HOOD MOUNTED BATTERY SET PLATE

• US 20120160582A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Strock, Nicky
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/20 Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders structural combination of accumulators with charging apparatus H01M10/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A battery mounting arrangement for a vehicle includes a compartment (e.g., an engine compartment), a cover disposed over the compartment (e.g., a hood disposed over an engine compartment) and a spring mounted set plate mounted to the cover for applying a hold down force on an associated battery mounted in the compartment.

Claims

1. A battery mounting arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

a compartment of the vehicle;

a cover disposed over the compartment; and

a spring mounted set plate mounted to the cover for applying a hold down force on an associated battery mounted in the compartment.

2. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 1 further comprising a set plate mounting arrangement, the set plate mounting arrangement including:

the set plate for applying the hold down force to an upper surface of the associated battery;

at least one pin member having a first end fixedly secured to the cover and a second end slidably received through an aperture in the set plate for sliding movement relative thereto; and

at least one spring interposed between the set plate and the cover for urging the set plate away from the cover and toward the second end of the at least one pin member.

3. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 2 wherein each at least one pin member is a bolt, the first end of the bolt is threadedly secured to the cover and the second end of the bolt has a bolt head that limits slidable movement of the set plate.

4. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 3 wherein the spring is a coil spring radially received around the bolt between the first and second ends.

5. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 2 wherein the at least one pin member includes first and second pin members disposed at opposite sides of the associated battery and the at least one spring includes a first spring and a second spring, the first spring radially received around the first pin member and the second spring radially received around the second spring.

6. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein the compartment is an engine compartment and the cover is a hood movable between a closed position and an open position, the spring mounted set plate applies the hold down force to the associated battery when the hood is in the closed position to secure the battery within the engine compartment, the spring mounted set plate moved apart from the associated battery when the hood is in the open position allowing the associated battery to be removed from the engine compartment.

7. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 1 further including:

a movement control apparatus that limits at least one of longitudinal or lateral movement of the associated battery within the compartment.

8. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 7 wherein the movement control apparatus is a battery tray that limits both longitudinal and lateral movement of the associated battery within the compartment.

9. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 8 wherein the battery tray includes at least one upstanding lateral wall for limiting lateral movement of the associated battery and at least one upstanding longitudinal wall for limiting longitudinal movement of the associated battery.

10. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 9 wherein the battery tray is formed as a lower clamshell housing portion having a base wall upon which the associated battery rests when installed in the compartment, a pair of spaced apart lateral walls and a pair of spaced apart longitudinal walls, the lateral and longitudinal walls complementing a shape of the associated battery.

11. The battery mounting arrangement of claim 10 further including:

an upper clamshell housing portion received over an upper portion of the associated battery, the upper clamshell housing portion having an upper wall received over an upper side of the associated battery, a pair of spaced apart lateral walls and a pair of spaced apart longitudinal walls, the lateral and longitudinal walls of the upper clamshell housing portion complementing a shape of the associated battery, the upper and lower clamshell housing portions together forming a battery housing that encases the associated battery.

12. A battery mounting assembly for securing a battery within an engine compartment of a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body portion for supporting the battery within the engine compartment;

a hood disposed over the engine compartment, the hood movable between a closed position wherein the hood closes the engine compartment and an open position wherein access is provided to the engine compartment; and

a set plate mounted to the hood on an underside thereof, the set plate urged toward an extended position wherein the set plate applies a hold down force to the battery to secure the battery to the vehicle body portion when the hood is in the closed position.

13. The battery mounting assembly of claim 12 further including:

a pair of pin members securing the set plate to the hood, the set plate movable along the pin members between the extended position and a retracted position;

at least one spring interposed between the set plate and the hood for urging the set plate toward the extended position along the pins.

14. The battery mounting assembly of claim 13 wherein the at least one spring includes a first coil spring annularly disposed on a first one of the pair of pin members and a second coil spring annularly disposed on a second one of the pair of pin members.

15. The battery mounting assembly of claim 13 wherein each of the pair of pin members is a shoulder bolt having a head portion and a threaded portion, the head portion prevents the set plate from being removed from the pair of pin members and the threaded portion is received in a wire nut secured to the hood.

16. The battery mounting assembly of claim 12 further including:

a battery tray mounted to the vehicle body portion for receiving the battery, the battery tray having lateral and longitudinal walls for limiting lateral and longitudinal movement of the battery within the engine compartment.

17. The battery mounting assembly of claim 16 wherein the battery tray is a lower clamshell housing portion enclosing a lower portion of the battery and the battery mounting assembly further includes:

an upper clamshell housing portion enclosing an upper portion of the battery, the upper and lower clamshell housing portions together enclosing the battery.

18. A method for securing a battery in a vehicle, comprising:

providing a spring mounted set plate mounted to an underside of a hood of the vehicle;

setting the battery on a vehicle body support portion disposed within an engine compartment of the vehicle, the support portion aligned with the spring mounted set plate when the hood of the vehicle is in a closed position; and

closing the hood of the vehicle to secure the battery, with the hood in the closed position the spring mounted set plate applies a hold down force on an upper side of the battery.

19. The method of claim 18 further including:

connecting terminal ends of battery cables to the battery after setting the battery on the vehicle body support portion and before closing the hood of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein setting the battery on the vehicle body support portion includes inserting a lower end of the battery in a battery tray disposed on the support portion, the battery tray including lateral and longitudinal walls for preventing lateral and longitudinal movement within the engine compartment.