IMPACTOR FOR A ROTATING ELECTRIC MACHINE CROSSBODY OF AN AUTOMOBILE

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly for a motor vehicle comprising: - a rotating electrical machine (17), - at least one structural element (22) of the motor vehicle, - a crossmember (15) comprising means for fastening (16) to the rotating electrical machine (17) and means for fastening (21) to the structural element (22) or an intermediate element (23) intended to be fastened to the structural element (22), - at least one electrical component (26, 27, 28) carried by said crossmember (15), - an impactor (32) projecting from a front face of the crossmember (15), so as to allow, in the event of a frontal impact, a programmed rupture of the crossmember (15) in a predetermined rupture zone (33). Figure 4

Description

Title of the invention: IMPACTOR FOR A CROSS-MEMBER OF A ROTATING ELECTRIC MACHINE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

[0001] The present invention relates to an impactor for a crossmember of a rotating electrical machine of a motor vehicle. The invention aims to improve safety performance in the event of a frontal impact at high speed.

[0002] In an electric vehicle architecture developed by the applicant and shown in [Fig.l], the rotating electrical machine crossmember 1 is intended to be fixed to a structural element of the motor vehicle. The crossmember 1 comprises fixing means 2 for fixing a rotating electrical machine 3 to the crossmember.

[0003] The crosspiece 1 also carries electrical components, such as an external electrical charging circuit 5 called an OBC circuit (for "On-Board Charger" according to English terminology) allowing the recharging of an electric battery with an external electrical source, an electric heating device 6 intended to heat a heat transfer liquid, or an electrical connection box 7 allowing in particular the electrical interconnection between the electric battery and the electrical components 5, 6.

[0004] As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, in the event of a high-speed frontal impact, the recoil of the rotating electrical machine is likely to cause breakage of the crossmember 1. Depending on the impact zone of the frontal impact, the electrical components 5-7 carried by the crossmember 1 may end their travel in the bulkhead 8 separating the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle from the engine compartment. In the case of the vehicle being embedded under a truck (known as an "Underride" impact according to English terminology) generating a stress force along the arrow F1 (see [Fig. 2]), impacts are observed, in a zone Z, between one of the electrical components 5-7 and a braking amplification device 9 arranged on the bulkhead 8. This may cause deterioration or breakage of a connector and / or a high-voltage electrical harness 10 leading to electrical risks of short circuit or even fire.

[0005] The invention aims to effectively remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing an assembly for a motor vehicle comprising: - a rotating electrical machine - at least one structural element of the motor vehicle, - a crosspiece comprising means of attachment to the rotating electrical machine and means of attachment to the structural element or an intermediate element intended to be attached to the structural element, - at least one electrical component carried by said crosspiece, and - an impactor extending in projection relative to a front face of the crossmember, so as to allow, in the event of a frontal impact, a programmed rupture of the crossmember in a predetermined rupture zone.

[0006] The invention thus makes it possible, due to the presence of the impactor which is first subjected to the force of the impact, to control the rupture of the crossmember in the predetermined rupture zone located near the impactor. The invention also makes it possible to control the trajectory of the crossmember and of the rotating electrical machine, in particular following a rotational movement around the integral zone of the crossmember located at a distance from the impactor, to avoid risks of interference between electrical harnesses and rigid components fixed to the bulkhead of the motor vehicle. The invention has the advantage of requiring a low level of functional tolerance for the mounting of the impactor.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electrical component is chosen in particular from: an external electrical charging circuit, an electric heating device, or an electrical connection box.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the means of attachment to the rotating electrical machine comprise at least one housing for receiving a damping pad to which the rotating electrical machine is attached.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the structural element to which the crosspiece is fixed is a stretcher.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electrical component is fixed to the crosspiece by means of an intermediate support.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the rotating electrical machine is located on the side of a lower face of the crosspiece and the electrical component is located on the side of an upper face of the crosspiece.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the impactor is arranged on the side of a longitudinal end of the crosspiece.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the impactor is made of a rigid material, such as a metallic material.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the impactor is constituted by a folded and welded sheet metal.

[0015] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising an assembly as previously defined.

[0016] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description and examining the accompanying figures. These figures are given only for illustrative purposes but in no way limit the invention.

[0017] [Fig. 1] is a perspective view of a crosshead of a rotating electrical machine carrying electrical components;

[0018] [Fig.2] is a side view of the front part of a motor vehicle undergoing an impact frontal corresponding to a recess under a truck;

[0019] [Fig.3] is a top view illustrating the breakage of an electrical machine crosshead rotating during a high-speed frontal collision;

[0020] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of a crosshead of a rotating electrical machine carrying a rotating electrical machine and electrical components and provided with an impactor according to the present invention;

[0021] [Fig.5] is a perspective view of a crosshead of a rotating electrical machine only equipped with an impactor according to the present invention;

[0022] [Fig.6] is a top view illustrating the breakage of an electrical machine crosshead rotating body equipped with an impactor according to the invention during a frontal impact at high speed;

[0023] In Figures 4, 5, and 6, identical, similar, or analogous elements retain the same reference from one figure to another. The motor vehicle has a longitudinal extension direction L1 and a transverse extension direction L2. The longitudinal extension direction L1 and the transverse extension direction L2 are perpendicular to each other and extend in a horizontal plane.

[0024] Figures 4 and 5 show a cross member 15 of a rotating electrical machine comprising fixing means 16 to allow fixing of the cross member 15 with a rotating electrical machine 17. The rotating electrical machine 17 is capable of operating in motor mode in which the rotating electrical machine 17 draws electrical energy from an electric battery (not shown) to transform it into mechanical traction energy of the motor vehicle. The rotating electrical machine 17 is also capable of operating in an alternator mode in which the rotating electrical machine 17, driven by the wheels of the vehicle, transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy intended to recharge the electric battery.

[0025] The cross member 15 extends longitudinally along the transverse extension direction L2 of the motor vehicle. The fixing means 16 with the rotating electrical machine 17 comprise at least one receiving housing 18 intended to receive a damping pad 19 to which the rotating electrical machine 17 is fixed. In this case, the fixing means 16 comprise two receiving housings 18 for a damping pad 19, each arranged at a longitudinal end of the cross member 15, as shown in [Fig. 5]. The rotating electrical machine 17 is thus fixed in suspension to the cross member via the damping pads 19.

[0026] The cross member 15 also comprises means 21 for fixing to a structural element 22 of the vehicle or an intermediate element 23 intended to be fixed on the structural element 22, as shown in [Fig. 4]. The fixing means 21 are arranged at each end of the crosspiece 15. The fixing means 21 are for example openings for the passage of fixing members, such as screws, rivets or any other fixing member suitable for the application.

[0027] In the embodiment shown, the cross member 15 is fixed on one side to a structural element 22 constituted by a stretcher. The stretcher 22 extends longitudinally along the longitudinal extension direction L1 of the motor vehicle.

[0028] On the other hand, the cross member 15 is fixed to an intermediate element 23 which is mounted on a stretcher 22 of the motor vehicle. For this purpose, the intermediate element 23 comprises fixing means 24 to allow its fixing on the one hand to the cross member 15 and on the other hand to the stretcher 22. The fixing means 24 may comprise holes for the passage of fixing members, such as screws or rivets or any other fixing member adapted to the application. Such a configuration allows a standard cross member 15 to adapt to motor vehicles of different dimensions thanks to the use of intermediate elements 23 of variable size.

[0029] The cross member 15 carries an external electrical charging circuit 26 called an OBC circuit (for "On-Board Charger" according to English terminology) allowing the electric battery to be recharged with an external electrical source such as, for example, the domestic electrical network. The cross member 15 also carries an electric heating device 27 intended to heat a heat transfer liquid, and an electrical connection box 28 allowing in particular the electrical interconnection between the electric battery and the electrical components 26, 27. The cross member 15 may also carry other electrical components such as, for example, an inverter (not shown) of the rotating electrical machine 17 or a voltage or current converter or any other electrical component necessary for the operation of the motor vehicle.

[0030] The rotating electrical machine 17 is located on the side of a lower face of the crosspiece 15 and the electrical components 26, 27, 28 are located on the side of an upper face of the crosspiece 15.

[0031] An electrical component 26, 27, 28 may be fixed directly to the crosspiece 15, in particular by screwing. Alternatively, the electrical component, such as the electric heating device 27, may be fixed to the crosspiece 15 by means of an intermediate support 30 visible in FIGS. 4 and 5. The intermediate support 30 may consist of a folded plate fixed to the crosspiece 15, in particular by screwing, riveting, welding or gluing. This provides a modular assembly in which it is possible to modify the shape of the plate 30 to adapt to variable dimensions of the electrical components 26, 27, 28 depending on the motor vehicle models. One of the electrical components, here the electrical connection box 28, can be arranged on another electrical component, here the external charging electrical circuit 26.

[0032] The various electrical components 26, 27, 28 are connected to each other using electrical harnesses 31.

[0033] As can be seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6, an impactor 32 projects relative to a front face of the crossmember 15, so as to allow, in the event of a frontal impact, a programmed rupture of the crossmember 15 in a predetermined rupture zone 33. The impactor 32 projects along the longitudinal extension direction L1 of the motor vehicle. The impactor 32 may have a longitudinal dimension of the order of a few centimeters along the longitudinal extension direction L1 of the motor vehicle, in particular a dimension of the order of 10 cm. The impactor 32 is preferably arranged on the side of a longitudinal end of the crossmember 15.

[0034] The impactor 32 may be fixed by screwing onto the crosspiece 15. Alternatively, the impactor 32 may be fixed by riveting, welding or any other fixing technique suitable for the application. Alternatively, the impactor 32 is made in one piece with the crosspiece 15.

[0035] The impactor 32 is made of a rigid material, such as a metallic material. The impactor 32 is advantageously constituted by a sheet metal folded and welded so as to have a profiled shape.

[0036] Thus, as illustrated in [Fig. 6], in the event of a frontal impact along arrow F2, the impactor 32 is first subjected to the force of the impact, so that the rupture of the crosspiece 15 occurs near the impactor 32 in the predetermined rupture zone 33.

[0037] This causes a rotational movement of the crosspiece 15 and the rotating electrical machine 17 along the arrow F3 around the integral zone of the crosspiece 15 located on the opposite side of the impactor 32. In top view, the rotation of the crosspiece 15 and the rotating electrical machine 17 is an anti-clockwise rotation. This avoids risks of interference between the electrical harnesses 31 and rigid components, such as a braking amplification device 35, fixed to a bulkhead 36 of the motor vehicle.

[0038] The design of the impactor 32 can easily be adapted for different sizes and masses of motor vehicles by modifying the assembly, in particular the number of fixing screws, the material and the position on the cross member 15 so as to orient the rupture in the predetermined rupture zone 33.

Claims

Claims

1. Assembly for a motor vehicle comprising: - a rotating electrical machine (17), - at least one structural element (22) of the motor vehicle, - a crossmember (15) comprising means (16) for fixing to the rotating electrical machine (17) and means (21) for fixing to the structural element (22) or an intermediate element (23) intended to be fixed to the structural element (22), - at least one electrical component (26, 27, 28) carried by said crossmember (15), characterized in that an impactor (32) projects relative to a front face of the crossmember (15), so as to allow, in the event of a frontal impact, a programmed rupture of the crossmember (15) in a predetermined rupture zone (33).

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrical component (26, 27, 28) is chosen in particular from: an external electrical charging circuit, an electric heating device, or an electrical connection box.

3. Assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means of attachment to the rotating electrical machine (17) comprise at least one receiving housing (18) for a damping pad (19) to which the rotating electrical machine (17) is attached.

4. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the structural element (22) to which the crosspiece (15) is fixed is a stretcher.

5. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the electrical component (26, 27, 28) is fixed to the crosspiece (15) by means of an intermediate support (30).

6. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rotating electrical machine (17) is located on the side of a lower face of the crosspiece (15) and the electrical component (26, 27, 28) is located on the side of an upper face of the crosspiece (15).

7. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the impactor (32) is arranged on the side of a longitudinal end of the crosspiece (15).

8. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the impactor (32) is made of a rigid material, such as a

9. metallic material. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized

10. in that the impactor (32) is constituted by a folded and welded sheet metal. Motor vehicle comprising an assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.