Crash energy-management structure

• US 5,681,057 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Electricar
• Original Assignee: US Electricar
• Inventors: Whirley, Robert G., Engelmann, Bruce E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/632,345
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 280/784, 280/781, 280/748, 180/68.5, 180/65.1, 180/274, 296/188, 296/189, 296/194, 296/204, 296/205, 188/377
• US Class Current: 280/784
• 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: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 Front or rear frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An electric-powered vehicle or a vehicle converted from internal combustion power to electrical power is provided having increased crashworthiness. The present invention provides crash energy management structures for such vehicles to achieve the increased crashworthiness. Because of the additional mass added to such vehicles by an energy source containment unit and the associated batteries, the crash energy management structure functions either to prevent an energy source containment unit from moving forward as a result of a collision or to enhance the strength of the crumple zone, or both, whether the vehicle is of monocoque construction, frame construction, or some combination thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicle converted from internal combustion engine power to electrical power, said vehicle comprising:

a vehicle primary structure having

a crush zone collapsible upon impact of the vehicle with an object and a hard point which does not collapse or move upon impact of the vehicle with an object;

a payload compartment positioned behind at least a portion of the crush zone;

an energy source containment unit located at the bottom of the payload compartment and enclosing a plurality of individual batteries; and

a crash energy management structure positioned between the energy source containment unit and the hard point of the vehicle primary structure and attached to the hard point to prevent the energy source containment unit from moving relative to the payload compartment in the event the vehicle impacts an object.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said energy source containment unit is an integral structural element of the vehicle primary structure.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the crash energy management structure is a rigid structure located between the crush zone and the energy source containment unit to prevent the energy source containment unit from moving toward the crush zone of the vehicle in the event the vehicle impacts an object.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the crash energy management structure comprises:

a transverse member extending across the front of the energy source containment unit; and

at least one connecting member connecting the transverse member to a rigid portion of the vehicle primary structure;

said transverse member distributes the inertial forces of the energy source containment unit across the width of the vehicle in the event there is an oblique impact with the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the crash energy management structure abuts a first end of the energy source containment unit and is attached at a second end to a rigid portion of the vehicle primary structure to prevent the energy source containment unit from moving relative to the rigid portion of the vehicle primary structure in the event the vehicle impacts an object.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the crash energy management structure is located in front of the energy source containment unit.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

the vehicle primary structure is a monocoque structure; and

the energy source containment unit includes means for securing the energy source containment unit in the vehicle to replace at least one structural member of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the energy source containment unit comprises an upper shell and a lower shell, the upper and lower shells being connected along a parting line, and one of the upper and lower shells being an integral part of the monocoque structure.

9. A vehicle converted from internal combustion engine power to electrical power, said vehicle comprising:

a vehicle primary structure having a crush zone collapsible upon impact of the vehicle with an object;

a payload compartment positioned behind at least a portion of the crush zone;

an energy source containment unit located at the bottom of the payload compartment and enclosing a plurality of individual batteries;

a crash energy management structure positioned adjacent to the energy source containment unit and attached to the vehicle primary structure to prevent the energy source containment unit from moving relative to the payload compartment in the event the vehicle impacts an object; and

at least one occupant seat attached to the energy source containment unit.

10. A vehicle being electrically-powered comprising:

a vehicle primary structure having

a crumple zone collapsible upon impact of the vehicle with an object and a hard point which does not collapse or move upon impact of the vehicle with an object;

a payload compartment positioned behind at least a portion of the crumple zone;

an energy source containment unit located at the bottom of the payload compartment and enclosing a plurality of individual batteries; and

a crash energy management structure positioned between the energy source containment unit and the hard point of the vehicle primary structure and attached to the energy source containment unit to prevent the energy source containment unit from moving relative to the payload compartment in the event the vehicle impacts an object and to increase the effectiveness of the crumple zone of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein said energy source containment unit is an integral structural element of the vehicle primary structure.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein said crash energy management structure comprises:

a stiff structure located adjacent the energy source containment unit to prevent the energy source containment unit from moving toward the crumple zone of the vehicle in the event the vehicle impacts an object; and

a collapsible structure of predetermined compressibility located in the crumple zone of the vehicle to increase the crush force of the vehicle in the event the vehicle impacts an object.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein said stiff structure comprises:

a transverse beam across the front of the energy source containment unit; and

at least one connecting member securing the transverse beam to a fixed portion of the vehicle primary structure;

said transverse beam distributes the inertial forces of the energy source containment unit across the width of the vehicle in the event there is an oblique impact with the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the collapsible structure is coupled at a first end to the front of the vehicle and at a second end to a fixed portion of the vehicle primary structure to compensate for the added mass of the energy source containment unit by assisting the crumple zone in decelerating occupants in the vehicle at a desirable rate.

15. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the collapsible structure comprises:

a cross member extending transversely adjacent to the front of the vehicle so as to distribute impact loads across the vehicle and to direct the impact loads to additional load paths along the vehicle in the event the vehicle impacts an object; and

at least one crushable member of predetermined compressibility attached at a first end to the cross member and at a second end to a fixed portion of the vehicle;

said collapsible structure is located in the crumple zone of the vehicle to increase the crush force of the vehicle in the event the vehicle impacts an object.

16. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the collapsible structure comprises:

a cross member extending transversely adjacent to the front of the vehicle so as to distribute impact loads across the vehicle and to direct the impact loads to additional load paths along the vehicle in the event the vehicle impacts an object;

at least two crushable members of predetermined compressibility attached at their first ends, respectively, to the ends of the cross member and at their second ends, respectively, to a fixed portion of the vehicle; and

a restraining member attached to the crushable members such that the crushable members are urged to fold in localized deformations along the crushable members;

said collapsible structure is located in the crumple zone of the vehicle to increase the crush force of the vehicle in the event the vehicle impacts an object.