Vehicle battery pack ballistic shield

• US 8,286,743 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Rawlinson, Peter Dore
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US13/311,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20120160088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 429/96, 429/400, 105/51, 224/400, 248/500
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/025 Side sills thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/2036 the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars B62D21/157 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/008 predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/042 Floors or base plates for increased land mine protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/242 adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape

Abstract

An improved protection system for a battery pack mounted between the passenger cabin floor panel of an electric vehicle and the driving surface is provided, the system utilizing a ballistic shield mounted under the electric vehicle and interposed between the battery pack enclosure and the driving surface, where the ballistic shield is spaced apart from the enclosure bottom panel. A layer of a compressible material may be interposed between the ballistic shield and the battery pack enclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery pack protection system, comprising:

a battery pack enclosure mounted under an electric vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure comprises an enclosure top panel, an enclosure bottom panel, and a plurality of enclosure side members, wherein said battery pack enclosure is configured to hold a plurality of batteries, and wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a passenger cabin floor panel and a driving surface;

a ballistic shield mounted under said electric vehicle and below said battery pack enclosure, wherein said ballistic shield is interposed between said battery pack enclosure and said driving surface, and wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 5 millimeters; and

a plurality of stand-offs, wherein said plurality of stand-offs are interposed between said ballistic shield and said enclosure bottom panel.

2. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said battery pack enclosure is substantially airtight.

3. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said enclosure top panel, said enclosure bottom panel, and said plurality of enclosure side members are each fabricated from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys and steel.

4. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said enclosure bottom panel is welded, brazed, soldered or bonded to said plurality of enclosure side members, and wherein said enclosure top panel is bolted to said plurality of enclosure side members.

5. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a first vehicle structural side member located adjacent to a first side of said vehicle and a second vehicle structural side member located adjacent to a second side of said vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a front vehicle suspension assembly and a rear vehicle suspension assembly, wherein said battery pack enclosure transverses the distance between said first vehicle structural side member and said second vehicle structural side member, wherein a first side member of said plurality of enclosure side members is mechanically coupled to said first vehicle structural side member and a second side member of said plurality of enclosure side members is mechanically coupled to said second vehicle structural side member, wherein said battery pack enclosure further comprises a plurality of cross-members integrated into said battery pack enclosure, wherein each of said plurality of cross-members transverses the distance between said first and second side members of said battery pack enclosure, and wherein said plurality of cross-members segregate said plurality of batteries into groups of batteries.

6. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 5, wherein said first vehicle structural side member is a left side rocker panel, and wherein said second vehicle structural side member is a right side rocker panel.

7. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 10 millimeters.

8. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 15 millimeters.

9. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 25 millimeters.

10. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 35 millimeters.

11. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 50 millimeters.

12. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1, wherein said ballistic shield is comprised of a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, steel, fiberglass, carbon fiber/epoxy composites, and plastic.

13. A vehicle battery pack protection system comprising:

a battery pack enclosure mounted under an electric vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure comprises an enclosure to panel an enclosure bottom panel, and a plurality of enclosure side members, wherein said battery pack enclosure is configured to hold a plurality of batteries, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a passenger cabin floor panel and a driving surface, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a first vehicle structural side member located adjacent to a first side of said vehicle and a second vehicle structural side member located adjacent to a second side of said vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a front vehicle suspension assembly and a rear vehicle suspension assembly, wherein said battery pack enclosure transverses the distance between said first vehicle structural side member and said second vehicle structural side member, wherein a first side member of said plurality of enclosure side members is mechanically coupled to said first vehicle structural side member and a second side member of said plurality of enclosure side members is mechanically coupled to said second vehicle structural side member, wherein said battery pack enclosure further comprises a plurality of cross-members integrated into said battery pack enclosure, wherein each of said plurality of cross-members transverses the distance between said first and second side members of said battery pack enclosure, and wherein said plurality of cross-members segregate said plurality of batteries into groups of batteries;

a ballistic shield mounted under said electric vehicle and below said battery pack enclosure, wherein said ballistic shield is interposed between said battery pack enclosure and said driving surface, and wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel at least 5 millimeters; and

a plurality of stand-offs, wherein said plurality of stand-offs are interposed between said ballistic shield and said enclosure bottom panel, and wherein said plurality of stand-offs are coupled to an outer surface of said enclosure bottom panel adjacent to mounting locations of said plurality of cross-members mounted to an inner surface of said enclosure bottom panel.

14. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13, wherein said enclosure top panel, said enclosure bottom panel, and said plurality of enclosure side members are each fabricated from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys and steel.

15. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13, wherein said enclosure bottom panel is welded, brazed, soldered or bonded to said plurality of enclosure side members, and wherein said enclosure top panel is bolted to said plurality of enclosure side members.

16. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13, wherein said first vehicle structural side member is a left side rocker panel, and wherein said second vehicle structural side member is a right side rocker panel.

17. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13, wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 10 millimeters.

18. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13, wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 25 millimeters.

19. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13, wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 50 millimeters.

20. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13, wherein said ballistic shield is comprised of a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, steel, fiberglass, carbon fiber/epoxy composites, and plastic.