Motor vehicles – Power – Battery mountings and holders
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-30
2003-11-18
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Power
Battery mountings and holders
C429S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648090
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for mounting an automotive battery and, more particularly, to a structure for mounting an automotive battery in a rear part of a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automobile such as a compact car, a space in an engine room formed at a front part of a vehicle is usually small. Therefore, in the case of storing a gasoline engine, an electric motor, and accessories of the both in the engine room in order to form such a small car into a hybrid car, a battery as an automotive power source, which is generally disposed in the engine room, is removed to a rear part of the vehicle such as a trunk room thereof. Thereby, a larger space is made in the engine room, so that the degree of freedom for a vehicle design can be increased.
Similarly, even in an electric car based on a conventional vehicle with a gasoline engine mounted thereon, it is convenient to dispose the battery as an
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automotive power source into the rear part of the vehicle, so that the same effect as mentioned above is obtained. Moreover, a large-sized battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor is mounted at a lower part of the vehicle, separately from the battery as an automotive
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power source.
Furthermore, in a front-engine, front-drive type vehicle, there is an example of similarly disposing the battery in the rear part of the vehicle in order to prevent the weight of the vehicle front part from
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increasing as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3058/1988.
As mentioned above, if the battery is mounted at the rear part of the vehicle, the larger space is obtained in the engine room, so that the degree of the freedom for
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arranging the components in the engine room is increased, and also the degree of freedom for designing the whole vehicle is expanded. In addition, a maneuverability of the vehicle can be increased since the weight of the vehicle front part is prevented from increasing.
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Furthermore, since the battery and components for mounting the same are not disposed at the front part of the vehicle, the rigidity of the vehicle front part is prevented to locally increase. Thereby, when an impact load over a predetermined value is applied from a front direction of
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the vehicle to the vehicle itself, a proper crash stroke is obtained, so that a safety can be increased.
However, when the impact load over the predetermined value is applied from a rear direction of the vehicle, a deformation of the vehicle rear part may occur, so that
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there is likelihood that the battery may break or an electrolyte thereof may leak from the broken battery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention which has been made in the light of the foregoing is to provide a structure for installing an automotive battery which would protect the battery installed in a rear part of a vehicle body. The present invention contains the following features which are considered improvements over the prior art.
The invention is a structure for installing an automotive battery in which the batter is mounted on a battery mounting base provided on a floor in a rear part of a vehicle body. A rear suspension cross member extends along the direction of vehicle width beneath the floor, and the battery mounting base is located within an area of the floor corresponding to the location of the rear suspension cross member in plan view.
Generally, the rear suspension cross member is essential in a rear suspension structure and is used for connecting a lateral link of the rear suspension to a vehicle body frame while sustaining mainly horizontal stress and reaction force produced from the road surface or rear suspension during driving. For example, since the rear suspension cross member supports link components which constitute the rear suspension in a front-wheel-drive vehicle, and the rear suspension cross member also retains a differential gear at the same time in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, the rear suspension cross member itself is large-sized and has an extremely high stiffness.
Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention, the area of the floor overlapping with the rear suspension cross member is reinforced by the strong rear suspension cross member and the battery mounting base is installed in the reinforced area of the floor, so that where its rigidity has been ensured, so that deformation of the area of the floor where the battery mounting base for supporting the battery is provided is prevented or significantly reduced even when the rear part of the vehicle body deforms due to an impact load of a specific value or above applied to the vehicle body from behind. As a consequence, deformation of the battery mounting base is prevented and breakage of the battery is avoided.
Furthermore, since the aforementioned area of the floor is strengthened by the existing rear suspension cross member, there is no need for additional stiffening members and it is possible to avoid weight increase and suppress an increase in production cost.
In this invention, the battery mounting base comprises a battery mounting surface on which the battery is mounted. A front surface part extends downward from a front edge of the battery mounting surface with a lower end of the front surface part connected to the floor. A rear surface part extends downward from a rear edge of the battery mounting surface with a lower end of the rear surface part connected to the floor.
According to the invention, the battery mounting base is formed of a simple structure including the battery mounting surface on which the battery is mounted, and the front surface part and the rear surface part extending downward from the front and rear edges of the battery mounting surface, respectively.
In the invention, the front surface part has a first physically weak portion formed in the front surface part.
According to the, the first physically weal portion is formed in the front surface part of the battery mounting base. Therefore, when members of the vehicle body, such as a rear skirt, come into contact with the battery due to an impact load exerted from behind the vehicle body, the first physically weak portion formed on the front surface part collapses and deforms, causing the batter to topple toward the front of the vehicle body thereby alleviating the impact on the battery as well as avoiding or significantly reducing the instances of damage to the battery.
In the invention, there is provided a second physically weak portion in an area of the battery mounting surface on the rear of its center in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
According to the invention, there is provided the second physically weak portion in a rear part of the battery mounting surface in addition to the first physically weak portion. Therefore, when members of the vehicle body, such as the rear skirt, come into contact with the battery, not only the first physically weak portion but also the second physically weak portion deforms so that the rear part of the battery mounting surface is lifted upward and the battery is caused to topple frontward in a more reliable fashion thereby resulting in alleviating the impact on the battery as well as avoiding or significantly reducing the instances of damage to the battery.
In the invention, the rear surface part extends obliquely upward toward the front of the vehicle body.
According to the invention, when a turning force is exerted on the rear suspension cross member forcing its front portion upward due to an impact load applied from behind the vehicle body, the rear edge of the battery mounting surface is supported by the inclined rear surface part. The first physically weak portion collapses and deforms due to the impact. Consequently, the battery mounted on the battery mounting surface is kept from turning over rearward and held in a stable position, so that the chance of the battery breaking is prevented or reduced.
In a structure for installing an automotive battery in which the batt
Fischmann Bryan
Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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