A vehicle body assembly for an electric vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle body assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising: a traction battery frame (10) configured for receipt of a vehicle traction battery and a front wheel deflector 12a mounted adjacent to a fr

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a vehicle body assembly for an electric vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a vehicle body assembly for an electric vehicle and to an electric vehicle comprising a vehicle body assembly in accordance with the invention. BACKGROUND There is an ongoing desire to improve vehicle safety. This is reflected in the continuing development of crash structures provided in vehicles to dissipate collision energy. In the event of a collision, the crash structure may absorb some of the collision energy, for example as they undergo deformation. Alternatively, or in addition, the crash structures may transmit the collision energy through the vehicle structure for dissipation. In addition, in electric vehicles it is important to reduce the likelihood of damage to the vehicle traction battery in the event of a collision. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a vehicle body assembly for an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle comprising a vehicle body assembly in accordance with the invention as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle body assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising: a traction battery frame configured for receipt of a vehicle traction battery; and a front wheel deflector mounted adjacent to a front portion of the traction battery frame and configured to be displaced rearwardly, towards the traction battery frame, during a frontal impact; wherein a front portion of the traction battery frame comprises a forwardly and upwardly facing surface and a rear portion of the front wheel deflector comprises a rearwardly and downwardly facing surface adjacent to and spaced from the surface on the traction battery frame, and wherein the two surfaces are configured to engage with each other as the front wheel deflector is displaced rearwardly towards the traction battery frame during a frontal impact. During a frontal impact, as the front wheel deflector is displaced rearwardly towards the traction battery frame, the engagement of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface on the traction battery frame and the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface on the front wheel deflector tends to push the front wheel deflector upwardly rather than downwardly as it engages the traction battery frame. This helps to prevent, or at least inhibit, the deflector from slipping downwards and disengaging from the traction battery frame, which in turn helps to reduce rearward motion of the deflector towards the battery cells mounted within the battery frame during a frontal impact. Optionally, the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame comprises a planar face. The provision of a planar face on the traction battery frame allows the outcome of the interaction of the front wheel deflector and the traction battery frame to be determined more reliably and predictably during a frontal impact. Optionally, the planarface of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by an amount from 1 ° to 15°. Optionally, the planarface of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by an amount from 5° to 7°. Optionally, the planarface of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by approximately 6°. Optionally, the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface of the front wheel deflector comprises a planarface. The provision of a planar face on the front wheel deflector allows the outcome of the interaction of the front wheel deflector and the traction battery frame to be determined more reliably and predictably during a frontal impact. Optionally, the planarface of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by an amount from 1 ° to 15°. Optionally, the planarface of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by an amount from 5° to 7°. Optionally, the planarface of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by approximately 6°. Optionally, the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame comprises a planarface and the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface of the front wheel deflector comprises a planar face which extends parallel to the planarface of the traction battery frame. It is thought that the provision of parallel planar faces on the traction battery frame and on the front wheel deflector will tend to maximise the area over which the two planar faces engage in the event of a frontal impact, thereby increasing the tendency for the front wheel deflector to be pushed upwardly - rather than slipping downwardly below the traction battery frame - as it is displaced rearwardly. Optionally, the vehicle body assembly comprises: first and second laterally-spaced front wheel deflectors, each of which comprises a rearwardly and downwardly facing surface; and wherein the front portion of the traction battery frame comprises first and second forwardly and upwardly facing laterally-spaced apart surfaces each of which is adjacent to and spaced from the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface on a respective front wheel deflector. This ensures that irrespective of which of the front wheels is displaced rearwardly during a frontal impact, the associated wheel deflector will tend to be displaced upwardly as it engages the traction battery frame, consequently reducing the likelihood of the front wheel deflector slipping downwardly (or “submarining”) underneath the traction battery frame into the region where battery cells are mounted within the frame. Optionally, the or each forwardly and upwardly facing surface is located on a front corner portion of the traction battery frame. By providing the forwardly and upwardly facing surface(s) on a front corner portion(s) of the traction battery frame, the forwardly and upwardly facing surface(s) on the traction battery frame can be located close to the corresponding rearwardly and downwardly facing surface(s) of the associated front wheel deflector(s). Optionally, the traction battery frame comprises a front corner bracket on which the forwardly and upwardly facing surface is located. Typically, the traction battery frame will be assembled from a number of discrete components, including one or more front corner brackets. By providing the forwardly and upwardly facing surface(s) on a front corner bracket(s) of the traction battery frame, the remaining components of the battery frame can remain largely unchanged. Optionally, the vehicle body assembly comprises a plurality of battery cells mounted in the traction battery frame. According to another aspect of the invention, an electric vehicle comprises a vehicle body assembly in accordance with the invention. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in anyway and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view from one side and above of a frame for receipt of a traction battery which forms a portion of a vehicle body assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Figures 2 to 6 show a front left-hand corner of the traction battery frame of Figure 1, respectively: a perspective view from one side and above; a perspective view from the opposite side and above; a plan view; a view from one side; and an inverted plan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 shows a frame 10 for receipt of a traction battery (not shown), the frame forming part of a vehicle body assembly, and Figures 2-6 show the front left-hand corner of the frame 10 to an enlarged scale. The frame 10 is configured for receipt of a traction battery of an electric vehicle. A deflector bracket 12a, 12b (see Figures 2 - 6) is connected to each of the front left-hand corner and the front right-hand corner of the frame 10. The battery frame shown in Figure 1 comprises elongate front and rear battery frame members 14, 15, lefthand and right-hand elongate left-hand and right-hand side frame members 16a, 16b, front corner assembly frame brackets 17a, 17b interconnecting the front and side frame members 14, 16a, 16b and rear corner assembly frame brackets 18 interconnecting the rear and side frame members 15,16a, 16b. A floor pan 19 is secured to the lower inner peripheral edges of the frame members 14, 15, 16a, 16b, 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b. Figures 2 to 6 show the front left-hand corner of the battery frame 10, but a corresponding, mirror image arrangement is present at the front right-hand corner of the frame, to which a further deflector bracket 12b (which is a mirror image of the illustrated deflector bracket 12a) is connected, but has been omitted for purposes of clarity. The corner assembly frame bracket 17a comprises a one-piece metal casting having a hollow straight beam portion 20 having connecting portions 22, 24 at either end for secure connection to the front and left-hand side battery frame members 14, 16a so that the beam portion 20 is inclined to both the front and rear frame members 14, 16a. A mounting portion 26 projects from a planar front wall 28 of the corner frame bracket 17a and comprises an upper face 30 projecting perpendicularly from the front wall of the frame bracket 17a and a peripheral wall 32 extending downwardly from the periphery of the upper face 30. Five integrally-cast angled reinforcing buttresses 36 extend between the front wall 28 of the bracket 17a and the top face 30 of the mounting portion 26 and a series of reinforcing webs 40a - 40g (see Figure 6) project from the front wall 28 of the frame bracket 17a and the undersurface of the mounting portion 26, to increase strength and stiffness. The mounting portion 26 has a first rounded lug portion 44 and a second pointed lug portion 46, the two lug portions being interconnected by inclined portions 48, 50 of the peripheral wall forming a V-shaped bight or recess 51 in the mounting portion 26. The rounded lug portion 44 is provided with an aperture 52 for mounting the corner frame bracket 17a to an electric vehicle of which it forms part. The portion of the peripheral wall 32 on the opposite side of the pointed lug portion 46 from the rounded lug portion 44 comprises a first planar generally rectangular face 54 extending from the apex of the pointed lug portion 46 and a second planar face 56 extending from the edge of the first planar face 54 remote from the apex of the pointed lug portion 46 and the inner end of the front wall 28 of the corner frame bracket 17a. The first planar face 54 faces forward but is inclined rearwardly by 6° so that its upper edge 60 is located rearwardly of its lower edge 62 and, as will be explained, is configured to act as an impact face in the event that a vehicle to which the battery frame is fitted is involved in a collision. The second planar face 56 extends vertically, i.e. parallel to the outer face of the front wall 28 of the frame bracket 10. A further planar, lobed mounting lug 64 extends forwardly from its lower edge. The periphery of the lobed mounting lug 64 is provided with a perpendicularly extending wall 66 whose height varies smoothly from a maximum at its two ends against the planar face 56, to a minimum at a location corresponding to the apex of the lobed lug 64. The lug 64 is provided with an aperture which receives a securing bolt 68 for attaching the deflector bracket 12a to the corner frame bracket 17a. It will also be seen from Figure 3 that the lower edge of a mitred face 70 of the corner frame bracket 17a located adjacent to the connecting portion 22 is provided with a further perpendicularly-extending integrally-cast connecting flange 72 which carries an internally-cast threaded nut portion 74 as a further location for mounting the corner frame bracket 17a to an electric vehicle of which it forms part. The corner bracket 17a further comprises two integrally-cast triangular reinforcing flanges 76 which extend between the lateral edges of the flange 72 and the mitred face 70 of the corner frame bracket 17a. The deflector bracket 12a forms one component of an otherwise conventional front wheel knuckle (not shown) which carries a wheel axle and is connected to a vehicle suspension unit and to a track rod for controlling the steering angle of the front wheel (none of which is shown). The deflector bracket 12a is configured to be engaged by the rim of the adjacent wheel in the event of a collision and in this embodiment is configured in turn to engage the inclined planar face 54 of the corner frame bracket 17a so that the deflector bracket 12a, and the wheel which displaces it, is deflected upwardly, rather than downwardly, in order to prevent, or at least inhibit, the deflector bracket 12a from slipping downwards and disengaging from the corner frame bracket 17a. This thereby prevents, or at least inhibits, rearward motion of the deflector bracket 12a towards the battery cells mounted within the frame 10. The deflector bracket 12a comprises a generally planar base portion 80 having a generally flat undersurface 82 and a peripheral wall 84. An integrally formed boss 86 projects upwardly from the upper face of the planar base portion 80. The laterally inner portion of the boss forms a laterally inner peripheral planar wall portion 88 of the deflector bracket 12a and its rearmost portion forms a planar impact face 90 which is configured to engage with the planar face 54 of the corner frame bracket 17a. The laterally inner peripheral wall portion 88 extends perpendicularly to the plane of the flat undersurface 82 of the deflector bracket 12a but the rearwardly-facing impact face 90 is inclined downwardly by 6°, so that it is positioned parallel to, but spaced from, the planar face 54 of the corner frame bracket 17a. The boss 86 of the deflector bracket 12a is also provided with an aperture 92 extending through it perpendicularly to the plane of the flat undersurface 82 to receive a bolt 94 for securing the deflector bracket 12a to the remainder of the wheel knuckle. In use, the traction battery frame 10 is assembled and fitted with an array of traction battery cells and is mounted into the vehicle ofwhich it is to form part. The deflector bracket 12a (either before or after it is attached to the rest of the front wheel knuckle) is then secured to the corner frame bracket 17a of the traction battery frame 10 by means of a securing bolt 68 passing through the attachment lug of the mounting flange 64. This positions the forwardly-facing planar face 54 of the corner frame bracket 17a parallel to, but spaced from, the rearwardly-facing impact face 90 of the deflector bracket 12a. The same procedure is followed for the corner assembly frame bracket interconnecting the right-hand end of the front frame member 14 and the front end of the right-hand side frame member. In normal operation of the vehicle, the forwardly-facing planar face 54 of the corner frame bracket 17a and the rearwardly-facing impact face 90 of the deflector bracket 12a are maintained in a spaced apart relationship. However, in the event of a frontal impact which causes a front wheel to be pushed rearwardly, the deflector bracket 12a is designed to engage the wheel and is therefore also pushed rearwardly. This causes the rearwardly-facing, downwardly-in dined impact face 90 of the defledor bracket 12a to engage with the forwardly-facing, upwardly-inclined planar face 54 of the corner frame bracket 17a to contact each other. However, the engagement of the inclined faces 54, 90, causes the deflector bracket 12a to be deflected upwardly in order to inhibit it from slipping downwards and disengaging from the corner frame bracket 17a. Thereby, further rearward motion of the deflector bracket 12a towards the battery cells mounted within the frame 10, is reduced and this reduces the likelihood of damage to the battery cells within the traction battery frame 10. It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application. For example, although the first planar face 54 of the corner frame bracket 17a and the impact face 90 of the deflector bracket 12a have been described as being arranged parallel to one another, the angles of inclination of the two faces may be varied so that they do not lie parallel to each another. In addition, the planar face of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface 54 of the traction battery frame may be inclined to the vertical by an amount from 1 ° to 15°, for example by an amount from 5° to 7°. Alternatively, or in addition, the planar face of the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface of the impact face 90 may be inclined to the vertical by an amount from 1° to 15°, for example by an amount from 5° to 7°.

Claims

1. A vehicle body assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising:a traction battery frame configured for receipt of a vehicle traction battery; anda front wheel deflector mounted adjacent to a front portion of the traction battery frame and configured to be displaced rearwardly, towards the traction battery frame, during a frontal impact;wherein a front portion of the traction battery frame comprises a forwardly and upwardly facing surface and a rear portion of the front wheel deflector comprises a rearwardly and downwardly facing surface adjacent to and spaced from the surface on the traction battery frame, and wherein the two surfaces are configured to engage with each other as the front wheel deflector is displaced rearwardly towards the traction battery frame during a frontal impact.

2. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame comprises a planar face.

3. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the planar face of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by an amount from 1° to 15°.

4. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the planar face of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by an amount from 5° to 7°.

5. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the planarface of the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame is inclined to the vertical by 6°.

6. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface of the front wheel deflector comprises a planar face.

7. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the planar face of the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface of the front wheel deflector is inclined to the vertical by an amount from 1° to 15°.

8. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the planar face of the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface of the front wheel deflector is inclined to the vertical by an amount from 5° to 7°.

9. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the planar face of the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface of the front wheel deflector is inclined to the vertical by 6°.

10. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of the traction battery frame comprises a planar face and the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface of the front wheel deflector comprises a planar face which extends parallel to the planarface of the traction battery frame.

11. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising:first and second laterally-spaced front wheel deflectors, each of which comprises a rearwardly and downwardly facing surface;and wherein the front portion of the traction battery frame comprises first and second forwardly and 5 upwardly facing laterally-spaced apart surfaces each of which is adjacent to and spaced from the rearwardly and downwardly facing surface on a respective front wheel deflector.

12. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each forwardly and upwardly facing surface is located on a front corner portion of the traction battery frame.1013. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the traction battery frame comprises a front corner bracket on which the forwardly and upwardly facing surface is located.

14. A vehicle body assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of battery 15 cells mounted in the traction battery frame.

15. An electric vehicle comprising a vehicle body assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims.Application No: GB2412919.9Examiner: Barry MeachamClaims searched: 1-15Date of search: 20 November 2024Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17Documents considered to be relevant:Category Relevant to claims Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance A - US 2024 / 0190506 Al (BORATE et al ) see whole document A - CN 110937025 B (BAIC MOTOR CO LTD) see whole document A - US 2021 / 0402940 Al (SHAH et al.) see whole document A - US 2021 / 0403092 Al (SHAH et al.) see whole document A - JP 6405731 B2 (MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORP) see whole document A - US 9643660 B2 (VOLLMER) see whole documentCategories:X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step A Document indicating technological background and / or state of the art. Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if P Document published on or after the declared priority date but combined with one or more other documents of same category. before the filing date of this invention. & Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:International Classification:Subclass Subgroup Valid From B62D 0021 / 15 01 / 01 / 2006 B62D 0021 / 11 01 / 01 / 2006 B62D 0025 / 20 01 / 01 / 2006

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