Device for removably attaching a battery of a motor vehicle

• US 9,290,088 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2010
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Lejeune, Francois-Xavier, Thevenart, Joel, Richez, Emmanuel, Turpin, Mickael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebner, Katy M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frick, Emma K
• Application Number:
  US13/516,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20120255800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,944 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.27, 180/68.5, 180/2.1, 320/109, 320/107, 411/999, 411/552, 411/105, 411/349, 411/347, 411/350
• 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: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2005/0671 with unlocking by rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/02 Releasable fastening devices locking by rotation with snap-action F16B21/06; studs or coupling pins with resilient protrusions F16B21/08
• 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 50/262 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A device for removably attaching a battery of a motor vehicle, including an upper portion including a mechanism for attaching onto a motor vehicle, and a lower portion including a mechanism for connecting to the battery, and including a latch linked with a rotational axis and linked to a piston on which a resilient mechanism acts, so as to enable the two upper and lower portions to be locked together and unlocked from each other by a translation and rotation of the latch.

Claims

1. A device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery, comprising:

an upper part comprising a means of attachment to a motor vehicle;

a lower part disconnectable from the upper part, the lower part comprising a top portion, a hollow housing extending downward from the top portion, and a flat portion extending radially outward from the hollow housing, the top portion having an upper face that directly contacts the upper part when the upper part and lower part are locked together and is separated from the upper part when the upper part and lower part are unlocked, and the flat portion includes a flat surface on which the battery can rest vertically, the lower part being positioned entirely below the upper part when the upper part and lower part are locked together; and

a lock connected to a rotation spindle, the rotation spindle being connected to a piston on which there acts an elastic means, the elastic means being positioned below and in contact with a lower face of the top portion of the lower part, so as to allow the upper and lower parts to be locked together and unlocked from one another by a translational and a rotational movement of the lock, wherein

the top portion of the lower part is positioned entirely above the flat portion of the lower part, and

the elastic means is positioned within the hollow housing and entirely above the flat portion when the upper and lower parts are locked together.

2. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic means comprises at least one spring, or at least one spring comprising spring washers of Belleville type.

3. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation spindle is substantially vertical and the piston is capable of a translational movement substantially parallel to the rotation spindle.

4. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one attachment element for a tool capable of reacting load when the device is operated using this tool, the attachment element extending from the lower part of the device.

5. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper part comprises a substantially flat lower surface comprising an opening onto a hollow volume forming a lock receptacle.

6. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 5, wherein the hollow housing of the lower part comprises a volume in which the rotation spindle is mounted with ability to rotate, within which the piston is located, within which is located the elastic means connected to the piston so as to exert a force that opposes upward movement of the piston.

7. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 6, wherein the top portion of the lower part comprises an opening through which the rotation spindle passes, the lock being situated above the opening in the top portion of the lower part.

8. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic means applies a tension greater than or equal to 8000 N on the lock and/or the coefficient of friction between the lock and a part in contact with the lock in the locked configuration is greater than or equal to 0.15.

9. A motor vehicle comprising:

a power supply battery; and

at least one device as claimed in claim 1 for removably attaching its battery.

10. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat surface is spaced apart from the upper part.

11. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first end of the elastic means contacts the lower face of the top portion of the lower part and a second end of the elastic means, which is opposite to the first end, contacts a top face of the piston.

12. The device for removably attaching a motor vehicle battery as claimed in claim 11, wherein the piston is positioned within the hollow housing and entirely below the elastic means when the upper and lower parts are locked together.