Motor vehicle having a vehicle body and a drive energy storage unit

Abstract

To provide a motor vehicle having a body and a drive energy storage unit, which is lighter in weight, has a longer reach, and can be manufactured inexpensively. [Solution] A motor vehicle having a vehicle body 1 and a drive energy storage unit 3, the vehicle body having a floor assembly 5 having a left longitudinal beam 7 and a right longitudinal beam 8, the drive energy storage unit 3 having drive energy storage unit housings 301, 302, the drive energy storage unit housings 301, 302 being attached to the floor assembly 5 from below, the attached drive energy storage unit housings 301, 302 at least partially forming the floor of the floor assembly 5.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle having a body and a drive energy store. [Background technology]

[0002] A motor vehicle having an electric drive typically has a traction battery with a traction battery housing in which battery modules or battery cells, electrical / electronic components and a cooling device are arranged. The traction battery housing is in turn arranged below a floor assembly in the vehicle body. Known traction battery housings are made, for example, of aluminum and include lateral beams, a cover and a floor. The lateral beams are designed, for example, as extrusions or cast parts.

[0003] As shown in the '1999 patent, a known traction battery housing has longitudinal beams and a number of cross beams extending between the longitudinal beams. The traction battery housing also has upper and lower walls that are connected to at least outer beam structures, i.e., outer longitudinal beams and outer cross beams, respectively. The longitudinal beams and cross beams are formed from extrusions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] DE 102017223407 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle with a body and a drive energy store, which motor vehicle is lighter, has a greater range and is inexpensive to manufacture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This problem is solved by a motor vehicle having the features of claim 1. Advantageous configurations of the invention are set out in the respective dependent claims.

[0007] The motor vehicle according to the invention comprises a vehicle body and a drive energy store. The motor vehicle may be a passenger car or a commercial vehicle. In particular, the motor vehicle comprises an electric drive. The drive energy store may in particular be a drive battery, also called high-voltage store. The vehicle body comprises a floor assembly with a left longitudinal beam and a right longitudinal beam. Such a vehicle body longitudinal beam is also called a side skirt or an outer lower longitudinal beam. The drive energy store comprises a drive energy store housing, which is mounted from below in the floor assembly. The mounted drive energy store or the mounted drive energy store housing, in particular a drive energy store housing cover, at least partially forms the floor of the floor assembly.

[0008] The drive store housing thereby replaces the floor of the floor assembly, which makes the motor vehicle, i.e. the body, in particular the floor assembly, lighter and requires fewer parts, which also makes it possible to reduce the construction space in the vehicle height direction (Z direction) or to incorporate taller battery cells.

[0009] Advantageously, the drive energy store housing extends essentially over the entire width of the floor assembly, i.e. essentially over the entire structural space between the left and right longitudinal beams.

[0010] This allows enough battery cells to be accommodated in the traction battery to replace a sufficiently large portion of the floor of the floor assembly.

[0011] The drive energy store housing can extend over a certain area or over as large an area as possible between the front and rear axles of the motor vehicle. Advantageously, the drive energy store housing extends from under the front (vehicle interior) front wall or the front wall to the front ends of the left and right wheel houses. The drive energy store housing can also extend to under the second seat row of the motor vehicle. In other words, the drive energy store housing can extend and be arranged at least in the area between the front body pillar (A pillar) and the rear body pillar (particularly the C pillar). In this case, the drive energy store housing extends from the area of ​​the front body pillar to the area of ​​the rear body pillar.

[0012] According to a preferred development of the invention, the drive energy store housing and the floor assembly together form a fluid-tight floor of the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, in particular the fluid-tightness of the passenger compartment in the downward direction is obtained only by the cooperation of the drive energy store housing and the floor assembly, the floor assembly not having a fluid-tight floor without the drive energy store housing or the floor assembly alone not being fluid-tight in the downward direction.

[0013] The drive energy store housing therefore takes over the function of a continuous, fluid-tight floor of the floor assembly. It should be noted that the term "fluid-tight" in this context does not exclude that the floor assembly or the drive energy store housing are provided with openings for cable bushings, water outlets or the like, which are both closable by the floor assembly. "Fluid-tight" means in particular "liquid-tight".

[0014] A seal or a sealable adhesive may be suitably disposed between the drive energy storage housing and the floor assembly such that the attached drive energy storage housing completely seals the floor assembly downward.

[0015] The seal may be formed, for example, from butyl. The seal may be formed as a flat seal, a lip seal or a profile seal.

[0016] Advantageously, the drive energy store housing has a peripheral sealing flange, which may simultaneously be a mounting flange, having a peripheral continuous sealing surface sealing the drive energy store housing against the floor assembly.

[0017] The peripheral sealing flange is preferably arranged in one plane, i.e. parallel to the xy-plane of the vehicle coordinate system, so that a better seal can be achieved.

[0018] According to an advantageous development of the motor vehicle according to the invention, the floor assembly comprises a front crossbeam structure and a rear crossbeam structure, the drive energy store housing is attached to the left and right longitudinal beams and to the front and rear crossbeam structures, in which case the above-mentioned sealing flanges come into contact with corresponding flange sealing surfaces of the longitudinal beams and the crossbeam structures.

[0019] Advantageously, the floor assembly has at least one further cross beam between the front cross beam structure and the rear cross beam structure, which is connected to the left and right longitudinal beams respectively or extends between the left and right longitudinal beams. The further cross beam can be a seat cross beam or a heel plate cross beam. Advantageously, the floor assembly has a number of further cross beams, between which a free space is formed in each case so that the floor assembly opens downwards. Advantageously, the seat cross beam or cross beams are arranged in the rear area of ​​the front wall up to the B-pillar and contribute to the fixing of the front row of seats, i.e. the front seats, and to the crash stiffness of the floor assembly in the lateral direction. The heel plate cross beam is usually arranged in the area of ​​the front end of the second row of seats and contributes to the fixing of the second row of seats and also to the crash stiffness of the floor assembly in the lateral direction.

[0020] Preferably, the drive energy store housing is attached to the further cross beam, in particular by means of a screw connection, Additionally or alternatively, the drive energy store housing can be connected to the cross beam by means of an adhesive connection, i.e. glued.

[0021] The overall stiffness of the floor assembly can thereby be further increased by the drive energy store housing and the vibration characteristics of the motor vehicle during driving operation can also be positively influenced, and the drive energy store housing thereby supports the cross beam or cross beam structure against bending in the event of a side impact.

[0022] According to another development, the floor assembly does not have a floor panel between the front cross beam structure and the rear cross beam structure or between the front cross beam structure and another cross beam. In other words, the floor assembly is advantageously formed without or does not have a floor panel. Thus, a larger area of ​​the floor assembly is formed open.

[0023] The term "openly formed" means that the floor assembly is formed with a clear, open area that forms a through opening such that the floor assembly is open downwardly.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the floor assembly may comprise at least one further longitudinal beam between the left and right longitudinal beams, connected to the front and / or rear crossbeam structure, which may for example be arranged in the middle and form a center tunnel therein.

[0025] Advantageously, the floor assembly does not include any floor panels.

[0026] Typically, the floor panel is a unitary, in particular flat, possibly single-layer, member which does not comprise or form a hollow molding or the like and therefore does not form a body beam.

[0027] Preferably, 40 to 85%, advantageously 50 to 75%, and even more preferably 55 to 70% of the area between the right-hand longitudinal beam and the left-hand longitudinal beam and the front crossbeam structure and the rear crossbeam structure is open, i.e. formed without floor panels and crossbeams.

[0028] According to one development, the upper wall of the drive energy store housing, i.e. the upper layer or upper side, and thus the side facing the vehicle interior, is configured as a heat exchanger for temperature regulation of the drive energy store, in particular the battery cells and / or the electric / electronic components. In addition, the upper wall of the drive energy store housing can be configured as a heat exchanger for temperature regulation of the vehicle interior.

[0029] This is advantageous in that the battery cells of the drive energy storage unit are heated at low exterior temperatures and cooled at high exterior temperatures, just like the passenger compartment, which also has floor temperature regulation that is quite favorable for the thermal sensation of the vehicle occupants.

[0030] The drive energy store can further comprise an additional housing, which is arranged at the drive energy store housing, i.e. on top. The additional housing can be arranged below the vehicle seat, for example at the vehicle rear seat or at the vehicle rear seat seat, since additional structural space in the height direction is provided here in the vehicle interior. The additional housing can accommodate electric / electronic components of the drive energy store and / or further battery cells of the drive energy store. The additional housing can be formed without the function of a floor panel, so that only the drive energy store housing cover has the floor panel function or replaces the floor panel. However, instead of this, the additional housing can also replace or form part of a floor panel of the floor assembly. In particular, the additional housing can form a rear floor part of the floor assembly. The rear load part is the area below the vehicle rear seat or the vehicle rear seat seat. The additional housing is formed in particular by an upper wall of the drive energy store housing, i.e. by a drive energy store housing cover, and by an additional housing cover which is placed on the outside of the upper wall or which is connected to the outside of the upper wall. The additional housing or components in the additional housing can likewise be temperature-regulated by the above-mentioned heat exchanger.

[0031] The upper side of the propulsion energy store housing can be made essentially flat, which simplifies the manufacture of the propulsion energy store housing, in particular with regard to the arrangement of the battery cells inside the propulsion energy store housing, which in turn simplifies the connection of the floor assembly to the corresponding beam or the sealing between the propulsion energy store housing and the floor assembly, which finally makes it possible to advantageously realize a flat floor for the vehicle interior.

[0032] Preferably, the drive energy store housing is formed of a lower housing part and an upper housing part. Advantageously, the lower housing part is provided with a lower housing flange and the upper housing part is provided with an upper housing flange. The lower housing part and the upper housing part can be connected to each other via the lower housing flange and the upper housing flange. More preferably, the upper housing flange is formed for mounting the drive energy store housing in a floor assembly and can form a sealing flange as well.

[0033] According to a preferred development, the drive energy store is configured and coupled to the floor assembly so as to increase the body stiffness for driving operation of the motor vehicle and / or for increasing the body stiffness against crash load conditions, whereby the drive energy store forms a supporting structural member attached to the body or floor assembly, whereby the floor assembly or body can be constructed lighter since the drive energy store assumes a body structural function.

[0034] The above-mentioned housing upper part of the drive energy storage housing can form a floor part of the vehicle body, and the above-mentioned heat exchanger can be formed in the housing upper part.

[0035] The traction battery housing can be made fluid-tight.

[0036] Advantageously, the floor assembly does not define a center tunnel, in which respect the floor of the passenger compartment can advantageously be formed essentially flat.

[0037] The above-mentioned developments of the invention can be combined in any way with one another, wherever possible and meaningful. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle having a vehicle body and a propulsion energy storage unit before mounting the propulsion energy storage unit in the vehicle body according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a motor vehicle having a vehicle body and a drive energy storage according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic perspective view, seen from below, of a motor vehicle having a body and no drive energy storage, according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view from above of a motor vehicle having a vehicle body and a drive energy storage unit after mounting of the drive energy storage unit in the vehicle body according to one embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the invention, a passenger vehicle has a vehicle body 1 and a traction energy store 3. The traction energy store 3 is a so-called high-voltage store, i.e. a traction battery, which drives an electric traction motor of the passenger vehicle. In FIG. 1, the traction energy store 3 is shown before mounting on the vehicle body. The vehicle body 1 is not shown in its entirety in FIG. 1, essentially only a floor assembly (platform) 5 of the vehicle body 1 is shown. The vehicle body 1 or floor assembly 5 has a left side skirt 7 and a right side skirt 8, i.e. a longitudinal beam according to the invention. The traction energy store 3 has a traction energy store housing 301, which has essentially the same height over its entire length, and an additional housing 302, which is placed in the rear area of ​​the traction energy store 3. The traction energy store housing 301 essentially accommodates a battery cell 309. The additional housing 302 accommodates, for example, a charging device, a converter and further electric / electronic components. The drive energy store 3 is attached from below to the floor assembly 5 by means of screw connections and possibly also adhesive connections.

[0041] In Fig. 2, a highly schematic cross-section along the y and z directions of the vehicle body 1 is shown. The cross-section runs through the passenger compartment 9 of the motor vehicle. At the bottom left and bottom right in Fig. 2, the side skirts 7, 8 are shown, to which a drive energy store housing 301 is attached from below by means of a threaded connection 21. In particular, the drive energy store housing 301 is attached at its peripheral flanges 304, 306 to the floor assembly 5 with a seal 19 arranged therebetween. The cross-section also shows, in a schematic manner, the further cross beams 15, 16, 17, 18 of the floor assembly 5. The drive energy store housing 301 is connected to the further cross beams 15, 16, 17, 18 by means of a threaded connection 23 and is additionally glued.

[0042] The attached propulsion energy store housing 301 at least partially forms the floor of the floor assembly 5 and extends across the entire width of the floor assembly 5 between the left side skirt 7 and the right side skirt 8. The passenger compartment 9 is sealed downwards by a seal 19.

[0043] In FIG. 3, only the floor assembly 5 without the drive energy storage unit 3 is shown in a perspective view from below. As shown in FIG. 3, the floor assembly 5 has a front crossbeam structure 11 with a so-called front wall (partition) behind the front wheel house or behind the front axle, which defines the passenger compartment forward up to the vehicle front end and connects the front ends of the side skirts 7, 8 to each other. The floor assembly 5 also has a rear crossbeam structure 13 in front of the rear wheel house or in front of the rear axle, which connects the rear ends of the side skirts 7, 8 to each other and is located in the area of ​​a rear rear seat (not shown) forming a second seat row (not shown) of the motor vehicle. The floor assembly 5 further comprises further crossbeams between the front crossbeam structure 11 and the rear crossbeam structure 13, such as seat crossbeams 15, 16, 17 in the area of ​​the front seat row and the B-pillars of the vehicle body 1. In the area of ​​the rear seat row, a heel plate cross beam 18 is arranged which likewise forms another cross beam according to the invention. All cross beams 15, 16, 17, 18 extend between and are connected to the left side skirt 7 and the right side skirt 8. The areas between the side skirts 7, 8 and between the respective cross beam structures 11, 13 or further cross beams 15, 16, 17, 18 are open. The floor assembly 5 is formed without floor panels between the beams.

[0044] In FIG. 4, the floor assembly 5 with the mounted drive energy store 3 is shown in a perspective view from diagonally above. The hatched areas between the side skirts 7, 8 and the front and rear cross beam structures 11, 13 of the floor assembly show the upper side of the drive energy store 3, in particular the drive energy store housing 301 and the additional housing 302, in the open areas between the beams of the floor assembly 5. The upper side of the drive energy store 3 forms the floor of the passenger compartment 9 in the hatched areas and therefore replaces a conventional floor panel. As can be further seen in FIG. 4, the drive energy store 3 extends from the front cross beam structure 11 with the front wall to the rear cross beam structure 13 that connects the rear ends of the side skirts 7, 8 to each other, i.e. to the wheel house behind the floor assembly 3 below the rear seats forming the second row of seats.

[0045] The mounting seal flange 306 of the drive energy storage housing 301 generally contacts a corresponding component of the floor assembly 5 in an annular, peripheral sealing manner, so that the drive energy storage housing 301 and the floor assembly 5 together form a fluid-tight floor of the motor vehicle passenger compartment 9. The peripheral mounting seal flange 306 is located at a sealing plane in this embodiment.

[0046] The floor assembly 5 does not have a floor panel as compared to a conventional floor assembly of the vehicle body and therefore has a free space between adjacent cross beams / cross beam structures. The free space is closed by the drive energy store housing 301, in this embodiment an additional housing 302 that does not form a floor panel sealed by the vehicle body. In this embodiment, 65% of the floor assembly 5 between the front cross beam structure 11 and the heel plate cross beam 18 is open downwards between the side skirts 7,8 and the cross beam structures 11,13 without the drive energy store housing 301.

[0047] In addition to the drive energy store housing 301, the drive energy store housing 3 comprises an additional housing 302, which is mounted on the drive energy store housing 301 in the rear area of ​​the drive energy store housing 301, in the area below the rear seat, i.e. behind the heel plate cross beam 18. The additional housing 302 accommodates a charging device, a converter and further electric / electronic components of the drive energy store 3. The additional housing 302 protrudes into the intermediate space between the heel plate cross beam 18 and the rear cross beam structure 13. The upper side of the drive energy store housing 301 is designed essentially flat. 2 , the propulsion energy storage housing is formed of a lower housing part 303 and an upper housing part 305, the lower housing part 303 having a lower housing flange 304, the upper housing part 305 having an upper housing flange 306, the lower housing part 303 and the upper housing part 305 being connected to each other via the lower housing flange 304 and the upper housing flange 306, the upper housing flange 306 being formed for mounting the propulsion energy storage housing 303 to the floor assembly 5. A seal 307 is disposed between the upper housing flange 306 and the lower housing flange 304. Also, a seal 19 is disposed between the upper housing flange 306 and the floor assembly 5.

[0048] The drive energy storage housing 301 is coupled to the floor assembly 5 via the threaded coupling 21 and the mounting seal flanges 304 and 306. The drive energy storage housing 301 or the housing upper portion 305 is also coupled to the cross beams 15, 16, 17 and 18 via the threaded coupling 23.

Claims

1. A vehicle with a prime mover having a vehicle body (1) and a drive energy storage unit (3), wherein the vehicle body is provided with a floor assembly (5) having a longitudinal beam (7) on the left side and a longitudinal beam (8) on the right side, the drive energy storage unit (3) is provided with drive energy storage unit housings (301, 302), and the drive energy storage unit housings (301, 302) are attached to the floor assembly (5) from below, and the attached drive energy storage unit housings (301, 302) at least partially form the floor portion of the floor assembly (5). A vehicle with a prime mover, characterized in that.

2. The drive energy storage unit housings (301, 302) together with the floor assembly (5) form a fluid-tight floor portion of the passenger compartment (9) of the vehicle with a prime mover, and the fluid tightness of the passenger compartment (9) is obtained only by the cooperation of the drive energy storage unit housings (301, 302) and the floor assembly (5). The vehicle with a prime mover according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The drive energy storage unit housings (301, 302) are provided with a peripherally provided seal flange (306) having a continuously peripherally provided seal surface for sealing the drive energy storage unit housings (301, 302) with respect to the floor assembly (5). The vehicle with a prime mover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The floor assembly (5) is provided with a front cross beam structure portion (11) and a rear cross beam structure portion (13), and the drive energy storage unit housing (301) is attached to the longitudinal beam (7) on the left side, the longitudinal beam (8) on the right side, the front cross beam structure portion (11), and the rear cross beam structure portion (13). The vehicle with a prime mover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

5. The floor assembly (5) has at least one further cross beam (15, 16, 17, 18), in particular a seat cross beam and / or a heel plate cross beam, coupled to the left longitudinal beam (7) and / or the right longitudinal beam (8) between the front cross beam structure (11) and the rear cross beam structure (13), and / or the floor assembly (5) has at least one further longitudinal beam coupled to the front cross beam structure (11) and / or the rear cross beam structure (13) between the left longitudinal beam (7) and the right longitudinal beam (8). The motor vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The drive energy storage housing (301) is attached to a further cross beam (15, 16, 17, 18), in particular using a screw connection (23), and / or the drive energy storage housing (301) is glued to a further cross beam (15, 16, 17, 18). The motor vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. The floor assembly (5) does not have a floor panel between the front cross beam structure (11) and the rear cross beam structure (13), or between the front cross beam structure (11) and a further cross beam (18), whereby a larger area of the floor assembly (5) is formed open. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that.

8. At least 40 to 85% of the area between the right longitudinal beam (7) and the left longitudinal beam (8) and between the front cross beam structure (11) and the rear cross beam structure (13) is formed open. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that.

9. The upper wall part of the drive energy storage housing (301) is formed as a heat exchanger for temperature regulation of the drive energy storage (3), in particular the battery cells and / or the electrical / electronic components of the drive energy storage (3), and the upper wall part of the drive energy storage housing (301) is additionally formed as a heat exchanger for temperature regulation of the passenger compartment (9). The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

10. The drive energy storage unit (3) further comprises an additional housing (302), which is arranged in the drive energy storage unit housing (301) and houses in particular the electrical / electronic components of the drive energy storage unit and / or another battery cell, and the additional housing (302) is arranged in particular below the vehicle seat, for example below the rear seat row. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper side of the drive energy storage unit housing (301) is essentially flat.

12. The drive energy storage unit housing (301) is formed by a housing lower part (303) and a housing upper part (305), the housing lower part (303) comprises a housing lower flange (304), the housing upper part (305) comprises a housing upper flange (306), the housing lower part (303) and the housing upper part (305) are connected to each other via the housing lower flange (304) and the housing upper flange (306), and the housing upper flange (306) or the housing lower flange (304) is formed together with the housing upper flange (306) for attaching the drive energy storage unit housing (301) to the floor assembly (5). The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

13. The drive energy storage unit (3) is configured to increase the body rigidity with respect to the driving operation of the motor vehicle and to increase the body rigidity with respect to the collision load state, and is coupled to the floor assembly (5). The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

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