BATTERY PACK HOUSING ASSEMBLY FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE USING PLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIAL

• US 20120103714A1
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Choi, Chi Hoon, Hahm, Yo Han, Kang, Hyun Min
• Application Number:
  US13/039,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20120103714A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• 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: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• 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: B62D 29/041 Understructures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/222 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/229 Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/231 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/233 : characterised by physical properties of casings or racks, e.g. dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/242 : adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 : Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• 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 50/271 : 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery pack housing assembly for an electric vehicle, which is formed of a lightweight composite material to reduce the weight and configured to have a dual laminated structure with a closed cross-sectional area formed by composite molding to absorb impact energy. For this purpose, the present invention provides battery pack housing assembly for an electric vehicle using a plastic composite material, the battery pack housing assembly having an upper cover mounted at the bottom of a vehicle body, a lower housing, and a battery pack received and mounted in the lower housing, wherein the lower housing has a dual laminated structure with a closed cross-sectional area formed by bonding an upper plate and a lower plate, each composed of a fiber reinforced plastic composite material, to absorb impact energy, thus increasing structural stiffness.

Claims

1. A battery pack housing assembly for an electric vehicle using a plastic composite material comprising an upper cover mounted at the bottom of a vehicle body, a lower housing, and a battery pack received and mounted in the lower housing,

wherein the lower housing has a dual laminated structure with a closed cross-sectional area formed by bonding an upper plate and a lower plate, each composed of a fiber reinforced plastic composite material, to absorb impact energy, thus increasing structural stiffness.

2. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the closed cross-sectional area has an internal space surrounded by projections of the upper plate and the lower plate.

3. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper plate and the lower plate are bonded together by a welding process selected from the group consisting of vibration welding, ultrasonic welding, hot plate welding, laser welding, thermal welding, and infrared welding or using an adhesive.

4. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the closed cross-sectional area comprises an impact absorbing member selectively inserted into the closed cross-sectional area to improve impact energy absorbing performance.

5. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 4, wherein the impact absorbing member comprises a foam selected from the group consisting of polyurethane (PU), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene (PE).

6. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic composite material is prepared by mixing raw material resin and reinforcing fibers, the raw material resin comprising a thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a thermosetting resin selected from the group consisting of unsaturated polyester (UP), epoxy, and polyurethane (PU), and the reinforcing fibers comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of glass fiber, carbon fiber, volcanic fiber, and natural fiber.

7. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the upper plate and the lower plate comprises at least one reinforcing rib to increase the stiffness.

8. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower housing comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of structure reinforcing cross member, structure reinforcing side member, and mounting bracket, and a combination integrally formed thereof with the lower housing.

9. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper plate comprises a plurality of mounting apertures formed on the edges of the upper plate to mount the lower housing at the bottom of the vehicle body.

10. The battery pack housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower housing comprises a battery pack mounting portion including an insertion portion into which an insert bolt and an insert nut for mounting the battery pack is integrally inserted.