Battery pack holding apparatus

• US 9,145,045 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Chang, Jung Moon
• Primary Examiner(s): Follman, Brodie
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASSIDY, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US14/291,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20150114733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 312/333, 312/334.44, 312/334.45, 312/334.46, 312/334.37, 312/215, 312/216, 312/217, 312/218, 312/219, 312/221
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2001/0455 Removal or replacement of the energy storages
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0494 with arrangements for sliding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery pack holding apparatus is disclosed that includes a high-voltage battery pack for a vehicle that has a protrusion at the front end, and a battery pack holder that is installed within a vehicle body and has a front end opening into which the high-voltage battery pack slides into. In addition, a fixed rail is disposed at a front end of the battery pack holder and a moving portion which slides in a width direction of the battery pack holder and along the fixed rail and has a contact portion that comes into contact with the protrusion of the high-voltage battery pack when the high-voltage battery pack slides when the high-voltage battery pack is in the battery pack holder. Further, an elastic portion is disposed in the moving portion to press the contact portion toward the protrusion.

Claims

1. A battery pack holding apparatus, comprising:

a high-voltage battery pack for a vehicle, wherein the high-voltage battery pack has a protrusion that protrudes from a front end of the battery pack;

a battery pack holder installed within a vehicle body and having a front end opening into which the high-voltage battery pack is placed;

a fixed rail installed at a front end of the battery pack holder and extending in a width direction of the front end;

a moving portion installed to slide along the fixed rail in a width direction of the battery pack holder, wherein the moving portion has a contact portion which comes into contact with the protrusion of the high-voltage battery pack when the high-voltage battery pack is forced to slide further when the high-voltage battery pack is inserted in the battery pack holder;

an elastic portion disposed in the moving portion to press the contact portion toward the protrusion; and

a plurality of side panels, each extending along a longitudinal direction of the fixed rail and disposed at respective sides of the fixed rail in a width direction of the fixed rail,

wherein each side panel includes an aperture to enable an end portion of the protrusion to be positioned in the fixed rail; and

wherein a first end of the moving portion includes a moving roller that comes into contact with one of the side panels disposed at the sides of the fixed rail, respectively.

2. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of upper rails extending in a longitudinal direction of the battery pack are disposed under the battery pack; and

a pair of lower rails to be engaged with the upper rails are disposed in the battery pack holder.

3. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a sloped portion having a downward slope from an upper end of the upper rail, and disposed adjacent to an outside wall of the upper rail and extends along a longitudinal direction of the upper rail, in which a lower end of the sloped portion is bent toward the high-voltage battery pack.

4. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a side roller installed in the battery pack holder to come into contact with the bent lower end of the sloped portion; and

a side elastic portion that presses the side roller toward the bent lower end of the sloped portion.

5. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed rail is installed at a lower portion among portions of the front end of the battery pack holder.

6. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is disposed at a second end of the moving portion and has a sloped shape to cause the contact portion to gradually approach the protrusion as the moving portion slides toward the protrusion.

7. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a roller.

8. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first end of the elastic portion is supported by the first end of the moving roller and a second end of the elastic portion comes into contact with the second end of the moving portion to press the contact portion toward the protrusion.

9. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of driving units disposed at respective ends of the fixed rail in the longitudinal direction of the fixed rail and connected to respective ends of the moving portion in the longitudinal direction of the moving portion to cause the moving portion to slide along the fixed rail.

10. The battery pack holding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each driving unit includes a piston and a cylinder and is configured to move the piston with air pressure or oil pressure to move the moving portion.

11. A battery pack holding apparatus, comprising:

a high-voltage battery pack for a vehicle, wherein the high-voltage battery pack has a protrusion that protrudes from a front end of the battery pack;

a battery pack holder installed within a vehicle body and having a front end opening into which the high-voltage battery pack is placed;

a fixed rail installed at a front end of the battery pack holder and extending in a width direction of the front end;

a moving portion installed to slide along the fixed rail in a width direction of the battery pack holder, wherein the moving portion has a contact portion which comes into contact with the protrusion of the high-voltage battery pack when the high-voltage battery pack is forced to slide further when the high-voltage battery pack is inserted in the battery pack holder; and

an elastic portion disposed in the moving portion to press the contact portion toward the protrusion;

wherein the protrusion is a roller.

12. A battery pack holding apparatus, comprising:

a high-voltage battery pack for a vehicle, wherein the high-voltage battery pack has a protrusion that protrudes from a front end of the battery pack;

a battery pack holder installed within a vehicle body and having a front end opening into which the high-voltage battery pack is placed;

a fixed rail installed at a front end of the battery pack holder and extending in a width direction of the front end;

a moving portion installed to slide along the fixed rail in a width direction of the battery pack holder, wherein the moving portion has a contact portion which comes into contact with the protrusion of the high-voltage battery pack when the high-voltage battery pack is forced to slide further when the high-voltage battery pack is inserted in the battery pack holder;

an elastic portion disposed in the moving portion to press the contact portion toward the protrusion; and

a plurality of driving units disposed at respective ends of the fixed rail in the longitudinal direction of the fixed rail and connected to respective ends of the moving portion in the longitudinal direction of the moving portion to cause the moving portion to slide along the fixed rail,

wherein each driving unit includes a piston and a cylinder and is configured to move the piston with air pressure or oil pressure to move the moving portion.