CN113246707A

CN113246707A - Attachment device for an electrical energy source for providing traction for a vehicle, preferably an electric vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN113246707A
Application number: CN202110137246.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马吕斯·萨瓦茨基; 丹尼尔·梅肯施托克; 迈克尔·斯柏林; 马丁·萨尔茨-布劳尔
Original assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2020-02-09
Filing date: 2021-02-01
Publication date: 2021-08-13
Also published as: DE102020103240B3

Abstract

The invention relates to an attachment device (10) for an electrical energy source (38) which provides traction for a vehicle, i.e. drives the vehicle, preferably an electric vehicle, which may be arranged below a vehicle floor (48) between vehicle sills (40, 42) of the vehicle. The attachment device (10) has a housing (12) which accommodates and fixes an electrical energy source (38) and a plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) which attach the housing (12) to a body of a vehicle, in particular an electric vehicle. According to the invention, the plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) have a housing-side end (28) attached to the housing (12) and a sill-side end (32) attached to one of the sills (40, 42). In this case, the attachment element (24, 26) has, in the mounted state, an at least partially curved contour with at least one inflection point (36) between the housing-side end (28) and the sill-side end (32) in at least one virtual plane arranged perpendicularly with respect to a straight-ahead direction (50) of the vehicle.

Description

Attachment device for an electrical energy source for providing traction for a vehicle, preferably an electric vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an attachment arrangement for a source of electrical energy for providing tractive force to a vehicle, i.e. driving a vehicle, preferably an electric vehicle, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background

The field of motor vehicle engineering is known to include motor vehicles whose main drive comprises an electric drive system with an electric motor which can be operated by means of an electric current generated by an electric energy source, such as an electrochemical energy store or an energy converter. The electrochemical energy store or the energy converter can be formed here, for example, by at least one rechargeable battery (often also referred to somewhat imprecisely as a traction battery) or a fuel cell stack ("stack").

In motor vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines, the arrangement ("packaging") of the various components (drive, chassis, body) of the motor vehicle has matured over decades of development. In motor vehicles (also referred to below as electric vehicles) in which an electrochemical energy store or an energy converter is used as an electrical energy source for the traction drive, the external dimensions of the motor vehicle and the connections to other components differ to a large extent from motor vehicles having a conventional internal combustion engine, since in electric vehicles, box-shaped traction cells or fuel cell stacks must generally be arranged on large vehicle floors. Therefore, electric vehicles require different solutions to arrange components within the motor vehicle in order to ensure the safety of the vehicle in the event of a collision.

Due to the amount of energy that can be stored in rechargeable batteries, there is a higher demand for mechanical integrity in the event of a crash to prevent sudden release of the stored amount of energy.

To meet the existing demand for higher energy storage density of rechargeable batteries, the batteries of future traction batteries or fuel cell vehicles, such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles ("PHEVs") or hybrid electric vehicles ("HEVs"), do not contain any internal load bearing structures or do not provide through holes for screw positioning. In addition, the available space around rechargeable batteries available for energy absorbing structures is becoming smaller and smaller. As a result, the housing of the rechargeable battery is required to be non-deformable during a crash event because it is not feasible to provide space inside the housing to compensate for deformation without damaging the battery pack housed in the housing. Thus, the only possible attachment point is at the outer edge of the battery case.

Various solutions have been proposed in the prior art to ensure compliance with existing safety regulations and safety protocols, in particular with respect to the safety of vehicles in the event of a crash event (crash safety), for example as part of the european new vehicle assessment program (Euro NCAP) issued by the european ministry of transportation, the automotive association and the insurance association.

For example, US 9,505,442B 2 discloses an energy absorbing sill device. The rocker device includes a vehicle rocker on one side of the vehicle and a battery rocker on one side of a battery pack of the vehicle. The energy absorbing method includes applying a first portion of a mechanical lateral load through a first load path extending through a vehicle sill on one side of the vehicle and applying a second portion of a mechanical lateral load through a second load path extending through a battery sill on one side of the battery pack.

The vehicle door sill and the battery door sill absorb energy during a collapse process, wherein the vehicle door sill and the battery door sill can cooperate at least partially independently of each other. In the event of an impact from an external obstacle, the battery door sill provides a direct and independent load path between the battery pack and the obstacle, which may be substantially configured for additional loads due to strong battery inertia. The independent load path between the battery pack and the barrier may prevent the barrier from directly applying force to the battery pack without the need for an insert (e.g., a foam inlay, a nylon insert, a weld, etc.) on the vehicle sill.

US 9,623,742B 2 proposes a vehicle battery pack structure including: i) a battery frame having an upper battery frame portion made of fiber-reinforced plastic and a lower battery chassis portion made of fiber-reinforced plastic, and disposed on a vehicle body lower side of the floor panel and fixing the battery; and ii) a ductile element having an upper body portion region connected with the upper battery frame, an upper flange portion continuously provided at an outer end portion of the upper body portion as viewed in the width direction of the vehicle, a lower body portion connected with the lower battery frame, and a lower flange portion continuously provided at an outer end portion of the lower body portion as viewed in the width direction of the vehicle, wherein the upper flange portion and the lower flange portion are arranged to overlap and attached to an upper surface side of the floor panel.

An energy absorbing member made of metal is disposed between the battery frame and the vehicle body lower side of the rocker. The energy absorbing member includes an inner member disposed on an inner side in a width direction of the vehicle so as to be close to a side wall portion of the battery frame, and an outer member having a predetermined gap from the inner member.

Even if a part of the collision load is applied to the upper flange portion and the lower flange portion via the floor panel in the event of a vehicle side collision, the upper flange portion and the lower flange portion have ductility and are not easily broken by bending and deformation. This means that it is possible to prevent breakage of the attaching portion that is located on the side face of the battery frame made of fiber-reinforced resin and that is attached on the side face of the floor portion.

Furthermore, solutions are known in the prior art which provide for the movement of a rechargeable battery in the event of a crash event.

For example, JP 2866998B 2 describes a battery attachment structure on an electric vehicle for attaching a battery to a vehicle body of the electric vehicle. A bracket having a guide groove along a lower portion of the vehicle body is attached to the battery attachment structure and is formed along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A battery tray for receiving a battery is provided. The battery attachment structure includes a fastening device guided in the guide groove and a shear pin connected with the fastening device and the bracket. In the event of a collision of the electric vehicle, the shear pin is broken, the connected state of the fastening device is released and the fastening device moves to the front side of the vehicle body along the guide groove. Due to the movement of the battery carriage, the energy absorbing element is deformed and the kinetic energy of the battery does not act on the vehicle body.

In addition, JP 2932134B 2 discloses an energy absorption control structure for an electric vehicle that has a mechanism that supports a battery carrier at the underbody of the vehicle and moves the battery carrier or the battery forward relative to the vehicle in a controlled manner during sudden deceleration (e.g., a frontal collision) of the vehicle. The battery bracket is positioned to be spaced apart from the vehicle body by a predetermined distance. The energy absorption control structure is configured in such a manner that the battery bracket is located at a position abutting against the vehicle body after about 30ms after the start of the impact force application or in the case where the vehicle body is deformed by about 0.4 m. Therefore, the kinetic energy of the battery carrier can be reliably transmitted to the vehicle body by the deceleration profile controlled in such a timed manner. It is known that good protection of the occupant can be ensured as long as these values are met.

In view of the indicated prior art, there is still room for improvement in the field of attachment devices for electrical energy sources for providing traction for vehicles, in particular electric vehicles.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an attachment device for an electrical energy source for providing traction for a vehicle, in particular an electric vehicle, which has as little adverse effect as possible on the installation space of the electrical energy source between the side sills of the vehicle, in particular the electric vehicle, and at the same time limits the forces acting on the electrical energy source or the torques acting on the electrical energy source in the event of a side impact event to the vehicle, in particular the electric vehicle, in order to maintain the mechanical integrity of the electrical energy source.

In this case, the electrical energy source can be designed as an energy store (e.g. a rechargeable battery) and/or as an energy converter (e.g. at least one fuel cell stack). Hereinafter, the term "battery" or "drive battery" in general is also used as a synonym for the electrical energy storage. Likewise, electric vehicles are mentioned in the following, but the term is not intended to constitute a limitation of purely electric vehicles. But includes all vehicles that use a battery to store driving energy, i.e., a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) or a vehicle with a fuel cell (the battery may act as a buffer).

According to the invention, this object is achieved by an attachment device having the features of claim 1. Further particularly advantageous developments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

It should be noted that the features and measures specified individually in the following description can be combined with one another in any desired technically meaningful way and further refinements of the invention are disclosed. The specification additionally describes and illustrates the present invention, particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The inventive attachment device for an electrical energy source which provides traction for an electric vehicle and which can be arranged under the vehicle floor between the door sills of the electric vehicle has a housing for accommodating and fixing the electrical energy source and a plurality of attachment elements for attaching the housing to the body of the electric vehicle.

In this case, the attachment element of the plurality of attachment elements has a housing-side end for attachment to the housing, a sill-side end for attachment to the rocker, and an at least partially curved contour between the housing-side end and the sill-side end in at least one virtual plane arranged perpendicularly with respect to the straight-ahead direction of the electric vehicle in the mounted state, the at least partially curved contour having at least one inflection point.

The term "plurality" is to be understood within the scope of the present invention in particular as a number of at least two.

With the proposed attachment device, a mechanical decoupling of the electrical energy source from the vehicle floor, which is arranged above the electrical energy source in the installed state, can be achieved, so that the electrical energy source can be moved relative to the vehicle floor and relative to the sill-side end of the attachment element. At the same time, the electrical energy source can be securely fixed to the body of the electric vehicle by means of a plurality of attachment elements.

Due to the mechanical decoupling, in the event of a side impact event, the source of electrical energy may be moved out of the force application path starting from one of the sills of the electric vehicle and pointing towards the center of the vehicle.

By means of the proposed attachment device, the electrical energy source can be protected from impact forces during a side impact event, which impact forces may destroy the mechanical integrity of the housing and the electrical energy source contained therein.

For example, at least one rechargeable battery or at least one fuel cell stack may be used as an electrical energy source.

In a preferred embodiment of the attachment device, the attachment element is mainly made of a ductile material. It can thereby be ensured that the attachment element can be deformed in a flexible plastic manner in the event of a crash event without the mechanical connection produced by the attachment element having to be released.

The term "major portion" is understood in the context of the present invention to be in particular in the following proportions: greater than 50% by volume, preferably greater than 70% by volume, particularly preferably greater than 90% by volume. In particular, the term is intended to include the possibility of proportions of 100% by volume.

Metals with high ductility (i.e. the ability to absorb a large amount of energy during plastic deformation) may preferably be used as ductile materials to manufacture the attachment element.

In a preferred element of the attachment device, the attachment element is mainly made of a material having spring elasticity. In this way, since the force can be applied over an extended period of time, the impact forces generated on the housing or the electrical energy source contained therein can be reduced in the event of a side impact event by the spring action of the attachment element.

At least a portion of the plurality of attachment elements are preferably configured in the form of a band having a substantially uniform width. As a result, the attachment element can be provided in an economical and structurally simple manner.

In a preferred embodiment of the attachment device, the contour in the virtual plane of at least a part of the plurality of attachment elements is S-shaped. In a suitable development, in the event of a side impact event, the energy source can be moved out of the force application path starting from one of the sills of the electric vehicle and pointing towards the center of the vehicle by diverting a portion of the applied force into a downward force onto the housing by means of the S-shape of the attachment element. In this case, the housing and the electrical energy source contained therein are also securely and reliably held by the plurality of attachment elements.

The shell-side end and the sill-side end of at least some of the plurality of attachment elements are preferably configured in a linear manner. As a result, in the event of a crash event, forces may be applied to the shell or rocker at low surface pressures and low shear stress densities.

In the case of an S-shaped contour of the attachment elements and a linear configuration of the housing-side end and the sill-side end, at least one of a part of the housing-side end and the sill-side end of these attachment elements is preferably connected in the mounted state at least partially parallel against a side wall of the housing or at least partially parallel against one of the sills.

The housing-side ends of at least a part of the attachment elements are preferably attached directly or indirectly to the side walls of the housing, and the sill-side attachment points of these attachment elements are arranged above the attachment points of the housing-side ends in the mounted state. In this way, a portion of the force exerted by the side impact event can be converted in a particularly simple structural manner into a downward force to the housing in order to move the housing out of the force application path.

In a preferred embodiment, the attachment device has at least one transverse structural element which, in the mounted state, is arranged above the housing and transversely with respect to the straight-ahead direction. The transverse structural element may be operatively connected at both ends to a side sill of the electric vehicle and have a lower strength in at least two consecutive areas in one direction transverse to the straight direction than in the rest of the transverse structural element.

The term "operatively connected" is to be understood in this context in particular as meaning that the objects can be connected to one another such that forces and/or torques and/or torsional moments can be transmitted between the objects. The transfer can take place either via direct contact or indirectly via at least one intermediate element.

In this way, it is possible in the event of a side impact event for the region of the transverse structural element of lower strength to be deformed first by the action of a force exerted transversely on the transverse structural element by the rocker, which exerts a downward force on the housing, as a result of which the housing is moved out of the force application path. Although the attachment element can be at least partially deformed (compressed or stretched), the housing and the electrical energy source contained therein can nevertheless be held securely and reliably by the plurality of attachment elements.

The transverse structural element is preferably configured as a transverse beam. Furthermore, at least one of the at least two consecutive regions of the transverse structural element is preferably arranged with a relatively low strength at a position close to the door sill in each case.

The transverse structural element is preferably provided with a predetermined breaking point on the side facing the housing in each of the at least two consecutive regions. In this way, a position is predetermined in which the transverse structural element is first deformed under the action of a force applied transversely through the door sill in the event of a side impact, as a result of which the movement of the housing out of the force application path can be configured in a detailed manner.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional attachment device for an electrical energy source for providing tractive force to an electric vehicle in a mounted state in a cross-section perpendicular to the straight direction. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims and in the following description of the drawings, in which:

fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an attachment arrangement for an electrical energy source for providing traction to an electric vehicle according to the invention in a mounted state in a cross-section perpendicular to the straight direction;

fig. 3 shows the same view of the attachment device according to fig. 2 in the event of a side impact event;

fig. 4 shows a detailed view of an attachment element of the attachment device according to fig. 2; and

fig. 5 shows a detailed view of an alternative attachment of the attachment element of the attachment device according to fig. 2.

In the different figures, identical parts always have the same reference numerals and are therefore usually also described only once. As already explained above, the electrical energy source may be embodied as an energy store (e.g. a rechargeable accumulator) and/or as an energy converter (e.g. at least one fuel cell stack). Therefore, hereinafter, the common terms "battery" or "drive battery" are also used as synonyms for the electrical energy storage. Likewise, electric vehicles are mentioned in the following, but the term is not intended to constitute a limitation of purely electric vehicles. On the contrary, all vehicles that use a battery to store driving energy (i.e. a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) or a vehicle with a fuel cell (the battery may act as a buffer)) are also included.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional attachment device for an electrical energy source EQ for providing tractive force to an electric vehicle (i.e. driving the electric vehicle), in a cross-section perpendicular to a straight direction GF of the electric vehicle in a mounted state.

The electrical energy source EQ can be designed, for example, as a rechargeable battery ("high-power battery", "traction battery"), for example, as a lithium-ion battery. The electric energy source EQ is housed and fixed in a case G disposed below a vehicle floor FB between sills S of the electric vehicle. Due to the stringent requirements on electrical energy storage density, the electrical energy source EQ does not have any externally accessible internal support structures or through-holes through which attachment elements such as screw elements or tow-bars pass, so that the electrical energy source EQ can only be attached to the housing G by external connections. In addition, there is no significant space available for the energy absorbing structure around the electrical energy source EQ.

The housing G has mounting brackets TB on both side walls SW. Each threshold S is provided with a corresponding fastening clip HK on the inner side. On the mounting bracket TB, the housing G is attached to the corresponding threshold S by means of bolted connections B at a small distance from the threshold S.

In the event of a side impact event, the rocker S affected by the impact accelerates in the direction of the housing G. Due to the small distance in the normal installation state, unbraked impact of the threshold S against the side wall SW of the housing G is possible. The mechanical integrity of the casing G and of the electrical energy source EQ housed inside it is therefore seriously compromised.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an attachment device 10 according to the invention for an electrical energy source 38 for providing traction for an electric vehicle in a section perpendicular to the straight direction 50 of the electric vehicle in the mounted state.

The attachment device 10 according to the invention has a housing 12 for accommodating and securing an electrical energy source 38. The housing 12 corresponds to the housing G according to fig. 1 and can be made, for example, from a steel sheet or from a fiber-plastic composite (FKV). The electrical energy source 38 can be designed, for example, as a rechargeable battery ("high-power battery", "traction battery"), for example as a lithium-ion battery.

Furthermore, the attachment device 10 comprises a transverse structural element 18 which, in the mounted state, is arranged above the housing 12 and is arranged transversely with respect to the straight direction 50 and is configured as a transverse beam. Both ends of the cross member are operatively connected to side

sills

40, 42 of the electric vehicle.

In two consecutive areas 20 in a direction transverse to the rectilinear direction 50, the strength of the beam is lower than the strength of the rest of the beam. For example, a lower strength of the two regions 20 may be produced by selecting a lower thickness of material. In addition, each of the two regions 20 of relatively low strength can be provided with a predetermined breaking point 22 on the side of the cross beam facing the housing 12.

The electrical energy source 38 is accommodated and fixed in the housing 12 and, in the installed state shown in fig. 2, is arranged below a vehicle floor 48 between the

door sills

40, 42 of the electric vehicle, the distance 16 (fig. 4) from the

respective door sill

40, 42 being small.

Furthermore, the attachment device 10 comprises a plurality of

attachment elements

24, 26 for attaching the housing 12 to the body of an electric vehicle, in particular for attaching the housing 12 to the

door sills

40, 42.

Details about the

attachment elements

24, 26 can best be found in fig. 4, in fig. 4 a detailed view of an attachment element 26 of the plurality of

attachment elements

24, 26 of the attachment device 10 according to fig. 2 is shown. What is described below with respect to the attachment element 26 applies analogously to the attachment element 24.

Each attachment element 26 of the plurality of

attachment elements

24, 26 is entirely made of a ductile material, for example steel having a high ductility, and is in the form of a band having a substantially uniform width (perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in fig. 4). In another exemplary embodiment, the attachment element can also be made entirely of a material having spring elasticity.

Each attachment element 26 of the plurality of

attachment elements

24, 26 has a housing side end 28 for attachment to the side wall 14 of the housing 12. The housing-side ends 28 are configured in a linear manner, bear in parallel against the side walls 14 of the housing 12 in the mounted state, and are firmly connected directly to the side walls 14 of the housing 12 by means of screw connections or bolt connections 30.

Each attachment element 26 of the plurality of

attachment elements

24, 26 has a sill-side end 32 for attachment to one of the sills 42. The housing-side end 32 is likewise constructed linearly, in the mounted state, in parallel against a rectangular contour 44 which is firmly attached to the door sill 42, and is firmly connected to the rectangular contour 44, for example by means of a screw connection or a bolt connection 34.

In the mounted state, the attachment position of the sill-side end 32 of each

attachment element

24, 26 is arranged above the attachment point of the housing-side end 28 of the

respective attachment element

24, 26.

In the mounted state shown in fig. 4, each attachment element 26 of the plurality of

attachment elements

24, 26 has a curved contour with an inflection point 36 in a virtual plane which is arranged perpendicularly with respect to a straight direction 50 of the electric vehicle and corresponds to the drawing plane in fig. 4, between the housing-side end 28 and the rocker-side end 32. The contour in the virtual plane is configured in an S-shape, and the case-side curve of the S-shape is arranged in an upwardly convex manner, and the sill-side curve of the S-shape is arranged in an upwardly concave manner.

Fig. 3 shows the same view of the attachment device 10 according to fig. 2 in the event of a side impact event (a) in which a force 52 is applied to one of the door sills. The level of force 52 causes deformation of the rocker 40, which rocker 40 moves in the direction of the housing 12 (B). Due to the configuration of the

attachment elements

24, 26 of the attachment device 10 according to the invention, the housing 12 and the electrical energy source 38 contained therein can perform a lateral compensation movement (C); at the same time, the attachment elements 24 have generated a downward force in the respective side walls 14 of the housing 12, which is intended to move the housing 12 downward. The force 52 applied to the affected rocker 40 is transmitted to the cross member. When a predetermined force is exceeded, one of the less strong regions 20 of the beam deforms first. When a predetermined degree of deformation is reached, a predetermined breaking point 22 arranged on the side of the region 20 facing the housing 12 produces a breaking point (D) by means of which an additional downward force 54 is exerted on the housing 12. The housing 12 is removed from the force application path and is therefore loaded neither by force nor by torque.

The attachment element 24 facing the affected door sill 40 is stretched by the movement of the housing 12 and the attachment element 26 outside the housing 12 opposite the affected door sill 40 is compressed by the movement of the housing 12. Nevertheless, the housing 12 and the energy source 38 contained therein are securely and reliably secured by the plurality of

attachment elements

24, 26.

Fig. 5 shows a detailed view of an alternative attachment of an exemplary attachment element 26 of the attachment device 10 according to fig. 2. In contrast to the arrangement of the attachment element 26 according to fig. 4 shown by way of example, the attachment element 26 in the arrangement according to fig. 5 is first rotated by 90 ° about an axis parallel to the rectilinear direction 50 and then by 180 ° in the vertical direction.

In the mounted state, the housing-side end 28 of the attachment element 26 bears in parallel against the lower edge of an L-shaped profile rail 46, which L-shaped profile 46 is permanently connected to the side wall 14 of the housing 12 by means of the vertical part of the L-shape. The housing-side end 28 of the attachment element 26 is permanently connected to the L-shaped profiled rail 46, for example by means of a screw connection or a bolt connection 30.

In the mounted state, the sill-side end 32 of the attachment element 26 rests partly in parallel against the underside of a rectangular profile 44, which rectangular profile 44 is permanently arranged on the sill 42 and is permanently connected to the sill 42, for example by means of a screw connection or a bolt connection 34. The S-shaped case-side curve is arranged in an outwardly convex manner, and the S-shaped sill-side curve is provided in an outwardly concave manner.

The function of the attachment element 26 in the alternative attachment method in the event of a side impact event corresponds to the description given above. In this arrangement, by applying a force 52 to the respective door sill 40 by means of the attachment element 26 in the respective side wall 14 of the housing 12, it is also possible to generate a downward force which is intended to move the housing downward, said force causing the housing 12 and the electrical energy source 38 contained therein to move out of the force application path when a weak breaking point in the region 20 of the cross beam is generated (fig. 3).

List of reference numerals:

10 attachment device

12 casing

14 side wall

16 distance

18 transverse structural element

20 low intensity region

22 predetermined breaking point

24 attachment element

26 attachment element

28 side end of the housing

30 screw or bolt connection

32 side end of door sill

34 screw or bolt connection

36 inflection point

38 electric energy source

40 door sill

42 door sill

44 rectangular profile

46 special-shaped rail

48 vehicle floor

50 straight direction

52 force (horizontal)

54 power (downward)

B bolt connecting piece

EQ electric energy source

FB vehicle floor

G shell

GF straight direction

HK fastening clip

S-shaped doorsill

SW sidewall

TB mounting bracket

Claims

1. An attachment device (10) for an electrical energy source (38), the electrical energy source (38) being intended to provide tractive force for a vehicle, i.e. to drive a vehicle, preferably an electric vehicle, the electrical energy source (38) being arrangeable under a vehicle floor (48) between vehicle sills (40, 42) of the vehicle, the attachment device (10) having a housing (12) for accommodating and fixing the electrical energy source (38) and a plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) for attaching the housing (12) to a body of the vehicle, in particular of the electric vehicle,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) have a housing-side end (28) for attachment to the housing (12), a rocker-side end (32) for attachment to one of the rockers (40, 42), and an at least partially curved contour between the housing-side end (28) and the rocker-side end (32) in at least one virtual plane arranged perpendicularly with respect to a straight-ahead direction (50) of the vehicle in the mounted state, the at least partially curved contour comprising at least one inflection point (36).

2. Attachment device (10) according to claim 1,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the attachment elements (24, 26) of the plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) are made primarily of a ductile material.

3. Attachment device (10) according to claim 1,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the attachment elements (24, 26) of the plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) are predominantly made of a material having spring elasticity.

4. Attachment device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

at least a portion of the plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) is configured in the form of a band having a substantially uniform width.

5. Attachment device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the contour in the virtual plane of at least a portion of the plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) is S-shaped.

6. Attachment device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the shell-side end (28) and the sill-side end (32) of at least some of the plurality of attachment elements (24, 26) are configured in a linear manner.

7. Attachment device (10) according to claim 5 or 6,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

at least a part of the attachment elements (24, 26) is connected in the mounted state at least one of the housing-side end (28) and the sill-side end (32) at least partially parallel against the side wall (14) of the housing (12) or at least partially parallel against one of the sills (40, 42).

8. Attachment device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the housing-side end (28) of at least a part of the attachment elements (24, 26) is attached directly or indirectly to the side wall (14) of the housing (12), and in the mounted state the attachment point of the sill-side end (32) of these attachment elements (24, 26) is arranged above the attachment point of the housing-side end (28).

9. Attachment device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

comprises at least one transverse structural element (18) which, in the installed state, is arranged above the housing (12) and transversely with respect to the straight-ahead direction (50) and can be operatively connected at both ends to side sills (40, 42) of the vehicle, and the strength in at least two regions (20) which are consecutive in a direction transverse to the straight-ahead direction (50) is lower than the strength of the rest of the transverse structural element (18).

10. Attachment device (10) according to claim 9,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the transverse structural element (18) is provided with a predetermined breaking point (22) in each of the at least two consecutive regions (20) on the side facing the housing (12).