MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING BATTERY HOUSING CROSS BEAMS INCLUDING CATAPHORESIS DRAINAGE PIPES, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURERING SUCH A VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a body which includes: - a passenger compartment delimited at its lower part by a floor (P) with reference to the vertical axis (Z), the floor (P) having at least one drainage hole (E); - a housing (L) suitable for receiving a traction battery, delimited at its upper part by the floor (P) with reference to the vertical axis (Z), comprising at least one cross member (T) extending at least vertically with reference to the vertical axis (Z), characterized in that said cross member (T) includes a vertical conduit (C) along the vertical axis (Z), in fluidic communication with said drainage hole (E). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a vehicle. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING BATTERY HOUSING CROSS BEAMS INCLUDING CATAPHORESIS DRAINAGE PIPES, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURED SUCH A VEHICLE

[0001] The invention relates to the field of vehicle underbody architecture, particularly in the context of cataphoresis processes. The invention relates more particularly to a battery electric vehicle (BEV) architecture with a "cell-in-the-chassis" (or "cell-to-body" in English).

[0002] The anti-corrosion treatment of the vehicle requires the steel body to be immersed in a cataphoresis bath. The cataphoresis solution is drained by gravity from the bath through holes in the floor of the vehicle body.

[0003] In a BEV architecture with a "cell within the chassis," the floor on the passenger side acts as a cover for the traction battery. It is important to ensure the battery pack remains sealed during operation, but also in the event of a battery malfunction, particularly in the case of thermal runaway.

[0004] In this context, conventional shutters provided in floor holes in the prior art do not allow, as they stand, to meet the thermal requirements in the event of thermal runaway, and the architecture in terms of stacking the battery modules vertically under the floor, given the height of the usual shutters.

[0005] An objective of the invention is to propose a solution for sealing drainage holes that meets thermal requirements and architectural requirements in terms of vertical stacking.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the invention proposes a motor vehicle having a frame of reference in space comprising a longitudinal axis along a direction of movement of the motor vehicle; a lateral axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and to the lateral axis, the motor vehicle comprising a body which includes: - a passenger compartment delimited in its lower part by a floor in reference to the vertical axis, the floor having at least one drainage hole; - a housing suitable for receiving a traction battery, delimited at the top by the floor with reference to the vertical axis, comprising at least one cross member extending at least vertically with reference to the vertical axis, characterized in that said crossbar comprises a vertical conduit along the vertical axis, in fluidic communication with said drainage hole.

[0007] Advantageously, the invention allows: - remove the vertical stacking constraint of the shutters on the battery modules on the battery pack side; - eliminate the height constraint with regard to soundproofing on the passenger compartment carpet side, without reducing the thickness, by creating recesses on the floor at the level of the plugs if necessary; - to provide partial thermal protection of the shutters by the cross members in case of thermal runaway in order to limit the risk of fire in the passenger compartment and to improve the thermal resistance of the shutters; - limit the risk of deformation of the body in case of impacts by positioning the holes in a rigid area of ​​the floor; - maintain the maintainability of the plugs unlike an adhesive-type plugging solution under the floor.

[0008] Preferably, said cross member and the pipe are arranged below said drain hole with reference to the vertical axis, in the same position as said drain hole with reference to the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis.

[0009] This makes it easier to evacuate the cataphoresis fluid by gravity while stiffening the floor's hole areas with crossbeams.

[0010] Preferably, the casing further comprises a shutter closing the discharge hole from the top with reference to the vertical axis, in a removable manner

[0011] This allows for optimization of the vertical space required along the vertical axis in the housing for the battery modules.

[0012] Preferably, the shutter is a hot melt shutter or an adhesive shutter.

[0013] This allows the shutter to be reinforced in the event of thermal runaway.

[0014] According to one variant, the shutter is an oblong shutter.

[0015] This allows for a direction of placement of the shutter.

[0016] The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a motor vehicle according to the invention, comprising a cataphoresis step which includes the evacuation of a liquid through the evacuation hole via the channel of said crossmember.

[0017] Preferably, the manufacturing process further includes a step of sealing the drainage hole by means of a plug inserted into the drainage hole from above with reference to the vertical axis.

[0018] The invention will be further detailed by describing non-limiting embodiments, and based on the accompanying figures illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention, in which: - [Fig.1] schematically illustrates a view in space showing the underside of a floor and the interior of a vehicle housing according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, without battery modules; - [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the vehicle housing of [Fig.1], with battery modules; and - [Fig.3] schematically illustrates a close cross-sectional view of a pipe and a cross member of the housing of [Fig.2].

[0019] The invention relates to a motor vehicle defined with reference to a frame of reference in space comprising a longitudinal axis X along a direction of movement of the motor vehicle; a lateral axis Y perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X, and a vertical axis Z perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X and to the lateral axis Y.

[0020] The motor vehicle comprising a body which includes an upper passenger compartment and a lower housing L receiving battery modules M of a motor vehicle traction battery.

[0021] The cabin is delimited in its lower part by a floor P with reference to the vertical axis Z. For the purposes of the cataphoresis step, the floor P has drainage holes E illustrated in [Fig.2] and 3.

[0022] Housing L and floor P are illustrated in [Fig.1], and battery modules are not shown in this figure.

[0023] Housing L is delimited at its upper part by the floor P with respect to the vertical axis Z. Housing L includes cross members T extending at least vertically with respect to the vertical axis Z. These cross members T provide rigidity to housing L and protect the battery modules M installed in housing L.

[0024] According to the invention, said cross member T comprises a vertical conduit C along the vertical axis Z, in fluidic communication with said discharge hole E. In particular, said cross member T and the conduit C are arranged below said discharge hole E with reference to the vertical axis Z, in the same position as said discharge hole E with reference to the longitudinal axis X and the lateral axis Y.

[0025] After cataphoresis, the drainage hole E must be closed. For this purpose, the box further includes a shutter O that closes the drainage hole E from above with reference to the vertical axis Z, in a removable manner. In particular, the shutter O is a heat-fusible shutter.

[0026] The obturator O is inserted into the evacuation hole E from above with reference to the vertical axis Z, to close it.

Claims

Demands

1. A motor vehicle having a reference frame in space comprising a longitudinal axis (X) along a direction of movement of the motor vehicle; a lateral axis (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X), and a vertical axis (Z) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X) and to the lateral axis (Y), the motor vehicle comprising a body which includes: - a passenger compartment delimited in its lower part by a floor (P) with reference to the vertical axis (Z), the floor (P) having at least one drainage hole (E); - a housing (L) suitable for receiving a traction battery, delimited in its upper part by the floor (P) with reference to the vertical axis (Z), comprising at least one cross member (T) extending at least vertically with reference to the vertical axis (Z), characterized in that said cross member (T) includes a vertical conduit (C) along the vertical axis (Z), in fluidic communication with said drainage hole (E).

2. Motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said cross member (T) and pipe (C) are arranged below said drain hole (E) with reference to the vertical axis (Z), in the same position as said drain hole (E) with reference to the longitudinal axis (X) and the lateral axis (Y).

3. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the body further comprises a shutter (0) closing the discharge hole (E) from above with reference to the vertical axis (Z), in a removable manner.

4. Motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the shutter (0) is a hot melt shutter or an adhesive shutter.

5. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that the shutter (0) is an oblong shutter.

6. Method of manufacturing a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a cataphoresis step which includes the evacuation of a liquid through the evacuation hole (E) through the channel (C) of said cross member (T).

7. A manufacturing method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of sealing the discharge hole (E) by means of a obturator (O) inserted into the evacuation hole (E) from above with reference to the vertical axis (Z).