Vehicle

Abstract

To inhibit an upper tier battery stack and a lower tier battery stack disposed at the vehicle rear from being pushed to the front of a vehicle when the vehicle is collided from the rear and thereby inhibit damage to the upper tier battery stack and the lower tier battery stack and prevent a passenger compartment from being compressed by the bending upper tier battery stack.SOLUTION: A vehicle 100 includes: a first battery module 10 disposed at the vehicle rear; and a second battery module 20 disposed at the vehicle front relative to the first battery module 10. The first battery module 10 includes an upper tier battery stack 12 and a lower tier battery stack 11. The vehicle 100 includes a strengh member 40 which fixedly connects the upper tier battery stack 12 with the second battery module 20. The strengh member 40 includes a low rigid part 43 between a connection part connected to the upper tier battery stack 12 and a connection part connected to the second battery module 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle in which a battery pack is arranged.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a battery pack arranged below a luggage space at the rear of a vehicle.

[0003] The battery pack described in Patent Document 1 has an upper case and a lower case that are arranged in the vertical direction of the vehicle and connected to each other, an upper battery stack housed in the upper case, and a lower battery stack housed in the lower case. Among a pair of frames provided in the lower case, the frame (skeletal rigid member) arranged on the rear side of the vehicle is positioned further rearward of the vehicle than the upper battery stack and the lower battery stack. When a collision occurs from the rear of the vehicle, the frame arranged on the rear side of the vehicle receives the collision external force, so that the external force can be prevented from acting on the upper battery stack and the lower battery stack.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when there is no space to arrange a frame or the like that receives the collision external force described in Patent Document 1 at an appropriate position on the rear side of the vehicle in terms of the vehicle concept, or when the rigidity of the frame is insufficient, the external force may reach the upper battery stack or the lower battery stack. In such a case, there is a concern that the upper battery stack or the lower battery stack may be damaged by being pushed forward of the vehicle, or that the upper battery stack may be bent forward from the base to compress the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to prevent an upper battery stack or a lower battery stack disposed at the rear of a vehicle from being pushed forward into the vehicle during a collision from the rear of the vehicle, and to suppress damage to the upper battery stack or the lower battery stack and compression of the passenger compartment due to bending of the upper battery stack.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The invention according to claim 1 is a vehicle including a first battery module disposed at the rear of the vehicle and a second battery module disposed in front of the first battery module in the vehicle. The first battery module includes an upper battery stack and a lower stack. The vehicle includes a strength member that connects and fixes the upper battery stack and the second battery module. The strength member is provided with a low-rigidity portion between a connection portion with the upper battery stack of the first battery module and a connection portion with the second battery module.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] (a) During a collision from the rear of the vehicle, the low-rigidity portion provided between the connection portion of the strength member with the upper battery stack of the first battery module and the connection portion with the second battery module is separated, so that the collision external force can be transmitted to the side of the second battery module in front of the vehicle. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the collision external force from reaching the upper battery stack and the lower battery stack, and to prevent the upper battery stack and the lower battery stack from being pushed forward into the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to suppress damage to the upper battery stack and the lower battery stack and compression of the passenger compartment due to bending of the upper battery stack.

[0009] (b) The upper battery stack, which is stacked on the lower battery stack in the first battery module and is prone to sway, is connected to the second battery module via the strength member. Therefore, the upper battery stack becomes less likely to vibrate by utilizing the rigidity of the second battery module.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic views showing a vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, X, Y, and Z indicate the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and height direction of the vehicle 100, respectively. In FIG. 2, 101 is a cover of the battery pack, 102 is a seat, and M is an occupant.

[0012] The vehicle 100 includes a first battery module 10 disposed at the rear of the vehicle and a second battery module 20 disposed in front of the first battery module 10 on a battery mounting floor surface portion 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) provided below the cover 101. Note that the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment further includes a third battery module 30 disposed in front of the second battery module 20.

[0013] The first battery module 10 includes a lower battery stack 11 and an upper battery stack 12 that are arranged along the left-right direction at the rear of the vehicle 100 and stacked in two stages vertically. That is, the first battery module 10 includes the lower battery stack 11 joined to the upper surface of the battery mounting floor surface portion 1 and the upper battery stack 12 coupled to the lower battery stack 11 via a base member 13 on the lower battery stack 11. The lower battery stack 11 and the upper battery stack 12 are configured by stacking their cells in the left-right direction. In front of the upper battery stack 12, the upper body portion of the occupant M sitting on the seat 102 in the vehicle compartment (passenger compartment) is positioned.

[0014] The second battery module 20 is arranged along the longitudinal direction in the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. The second battery module 20 is joined to the upper surface of the battery mounting floor surface portion 1 and is configured by stacking cells in the longitudinal direction.

[0015] The third battery module 30 is arranged along the lateral direction in the front part of the vehicle 100. The third battery module 30 is joined to the upper surface of the battery mounting floor surface portion 1 and is configured by stacking cells in the longitudinal direction.

[0016] The vehicle 100 includes an upper battery stack 12 of the first battery module 10 and a strength member 40 for connecting and fixing the second battery module 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the strength member 40 has, for example, a flat plate-shaped first connector 41 fixed to the upper battery stack 12 by a connecting means 41J such as a bolt, and a second connector 42 fixed to the second battery module 20 by a connecting means 42J such as a bolt, and includes a low-rigidity portion 43 having lower rigidity than the periphery between the first connector 41 and the second connector 42. The low-rigidity portion 43 is formed, for example, by a notch or the like. The second connector 42 of the strength member 40 includes a fastening portion 42A fastened to the rear panel 101A of the cover 101.

[0017] The strength member 40 is composed of a case, storage parts such as an end plate, which sandwich a large number of cells constituting the upper battery stack 12 in the first battery module 10 from both sides in the lateral direction to regulate the dimensions of the stack 12, and is configured to be able to receive the collision external force transmitted from the rear panel 101A by fastening (or contact) with the rear panel 101A. The low-rigidity portion 43 breaks when a certain load is exceeded, separating the first connector 41 and the second connector 42.

[0018] That is, when a rear collision external force acts on the rear panel 101A of the vehicle 100 and an external force exceeding a certain load acts from the rear panel 101A on the fastening portion 42A of the second connector 42 of the strength member 40, the low rigidity portion 43 of the strength member 40 breaks, and the strength member 40 separates into the first connector 41 on the side of the upper battery stack 12 and the second connector 42 on the side of the second battery module 20. The second connector 42 that has received the rear collision external force has its fastening portion 42A separated from the rear panel 101A and moves forward of the vehicle 100 together with the second battery module 20 as if pushing out the second battery module 20. The first connector 41 separated from the second connector 42 remains at the rear of the vehicle 100 together with the upper battery stack 12. That is, the second connector 42 of the strength member 40 forms a transmission path for the collision external force, and the collision external force is transmitted through the second connector 42 to the second battery module 20 and further to the third battery module 30 and absorbed.

[0019] The second connector 42 of the strength member 40 is provided with a reinforcing rib for transmitting the collision load from the side of the rear panel 101A to the side of the second battery module 20.

[0020] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following operational effects are achieved. (a) When a rear collision occurs to the vehicle 100, by separating the low rigidity portion 43 provided between the connection portion (first connector 41) of the strength member 40 with the upper battery stack 12 of the first battery module 10 and the connection portion (second connector 42) with the second battery module 20, the collision external force can be transmitted to the side of the second battery module 20 in front of the vehicle 100. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the collision external force from reaching the upper battery stack 12 and the lower battery stack 11, and to suppress the upper battery stack 12 and the lower battery stack 11 from being pushed out in front of the vehicle 100. As a result, it is possible to suppress damage to the upper battery stack 12 and the lower battery stack 11 and compression of the passenger compartment due to bending of the upper battery stack 12.

[0021] Even without a skeletal rigidity member or the like that receives the collision external force, the collision external force can be received, reducing the number of parts, lowering the cost, and improving safety performance.

[0022] (b) In the first battery module 10, the upper battery stack 12 that is stacked on the lower battery stack 11 and is prone to shaking is connected to the second battery module 20 via the strength member 40. Therefore, by utilizing the rigidity of the second battery module 20, it becomes difficult to vibrate.

[0023] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the upper battery stack and the lower battery stack arranged at the rear of the vehicle from being pushed forward of the vehicle during a collision from the rear of the vehicle, and to suppress damage to the upper battery stack and the lower battery stack and compression of the passenger compartment due to bending of the upper battery stack.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0025] 10 First battery module 11 Lower battery stack 12 Upper battery stack 20 Second battery module 40 Strength member 43 Low-rigidity part 100 Vehicle

Claims

【Claim 1】 A vehicle comprising a first battery module disposed at the rear of the vehicle and a second battery module disposed in front of the first battery module in the vehicle, The first battery module includes an upper battery stack and a lower battery stack, The vehicle includes a strength member that connects and fixes the upper battery stack and the second battery module, The strength member has a low-rigidity portion between a connection portion with the upper battery stack and a connection portion with the second battery module.

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