Vehicle battery mounting structure

• US 9,038,757 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogushi, Hisaya, Terao, Yoshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US14/361,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20140326524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/68.5
• 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 2001/0422 Arrangement under the front seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/04 Arrangement of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle battery mounting structure having a service hole cover that closes a service hole the service hole cover includes a rear cover that covers a rear end side of the service hole in a vehicle longitudinal direction and a front cover that covers a front end side of the service hole in the vehicle longitudinal direction. That is, the service hole cover is split into the rear cover and the front cover in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The front cover is detachably attached to a floor upper reinforcement provided on a floor panel by bolts.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery mounting structure comprising:

a vehicle floor that supports a vehicle seat such that the vehicle seat is slidable in a vehicle longitudinal direction and in which a service hole is formed at a portion over which a seat cushion of the vehicle seat is located when the vehicle seat is located at a center in a sliding direction;

a battery unit that is arranged below the vehicle floor in a vehicle vertical direction and that has an operating portion protruding toward the service hole; and

a service hole cover that closes the service hole, and that includes a first cover that is provided on an upper face of the vehicle floor and that covers one end side of the service hole in the vehicle longitudinal direction and a second cover that is detachably attached to the upper face of the vehicle floor and that covers the other end side of the service hole in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

2. The vehicle battery mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein

the service hole cover includes an insertion portion that is provided at one of the first cover and the second cover and a connecting portion that is provided at the other one of the first cover and the second cover, that is inserted in the insertion portion removably in the vehicle longitudinal direction and that connects the first cover to the second cover.

3. The vehicle battery mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein

the insertion portion has an insertion port to which the connecting portion is inserted, and

the one of the first cover and the second cover, having the insertion portion, has a guide portion that guides the connecting portion to the insertion port.

4. The vehicle battery mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein

the operating portion is arranged above the vehicle floor through the service hole in a vehicle vertical direction.

5. The vehicle battery mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein

the battery unit includes a battery module that stores electric power and a battery case that accommodates the battery module and in which the operating portion is provided at a top wall portion of the battery case, and

a seal member that closes a gap between the vehicle floor and the top wall portion of the battery case is provided in the gap so as to surround the service hole.

6. The vehicle battery mounting structure according to claim 5, wherein

the battery unit is arranged below the vehicle floor in the vehicle vertical direction, the operating portion is arranged above the vehicle floor in the vehicle vertical direction through the service hole, and the seal member is arranged below the service hole in the vehicle vertical direction.

7. The vehicle battery mounting structure according to claim 5, wherein

the top wall portion of the battery case has a base portion that protrudes above the vehicle floor in the vehicle vertical direction with respect to the vehicle floor through the service hole and that supports the operating portion, and

the seal member is arranged radially outward of the base portion so as to be spaced apart from the base portion.

8. The vehicle battery mounting structure according to claim 5, wherein

the seal member extends from the top wall portion of the battery case toward the vehicle floor and is curved such that a distal end portion of the seal member in a direction in which the seal member extends is oriented toward a side opposite to the service hole.