Battery case for electric vehicles and manufacturing method
AssigneeKobe Steel, Ltd.
InventorHideki Ishitobi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A battery case for an electric vehicle includes a frame that has a polygonal frame shape in plan view, defines a through hole inside, and has R shapes provided on inner sides of corner parts of the polygonal frame shape. The case also includes a bathtub-shaped tray that includes a bottom wall located in the through hole, a surrounding wall that is provided around the bottom wall and defines an opening part on a side opposite to the bottom wall, and a flange that is provided at a distal end of the surrounding wall. The tray is pressure-welded to and integrated with the frame.
Claims17
A battery case for an electric vehicle comprising:
- a frame that has a polygonal frame shape in plan view, defines a space inside, and has an R shape provided to an inner side of a corner part of the polygonal frame shape;
- and
- a tray of a bathtub shape that includes a bottom wall that is located in the space, a surrounding wall that is provided around the bottom wall and defines an opening part on a side opposite to the bottom wall, and a flange that is provided at a distal end of the surrounding wall, and is pressure-welded to and integrated with the frame,
- wherein the tray includes a negative angle part that has a negative angle directed at least partially inward from the bottom wall toward the opening part of the tray.
A method for manufacturing a battery case for an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
- preparing a frame and a molding target member having a flat plate shape, the frame including a main body that has a polygonal frame shape in plan view and defines a space inside, and a corner member that is disposed on an inner side of a corner part of the main body, and has an R shape;
- overlaying and disposing the molding target member on the frame;
- pressurizing the molding target member from a side opposite to the frame, pressing the molding target member against the frame, and bulging the molding target member in the space, thus deforming the molding target member into a tray of a bathtub shape, and integrating the molding target member with the frame, the tray including a bottom wall, and a surrounding wall that is provided at a circumferential edge of the bottom wall and defines an opening part;
- and
- detaching the corner member from the frame after the molding target member and the frame are integrated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.