Motor vehicles – Power – Battery mountings and holders
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-03
2003-09-23
Vanaman, Frank Bennett (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Power
Battery mountings and holders
Reexamination Certificate
active
06622809
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a battery fixing (securing) structure of a vehicle for fixing a plurality of batteries on the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recently, environment-conscious electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles have been developed. Such vehicles generally include a power unit connected with a motor along with a transmission, and a plurality of battery units for storing electric power for travel. The motor is driven by the power generated from the battery units to reduce exhaust, which improves the environment.
Referring to
FIGS. 22-24
, when disposing a battery unit
202
in a vehicle, a plurality (e.g., three) of batteries (a first battery
204
-
1
, a second battery
204
-
2
, and a third battery
204
-
3
) are positioned on a battery tray
206
.
Since the batteries
204
-
1
,
204
-
2
,
204
-
3
have different heights (a first height H
1
, a second height H
2
, and a third height H
3
), the batteries
204
are provided with a cushion material
208
which is a buffer material extending over upper parts of the batteries
204
-
1
,
204
-
2
,
204
-
3
, and a band
210
which is a fixing member is disposed over the cushion material
208
.
Both ends of the band
210
are then fixed to tray flanges
214
-
1
,
214
-
2
of the battery tray
206
with clamping bolts
212
-
1
,
212
-
2
so that the batteries
204
-
1
,
204
-
2
,
204
-
3
are clamped and fixed by the band
210
.
The different heights of the batteries
204
-
1
,
204
-
2
,
204
-
3
are then complemented by the bent cushion material
208
.
Such vehicles with a plurality of batteries are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-129276 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-74499. A vehicle with a plurality of batteries disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-129276 includes: a pressing member for pressing the upper part of a battery; a combination stopper fixed to a battery tray in the direction perpendicular to the pressing member; a relay member to combine the combination stopper with the pressing member; and upper and side restricting board portions in the pressing member each opposed to upper and side surfaces so that each battery is arranged closer together in a row with shorter intervals between batteries. A vehicle with a plurality of batteries disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-74499 has a form-variable member which can transform and adhere to the top surfaces of each battery on the battery tray, the form-variable member being attached to a mounting surface for installing a battery tray, thereby enabling a simpler structure for easier manufacture.
Referring to
FIGS. 22-24
, a conventional vehicle with a plurality of batteries (a first battery
204
-
1
, a second battery
204
-
2
, and a third battery
204
-
3
) is designed to overcome varieties of heights H
1
, H
2
, H
3
of respective batteries
204
-
1
,
204
-
2
,
204
-
3
by clamping with clamping bolts
212
-
1
,
212
-
2
while forming spaces S
1
, S
2
.
However, when batteries
204
-
1
,
204
-
2
,
204
-
3
are arranged in such a manner, communication portions
216
-
1
,
216
-
2
at both ends of the band
210
are transformed or deformed (See
FIG. 22
) such that a pressing section
218
of the band
210
can not secure the middle of the second battery
204
-
2
.
The clamping bolts
212
-
1
,
212
-
2
with such a transformed band
210
can not produce the requisite axial-force, thereby loosening the band
210
and clamping bolts
212
-
1
and
212
-
2
which allows movement of the second battery
204
-
2
and further can not secure the whole battery unit.
In order to obviate or at least minimize the above inconveniences, the present invention provides a battery fixing structure of a vehicle having a battery tray mounted therein with a plurality, and in the illustrated embodiment at least three, of batteries disposed on said battery tray, comprising: an upwardly projecting bead section at the bottom of said battery tray between adjacent batteries; a fixing member with an interposed buffer material at the top of said batteries; and a U-shaped bolt engaging with said bead section such that both ends of said fixing member and a portion of said fixing member between said batteries are fixed to said battery tray; wherein a portion of said U-shaped bolt engaging said bead section is disposed within a groove of said bead section.
The present invention provides such a structure wherein the portion of said U-shaped bolt engaging with said bead section is disposed within a groove of said bead section projecting upwardly from the bottom of the battery tray, and said fixing member portion between said batteries is fixed to said battery tray. Accordingly, a shaft portion of the U-shaped bolt engaging with the bead section does not protrude from the battery tray bottom. In addition, loosening of the fixing member does not occur, thereby preventing movement of the middle battery on the battery tray.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4936409 (1990-06-01), Nix et al.
patent: D321856 (1991-11-01), Whitley, II et al.
patent: 5222711 (1993-06-01), Bell
patent: 5585205 (1996-12-01), Kohchi
patent: 5620057 (1997-04-01), Klemen et al.
patent: 6085854 (2000-07-01), Nishikawa
patent: 6230834 (2001-05-01), Van Hout et al.
patent: 645595 (1962-07-01), None
patent: 824443 (1951-12-01), None
patent: 2315390 (1973-10-01), None
patent: 617974 (1927-03-01), None
patent: 306895 (1929-11-01), None
patent: 2015951 (1979-09-01), None
patent: 63-106157 (1988-05-01), None
patent: 40-5-185535 (1993-07-01), None
patent: 10-74499 (1998-03-01), None
patent: 10-129276 (1998-05-01), None
Flynn ,Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
Suzuki Motor Corporation
Vanaman Frank Bennett
LandOfFree
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