System for locking / unlocking an object under a structure having a hook for drawing and supporting same

• US 9,662,965 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ampere SAS
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Mulato, Gilles, Escande, Bruno, Poillot, Jacques, Trentin, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Michener, Joshua J
• Assistant Examiner(s): GITLIN, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US14/385,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20150063897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• 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 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• 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: H01M 50/264 for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

A system is provided for locking and/or unlocking an object, such as a power battery of a drive engine of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, under a structure such as a chassis of the vehicle, including a plurality of locks ensuring the attachment of the object under the structure. The locks are secured to the object and/or structure and each include a hook configured for drawing the object to the structure by compressing an elastically deformable member inserted between the object and the structure and for supporting the object relative to the structure at the end of the approximation travel, as well as a transmission device driving the hook during the drawing travel and configured such as to be actuated by an actuation tool that is separate from the structure and the object.

Claims

1. A system for locking and unlocking an object of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle under a structure of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of locks configured to fix the object under the structure, the locks being secured to the structure and each of the locks comprising

a hook configured to draw the object during a drawing travel in a direction of the structure by compressing a resiliently deformable means inserted between the object and the structure and to support the object relative to the structure at an end of the drawing travel, and

a transmission device configured to drive the hook during the drawing travel of the object to the structure and

an actuation tool that is separate from the structure and the object, the actuation tool comprising;

an actuation element that extends out from a first face of the actuation tool to actuate the transmission device to drive the hook of a corresponding lock of the plurality of locks, and

an alignment element that cooperates with a bearing element on the lock.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hook is configured to vary between a locking configuration that supports the object under the structure and an unlocking configuration that releases the object relative to the structure, and the hook is configured to exert a drawing force of the object relative to the structure when passing into the locking configuration so as to implement said drawing over the drawing travel, the drawing force progressively deforming the resiliently deformable means over all or part of the drawing travel and the resiliently deformable means exerting a return force equal to and opposite the drawing force.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each lock comprises a security mechanism varying between a blocking configuration in which passing of the lock from the locking configuration to the unlocking configuration is inhibited and an unblocking configuration in which the passing of the lock from the locking configuration to the unlocking configuration is permitted.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transmission device comprises a worm screw and a pinion engaged with the worm screw, the hook being formed integrally with the pinion.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the worm screw comprises a head accessible from a side opposite the structure, under the lock, by the actuation element.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the security mechanism comprises blocking elements configured so as to prevent an accidental rotation of the worm screw.

7. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the actuation tool further comprises:

an element configured to unblock the security mechanism of the lock.

8. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each lock cooperates with hooking elements secured to the object and configured to cooperate with the hook of the lock in a manner such that the hook applies the drawing force on the hooking elements in the direction of the structure and the support of the object by the hook at the end of the drawing travel.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hooking elements secured to the object is a battery support secured to a drive battery of the vehicle.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises at least three locks, each lock comprising bearing elements to cooperate by contact with bearing elements belonging to the actuation tool so as to level the structure about a longitudinal axis of the structure or about a transverse axis of the structure and to lift the structure along a vertical axis of the structure to an independent height of the structure.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object is a power battery of a drive engine of the electric or hybrid motor vehicle and the structure is a chassis of the vehicle.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an end of the alignment element that cooperates with the bearing element on the lock has a conical shape.

13. A method for mounting or dismounting an object of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle under a structure of the vehicle, comprising:

fixing an object under a structure via a locking and unlocking system comprising a plurality of locks of the object under the structure, the locks being secured to the structure and each of the locks comprising a hook, a resiliently deformable means inserted between the object and the structure, and a transmission device,

wherein the fixing comprises actuating a plurality of actuation tools that are separate from the structure and the object such that each actuation tool includes an actuation element that extends out from a first face of the actuation tool through an opening in the object and actuates the transmission device of a given lock of the system to drive the hook thereof to draw the object during a drawing travel in a direction of the structure by compressing the resiliently deformable means inserted between the object and the structure and then supporting the object relative to the structure at an end of the drawing travel.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of actuation tools includes an alignment element that extends out from the first face of the actuation tool to cooperate with a bearing element on the lock.