Electric vehicle body having a battery box

Abstract

The invention relates to a body (1) of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle having a floor (3) designed to form a cover of a battery box, the floor (3) having a bearing surface (7) forming a continuous strip designed to receive the bearing contact of a contour of a battery tray in order to form the box, wherein the bearing surface (7) extends along a peripheral rim (8) designed to accommodate the contour, wherein the bearing surface (7) has at least one positioning opening (9) designed to allow the insertion of a positioning pin in order to guide the approach of the contour onto the bearing surface (7), and wherein the bearing surface has at least one sealing bead (11) designed to be compressed by the contour so as to form a sealed barrier, each sealing bead (11) delimiting a zone (12) of the bearing surface (7) extending around a positioning opening (9) and between the positioning opening (9) and the peripheral rim (8).

Description

Description Title of the invention: Electric vehicle body having a battery box.

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2403813 filed on April 12, 2024, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The technical field relates to the bodies of motor vehicles with electric or hybrid engines, assemblies comprising such a body and a battery tray fixed to the body, motor vehicles having such an assembly and finally the methods for obtaining such an assembly.

[0002] Electric vehicles are experiencing growing customer interest, while their ranges are constantly being improved by car manufacturers. To achieve this, the industrial players involved have invested heavily in the development of new technologies to offer ever-more efficient batteries, i.e., batteries offering increased charging speeds, constantly increasing capacities, and high energy densities.

[0003] Along with improving technology, car manufacturers are also focusing on manufacturing costs in order to offer their customers vehicles at affordable prices.

[0004] In this context, some electric vehicles have a box enclosing a traction battery located under the passenger compartment floor. To do this, the floor receives a tray fixed to its contour, so as to form between the floor and this tray a closed box receiving the battery. The floor forms a cover for the box. A seal is placed between the contour of the tray and the floor to seal the box protecting the battery.

[0005] Usually, the battery box covers the entire width of the floor of the vehicle's passenger compartment, between the two side rails, in order to benefit from the largest possible volume to accommodate the greatest possible number of electrochemical elements in order to promote the vehicle's autonomy. Thus, it is known to fix the lateral sides of the box, directly under a lower longitudinal flat face of the side rails so as to obtain a fixing of these sides on rigid parts of the body. The side rails of the body being connected at their ends by cross members, the box is also fixed on its cross members. In order to properly align the tray with the side members and cross members, centering holes are usually made in the side members to allow the insertion of centering pins that guide the approach of the battery tray. However, these centering holes create sealing defects, despite the presence of the seal, since they allow the penetration and circulation of water between the floor and the tray.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a solution to ensure the battery box is watertight.

[0007] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a method for obtaining a vehicle body capable of accommodating a battery tray to form a waterproof box.

[0008] For this purpose, the present invention relates to an electric or hybrid motor vehicle body having a floor designed to form a cover of a battery box, the floor having a bearing surface forming a continuous strip designed to receive the support of a contour of a traction battery tray in order to form the box designed to enclose a traction battery, the bearing surface extending along a peripheral periphery designed to contain the contour, the bearing surface having at least one control orifice each designed to allow the introduction of a control pin in order to control the approach of the contour to the bearing surface, the bearing surface having at least one sealing bead, designed to be crushed by the contour and form a sealed barrier, each bead each delimiting an area of ​​the bearing surface extending around a control orifice and between the control orifice and the peripheral periphery.

[0009] The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a vehicle body according to the invention and a traction battery tray having a contour fixed in support on the support surface by crushing each sealing bead, the floor and the tray forming a box designed to accommodate a traction battery, the contour extending along the peripheral periphery.

[0010] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle having an assembly according to the invention.

[0011] The invention finally relates to a method for obtaining an assembly according to the invention and comprising a first step consisting of depositing at least one sealing bead on a bearing surface to form a vehicle body according to the invention, the method comprising a second step consisting of arranging a traction battery tray, having a plurality of pilot holes arranged on a contour, on a support having a plurality of pilot pins projecting from the support, each pilot pin being inserted into each pilot hole and projecting from the contour, the method comprising a third step, implemented after the first and second steps, consisting of bringing each pilot pin into a pilot hole and the contour of the tray into abutment on the bearing surface by crushing each sealing bead.

[0012] Thus, the implementation of the method according to the invention makes it possible to obtain a vehicle body and an assembly according to the invention whose battery box is waterproof, thanks to each sealing bead. Indeed, the sealing bead, deposited on the support surface, forms a waterproof barrier preventing the circulation of water between the floor and the tray normally encountered. Thus, the body according to the invention makes it possible to resolve the sealing problems normally encountered.

[0013] According to one embodiment each zone extends to the peripheral perimeter.

[0014] According to a possibility of the body, the support surface extends in line with the side members of the body, each pilot hole being provided in a side member.

[0015] In one embodiment, each pilot port has a rectangular shape.

[0016] Advantageously, the bearing surface has a plurality of screw holes.

[0017] Depending on the assembly option, a sealing material is sprayed along the peripheral edge.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method comprises a fourth step, carried out after the third step, consisting of spraying a sealing material along the peripheral periphery.

[0019] The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description which follows, given solely as a non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 represents a bottom view of a vehicle body according to the invention during the implementation of a method according to the invention;

[0021] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 represents a detailed view of the support surface of the body of Figure 1 before the formation of an assembly according to the invention;

[0022] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0023] An electric or hybrid motor vehicle body 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures, is designed to form an assembly 2 according to the invention, illustrated in Figure 1. The body 1 has a floor 3 designed to form a cover 4 of a battery box 5, formed with a traction battery tray 6, partially illustrated in Figure 1. The box 5 encloses a traction battery, not illustrated. For this purpose, the floor 3 has a bearing surface 7 forming a continuous strip designed to receive the support of a contour of the battery tray 6 in order to form the box 5. The bearing surface 7 extends along a peripheral periphery 8, illustrated in Figure 2 by a dotted line, designed to contain the contour of the tray 6. The bearing surface 7 and the contour have complementary shapes. In this case, the contour and the bearing surface 7 are substantially planar.

[0024] The bearing surface 7 has at least one pilot orifice 9, each designed to allow the introduction of a pilot pin 10, illustrated in FIG. 1, in order to pilot the approach of the contour on the bearing surface 7. As illustrated, each pilot orifice 9 has, for example, a rectangular shape.

[0025] As illustrated in Figure 2, the bearing surface 7 has at least one sealing bead 11 designed to be crushed by the contour and form a waterproof barrier during the implementation of the method according to the invention. The waterproof barrier thus makes it possible to block the circulation of water between the tank 6 and the floor 3 usually encountered around the centering holes. As illustrated in Figure 2, each bead 11 each delimits a zone 12 of the bearing surface 7 extending around a control orifice 9 and between the control orifice 9 and the peripheral periphery 8. In the example illustrated in Figure 2, each zone 12 extends to the peripheral periphery 8. The bearing surface 7 extends in line with side members 13 of the body 1, each control orifice 9 being formed in a side member 13.

[0026] In addition to the control orifices 9, the support surface 7 has a plurality of screwing orifices 14 allowing the tray 6 to be screwed onto the body 1. The seal around the screwing orifices 14 between the floor 3 and the tray 6 is ensured during screwing.

[0027] Thus, in the assembly 2 according to the invention, the battery tray 6 is fixed with its contour resting on the bearing surface 7, the contour extending along the peripheral periphery 8, and crushing each bead 11. The floor 3 and the tray 6 then form the waterproof box 5, designed to accommodate a battery. In order to ensure the sealing of the box 5 of the assembly 2, a sealing material 15 is sprayed along the peripheral periphery 8. Thus, each bead 11 is placed on the bearing surface 7 before a fitting operation while the sealing material 15 is placed subsequently. Advantageously, the sealing material 15 closes each zone 12 to make it waterproof.

[0028] The assembly 2 is obtained by implementing a method according to the invention. Such a method comprises a first step consisting of depositing each sealing bead 11 on the bearing surface 7 to form a box 1 according to the invention. A second step of the method consists of placing the battery tray 6 on a support 16 having a plurality of pilot pins 10 projecting from the support 16. Each pilot pin 10 is introduced into a pilot orifice (not shown in the figures) provided on the contour, and projects from the contour. The method comprises a third step, implemented after the first and second steps, consisting of bringing each pilot pin 10 into a pilot orifice 9 and the contour of the tray into abutment on the bearing surface 7 by crushing each sealing bead 11.Finally, a fourth step, implemented after the third step, advantageously consists of spraying the sealing material 15 along the peripheral perimeter 8. Obviously, between the third and fourth steps, the tray 6 is fixed by screwing to the floor 3.

[0029] Thus, the implementation of the method according to the invention makes it possible to obtain the vehicle body 1 and the assembly 2 of which the box 5 is sealed, thanks to each sealing bead 12.

[0030] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the vehicle body described above, only as an example, but other embodiments may be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and ambit of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Body (1) of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle having a floor (3) designed to form a cover (4) of a battery box (5), the floor (3) having a bearing surface (7) forming a continuous strip designed to receive the support of an outline of a traction battery tray (6) in order to form the box (5) designed to enclose a traction battery, the bearing surface (7) extending along a peripheral periphery (8) designed to contain the outline, the bearing surface (7) having at least one control orifice (9) each designed to allow the introduction of a control pin (10) in order to control the approach of the outline to the bearing surface (7), the bearing surface (7) having at least one sealing bead (11), designed to be crushed by the outline and form a sealed barrier,each cord (11) each delimiting a zone (12) of the support surface (7) extending around a pilot orifice (9) and between the pilot orifice (9) and the peripheral periphery (8)., 2. Vehicle body (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each zone (12) extends to the peripheral periphery (8).

3. Vehicle body (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bearing surface (7) extends in line with side members (13) of the body (1), each control orifice (9) being formed in a side member (13).

4. Vehicle body (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each control orifice (9) has a rectangular shape.

5. Vehicle body (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bearing surface (7) has a plurality of screw holes (14).

6. Assembly (2) comprising a vehicle body (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5 and a traction battery tray (6) having a contour fixed in support on the support surface (7) by crushing each sealing bead (11), the floor (3) and the tray (6) forming a box (5) designed to accommodate a traction battery, the contour extending along the peripheral periphery (8).

7. Assembly (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that a sealing material (15) is sprayed along the peripheral circumference (8).

8. Motor vehicle having an assembly (2) according to claim 6 or 7.

9. Method for obtaining an assembly (2) according to claim 6 or 7 and comprising a first step consisting of depositing at least one sealing bead (11) on a bearing surface (7) to form a vehicle body (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, the method comprising a second step consisting of arranging a traction battery tray (6), having a plurality of pilot orifices arranged on a contour, on a support (16) having a plurality of pilot pins (10) projecting from the support (16), each pilot pin (10) being introduced into each pilot orifice and projecting from the contour, the method comprising a third step, implemented after the first and second steps, consisting of bringing each pilot pin (10) into a pilot orifice (9) and the contour of the tray (6) into abutment on the bearing surface (7) by crushing each sealing bead (11).

10. Assembly method according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a fourth step, implemented after the third step, consisting of spraying a sealing material (15) along the peripheral periphery (8).

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