Battery holding mechanism

Abstract

A battery holding mechanism (1) is provided with: a tray (10) which has a rectangular shape in a top view and on which a battery is placed; and a bracket (40) which is provided at the center of the tray (10) in the longitudinal direction and holds the battery. The tray (10) has a cutout (15) in an end section of at least one of a left end portion (113) and a right end portion (114) in the short direction. The cutout (15) is provided at either the front wall part (121) side or the rear wall part (122) side relative to the center in the longitudinal direction in the end section of said at least one end portion.

Description

Battery Retention Mechanism

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery holding mechanism.

[0002] Vehicles are typically equipped with batteries to power and control electronic components, and some vehicles are equipped with a mechanism to hold the battery in place to prevent it from moving while the vehicle is in motion.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 (JP-A-2005-102663) discloses a vehicle equipped with a floor panel having a recess for fitting a battery and a fixing bar for fixing the battery in the recess. In Patent Document 1, the fixing bar abuts the upper surface of the battery. The base of the fixing bar is fixed to a flat portion of the floor panel adjacent to the recess, and the tip of the fixing bar engages with a metal fitting provided on the rear side panel. This prevents the battery from moving up and down.

[0004] JP 2007-83963 A

[0005] As described above, the fixing bar described in Patent Document 1 is fixed to the floor panel and rear side panel. These floor panel and rear side panel are fixed to the rear side frame, i.e., the side member, referred to in Patent Document 1. As a result, if the vehicle crashes and the side member is deformed, the position of the rear side panel relative to the floor panel may change due to the deformation of the side member. In this case, because the base of the fixing bar is fixed to the floor panel and the tip of the fixing bar is engaged with the metal fitting of the rear side panel, there is a risk that the fixing bar may come off the top surface of the battery.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a battery holding mechanism that makes it difficult for the battery to become detached in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the battery holding mechanism of the present invention includes a tray having a rectangular shape in top view and on which a battery is placed, and a bracket located at the longitudinal center of the tray for holding the battery. The tray has a notch in at least one of a first end and a second end in the short direction. The notch is also located on either a third end or a fourth end of at least one end that is further longitudinally than the center. The battery holding mechanism is installed in a vehicle.

[0008] According to the configuration of the present invention, the notch is provided on either the third end or the fourth end, which is located further in the longitudinal direction than the longitudinal center of the tray on which the bracket is provided. Therefore, in the event of a vehicle collision, the portion of the tray on either the third end or the fourth end is more likely to deform, while the longitudinal center of the tray is less likely to deform. As a result, the force of the vehicle collision is less likely to be applied to the bracket located in the longitudinal center of the tray. In addition, the bracket is less likely to deform, and its position is less likely to change. Therefore, in the battery retention mechanism, the battery is less likely to become detached in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery holding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention when no battery is placed on a tray provided in the battery holding mechanism. FIG. 2 is a conceptual left side view of a battery holding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a conceptual rear view of a battery holding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery holding mechanism and a rear portion of a vehicle when the battery holding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention holds a battery installed in the rear portion of the vehicle. FIG. 5 is a conceptual perspective view showing an example of a battery holding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention when the battery holding mechanism is deformed due to a vehicle collision. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a second end of a bracket provided in the battery holding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention when the battery holding mechanism is deformed due to a vehicle collision.

[0010] A battery holding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the illustrated Cartesian coordinate system XYZ, the X axis represents the left-right direction of the vehicle on which the battery holding mechanism is installed, and the Y axis represents the front-rear direction. The Z axis is the direction perpendicular to the X and Y axes (the right direction of the vehicle is +X, the front direction is +Y, and the upward direction is +Z). This coordinate system will be used where appropriate in the following description.

[0011] The battery retention mechanism according to the embodiment is a mechanism that is installed in an automobile and that stores power generated by an alternator or the like and retains a battery that supplies power to electronic components. The configuration of the battery retention mechanism will be described below using an example in which the battery retention mechanism is installed in the rear of an automobile and retains a battery installed in the rear. First, the overall configuration of the battery retention mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0012] For ease of understanding, Fig. 1 shows the battery holding mechanism 1 without the battery 2. In Figs. 2 and 3, the battery 2 is indicated by dotted lines.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the battery holding mechanism 1 includes a tray 10, rods 20 and 30, and a bracket 40.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , the tray 10 has a rectangular shape in top view to place the battery 2 thereon. Specifically, the battery 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 . As a result, the bottom surface of the battery 2 is rectangular. To support the bottom surface of the battery 2, the tray 10 has a rectangular bottom 11 that is larger than the rectangular shape of the bottom surface of the battery 2. The tray 10 supports the battery 2 by placing the battery 2 on the bottom 11.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the tray 10 has its longitudinal direction oriented in the front-rear direction, i.e., the Y direction, and its lateral direction oriented in the left-right direction, i.e., the X direction. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the tray 10 is disposed on a floor panel 4 of a vehicle 3. The floor panel 4 is attached to a side member 5 of the vehicle 3. As a result, the tray 10 is supported by the side member 5 via the floor panel 4.

[0016] To prevent the battery 2 from falling off the bottom 11, the tray 10 has an outer peripheral wall 12 surrounding the bottom 11, as shown in FIG. 1 . Specifically, the outer peripheral wall 12 includes a front wall portion 121, a rear wall portion 122, a left wall portion 123, and a right wall portion 124, which are provided at the front end 111, the rear end 112, the left end 113, and the right end 114 of the bottom 11, respectively. Each of the front wall portion 121, the rear wall portion 122, the left wall portion 123, and the right wall portion 124 is formed in the shape of a plate that rises from the bottom 11 and slopes outward from the bottom 11. With this configuration, the outer peripheral wall 12 surrounds the battery 2 placed on the bottom 11, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 . As a result, the outer peripheral wall 12 prevents the battery 2 from shifting or falling off the bottom 11.

[0017] The front end 111, the rear end 112, the left end 113, and the right end 114 are examples of the third end, the fourth end, the first end, and the second end as defined in the present invention. The left wall portion 123 and the right wall portion 124 are examples of the first wall portion and the second wall portion as defined in the present invention.

[0018] The battery holding mechanism 1 is provided with a bracket 40 to prevent the battery 2 placed on the bottom 11 of the tray 10 from moving due to acceleration, deceleration, etc. of the vehicle 3. The battery holding mechanism 1 is also provided with rods 20, 30 that secure the bracket 40 to the tray 10. Connecting devices 13, 14 are attached to the tray 10 to connect the rods 20, 30.

[0019] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , the left wall 123 and the right wall 124 of the tray 10 extend in the front-to-rear direction, i.e., the Y direction. Connectors 13 and 14 for connecting the rods 20 and 30 are attached to the Y-direction central portions of the left wall 123 and the right wall 124, respectively. Each of the connectors 13 and 14 has a generally trapezoidal plate shape that is taller than the left wall 123 and the right wall 124. Each of the connectors 13 and 14 is positioned such that its upper base protrudes above the left wall 123 and the right wall 124, respectively, and its lower base is aligned in the vertical direction with the lower ends of the left wall 123 and the right wall 124. Furthermore, each of the connectors 13 and 14 is joined to the left wall 123 and the right wall 124, respectively, by means of welding, screwing, or the like. 3, through holes 131 and 141 are formed in the portions of the connectors 13 and 14 that protrude above the left wall portion 123 and the right wall portion 124. Furthermore, the lower ends of the rods 20 and 30 are engaged with the inner walls of the through holes 131 and 141. In this way, the connectors 13 and 14 fix the rods 20 and 30 to the center of the tray 10 in the Y direction.

[0020] The rods 20, 30 each extend vertically, and the lower ends of the rods 20, 30 are bent. As a result, the rods 20, 30 each have a hook portion 21, 31 at their lower end. Furthermore, the rods 20, 30 each have a threaded portion 22, 32 at their upper end. The hook portions 21, 31 of the rods 20, 30 are engaged with the inner walls of the through-holes 131, 141 of the connectors 13, 14, respectively. The threaded portions 22, 32 are also passed through through-holes 41, 42 formed in the bracket 40. Furthermore, nuts 23, 33 are attached to the threaded portions 22, 32 in this state. With this configuration, the rods 20, 30 each connect the bracket 40 to the connectors 13, 14. As a result, the rods 20, 30 each connect the bracket 40 to the tray 10 with the battery 2 placed on the bottom 11 of the tray 10. Furthermore, each of the rods 20 and 30 sandwiches the battery 2 between the tray 10 and the bracket 40 .

[0021] The bracket 40 is a component also called a stay, and is placed on top of the battery 2. As a result, the bracket 40 holds the battery 2 by sandwiching it between itself and the tray 10. The bracket 40 has a shape that allows it to abut against the upper surface of the battery 2 in order to sandwich the battery 2 between itself and the tray 10.

[0022] Specifically, the bracket 40 has a shape in which both ends of a strip-shaped plate are bent into a crank shape. In other words, the bracket 40 has a plate shape extending horizontally in the left-right direction, i.e., the X direction, and has an abutment portion 43 that can abut against the flat upper surface of the battery 2. The bracket 40 also has a first end 44 that bends downward from the +X end of the abutment portion 43, i.e., in the -Z direction, and then extends again in the +X direction. The second end 45 bends from the -X end of the abutment portion 43 in the -Z direction, and then extends again in the -X direction. As will be described later, the plate of the bracket 40 has a hat-shaped cross section to enhance its strength. The first end 44 and the second end 45 each have through holes 41 and 42 that penetrate in the Z direction and have diameters large enough to accommodate the threaded portions 22 and 32 of the rods 20 and 30.

[0023] In the bracket 40, the abutment portion 43 crosses the upper surface of the battery 2 in the X direction and abuts against the upper surface of the battery 2, with the threaded portions 22, 32 of the rods 20, 30 passing through the through holes 41, 42, respectively. The bracket 40 is fixed to the rods 20, 30 by attaching nuts 23, 33 to the threaded portions 22, 32. The nuts 23, 33 tighten the bracket 40, pressing the abutment portion 43 of the bracket 40 against the upper surface of the battery 2, bringing them into close contact. As a result, the battery 2 is sandwiched between the bracket 40 and the tray 10, and the battery 2 is pressed against the tray 10. The bracket 40 thus fixes the battery 2 to the tray 10. The bracket 40 is fixed to the rods 20, 30, which are located at the center of the tray 10 in the Y direction, and is therefore located at the center of the tray 10 in the Y direction. The bracket 40 then fixes the center of the battery 2 in the Y direction.

[0024] The first end 44 or the second end 45 of the bracket 40 is an example of the first portion as defined in the present invention. The abutment portion 43 of the bracket 40 is an example of the second portion as defined in the present invention. The threaded portions 22, 32 and the nuts 23, 33 are an example of the fastening members as defined in the present invention.

[0025] 4, the battery holding mechanism 1 is attached to the vehicle 3 by attaching the tray 10 to the floor panel 4. The floor panel 4 is fixed to a side member 5.

[0026] However, the floor panel 4 is fixed to the rear portion of the side member 5 and is supported by the rear portion of the side member 5. As a result, when the vehicle 3 collides or when the vehicle 3 is hit (hereinafter simply referred to as a collision of the vehicle 3), if the rear portion of the side member 5 deforms to absorb the impact, the floor panel 4 will deform, and as a result, the tray 10 provided in the battery holding mechanism 1 will also deform.

[0027] At this time, if the portions of the tray 10 to which the connectors 13 and 14 are attached are significantly deformed, the rods 20 and 30 or the bracket 40 may be damaged, causing the battery 2 to come off the tray 10. Alternatively, the bracket 40 may come off the battery 2, causing the battery 2 to become misaligned. In other words, the battery 2 may come off the battery holding mechanism 1. As a result, covers, cables, etc. may come off the electrodes of the battery 2, exposing the electrodes.

[0028] Therefore, in order to prevent the battery 2 from coming off during a collision of the vehicle 3, the battery holding mechanism 1 is provided with a configuration that reduces deformation of the portions of the tray 10 to which the connectors 13, 14 are attached during a collision of the vehicle 3. Next, the configuration that reduces deformation will be described in detail.

[0029] 1, a notch 15 is formed in the outer peripheral wall 12 of the tray 10 in a portion away from the connectors 13 and 14. More specifically, the notch 15 is formed in the front portion of the left wall portion 123 of the tray 10, i.e., in the +Y portion.

[0030] The notch 15 has a trapezoidal shape with opposite parallel sides facing in the front-to-rear direction. Specifically, the notch 15 is formed by cutting out the left wall 123 with a constant width from the upper end of the left wall 123, i.e., the +Z end, in the -Z direction. The notch 15 extends from the +Z end to the -Z end of the left wall 123, reaching the boundary between the left wall 123 and the bottom 11, and further reaching the inside of the bottom 11. The notch 15 also has an inner wall that is inclined with respect to the Y axis inside the bottom 11. As a result, the tip of the notch 15 is sharp.

[0031] The shape of the notch 15 reduces the strength of the portion of the tray 10 where the notch 15 is located. As a result, as shown in Fig. 5, when the tray 10 deforms due to deformation of the side member 5 and floor panel 4 during a collision of the vehicle 3, the notch 15 allows deformation to occur starting from the notch 15. For example, the notch 15 makes it possible to bend the tray 10 into a V-shape by turning the portion of the bottom 11 on the extension line of the tip of the notch 15 into a valley.

[0032] In this way, the notches 15 make the portions of the tray 10 where the notches 15 are located more easily deformed, thereby making the portions of the tray 10 away from the portions where the connectors 13, 14 are attached less easily deformed. That is, the notches 15 make the Y-direction central portions of the left wall portion 123 and the right wall portion 124 less easily deformed. In other words, when the tray 10 is deformed in a collision of the vehicle 3, the notches 15 actively deform the portions where the notches 15 are located, thereby reducing the deformation of the Y-direction central portions of the left wall portion 123 and the right wall portion 124. As a result, the notches 15 prevent the rods 20, 30 from coming off the connectors 13, 14 and the rods 20, 30 or the bracket 40 from being damaged in a collision of the vehicle 3. As a result, the notches 15 prevent the battery 2 from coming off the battery holding mechanism 1.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1 , the certain width by which the notch 15 cuts out the left wall portion 123, i.e., the width in the Y direction, is large enough to allow the tray 10 to bend sufficiently in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3. For example, the width of the notch 15 in the Y direction is equal to or greater than half the height of the left wall portion 123. As a result, the notch 15 causes the portion of the tray 10 where the notch 15 is located to bend, for example, in a V shape in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3. As a result, the notch 15 relatively reduces deformation of the portions of the tray 10 to which the connectors 13 and 14 are attached. As a result, the notch 15 prevents the battery 2 from coming off the battery holding mechanism 1, as shown in FIG. 5 .

[0034] The notch 15 has a trapezoidal shape with opposite parallel sides facing in the front-rear direction, but the shape of the notch 15 is not limited to this. The notch 15 may be a triangle, a rectangle, or a pentagon, in addition to a trapezoidal shape.

[0035] 1 by fastening means such as bolts or screws, or by spot welding (jointing points P will hereinafter be referred to simply as points P). These points P are provided in fewer areas near the outside of the tray 10, where force is more likely to be applied in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3. Conversely, these points P are provided in more areas farther from the outside of the tray 10.

[0036] Specifically, since the tray 10 is installed in the rear portion of the vehicle 3, it is prone to receiving force from the rear side during a collision of the vehicle 3. The tray 10 has fewer locations P in its rear region, which is prone to receiving force during a collision. Specifically, there are fewer locations P in the region A1 from the rear wall 122 to the rear portion of the bottom 11, which is sufficiently far from the connectors 13 and 14. In contrast, there are more locations P in the front region of the tray 10. Specifically, there are more locations P in the region A2 from the front wall 121 to the front portion of the bottom 11, which is sufficiently far from the connectors 13 and 14. By distributing multiple locations P in the tray 10 in this manner, as shown in FIG. 5 , the region A1 of the tray 10, which has fewer locations P that are joined to the floor panel 4, is relatively more likely to deform during a collision of the vehicle 3. As a result, the region A1 of the tray 10 deforms to absorb the impact during a collision of the vehicle 3. This makes it less likely for a region A3 of a certain width centered on the center of the tray 10 in the Y direction to deform during a collision of the vehicle 3. That is, the central region of the tray 10 where the connectors 13, 14 are located is less likely to deform in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3. As a result, the battery 2 is prevented from coming off the battery holding mechanism 1.

[0037] It is desirable that the location P of the tray 10 where the tray 10 is joined to the floor panel 4 is offset in the Y direction from the notch 15. This is because, when the location P is aligned with the notch 15 in the Y direction, the tray 10 is less likely to deform from the notch 15 as a starting point in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3. Also, as shown in FIG. 1 , the bottom 11 of the tray 10 has grooves 51-53 extending in the X direction that are aligned in the Y direction. It is desirable that the notch 15 is offset in the Y direction from these grooves 51-53. This is because, when the notch 15 is aligned with the grooves 51-53 in the Y direction, the tray 10 is less likely to deform from the notch 15 as a starting point in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1 , the tray 10 has fewer locations P in an area A3 including the center in the Y direction. Specifically, there are fewer locations P in the area A3 that are bonded to the floor panel 4 than in the areas A1 and A2 described above. As a result, even if the floor panel 4 deforms during a collision of the vehicle 3, the area A3 of the tray 10 is less affected by the deformation of the floor panel 4 because the bonding strength between the area A3 and the floor panel 4 is weaker than in the areas A1 and A2. As a result, the area A3 of the tray 10 is less likely to deform during a collision of the vehicle 3. The area A3 of the tray 10 is provided with connectors 13 and 14. Therefore, the connectors 13 and 14 are less likely to deform during a collision of the vehicle 3, and their positions are less likely to change. As a result, the battery 2 is prevented from coming off the battery holding mechanism 1.

[0039] 3, in bracket 40, thickness T1 of first end 44, which is the +X end of bracket 40, and thickness T2 of second end 45, which is the -X end of bracket 40, are greater than thickness T3 of abutting portion 43 located in the center of bracket 40 in the X direction. Furthermore, thickness T1 of first end 44 and thickness T2 of second end 45 are greater than both thickness T4 of first bent portion 46 located between abutting portion 43 and first end 44 and thickness T5 of second bent portion 47 located between abutting portion 43 and second end 45.

[0040] As described above, the first end 44 and the second end 45 have through holes 41 and 42 formed therein, and the threaded portions 22 and 32 of the rods 20 and 30 are passed through the through holes 41 and 42. Nuts 23 and 33 are then attached to the threaded portions 22 and 32. As a result, force from the rods 20 and 30 is likely to be concentrated at the first end 44 and the second end 45 during a collision of the vehicle 3. Furthermore, when force from the battery 2 is applied to the bracket 40 during a collision of the vehicle 3, the force is likely to be concentrated at the first end 44 and the second end 45. As a result, the first end 44 and the second end 45 are likely to be damaged during a collision of the vehicle 3.

[0041] However, as described above, the thickness T1 of the first end 44 and the thickness T2 of the second end 45 are greater than the thickness T3 of the abutment portion 43. Furthermore, the thickness T1 of the first end 44 and the thickness T2 of the second end 45 are greater than both the thickness T4 of the first bent portion 46 and the thickness T5 of the second bent portion 47. In other words, the thickness T1 of the first end 44 and the thickness T2 of the second end 45 are greater than the thicknesses of the bracket 40 other than the first end 44 and the second end 45. Therefore, the strength of the first end 44 and the second end 45 is high. As a result, in the event of a vehicle 3 collision, as shown in FIG. 6 , the second end 45 is unlikely to be damaged. Furthermore, although not shown, the first end 44 is unlikely to be damaged during a vehicle 3 collision. As a result, the battery 2 is prevented from coming off the battery holding mechanism 1.

[0042] Furthermore, the entire bracket 40, including the first end 44 and the second end 45, has a hat-shaped cross section, as shown in Fig. 6. Specifically, the entire bracket 40 has two side walls 61, 62 connected by a top plate portion 63 in a cross-sectional view, and bottom plate portions 64, 65 extending outward from the two side walls 61, 62, respectively. This increases the strength of the bracket 40. As a result, the bracket 40 is less likely to deform in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3, and the bracket 40 is less likely to come off the battery 2.

[0043] As described above, in the battery holding mechanism 1 according to the embodiment, the notch 15 is provided on the longitudinal side of the longitudinal center of the tray 10 on which the bracket 40 is provided, i.e., on the front wall 121 side. Therefore, in the event of a vehicle 3 collision, the portion of the tray 10 on either the third end or the fourth end, which is located longitudinally of the longitudinal center, is more likely to deform, while the longitudinal center of the tray 10 is less likely to deform. Specifically, the area A2 of the bottom 11 where the notch 15 is located is more likely to deform, while the area A3 supporting the couplers 13 and 14 to which the bracket 40 is connected is less likely to deform. As a result, the force of the collision of the vehicle 3 is less likely to be applied to the couplers 13 and 14. In other words, the force of the collision of the vehicle 3 is less likely to be applied to the bracket 40. Furthermore, the bracket 40 is less likely to deform, and its position is less likely to change. Therefore, in the battery holding mechanism 1, the battery 2 is less likely to become detached in the event of a vehicle 3 collision.

[0044] Furthermore, the notch 15 extends from the outer peripheral wall 12 of the tray 10 to the bottom 11. More specifically, it extends from the upper end of the left wall 123 to the bottom 11. Therefore, not only the outer peripheral wall 12 but also the bottom 11 are likely to deform when the vehicle 3 collides. As a result, the outer peripheral wall 12 and the bottom 11 deform when the vehicle 3 collides, and the force of the collision is less likely to be transmitted to the connectors 13, 14 and the bracket 40. This makes it less likely that the battery 2 will become detached when the vehicle 3 collides.

[0045] The tray 10 is joined at multiple points P to a floor panel 4 attached to a side member 5 of the vehicle 3. Because the tray 10 has the above-mentioned notches 15, even if a collision of the vehicle 3 causes deformation of the side member 5 and thus deformation of the floor panel 4, the battery 2 is unlikely to become detached due to the collision of the vehicle 3.

[0046] The tray 10 is joined to the floor panel 4 at a plurality of locations P provided in a first region that is closer to the outside of the vehicle 3 in the longitudinal direction than the center of the tray 10, and a second region that is farther from the outside of the vehicle 3 in the longitudinal direction than the center of the tray 10. Furthermore, the number of locations P provided in the first region is fewer than the number of locations P provided in the second region.

[0047] Specifically, the tray 10 is provided in the rear portion of the vehicle 3, and is joined to the floor panel 4 at a plurality of locations P provided in an area A1 that is an area rearward of the center of the tray 10, and an area A2 that is an area forward of the center of the tray 10. The number of locations P provided in the area A1 is fewer than the number of locations P provided in the area A2.

[0048] By providing the tray 10 with this configuration, the area A1 of the tray 10 is more likely to deform and the area A2 is less likely to deform in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3. Therefore, the area A1 of the tray 10 deforms more than the area A2 in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3, absorbing the impact. As a result, even if the floor panel 4 is deformed, the battery 2 is less likely to become detached in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3.

[0049] In addition to the first and second regions, the tray 10 also has a central region including the center, which includes a center, that is provided with points P joined to the floor panel 4. Furthermore, the number of points P provided in the central region is smaller than both the number of points P provided in the first region and the number of points P provided in the second region.

[0050] Specifically, in the tray 10, in addition to the regions A1 and A2, the tray 10 also has the positions P in the region A3 including the center where the connectors 13 and 14 are provided. The number of the positions P in the region A3 is smaller than both the number of the positions P in the region A1 and the number of the positions P in the region A2.

[0051] By providing this configuration, the tray 10 suppresses deformation and positional fluctuation of the connectors 13, 14 in the area A3 of the tray 10 when the floor panel 4 is deformed during a collision of the vehicle 3. As a result, the tray 10 prevents the battery 2 from coming off the battery holding mechanism 1.

[0052] In the bracket 40, the thickness T1 of the first end 44 to which the rods 20, 30 are attached and the thickness T2 of the second end 45 are greater than the thickness T3 of the abutting portion 43 that abuts against the upper surface of the battery 2. As a result, the first end 44 and the second end 45, which are likely to be subjected to force in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3, are less likely to be damaged. As a result, the bracket 40 is less likely to come off the battery 2 in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3.

[0053] The battery holding mechanism 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the battery holding mechanism 1 is not limited to this.

[0054] For example, in the embodiment, the notches 15 are disposed in an area A2, which is an area forward of the center of the tray 10. The notches 15 are also provided in the left wall portion 123 of the outer peripheral wall 12. However, the positions or number of the notches 15 are not limited to this.

[0055] In the present invention, the tray 10 only needs to have the notch 15 at at least one of the first end 44 and the second end 45 in the short direction, and in this case, the notch 15 only needs to be provided on the at least one end closer to either the third end or the fourth end in the longitudinal direction than the center in the longitudinal direction of the tray 10. Here, the center in the longitudinal direction of the tray 10 refers to approximately the center between the third end and the fourth end in the longitudinal direction.

[0056] For example, in the example of the battery holding mechanism 1 according to the embodiment described above, the tray 10 may have the notch 15 at at least one of the left end 113 and the right end 114 in the left-right direction. In this case, the notch 15 may be provided on either the front end 111 or the rear end 112 of at least one of the ends. This configuration allows the notch 15 to be used as a starting point for deformation of portions of the tray 10 other than the center in the front-rear direction, i.e., portions other than the longitudinal center of the tray 10, during a collision of the vehicle 3, thereby suppressing deformation of the longitudinal center of the tray 10. As a result, deformation or displacement of the rods 20, 30 and bracket 40 located in the longitudinal center of the tray 10 can be suppressed.

[0057] As long as the above conditions are met, the tray 10 does not have to have its short side oriented in the left-right direction and its long side oriented in the front-to-back direction; for example, the tray 10 may have its short side oriented in the front-to-back direction and its long side oriented in the left-to-right direction.

[0058] The position of the notch 15 is arbitrary as long as it satisfies the above conditions. Therefore, the notch 15 may be disposed in the region A1 instead of the region A2, or the notch 15 may be disposed in both the region A1 and the region A2. The notch 15 may also be provided in the right wall portion 124 instead of the left wall portion 123. Alternatively, the notch 15 may be provided in both the left wall portion 123 and the right wall portion 124.

[0059] In the embodiment, the notch 15 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the left end 113 and further extends to the bottom 11. However, the notch 15 is not limited to this. The shape of the notch 15 is also arbitrary as long as it satisfies the above-mentioned conditions. Therefore, the notch 15 may have a shape that extends from the upper end to the lower end of the left end 113. In that case, for example, the notch 15 may have the shape of an isosceles triangle with the apex angle pointing downward and the base angle pointing upward.

[0060] In the embodiment, the tray 10 included in the battery holding mechanism 1 is joined to the floor panel 4. However, the tray 10 is not limited to this. For example, the tray 10 may be joined to a side panel, or may be joined to both the floor panel 4 and the side panel. The arrangement and number of points P at which the tray 10 is joined to the floor panel 4 or the side panel are arbitrary. However, it is desirable that the number of points P be joined as described above in the areas A1-A3 of the tray 10.

[0061] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the battery holding mechanism 1 is installed in the rear portion of the vehicle 3. However, the installation location of the battery holding mechanism 1 is not limited to this. The battery holding mechanism 1 may be installed in the front portion of the vehicle 3. This is because the battery holding mechanism 1 can prevent the battery 2 from becoming detached in the event of a collision of the vehicle 3 even in such a position.

[0062] In the embodiment, the bracket 40 has a hat-shaped cross section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the bracket 40 is not limited to this. To increase strength, the cross-sectional shape of the bracket 40 is preferably a shape in which two opposing side walls 61, 62 are supported by a bottom plate portion or a top plate portion 63. For example, the bracket 40 may be C-shaped with an opening facing upward or downward. Alternatively, the bracket 40 may be rectangular in cross section.

[0063] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0064] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...battery holding mechanism, 2...battery, 3...vehicle, 4...floor panel, 5...side member, 10...tray, 11...bottom, 12...peripheral wall, 13, 14...connector, 15...notch, 20, 30...rod, 21, 31...hook portion, 22, 32...threaded portion, 23, 33...nut, 40...bracket, 41, 42...through hole, 43...abutment portion, 44...first end, 45... Second end, 46...first bend, 47...second bend, 51-53...groove, 61, 62...side wall, 63...top plate portion, 64, 65...bottom plate portion, 111...front end, 112...rear end, 113...left end, 114...right end, 121...front wall portion, 122...rear wall portion, 123...left wall portion, 124...right wall portion, 131, 141...through hole, A1-A3...area, P...location, T1-T5...thickness.

Claims

1. A battery holding mechanism for installation in a vehicle, comprising: a tray having a rectangular shape when viewed from above, on which a battery is placed; and a bracket provided in the longitudinal center of the tray for holding the battery, wherein the tray has a notch in at least one of a first end and a second end in the short side direction, and the notch is provided on either a third end or a fourth end of the at least one end that is further longitudinally than the center.

2. A battery holding mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the tray is arranged with its longitudinal direction facing the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle and its lateral direction facing the left-to-right direction of the vehicle, the first end and the second end are the left end and right end of the tray, and the third end and the fourth end are the front end and rear end of the tray.

3. A battery holding mechanism as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the tray has a rectangular bottom, the first end has a first wall portion standing up from the bottom, the second end has a second wall portion standing up from the bottom, and the notch is provided in at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

4. The battery holding mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the notch extends from the top end of the at least one wall portion to the bottom portion.

5. A battery holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tray is joined at multiple points to a panel attached to a side member of the vehicle.

6. A battery holding mechanism as described in claim 5, wherein the tray is arranged with its longitudinal direction facing the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and its lateral direction facing the left-and-right direction of the vehicle, and the multiple locations are provided in a first region that is closer to the outside of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction than the center of the tray, and in a second region that is farther from the outside of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction than the center of the tray, and the number of locations provided in the first region is less than the number of locations provided in the second region.

7. A battery holding mechanism as described in claim 6, wherein the plurality of locations are provided in the first area, the second area, and also in a central area including the center of the tray, and the number of locations provided in the central area is less than both the number of locations provided in the first area and the number of locations provided in the second area.

8. A battery holding mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising at least one rod connected to the longitudinal center of the tray and extending in the vertical direction beside the battery placed on the tray, wherein the bracket has a first part fastened to the at least one rod by a fastening member and a second part that holds the battery by sandwiching the battery between the bracket and the tray, and the vertical thickness of the first part is greater than the vertical thickness of the second part.

9. A battery holding mechanism as described in claim 8, wherein the bracket has a shape in which two side walls that face each other in a cross-sectional view are supported by a bottom surface or a top surface, the bottom surface or the top surface abutting against the battery, and the height of the two side walls at the first portion is greater than the height of the two side walls at the second portion.

10. The battery holding mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the bracket is hat-shaped in cross section.

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