Vehicle battery unit

Abstract

To mount a battery body 11 on a battery tray 12 without brought into contact with a bolt 126.SOLUTION: A battery unit for a vehicle includes a battery body, a resin battery ray 12 which is fixed to a vehicle body and allows the battery body to be mounted thereon, a metal bolt 126 erected on both side parts of the battery tray, and a battery clamp 13 which is engaged on the battery body 11 mounted on the battery tray 12 from above, is connected to the bolt 126 on both sides of the battery body 11 and holds the battery body 11 on the battery tray 12. The battery tray 12 includes a battery base 120 on which the battery body 11 is mounted, and side walls 121 erected from both side parts of the battery base 120, wherein each of the opposite side walls 121 includes an uppermost end 127 higher than the upper end of the bolt 126.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle battery unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a vehicle battery unit is configured to include a battery body, a battery tray on which the battery body is placed, and battery clamps that hang from above the battery body and connect it to the battery tray with bolts on both sides of the battery body. Also known are structures in which the bolts are installed on the battery tray together with the battery body, and structures in which the bolts are installed on the battery tray in advance.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method in which a J-bolt is provided on a battery tray so that it can be tilted, and the battery main body is placed on the battery tray with the bolt tilted outward from the battery tray, and the bolt is then set upright and a battery clamp is fastened to the bolt to secure the battery main body to the battery tray. By tilting the bolt, the bolt does not get in the way when the battery main body is placed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-25978 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When tilting the bolts before placing the battery main body on the battery tray, as in Patent Document 1, space is required for tilting the bolts. Therefore, when the battery tray is placed in a narrow space, tilting the bolts may be difficult, which may make it difficult to place the battery main body on the battery tray. On the other hand, if the bolts are placed upright on the battery tray, there is a concern that the battery main body may come into contact with the tip of the upright bolt when lowering the battery main body onto the battery tray from above, and may be damaged.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to place the battery main body on the battery tray without contacting the upright bolts, even when the battery tray is placed in a narrow space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a part on the battery tray that is higher than the upper end of the bolt, so that even if the position of the battery body shifts when it is lowered onto the battery tray, the part that becomes higher than the bolt will hit the part first, rather than the upper end of the bolt.

[0008] The vehicle battery unit disclosed herein comprises a battery body; a resin battery tray fixed to the vehicle body and on which the battery main body is placed; Metal bolts erected on both sides of the battery tray; a battery clamp that is hung from above on the battery body placed on the battery tray and is connected to the bolts on both sides of the battery body to hold the battery body to the battery tray, the battery tray includes a battery stand on which the battery body is placed and opposing side walls extending from both sides of the battery stand, The opposing side walls each have an uppermost end that is higher than the upper end of the bolt.

[0009] The method for assembling a vehicle battery unit disclosed herein includes the steps of: fixing a resin battery tray to a vehicle body; the battery tray includes a battery stand on which a battery body is placed and opposing side walls extending from both sides of the battery stand, the battery tray having metal bolts extending from the positions where the side walls are provided; lowering the battery main body from above the battery tray and placing it on the battery stand; and a step of hanging battery clamps on the battery body from above and connecting them to the bolts on both sides of the battery body to hold the battery body in place on the battery tray; the opposing side walls of the battery tray each have an uppermost edge that is higher than the upper end of the bolt; In the step of placing the battery body on the battery stand, the battery body is lowered from above between the uppermost ends of the opposing side walls.

[0010] According to this vehicle battery unit and assembly method, when the battery body is lowered onto the battery tray from above, if the battery body is misaligned from the uppermost end, the bottom of the battery body first contacts the uppermost end of the resin battery tray, rather than the upper ends of the metal bolts. This prevents contact between the battery body and the metal bolts and prevents damage to the battery body due to such contact. Furthermore, after the bottom of the battery body is lowered between the uppermost ends of the opposing side walls, the side walls from the uppermost end to the battery stand act as members that restrict rotation of the battery body around its vertical axis, making it easier to lower the battery body onto the battery stand without rotational misalignment.

[0011] In the vehicle battery unit, in one embodiment, each of the opposing side walls of the battery tray has a locally elevated protrusion, and an upper end of the protrusion forms the uppermost end; The distance between the uppermost end of the protrusion on each side of the battery tray and the bolt is in the range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the dimension of the side wall of the battery main body in the longitudinal direction.

[0012] In one embodiment of the method for assembling a vehicle battery unit, each of the opposing side walls of the battery tray includes a protrusion that is locally elevated, and an upper end of the protrusion forms the uppermost end portion; The distance between the uppermost end of the protrusion on each side of the battery tray and the bolt is in the range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the longitudinal dimension of the side wall of the battery main body, In the step of placing the battery body on the battery stand, the protrusions on the opposing side walls and the bolts restrict rotation of the battery body around a vertical axis when the battery body is lowered.

[0013] According to this embodiment of the vehicle battery unit and assembly method, when the battery body rotates around the vertical axis as it descends between the opposing side walls, the battery body strikes the bolt and the protrusion on the opposing side wall, thereby restricting the battery body's rotation around the vertical axis. This makes it easier to lower the battery body into the battery tray's battery base in the desired position without any rotational misalignment.

[0014] In one embodiment of the vehicle battery unit, the side wall has a bottom wall portion that is lower than the protrusion, and the lower part of the bolt is supported on the upper end of the bottom wall portion.

[0015] This structure allows for a shorter bolt length and a smaller size. Furthermore, the battery body is sandwiched between the opposing bottom walls during descent, and can be lowered toward the battery stand while being guided by each bottom wall. Furthermore, if the battery body is misaligned with the battery stand during descent, the battery body will strike the bottom walls. Because the upper ends of the bottom walls are positioned higher than the battery stand, it is possible to prevent the battery body that strikes the bottom walls from being mistaken for being placed on the battery stand.

[0016] In one embodiment of the vehicle battery unit, the bolt is disposed at a center portion of the side wall of the battery tray in a longitudinal direction, The protruding portion is disposed on one end side of the side wall in the longitudinal direction, The upper end of the bottom wall portion is characterized by having, on the opposite side of the bolt from the protruding portion, a curved portion that gently curves downward toward the other end of the side wall in the longitudinal direction, and a sloping portion that slopes downward following the curved portion toward the other end of the side wall in the longitudinal direction.

[0017] According to this, when the bottom of the battery body hits the bottom wall, the battery body slides relatively along the curved and downward curved portion of the battery tray, and is lowered along the inclined portion. This prevents the battery body from getting caught on the bottom wall and being unable to descend. Furthermore, by providing the curved portion and inclined portion on the opposite side of the protruding portion, the weight of the battery tray can be reduced without reducing the rigidity of the protruding portion.

[0018] In one embodiment of the vehicle battery unit, the battery tray is disposed in a position adjacent to a dash panel in an engine compartment of the vehicle, the bolt and the side wall are disposed on both sides of the battery tray in a vehicle width direction, The protrusion having the uppermost end is located further forward of the bolt than the vehicle.

[0019] With this, because the protruding portion of the battery tray is located further forward than the bolts, the uppermost end of the protruding portion can prevent damage to the battery body from the bolts even when the battery body is lowered onto the battery tray at a position away from the dash panel toward the front of the vehicle.In this way, because the battery body can be lowered away from the dash panel toward the front of the vehicle, it is easy to avoid the battery body coming into contact with the front edge of the windshield that extends above the upper end of the dash panel or an upward-opening hood as it is lowered.

[0020] In one embodiment of the method for assembling a vehicle battery unit, in the step of fixing the battery tray to the vehicle body, the battery tray is fixed to a position adjacent to a dash panel in an engine compartment of the vehicle, so that the bolt and the side wall are disposed on both sides of the battery tray in a vehicle width direction, and the protrusion having the uppermost end is disposed further forward of the bolt, In the step of placing the battery body on the battery stand, the battery body is lowered between the opposing protrusions from a position shifted toward the front of the vehicle from directly above the predetermined placement position on the battery stand, and placed at a position shifted toward the front of the vehicle from the aforementioned placement position on the battery stand, and then the battery body is moved to the rear of the vehicle and placed at the aforementioned placement position on the battery stand.

[0021] With this, the battery is lowered between the protrusions from a position offset toward the front of the vehicle from directly above the predetermined mounting position on the battery stand, and then further lowered to a position offset toward the front of the vehicle from the aforementioned mounting position on the battery stand, so that the battery can be prevented from contacting the front edge of the windshield that extends above the upper end of the dash panel or the hood that opens upward. Furthermore, the uppermost end of the protrusion prevents the battery from coming into contact with the bolts.

[0022] In one embodiment of the method for assembling a vehicle battery unit, the battery tray includes a front end flange and a rear end flange extending upward from a front end and a rear end of the battery base, respectively; In the step of placing the battery body on the battery stand, an upper end portion of the battery body is gripped from both sides by clamp devices of a battery assembly machine and lowered so that a front end portion of the battery body rests on the front end flange, and when the front end portion of the battery body rests on the front end flange, the grip of the battery body by the clamp devices is released, and then the battery body is moved toward the rear of the vehicle and placed at a placement position on the battery stand. The clamping position of the battery body by the clamp device is set so that the clamp device does not come into contact with the bolt when the front end of the battery body is placed on the front end flange.

[0023] This allows the battery to be smoothly transferred from the battery assembly machine to the battery tray because the clamping device releases its grip on the battery after the front end of the battery rests on the front flange of the battery tray. Even when the front end of the battery rests on the front flange of the battery tray, the clamping device does not come into contact with the bolts, preventing damage to the bolts or clamping device during transfer. Furthermore, the rear flange allows the battery to be placed in the placement position without excessively moving it toward the rear of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, when the battery body is placed on the battery tray, the bottom of the battery body is prevented from coming into contact with the upright metal bolts of the battery tray, thereby preventing damage to the battery body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the front part of the vehicle in which the battery unit is disposed. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front part of the vehicle in which the battery unit is disposed. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a battery tray and a battery clamp. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the battery assembly machine gripping the battery main body. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a side view showing the battery assembly machine on which the battery main body is placed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the battery assembly machine with the battery main body released from its grip. [Figure 11] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following description of preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or uses.

[0027] (Battery unit placement) In vehicle 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 2 denotes a fender panel, 3 denotes an apron upper frame, and 4 denotes a front side frame. A suspension tower 5 is attached so as to straddle apron upper frame 3 and front side frame 4. A battery unit 6 is disposed on the rear side of suspension tower 5 (upper side in Figure 1).

[0028] 3 to 5, in the vehicle 1, an engine compartment 7 and a passenger compartment behind it are separated by a dash panel 8. The battery unit 6 is disposed in the engine compartment 7 between the suspension tower 5 and the dash panel 8. The space in which the battery unit 6 is disposed is separated on the outer side in the vehicle width direction by a cowl side panel 9 that forms the outer wall of the engine compartment 7, and on the central side of the engine compartment 7 (inside in the vehicle width direction) by an engine cover 10.

[0029] Although not shown in the figure, the engine of this vehicle is mounted longitudinally with the crankshaft extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the transmission is located behind the engine. This vehicle is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive (FR) vehicle. The engine cover 10 comprises a fixed cover 10a fixed to the cowl panel and extending in the vehicle width direction, a movable cover 10b pivotally attached to the front end of the fixed cover 10a so that it can be opened forward, and rear side covers 10c provided on both sides of the fixed cover 10a. The engine room side of the installation space is specifically partitioned by the rear side covers 10c of the engine cover 10.

[0030] The vehicle according to this embodiment is equipped with a main battery having a large capacity and a sub-battery having a relatively small capacity. A battery unit 6 is equipment related to the main battery. Although not shown in the figure, the sub-battery is disposed inside the vehicle compartment, specifically, in a position close to the dash panel 8 on the passenger side. Furthermore, the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, and is equipped with a high-voltage battery under the floor of the vehicle, enabling the vehicle to be driven by a motor.

[0031] (Battery unit structure) As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the battery unit 6 includes a battery body 11, a battery tray 12 on which the battery body is placed, and a battery clamp 13 that holds the battery body 11 on the battery tray 12.

[0032] <Battery body> The battery body 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is provided on its top surface with battery posts 14, which are positive and negative electrode terminals, and six battery fluid injection ports 15. The battery posts 14 are located at both corners near one longitudinal edge of the top surface of the battery body 11 and protrude upward. The six battery fluid injection ports 15 are arranged in a row at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the battery body 11, near the center of the top surface of the battery body 11 in the vehicle width direction. The battery fluid injection ports 15 are formed by caps attached to battery fluid injection ports opened on the top surface of the battery body 11, and the caps protrude from the top surface of the battery body 11. The battery body 11 is provided with six battery cases (not shown) into which battery fluid is injected from each battery fluid injection port 15. The amount of battery fluid in each battery case can be visually confirmed from the side of the battery body 11. As shown in FIG. 6, two horizontal lines are provided on the side of the battery body 11. The upper line indicates the upper level of the battery fluid, and the lower line indicates the lower level of the battery fluid. The battery fluid is poured in so that the fluid level is located between these lines.

[0033] <Battery tray> The battery tray 12 is made of resin, for example, fiber-reinforced resin such as glass fiber. As shown in Fig. 7, the battery tray 12 includes a battery stand 120 on which the battery main body 11 is placed, opposing side walls 121 rising from both sides of the battery stand 120, a front flange 122 rising from the front edge of the battery stand 120, and a rear flange 123 rising from the rear edge of the battery stand 120.

[0034] Each side wall 121 of the battery tray 12 has a locally elevated protrusion 124 provided at the front end in the longitudinal direction of the side wall, and a bottom wall 125 that is lower than the protrusion 124. A metal bolt 126 is supported at its lower part and stands upright on the bottom wall 125. The upper end of the protrusion 124 is formed flat and is located higher than the upper end of the bolt 126. As a result, the upper end of the protrusion 124 forms the uppermost end 127 of the battery tray 12. Furthermore, the rigidity of the protrusion 124 is improved by being continuous with the bottom wall 125. Furthermore, by erecting the bolt 126 from the upper end of the bottom wall 125, the length of the bolt 126 is shortened, thereby achieving a smaller size and lighter weight.

[0035] In this embodiment, the uppermost end 127 of the protrusion 124 is several mm (for example, about 5 mm) higher than the upper end of the bolt 126. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6, the height of this uppermost end 127 is approximately the same height as the upper surface of the battery main body 11 when placed on the battery stand 120. The distance between the uppermost end 127 of each of the protrusions 124 on both sides of the battery tray 12 and the bolt 126 is set to be in the range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the dimension of the side wall of the battery main body 11 in the longitudinal direction.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 6, the upper end of the bottom wall portion 125 has, on the opposite side of the bolt 126 from the protruding portion 124, a curved portion 128 that gently curves downward toward the rear end in the longitudinal direction of the side wall, and an inclined portion 129 that continues from the curved portion 128 and slopes downward toward the rear end in the longitudinal direction of the side wall. The rear ends of the inclined portions 129 are gently curved and continue to the rear side flanges that are flush with the rear end flange 123. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the battery stand 120 is fixed to the suspension tower 5, the dash panel 8, and the rear side cover 10c by brackets 16.

[0037] 6, the above-described battery body 11 is placed on the battery tray 12. At this time, the bottom wall portion 125 is positioned below the lower level line on the side surface of the battery body 11, and the protrusion portion 124 is positioned near the front end of the battery tray 12 so that the liquid level in the frontmost battery case inside the battery body 11 can be visually confirmed.

[0038] 7, a temporary receiving portion 1221 is provided that is bent forward and protrudes from the upper end of the front end flange 122. The temporary receiving portion 1221 is formed so that both ends are narrower than the central portion. In addition, ribs are provided on the surfaces of the front end flange 122 and the rear end flange 123 that face the battery stand 120.

[0039] <Battery clamp> 3, the battery clamps 13 are hung from above the battery body 11 and connected to the battery tray 12 on both sides of the battery body 11 by bolts 126. The battery body 11 is held on the battery tray 12 by this connection.

[0040] 3 and 7, the battery clamp 13 includes a contact portion 131 that contacts the upper surface of the battery main body 11 and a rising portion 132 that rises from the side edge of the contact portion 131. The contact portion 131 extends from one side of the upper surface of the battery main body 11 to the other side. As shown in FIG. 3, the contact portion 131 is narrow at its center so that it can contact the upper surface of the battery main body 11 between two adjacent battery fluid injection portions 15 near the upper surface, and the width of the contact portion 131 widens from the center toward both ends. In other words, the contact portion 131 is wider at both ends than at the center.

[0041] 3 and 7, horizontal abutment portions 133 are provided at both ends of the abutment portion 131, bending downward and abutting against the side surfaces of the upper end of the battery main body 11. A connecting portion 134 that is connected to the battery tray 12 protrudes from the lower end of this horizontal abutment portion 133 toward the side of the battery main body 11. The connecting portion 134 has a bolt hole, and as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the connecting portion 134 is connected to the battery tray 12 by fitting a bolt 126 that is erected on the bottom wall portion 125 of the battery tray 12 into the bolt hole and tightening a nut.

[0042] (Method of assembling a vehicle battery unit) A method for assembling a vehicle battery unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. This method includes a step of fixing the battery tray 12 to the vehicle body (hereinafter referred to as the fixing step), a step of placing the battery main body 11 on the battery stand 120 (hereinafter referred to as the placing step), and a step of holding the battery main body 11 on the battery tray 12 (hereinafter referred to as the holding step).

[0043] <Fixation step> 8 and 9, in the fixing step, the battery tray 12 is fixed to the suspension tower 5, dash panel 8, and rear side cover 10c by the brackets 16 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). At this time, the battery tray 12 is disposed so that the bolts 126 and the side walls 121 are located on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the protruding portion having the uppermost end is located further forward of the bolts 126.

[0044] <Placement step> In the placing step, in this embodiment, the battery main body 11 is placed on the battery tray 12 using a battery assembly machine 17. As shown in FIG. 8 , the battery assembly machine 17 includes a robot arm 18, a clamp device 19, and a positioning unit 22. An operator can move the arm 18 to freely move the clamp device 19 in all directions, front to back, left to right, and up and down. The clamp device 19 is provided at the tip of the arm 18 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The clamp device 19 includes a pair of opposing clamp units 20. The clamp units 20 can be switched between an unclamped state in which the distance between them is increased and a clamped state in which the distance between them is decreased. The lower end of each clamp unit 20 is provided with a claw 21 bent inward.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 8, the clamp device 19 has a positioning portion 22 on the front side of the vehicle (right side in Fig. 8). When the clamp device 19 grips the battery main body 11, the side surface of the battery main body 11 on the front side of the vehicle is brought into contact with the rear surface of the positioning portion 22 to position it. This ensures that the battery main body 11 can be securely held directly above its center of gravity. In addition, a downwardly tapered guide portion 23 made of a cushioning material is provided at the lower front surface of the positioning portion 22.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 8, the robot 17 clamps the clamp unit 20 and grips the upper end of the battery main body 11 from both sides using the claws 21 of the clamp unit 20. By operating the arm 18, the gripped battery main body 11 is transported to a position shifted toward the front of the vehicle from directly above a predetermined mounting position on the battery stand 120 (between the rib of the front end flange 122 and the rib of the rear end flange 123), and then lowered. This prevents the battery main body 11 from coming into contact with the front windshield 24, dash panel 8, and hood (not shown).

[0047] The battery main body 11 held by the clamp device 19 is lowered from above between the uppermost ends 127 of the battery trays 12. If the battery main body 11 is misaligned between the uppermost ends 127 during the descent, the underside of the battery main body 11 will come into contact with the uppermost ends 127 of the battery trays 12. This prevents the battery main body 11 from coming into contact with the metal bolts 126, and prevents damage to the battery main body 11 due to contact.

[0048] When the battery body 11 is lowered, it is sandwiched between the side walls 121 of the battery tray 12 and is guided downward toward the battery stand 120. When the battery body 11 rotates around the vertical axis while being lowered, both side surfaces of the battery body 11 come into contact with the protrusions 124 and the bolts 126, as shown in Fig. 11. This restricts the rotation of the battery body 11 around the vertical axis while being lowered.

[0049] When the descending battery main body 11 is in a state of rotational misalignment with respect to the battery stand 120, the bottom of the battery main body 11 hits the bottom wall portion 125 of the battery tray 12. Because the upper end of the bottom wall portion 125 is located higher than the battery stand 120, it is possible to prevent the battery main body 11 that hits the bottom wall portion 125 from being mistakenly recognized as being placed on the battery stand 120.

[0050] Furthermore, even if the bottom of the battery main body 11 hits the bottom wall portion 125, the battery main body can be lowered along the inclined portion 129 by relatively sliding along the curved portion 128 of the battery tray 12. This prevents the battery main body 11, which is in a misaligned state, from getting caught on the bottom wall portion 125 and becoming unable to lower.

[0051] As described above, the battery main body 11 is lowered from a position shifted toward the front of the vehicle from directly above the predetermined mounting position of the battery stand 12, and is therefore placed at a position shifted toward the front of the vehicle from the mounting position on the battery stand 120, as shown in Fig. 9. At this time, the battery main body 11 is lowered while the guide portion 23 of the positioning portion 22 slides on the upper surface of the suspension tower 5. This prevents the battery main body 11 from contacting the suspension tower 5, and damage to the battery main body 11 and the suspension tower 5 can be prevented.

[0052] When the battery main body 11 is lowered while sliding in this manner, the front end of the bottom of the battery main body 11 rests on the temporary receiving portion 1221 of the front end flange 122 of the battery tray 12, and the lower end of the guide portion 23 rests on the front side of the center of the temporary receiving portion 1221. At this point, the gripping position of the clamp device 19 is set so that the clamp device 19 and the bolt 126 do not come into contact with each other.

[0053] When the battery main body 11 is placed on the temporary holder 1221, the clamp unit 20 is put into an unclamped state to release the grip on the battery main body 11. This release causes the battery main body 11 to tilt and its rear end to land on the battery stand 120, as shown in FIG. 10 . Since the battery main body 11 lands with its front end resting on the temporary holder, the impact at the time of landing is small. Thereafter, the battery main body 11 is moved toward the rear of the vehicle, and the battery main body 11 is placed in a predetermined mounting position on the battery stand 120. At this time, the rib on the rear end flange 123 allows the battery main body 11 to be placed in the predetermined mounting position without being moved excessively toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0054] <Holding step> The battery clamps 13 are hung from above on the upper surface of the battery main body 11 placed in the placement position of the battery stand 120, and the connecting portions 134 at both ends of the battery clamps 13 are connected to bolts 126 erected on the bottom wall portion 125 of the battery tray 12. In this way, the battery main body 11 is held to the battery tray 12 by the battery clamps 13.

[0055] If the battery main body 11 hits the bolt 126 when it is lowered onto the battery tray 12, one idea would be to lower the upper end of the bolt 12. However, in order to connect the connecting part 134 to the bolt 126, for example, a worker needs to tighten a nut onto the bolt 126 with a tool. If the upper end of the bolt 126 is positioned low, the worker will need to reach down into the narrow engine compartment 7, making it difficult to connect the connecting part 134 to the bolt 126. As described above, the uppermost end 127 prevents contact between the battery main body 11 and the bolt 126, and therefore the upper end of the bolt 126 can be set at a higher position, which makes it easier to tighten the nut.

[0056] (Other embodiments) The technology disclosed herein is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be substituted within the scope of the claims.

[0057] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the lower end of the metal bolt 126 is supported by the upper end of the bottom wall portion 125 at the center in the longitudinal direction of the side wall. However, this is not limiting, and the distance between the uppermost end 127 of each of the protrusions 124 on both sides of the battery tray 12 and the bolt 126 may be in the range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the side wall of the battery main body 11. In this way, the protrusions 124 and the bolt 126 can restrict rotation of the battery main body 11 about the vertical axis during descent, as in the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 6 Battery Unit 11 Battery body 12 Battery Tray 13 Battery clamp 13 Battery body 120 Battery stand 121 Side wall 124 Protrusion 125 Low wall 126 volts 127 Top end 128 curved section 129 Slope

Claims

1. A battery body; a resin battery tray fixed to the vehicle body and on which the battery main body is placed; Metal bolts erected on both sides of the battery tray; a battery clamp that is hung from above on the battery body placed on the battery tray and is connected to the bolts on both sides of the battery body to hold the battery body to the battery tray, the battery tray includes a battery stand on which the battery body is placed and opposing side walls extending from both sides of the battery stand, A vehicle battery unit, wherein each of the opposing side walls has an uppermost end that is higher than an upper end of the bolt.

2. In claim 1, each of the opposing side walls of the battery tray includes a locally elevated protrusion, the upper end of which forms the uppermost end; A vehicle battery unit characterized in that the distance between the uppermost end of the protrusion on each side of the battery tray and the bolt is in the range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the longitudinal dimension of the side wall of the battery body.

3. In claim 2, The vehicle battery unit is characterized in that the side wall has a bottom wall portion that is lower than the protrusion portion, and the lower part of the bolt is supported on the upper end of the bottom wall portion.

4. In claim 3, The bolt is disposed at a center portion of the side wall of the battery tray in the longitudinal direction, The protruding portion is disposed on one end side of the side wall in the longitudinal direction, A vehicle battery unit characterized in that the upper end of the lower wall portion has a curved portion on the opposite side of the protrusion across the bolt, which curves gently downward toward the other end of the side wall in the longitudinal direction, and a sloping portion following the curved portion that slopes downward toward the other end of the side wall in the longitudinal direction.

5. In any one of claims 2 to 4, the battery tray is disposed in a position adjacent to a dash panel in an engine compartment of the vehicle; the bolt and the side wall are disposed on both sides of the battery tray in a vehicle width direction, The vehicle battery unit is characterized in that the protrusion having the uppermost end is positioned further forward of the bolt.

6. a step of fixing a resin battery tray to the vehicle body, the battery tray comprising a battery stand on which the battery body is placed and opposing side walls rising from both sides of the battery stand, the battery tray having metal bolts standing at the locations where the side walls are provided; lowering the battery main body from above the battery tray and placing it on the battery stand; and a step of hanging battery clamps on the battery body from above and connecting them to the bolts on both sides of the battery body to hold the battery body on the battery tray, the opposing side walls of the battery tray each have an uppermost edge that is higher than the upper end of the bolt; A method for assembling a vehicle battery unit, wherein in the step of placing the battery body on the battery stand, the battery body is lowered from above between the uppermost ends of the opposing side walls.

7. In claim 6, each of the opposing side walls of the battery tray includes a locally elevated protrusion, the upper end of which forms the uppermost end; the distance between the uppermost end of the protrusion on each side of the battery tray and the bolt is in the range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the dimension of the side wall of the battery main body in the longitudinal direction; A method for assembling a vehicle battery unit, characterized in that in the step of placing the battery body on the battery stand, the protrusions on the opposing side walls and the bolts restrict rotation of the battery body around a vertical axis when the battery body is lowered.

8. In claim 7, In the step of fixing the battery tray to the vehicle body, the battery tray is fixed to a position adjacent to a dash panel in an engine room of the vehicle so that the bolt and the side wall are disposed on both sides of the battery tray in a vehicle width direction, and the protrusion having the uppermost end is disposed further forward of the bolt. A method for assembling a vehicle battery unit, characterized in that in the step of placing the battery main body on the battery stand, the battery main body is lowered between the opposing protrusions from a position shifted toward the front of the vehicle from directly above a predetermined placement position on the battery stand to place it at a position shifted toward the front of the vehicle from the placement position on the battery stand, and then the battery main body is moved to the rear of the vehicle to place it at the placement position on the battery stand.

9. In claim 8, the battery tray includes a front flange and a rear flange extending upward from the front and rear ends of the battery base, respectively; In the step of placing the battery body on the battery stand, an upper end portion of the battery body is gripped from both sides by clamp devices of a battery assembly machine and lowered so that a front end portion of the battery body rests on the front end flange, and when the front end portion of the battery body rests on the front end flange, the grip of the battery body by the clamp devices is released, and then the battery body is moved toward the rear of the vehicle and placed in the above-mentioned placement position on the battery stand. A method for assembling a vehicle battery unit, characterized in that the gripping position of the battery body by the clamp device is set so that the clamp device does not come into contact with the bolt when the front end of the battery body is placed on the front end flange.

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