Battery pack case assembly for electric and hybrid vehicles using a plastic composite and method for manufacturing the same

• US 8,835,033 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), LG Hausys Limited
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), LG Hausys Limited
• Inventors: Choi, Chi Hoon, Lee, Gun Goo, Choi, Cheol, Kim, Hee June, Kil, Yong Kil, Yoon, Yong Hoon, Park, Tae Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Cano, Milton I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haske, Wojciech
• Application Number:
  US13/553,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• US Class Current: 429/100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/002 Joining methods not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/06 using friction, e.g. spin welding non-plastics elements to plastic elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1412 Infrared [IR] radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/20 with direct contact, e.g. using "mirror"
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12443 having the tongue substantially in the middle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30223 said melt initiators being rib-like
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/322 Providing cavities in the joined article to collect the burr
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/543 joining more than two hollow-preforms to form said hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72141 Fibres of continuous length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72143 Fibres of discontinuous lengths
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/08 comprising combinations of different forms of fibrous reinforcements incorporated in matrix material, forming one or more layers, and with or without non-reinforced layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/20 oriented in a single direction, e.g. roofing or other parallel fibres B29C70/083, B29C70/226 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/006 Producing casings, e.g. accumulator cases
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 : Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/12 : PPO, i.e. polyphenylene oxide; PPE, i.e. polyphenylene ether
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/04 : Polysulfides, e.g. PPS, i.e. polyphenylene sulfide or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2277/10 : Aromatic polyamides [Polyaramides] or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 : Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3055 : Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7146 : Battery-cases
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 : Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 : Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 : Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 : Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/26 : Vehicle weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/32 : Driving direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 : Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 : relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 : Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 : Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 : Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 : Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 : adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• 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 50/271 : Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1089 : of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery pack case assembly for an electric or hybrid vehicle. The battery pack case assembly includes a case body and a cover. The case body receives a battery pack, and the cover is coupled to the case body. The case body is formed of a plastic composite in which a long fiber or a blend of a long fiber and a continuous fiber is used as a reinforcing fiber in a plastic matrix. A separate reinforced member is bonded to both side bracket parts for coupling to a vehicle body, and is formed of a plastic composite in which a long fiber, a continuous, or a blend of a long fiber and a continuous fiber is used as the reinforcing fiber in the plastic matrix.

Claims

1. A battery pack case assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a case body for housing a battery pack;

a cover removably coupled to the case body,

wherein the case body is formed of a plastic composite in which a long fiber or a blend of a long fiber and a continuous fiber is used as a reinforcing fiber in a plastic matrix, and

a first separate reinforced member including at least two brackets each bonded to a side of the case body, the separate reinforced member formed of a plastic composite in which a long fiber, a continuous fiber, or a blend of a long fiber and a continuous fiber is used as the reinforcing fiber in a plastic matrix, and

a second separate reinforced member having a planar shape being disposed at a bottom of the case body connecting the at least two brackets in the first separate reinforced and disposed perpendicularly planar to the bottom of the case body, wherein the second separate reinforced member disposed at the bottom of the case body is formed of a plastic composite comprising a continuous fiber as a reinforcing fiber in a plastic matrix,

wherein the case body is integrally formed with the second separate reinforced member by an extrusion-compression molding apparatus and the bottom of the case body is formed in a single layer structure.

2. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the long fiber of the case body and the long fiber of the first separate reinforced member both have an aspect ratio of about 1,000.

3. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the long fiber of the case body and the long fiber of the first separate reinforced member both have an aspect ratio of about 1,000 to about 10,000.

4. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the plastic matrix of the both the first and second separate reinforced member is selected from the group consisting of:

Polypropylene (PP), Polyamide (PA), Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyphenylene Sulfone (PPS), Polyphenylene Ether (PPE), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), and combinations thereof.

5. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the plastic matrix of the case body is selected from the group consisting of Polypropylene (PP), Polyamide (PA), Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyphenylene Sulfone (PPS), Polyphenylene Ether (PPE), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), and combinations thereof.

6. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the long fiber or continuous fiber of the case body and the long fiber or continuous fiber of the first separate reinforced member are selected from the group consisting of:

glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, volcanic ash fibers, natural fibers, and combinations thereof.

7. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the first separate reinforced member has a bracket type shape with one or more reinforcing ribs, and wherein when the side bracket part of the case body and the reinforced member are coupled to each other a closed-section structural region for absorbing collision energy is formed.

8. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the first separate reinforced member is has a planar shape, and is coupled to the opposing side bracket parts of the case body.

9. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the second separate reinforced member is bonded to a surface of the bottom of the case body, or is disposed within the bottom of the case body.

10. The battery pack case assembly of claim 9, wherein the surface is an upper surface, a lower surface, or both upper and lower surfaces of the bottom.

11. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the continuous fiber of the second separate reinforced member disposed at the bottom of the case body is arranged in one direction in the plastic matrix, or is fixed in a form of a woven fiber in which the continuous fibers cross each other in longitudinal and latitudinal directions.

12. The battery pack case assembly of claim 11, wherein the continuous fiber is longitudinally arranged in one direction in a right and left width direction that is orthogonal to a forward and backward longitudinal direction of the case body.

13. The battery pack case assembly of claim 9, wherein the plastic matrix of the both the first and second separate reinforced member disposed at the bottom of the case body is selected from the group consisting of:

Polypropylene (PP), Polyamide (PA), Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyphenylene Sulfone (PPS), Polyphenylene Ether (PPE), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), and combinations thereof.

14. The battery pack case assembly of claim 1, wherein the continuous fiber of the second separate reinforced member disposed at the bottom of the case body is selected from the group consisting of:

glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, volcanic ash fibers, natural fibers, and combinations thereof.