Battery arrangement structure of vehicle

• US 8,479,858 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kodaira, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Assistant Examiner(s): AVERY, BRIDGET D
• Application Number:
  US12/950,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20110132676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.31, 180/65.6, 180/68.5, 180/89.1, 180/90, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 701/22
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0411 Arrangement in the front part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0427 Arrangement between the seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/17 forming fluid or electrical conduit means or having other means to accommodate the transmission of a force or signal
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/025 Side sills thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/20 Floors or bottom sub-units sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/2036 the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars B62D21/157 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In a vehicle which comprises an electric motor to drive front wheels and/or rear wheels of the vehicle, a battery to supply an electric power to the electric motor, a dash panel partitioning a vehicle-inside space from a vehicle-front side space located in front of the vehicle-inside space, a floor panel partitioning the vehicle-inside space from a vehicle outside located below the vehicle-inside space, and a tunnel portion provided at the floor panel so as to project upwardly toward an inside of the vehicle-inside space, the battery is arranged so that a front-side part thereof is positioned in front of the dash panel and a rear-side part thereof is positioned inside of the tunnel portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Accordingly, an appropriate weight balance of the vehicle between front wheels and rear wheels of the vehicle can be provided.

Claims

1. A battery arrangement structure of a vehicle, comprising:

an electric motor to drive front wheels of the vehicle;

a battery to supply an electric power to the electric motor;

a dash panel partitioning a vehicle-inside space from a vehicle-front side space located in front of the vehicle-inside space,

a floor panel partitioning the vehicle-inside space from a vehicle outside located below the vehicle-inside space; and

a tunnel portion provided at the floor panel so as to project upwardly toward an inside of the vehicle-inside space, the tunnel portion extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction so as to have a longitudinal substantially-straight center line thereof,

wherein said dash panel is formed to extend substantially upward from a front end portion of said floor panel, said electric motor is arranged in the vehicle-front side space partitioned from the vehicle-inside space by said dash panel, and a drive shaft coupling the electric motor to the front wheels is provided in front of the dash panel,

said battery is arranged at a specified position, in a vehicle width direction, which is located on said longitudinal substantially-straight center line of the tunnel portion, and at least a front-side portion of the battery is arranged in the vehicle-front side space partitioned from the vehicle-inside space by said dash panel so that part of the front-side portion of the battery overlaps with said drive shaft in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

2. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said battery is arranged so that a front-side part thereof is positioned in front of the dash panel and a rear-side part thereof is positioned inside of said tunnel portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

3. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said battery is arranged so that a whole part thereof is positioned in front of the dash panel outside of the tunnel portion.

4. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a front seat and a rear seat which are provided on said floor panel, wherein said tunnel portion extends rearwardly from said dash panel to a specified position beside a lower end of a seatback of said front seat.

5. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said battery is arranged so that a front lower end of the front-side portion thereof is positioned in front of and above said drive shaft.

6. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said battery is mounted on a suspension support member supporting a suspension for a front wheel of the vehicle.

7. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said battery is provided at a vehicle-body member attached to the vehicle so that the battery is movable rearwardly in said tunnel portion in accordance with a rearward collision load acting on the battery in a vehicle frontal collision.

8. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said electric motor is an in-wheel type of motor which is directly connected to the front wheel of the vehicle.

9. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 6, further comprising a pair of front side frames which is provided at both side portions of the vehicle so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein said suspension support member comprises a sub frame connected to said front side frames and a battery support portion provided below said floor panel, and said sub frame and said battery support portion are formed integrally as a unit.

10. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein said battery is mounted on a suspension support member supporting a suspension for a front wheel of the vehicle via a slide-mount mechanism which allows the battery to move rearwardly relative to the suspension support member.

11. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein said battery is arranged to slant so that a rear end thereof is positioned below a front end thereof in a vehicle vertical direction.

12. A battery arrangement structure of a vehicle, comprising:

an electric motor to drive front wheels and/or rear wheels of the vehicle;

a battery to supply an electric power to the electric motor;

a dash panel partitioning a vehicle-inside space from a vehicle-front side space located in front of the vehicle-inside space;

a floor panel partitioning the vehicle-inside space from a vehicle outside located below the vehicle-inside space; and

a tunnel portion provided at the floor panel so as to project upwardly toward an inside of the vehicle-inside space, the tunnel portion extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction so as to have a longitudinal substantially-straight center line thereof,

wherein said battery is arranged at a specified position, in a vehicle width direction, which is located on said longitudinal substantially-straight center line of the tunnel portion, and at least a front-side portion of the battery is positioned in front of said dash panel in the vehicle longitudinal direction,

wherein said electric motor is arranged in front of said dash panel, and at least part of the electric motor overlaps with said battery in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

13. A battery arrangement structure of a vehicle, comprising:

an electric motor to drive front wheels and/or rear wheels of the vehicle;

a battery to supply an electric power to the electric motor;

a dash panel partitioning a vehicle-inside space from a vehicle-front side space located in front of the vehicle-inside space;

a floor panel partitioning the vehicle-inside space from a vehicle outside located below the vehicle-inside space; and

a tunnel portion provided at the floor panel so as to project upwardly toward an inside of the vehicle-inside space, the tunnel portion extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction so as to have a longitudinal substantially-straight center line thereof,

wherein said battery is arranged at a specified position, in a vehicle width direction, which is located on said longitudinal substantially-straight center line of the tunnel portion, and at least a front-side portion of the battery is positioned in front of said dash panel in the vehicle longitudinal direction,

wherein said electric motor is arranged in front of said battery so that at least part of the electric motor overlaps with the battery in an elevation view, and the electric motor is provided at a vehicle-body member attached to the vehicle so that the electric motor is movable rearwardly below the battery when receiving a rearward collision load in a vehicle frontal collision.

14. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 13, wherein said battery is arranged to slant so that a front end thereof is positioned above a rear end thereof in a vehicle vertical direction.

15. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a sub frame provided in front of said dash panel, the sub frame being configured to deform when receiving the rearward collision load in the vehicle frontal collision, wherein said electric motor is mounted on said sub frame so that the electric motor is movable rearwardly below the battery in accordance with deformation of the sub frame.

16. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a drive shaft provided in a space between said electric motor and said battery, which extends in the vehicle width direction and is coupled to drive the front wheel, wherein said electric motor is coupled to said drive shaft via a shaft connection portion and configured to rotate around the drive shaft when receiving the rearward collision load in the vehicle frontal collision so that the electric motor is movable rearwardly below the battery.

17. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 15, wherein said electric motor and said sub frame are connected via a connection portion, and said connection portion comprises a releasing mechanism to release connection between the electric motor and the sub frame when receiving the rearward collision load in the vehicle frontal collision.

18. The battery arrangement structure of a vehicle of claim 16, wherein a restriction portion to restrict a rearward move of said drive shaft to avoid interference of the drive shaft with said battery is provided in back of the drive shaft.