VEHICLE HAVING ENERGY ACCUMULATOR AREA

• US 20110068606A1
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: KLIMEK, Stanislaw, SCHWARZ, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,585,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/187.08
• 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 15/067 Mounting of tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0638 the fuel tank is arranged in the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 Front or rear frames
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/082 Engine compartments

Abstract

A vehicle is provided that includes, but is not limited to an energy accumulator in an energy accumulator area. The vehicle also includes, but is not limited to a rear axle area having a rear axle frame and a front axle area having a front axle frame. Furthermore, the vehicle includes, but is not limited to interrupted crash load pathways in the vehicle floor area, which are limited to the vehicle passenger compartment. The energy accumulator is situated on a carrier system in the vehicle floor area, the carrier system closing the interrupted crash load pathways of the vehicle between the rear axle frame and/or the front axle frame.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a passenger compartment;

a floor area;

a carrier system in the floor area

a rear axle area comprising a rear axle frame;

a front axle comprising a front axle frame;

interrupted crash load pathways in the floor area that are limited to the passenger compartment; and

an energy accumulator area situated on the carrier system in the floor area, and the carrier system is adapted to close the interrupted crash load pathways of the vehicle between at least one of the rear axle frame or the front axle frame.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, the energy accumulator area is situated in an area of a rear seat.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator area is situated in an area of a front seat.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator area is situated below a rear seat and outside the passenger compartment.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator area is situated below a front seat and outside the passenger compartment.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the carrier system comprises longitudinal carriers that extend the interrupted crash load pathways in the floor area between at least one of the front axle frame or the rear axle frame and thus close the interrupted crash load pathways.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the longitudinal carriers of the carrier system are screwed at first ends onto the interrupted crash load pathways.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the longitudinal carriers of the carrier system are screwed at second ends onto points of the rear axle frame.

9. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the longitudinal carriers of the carrier system are screwed at second ends onto separate points of the rear axle frame.

10. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the longitudinal carriers of the carrier system are screwed at second ends onto points of the rear axle frame.

11. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the longitudinal carriers of the carrier system are screwed at first ends onto a central tunnel structure.

12. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the carrier system comprises crossbeams that are fixed on the longitudinal carriers.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the crossbeams that are fixed on the longitudinal carriers are adapted to cross over one another.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a space of a typical fuel tank area above the carrier system is provided as the energy accumulator area.

15. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator area comprises fuel cells that comprise a fuel tank

16. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator area comprises fuel cells that comprise a battery cell.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the battery cell is a lithium-ion cell.

18. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator area comprises a liquefied gas accumulator (LPG).

19. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator area comprises a natural gas accumulator (CNG).

20. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator area comprises a hydrogen accumulator (H2).