BRACKET ATTACHMENT STRUCTURE HAVING AN INTERNAL PLATE

• US 20190084441A1
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Published: 03/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: KHAN, Ahteram, BRAESEKER, Nicholas, SHEN, Jingmei, ZHAO, Ying, SABBAGH, Afif, WAGNER, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/01 Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A vehicle underbody includes a battery pack surrounded by an enclosure, and a bracket. The bracket has first and second flanges disposed in a parallel arrangement, and includes a plate having a wall configured to, in response to an impact, rupture at a trigger to allow the enclosure to move away from an impact direction and deform the first flange. The wall is disposed at angle relative to the flanges, and defined such that impact energy is absorbed by the wall and first flange. The first flange, during an impact, moves toward the second flange, which maintains attachment to the vehicle underbody to absorb energy.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery tray structure comprising:

a bracket interconnecting a battery enclosure and a floor, having first and second parallel flanges interconnected by a side; and

a plate disposed at an angle between the flanges, and configured to rupture at a trigger during an impact such that, coupled with deformation of the first flange, the enclosure shifts in a direction away from the impact while the second flange maintains attachment to the floor.

2. The tray structure of claim 1, wherein the trigger is defined by a notch cut into the plate.

3. The tray structure of claim 1, wherein the side defines a curvature such that the first flange of the bracket is configured to deform without rupture.

4. The tray structure of claim 1, wherein the plate includes first and second ends attached to the first and second parallel flanges such that a wall interconnects the ends and includes the trigger.

5. The tray structure of claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises a mild steel and the plate comprises a high-strength, low-alloy steel.

6. A vehicle underbody comprising:

a battery pack surrounded by an enclosure; and

a bracket having first and second flanges disposed in a parallel arrangement, and including a plate having a wall configured to, in response to an impact, rupture at a trigger to allow the enclosure to move away from an impact direction and deform the first flange, the wall being disposed at angle relative to the flanges, and defined such that impact energy is absorbed by the wall and first flange.

7. The underbody of claim 6, wherein the trigger includes a notch defined at a pre-defined point.

8. The underbody of claim 6, wherein the bracket further includes a side having a curvature such that, during impact, the first flange moves toward the second flange to deform the side.

9. The underbody of claim 6, wherein the bracket defines a space between the first and second flanges such that as the first flange deforms toward the second flange, the space is decreased.

10. The underbody of claim 6, wherein the second flange maintains attachment to the enclosure during deformation of the first flange.

11. The underbody of claim 10, wherein the bracket is configured to allow the enclosure to rotate 4 degrees away from the impact direction.

12. A vehicle comprising:

an enclosure surrounding a battery arrangement; and

a bracket that attaches the enclosure to a floor, and having a plate disposed at an angle between first and second flanges, the plate including a wall configured to break at a pre-defined point on the wall during an impact such that the enclosure shifts in a direction away from the impact, wherein the first flange is configured to move toward the second flange during impact, and the second flange is configured to maintain attachment between the enclosure and the floor.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 further comprising a trigger defined at the pre-defined point to control deformation of the first flange.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein deformation of the first flange decreases a space between the first and second flanges.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the space is defined by a curvature of a side of the bracket.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the plate forms a substantial Z-shape having first and second ends planar to the first and second flanges to attach the plate to the bracket.

17. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the bracket defines a substantial U-shape having a side defining a curvature such that the side deforms as the first flange moves toward the second flange during deformation of the bracket.