Battery cooling fan mounting

• US 9,837,690 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Janarthanam, Suriyaprakash A., Kimoto, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): JELSMA, JONATHAN G
• Application Number:
  US13/955,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20150037629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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 vehicle having: vehicle structure including a pair of opposed sides and a rear, with a floor extending horizontally between the sides and rear; a battery-pack mounted above the floor; a fan assembly having a housing with a motor mounted therein directly behind the battery-pack, with the housing including a pair of flanges having U-slots with slot openings facing downward; and fasteners extending horizontally through the U-slots and secured to the battery-pack.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

vehicle structure including a pair of opposed sides and a rear, with a floor extending horizontally between the sides and rear;

a battery-pack mounted above the floor;

a fan assembly having a housing with a motor mounted therein directly behind the battery-pack, the housing including a pair of flanges having U-slots with slot openings facing downward;

fasteners extending horizontally through the U-slots and secured to the battery-pack.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a support arm extending downward to the floor, with a hole through the support arm, and a fastener extending through the hole and secured to the floor.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the hole through the support arm is circular, and wherein the housing is pivotable about the circular hole in a vehicle rear impact event.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the housing of the fan assembly includes a pair of ducts in fluid communication with the battery-pack.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the housing of the fan assembly includes an outlet duct in fluid communication with the vehicle rearward of the fan assembly.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the housing of the fan assembly includes an outlet duct in fluid communication with the vehicle rearward of the fan assembly.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the housing of the fan assembly is formed of plastic.

8. A vehicle comprising:

vehicle structure including a pair of opposed sides and a rear, with a floor extending horizontally between the sides and rear;

a passenger compartment having rear seats mounted therein;

a battery-pack mounted above the floor behind the rear seats, the battery-pack including a housing in fluid communication with the passenger compartment;

a fan assembly having a housing with a motor mounted therein directly behind the battery-pack, the housing including a pair of flanges having U-slots with slot openings facing downward; and

fasteners extending horizontally through the U-slots and secured to the housing of the battery-pack.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the housing of the fan assemblies includes a support arm extending downward to the floor, with a hole through the support arm, and a fastener extending through the hole and secured to the floor.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the hole through the support arm is circular, and wherein the housing is pivotable about the circular hole in a vehicle rear impact event.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the housing of the fan assembly includes a pair of ducts in fluid communication with the housing of the battery-pack.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the housing of the fan assembly includes an outlet duct in fluid communication with the vehicle rearward of the fan assembly.

13. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the housing of the fan assembly is formed of plastic.