ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING A BATTERY BOX COMPRISING A FRAME COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE CROSSMEMBER CONFIGURED TO PIVOT

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric or hybrid motor vehicle (1000) comprising a battery box (100), said battery box (100) comprising a frame (1), a cooling plate (2) and a bottom plate, said frame comprising at least one lateral side member (3) arranged on either side of the vehicle (1000) in the second direction (Y), a fixed cross member (4) and at least one cross member configured to pivot (5), characterized in that said at least one cross member configured to pivot (5) is capable of having a first position and a second position, said first position being a position in which said at least one cross member configured to pivot is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the plane (XY) and the second position being a position in which said at least one cross member configured to pivot is perpendicular to the plane (XY). Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING A BATTERY BOX COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING AT LEAST ONE CROSS-MEMBER CONFIGURED TO PIVOT

[0001] The invention relates to electric or hybrid motor vehicles, and more particularly to the battery box of these vehicles.

[0002] Known from the prior art is a patent application WO2023187090 which describes a longitudinally clamped battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle. The patent application also relates to a method of assembling such a battery. The battery comprises a housing, or battery tray, comprising a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge defining a housing, a plurality of transverse crosspieces extending from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge and a plurality of assemblies each comprising electrochemical cells secured to each other. The crosspieces and the assemblies are arranged successively longitudinally in said housing, clamped against each other in a clamping direction perpendicular to the direction in which the battery is mounted. The clamping can be carried out in the housing or outside, then incorporated into said housing. However, a disadvantage remains.The successive insertion of the assemblies and crosspieces during tightening risks causing friction which could damage the electrochemical cells, which can lead to a leak of battery acid for example.

[0003] The objective of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a means of reducing the risks of deterioration of the cells during their installation in the battery tray.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the invention proposes an electric or hybrid motor vehicle comprising a front running gear and a rear running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane defined by a first longitudinal direction corresponding to straight-line driving, by a second transverse direction orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction and a third vertical direction orthogonal to the first direction and to the second direction and is oriented away from the ground, said vehicle comprising a battery tray, said battery tray comprising a frame, a cooling plate and a bottom plate, said frame being arranged on said cooling plate and said cooling plate being arranged on said bottom plate in the third direction, said frame comprising at least one lateral side member arranged on either side of the ... battery tray comprising at least one lateral side member arranged on either side of the battery tray, said battery tray comprising a frame, a cooling plate and other of the vehicle in the second direction, a fixed cross member arranged parallel to said at least one lateral side member and at least one cross member configured to pivot arranged perpendicular to said at least one lateral side member and to said fixed cross member, said at least one lateral side member, the fixed cross member, said at least one cross member configured to pivot and said cooling plate forming at least one housing intended to receive a set of battery cells, remarkable in that said at least one cross member configured to pivot is capable of having a first position and a second position, said first position being a position in which said at least one cross member configured to pivot is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the plane and the second position being a position in which said at least one cross member configured to pivot is perpendicular to the plane.

[0005] Thanks to the invention, the battery cells are fixed without having to compress them beforehand. In this way, the risks of damage to the battery cells are reduced.

[0006] Advantageously, said at least one crosspiece configured to pivot comprises a bevel, said at least one crosspiece configured to pivot having a first axis, said bevel having a second axis, the first axis and the second axis forming an angle of between 10 degrees and 30 degrees, preferably 20 degrees.

[0007] The presence of the bevel facilitates the mobility of the crosspiece configured to pivot from the first position to the second position.

[0008] Advantageously, said at least one housing comprises glue for fixing said set of battery cells.

[0009] The glue allows the battery cells to be fixed in said housing.

[0010] Advantageously, said frame, said cooling plate and said bottom plate are fixed together by at least four connecting screws.

[0011] The frame, the cooling plate and the base plate are thus securely fixed to each other.

[0012] Preferably, said predetermined angle is between 40 degrees and 80 degrees, preferably 55 degrees.

[0013] Advantageously, said at least one crosspiece configured to pivot comprises a locking means for holding it in the second position.

[0014] The locking means allows the crosspiece configured to pivot to be held in the second position. Thus, if a set of battery cells is removed, said adjacent crosspiece configured to pivot is not likely to return to the first position, causing the involuntary decompression of another set of battery cells.

[0015] Preferably, said locking means is an upper screw (8a) and an in lower, the upper screw being arranged above the lower screw in the third direction, the upper screw and the lower screw allowing the connection of said at least one lateral side member with said at least one cross member configured to pivot in the second direction.

[0016] Advantageously, said at least one crosspiece configured to pivot has a height of less than 10 mm.

[0017] A height of 10 mm allows, when said crosspiece configured to pivot is in the first position, to leave sufficient play to allow the insertion of the battery cells into said housing without having to compress them beforehand.

[0018] The invention also relates to a method for installing a set of battery cells in a frame of a battery tray of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle previously described, said frame comprising at least a first cross member configured to pivot and a second cross member configured to pivot, remarkable in that said method comprises the following steps: - a step of positioning the frame on said cooling plate in the third direction; - a step of depositing glue on said cooling plate in said at least one housing; - a step of placing said cooling plate on said bottom plate in the third direction; - a step of fixing said at least one first crosspiece configured to pivot in the second position; - a step of fixing said at least one second crosspiece configured to pivot in the first position; - a step of inserting said set of battery cells into said at least one housing; - a step of compressing said set of battery cells by the flap of said at least one second crosspiece configured to pivot from the first position to the second position.

[0019] Preferably, during said insertion step, the battery cells forming said set of battery cells are arranged parallel to each other, thus forming a block, said block being inserted into said housing.

[0020] Thus, insertion is faster because all battery cells are installed at the same time.

[0021] The invention will be further detailed by the description of non-limiting embodiments, and on the basis of the appended figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: - [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a battery tray of a motor vehicle electric or hybrid comprising a set of cells being installed according to one embodiment; - [Fig.2] schematically illustrates the battery box whose set of cells is installed; - [Fig.3] schematically illustrates a detail view of a cross member configured to pivot.

[0022] [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a battery tray 100 of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle 1000 comprising a front running gear and a rear running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane XY defined by a first longitudinal direction X corresponding to straight-line driving, by a second transverse direction Y orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction X and a third vertical direction Z orthogonal to the first direction X and to the second direction Y and is oriented away from the ground. The battery tray 100 comprises a frame 1, a cooling plate 2 and a bottom plate. For reasons of clarity, the bottom plate is not shown. Preferably, the frame 1, the cooling plate 2 and the bottom plate are fixed together by at least four connecting screws.Thus, the maintenance of the frame 1, the cooling plate 2 and the bottom plate is reinforced. Advantageously, the bottom plate comprises a seal to prevent water infiltration into said battery tray. Indeed, the presence of water in said battery tray 100 risks causing short circuits likely to cause a fire. The frame 1 comprises two lateral longitudinal members 3 arranged opposite each other in the second direction Y. A fixed crosspiece 4 is arranged in the center of the battery tray 100, parallel to the two lateral longitudinal members 3. The frame 1 comprises 10 crosspieces configured to pivot 5 arranged perpendicular to the two lateral longitudinal members 3 and to said fixed crosspiece 4. Advantageously, each crosspiece configured to pivot 5 has a height of less than 10 mm.The pivoting crosspieces 5 are capable of having a first position in which said pivoting crosspiece 5 is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the XY plane and a second position in which said pivoting crosspiece 5 is perpendicular to the XY plane. Advantageously, said predetermined angle is between 40 degrees and 80 degrees. Preferably, said predetermined angle is 55 degrees. The frame 1 associated with said cooling plate 2 thus forms 8 housings 6. Each housing 6 is intended to receive a set of battery cells 7a, 7b. Advantageously, each housing 6 comprises glue for fixing said set of battery cells 7a, 7b. The glue is distributed on the cooling plate 2. In [Fig.l], a first housing 6a comprises a first set of battery cells 7a and a second housing 6b comprises a second set of cells. battery 7b. The first set of battery cells 7a is definitively installed, the battery cells being compressed between two crosspieces configured to pivot 5 arranged in the second position. The second set of battery cells 7b is being installed. Indeed, the cells of the second set of battery cells 7b are not compressed due to one of the two crosspieces configured to pivot 5 in contact with said second set of battery cells: one of the crosspieces configured to pivot 5 is in the first position and the other crosspiece configured to pivot 5 is in the second position. In this way, a clearance persists between said crosspiece configured to pivot 5 in the first position and said second set of battery cells 7b.

[0023] In [Fig. 2], the battery tray 100 previously described is illustrated following the compression of the second set of battery cells 7b. Thus, the first set of battery cells 7a and the second set of battery cells 7b are definitively installed respectively in the first housing 6a and in the second housing 6b. Indeed, said crosspiece configured to pivot 5 which was shown in the first position in [Fig. 1] has been folded down so as to compress said second set of battery cells 7b.

[0024] In [Fig. 3], a detailed view of said at least one crosspiece configured to pivot 5 is schematically illustrated. Preferably, each crosspiece configured to pivot 5 comprises a bevel. Each crosspiece configured to pivot 5 has a first axis A and the bevel of each crosspiece configured to pivot has a second axis B. The bevel is formed so that said first axis A and said second axis B form an angle of between 10 degrees and 30 degrees. Preferably, the first axis A and the second axis B form an angle of 20 degrees. Advantageously, each crosspiece configured to pivot 5 comprises a locking means for holding it in the second position. Preferably, the locking means is an upper screw 8a and a lower screw 8b, the upper screw 8a being arranged above the lower screw 8b in the third direction Z.The upper screw 8a and the lower screw 8b allow the connection of said lateral beam 3 with said at least one cross member configured to pivot 5 in the second direction Y.

[0025] The method of installing said set of battery cells 7a, 7b in the frame 1 of the battery tray 100 of said vehicle 1000 takes place in several steps. Initially, said frame 1 comprises at least a first crosspiece configured to pivot 5 and a second crosspiece configured to pivot 5. During a positioning step, the frame 1 is placed on said cooling plate 2 in the third direction Z. Thus, the frame 1 and the cooling plate 2 form said at least one housing 6. During a deposition step, the glue is distributed in said at least one housing 6, at the level of the cooling plate 2. The glue has the role of fixing said set of battery cells when the latter will be assembled in said battery tray 100. During a placement step, the cooling plate 2, on which said frame 1 is affixed, is positioned on the bottom plate of the battery tray in the third direction Z. During a step of fixing said at least one first crosspiece configured to pivot 5, said at least one first crosspiece configured to pivot 5 is fixed in said second position, i.e. perpendicular to the XY plane. During a step of fixing said at least one second crosspiece configured to pivot 5, said at least one second crosspiece configured to pivot 5 is placed in the first position, i.e. inclined relative to the XY plane, thus creating a clearance in said housing 6. During an insertion step, said set of battery cells 7a, 7b is arranged in said at least one housing 6.Preferably, the battery cells forming said set of battery cells 7a, 7b are arranged parallel to each other, thus forming a block. The block is then fully inserted into said housing 6 in one go. Thus, the insertion of the battery cells is rapid and requires little handling by a technician in charge of assembly. In another embodiment, the battery cells forming said set of battery cells 7a, 7b are added one by one in the direction of the first direction X. During a compression step, said at least one second crosspiece configured to pivot 5 is folded down. As a result, said at least one second crosspiece configured to pivot 5 moves from the first position to the second position. Thus, the second crosspiece configured to pivot 5 no longer leaves any play. The set of battery cells 7a, 7b is then compressed.Following this, the glue dries so that said set of battery cells 7a, 7b is permanently fixed to the battery tray 100.

Claims

Claims

1. An electric or hybrid motor vehicle (1000) comprising a front running gear and a rear running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane (XY) defined by a first longitudinal direction (X) corresponding to straight-line driving, by a second transverse direction (Y) orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction (X) and a third vertical direction (Z) orthogonal to the first direction (X) and to the second direction (Y) and is oriented away from the ground, said vehicle (1000) comprising a battery box (100), said battery box (100) comprising a frame (1), a cooling plate (2) and a bottom plate, said frame (1) being arranged on said cooling plate (2) and said cooling plate (2) being arranged on said bottom plate in the third direction (Z),said frame comprising at least one lateral side member (3) arranged on either side of the vehicle (1000) in the second direction (Y), a fixed cross member (4) arranged parallel to said at least one lateral side member (3) and at least one cross member configured to pivot (5) arranged perpendicular to said at least one lateral side member (3) and to said fixed cross member (4), said at least one lateral side member (3), the fixed cross member (4), said at least one cross member configured to pivot (5) and said cooling plate (2) forming at least one housing (6) intended to receive a set of battery cells (7a, 7b), characterized in that said at least one cross member configured to pivot (5) is capable of having a first position and a second position,said first position being a position in which said at least one crosspiece configured to pivot is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the plane (XY) and the second position being a position in which said at least one crosspiece configured to pivot is perpendicular to the plane (XY).,

2. Vehicle (1000) according to claim 1 characterized in that said at least one crossmember configured to pivot (5) comprises a bevel, said at least one crossmember configured to pivot (5) having a first axis (A), said bevel having a second axis (B), the first axis (A) and the second axis (B) forming an angle between 10 degrees and 30 degrees, preferably 20 degrees.

3. Vehicle (1000) according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said at least one housing (6) comprises glue for fixing said set of battery cells (7a, 7b).

4. Vehicle (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that said frame (1), said cooling plate (2) and said bottom plate are fixed together by at least four connecting screws.

5. Vehicle (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said predetermined angle is between 40 degrees and 80 degrees, preferably 55 degrees.

6. Vehicle (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that said at least one crossmember configured to pivot (5) comprises locking means for holding it in the second position.

7. Vehicle (1000) according to claim 6 characterized in that said locking means is an upper screw (8a) and a lower screw (8b), the upper screw (8a) being arranged above the lower screw (8b) in the third direction (Z), the upper screw (8a) and the lower screw (8b) allowing the connection of said at least one lateral side member (3) with said at least one cross member configured to pivot (5) in the second direction (Y).

8. Vehicle (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that said at least one cross member configured to pivot (5) has a height of less than 10 mm.

9. A method of installing a set of battery cells (7a, 7b) in a frame of a battery tray (100) of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, said frame comprising at least one first crosspiece configured to pivot (5) and a second crosspiece configured to pivot (5), characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: - a step of positioning the frame (1) on said cooling plate (2) in the third direction (Z); - a step of depositing glue on said cooling plate (2) in said at least one housing (6); - a step of placing said cooling plate (2) on said bottom plate in the third direction (Z); - a step of fixing said at least one first crosspiece configured to pivot (5) in the second position; - a step of fixing said at least one second crosspiece configured to pivot (5) in the first position; - a step of inserting said set of battery cells (7a, 7b) into said at least one housing (6); - a step of compressing said set of battery cells (7a, 7b) by the flap of said at least one second crosspiece configured to pivot (5) from the first position to the second position.

10. Method according to claim 9 characterized in that, during said insertion step, the battery cells forming said set of battery cells (7a, 7b) are arranged parallel to each other thus forming a block, said block being inserted into said housing (6).

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