Vehicle having a battery pack directly attached to the cross rails of a frame structure

• US 10,017,037 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nio Usa Inc.
• Inventors: Newman, Austin L., Smith, Joshua, Yildirim, Batuhan, Kaunitz, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Swenson, Brian L
• Application Number:
  US15/429,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20170225558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/20 Floors or bottom sub-units sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

A vehicle has a body forming a passenger compartment. The vehicle also has a chassis supporting the body. The chassis includes a frame structure having a pair of side rails connected by a plurality of rigid cross rails and defining a plurality of bays between the cross rails. The vehicle additionally has a battery pack including a plurality of electrical storage devices stored in a battery housing. The battery housing defines a plurality of channels. The vehicle further includes a fastening mechanism attaching the battery housing directly to the plurality of cross rails with at least a portion of the battery housing in the plurality of bays and the plurality of cross rails in the plurality of channels.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a body forming a passenger compartment;

a chassis supporting the body, the chassis including a frame structure comprising a pair of side rails connected by a plurality of rigid cross rails and defining a plurality of bays between the cross rails;

a battery pack including a plurality of electrical storage devices stored in a battery housing, the battery housing defining a plurality of channels; and

a fastening mechanism attaching the battery housing directly to the plurality of cross rails with at least a portion of the battery housing in the plurality of bays and the plurality of cross rails in the plurality of channels,

wherein the battery housing comprises;

a lower housing which includes a bottom wall which forms a support surface for the plurality of electrical storage devices; and

an upper housing which includes a top wall which forms a cover for the plurality of electrical storage devices,

wherein the plurality of channels are formed by the upper housing,

wherein the fastening mechanism includes a plurality of fasteners each inserted through the bottom wall, the top wall, and a bottom plate of a respective cross rail, and

wherein the bottom wall contacts the top wall in the areas where the plurality of fasteners are inserted.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall and the top wall include increased-thickness portions in the areas where the plurality of fasteners are inserted.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall is thicker than the top wall in the increased-thickness portions.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall defines a plurality of grooves which are aligned with a respective channel of the plurality of channels, and wherein heads of the plurality of fasteners are positioned in a respective groove.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cross rails comprises:

a first portion which is wider than a respective channel and contacts a top surface of the battery housing adjacent to a respective channel; and

a second portion which extends perpendicular to the first portion into the channel and contacts a surface of the battery housing in the channel, the second portion including the bottom plate.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the first portion is hollow and includes a flange which extends outwardly and contacts the top surface of the battery housing, and

wherein the second portion is hollow and includes a bottom plate which contacts a surface of the battery housing in the channel.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the second portion is hollow.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a body forming a passenger compartment;

a chassis supporting the body, the chassis including a frame structure comprising a pair of side rails connected by a plurality of rigid cross rails and defining a plurality of bays between the cross rails,

a battery pack including a plurality of electrical storage devices stored in a battery housing, the battery housing defining a plurality of channels; and

a fastening mechanism including a plurality of fasteners attaching the battery housing directly to the plurality of cross rails with at least a portion of the battery housing in the plurality of bays and the plurality of cross rails in the plurality of channels,

wherein each of the cross rails includes a first portion and a second portion which extends perpendicular to the first portion,

wherein the first portion of the cross rails contacts a top surface of the battery housing adjacent to a respective channel and the second portion of the cross rails extends into the respective channel, and

wherein the first portion of the cross rails is hollow and includes a flange which extends outwardly and contacts the top surface of the battery housing.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the battery housing comprises:

a lower housing which includes a bottom wall which forms a support surface for the plurality of electrical storage devices; and

an upper housing which includes a top wall which forms a cover for the plurality of electrical storage devices.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the plurality of channels are formed by the upper housing.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the bottom wall and the top wall include increased-thickness portions in areas where the plurality of fasteners are inserted through the battery housing.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the bottom wall is thicker than the top wall in the increased-thickness portions.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the second portion of the cross rails is hollow and includes a bottom plate which contacts a surface of the battery housing in the channel.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the plurality of fasteners extend through the battery housing and the bottom plate into the hollow second portion.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein a bottom wall of the battery housing defines a plurality of grooves which are aligned with the plurality of channels, and wherein heads of the plurality of fasteners are positioned in a respective groove.

16. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the battery housing comprises:

a lower housing which includes a bottom wall which forms a support surface for the plurality of electrical storage devices; and

an upper housing which includes a top wall which forms a cover for the plurality of electrical storage devices, wherein the plurality of channels are formed by the upper housing.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of fasteners is inserted through the bottom wall, the top wall, and a bottom plate of a respective cross rail.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the bottom wall contacts the top wall in the areas where the plurality of fasteners are inserted.

19. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the second portion of the cross rails is hollow and includes a bottom plate which contacts a surface of the battery housing in the channel.

20. A method of attaching a battery pack to a vehicle including a frame structure, the frame structure including a plurality of rigid cross rails defining a plurality of bays, the method comprising:

positioning the battery pack such that at least a portion of a battery housing is in the plurality of bays and the plurality of cross rails are in a corresponding plurality of channels formed in the battery housing; and

attaching the battery housing directly to the plurality of cross rails by inserting a plurality of fasteners through the battery housing and a bottom plate of the cross rails,

wherein each of the plurality of cross rails comprises;

a first portion which is wider than a respective channel and contacts a top surface of the battery housing adjacent to a respective channel; and

a second portion which extends perpendicular to the first portion into the channel and contacts a surface of the battery housing in the channel, the second portion including the bottom plate,

wherein the first portion is hollow and includes a flange which extends outwardly and contacts the top surface of the battery housing.