Battery pack mounting structure for electric vehicle

• US 8,763,743 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nitawaki, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US13/902,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20130319780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/65.1, 903/903, 903/907
• 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 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

There is provided a battery pack mounting structure for an electric vehicle. A battery pack is mounted in a space behind a rear seat of the electric vehicle. Battery modules are accommodated in the battery back are in a stacked state in a height direction of the electric vehicle. A floor panel behind the rear seat is formed with an opening into which an upper part of the battery pack is inserted. When seen from a side of the electric vehicle, a dimension of one battery module disposed at a position protruding upwards from the opening, is smaller in the longitudinal direction than that of another battery module disposed below the one battery module, and a front end portion of the one battery module is offset towards a rear side of the electric vehicle relative to that of the another battery module.

Claims

1. A battery pack mounting structure for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a battery pack mounted in a space behind a rear seat of the electric vehicle;

a plurality of battery modules accommodated in the battery pack in a stacked state in an height direction of the electric vehicle; and

a plurality of batteries arranged in a longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle in each of the plurality of battery modules,

wherein a floor panel behind the rear seat is formed with an opening into which an upper part of the battery pack is inserted, and

wherein when the battery pack is seen from a side of the electric vehicle, a dimension of one of the battery modules, which is disposed at a position protruding upwards from the opening, is smaller in the longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle than a dimension of another of the battery modules, which is disposed below the one of the battery modules, and a front end portion of the one of the battery modules is offset towards a rear side of the electric vehicle relative to a front end portion of the another of the battery modules.

2. The battery pack mounting structure for the electric vehicle, according to claim 1,

wherein the rear seat is provided with a seatback configured to be folded towards a front side of the electric vehicle, and

wherein a front wall part of the battery pack is formed with a recess portion along a movement path in which a lower edge portion of the seatback moves when folding the seatback.

3. The battery pack mounting structure for the electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein a pedestal-shaped cover panel is attached to the opening so that the pedestal-shaped cover panel projects towards a vehicle interior beyond the floor panel, and

wherein the upper part of the battery pack is disposed in the cover panel.