Cross member for battery tray and motor vehicle comprising such a cross member

Abstract

A crossmember (111) intended to laterally stiffen a battery tray located under the floor (105) of a motor vehicle, said crossmember comprising two ends and each end comprising: a hat-shaped section whose edges (301, 303) are adapted to allow attachment to the floor, and such that each end is adapted to internally receive a gusset (201) comprising a portion (311) having a hat-shaped section, the gusset being adapted to form a connection with side members (109) of the body of the motor vehicle, and the edges (301, 303) have a groove (305, 307) adapted so that the edges (313, 315) of the hat-shaped portion of the gusset can be positioned in the groove and allow docking of the crossmember with the floor when the gusset is positioned in the crossmember. A motor vehicle comprising such a crossmember is also described. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig 4

Description

Title of the invention: Cross member for battery tray and motor vehicle comprising such a cross member Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a crossmember intended to laterally stiffen a battery tray located under the floor of a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle comprising such a crossmember. State of the art

[0002] In hybrid or electric vehicles, electric batteries form a significant volume. Also in many car models, the battery tray is located under the floor of the vehicle.

[0003] It is therefore important for safety to protect batteries against impacts caused by collisions, particularly side collisions. Indeed, damage to a battery caused by an impact can lead to a fire.

[0004] For this purpose, rigid crossmembers, for example made from a dual-phase steel having a tensile strength greater than 1180 MPa, are positioned between the side members of the rocker panel.

[0005] However, a disadvantage of this type of cross member is that they do not absorb lateral impacts and therefore, they can break and hit the battery modules.

[0006] There is therefore a real need for a cross member which can both ensure its protective function by stiffening the battery compartment while resolving all or part of the aforementioned drawback. Description of the invention

[0007] To resolve one or more of the drawbacks cited above, according to a first embodiment, a cross member intended to laterally stiffen a battery tray located under the floor of a motor vehicle, said cross member comprising two ends and each end comprises: • a hat-shaped section whose edges are adapted to allow for attachment to the floor, and such that • each end is adapted to internally receive a gusset comprising a portion having a hat-shaped section, the gusset being adapted to form a connection with body side members of the motor vehicle, and • the edges have a suitable groove so that the edges of the hat-shaped part of the gusset can be positioned in the groove and allow the crossmember to dock with the floor when the gusset is positioned in the crossmember.

[0008] Thus, the crosspiece can advantageously be welded to the floor over its entire length, avoiding problems of excess thickness and having a common weld, in the area of ​​the grooves, to the crosspiece, the gusset and the floor.

[0009] In a second embodiment, a motor vehicle comprises a battery tray located under the floor and a cross member as described above secured to the underside of the floor by fasteners formed on the edges of the cross member, two gussets fixed to two side members of the body of the motor vehicle and comprising a part having a hat-shaped section located inside the end of the cross member and the edges of which are positioned in the groove, between the edge of the cross member and the underside of the floor.

[0010] Particular characteristics or embodiments, usable alone or in combination are: • the fasteners are formed by welding; • the attachments of the jockey zone are formed by welds common to the crosspiece, the gusset and the underside of the floor; and • the material of the gussets is more flexible than the material of the crosspiece. Brief description of the figures

[0011] The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given solely by way of example, and with reference to the appended figures in which: • [Fig.l] represents a perspective view from below of a battery box located under a motor vehicle floor according to one embodiment; • [Fig.2] represents a detail view of [Fig.l] showing the attachment area between crosspieces and side member; • [Fig.3] represents the end of a crosspiece of [Fig.l]; and • [Fig.4] represents from above, the floor being transparent, the connection between a cross member and a side member of [Fig.l]. Methods of implementation

[0012] The embodiments presented below refer to a motor vehicle, a car. However, those skilled in the art understand that these are also usable with other types of vehicle such as vans, vans, etc.

[0013] The terms “front”, “rear”, “top”, “bottom”, “transverse” are understood in relation to the vehicle.

[0014] With reference to [Fig.l], a rocker panel 101 of a motor vehicle comprises a battery compartment 103 formed under the floor 105. The rocker panel 101 comprises two side members 107, 109 located on the sides of the vehicle. Four cross members 111, 113, 115, 117 are fixed under the floor 105 and on the two side members 107, 109 by means of gussets 201, 203, 205.

[0015] [Fig. 2] illustrates in detail the junction between a spar, for example the spar 109, and three crosspieces, for example the crosspieces 111, 113 and 115. As can be seen, the spar / crosspiece junctions are all made in the same way, so only the junction between the crosspiece 111, the gusset 201 and the spar 109 will be described in detail below.

[0016] [Fig.3] and [Fig.4] illustrate for the first the end of the crosspiece 111 and for the second the junction zone seen in transparency through the floor 105.

[0017] The end of the crosspiece 111 has a hat-shaped section with two edges 301, 303 adapted to allow the crosspiece to be fixed to the floor 105. This fixing is typically carried out by welding. The edges 301, 303 have a groove 305, 307, that is to say a double folding of the sheet metal at the end of which two parallel planes are obtained, offset by a distance of the same order of magnitude as the thickness of the sheet metal.

[0018] The gusset 201 comprises a first portion 311 also having a hat-shaped section. This first portion is sized so that the gusset 201 can enter the crosspiece 111 with the two edges 313, 315 positioned in the grooves 305, 307.

[0019] The thickness of the sheet metal constituting the gusset 201 being identical to or less than the thickness of the sheet metal constituting the crosspiece 111, the edges 313, 315, once installed in the grooves 305, 307 do not exceed in thickness the edges 301, 303 of the crosspiece 111, thus allowing the crosspiece 111 to dock with the floor 105. Thus, it is advantageously possible to weld the crosspiece 111 to the floor 105 over its entire length, avoiding problems of excess thickness and having a common weld, in the area of ​​the grooves, to the crosspiece 111, the gusset 201 and the floor 105.

[0020] The gusset 201 comprises a second part 321 in the extension of the first part 311. The second part 321 has a substantially U-shaped section with a cutout 323 from the bottom of the U to its distal end allowing folding of the sides of the U 325, 327 so as to form a plate allowing the gusset 201 to be fixed to the spar 109, typically by a welding operation.

[0021] The gusset 201 is formed from a more flexible material than the material of the crosspieces, typically from a dual-phase steel having a tensile strength of approximately 800 MPa. Thus, in the event of a lateral impact, the gusset 201 can advantageously deform before the crosspiece 111 and thus allow at least partial damping of the collision energy before the crosspiece is affected.

[0022] The invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description. This should be considered as illustrative and given by way of example and not as limiting the invention to this description alone. Numerous variations of realization are possible.

[0023] For example, the sleepers may be of constant hat-shaped section over their entire length as illustrated in [Fig.l] or may have other shapes in their central parts.

Claims

Claims

1. Cross member (111, 113, 115, 117) intended to laterally stiffen a battery tray (103) located under the floor (105) of a motor vehicle, said cross member comprising two ends and each end comprising: • a hat-shaped section whose edges (301, 303) are adapted to allow attachment to the floor, and such that • each end is adapted to internally receive a gusset (201) comprising a part (311) having a hat-shaped section, the gusset being adapted to form a connection with side members (107, 109) of the body of the motor vehicle, and • the edges (301, 303) have a groove (305, 307) adapted so that the edges (313, 315) of the hat-shaped part of the gusset can be positioned in the groove and allow docking of the cross member with the floor when the gusset is positioned in the crossmember.

2. Motor vehicle comprising a battery tray (103) located under the floor (105) and a cross member (111, 113, 115, 117) according to claim 1 secured to the underside of the floor by fasteners formed on the edges of the cross member, two gussets (201) fixed to two side members (107, 109) of the body of the motor vehicle and comprising a part having a hat-shaped section located inside the end of the cross member and the edges (313, 315) of which are positioned in the groove (305, 307), between the edges of the cross member and the underside of the floor.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the fasteners are formed by welding.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the attachments of the joist area are formed by welds common to the cross member, the gusset and the underside of the floor.

5. A vehicle according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the material of the gussets is more flexible than the material of the crossmember.

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