Structure for arrangement of engine-associated vehicle components

• US 20060220405A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yukio, Ohe, Haruo, Iwasaka, Kouji
• Application Number:
  US11/363,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220405A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/37.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/04 Arrangement of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/082 Engine compartments

Abstract

A structure for arrangement of engine-associated components including a main battery and a secondary battery which together constitute a power supply system of a vehicle is such that a fresh air duct serving as a fresh air conduit is laid at a forward part of an engine room, an engine body is installed at a rear part of the engine room and fresh air drawn in through the fresh air duct is supplied to the engine body through an intake air passage, wherein the main battery is disposed on one side of the engine body and the secondary battery is disposed on one side of the main battery.

Claims

1. A structure for arrangement of engine-associated components including a main battery and a secondary battery which together constitute a power supply system of a vehicle in which a fresh air conduit is laid at a forward part of an engine room, an engine body is installed at a rear part of the engine room and fresh air drawn in through the fresh air conduit is supplied to the engine body through an intake air passage, wherein said main battery is disposed on one side of the engine body and said secondary battery is disposed on one side of said main battery.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said main battery is disposed between a wheel house for one of front wheels located at one side of the engine room and a traversely extending dash panel mounted at a rear end of the engine room.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said secondary battery is disposed between a wheel house for one of front wheels located at one side of the engine room and a traversely extending dash panel mounted at a rear end of the engine room.

4. A structure for arrangement of engine-associated components including a main battery and a secondary battery which together constitute a power supply system of a vehicle in which a fresh air conduit is laid at a forward part of an engine room and an engine body is installed at a rear part of the engine room, wherein said main battery is disposed on one side of the engine body and said secondary battery is disposed in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

5. The structure according to claim 4, wherein said secondary battery is disposed below a traversely extending dash panel mounted at a rear end of the engine room.

6. The structure according to claim 4, wherein said secondary battery is disposed underneath a seat cushion of an occupant seat installed in the passenger compartment.

7. A structure for arrangement of engine-associated components including at least two batteries which together constitute a power supply system of a vehicle in which a fresh air conduit is laid at a forward part of an engine room, an engine body is installed at a rear part of the engine room and fresh air drawn in through the fresh air conduit is supplied to the engine body through an intake air passage, wherein said at least two batteries are disposed on left and right sides of the engine body.

8. The structure according to claim 7, wherein said at least two batteries are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the engine body.

9. The structure according to claim 7, wherein said at least two batteries are disposed in areas surrounded by wheel houses for front wheels located at left and right sides of the engine room and the engine body.

10. The structure according to claim 9, said structure comprising supporting brackets affixed to left and right suspension towers which are erected along the wheel houses for the front wheels, wherein said at least two batteries are sustained by said supporting brackets.

11. The structure according to claim 10, wherein each of said supporting brackets includes a bottom plate affixed to said suspension tower therealong, a side plate affixed to the bottom plate along one end thereof, and gusset plates affixed to the bottom plate along other ends thereof.

12. The structure according to claim 7, wherein said intake air passage is arranged to extend along a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body so that said intake air passage passes between said at least two batteries which are disposed on the left and right sides of the engine body.

13. The structure according to claim 7, said structure comprising at least two tower bars interconnecting left and right suspension towers which are erected along wheel houses for front wheels located at left and right sides of the engine room, said at least two tower bars being arranged at a specific distance from one another in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, wherein said at least two batteries together constituting the power supply system of the vehicle are located between said adjacent tower bars.

14. The structure according to claim 13, wherein said at least two batteries are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the engine body.

15. The structure according to claim 13, said structure further comprising a connecting member which interconnects said at least two tower bars.

16. The structure according to claim 13, said structure further comprising an air guide provided between said at least two tower bars for guiding fresh air to areas where said batteries are disposed.

17. The structure according to claim 13, wherein said intake air passage is arranged to extend along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body so that said intake air passage passes between said at least two batteries which are disposed on the left and right sides of the engine body.