Lightweight battery box for electric vehicles
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRohit Telukunta, Steven Frank, Adam Weyrauch, Michael J. Gardynik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A battery box for an electric vehicle includes an Al casting that extends between and joins to a BIW or chassis rails of the electric vehicle. The Al casting includes a bottom wall, a side wall with a pair of rails that are securely attached to the BIW or chassis rails of the vehicle, and a plurality of cross members. The bottom wall, the side wall, and the plurality of cross members define a structural enclosure with a plurality of battery compartments and at least one crush zone, and the structural enclosure is load bearing member of the electric vehicle.
Claims20
A battery box for a vehicle, the battery box comprising:
- a first portion formed from a single aluminum (Al) casting, the first portion comprising a bottom wall, a side wall, and a plurality of cross members, the bottom wall, the side wall, and the plurality of cross members defining a plurality of battery compartments and a structural enclosure, the structural enclosure configured to extend between and mechanically couple to chassis rails of the vehicle.
A battery box for a vehicle, the battery box comprising:
- a first portion formed from a single aluminum (Al) casting, the first portion configured to extend between and join to chassis rails of the vehicle, the first portion comprising a bottom wall, a side wall with a pair of rails configured to be securely attached to the chassis rails of the vehicle, and a plurality of cross members, wherein the bottom wall, the side wall, and the plurality of cross members define a structural enclosure with a plurality of battery compartments and at least one crush zone.
A battery box for a vehicle, the battery box comprising:
- a first portion formed from a single aluminum (Al) casting, the aluminum (Al) casting having a chemical composition, in weight percent, comprising 6-8.5% Si, up to 0.25% Fe, 0.5-0.9% Mn, 0.2-0.3% Mg, up to 0.16% Ti, 0.015-0.025% Sr, up to 0.001% Cu, unavoidable impurities up to 0.05% each, and the remainder being Al, the first portion configured to extend between and join to chassis rails of the vehicle and comprising a bottom wall with cooling fins, a side wall with a pair of rails configured to be securely attached to chassis rails of the vehicle, and a plurality of cross members, wherein the bottom wall, the side wall, and the plurality of cross members define a structural enclosure with a plurality of battery compartments and at least one crush zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.