] Furthermore, the first outer diameter is 2 to 4 times larger than the second outer diameter.
[0010] This configuration reduces the overall width of the mounting device, thus preventing collision between the first and second longitudinal members at the docking area. The vehicle's battery width is therefore not negatively impacted, ensuring efficient range.
[0011] Advantageously, said asymmetric clamp has a parallelepiped shape, said asymmetric clamp having a width between 3 cm and 7 cm.
[0012] In this way, the battery's width is preserved without any adverse consequences. The vehicle's range is therefore maintained.
[0013] Advantageously, the first pipe is configured to carry water.
[0014] Advantageously, the second pipe is configured to carry brake fluid.
[0015] Preferably, the first pipe has a first internal diameter and the second pipe has a second internal diameter.
[0016] For the same circumference, a round pipe carries a much larger volume of liquid than a rectangular pipe.
[0017] Advantageously, said first inner diameter and said second inner diameter are between 1 cm and 4 cm.
[0018] This allows for a limited size of the asymmetrical clamp.
[0019] Advantageously, the first and second pipes were arranged horizontally relative to each other according to the basic plan.
[0020] In this configuration, the air screen covers the first pipe and the second pipe, thus protecting them.
[0021] Preferably, the first part forms a plane, the second outer diameter and the plane of the first part are separated by a distance d, said distance d being greater than 1 cm.
[0022] This allows for a collision margin between the second pipe and the first part.
[0023] The invention will be further detailed by describing non-limiting embodiments, and based on the accompanying figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: - [Fig.1] schematically illustrates a fastening device intended for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle according to a first embodiment; - [Fig.2] illustrates a side view of said fastening device according to a second embodiment of the invention; [Fig.3] illustrates a bottom view of said fastening device according to the embodiment illustrated in figure 2.
[0024] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a fastening device according to the invention, said fastening device being intended for an electric or hybrid vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 comprises a running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane XY defined by a first longitudinal direction X corresponding to forward movement in a straight line, and by a second transverse direction Y oriented towards the interior of said vehicle 100 and orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction X, and a third vertical direction Z orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction X and to the second transverse direction Y and oriented away from the ground. Figure 1 shows a battery 1 and a support 2 for said battery 1. The support holds said battery 1 within the vehicle 100.A first longitudinal member 3, having a first portion 3a, is arranged towards the interior of the vehicle 100 along the second direction Y. A second longitudinal member 4, having a second portion 4a, is arranged towards the exterior of the vehicle 100 along the second direction Y. The first portion 3a and the second portion 4a form a docking zone 10. This docking zone 10 is a collision-prone area, as the first portion 3a and the second portion 4a are very close to each other. One of the objectives of the invention is to prevent a collision at the docking zone 10 by creating space. The fastening device comprises a screw 8 secured by a nut 11 and an asymmetrical clamp 9. The combined action of the screw 8 and the nut 11 is to create a compressive force to hold all the elements through which the screw 8 passes.The asymmetric clamp 9 comprises a first pipe 5 with a first outside diameter and a second pipe 6 with a second outside diameter. The outside diameter corresponds to the overall diameter of the pipe, including the wall thickness. The first pipe 5 and the second pipe 6 have, respectively, a first and a second inside diameter. The inside diameter corresponds to the overall diameter of the pipe minus the wall thickness. The first pipe 5 is positioned opposite the aforementioned clamp. Battery 1. The second pipe 6 is positioned opposite the docking area 10. Advantageously, the first pipe contains water while the second pipe contains brake fluid. An air screen 7 is positioned below the mounting device along the third direction Z. The air screen 7 is a housing protecting the first pipe 5 and the second pipe 6 containing fluids. The air screen 7 thus prevents damage to the first pipe 5 and the second pipe 6, as these pipes are positioned close to the ground along the third direction Y and are therefore highly exposed to road debris. The second role of the air screen 7 is to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle 100 by reducing friction caused by the presence of the first pipe 5 and the second pipe 6.The screw 8 passes through the asymmetrical clamp 9, the air vent 7, the support 2, and the first longitudinal member 3. Preferably, the asymmetrical clamp 9 has a parallelepiped shape with a width between 3 cm and 7 cm. A narrow width for the asymmetrical clamp 9 avoids the need to reduce the width of the battery 1. Indeed, the battery 1 is a set of accumulators that convert chemical energy into electrical energy. This electrical energy is then used by the motor to propel the vehicle 100. If the width of the battery 1 is reduced, then the battery 1 contains fewer accumulators. However, the number of accumulators has a direct impact on the range of the vehicle 100. The range of an electric or hybrid vehicle 100 corresponds to the number of kilometers that the vehicle 100 can travel on a single full charge.Reducing the width of said battery 1 reduces the range of said vehicle 100. The second outer diameter is smaller than the first outer diameter. Preferably, the first outer diameter is 2 to 4 times larger than the second outer diameter. In this way, the space required for the placement of the second pipe 6 is reduced, and this creates a collision margin between the second pipe 6 and said first part 3a. Advantageously, the first pipe 5 has a first inner diameter and the second pipe 6 has a second inner diameter. Preferably, the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter. are between 1 cm and 4 cm. A circular cross-section limits the friction experienced by the liquid flowing through the first pipe 5 and the second pipe 6. In this way, the liquid flows more efficiently. The first part 3a, positioned opposite the second pipe 6, forms a plane. The second outer diameter in a direction opposite to the second direction Y and the plane of the first part 3a are separated by a distance d greater than 1 cm. Thus, this leaves a margin in case of a collision between the second pipe 6 and the first part 3a of the first stringer 3. Alternatively, the fastening device also includes a spacer. A spacer is a connecting piece that increases strength. In this case, the spacer would increase the strength of the fastening device.
[0025] In Figures 2 and 3, the fastening device is shown in side and bottom views, respectively, according to a second embodiment of the invention. The screw 8 passes through the air screen 7, the asymmetrical clamp 9, and the battery support 2. A nut 11 secures the screw 8 and tightens all the components it passes through against each other. Figure 2 illustrates an indexing pin 14 that prevents the asymmetrical clamp 9 from rotating when the screw 8 is tightened. To balance the gap between the asymmetrical clamp 9 and the support 2 created by the indexing pin 14, a centering cylinder 13 is provided. In this way, the screw 8, after passing through the asymmetrical clamp 8, passes through the centering cylinder 13 before passing through the support 2. A spacer 12 is also shown. The role of the spacer 12 is to reinforce the fastening device.In the view from below, for clarity, the air screen 7 is not shown. The asymmetric clamp 9 is shown as a parallelepiped shape traversed by a first duct 5 and a second duct 6. Between the first duct 5 and the second duct 6, on the asymmetric clamp 9, is the screw 8. On the same axis, between the first duct 5 and the second duct 6, is the spacer 12. The indexing finger 14 is also illustrated.
Claims
CLAIMS 1. Electric or hybrid motor vehicle (100) comprising a running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane (XY) defined by a first longitudinal direction (X) corresponding to rolling forward in a straight line, and by a second transverse direction (Y) oriented towards the inside of said vehicle (100) and orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction (X) and a third vertical direction (Z) orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction (X) and to the second transverse direction (Y) and is oriented away from the ground, said vehicle comprising a battery (1) comprising a support (2), a first side member (3) having a first part (3a) and a second side member (4) having a second part (4a), said vehicle comprising a first pipe (5) and a second pipe (6), said vehicle comprising an air screen (7), said vehicle (100) comprising a fixing device,said fixing device comprising a screw (8) fixed by a nut (11) and an asymmetrical clamp (9), said screw passing through said air screen (7), said support (2) and the first spar (3), the first part (3a) of the first spar (3) and the second part (4a) of the second spar (4) forming a docking zone (10) opposite said asymmetrical clamp (9), characterized in that said asymmetrical clamp (9) holds a first pipe (5) having a first outside diameter and a second pipe (6) having a second outside diameter different from the first outside diameter., 2. Vehicle according to claim 1 characterized in that said fixing device comprises at least one spacer.
3. Vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the first external diameter is 2 to 4 times greater than the second external diameter.
4. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said asymmetrical clamp (9) has a parallelepiped shape, said asymmetrical clamp (9) having a width of between 3 cm and 7 cm.
5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first pipe (5) is configured to carry water.
6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the second pipe (6) is configured to carry brake fluid.
7. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first pipe (5) has a first internal diameter and the second pipe (6) has a second internal diameter.
8. Vehicle according to claim 7 characterized in that said first internal diameter and said second internal diameter are between 1 cm and 4 cm.
9. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that the first pipe (5) and the second pipe (6) are arranged horizontally relative to each other along the base plane (XY).
10. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 characterized in that the first part (3a) forms a plane, the second external diameter and the plane of the first part (3a) being separated by a distance d, said distance d being greater than 1 cm.