FR3063458A1 - DEVICE FOR THE LATERAL PROTECTION OF THE PROPULSION BATTERY OF A HYBRID OR ELECTRIC VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle (1) of hybrid or electric type comprising a battery (3) for propulsion, the battery (3) comprising a housing whose side faces are placed facing a structural element of the vehicle, the vehicle (1) further comprising a battery protector device characterized in that said protection device (9) comprises at least one impactor (11) comprising a bearing face (13) and an impact face (15) , the impactor (11) being arranged interposed between one of the structural elements (17) of said vehicle (1) and one of the side faces (19) of the battery case so that its impact face ( 13) is placed opposite the structural element (7) of the vehicle.

Description

Holder (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Société anonyme.

Extension request (s)

Agent (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Public limited company.

LATERAL PROTECTION DEVICE FOR THE PROPULSION BATTERY OF A HYBRID OR ELECTRIC VEHICLE.

FR 3 063 458 - A1 (57) The invention relates to a motor vehicle (1) of the hybrid or electric type comprising a propulsion battery (3), the battery (3) comprising a casing the lateral faces of which are placed opposite 'a structural element of the vehicle, the vehicle (1) further comprising a battery protection device remarkable in that said protection device (9) comprises at least one impactor (11) comprising a bearing face (13) and an impact face (15), the impactor (11) being disposed interposed between one of the structural elements (17) of said vehicle (1) and one of the lateral faces (19) of the battery casing so that its impact face (13) is placed opposite the structural element (7) of the vehicle.

306345S i

DEVICE FOR SIDE PROTECTION OF THE PROPULSION BATTERY OF A HYBRID OR ELECTRIC VEHICLE

The present invention relates to the automotive field and applies more particularly to a motor vehicle of the hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle type.

Electric type motor vehicles include only an electric motor. Hybrid vehicles include a heat engine in addition to an electric motor. The two motors operate simultaneously or alternately so as to reduce the total power consumed by the vehicle. The propulsion battery of the electric motor is generally rectangular in two successive parts, and is housed in the rear part of the vehicle, in the boot or under the body. Generally, the propulsion battery supplying the electric motor extends at least partially under the rear passenger seats and in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

When the vehicle is impacted in its rear part, the resulting forces can generate a deformation of the vehicle trunk, or even a perforation of the battery. In such a case, there is a risk of electric shock or chemical burns for passengers. Several solutions for protecting the battery in the event of a rear impact with the vehicle have already been proposed, but few of them offer protection against side impacts.

For example the document US9254873 describes the use of a battery protection device. The device is made with a pressurized hollow body structure. The protection device is located on the rear side of the propulsion battery to protect it from a collision in the rear of the vehicle.

Likewise, the document DE102012001596 describes the implementation of a protection device disposed between the battery and a support which may be the structure of the vehicle. The device is a shock absorption device and for this purpose comprises various cells comprising a pressurized fluid. The absorption of a shock is done by the evacuation of said fluid by suitable valves.

Unfortunately, the current propulsion battery protection devices operating on this shock absorption principle by the evacuation of a pressurized fluid are complex and bulky which makes them difficult to install at the lateral faces of the drums. However, it would be interesting to propose a solution for protecting the battery at its lateral faces which is simple, inexpensive in its production, effective in the protection offered and easy to implant in a confined space.

The object of the invention is to respond to at least one of the problems of the prior art, by proposing a device for protecting a propulsion battery of a motor vehicle of the electric or hybrid type which is suitable for protecting the battery by in the event of a rear side collision of the vehicle, while remaining simple and easily implantable in a confined space. In particular, the invention provides a protection device which is suitable for managing shock of the "post" type in which the forces are significant and concentrated on a limited area.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a motor vehicle of the hybrid or electric type comprising a propulsion battery, the battery comprising a casing the lateral faces of which are placed opposite a structural element of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising at in addition to a battery protection device, remarkable in that said battery protection device comprises at least one impactor comprising a bearing face and an impact face, the impactor being disposed interposed between one of the structural elements of said vehicle and one of the side faces of the battery casing so that its impact face is placed opposite the structural element of the vehicle.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said impactor or said impactors are configured and dimensioned so that there is a spacing between their impact face and the structural element disposed opposite.

Preferably, the device comprises at least two impactors, each impactor being fixed to one of the lateral faces of the battery. The invention therefore comprises at least one impactor on each side of the battery, preferably the invention comprises a single impactor on each of the side faces of the battery.

As will be understood from reading the definition which has just been given, the invention consists in proposing a protection device whose primary function is to distribute the forces resulting from a collision. The efforts concentrated in one area are thus distributed over a larger area at the level of the battery casing, which reduces the risks of perforation of this casing, and therefore makes it possible to protect the battery cells and to minimize or even avoid the risk of explosion.

Preferably, the device is arranged adjacent to but spaced from the structural element which is intended to deform. The impactor is not in contact with the structural element of the vehicle. The spacing between the impact face and the structural element allows the impactor to be stressed only when the structural element placed opposite is sufficiently deformed to come into contact with its impact face. This spacing therefore makes it possible to delay the stress on the impactor in the event of a collision and thus to benefit from the absorption of part of the forces by the deformation of the structural element of the vehicle.

The second function of the impactor is to transmit the forces received to the front and / or rear faces of the battery casing, the front and rear faces being defined relative to the longitudinal orientation of the vehicle taken in its normal direction of travel. To this end, the impactor according to the invention will extend as far as possible towards the corners of the battery casing, preferably at least one impactor covers at least one of the corners of the battery casing, said corner being formed by the junction between a lateral face of the battery casing and its front face and / or its rear face.

According to the invention, the impactor (s) will act as a spacer between the battery and the structural element of the vehicle arranged opposite, for example the spar. According to a first embodiment of the invention, at least one impactor is fixed by its bearing face on one of the lateral faces of the battery casing, preferably by gluing.

According to another complementary or alternative embodiment to the first, the battery casing is covered at least partially at its lateral faces by a reinforcing structure, and at least one impactor is arranged so that its bearing surface covers at least in part said reinforcement structure, preferably the bearing face of the impactor has a shape complementary to the relief formed by the reinforcement structure and / or the impactor is fixed to the reinforcement structure. According to the invention, the support face may not be flat but conform to the shape of the battery casing and of the elements arranged on said casing. Advantageously, the reinforcing element is interposed between the battery casing and the impactor so that at least part of the transmitted forces are transmitted to the reinforcing element and not to the battery casing. This configuration further preserves the battery.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the impactor (s) have sufficient rigidity so as not to deform before a predefined force threshold. Thus preferably, at least one impactor has a resistance to deformation under the application of a force less than or equal to 180,000 N, preferably less than or equal to 150,000 N, more preferably less than or equal to 130,000 N Preferably, at least one impactor has a resistance to deformation under the application of a pushing force less than or equal to 18 tonnes, preferably less than or equal to 15 tonnes, more preferably less than or equal to 13 tonnes. The invention differs from a conventional shock absorption device which is designed to crash into itself immediately in order to absorb maximum energy. On the contrary, the presence of an impactor stiffens the device according to the invention. It is only when the forces at play have exceeded a certain threshold that the impactor will break, no longer being able to fulfill its function of force distribution.

This rigidity shown by the impactor can be obtained in different ways. Thus, according to one embodiment of the invention, at least one impactor is in the form of a block constituted by a solid body, preferably a block of polyurethane foam. According to another embodiment, at least one impactor is in the form of a partitioned block comprising a network of internal partitions formed by a network of ribs oriented to extend from the bearing face to the face of impact. Preferably, the impactor (s) are made of plastic material comprising a matrix of thermoplastic or thermosetting material, possibly reinforced with fibers.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the spacing between at least one impactor and the structure of the vehicle is constant, or more or less constant, over the entire length of said impactor. The length of the impactor is along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The impactor is then configured so that its impact face shows a shape complementary to the shape of the structural element placed opposite. Also when the structural element shows a curved surface facing the impactor, the impact surface of the impactor will follow the curvatures of the structural element. Similarly, the bearing face will have a shape complementary to the lateral face of the casing or of the casing reinforcement on which it is fixed. This configuration allows maximum use of the space available between the battery casing and the structural element placed opposite it. Thus while keeping a spacing between the impactor and the structural element, said impactor has the greatest possible thickness and therefore has the greatest possible resistance.

Thus and preferably, the distance between the bearing face and the impact face of the impactor defining the thickness of said impactor; at least one impactor has a thickness variation depending on its length.

Optionally, at least one impactor is configured so that its impact face has an inclination relative to its bearing face over at least part of the length.

Finally, the subject of the invention is a device for protecting the propulsion battery of a hybrid or electric vehicle as defined above. Said device is remarkable in that it comprises at least one impactor comprising a bearing face and an impact face, intended to be disposed between one of the structural elements of said vehicle and one of the lateral faces of the casing of the drums. Preferably, said impactor or said impactors are configured and dimensioned so that there remains a spacing between their impact face and the structural element disposed opposite.

The invention will be well understood and other aspects and advantages will appear clearly on reading the following description given with reference to the attached drawing board on which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle according to the invention as seen below.

FIG. 2 is a partial view of a vehicle according to the invention showing the arrangement between the propulsion battery, an impactor of the protection device and the structural element arranged opposite.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary embodiment of an impactor according to the invention.

In the following description, the term "understand" is synonymous with "include" and is not limiting in that it authorizes the presence of other elements in the vehicle or the device to which it relates. It is understood that the term "understand" includes the terms "consist of". The terms “front” and “rear” as well as the “longitudinal” and “transverse” directions will be understood in relation to the general orientation of the vehicle. In the various figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1 of the hybrid or electric type seen from below. The vehicle 1 comprises a rear-wheel drive battery 3. The battery is located at least partially under the rear passenger seats of the vehicle (i.e. under the row 2 seats) and extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle. It comprises a casing which is generally presented in two parts, an upper part or upper casing and a lower part or lower casing. The battery casing 3 has a generally parallelepipedal shape defining an upper face, a lower face, a front face, a rear face and two side faces 5. The battery 3 extends between two structural elements 7 of the vehicle 1, generally structural elements 7 of low track. Preferably, it extends between the front parts of the two lower beams, so that said beams are arranged opposite said side faces 5 of the battery casing 3.

The invention provides a vehicle 1 comprising a lateral protection device 9 for the propulsion battery 3 making it possible to limit or even prevent the intrusion of the structural elements 7 arranged opposite the lateral faces 5 of the battery casing 3 in the battery in response to a deformation of said structural elements resulting from a side collision of the “post impact” type.

FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention according to which the battery protection device 3 comprises at least one impactor 11 comprising a bearing face 13 and an impact face 15. The impactor 11 is arranged between one of the structural elements 7 of said vehicle and one of the lateral faces 5 of the battery casing 3. The impactor 11 or said impactors 11 are configured and dimensioned so that there remains a spacing "e"

between their impact face 15 and the structural element 7, for example the beam, arranged opposite.

It will be understood that the protection device according to the invention preferably comprises at least two impactors 11, each impactor 11 being fixed to one of the two lateral faces 5 of the battery 3. The invention therefore comprises at least one impactor 11 on each side of the battery 3, preferably the invention comprises a single impactor 11 on each of the side faces 5 of the battery 3.

More preferably, each impactor 11 will extend over at least part of the length of the lateral face of the battery 3. This configuration aims to distribute the impact forces received at the impact face of the 'impactor on a surface of the battery casing as large as possible in order to limit the risks of piercing of the battery casing and of intrusion of foreign elements in the battery.

According to an implementation of the invention, or the impactors 11 are fixed by means of their bearing face 13 on the battery casing or on a reinforcement structure 17 of the battery when the latter is provided with it. Indeed, the propulsion batteries can be provided with a reinforcing structure 17 which will at least partially surround them. When this structure is present, the impactor (s) will advantageously be fixed to this reinforcement structure 17 to which they will preferentially transmit the forces received. Advantageously, the impactor is dimensioned to extend over at least part of the length of the lateral face of the reinforcing structure, and preferably the entire length of the lateral face of said reinforcing structure.

In order to be able to transmit the forces to the front and / or rear faces of the battery casing, the impactor will extend as far as possible towards the corners of the battery casing, preferably at least one impactor covers at least one of the corners formed by the junction between a lateral face of the battery casing and its front face and / or its rear face.

In order to be able to perform their force distribution function, the impactor or impactors 11 of the protection device advantageously have a certain rigidity allowing them not to deform below a predefined threshold. Thus preferably, at least one impactor 11 has a resistance to deformation under the application of a force less than or equal to 180,000 N, preferably less than or equal to 150,000 N, more preferably less than or equal to 130,000 N. The invention differs from the solutions proposed by the prior art by proposing a rigid protection device adapted to distribute and transmit the forces to the front and rear faces of the battery, and not a shock absorption device. According to the invention, the impactor or impactors are designed to have constant rigidity over their entire length.

The impactor (s) according to the invention can be made of any material compatible with their function. For reasons of weight as well as cost, the impactor or impactors according to the invention will preferably be made of plastic material.

For example, according to a preferred implementation of the invention, the impactor (s) are each in the form of a block constituted by a solid body, such as a block of polyurethane foam. Those skilled in the art will then easily choose a foam of sufficient density to show the resistance to the desired deformation. This solution is advantageous by its simplicity both in design and in assembly, the block of foam forming the impactor being able to be simply glued to the battery casing or to its reinforcement structure.

According to another embodiment, the impactor (s) are each in the form of a partitioned block comprising a network of internal partitions formed by a network of ribs oriented to extend from the bearing face to the face impact. This block can be made of metal or of plastic or composite material. It will preferably be made of a thermoplastic or thermosetting composite material. A preferred implementation of the invention will favor the use of thermoplastic matrices which have higher delamination and breaking limits than thermosetting resins. Preferably, the absorber consists of a material selected from the group comprising polypropylene, polyamide, polyphthalamide, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyamide-imide, polyetherimide, polyarylamide, polyepoxide, unsaturated polyester, vinylester or polyester-vinylester resins. More preferably, the impactor or impactors are made of a fiber-reinforced composite material.

One of the advantages of the invention is that the mass of an impactor is relatively small. The invention is therefore remarkable in that it solves the problem of protecting the vehicle battery without significantly increasing its weight. Another advantage is that it is adaptable to any type of vehicle and does not require modification of existing industrial installations.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the impactor (s) have a bearing face parallel to their impact face. However according to a preferred implementation of the invention, the impact face is configured to have a shape complementary to that of the structural element arranged opposite. The invention thus provides a protection device having constant spacing with the structural element arranged opposite. Advantageously, this spacing is between 5 and 30 mm, preferably between 10 and 20 mm.

Also when this element is not straight but curved, the impactor or impactors according to the invention have a variation in thickness according to their length, the thickness being defined as the distance between the bearing face and the impact face. of the impactor. Preferably, at least one impactor is configured so that its impact face has an inclination relative to its bearing face over at least part of its length.

According to a variant of the invention, the impactor will have a constant rigidity along its length in order to better distribute the forces received. When the impactor shows a variable thickness depending on the length, the skilled person will benefit from using a partitioned block comprising a network of internal partitions whose density in terms of number of ribs io on a given surface varies according to the thickness .

Claims (10)

1. Motor vehicle (1) of hybrid or electric type comprising a propulsion battery (3), the battery (3) comprising a casing, the lateral faces (5) of which are placed opposite a structural element (7) of the vehicle, the vehicle (1) further comprising a battery protection device; characterized in that said protection device (9) comprises at least one impactor (11) comprising a bearing face (13) and an impact face (15), the impactor (11) being disposed interposed between one of the structural elements (7) of said vehicle (1) and one of the lateral faces (5) of the battery casing so that its impact face (13) is placed opposite the structural element ( 7) of the vehicle. 2. Vehicle (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that said one or more impactors (11) are configured so that there remains a spacing between their impact face (15) and the structural element (7) arranged in look. 3. Vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that at least one impactor (11) is fixed by its bearing face (13) on one of the side faces (5) of the housing of the battery (3), preferably by gluing. 4. Vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, the battery casing being covered at least partially at its lateral faces (5) by a reinforcing structure (17), the vehicle being characterized in that at least one impactor (11) is arranged so that its bearing surface (13) at least partly covers said reinforcing structure (17), preferably the bearing face (13) of the impactor ( 11) has a shape complementary to the relief formed by the reinforcement structure (17) and / or the impactor (11) is fixed to the reinforcement structure (17). 5. Vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that at least one impactor (11) covers at least one of the corners of the battery casing, said corner being formed by the junction between a side face ( 5) of the battery casing and its front face and / or its rear face. 6. Vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that at least one impactor (11) has a resistance to deformation under the application of a force less than or equal to 180,000 N, preferably less than or equal to 150,000 N, more preferably less than or equal to 130,000 N. 7. Vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, the distance between the bearing face 5 (13) and the impact face (15) of the impactor (11) defining the thickness of said impactor (11), the vehicle (1) is characterized in that at least one impactor (11) has a thickness variation according to its length. 8. Vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one 10 impactor (11) is in the form of a block consisting of a solid body, preferably a block of polyurethane foam. 9. Vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one impactor (11) is in the form of a partitioned block comprising a network of 15 internal partitions formed by a network of ribs oriented to extend from the bearing face (13) to the impact face (15). 10. Protection device (9) for battery (3) propulsion of a hybrid or electric vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9. ] /]