IP Library Granted Patent US 12662722
Granted Patent B2
US 12662722 · App. 18/246,042 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Battery tray bottom for electric vehicles

Inventors: David Barbier (Grenoble, FR); Jocelyne List (Saint Egreve, FR); Jean-Philippe Masse (Grenoble, FR)
Assignee: CONSTELLIUM NEUF-BRISACH
C22C21/02C21D8/0226C21D8/0236C21D8/0278C21D9/46C22C21/04H01M50/224H01M2220/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12662722
App. No.
18/246,042
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to battery trays for electric or hybrid vehicles. The bottoms of the battery trays are made of a thin sheet of aluminum alloy having a modulus of elasticity higher than 77 GPa in order to optimize thickness thereof while ensuring resistance to intrusion. The invention also relates to a thin sheet of 4xxx series aluminum alloy whose modulus is higher than 77 GPa and whose yield strength Rp 0.2 is higher than 295 MPa.

Claims (39)

1 . A thin sheet made of 4xxx alloy for a battery tray bottom made of aluminum alloy whose modulus of elasticity is at least 77 GPa and whose yield strength Rp0.2 is at least 315 MPa in T6 condition.

2 . The thin sheet according to claim 1 , whose 4xxx alloy contains scrap.

3 . The thin sheet according to claim 1 , wherein a carbon footprint of manufacture of a foundry plate for manufacture of the thin sheet is less than 4 tons of CO 2 per foundry plate.

4 . The thin sheet according to claim 1 , comprising a composition of 4xxx alloy, in % by weight,

Si: 10-14,

Mg: 0.05-0.8,

Cu: 0.2-2.0,

Fe: <=0.5,

Mn: <=0.5, optionally at least one element selected from among Na, Ca, Sr, Ba, Y and Li, the amount of said element if selected being 0.01-0.05 for Na, Ca, Sr, Ba, Y and 0.1-0.3 for Li,

Sb: <=0.05,

Cr: <=0.1,

Ti: <=0.2,

other elements <0.05 each and <0.15 in total, the remainder being aluminum.

5 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , comprising insoluble Mg2Si precipitates.

6 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , wherein the Si content: 11-13% by weight.

7 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , wherein the Cu content is at least 0.25% by weight.

8 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , wherein the Fe content is at least 0.10%.

9 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , wherein the Mn content: 0.05-0.2% by weight.

10 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , wherein the Mn content: <0.05% by weight.

11 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , wherein the Sr content: 0.01-0.05% by weight.

12 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , wherein the Cr content: 0.01-0.05% by weight and/or the Ti content 0.01-0.15% by weight.

13 . The thin sheet according to claim 4 , wherein the Cu content is 0.4-0.8% by weight.

14 . The thin sheet according to claim 1 , comprising a yield strength in T6 condition of at least 320 MPa.

15 . The thin sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the 4xxx alloy contains chips or wastes originating from end-of-life vehicles.

16 . The thin sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the 4xxx alloy contains at least 50% by weight of scrap.

17 . The thin sheet according to claim 1 , wherein a carbon footprint of manufacture of a foundry plate for manufacture of the thin sheet is less than 2 tons of CO 2 per foundry plate.

18 . A battery tray bottom made with a thin sheet according to claim 1 .

19 . A method for manufacturing the thin sheet according to claim 1 comprising the following successively:

a. Manufacture of a foundry plate optionally by vertical semi-continuous casting,

b. Homogenization at a temperature of at least 540° C. for 1.5 hours,

c. Hot rolling,

d. Cold rolling with an optional reduction rate of at least 60%,

e. Solution treatment at a temperature of at least 500° C., then quenching.

20 . The method for manufacturing the thin sheet according to claim 19 comprising the following successively:

a. Manufacture of the foundry plate optionally by vertical semi-continuous casting,

b. Homogenization at a temperature of at least 550° C. for at least 4 hours,

c. Hot rolling,

d. Cold rolling with an optional reduction rate of at least 60%,

e. Solution treatment at a temperature of at least 500° C., then quenching, and coiling at a temperature from 50° C. to 100° C.