Electric vehicle battery pack
First Claim
1. A battery pack for an electric vehicle comprising a plurality of individual batteries ganged together and nesting in an underlying supporting tray, and interlock means engaging the ends of said batteries for preventing relative movement between adjacent batteries in the pack, said supporting tray comprising a plurality of intersecting, upstanding walls stiffening said tray and defining a plurality of pockets each receiving a one of said batteries, a perimetrical flange extending outboard said upstanding walls, a housing enclosing said pack, said housing comprising a ceiling wall, a plurality of side walls depending from said ceiling wall, and a peripheral flange extending outwardly from the edges of said sidewalls opposite said ceiling wall and overlying said perimetrical flange, a resilient spacer compressed between said ceiling wall and the tops of the batteries, and fastener means joining said perimetrical and peripheral flanges securely together so as to provide a rigid structure which provides structural strength to said vehicle while substantially immobilizing the batteries against movement.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electric vehicle battery pack including a plurality of batteries ganged together in an underlying tray. The tray preferably has a plurality of pockets therein each for receiving an individual battery. The batteries are interlocked one to the next and held in place in the tray by a housing which bears down on the batteries by means of a resilient spacer positioned between the tops of the batteries and the ceiling of the housing. The pack forms a structural part of the vehicle in which it is used.
158 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A battery pack for an electric vehicle comprising a plurality of individual batteries ganged together and nesting in an underlying supporting tray, and interlock means engaging the ends of said batteries for preventing relative movement between adjacent batteries in the pack, said supporting tray comprising a plurality of intersecting, upstanding walls stiffening said tray and defining a plurality of pockets each receiving a one of said batteries, a perimetrical flange extending outboard said upstanding walls, a housing enclosing said pack, said housing comprising a ceiling wall, a plurality of side walls depending from said ceiling wall, and a peripheral flange extending outwardly from the edges of said sidewalls opposite said ceiling wall and overlying said perimetrical flange, a resilient spacer compressed between said ceiling wall and the tops of the batteries, and fastener means joining said perimetrical and peripheral flanges securely together so as to provide a rigid structure which provides structural strength to said vehicle while substantially immobilizing the batteries against movement.
- 2. A battery pack for an electric vehicle comprising a plurality of individual batteries ganged together, an underlying supporting tray, a lower tier of said batteries nesting in said supporting tray, an upper tier of said batteries overlying and supported by said lower tier and interlock means intermediate said tiers, said interlock means having recesses therein nesting with said batteries in said upper and lower tiers and preventing relative movement between adjacent batteries in the pack, said supporting tray comprising a plurality of intersecting, upstanding walls stiffening said tray and defining a plurality of pockets each receiving a one of said lower tier batteries, a perimetrical flange extending outboard said upstanding walls, a housing enclosing said pack, said housing comprising a ceiling wall, a plurality of sidewalls depending from said ceiling wall, and a peripheral flange extending outwardly from the edges of said sidewalls opposite said ceiling all and overlying said perimetrical flange, a resilient spacer compressed between said ceiling wall and said upper tier of batteries, and fastener means joining said perimetrical and peripheral flanges securely together so as to provide a rigid structure which provides structural strength to said vehicle while substantially immobilizing the batteries against movement.
- 7. A battery pack comprising a plurality of individual batteries ganged together side-by-side and end-to-end in an underlying tray supporting said batteries, said batteries each comprising a container, means on opposite end of said container for locking each container to the next adjacent battery in the pack, said locking means comprising a socket in each said container and an interlock member overlying a set of sockets on adjacent batteries said interlock member comprising a rigid body and a plurality of tongues depending from said body into the sockets of said set to hold said adjacent batteries together, and anchoring means for holding said batteries securely in said tray.
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25. A battery pack comprising a plurality of individual batteries ganged together side-by-side and end-to-end in an underlying tray supporting said batteries, said batteries each comprising a container having a case and cover, a shelf on said case overhanging each end of said battery and confronting a shelf on a next adjacent battery in the pack, a socket in each said shelf, an interlock comprising a rigid body overlying a set of adjacent shelves and a plurality of tongues depending from said body into said sockets for holding said adjacent batteries together, and anchoring means engaging said tray and holding said batteries securely in said tray.
Specification