Battery support structure

Abstract

A battery support structure 2 includes a housing 20 which is provided at a lower part of a vehicle 1 and houses a battery. The housing 20 has a rear wall 21 on a rear side Db. A rear suspension bracket 25 which supports a rear suspension 32 of the vehicle 1 is connected to an outer side of the rear wall 21. The rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 are integrally formed castings.

Description

Battery Support Structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery support structure.

[0002] The vehicle described in Patent Document 1 includes a frame that supports a battery under the floor of the vehicle body, and a bracket for connecting a rear suspension is fixed to the rear of the frame by welding.

[0003] JP 2009-083597 A

[0004] However, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the rear suspension bracket is fixed to the frame of the housing that houses the battery by welding, there is a possibility that the rigidity of the bracket will decrease due to variations in welding.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery support structure in which the rigidity of a rear suspension bracket attached to a housing that houses a battery is increased.

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by connecting a rear suspension bracket that supports a rear suspension to the outside of the rear wall of the housing, and the rear wall and the rear suspension are integrally formed as a casting.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect of increasing the rigidity of the rear suspension bracket attached to the housing that houses the battery.

[0008] 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the battery support structure according to the present embodiment is attached to the body of a vehicle. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the battery support structure according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second wall of the rear wall of the battery support structure shown in FIG. 2, seen from diagonally above. FIG. 6 is a view of the battery support structure shown in FIG. 2, seen from the rear side of the vehicle body. FIG. 7 is a view of the rear suspension connection portion (rear suspension pin) of the battery support structure shown in FIG. 3, seen from the bottom side in the upward direction Du. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the rear wall of the battery support structure shown in FIG. 3, cut along line IV-IV. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the second wall of the rear wall of the battery support structure shown in FIG. 2, seen from the inside of the housing. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the battery support structure shown in FIG. 3 removed from the vehicle body.

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, a battery support structure 2 is provided on the bottom side of a lower portion of a body 10 of a vehicle 1. The battery support structure 2 is disposed between a pair of side sills 11 provided on the body 10. The battery support structure 2 has a housing 20 that houses a plurality of batteries 3 (see Fig. 2) therein.

[0010] The detailed structure of the battery support structure 2 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 8. In Figure 2, the left side of the drawing is the front side Df of the vehicle 1, and the right side of the drawing is the rear side Db of the vehicle 1. In addition, the upper side of Figure 2 is the right side DR of the vehicle 1, and the lower side is the left side DL of the vehicle 1. In the following description, the left-right direction on the drawing of Figure 2 is referred to as the front-rear direction Xf, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction Xf is referred to as the vehicle width direction Xw.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2 , the housing 20 has a rear wall 21 on the rear side Db and a front wall 22 on the front side Df. A pair of side walls 23 extending in the front-rear direction Xf are provided between the rear wall 21 and the front wall 22. Specifically, one of the pair of side walls 23 is provided between an end of the right side DR of the rear wall 21 and an end of the right side DR of the front wall 22, and the other is provided between an end of the left side DL of the rear wall 21 and an end of the left side DL of the front wall 22. The space surrounded by the rear wall 21, the front wall 22, and the pair of side walls 23 constitutes a battery accommodating space 5 for accommodating the battery 3. That is, the battery accommodating space 5 is defined inside the pair of side walls 23. Note that, in the example shown in FIG. 2 , five batteries 3 are accommodated in the battery accommodating space 5, but the number of batteries 3 is not limited to this.

[0012] The rear wall 21 has a first wall 21a provided at the center of the rear wall 21 and a pair of second walls 21b provided at both ends of the first wall 21a in the vehicle width direction Xw. The second walls 21b extend in a direction inclined relative to the first wall 21a. Specifically, the pair of second walls 21b are inclined relative to the first wall 21a at an angle that widens toward the front side Df. Furthermore, the vehicle width direction length Lb of the second walls 21b is shorter than the vehicle width direction length La of the first wall 21a.

[0013] 2, the housing 20 has a pair of member members 24 that define the battery accommodating space 5 in an area on the rear side Db inside the housing 20. Each of the pair of member members 24 extends in the front-rear direction Xf. One battery 3 is disposed between the pair of member members 24. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a side wall 23 is connected to one outer end of each of the pair of second walls 21b, and the member member 24 is connected to the other inner end.

[0014] 2 and 4, a pair of fastening brackets 26 are provided symmetrically on the upper part of the first wall 21a of the rear wall 21. Also, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, rear suspension brackets 25 that support rear suspensions 32 of the vehicle 1 are connected to the outer sides of each of the pair of second walls 21b of the rear wall 21. The rear suspension brackets 25 are connected to the upper end of the second wall 21b of the rear wall 21. The rear wall 21, rear suspension brackets 25, and fastening brackets 26 are integrally formed by casting.

[0015] 3, the upper end of each of the pair of fastening brackets 26 is attached to the cross member 12 of the vehicle body 10. That is, the housing 20 of the battery support structure 2 is connected to the vehicle body 10 via the fastening brackets 26. This increases the rigidity of the cross member 12 of the vehicle body 10.

[0016] 4, a rear suspension 32 is attached to the rear suspension bracket 25 via a rear suspension pin 31. That is, the rear suspension 32 and the rear suspension bracket 25 are connected to each other via the rear suspension pin 31. The upper end of the rear suspension 32 is attached to the suspension attachment portion 13 of the cross member 12 of the vehicle body 10. The rear suspension pin 31 constitutes a rear suspension connection portion.

[0017] 5 and 6, the rear suspension 32 has a flat plate-shaped planar portion 31a and a rising portion 31b provided along the outer periphery of the planar portion 31a. The rising portion 31b is bent toward the bottom of the vehicle 1. As shown in Fig. 5, a first fastening portion 311 that fastens the rear suspension pin 31 to the rear suspension bracket 25 and a second fastening portion 312 that fastens the rear suspension pin 31 to the rear suspension 32 are provided on the planar portion 31a. The first fastening portion 311 and the second fastening portion 312 are provided at the same height.

[0018] 4 and 6, each of the pair of second walls 21b is provided with two gas release holes 27 for discharging gas inside the housing 20. The gas release holes 27 are provided below the rear suspension bracket 25. As shown in Fig. 6, the gas release holes 27 are covered with gas release hole covers 28. Note that the gas release hole covers 28 are omitted from Figs. 2 to 4.

[0019] 6 and 7 , a plurality of first ribs 21b1 extending in the horizontal direction Xt and a plurality of second ribs 21b2 extending in the vertical direction Xv are integrally formed on the inner side of the rear wall 21 so as to be connected to each other in a lattice pattern. That is, the plurality of first ribs 21b1 are arranged to divide the inner surface of the second wall 21b in the vertical direction Xv, and the plurality of second ribs 21b2 are arranged to divide the inner surface of the second wall 21b in the horizontal direction Xt. That is, the plurality of first ribs 21b1 are arranged to be aligned in the vertical direction Xv, and the plurality of second ribs 21b2 are arranged to be aligned in the horizontal direction Xt. The horizontal direction Xt is a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction Xv, extends along the second wall 21b, and is parallel to the bottom surface of the housing 20.

[0020] 6, the rear suspension bracket 25 is connected to the second wall 21b of the rear wall 21 at the same height as the uppermost first rib 21b1u (the first rib 21b1u provided at the upper end of the second wall) of the multiple first ribs 21b1. In other words, the first rib 21b1u provided at the upper end of the second wall 21b and the rear suspension bracket 25 are provided on the same plane.

[0021] 7, the connection portion 25a between the second wall 21b of the rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 is provided at a position overlapping the upper portions of two second ribs 21b2 (the outermost second rib 21b2a and the second outermost second rib 21b2b). Note that the connection portion 25a between the second wall 21b of the rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 may be provided at a position overlapping three or more second ribs 21b2.

[0022] Also, as shown in Figure 8, an upper case 29 that covers the upper part of the housing 20 is fastened to the upper surface of the first rib 21b1u (the first rib 21b1u provided at the upper end of the second wall 21b), which is located at the top of the multiple first ribs 21b1.

[0023] As described above, the rear suspension bracket 25 that supports the rear suspension 32 of the vehicle 1 is connected to the outer side of the rear wall 21 of the housing 20 of the battery support structure 2 according to this embodiment, and the rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 are integrally formed as a casting. As a result, the rear suspension bracket 25 of the battery support structure 2 according to this embodiment has higher rigidity than when the housing 20 and the rear suspension bracket 25 are connected by welding or a fastening member. Furthermore, when attaching the rear suspension bracket 25 to the rear wall 21 by welding, the rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 must be connected at a position that takes into account the weld length. In contrast, in the battery support structure 2 according to this embodiment, the rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 are integrally formed as a casting, which allows for greater flexibility in the attachment position of the rear suspension bracket 25 than when the rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 are connected by welding.

[0024] Furthermore, the rear suspension bracket 25 is connected to the upper end of the rear wall 21. Specifically, if the rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 were to be connected by welding, a space for welding would need to be secured above the rear suspension bracket 25. Therefore, the rear suspension bracket 25 cannot be connected to the upper end of the rear wall 21. This results in a difference in height between the height of the connection position of the rear suspension 32, which is provided at the top of the housing 20 of the battery support structure 2, and the height of the rear suspension bracket 25. This requires a bending member to be provided between the rear suspension 32 and the rear suspension bracket 25 to eliminate this difference in height. On the other hand, in the battery support structure 2 according to this embodiment, as described above, the mounting position of the rear suspension bracket 25 has a high degree of freedom, making it possible to connect the rear suspension bracket 25 to the upper end of the rear wall 21. This eliminates the difference in height between the connection position of the rear suspension 32 and the height of the rear suspension bracket 25, eliminating the need for a bending member to eliminate the difference in height between the rear suspension 32 and the rear suspension bracket 25. This increases the rigidity of the connection portion between the rear suspension 32 and the rear suspension bracket 25.

[0025] Furthermore, a first rib 21b1 extending in the lateral direction Xt is integrally formed on the inside of the rear wall 21, and the rear suspension bracket 25 is connected to the rear wall 21 at the same height as the first rib 21b1. In other words, the rear suspension bracket 25 is disposed on the same plane as the first rib 21b1. This increases the rigidity of the rear suspension bracket 25 against forces input from the front-rear direction Xf and the vehicle width direction Xw.

[0026] In addition to the plurality of first ribs 21b1, a plurality of second ribs 21b2 extending in the up-down direction Xv are provided on the inside of the rear wall 21, and the first ribs 21b1 and the second ribs 21b2 are integrally formed so as to be connected to each other in a lattice pattern. This increases the rigidity of the rear suspension bracket 25 not only against forces input from the front-rear direction Xf and the vehicle width direction Xw, but also against forces input from the up-down direction Xv.

[0027] Furthermore, a plurality of second ribs 21b2 are provided on the inside of the rear wall 21 so as to be aligned in the lateral direction Xt, and a connection portion 25a between the rear wall 21 and the rear suspension bracket 25 is provided at a position overlapping two or more of the second ribs 21b2. This further increases the rigidity of the rear suspension bracket 25 against forces input from the vertical direction Xv.

[0028] Additionally, an upper case 29 that covers the upper part of the housing 20 is fastened to the upper surface of the first rib 21b1. This further increases the rigidity of the rear suspension bracket 25 against forces input from the front-rear direction Xf and the vehicle width direction Xw.

[0029] The rear suspension 32 and the rear suspension bracket 25 are connected to each other via a rear suspension pin 31 having a flat, plate-shaped planar portion 31a, and a first fastening portion 311 that fastens the rear suspension pin 31 to the rear suspension bracket 25 and a second fastening portion 322 that fastens the rear suspension pin 31 to the rear suspension 32 are provided on the planar portion 31a. As a result, the first fastening portion 311 and the second fastening portion 322 are connected via the unbent, flat, plate-shaped planar portion 31a, thereby increasing the rigidity of the connection structure between the rear suspension 32 and the rear suspension bracket 25 (the rear suspension bracket 25 and the rear suspension pin 31). Furthermore, since the first fastening portion 311 and the second fastening portion 312 are provided at the same height, inputs in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle can be transmitted efficiently.

[0030] The rear wall 21 includes a first wall 21a and a pair of second walls 21b, one at each end of the first wall 21a in the vehicle width direction Xw. The rear suspension bracket 25 is connected to the second wall 21b. Because the vehicle width length Lb of the second wall 21b is shorter than the vehicle width length La of the first wall 21a, when an external force, particularly a force in the fore-aft direction Xf, is applied to the rear wall 21, the degree of deflection of the second wall 21b is smaller than the degree of deflection of the first wall 21a. Furthermore, because the second wall 21b extends in a direction inclined relative to the first wall 21a, i.e., in a direction inclined relative to both the vehicle width direction Xw and the fore-aft direction Xf, a well-balanced rigidity against forces in the vehicle width direction Xw or the fore-aft direction Xf can be achieved. Therefore, connecting the rear suspension bracket 25 to the second wall 21b further enhances the stability of the rigidity of the rear suspension bracket 25.

[0031] The housing 20 of the battery support structure 2 includes a pair of side walls 23 extending in the front-rear direction Xf and defining the battery storage space 5 therein, and a member member 24 extending in the front-rear direction Xf and partitioning the battery storage space 5. The side wall 23 is connected to one end of the second wall 21b, and the member member 24 is connected to the other end. As a result, the second wall 21b is supported by the side wall 23 and the member member 24, increasing the rigidity of the second wall 21b, and as a result, the rigidity of the rear suspension bracket 25 can be increased.

[0032] Furthermore, a fastening bracket 26 that fastens to the body 10 of the vehicle 1 is formed integrally with the first wall 21a. That is, the battery support structure 2 is supported on the body 10 by the fastening bracket 26. This increases the rigidity of the rear suspension 32 and the connection structure of the rear suspension 32 (rear suspension bracket 25 and rear suspension pin 31) that are attached between the body 10 and the housing 20 of the battery support structure 2.

[0033] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle 2 battery support structure 3 battery 5 battery accommodating space 20 housing 21 rear wall 21a first wall 21b second wall 21b1 first rib 21b2 second rib 23 side wall 24 member member 25 rear suspension bracket 26 fastening bracket 29 upper case 31 rear suspension pin 31a flat portion 311 first fastening portion 312 second fastening portion 32 rear suspension

Claims

1. A battery support structure provided at a lower part of a vehicle and having a housing for accommodating a battery, wherein the housing has a rear wall on a rear side of the vehicle, a rear suspension bracket for supporting a rear suspension of the vehicle is connected to an outer side of the rear wall, and the rear wall and the rear suspension bracket are integrally formed castings.

2. The battery support structure according to claim 1, wherein the rear suspension bracket is connected to an upper end portion of the rear wall.

3. The battery support structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a first rib extending in a lateral direction is integrally formed inside the rear wall, and the rear suspension bracket is connected to the rear wall at the same height as the first rib.

4. The battery support structure according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the first ribs extending in the lateral direction and a plurality of second ribs extending in a vertical direction are provided inside the rear wall, and the first ribs and the second ribs are integrally formed so as to be connected to each other in a lattice shape.

5. The battery support structure according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the second ribs are provided inside the rear wall so as to be arranged in the lateral direction, and a connection portion between the rear wall and the rear suspension bracket is provided at a position overlapping two or more of the second ribs.

6. The battery support structure according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein an upper case covering an upper portion of the housing is fastened to an upper surface of the first rib.

7. The battery support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rear suspension and the rear suspension bracket are connected to each other via a rear suspension pin having a flat plate-shaped planar portion, and a first fastening portion where the rear suspension pin and the rear suspension bracket are fastened and a second fastening portion where the rear suspension pin and the rear suspension are fastened are provided on the planar portion.

8. The battery support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the rear wall has a first wall and a pair of second walls provided at both ends of the first wall in a vehicle width direction, and the rear suspension bracket is connected to the second wall.

9. The housing includes a pair of side walls that extend in the front-rear direction and define a battery accommodation space for accommodating the battery therein, and a member that extends in the front-rear direction and partitions the battery accommodation space. One end of the second wall is connected to the side wall, and the other end is connected to the member. The battery support structure according to claim 8.

10. The battery support structure according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a fastening bracket for fastening to the vehicle body is integrally formed on the first wall.

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