IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,589,614
Granted Patent B2
US 10,589,614 · App. 16/233,591 · Granted Mar 17, 2020

Reinforcement structure

Inventor: Fredrik Övgård (Göteborg, SE)
Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
B60K1/04B60L50/64B60L50/66B62D21/02B62D21/10B62D21/15B62D25/20B60K2001/0438B60Y2306/01
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,589,614
App. No.
16/233,591
Granted
Mar 17, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A reinforcement structure for protection of a vehicle power source, e.g. a battery pack or a fuel cell. The reinforcement structure extends in a first, a second and a third direction (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ) being perpendicular to each other, wherein an extension of the reinforcement structure is at least 5 times larger in the first and second directions than in the third direction. The reinforcement structure has a tapered shape as seen in a plane spanned by the first and second directions. The present disclosure also relates to a reinforcement unit, a vehicle power source arrangement and a vehicle utilizing such reinforcement structure.

Claims (17)

1. A reinforcement structure for protection of a vehicle power source, said reinforcement structure comprising a reinforcement structure extending in first, second and third directions (D1, D2, D3), said first, second and third directions (D1, D2, D3) being perpendicular to each other, wherein an extension of said reinforcement structure is at least 5 times larger in said first and second directions (D1, D2) than in said third direction (D3), and wherein said reinforcement structure has a tapered shape as seen in a plane spanned by said first and second directions (D1, D2), wherein said reinforcement structure comprises a shaped sheet metal, which comprises a plurality of ridges interspaced by valleys extending in parallel.

2. The reinforcement structure according to claim 1 , wherein said tapered shape, as seen in said plane spanned by said first and second directions (D1, D2), is continuously decreasing, preferably regularly continuously decreasing, more preferably triangular, most preferably having a shape of a right-angled triangle.

3. The reinforcement structure according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum extension (a) of said reinforcement structure in said first direction (D1) is in the range of 5-50 cm, preferably 5-40 cm, more preferably 10-30 cm, most preferably 15-25 cm.

4. The reinforcement structure according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum extension (b) of said reinforcement structure in said second direction (D2) is in the range of 20-150 cm, preferably 25-125 cm, more preferably 30-100 cm, most preferably 40-70 cm.

5. The reinforcement structure according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum extension (c) of said reinforcement structure in said third direction (D3) is in the range of 0<c≤5 cm, preferably 0.3≤c≤3 cm, more preferably 0.5≤c≤2 cm, most preferably 0.8≤c≤1.5 cm.

6. The reinforcement structure according to claim 1 , wherein said valleys have a bottom width (w) in the range of 0.2-10 cm, preferably 0.5-8 cm, more preferably 1-5 cm, most preferably 1-3 cm.

7. The reinforcement structure according to claim 1 , wherein a c-c distance (d) between two adjacent valleys is in the range of 0.4-20 cm, preferably 1-16 cm, more preferably 2-10 cm, most preferably 4-8 cm.

8. A reinforcement unit comprising a plurality of reinforcement structures according to claim 1 , preferably said plurality of reinforcement structures being arranged such that a first reinforcement structure forms a mirror image of an adjacent second reinforcement structure, as seen in said plane spanned by said first and second directions (D1, D2).

9. A vehicle power source arrangement comprising:

a vehicle power source, e.g. a battery pack or a fuel cell, and

at least one of said reinforcement structures according to claim 1 , preferably a plurality of said reinforcement structures.

10. The vehicle power source arrangement according to claim 9 further comprising a top lid configured to cover said vehicle power source, said at least one reinforcement structure being located at said top lid, preferably being attached to said top lid, e.g. by means of spot welding or projection welding.

11. The vehicle power source arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein said top lid comprises a number of protrusions, preferably located at the locations where said reinforcement structure is attached to said top lid.

12. The vehicle power source arrangement according to claim 9 further comprising a bottom wall configured to carry said vehicle power source, said at least one reinforcement structure being located at said bottom wall, preferably being attached to said bottom wall, e.g. by means of spot welding or projection welding.

13. The vehicle power source arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein said bottom wall comprises a number of protrusions, preferably located at the locations where said reinforcement structure is attached to said bottom wall.

14. The vehicle power source arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein said vehicle power source arrangement comprises at least one lateral wall extending along a lateral side of said vehicle power source and at least one cross member extending across said vehicle power source or along a front side or a rear side thereof, wherein said reinforcement structure comprises at least one strut extending between said cross member and said lateral wall, preferably a plurality of struts, more preferably said struts extending in parallel.

15. A vehicle comprising the reinforcement structure of claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2018
From: ÖVGÅRD, FREDRIK
To: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047860/0229 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 18150934 · Jan 10, 2018 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190210441A1 · Jul 11, 2019