Vehicle battery tray having tub-based component

Abstract

A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments. A support structure of the battery tray may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to vehicle battery support trays and structures, and more particularly to structural components and protective enclosures for concealing and protecting vehicle electronic components and batteries, such as battery packs or modules or the like for electric and hybrid electric vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles are typically designed to locate and package battery modules on the vehicle in a manner that protects the batteries from damage when driving in various climates and environments, and also that protects the batteries from different types of impacts. It is also fairly common for vehicle frames to locate batteries in a portion of the frame or sub-structure of the vehicle, such as between the axles and near the floor of the vehicle, which can distribute the weight of the batteries across the vehicle frame and establish a low center of gravity for the vehicle.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a battery tray for an electric vehicle, such as an all-electric or hybrid electric vehicle, where the battery tray has a tub component that may provide a perimeter wall around a battery containment area of the battery tray. The tub component may be formed or molded to provide an interior surface of the battery containment area that is sealed and resistant to leaks or penetration of gases or liquids, so to protect the batteries or battery modules contained in the battery tray. To support the weight of the batteries or battery modules and to provide structure configured for impact energy management, among other functions, the tub component may further include a separate support structure and may also or alternatively include integral structural features that are formed as a single piece with the tub component. Such integral structural features of the tub component may reduce the number of overall components used to make the battery tray and the associated connection and attachment points of such additional components that can be a risk of potential leaks or penetrations.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. A support structure may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component. Also, the tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may also include a plurality of cross member portions that each integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to sub-divide the battery containment area into separate battery compartments. At least one of the cross member portions of the tub component may include a forward wall section and a rearward wall section, which each provide an interior surface of adjacent compartments of the battery containment area.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and opposing sides of the perimeter wall portion. The battery tray may also include a support structure that has an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component. Further, the perimeter wall portion of the tub component have a flange that protrudes outward at the opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion. A cover may attach at the flange of the tub component to enclose an upper opening of the battery containment area.

The battery tray of the present disclosure may provide a tub component that lines at least a portion of the interior of a battery containment area for protecting battery modules held in the battery tray. Such a tub component may provide structural support the battery tray, such that a support structure or frame may be undersize or lightened or eliminated to allow the tub component to provide a portion or fraction of the overall desired load support capability of the battery tray. The containment area of the battery tray may also be sealed with a cover around an upper edge of the tub component to enclose the battery modules in the battery tray, such as with a cover that attaches at an upper portion or flange of the tub component.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features of the present disclosure will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a battery tray at a mounting location on a vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of a battery tray having a cover exploded away to show battery modules in the battery containment area of the battery tray;

FIG. 3 is an exploded, upper perspective view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 2, showing the battery modules exploded from the tub component of the battery tray;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional, upper perspective view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 2 with the cross section taken centrally along a length of the battery tray;

FIG. 4A is an exploded, lower perspective view of the section of the battery tray shown in FIG. 4, showing the tub component exploded away from the support structure;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5A is a top view of a portion the battery tray shown in FIG. 5, taken at the area marked as VA in FIG. 5;

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 5 with the cross section taken at line VB-VB shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 5 with the cross section taken at line VC-VC shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is an upper perspective view of an additional embodiment of a battery tray having a cover exploded away to show the battery modules in the battery containment area;

FIG. 7 is an upper perspective view of yet an additional embodiment of a battery tray having a cover removed to show the battery modules in the battery containment area;

FIG. 8 is an exploded, cross-sectional, upper perspective view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 6 with the cross section taken centrally along a length of the battery tray;

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional, upper perspective view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 8, showing some of the battery modules removed from the tub component of the battery tray;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of a rearward end portion of the battery tray shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is an exploded, cross-sectional, upper perspective view of an additional embodiment of a battery tray, showing the cross section taken centrally along a length of the battery tray;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of a rearward end portion of the battery tray shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a top view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 11 having the cover removed;

FIG. 14 is a top view of a corner portion of an additional embodiment of a battery tray having the cover removed;

FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional, upper perspective view of the portion of the battery tray shown in FIG. 14, showing an internal cross member of the battery tray in dashed lines;

FIG. 15 is a top view of a corner portion of an additional embodiment of a battery tray having the cover partially cut away;

FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional, upper perspective view of the portion of the battery tray shown in FIG. 15, showing a cover engaged over a tub component;

FIG. 15B is a top view of a portion of the tub component of FIG. 15 shown outside the battery tray and having a notch that allows for fitting the corner portion shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 16 is a top view of an additional embodiment of a battery tray showing an outline of a vehicle in dashed lines and the battery tray engaged at the rocker rails of the vehicle;

FIG. 17 is an upper perspective view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a top view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional, lower perspective view of the battery tray shown in FIG. 18, taken at line XIX-XIX shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an upper perspective view of the section of the battery tray shown in FIG. 19, taken from an outer side of the battery tray;

FIG. 21 is an exploded, upper perspective view of the section of the battery tray shown in FIG. 20, taken from the outer side of the battery tray;

FIG. 22 is an exploded, upper perspective view of the section of the battery tray shown in FIG. 19, taken from an inner side of the illustrated section of the battery tray;

FIG. 23 is an elevation view of the section of the battery tray shown in FIG. 19, taken from the inner side of the illustrated section of the battery tray;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of a portion the battery tray shown in FIG. 23, taken at the area marked as XXIV in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the cross section of the battery tray shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 26 is an exploded view of the section of the battery tray shown in FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is an upper perspective view of the exploded view of the section of the battery tray shown in FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is an exploded, upper perspective view of the section of the tub component and support structure shown in FIG. 19, taken from an inner side of the illustrated section of the battery tray;

FIG. 29 is an elevation view of the section of the tub component and support structure shown in FIG. 19, taken from an inner side of the illustrated section of the battery tray; and

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional, upper perspective view of an additional embodiment of a battery tray, showing the cross section taken centrally along a length of the battery tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a vehicle battery tray 10 may be provided for supporting and protecting batteries, such as battery packs or modules or the like, for an electric vehicle 12, such as shown in FIG. 1. The electric vehicle may be an all-electric or a hybrid electric vehicle or vehicle that is otherwise propelled or operated using stored electricity. The battery tray 10 for housing the batteries may be attached or mounted at or near the lower frame or rocker rails of the vehicle 12, so as to locate the contained batteries or battery modules 14 (FIG. 3) generally in a central location on the vehicle 12, away from probable impact locations and also in a location that evenly distributes the weight of the batteries 14 and provides the vehicle with a relatively low center of gravity. The battery tray 10 may span below the occupant compartment at a lower portion of the vehicle 12, such as shown in FIG. 1 with a generally thin profile, so as to accommodate various vehicle body types and designs. The profile or thickness of the battery tray 10 may be defined between the upper surface 16 and the lower surface 18 of the battery tray 10. It is contemplated that the battery tray 10 may be disengaged or detached from the lower portion of the vehicle 12, such as for replacing or performing maintenance on the battery modules 14 or related electrical components.

A battery tray may have various exterior dimensional requirements to accommodate a vehicle platform or frame design, such that it may be desirable to maximize the usable volume of the battery containment area within the battery tray, while cost effectively maintaining the desired impact protection and resistance to water, gases, and debris penetrating into the sealed environment around the battery modules. The battery tray 10 of the present disclosure may provide a tub component 20, such as shown in FIG. 2, which may line or otherwise define at least a portion of the interior surface or structure of the battery containment area 22 that is occupied by the battery modules 14 and other conceivable items or components, such as electrical cables, coolant lines, cold plates, other battery cooling components, fire suppression system components, or the like. The battery tray 10 may also include a support structure 24 that is coupled at and supporting the tub component 20, such as a beam or member of a support structure 24 being attached at an exterior portion of a tub component 20. The tub component 20 may also provide structural support to the battery tray 10, such that a support structure 24 or frame may be undersize, lightened, or partially or completely eliminated to allow the tub component to provide a portion or fraction of the overall desired load support capability of the battery tray 10. The tub component 20 of the battery tray 10 may also be sealed with a cover 26 around an upper edge of the tub component 20 to at least partially enclose the battery modules 14 in the battery tray 10, as further described below.

The tub component 20 of the battery tray 10, such as shown in FIGS. 2-5, may include a floor portion 28 and a perimeter wall portion 30 that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge 32 of the floor portion 28 to border the battery containment area 22. The floor portion 28 and the perimeter wall portion 30 may together form a solid and uninterrupted interior surface. The floor portion 28 and the perimeter wall portion 30 may each include sections that are substantially planar, such as the planar panel section 28a of the floor portion 28 and the planar longitudinal sections 30a of perimeter wall portion 30 shown in FIG. 3. Such planar sections may be generally perpendicular relative to each other, such that the angular transition between the floor portion 28 and the perimeter wall portion 30 may be generally ninety degrees, such as with a sharp corner angle or a curved corner transition 34 as shown in FIG. 5C. It is understood that the shape of the floor and peripheral wall portions and angle of the transition from a floor portion to a perimeter wall portion may vary in additional embodiments of the battery tray, such as depending on the battery tray design and capacity. The tub component 20 may be formed with various materials, such as the floor portion 28 and the perimeter wall portion 30 of the tub component being a single integral piece formed from a sheet of the group consisting of a sheet molding compound, an aluminum alloy, and a steel alloy.

Referring again to the structural support of the battery tray 10, the tub component 20 may include integral structural features that are formed as a single piece with the tub component, such as to support the weight of the batteries or battery modules and to provide structure configured for impact energy management, among other functions. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the tub component 20 includes cross member portions 36 that each integrally interconnecting with the floor portion 28 and opposing sides of the perimeter wall portion 30. The cross member portions 36 may span laterally across the battery containment area 22 to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments, such as shown in FIG. 3. The tub component 20 may thus be configured to direct load paths along the cross member portions 30 for transferring lateral impact forces through the battery containment area 22, while generally limiting disruption to the battery modules 14 or other electronic equipment supported therein. The cross member portions 36 of the tub component 20 may each extend laterally in parallel alignment with each other and at a longitudinal spacing from each other that is configured or sized for the defined compartment to contain at least one battery module 14. It is also contemplated that in additional embodiments of the battery tray that the cross member portions of the tub component may have various alternative shapers or configurations, such as extending through the battery containment area in a longitudinal or diagonal orientation relative to the battery tray and vehicle or being separated at a differently configured spacing.

The interior surface of the tub component 20 may provide or otherwise define lower and side interior surfaces of the battery containment area 22. Also, the cross member portions 36 may continuously extend upward from the floor portion 28, such that the interior surface of the separate compartments of the tub component 20 may have generally solid and uninterrupted interior surfaces for having a sealed interior volume of the batter containment area 22. As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the cross member portions 36 of the tub component 20 may also include a forward wall 38 and a rearward wall 40 that each provide an interior surface of adjacent compartments of the battery containment area 22. The forward and rearward wall sections 38, 40 may integrally interconnect with the floor portion 28 and wall portion 30 to form a solid and uninterrupted interior surface. Thus, the forward and rearward wall sections 38, 40 may sub-divide the battery containment area 22 into the separate compartments or chambers to provide longitudinal separation between battery modules, such as to prevent cross-contamination of the battery modules and to insulate the batter modules form each other.

Moreover, the cross member portions 36 may include stiffening features 42 that integrally interconnect between the forward and rearward wall sections 38, 40, such as shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A. Such stiffening features 42 may integrally extend upward from the floor portion 28 of the tub component 20, such that the floor portion 28 of the tub component 20 may extend between the forward and rearward wall sections 38, 40 of the cross member portions 36. Also, the stiffening features 42, such as shown in FIG. 4, may integrally extend upward in a continuous manner along a height of the forward and rearward wall sections 38, 40. The stiffening features 42, such as those shown in FIG. 5, may include an x-shape when viewed from above, such that the stiffening features 42 may extend diagonally between the forward and rearward wall sections 38, 40. However, it is also contemplated that the stiffening features in additional embodiments may include additional or alternative shapes and configurations to provide the desired mass and support along the cross member sections. Also, additional embodiments of the tub component may include at least one cross member portion that integrally interconnects with and extends upward form the floor portion, yet lack a section of the floor portion between the forward and rearward wall sections of the respective cross member portion.

The tub component may also include other integral features in addition to or in the alternative to integral structural features, such as battery supports, cold plate supports, and other conceivable integral features that can be used to support or secure the battery modules or other related components in the battery tray. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tub component 20 includes integral battery supports comprising support posts 44 that integrally extend upward from the floor portion 24 of the tub component 20 adjacent to and generally parallel with the cross member portions 30. The battery supports 38 may elevate the lower surface of the battery modules 14 away from the floor portion 24 of the tub component for air circulation and to provide an intrusion distance that prevents damage to the battery modules 14 from impacts to the bottom or lower surface of the battery tray 10. The battery supports 38 may also have a height that is configured to support a cold plate or cooling element 47, such as a thermoelectric component or a liquid cooled component, against or in thermal engagement with the lower surface of the battery module 14, such as shown in FIG. 8. The battery supports in additional embodiments may have various structural designs to support the battery modules or other items. Again, the tub component 20 may be formed with various materials, whereby the floor portion 28, the perimeter wall portion 30, the cross member portions 36, the support posts 44, and other features may be formed as a single integral piece from a sheet molding compound or like composite materials. With the sheet molding compound, a resin and composite material may be pressed into a die to form the desired features of the tub component, such that the integral structural features of the tub component may be formed in the direction of the press, such as in the vertical direction. It is also contemplated that the tub component may include carbon fibers, such as at a lower layer of the of the tub insert to provide additional stiffness and intrusion resistance. Moreover, additional embodiments of the tub component may include a polymeric material, such as an injection molded plastic, or stamped or formed metal.

The battery modules 14 mounted in the battery tray 10 may have various configurations and designs. As shown in FIG. 3, the battery module 14 may retain a series of battery cells or plates or pouches 54 by securing the cells or pouches 54 between end castings 56, where a rod 58 may extend generally horizontally between the end castings 56 of each battery module 14 and through the associated cells or pouches 54. Thus, the rods 58 may be fastened at the end castings 56 to retain the cells or plates or pouches 54 together with the end castings 56 of the respective battery module 14. The illustrated battery modules 14 each include two rods 58 extending through an upper corner portion of the end castings 56 in general alignment with the lateral span of the cross member portions 36. Further, the end castings 56 may be secured to the tub component 20 with fasteners 57 that extend vertically to engage coaxially within the support posts 44, such as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5B. The battery compartments separated by the cross member portions 36 of the tub component 20 may each contain two battery modules of generally equal capacity, such as shown in FIG. 5. However, more or fewer battery modules may be provided in the battery containment area of the tub, such as more or fewer modules in each compartment of the tub component. It is also contemplated that an alternative arrangement and nesting configuration may be provided for the battery modules.

With further reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the perimeter wall portion 30 of the tub component 20 may include a flange 46 that protrudes outward away from the battery containment area 22 at the opposing sides of the perimeter wall portion 30. Thus, at the opposing sides of the perimeter wall portion 30 of the tub component 20, the flange 46 may engage an upper surface of a longitudinal portion of a support structure 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the flange 46 protrudes outward at the upper edge of the perimeter wall portion 30 and extends around the entire perimeter of the tub component 20. However, it is contemplated that the flange in additional embodiments may protrude from an alternative vertical location at the perimeter wall and may be provided at a select portion or portions of the perimeter wall portion so as to provide the desired engagement with the support structure. The flange 46 may be used to provide a consistent upper surface for a cover 26 to attach over the battery containment area 22 of the tub component. As shown in FIG. 5C, the flange 46 of the tub component 20 may include a sealing element, such as a channel or a protrusion 48, disposed around the upper surface of the flange 46 to mate with a complementary portion of the cover 26, such as a complementary sealing channel or protrusion. Also, the sealing element may include a gasket, a sealing adhesive, or like seal to provide a generally sealed cover connection that prevents gases, liquids, and debris from entering or exiting the battery containment area through an upper opening of tub component.

The cover 26 may seal and enclose at least a portion of the battery containment area provided in the tub component. As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 26 include a panel with a stiffening channels 27 that extend longitudinally along the cover 26. It is also conceivable that the cover 26 may be separate panel sections that are adapted for the respective battery tray, such as with raised or recessed areas that respectively increase or decrease the effective container volume of the battery tray 10. The cover 26 may be attached over the tub component in a manner that is relatively easy to remove and that maintains the sealed battery containment area, such as via bolts or screws or other removable fasteners that may compress a gasket or other sealing member between the cover 26 and the top surface of the peripheral wall portions of the tub component 20. This allows the cover 26 to be removable for accesses the battery modules 14 or other electric components housed in the battery containment area 22 for replacement, maintenance, or inspection or the like. It is also conceivable that the cover in additional embodiments may alternatively have at least a section that is an integral portion of the floor of the vehicle occupant cabin, such that the cover panel may be secured to the upper opening of the battery tray simultaneously with attaching it to the vehicle.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4A, the battery tray 10 may have a support frame or structure 24 that is attached at an exterior portion of a tub component 20, such as to supplement or compliment the structure of the tub component 20. The support structure 24 may include an elongated member, such as a longitudinal section or member 50, such as shown in FIG. 2, which is coupled at an exterior side of each of the longitudinal sections 30a of the perimeter wall portion 30 of the tub component 20. The support structure 24 may also or alternatively include one or more laterally oriented reinforcement structures, such as a lateral section or member 52, such as shown in FIG. 3. The lateral members 52 may attached at an end portion of the longitudinal members 50, such as to form a generally rectangular frame as shown in FIG. 3, which is sized to engage or attach at the front and rear ends of the perimeter wall portion 30 of the tub component 20. As further shown in FIG. 3, the longitudinal and lateral members 50, 52 of the support structure 24 may be separate members or beams that may be attached together or are separately attached to the vehicle frame. It is also contemplated that the support structure 24 may include one or more integral pieces, such as a single beam wrapped around the tub component, such as shown in FIG. 6.

The illustrated support structure 24 shown in FIGS. 2-5 may be provided as a rigid metal or composite structure, such as with elongated beams that are attached together via welding, adhesive, fasteners, and/or other attachment means. The longitudinal and lateral members 50, 52 shown in FIGS. 2-5 are separate metal beams that are attached at ends thereof to form a generally rectangular frame. The members or beams of the support structure may have one or more hollow interior areas, such two hollow areas arranged with one disposed over the other, which is also referred to as a mono-leg beam. With respect to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 5C, the longitudinal members 50 of the support structure 24 may be formed from a metal sheet, such as via roll forming, to provide adjacent, vertically stacked, tubes 51 that include a common center wall disposed in a generally horizontal orientation. In forming the metal sheet into the longitudinal members, outer portions of the metal sheet that extend from opposing sides of the common center wall are bent generally simultaneously in the same rotational direction to attach respectively at opposing ends of the common center wall. With further reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 5C, an outboard extension beam 53 is attached along an outer surface of the tubular beam 51, where the outboard extension beam 53 has a hat or U shape, although various other shapes are contemplated such as a tube. The outboard extension beam 53 of the longitudinal members 50 may be provided to use as an attachment structure and interface with the vehicle, such as to attach at the rocker rails or similar structure of the vehicle frame.

With respect to the lateral members 52 of the support structure 24 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5B, the lateral members 52 may be formed from a metal sheet, such as via roll forming, to provide a single tubular beam. However, it is contemplated that the lateral members in additional embodiments may be provided with various alternative beam shapes, such as a mono-leg beam. The metal sheet or sheets that may form the beams or members of the support structure 24 may comprise a high strength steel, such as a cold worked martensitic steel, so as to be configured for absorbing and generally resisting intrusion from lateral impact forces to the battery tray 10. However, the support structure may alternatively be alternatively formed with aluminum, or other metals or materials or combinations thereof. Thus, it is contemplated that the cross-sectional shape of additional embodiments of the support structure may be altered from the illustrated embodiment, such as to be formed via pultrusion, extrusion, or the like.

To engage the tub component 20 at or within the support structure 24, the flange 46 of the tub component 20 may engage an upper surface of a longitudinal member 50 of the support structure 24, such that the longitudinal sections 30a of the tub component 20 may engage the inside vertical surfaces of the longitudinal members 50 of the support structure 24. Also, at least one of the lateral members 52 may be engaged by the flange 46 of the tub component 20, such as the forward lateral member 52 shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the cover 26 attachment at the flange 46 of the tub component 20 may allow the flange 46 to be sandwiched between the edge portion of the cover and the support structure. The tub component 20 may also include a downward facing channel 60, such as shown in FIG. 5B where a lateral member 52 may engage the downward facing channel 60 to vertically support the tub component 20. With a section of the support structure engaged with a downward facing channel of the tub component, two of the separate compartments may be disposed at opposing longitudinal sides of one of the engaged portion of the support structure.

Referring now to FIGS. 6-10, an additional embodiment of the battery tray 110 may also include a support structure 124 that is coupled at and supporting the tub component 120. The support structure 124 shown in FIG. 6 includes a single support beam 125 that is bent at the corners of the tub component 120 to surround the perimeter wall portion 130 (FIG. 8) of the tub component 120. The support beam 125 thus includes longitudinal sections 150 that couple at exterior sides of each of the longitudinal sections 150 of the perimeter wall portion 130 of the tub component 120. Also, the support beam 125 includes lateral sections 152 that extend from the bent corners of the beam at ends of the longitudinal members 150.

The longitudinal and lateral sections 150, 152 of the support structure 124 shown in FIGS. 6-10 are formed from the same single metal beam 125, which may have one or more hollow interior areas. As shown in FIG. 9, the illustrated beam 125 includes two hollow areas arranged with one disposed over the other in a mono-leg beam configuration roll formed from a metal sheet to provide adjacent, vertically stacked, tubes that include a common center wall disposed in a generally horizontal orientation and channel ribs 153 disposed along the outer portions of each adjacent tube 151. In forming the metal sheet into the single beam, outer portions of the metal sheet that extend from opposing sides of the common center wall may be bent generally simultaneously in the same rotational direction to attach respectively at opposing ends of the common center wall. The metal sheet or sheets that may form the beams or members of the support structure 124 may comprise a high strength steel, such as a cold worked martensitic steel, so as to be configured for absorbing and generally resisting intrusion from lateral impact forces to the battery tray 110.

Although otherwise similar to the embodiment shown in in FIG. 6, a battery tray 110′ is shown in FIG. 7 having a support structure 124′ that does not have the lateral sections 152 or a forward and rearward portion of the flange 146. As such, the support structure 124′ shown in FIG. 7 includes longitudinal sections or members 150′ that extend along and are coupled at the exterior surfaces of the longitudinal sections 150′ of the perimeter wall portion 130′ of the tub component 120′. Thus, in such an embodiment, the cross member portions 136′ at the front and the rear of the tub component 120? may provide the forward and rearward ends of the battery tray 110′. Features of the battery tray 110′ that are similar to the battery tray 110 are not described in detail again, and similar reference numbers are used with the addition of an apostrophe.

To engage the tub component 120 at or within the support structure 124, the flange 146 of the tub component 120 may engage an upper surface of the single beam of the support structure 124, such that the perimeter wall portion 130 of the tub component 120 may engage the inside vertical surfaces of the single beam of the support structure 124. Thus, the cover 126 may attach at the flange 146 of the tub component 120 such that the flange 146 may be sandwiched between the edge portion of the cover 126 and the support structure 124.

The tub component 120 of the battery tray 110 shown in FIGS. 6-10 includes a floor portion 128 and a perimeter wall portion 130 that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge 132 of the floor portion 128 to border the battery containment area 122. The floor portion 128 and the perimeter wall portion 130 may together form a solid and uninterrupted interior surface. The floor portion 128 and the perimeter wall portion 130 may each include sections that are substantially planar, as shown in FIG. 8. Such planar sections may be generally perpendicular relative to each other, such that the angular transition between the floor portion 28 and the perimeter wall portion 30 may be generally ninety degrees, such as with a curved corner transition 134 as shown in FIG. 9.

The tub component 120 also provides structural support to the battery tray 110, such that the support structure 124 or frame may be undersize, lightened, or partially or completely eliminated to allow the tub component to provide a portion or fraction of the overall desired load support capability of the battery tray 110. The tub component 120 shown in FIGS. 6-10 includes integral structural features that are formed as a single piece with the tub component. As shown in FIG. 8, the tub component 120 includes cross member portions 136 that each integrally interconnecting with the floor portion 128 and opposing sides of the perimeter wall portion 130. The cross member portions 136 span laterally across the battery containment area 122 to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments, such as shown in FIG. 10. The cross member portions 136 may extend upward at a height that is substantially equal to the perimeter wall portion 130, such that the separate compartments of the battery containment area 122 may be isolated from each other, such as to provide prevent cross-contamination of the battery modules and to insulate the batter modules form each other. The cross member portions 136 of the tub component 120 each extend laterally in parallel alignment with each other and at a longitudinal spacing from each other that is configured or sized for the defined compartment to contain at least one battery module 114.

As shown in FIGS. 6-10, the cross member portions 136 of the tub component 120 each include a forward wall 138 and a rearward wall 140 that each provide an interior surface of adjacent compartments of the battery containment area 122. The forward and rearward wall sections 138, 140 integrally interconnect with the floor portion 128 and wall portion 130 to form a solid and uninterrupted interior surface. The cross member portions 136 also include stiffening features 142 that integrally interconnect between the forward and rearward wall sections 138, 140 and that integrally extend upward from the floor portion 128 of the tub component 120. The stiffening features 142 shown in FIG. 10 include an x-shape when viewed from above, such that the stiffening features 142 have a generally consistent cross sectional shape along the vertical extent of the cross member portions 136.

With further reference to the tub component 120 shown in FIGS. 6-10, integral battery supports 144 are provided that integrally extend upward from the floor portion 128 of the tub component 120 adjacent to and generally parallel with the cross member portions 130. Also, cold plate supports 145 integrally extend upward from the floor portion 128 of the tub component 120 adjacent to and parallel with the battery supports 138. Similar to the structural design of the cross member portions 136, the battery supports 144 and cold plate supports 145 each have forward and rearward wall sections that extend upward from the floor in parallel alignment with each other and the forward and rearward wall sections 138, 140 of the cross member portions 136. Further, the battery supports 144 and cold plate supports 145 include stiffening features that integrally interconnect between the forward and rearward wall sections of the respective battery support and cold plate support in an x-shaped configuration. As shown in FIG. 9, the cold plate supports 145 have a height that is configured to place a cold plate or cooling element 147, such as a thermoelectric component or a liquid cooled component, against or in thermal engagement with the lower surface of the battery module 114.

The floor portion 128, the perimeter wall portion 130, the cross member portions 136, the battery supports 144, and the cold plate supports 145 of the tub component 120 shown in FIGS. 6-10 may be formed as a single integral piece from a sheet molding compound or like composite materials. With the sheet molding compound, a resin and composite material may be pressed into a die to form the desired features of the tub component, such that the integral structural features of the tub component may be formed in the direction of the press, such as in the vertical direction. It is also contemplated that the tub component may include carbon fibers, such as at a lower layer of the of the tub insert to provide additional stiffness and intrusion resistance. The tub component 120 may provide the battery containment area 122 with an interior surface that is sealed and resistant to leaks or penetration of gases or liquids, so to protect the batteries or battery modules 114 supported in the tub component 120. Features of the battery tray 110 that are similar to the battery tray 10 are not described in detail again, and similar reference numbers are used, incremented by 100.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-13, an additional embodiment of the battery tray 210 may include a tub component 220 that is configured with integrate structural features to support the contained battery modules without structure 124 without a separate support structure to hold or reinforce any portion of the tub component 220. As such the battery tray 210 may be provided with a tub component 220 that does not include any supplemental base frame, such that the tub component 220 provides the structural integrity necessary to independently support and protect the contained batteries. The tub component 220 shown in FIGS. 11-13 includes a floor portion 228 and a perimeter wall portion 230 that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge 232 of the floor portion 228. The tub component 220 has cross member portions 236 that integrally interconnect with the floor portion 228 and opposing sides of the perimeter wall portion 230. To provide the desired supportive and protective structural features of a battery tray, the perimeter wall portion 230, like the cross member portions 236, may include an interior wall section 262, an exterior wall section 264, and stiffening features 266 that integrally interconnect between the interior and exterior wall sections 262, 264. To secure the tub component 220 to the vehicle frame, the perimeter wall portion 230 may also include an attachment feature for mounting the tub component to a frame portion, such as for fastening to the rocker rails or the like. The tub component 220 may further include alternative or additional integral structural features that are formed as a single piece with the tub component, such as to support the weight of the batteries or battery modules and to provide structure configured for impact energy management, among other functions. Features of the battery tray 210 that are similar to the battery tray 10 are not described in detail again, and similar reference numbers are used, incremented by 200.

It is also conceivable that the stiffening features, such as those that extend between wall sections of the cross member portions or perimeter wall portion, may not have a section of the floor portion extending between the wall sections, such that an opening may be provided that extends vertically through the respective cross member portion or perimeter wall portion. Such a lack of a floor portion and vertical opening may also be provided at a similarly constructed battery support and cold plate support or other structure that integrally extend upward from the floor portion of the tub component.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 14A, a battery tray 310 is provided that has a support structure 324 that includes a floor panel 366 and a peripheral reinforcement member 368 attached at a peripheral edge portion of the floor panel 366. The support structure 324 also includes an outboard extension beam 353 is attached along an outer surface of the peripheral reinforcement member 368, where the outboard extension beam 353 has a tubular shape. The outboard extension beam 353 may be provided to use as an attachment structure and interface with the vehicle, such as to attach at the rocker rails or similar structure of the vehicle frame. The tub component 320 shown in FIGS. 14 and 14A has a perimeter wall portion 330 configured to engage an interior surface of the peripheral reinforcement member 368 at a seam interface 370 between the floor panel 366 and the peripheral reinforcement member 368 to seal the seam interface 370 and at least partially border the battery containment area 322. The seal of the seam interface 370 may be provided by an adhesive 372 that is disposed between the tub component 320 and the support structure 324.

The tub component 320 also has a flange 346 that extends outward from the perimeter wall portion 330 and away from the battery containment area 322. The flange 346 engages an upper surface of the peripheral reinforcement member 368 to provide an interfacing surface for attaching a cover of the battery tray 310. The tub component also has a lower flange 374 that extends inward from the lower edge of the perimeter wall portion 330 and toward the battery containment area 322. The lower flange 374 engages along the floor panel 366 of the support structure 324 so as to similarly seal the seam interface 370. As shown in FIG. 14A, the upper and lower flanges 346, 374 of the tub component 320 are generally parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the perimeter wall portion 330. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14, the lower flange 374 of the tub component 320 includes an inside edge 376 that surrounds a central opening of the tub component 320 that exposes the floor panel 366 of the support structure 324 in the battery containment area 322. Features of the battery tray 310 that are similar to the battery tray 10 are not described in detail again, and similar reference numbers are used, incremented by 300.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-15B, a battery tray 410 is provided that has support structure 424 that includes a floor panel 466 and a peripheral reinforcement member 468 attached at a peripheral edge portion of the floor panel 466 to at least partially border the battery containment area 422. The tub component 420 has a perimeter wall portion 430 configured to engage an interior surface of the peripheral reinforcement member 468 and extend upward from the lower seam interface 470 between the floor panel 466 and the peripheral reinforcement member 468. The perimeter wall portion 430 may extend upward beyond the height of the peripheral reinforcement member 468, such as shown in FIG. 15A, so as to provide a protrusion for engaging the cover 426 of the battery tray 410. The sealing provided by the tub component includes an adhesive 472 that is disposed between the tub component 420 and the support structure 424. In this embodiment, the tub component 420 may be installed on the support structure by applying the perimeter wall portion 430 at the interior surface of the support structure 424, such as by unrolling it from a spool. To bend the tub component 420 at interior corners of the support structure 424, a notch 478 may be provided to allow the material to bend, such as shown in FIG. 15B, such as polymeric material or the like. Features of the battery tray 410 that are similar to the battery tray 10 are not described in detail again, and similar reference numbers are used, incremented by 400.

Referring now to FIGS. 16-29, a battery tray 510 includes a support structure 524 and a tub component 520 that is disposed in the support structure 524 for supporting and containing the battery modules 514. As shown in FIG. 17, the illustrated support structure 524 includes longitudinal sections or members 550 that are configured to extend longitudinally relative to an associated vehicle 512, such as for attaching at or near the rocker rails 513 via the brackets 519 to secure the battery tray 510 to the vehicle frame and suspend it away from the ground surface at an inboard location that does not substantially come into a line of sight of a person standing outside of the vehicle 512. The battery containment area 522 of the battery tray 510 is generally bound on four sides by the two longitudinal members 550 that attach at or near the opposing rocker rails 513 and by lateral sections or members 552 that each extend laterally between the longitudinal members 550 at the front and rear end portions of the battery tray 510. As shown in FIG. 21, the support structure 524 also includes cross members 580 that attach at and span laterally between the longitudinal members 550, so as to span across and sub-divide the battery containment area 522 into separate battery compartments.

The tub component 520 shown in FIGS. 19-29 includes a floor portion 528 and a perimeter wall portion 530 that integrally extends upward from a peripheral edge 532 of the floor portion 528. The tub component 520 also includes cross member portions 536 that each integrally interconnecting with the floor portion 528 and opposing sides of the perimeter wall portion 530, such that the cross member portions 536 span laterally across the battery containment area 522 to divide the battery containment area 522 into separate compartments 582 for containing the battery modules, such as shown in FIG. 23. The cross member portions 536 of the tub component 520 may include a forward wall 538 and a rearward wall 540, such as shown in FIG. 24, which each provide an interior surface of adjacent compartments of the battery containment area 522.

As shown in FIG. 19, the tub component 520 is inserted or disposed in the support structure 524 with the containment portions 582 interposed between the cross members 580 in the battery containment area 522. The containment portions 582 may each include a perimeter wall that comprises a section of the perimeter wall portion 530 and the wall sections 538, 540 of the cross member portions 536, where such perimeter wall integrally connects around a perimeter of a section of the floor portion 528, so as to form a tub-like shape that defines a container volume of each containment portion 582. The containment portions 582 each have a lateral dimension that generally extends between the lateral boundaries of the inside surfaces of the perimeter wall portion 530 that extends upright and engages along the inside surface of the longitudinal members 550. Further, the longitudinal dimension of each containment portion 582 generally extends between adjacent cross members portions 580, such as shown in FIG. 24.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the floor portion 528 of the containment portions 582 of the tub component 520 may disposed at and at least partially resting on a portion of the support structure 524, such as a floor panel 584 of the support structure 524. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the floor panel 584 may have a plate-like shape that spans below the cross members 580 and attaches at the longitudinal members 550. Alternatively, the floor member in additional embodiments may attach at the cross members or be integrally formed therewith, so as to provide a similar floor structure to support the lower portion of the tub insert. A seal may optionally be provided between the floor panel 584 and the cross members 580 and the longitudinal members 550, such as with a gasket, sealing agent, or other sealing material, such as an epoxy or silicone sealant or the like. Optionally, a sealing agent or sealing material, such as an epoxy or silicone sealant or the like, may be provided at interface seams or along the longitudinal members 550 or other components within the battery containment area to reinforce the seal along the inside wall surface of the longitudinal members 550. Such a seal at the support structure 524 may be a secondary or backup seal to the containment provided by the sealed tub component 520 that contains the battery modules and related components. However, it is understood that such sealed battery containment areas or portions may be vented for accommodating battery swelling or contraction, such as at a vented opening that is difficult for water or liquid or debris to enter, such as by locating the vented opening at an upper portion or interior portion of the battery tray or by providing the vented opening with a membrane or fabric cover that is air permeable and liquid impermeable to provide the desired liquid sealed environment for storing the batteries or electrical equipment or other vehicle-related item in the battery tray.

The floor panel 584 of the support structure 524 may also include integrally formed or separately attached stiffening ribs or channels, such as the stiffening strips 586 attached at and extending longitudinally along the bottom surface of the floor panel 584, such as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. Similarly, the floor portion 528 of the containment portions 582 of the tub component 520 may optionally be formed with raised portions or depressions or channels or ribs or the like, such as to provide a corrugated shape as shown in FIGS. 22-24, where the raised portions provide corrugated ribs extending laterally across the tub component 520. These laterally extending corrugated ribs have a shape that can provide stiffness and bending strength to the floor portion 528 of the tub component 520. Also, as further illustrated in FIG. 24, the raised portions that provide the corrugated ribs may be intermittent or undulate to provide corresponding depressed portions that may contact the floor panel 584, so as to space the battery interfacing portion of the floor portion 528 away from the floor panel 584. Thus, the corrugated ribs may provide additional intrusion area or spacing between the floor panel 584 from the battery modules, which may conceivably rest or mount at or near the raised portions of the floor portion.

The cross member portions 580 of the tub component 520 may also include upper reinforcements 588 that interconnect upper sections of the wall sections 538, 540 of the cross member portions 536, such that each upper reinforcement 588 extends over one of the cross members 580 of the support structure. As such, the cross member portions 580 of the tub component 520 cover the exposed upper surfaces of the cross members 580. The upper reinforcement 588 integrally connect two adjacent containment portions on opposing sides of a cross member 580, where the upper reinforcement 588 extends from upper edges of the wall section 538, 540 to from an inverted U shape, such as shown in FIG. 24. The As further illustrated in FIG. 10, may also rest on and engage an upper surface of a respective cross member 580 to vertically support the tub component 520. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the longitudinal ends of the tub component 520 may include a flange portion 546 that extends from a least a section of an upper periphery of the tub component 520. The flange portion 546 rests on a corresponding peripheral portion of the support structure 524 and may define an upper rim surface of the tub component 520, so as to engage a cover.

The tub component, or portions thereof, may provide structural support to the battery tray, such that the support structure may be undersize or lightened to allow the tub insert to provide a portion or fraction of the overall desired load support capability of the battery tray. Such additional structural support may be increased when bonding or fusing portions of the tub component to the support structure, so as to localize the increased structural support. For example, an adhesive or epoxy or the like may be provided along the cross members 580 for bonding to the upper reinforcements 588 of the tub component and thus improving the stiffness of the cross members for reducing side deformation to the battery tray from side vehicle impact.

It is contemplated that the components of the support structure may be alternatively configured from the illustrated embodiment and may be attached, such as via welding, fasteners and/or adhesive or the like, or may otherwise be partially or completely formed together, as further discussed herein. As shown in FIG. 28, the lateral members 552 are formed with a generally consistent rectangular shaped cross section with a fixed height that respectively defines the height of the front and rear portions or walls of the battery containment area. The longitudinal members 550 are formed to provide a height that is substantially identical to the fixed height of the lateral members 552, such that there is generally a constant height about the peripheral walls of the battery containment area 522. This consistent peripheral wall height provides even or generally flush top and bottom surfaces of the peripheral walls for attaching the cover 526 at the top surfaces and the floor panel 584 at the bottom surfaces, which may together seal the upper and lower portions of the battery containment area 522. The generally flush top surface provided by the consistent peripheral wall height may also allow an upper peripheral flange that extends from one embodiment of the tub insert to engage around the top surface of the peripheral wall of the base frame, such that a cover panel can attach at the upper peripheral flange, such as to sandwich the upper peripheral flange between the base frame and the cover panel and thereby seal the upper peripheral edge of the battery tray. Similarly, the cross members 580 may be formed to have a height substantially equal to the height of the peripheral walls, which may also be used to provide a seal at the cover panel around the individual battery compartments. Features of the battery tray 510 that are similar to the battery tray 10 are not described in detail again, and similar reference numbers are used, incremented by 500.

In yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 30, a battery tray 610 is provided that has a support structure 624 that includes cross members 680 that span laterally between longitudinal sections or member 650 to form a ladder-like base frame structure that is generally without cross members or lateral members at the ends of the support structure 624. To correspond with this structure, the tub component 620 has recesses protruding upward into the cross member portions 636 of the tub component 620 to mate with and over the cross members 680 of the support structure 624. A flange 646 of the tub component 620 is configured to engage an upper surface of the longitudinal members 650. Features of the battery tray 610 that are similar to the battery tray 10 are not described in detail again, and similar reference numbers are used, incremented by 600.

Several different attachment techniques and configurations may be used to permanently or releasable secure the battery support structure to a vehicle frame, such as below a floor of the vehicle and generally between the axles. Further, with respect to the general installation or attachment or formation, the steps discussed herein may be performed in various different sequences from those discussed to result in engaging, disengaging, or forming the battery support structure or components thereof.

For purposes of this disclosure, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in this specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law. The disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings, and the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A battery tray for an electric vehicle, the battery tray comprising: a tub component having a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion extending from the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component, the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion integrally formed together as a single integral piece; anda support structure coupled at an exterior side of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component and extending along an entire length of the exterior side.

2. The battery tray of claim 1, wherein the tub component comprises at least one cross member portion that integrally interconnects with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments.

3. The battery tray of claim 2, wherein the at least one cross member portion includes a forward wall and a rearward wall that each provide an interior surface of adjacent compartments of the battery containment area.

4. The battery tray of claim 3, wherein the support structure includes secondary cross members that span laterally.

5. The battery tray of claim 4, wherein the tub component defines recesses between the forward wall and the rearward wall protruding upward into the cross member portions of the tub component to mate with and over the secondary cross members of the support structure.

6. The battery tray of claim 1, further comprising a cover attached over the battery containment area of the tub component, wherein the cover defines at least one stiffening channel.

7. The battery tray of claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises an elongated member coupled at the exterior side of the perimeter wall portion.

8. The battery tray of claim 7, wherein the elongated member of the support structure comprises a metal beam having a tubular shape with at least one hollow opening.

9. A battery tray for an electric vehicle, the battery tray comprising: a tub component having a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion extending from the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component,wherein the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion are integrally formed together as a single integral piece, andwherein the single integral piece comprises a sheet molding compound; anda support structure coupled at an exterior side of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component and extending along an entire length of the exterior side.

10. The battery tray of claim 9, wherein the support structure comprises an elongated member having a tubular shape.

11. The battery tray of claim 9, wherein the tub component comprises at least one cross member portion that integrally interconnects with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments.

12. The battery tray of claim 11, wherein the at least one cross member portion includes a forward wall and a rearward wall that each provide an interior surface of adjacent compartments of the battery containment area.

13. The battery tray of claim 12, wherein the support structure includes secondary cross members that span laterally.

14. The battery tray of claim 13, wherein the tub component defines recesses between the forward wall and the rearward wall protruding upward into the cross member portions of the tub component to mate with and over the secondary cross members of the support structure.

15. The battery tray of claim 9, further comprising a cover attached over the battery containment area of the tub component, and wherein the cover defines at least one stiffening channel.

16. A battery tray for an electric vehicle, the battery tray comprising: a tub component having a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion extending from the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component; anda support structure coupled at an exterior side of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component and extending along an entire length of the exterior side,wherein the tub component further comprises at least one cross member portion that interconnects with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments, andwherein the floor portion, the perimeter wall portion, and the at least one cross member portion are integrally formed together as a single integral piece.

17. The battery tray of claim 16, wherein the support structure comprises an elongated member coupled at the exterior side of the perimeter wall portion.

18. The battery tray of claim 17, wherein the elongated member of the support structure comprises a metal beam having a tubular shape with at least one hollow opening.

19. The battery tray of claim 16, further comprising a cover attached over the battery containment area of the tub component.

20. The battery tray of claim 19, wherein the cover defines at least one stiffening channel.