Integration of a motor / adjustment unit in a battery housing of an electric vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery housing for a battery electric vehicle, having a hollow structure, which is made up of a plurality of cross members (1) aligned parallel to one another and arranged one after the other along a transverse axis of the vehicle and joined together, for receiving battery cells in a respective hollow space of the cross members (1), wherein the hollow structure has a receiving interface (3) in an area assigned to the rear footwell for receiving an electric machine and / or an adjustment unit for an adjustable aerodynamic element and / or a Venturi unit, such that the electric machine and / or the adjustment unit and / or the Venturi unit is integrated into the battery housing.

Description

[0001] Integration of a motor / adjustment unit into a battery housing of an electric vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a battery housing for a battery-electric vehicle, as well as a vehicle with such a battery housing.

[0003] In contrast to vehicles, particularly passenger cars, with combustion engines, which can carry liquid fuel with a relatively high energy density in a tank, battery-electric vehicles must carry a correspondingly large battery, the volume of which typically significantly exceeds that of a tank for liquid fuel. This creates the problem of positioning the battery in the vehicle in such a way that the center of gravity is not too high above the ground, as this would negatively impact driving dynamics, while at the same time ensuring that interior comfort is not unduly compromised, for example, by a battery located in the floor area reducing the footwell too much, particularly for passengers sitting in the rear.In addition, when designing a battery housing, which serves to accommodate the individual battery cells, strict mechanical specifications must be observed, in particular sufficient rigidity to absorb external loads while simultaneously meeting complex requirements regarding collision scenarios of the vehicle.

[0004] In this context, DE 102018 131 824 A1 relates to a battery housing with a trough structure formed by a base and side walls, wherein a profile is integrated into the base of the battery housing, which profile has two legs in a cross-section viewed transversely to its longitudinal extent, which are connected by a web running parallel to the base, wherein the legs and the web form a tunnel-like recess on the underside of the base, each with an opening at opposite lateral ends for a pipe, in particular an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, wherein the profile is a hollow chamber profile having an upper chord and a lower chord spaced therefrom, which delimits the tunnel-shaped recess.

[0005] WO 2021 / 003299 A1 also relates to a frame of a vehicle battery pack for a vehicle, comprising: a base having a length and a width;

[0006] Side members on opposite sides of the base extending the length of the base and secured to a perimeter of the base; and cross members extending the width of the base between the longitudinal members; each of the longitudinal members comprising a profiled body having a sidewall with a first surface facing the cross members and an opposite second surface; and a polymer reinforcement attached to the profiled body and facing the second surface of the sidewall of the profiled body.

[0007] The object of the invention is to design the construction of a battery-electric vehicle in the area of ​​the battery structure with a battery housing in such a way that it is as space-optimized as possible.

[0008] The invention is based on the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] A first aspect of the invention relates to a battery housing for a battery-electric vehicle, comprising a hollow structure formed from a plurality of cross members which are aligned parallel to one another along a transverse axis of the vehicle and are arranged in a row and joined to one another in abutting relationship, for receiving battery cells, optionally combined in battery modules, in a respective hollow space of the cross members, wherein the hollow structure has, in a region assigned to the rear footwell, a receiving interface for receiving an electric machine or an adjusting unit, in particular for an adjustable aerodynamic element, or a Venturi unit, such that the electric machine or the adjusting unit or the Venturi unit is integrated into the battery housing.

[0010] The electric machine preferably comprises an electric motor, which can also preferably be operated in generator mode to absorb external torque for generating and feeding electrical energy back into the battery of the electric vehicle. The adjustment unit, on the other hand, serves in particular for the actuator-based adjustment of an aerodynamic element in the area of ​​the vehicle's underbody. The Venturi unit is a special aerodynamic element, also to be arranged in the area of ​​the vehicle's underbody.

[0011] Typically, the electric motor and / or the adjustment unit and / or the Venturi unit, when arranged at the mounting interface, are already located in a wet area that is not separately sealed to the floor of the vehicle. The separate sealing typically only occurs upwards toward a passenger compartment, the dry area.

[0012] While a gap between the cross members can be deliberately provided for the aforementioned foot garage, installation space can still be used in a central area in the rear footwell, as an extension of the center console between the front seats, to integrate the electric motor and / or the adjustment unit and / or the Venturi unit into the battery housing, actively utilizing the structural elements of the battery housing for support. The battery housing thus serves multiple purposes simultaneously, making optimal use of the available installation space.

[0013] The cross members are preferably extruded profiles, but alternative designs can also be used. The cross members are preferably welded together or otherwise firmly connected to meet the necessary mechanical requirements for the battery housing, particularly under dynamic loads while driving a vehicle with such a battery, as well as during collisions between the vehicle and surrounding objects, as typically occur in traffic accidents.

[0014] When the battery housing is installed in a vehicle, equipped with battery cells, the mounting interface is located in the footwell area of ​​the rear of the vehicle. If the electric motor or the adjustment unit or the Venturi unit is integrated into a longitudinal member between a front and rear cross member adjacent to it and centrally to the vehicle's transverse axis, the gap between the cross members is filled in the middle by the longitudinal member, but a recess remains to the left and right of the longitudinal member in which the feet of an occupant sitting in a left or right rear seat next to a vehicle door can comfortably rest. Otherwise, the battery housing would be detrimental to the depth of the footwell or the seating position of the vehicle occupants, thus tending to reduce comfort in the rear.However, vehicle models can also be designed in such a way that this is not necessary, particularly in the case of a low-lying battery or a taller vehicle with the aforementioned battery housing or a correspondingly flat battery housing. Thus, the mounting interface can be installed in a regular cross member, eliminating the need for a longitudinal member. The cross member can be connected to the mounting interface with the other cross members as explained above, particularly by welding the cross members together to meet mechanical requirements. Other joining methods are also possible, such as riveting, gluing, or clinching.

[0015] The mounting interface, or a longitudinal member with the mounting interface if one is provided, is designed for integration in such a way that it can withstand the inertial forces of the masses and other external loads and also takes into account the loads that occur in the event of a collision. For this purpose, the battery housing is also designed to be sufficiently rigid in the area of ​​the mounting interface in order to be able to absorb and dissipate the regular dynamic forces and moments while the vehicle is moving as well as the loads that occur in the event of a collision as required. In addition, the electric motor and / or the adjustment unit and / or the Venturi unit are advantageously housed in a protected area, for example in a longitudinal member designed as an extruded profile between an adjacent front and rear cross member.

[0016] Furthermore, a specified floor boundary line can still be advantageously maintained, since the battery housing does not need to have any protruding element either upwards or downwards in the area of ​​the mounting interface to accommodate the electric motor and / or the adjustment unit and / or the Venturi unit. The mounting interface preferably has connection points integrated into the extruded profile of the battery housing.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment, the sequence of cross members for the area of ​​the rear footwell is interrupted, wherein a longitudinal member is arranged in the gap created by the interruption between cross members in front of the gap and cross members behind the gap, wherein the longitudinal member mechanically connects two cross members adjacent to the longitudinal member, and wherein the longitudinal member has the receiving interface and a cavity for receiving the electric machine and / or the adjusting unit and / or the Venturi unit in its cavity.

[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the longitudinal member and the cross members adjoining in front of and behind the longitudinal member terminate in a planar manner to form a common plane upwards in the direction of the passenger compartment, or the longitudinal member does not exceed a height of the cross members upwards in the direction of the passenger compartment.

[0019] What both cases have in common is that the longitudinal member does not protrude above a level on the upper sides of the cross members, i.e. the longitudinal member does not extend beyond this level. This means that a uniform height of the cross members is not exceeded, even by integrating the longitudinal member to accommodate the electric motor and / or the adjustment unit and / or the Venturi unit. If necessary, the longitudinal member can even be lower than the height of the cross members, but this can lead to impairments in the mechanical connection between cross members, which are directly adjacent to the longitudinal member, and the longitudinal member. The individual design of a vehicle type and the corresponding mechanical requirements must be taken into account here.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the longitudinal member is arranged centrally with respect to a vehicle transverse axis, so that recesses that function as a foot garage are provided to the left and right of the longitudinal member. The respective foot garage utilizes a gap between the cross members, so that the cross members do not, as far as possible, lead to a reduced depth of the footwell in the rear area of ​​the vehicle, which would otherwise reduce comfort for passengers in the rear seats.

[0021] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the longitudinal member is designed as an extruded profile.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, one of the cross members has the receiving interface in the area assigned to the rear footwell.

[0023] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the receiving interface is sealed upwards in the direction of the passenger compartment.

[0024] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the cross members are joined extruded profiles. According to a further advantageous embodiment, the electric motor or the adjustment unit or the Venturi unit are connected to the receiving interface by means of blind rivet nuts or threaded bolts or by means of a thread.

[0025] A further aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle with a battery housing as described above and below.

[0026] Advantages and preferred developments of the proposed vehicle result from an analogous and analogous transfer of the statements made above in connection with the proposed battery housing.

[0027] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, which – where appropriate with reference to the drawings – describes at least one embodiment in detail. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0028] They show:

[0029] Fig. 1: A plan view of a battery housing with a longitudinal member designed as an extruded profile according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0030] Fig. 2: A bottom view of the battery case of Fig. 1.

[0031] Fig. 3: A battery housing according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0032] The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

[0033] Fig. 1 shows, from a perspective top view, a battery housing for a battery-electric vehicle. In this case, a hollow structure is formed from a plurality of cross members 1 made of extruded metallic profiles, which are aligned parallel to one another, arranged in a row and welded to one another along a transverse vehicle axis and are intended to accommodate battery cells (in a respective hollow space of the cross members 1). For representative purposes, only one of the cross members 1 among the plurality of cross members 1 is designated as such in Fig. 1. The hollow spaces of the cross members 1 run along the vehicle's transverse axis, which is perpendicular to the main direction of travel of the vehicle and runs from top right to bottom left in Fig. 1. The main direction of travel of the vehicle, in which the battery housing equipped with a plurality of battery cells, in particular embedded in cell modules / battery modules, is installed, is directed to the bottom left in Fig. 1.The area at the top right of the battery housing, in which the receiving interface 3 is provided in a longitudinal member 5, is therefore located in an area of ​​the battery structure which, when the battery structure is installed in a vehicle, is located in the rear area of ​​the vehicle. Since the receiving interface 3 is arranged centrally with respect to a transverse axis of the vehicle in the longitudinal member, which is also designed as a metallic extruded profile, there is a recess to the left and right of the longitudinal member in order to form a respective foot garage for one occupant in a left rear seat and another occupant in a right rear seat of the vehicle. The longitudinal member 5 and the cross members 1 adjoining in front of and behind the longitudinal member 5 are planar to a common plane upwards in the direction of the passenger compartment, i.e. they are the same height in the direction of the passenger compartment.

[0034] Fig. 2 again shows the battery housing of Fig. 1 in perspective, but from below. The view is therefore from the ground toward the passenger compartment. Here, the mounting interface 3 is visible from below, where an electric motor and / or an adjustment unit for an adjustable aerodynamic element and / or a Venturi unit is mounted using rivets, welds, screws, or similar means.

[0035] Fig. 3 shows an alternative battery housing in which a cross member 1 located in the rear footwell has the receiving interface 3. The perspective view is aligned analogously to Fig. 1, i.e., the viewing direction is from above, from a passenger compartment toward the floor. Here, the cross members 1 are continuously arranged in a row; no gap is formed in an area of ​​the battery structure associated with a rear area of ​​the vehicle by omitting one or more of the cross members 1, as in the embodiment of Fig. 1.Rather, during the manufacture of this battery housing, the same or different cross members 1 are lined up and joined together, and in the area assigned to a rear area of ​​the vehicle, only the underside of the cross members 1 located therein is preferably modified so that the electric machine and / or the adjustment unit and / or the Venturi unit can be inserted therein and fixed by a corresponding receiving interface 3 using blind rivet nuts, threaded bolts or the like. Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exist.It is also clear that exemplary embodiments are truly only examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope, possible applications, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms. With knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art can make various changes, for example, with regard to the function or arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

[0036] List of reference symbols

[0037] 1 cross member

[0038] 3 Recording interface

[0039] 5 longitudinal members

[0040] 7 Foot garage

Claims

Patent claims 1. Battery housing for a battery-electric vehicle, comprising a hollow structure, in particular consisting of a plurality of cross members (1) aligned parallel to one another along a transverse vehicle axis and arranged one next to the other in a row and joined to one another in abutting relationship, for receiving battery cells in a respective hollow space of the cross members (1), wherein the hollow structure has a receiving interface (3) for receiving an electric machine and / or an adjusting unit for an adjustable aerodynamic element and / or a Venturi unit such that the electric machine and / or the adjusting unit and / or the Venturi unit is integrated into the battery housing.

2. Battery housing according to claim 1, wherein the juxtaposition of the cross members (1) is interrupted for the area of the rear footwell, wherein a longitudinal member (5) is arranged in the gap created by the interruption between cross members (1) in front of the gap and cross members (1) behind the gap, wherein the longitudinal member (5) mechanically connects two cross members (1) resting against the longitudinal member (5), and wherein the longitudinal member (5) has the receiving interface (3) and has a cavity for receiving the electric machine and / or the adjusting unit and / or the Venturi unit in its cavity.

3. Battery housing according to claim 2, wherein the longitudinal member (5) and the cross members (1) adjoining in front of and behind the longitudinal member (5) terminate in a planar manner to form a common plane upwards in the direction of the passenger compartment, or wherein the longitudinal member (5) does not exceed a height of the cross members (1) upwards in the direction of the passenger compartment.

4. Battery housing according to one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the longitudinal member (5) is arranged centrally with respect to a vehicle transverse axis, so that recesses with the function of a foot garage (7) are provided to the left and right of the longitudinal member (5).

5. Battery housing according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the longitudinal member (5) is designed as an extruded profile.

6. Battery housing according to claim 1, wherein one of the cross members (1) has the receiving interface (3) in the area associated with the rear footwell.

7. Battery housing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiving interface (3) is sealed upwards in the direction of the passenger compartment.

8. Battery housing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cross members (1) are extruded profiles joined together.

9. Battery housing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical machine and / or the adjustment unit and / or the venturi unit is connected to the receiving interface (3) by means of blind rivet nuts and / or threaded bolts and / or by means of a thread.

10. Vehicle with a battery housing according to one of the preceding claims.

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