ELECTRIC OR HYBRID VEHICLE WITH STORAGE CASE FOR A BATTERY CHARGING CABLE

Abstract

An electric or hybrid motor vehicle equipped with a storage box (12) for a charging cable (14) and a vehicle traction battery, attached to the vehicle chassis by means of links, this box (12) having along a main axis (A) two spaced links, each comprising an axial socket, and having a screw for tightening this box (12) on the chassis which is located away from the main axis (A), thus providing a locking mechanism along this main axis (A). Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: ELECTRIC OR HYBRID VEHICLE WITH STORAGE BOX FOR A BATTERY CHARGING CABLE

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric or hybrid motor vehicle equipped with a storage box for a charging cable of a traction battery, as well as a method of mounting this storage box on the vehicle.

[0002] A known type of electric vehicle, presented in particular by document FR-A1-3103416, comprises in the wing above a rear wheel a housing receiving a storage box for a cable for recharging the traction battery. The box fixed above the wheel has an elongated shape along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, comprising on the front side an opening which is fitted onto a bore in an upright framing the door in front of the wing, in the thickness of this door.

[0003] The wheel arch of the vehicle has an additional space arranged below the housing, allowing the reception of a larger housing which can contain another type of more bulky cable adapted to certain legislations.

[0004] In particular, screws are provided in the wheel arch for fixing the housing to the chassis of the vehicle, accessible vertically from below, so that on an assembled vehicle the wheel can be removed and access to this housing can be obtained in order to exchange it for another model suitable for a different cable.

[0005] Generally speaking, it is known to fix this type of housing to the chassis by three clamping screws in order to obtain locking of the housing in three directions.

[0006] However, this type of fixing, comprising three screws arranged in a restricted space in the wheel arch, accessible only from below, poses ergonomic problems in the operation of mounting the housing, and takes a fairly long time. In addition, it is necessary to provide the supply of three screws as well as the appropriate drilling to receive them, which represents, with the labor time, a relatively significant cost.

[0007] The present invention aims in particular to avoid these problems of the prior art.

[0008] To this end, it proposes an electric or hybrid motor vehicle equipped with a storage box for a charging cable for a traction battery of the vehicle, fixed to the chassis of the vehicle by connections, this vehicle being remarkable in that the box comprises, along a main axis, two spaced connections each comprising an axial fitting, and comprises a screw for tightening this box on the chassis which is distant from the main axis, providing a lock along this main axis.

[0009] An advantage of this motor vehicle is that it allows an operator working under the wheel arch, in a simple and ergonomic way, to adjust the housing to obtain alignment on the main axis of the two connections making the fitting, then to slide it axially in order to obtain the positioning of these first two connections.

[0010] The operator then installs the tightening screw of the housing in the axial direction, which allows, by this single screw, to obtain complete clamping of the housing in all directions by blocking the sliding along the longitudinal axis, and the rotation around this axis thanks to its distance from the axis.

[0011] The motor vehicle according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following characteristics, which may be combined with each other.

[0012] Advantageously, the housing is arranged in a passage of a rear wheel of the vehicle.

[0013] Advantageously, the housing comprises in the upper part the two connections which fit together.

[0014] In addition, advantageously the housing comprises a lower tab receiving the clamping screw.

[0015] Advantageously, each connection comprising a fitting comprises two square sections which fit axially into one another.

[0016] Advantageously, each connection comprising a fitting comprises a folded sheet metal hook connected to the chassis of the vehicle.

[0017] In this case, advantageously the sheet metal hook is formed by cutting and bending a side member of the vehicle chassis.

[0018] In addition, advantageously the housing comprises two spaced loops aligned along the main axis and produced by a plastic molding of the housing, each engaging around a sheet metal hook.

[0019] Advantageously, the sheet metal hooks each have on the same side in the direction of the main axis an opening allowing the lateral engagement and then the alignment of a loop linked to the housing.

[0020] The invention also relates to a method for mounting a housing on a motor vehicle comprising any one of the preceding characteristics, remarkable in that it comprises a step of aligning on the main axis the two parts of each connection with interlocking, then axial interlocking of these two parts, and finally locking the housing on the chassis by the clamping screw.

[0021] The invention will be better understood and other characteristics and advantages will appear more clearly on reading the description below given by way of example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0022] [Fig-1] is a side view of a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0023] [Fig.2] is a view of the door jamb showing the opening of the cable housing of recharging this vehicle;

[0024] [Fig.3] is a view of the side of the housing facing the outside of the vehicle;

[0025] [Fig.4] is a view of the side of the housing facing the interior of the vehicle;

[0026] [Fig.5] is a detailed view of the two interlocking connections; and

[0027] [Fig.6] is a detailed view of the screw connection.

[0028] Throughout the document the vertical direction is established for a vehicle placed on horizontal ground, the upper or above indications being relative to this vertical direction.

[0029] Figures 1 and 2 show an electric motor vehicle comprising behind the right rear wing 2, above the wheel 4, a wheel arch containing a housing 12 for receiving a cable 14 for recharging the traction battery, equipped at its end with a connector 16 for connection to a socket of an electricity distribution network.

[0030] The upright 20 arranged between the rear door 8 and the rear wing 2, has on its face facing the front of the vehicle AV a lock 22 controlled by a push button 10 arranged on the wing 2. The elongated housing 12, following the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, has at the front an opening 24 adjusted on a drilling of the front face of the upright 20, below the lock 22, giving access to the cable 14 to store it in this housing.

[0031] Figures 3 and 4 show the housing 12 comprising a side facing the interior of the substantially flat vehicle 32, and an exterior side 30 comprising on a face facing the front of the vehicle an opening for the passage of the cable 34, these sides produced by a plastic molding being assembled by crimping pins 36.

[0032] The inner side 32 has a substantially horizontal upper edge, comprising two spaced loops 38 aligned on a main axis A arranged along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, having a square cross-section comprising four sides which is formed by the plastic molding of this side.

[0033] The front part of the outer side 32 is extended by a lower tab 40 comprising stiffening ribs, having a front face 42 arranged in the transverse direction of the vehicle, comprising a bore receiving a clamping screw 44.

[0034] Figures 5 and 6 show the chassis of the vehicle comprising a horizontal side member 50 aligned along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, arranged in the upper part of the wheel arch, which is fixed to a vertical upright 52 arranged in the door pillar 20. The side member 50 and the upright 52 are formed by a tube of rectangular section.

[0035] The base 54 of the horizontal spar 50 has a cutout allowing the sheet of the tube to form two spaced hooks of square section 56 arranged in this spar, comprising four sides, which are aligned along the main axis A. The base of the spar 54 is open along the axial direction on the sides of the two hooks 56.

[0036] When mounting the housing 12 in the vehicle, the operator lifts this housing in a first movement M1 by engaging the loops 38 next to the hooks 56 to align the assembly along the main axis A, taking advantage of the openings on the sides of these hooks. He then moves the housing 12 in a second movement M2 in the longitudinal direction towards the front of the vehicle AV, to fit each hook 56 into a loop 38.

[0037] Each hook 56 being fitted into a loop 38 of square section, the hooks are entirely wedged in the transverse plane. In addition, the spacing of the two hooks 56 provides a blocking of the rotation of the housing 12 along axes contained in the transverse plane.

[0038] At the end of the second movement M2, the front face 42 of the lower leg of the housing 40 is supported on the rear face of the upright of the chassis 52. The operator then engages the clamping screw 44 in the bore of the leg 40 to screw it into a threaded bore of the rear face of the upright 52. The clamping screw 44 locks the housing in the longitudinal direction and rotation around the main axis A, which ensures support in all directions.

[0039] The clamping screw 44 arranged at the bottom of the housing 12, in the lower part of the wheel arch, is easily accessible to the operator. With this type of assembly using two spaced connections arranged along the same main axis A, each comprising an axial fitting, and the clamping screw remote from this axis, a simple, rapid and economical fixing of the housing 12 is obtained.

Claims

Claims

1. Electric or hybrid motor vehicle equipped with a storage box (12) for a charging cable (14) for a traction battery of the vehicle, fixed to the chassis of the vehicle by connections, characterized in that the box (12) comprises, along a main axis (A), two spaced connections each comprising an axial fitting, and comprises a tightening screw (44) of this box (12) on the chassis which is distant from the main axis (A), providing a lock along this main axis (A).

2. Motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (12) is arranged in a passage of a rear wheel (4) of the vehicle.

3. Motor vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the housing (12) comprises in the upper part the two connections which fit together.

4. Motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the housing (12) comprises a lower tab (40) receiving the clamping screw (44).

5. Motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each connection comprising a fitting comprises two square sections which fit axially into each other.

6. Motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each connection comprising a fitting comprises a folded sheet metal hook (56) connected to the chassis of the vehicle.

7. Motor vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that the sheet metal hook (56) is formed by cutting and bending a side member (50) of the vehicle chassis.

8. Motor vehicle according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the housing (12) comprises two spaced loops (38) aligned along the main axis, produced by a plastic molding of the housing (12), each engaging around a sheet metal hook (56).

9. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the sheet metal hooks (56) each have on the same side in the direction of the main axis (A) an opening allowing lateral engagement and then alignment of a loop (38) linked to the housing (12).

10. Method for mounting a housing (12) on a motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a step of aligning on the main axis (A) two parts of each connection with interlocking, then axial interlocking of these two parts, and finally locking the housing (12) on the chassis by the clamping screw (44).

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