BATTERY INSTALLATION STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILE

• US 20120217077A1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Inventors: Ojima, Yoshio, Umeyama, Naoya
• Granted Patent: US 8,511,413 B2
• 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: B60K 2001/0455 Removal or replacement of the energy storages
• 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 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery installation structure for an electric automobile. A battery case guide device guides the aforementioned battery case to a battery case housing section. The battery case guide device is provided with protruding parts and guide parts. The protruding parts are provided in an area near the right front corner on the front side surface of the battery case, an area near the right front corner on the right side surface thereof, an area near the left rear corner on the rear side surface thereof, and an area near the left rear corner on the left side surface thereof. The guide parts are provided to the aforementioned automobile body. The guide parts are capable of abutting the protruding parts. Of the two categories of parts mentioned above, namely, the protruding parts and the guide parts, those in one category have each a convex curved surface, and those in the other category have each an inclined surface capable of abutting the convex curved surface.

Claims

1. A battery mounting structure for an electric automobile, the battery mounting structure comprising:

a battery case containing a battery cell;

a battery case holder arranged in a vehicle body of the electric automobile, wherein the battery case holder is capable of accommodating the battery case;

a battery fastening mechanism that fastens the battery case, which is accommodated in the battery case holder, to the vehicle body; and

a battery case guiding mechanism that guides the battery case to the battery case holder when the battery case is raised from below the vehicle body and accommodated in the battery case holder,

wherein the battery case includes

four side surfaces facing front, rear, left, and right directions,

a first corner formed by two first side surfaces, among the four side surfaces, intersecting each other at a right angle, and

a second corner formed by two remaining second side surfaces, among the four side surfaces, intersecting each other at a right angle,

wherein the battery case guiding mechanism includes

a case side member arranged at a portion of each of the first side surfaces near the first corner and a portion of each of the second side surfaces near the second corner, and

a vehicle body side member arranged on the vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body side member can contact the case side member, and

wherein one of the case side member and the vehicle side member includes a convex-curved surface, and the other one of the case side member and the vehicle side member includes an inclined surface that can contact the convex-curved surface.

2. The battery mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the convex-curved surface is formed by a spherical surface.

3. The battery mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the convex-curved surface is formed by an arcuate surface.

4. The battery mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein

the battery case is tetragonal when viewed from above, and the first corner and the second corner are located at diagonal positions.