Structure for installing an automotive battery

• US 6,431,300 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwase, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISCHMANN, BRYAN R
• Application Number:
  US09/667,276
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.8, 429/96, 429/99, 429/100, 429/120
• 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

Abstract

A structure for installing an automotive battery which would protect the battery installed in a rear part of a vehicle body is provided. In a structure for installing an automotive battery in which the battery is mounted on a battery mounting base provided on a floor in a rear part of a vehicle body, a rear suspension cross member extends along the direction of vehicle width beneath the floor, and the battery mounting base is located within an area of the floor, the area being a zone of width L in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body corresponding to the location of the rear suspension cross member in plan view.

Claims

1. A structure for installing an automotive battery having right and left side members extending along a longitudinal direction of a car for providing a floor secured on said right and left members, and

a rear suspension cross member extending along a width direction of the car as far as said side members to secure a lower surface of said floor, said structure comprising;

a battery mounting base for mounting said battery provided on the floor wherein said battery mounting base is located within an area of the floor corresponding with a location over the rear suspension cross member in plan view so as to rigidly secure said battery mounting base on said floor with said rear suspension cross member said battery also having a location over the rear suspension cross member in plan view.

2. The structure for installing the automotive battery as recited in claim 1, wherein said battery mounting base comprises:

a battery mounting surface which the battery is mounted;

a front surface part extending downward from a front edge of said battery mounting surface with a lower end of said front surface part secured to the floor; and

a rear surface part extending downward from a rear edge of said battery mounting surface with a lower end of the rear surface part secured to the floor.

3. The structure for installing the automotive battery as recited in claim 2, wherein the front surface part has a first physically weak portion formed in the front surface part.

4. The structure for installing the automotive battery as recited in claim 3, provided with a second physically weak portion in an area of the battery mounting surface on the rear of its center in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

5. The structure for installing the automotive battery as recited in claim 2, wherein the rear surface part extends obliquely upward toward the front of the vehicle body.

6. The structure for installing an automotive battery as recited in claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a mounting base plate provided on a battery mounting surface of the battery mounting base for mounting the battery, and the mounting base plate provided on the battery mounting surface has a bottom surface whose width is larger than the width of the battery mounting surface measured in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

7. The structure for installing the automotive battery as recited in claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a mounting base plate provided on a battery mounting surface of the battery mounting base, and the mounting base plate having a bottom portion on which the battery is mounted and a surrounding wall which extends upward from the periphery of the bottom portion and surrounds the outer periphery of the battery.

8. The structure for installing the automotive battery as recited in claim 7, wherein the surrounding wall has an electrolyte storage formed by making an outward swelling on the surrounding wall.

9. The structure for installing the automotive battery as recited in claim 4, wherein the rear surface part extends obliquely upward toward the front of the vehicle body.