Electric vehicle provided with a floor with improved battery protection in the event of a side impact

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle comprising a floor (1), one face of the floor (1) being divided into a plurality of modules for receiving electric batteries (5), at least one non-continuous sealing bead on either side of longitudinal members (7) fastened to the floor (1), at least one inflating insert (8) being placed in a region of contact between each edge of the floor (1) and the longitudinal members (7), at regions of interruption of the sealing bead. Each inflating insert (8) extends only between the edge of the floor (1) and a portion (11) of the longitudinal member (7) with which it is in contact, and at least one seal (14) is positioned on a portion (12) of the edge of the floor (1), the seal (14) and the inflating insert (8) together participating in defining a continuous sealing bead.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Title of the invention: ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITH A FLOOR THAT PROTECTS THE BATTERIES IN CASE OF A SIDE IMPACT

[0003] The present invention claims priority from French application 2408816 filed on August 9, 2024, the content of which (text, drawings, and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The invention relates to an electric vehicle equipped with a floor providing enhanced battery protection in the event of a side impact.

[0004] Here the term vehicle refers to a car, a van, a truck, a public transport vehicle, a piece of public works or agricultural machinery, the vehicle being powered by at least one electric motor.

[0005] In an electric vehicle, the batteries are, according to a common manufacturing method, mounted under the vehicle floor in a compartment, with the floor itself forming the compartment's lid. To prevent any infiltration of liquids and / or gases into either the compartment or the passenger compartment, a sealing bead is placed between the compartment and the floor. WO-A-2023 / 227 836 describes a sealing bead applied both to the edge of the floor and to the underside of each side member attached to each longitudinal edge of the floor. On some vehicles, the sealing bead is interrupted by openings designed to drain the cataphoresis bath after the cataphoresis process, which deposits a protective film against corrosion on the various vehicle components.To address this, the applicant developed inflatable inserts that expand during the cataphoresis drying process. These inserts are placed at the points where the sealing bead is interrupted, ensuring a watertight seal once inflated. While such solutions guarantee a watertight seal, it turns out that to prevent the inflatable inserts from interfering with the floor, indentations, also known as "silks," were created. However, in the event of a side impact to the vehicle, there is a risk of contact between the siks and the batteries. Such contact can generate thermal and / or chemical runaway, potentially leading to a fire. FR-A-3 123294 describes a space created between the batteries and each component of the vehicle's structure. An elastically deformable, energy-absorbing material is placed within this space.The invention aims to provide an alternative solution to ensure sealing by means of a sealing cord while avoiding contact between the floor and the batteries in the event of a lateral impact, without additional manufacturing and / or parts costs.

[0006] To this end, the invention relates to an electric vehicle comprising a floor, a so-called lower face of the floor being divided into several modules for receiving electric batteries, at least one non-continuous sealing cord being placed between the interior of the vehicle's passenger compartment and the exterior of the vehicle's passenger compartment, on either side of lateral longitudinal members fixed to the floor, at least one inflatable insert being placed in a contact zone between each edge of the floor and the longitudinal members, at the level of the interruption zones of the sealing cord, characterized in that each inflatable insert extends only between the edge of the floor and a so-called horizontal part of the longitudinal member with which it is in contact and in that at least one sealing gasket is positioned on a so-called vertical part of the edge of the floor, the sealing gasket and the inflatable insert together participating in defining a continuous sealing cord.

[0007] Thanks to the invention, a continuous sealing bead is created by the use of inflatable inserts positioned in a specific area and a two-stage application of the sealing bead. This process occurs first during the cataphoresis coating of the floor and then during the fitting of each side member to the floor edges, ensuring that these parts are welded together. The elimination of vertical indentations or seams, due to the inflatable inserts no longer being positioned vertically, allows for sufficient spacing between each side member and the batteries. This preserves the integrity of the batteries in the event of a lateral impact against the vehicle floor, or at least minimizes the risk of contact between the batteries and a side member.

[0008] According to advantageous, but not mandatory, aspects of the invention, such a vehicle floor may include one or more of the following features:

[0009] Each edge of the floor comprises a so-called vertical part and a so-called horizontal part supported against, respectively, a so-called vertical part and a so-called horizontal part of a stringer.

[0010] Two inflatable inserts extend between the horizontal part of the floor edge and the horizontal part of each stringer. A groove or indentation is formed in the horizontal part of the floor edge at the level of each inflatable insert.

[0011] Two other joints are positioned at the ends of the contact area between each edge of the floor and each stringer.

[0012] A continuous sealing bead is formed by the seals and the swelling inserts in mutual contact at their respective ends.

[0013] The joints are made of the same material.

[0014] The joints are made of different materials.

[0015] The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0016] [Fig.1] is a perspective view, from below, of the floor of a state-of-the-art electric vehicle, without the batteries.

[0017] [Fig.2] is a perspective view, from below, similar to Figure 1 and at the same scale, with the batteries in place and the protective tray in pre-assembly configuration on a state-of-the-art electric vehicle.

[0018] [Fig.3] is a partial, larger-scale vertical cross-sectional view of the connection area between the floor and a side member on a state-of-the-art vehicle, without the protective tray and with a partially visible battery.

[0019] [Fig.4] is a horizontal cross-sectional view, at a different scale, of a floor and a side member of a state-of-the-art electric vehicle, with the batteries in place and partially visible, without the protective tray.

[0020] [Fig. 5] is a perspective view, at a different scale, of part of an edge of the floor seen from below, of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0021] [Fig. 6] is a partial, bottom-view perspective of a floor, without the batteries, of an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0022] [Fig.7] is a view similar to figure 6 illustrating the installation of the sealing cord according to an embodiment of the invention and [Fig.8] is a partial vertical cross-section of the floor of figures 6 and 7 in place and fixed to a stringer, the sealing cord being visible.

[0023] Figure 1 illustrates a floor 1 of an electric vehicle, viewed from below. Such a floor is of the "cell-to-body" type. In this case, one face, here the lower face 2 of the floor 1, comprises modules 3 delimited by cross members 4. Batteries 5, visible in Figure 2, are placed directly in the modules, therefore against the face 2 of the floor 1, which is oriented towards the ground. Hereafter, the terms vertical, horizontal, lower, and upper will be used with reference to the orientation of the vehicle's chassis relative to the ground or, more generally, relative to the vehicle's running surface. A protective tray 6 covers the batteries 4 and protects them from any physicochemical and / or environmental damage. Such a floor 1 effectively defines part of the housing for the batteries 5, the latter being placed directly in the modules 3.With such a floor 1, it is necessary, on the one hand, that there be a sealing bead between the floor and the rest of the passenger compartment in order to prevent any rise of liquid and / or gas into the passenger compartment and, on the other hand, that there be a sealing of the housing of the batteries 5, therefore between the floor 1 and the protective tray 6 to preserve the batteries 5 from any pollution by solids, liquids and / or gases.

[0024] Hereafter, reference will preferably be made to a side member, given that the invention relates to the two side members positioned on either side of the vehicle's floor 1, along the length of the latter. The vehicle's chassis components, including the side members 7 and the floor 1, are protected from corrosion by immersion in a cataphoresis bath. As a reminder, this is a known painting process that allows for the uniform treatment of complexly shaped parts.

[0025] To remove excess cataphoresis bath after the floor cataphoresis stage, before the floor 1 is assembled and secured to the chassis rails 7, passages are created to allow gravity drainage of the excess bath. These passages are formed by embossed areas called "seams" on each edge of the floor 1 that is intended to be in contact with a rail 7. To ensure a seal between the parts, particularly between the floor 1 and the rails 7, a sealing bead is applied in the contact area. It turns out that the sealing bead is not thick enough to ensure a seal at the seams during welding between the floor 1 and the rails 7, due to the significant gap between the edges of the floor 1 and the rails 7. This gap is what allows the cataphoresis bath to drain out of the chassis.The presence of the ends of the cross members 4, which define the modules 3, also results in an interruption of the sealing bead at the weld points where the ends of the cross members 4 are welded to the side members 7. These ends are fitted with a tab that rests against an underside of the side member 7. Thus, part of the sealing bead is located inside the passenger compartment, specifically on the section of the floor 1 situated between the side members 7, and part is located outside the passenger compartment, specifically on the outer edge of the side members 7. The side members 7 have a generally U-shaped cross-section. The edges of the floor 1 have a complementary shape, generally L-shaped. The horizontal portion 10 of the edge of the floor 1 rests against a lower horizontal portion 11 of the side member 7, while the vertical portion 12 of the edge of the floor 1 rests against a vertical portion 13 of the side member 7.

[0026] Inflatable inserts 8 are placed on the exterior of the passenger compartment, specifically under the edge of the floor 1. The inserts 8 have a horizontal and a vertical portion. Once inflated during the curing process, these inserts 8 occupy the available space defined by the seams in the area where the sealing bead is interrupted, thus ensuring a continuous seal. Due to their thickness when inflated, the inserts must not be in contact with the floor 1. To prevent this, seams or indentations 9 are made in the floor 1. They have shapes and dimensions adapted and complementary to those of the inserts 8, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Hereafter, the terms "indentation" and "seam" will be used interchangeably for ease of reading.

[0027] The presence of the embossed sections 9 is effective in preventing contact between the floor 1 and the inserts 8, thus ensuring a watertight seal. However, each embossed section 9 is oriented towards the interior of the floor 1, and therefore towards the batteries 5 housed in the modules 3. In the event of a side impact, there is a risk of contact between at least one battery 5 and the embossed section 9. Such contact could cause an impact on the battery, or even a chemical and / or thermal malfunction that could lead to a fire in the battery 5. In other words, the distance D between each battery 5 and each insert 9 is less than what is acceptable in terms of safety during a side impact on the vehicle.

[0028] To maintain watertightness while resolving the issue of the safety distance D between the batteries 5 and the stamped sections 9, the invention consists of limiting the presence of the stamped section to only the horizontal part of the edge of the floor 1, namely the part 10 that bears against the lower face 11 of the longeron 7, as shown in Figure 5, which illustrates a portion of the edge of the floor 1 in perspective, viewed from below. Removing the swaged section 9 and the expanding insert 8 on the vertical part 12 of the edge of the floor 1 increases the safety distance D between the longeron 7 and the batteries 5. This avoids, or at least minimizes, the risk of contact between the floor 1 and the batteries 5 during a side impact.

[0029] To ensure a continuous seal in the vertical section 12 of the edge of the floor 1, in the absence of expansion joints 9 and expansion inserts 8, at least one seal or bead 14 is placed on the section 12. Two seals 14 are shown in Figure 6 on the vertical section 12. Alternatively, the number and / or location of the seals 14 on the vertical section 12 may vary, provided they are in a vertical area free of inserts and expansion joints. In all cases, the seals 14 do not extend beyond the vertical section 12 and are placed on the section 12 during the assembly process, i.e., during the presentation and positioning of the parts to be welded together, as illustrated in Figure 7, which shows the edge of the floor 1 with a seal.

[0030] It is noted that the sealing bead, in addition to the joint 14 on the vertical part 12, includes swelling inserts 8 on the horizontal part 10 only, and between these inserts 8, another joint or sealing bead 15 is placed during painting, i.e., during the cataphoresis of the floor 1. When each stringer 7 is placed against the edge of the floor 1, the stringer 7 compresses the joint 14. Once the stringer 7 and the edge of the floor 1 are welded together, the joint 14 contributes to the continuity of the seal along the bond zone between the edge of the floor 1 and each stringer 7.

[0031] Another seal or sealing bead 16 is also placed during cataphoresis. It is generally parallel to the seal 15. The seals 15 and 16 are positioned at the lower and upper ends of the contact area between each stringer 7 and the edge of the floor 1. The seals 15 and 16 thus define the terminal portions of the sealing bead, along the vertical portion 12 and horizontal portion 10 of the edge of the floor 1. A continuous sealing bead according to the invention is particularly visible in Figure 8, which is a vertical cross-section at the level of the contact area between the edge of the floor 1 and a stringer 7. The invention makes it possible to create a continuous sealing bead, comprising several sealing means. Namely, a bead or joints 15, 16 placed during cataphoresis, a swelling insert 8 and a joint 14 positioned during the fitting and activated during the welding of the floor 1 with the stringer 7. The joints 14 to 16 are, in one embodiment, identical.Alternatively, they are different.

Claims

Demands

1. Electric vehicle comprising a floor (1), a face (2) referred to as the lower face of the floor (1) being divided (4) into several modules (3) for receiving electric batteries (5), at least one non-continuous sealing bead being placed between the interior of the vehicle passenger compartment and the exterior of the vehicle passenger compartment, on either side of lateral longitudinal members (7) fixed to the floor (1), at least one inflatable insert (8) being placed in a contact zone between each edge of the floor (1) and the longitudinal members (7), at the level of the interruption zones of the sealing bead, characterized in that each inflatable insert (8) extends only between the edge of the floor (1) and a portion (11) referred to as the horizontal portion of the longitudinal member (7) with which it is in contact and in that at least one sealing gasket (14) is positioned on a portion (12) referred to as the vertical portion of the edge of the floor (1),The sealing gasket (14) and the inflating insert (8) together contribute to defining a continuous sealing bead.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that each edge of the floor (1) comprises a part (12) called vertical and a part (10) called horizontal in support against, respectively, a part (13) called vertical and a part (11) called horizontal of a longitudinal member (7).

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that two inflating inserts (8) extend between the so-called horizontal part (12) of the edge of the floor (1) and the so-called horizontal part (11) of each longitudinal member (7).

4. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that a stamping (9) or swaging is provided in the so-called horizontal part (10) of the edge of the floor (1) at the level of each inflating insert (8).

5. Vehicle according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two other joints (15, 16) are positioned at the ends of the contact area between each edge of the floor (1) and each side member (7).

6. Vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that a continuous sealing bead is formed by the seals (14, 15, 16) and the inflating inserts (8) in mutual contact by their respective ends.

7. Vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that the joints (14, 15, 16) are made of the same material.

8. Vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that the joints (14, 15, 16) are made of different materials.

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