IP Library Granted Patent US 12,401,078
Granted Patent B2
US 12,401,078 · App. 17/753,729 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Method for manufacturing electric vehicle battery case and electric vehicle battery case

Inventor: Hideki Ishitobi (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: KOBE STEEL, LTD.
H01M50/121B29C70/18B29C70/46B60L50/64H01M50/242H01M50/249B29K2101/12B29K2105/0863B29L2031/7146H01M2220/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,401,078
App. No.
17/753,729
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case includes: preparing a frame configured to define a through space inside and a flat plate made of resin; superposing and disposing the flat plate on the frame; and applying pressure to the flat plate from an opposite side from the frame to press the flat plate against the frame to cause the flat plate to swell in the through space, thereby deforming the flat plate into a tray having a bathtub shape including a bottom wall and a peripheral wall provided at a peripheral edge of the bottom wall and configured to define an opening portion, and joining by press-fitting the tray to the frame.

Claims (35)

1. A method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case, the method comprising:

preparing a frame configured to define a space inside and a member to be formed made of resin;

superposing and disposing the member to be formed on the frame; and

applying pressure to the member to be formed from an opposite side from the frame to press the member to be formed against the frame to cause the member to be formed to swell in the space, thereby deforming the member to be formed into a tray having a bathtub shape including a bottom wall and a peripheral wall provided at a peripheral edge of the bottom wall and configured to define an opening portion, and integrating the tray with the frame.

2. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 1 , wherein the tray further includes a flange provided at a tip of the peripheral wall.

3. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 1 , wherein the resin constituting the member to be formed has thermoplasticity,

the method further comprising heating the member to be formed when pressure is applied to the member to be formed from an opposite side from the frame.

4. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 3 , wherein the heating the member to be formed is performed by at least any one of heating the member to be formed itself and heating the frame.

5. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 1 , wherein the member to be formed has a flat plate shape.

6. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 1 , further comprising primarily molding the member to be formed including a bottom wall, a peripheral wall provided at a peripheral edge of the bottom wall, and a flange provided at a tip of the peripheral wall.

7. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 6 ,

wherein the resin is fiber-reinforced resin, and

wherein the primary molding of the member to be formed is injection molding.

8. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 6 ,

wherein the resin is fiber-reinforced resin, and

wherein the primary molding of the member to be formed is a hot press of SMC.

9. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is made of metal.

10. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 1 , wherein applying pressure to the member to be formed from an opposite side from the frame is performed by a pressure forming method.

11. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 10 , wherein the applying pressure to the member to be formed from the opposite side from the frame includes:

preparing a hydraulic transfer elastic body configured to be elastically deformed using pressure of liquid,

superposing and disposing the hydraulic transfer elastic body on the member to be formed superposed and disposed on the frame, and

applying pressure to the member to be formed via the hydraulic transfer elastic body.

12. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 1 , wherein when the applying pressure to the member to be formed from the opposite side from the frame to deform the member to be formed into the tray is performed, negative angle forming of forming a negative angle at least partially from the bottom wall toward the opening portion of the tray is performed.

13. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 12 ,

wherein the frame has a negative angle portion in which a negative angle is formed in advance, and

wherein the negative angle forming is performed by pressing the member to be formed against the negative angle portion of the frame when the applying pressure to the member to be formed from the opposite side from the frame to deform the member to be formed into the tray is performed.

14. The method for manufacturing an electric vehicle battery case according to claim 12 , wherein the negative angle forming is performed by integrally deforming the frame and the member to be formed to form the negative angle when the applying pressure to the member to be formed from the opposite side from the frame to deform the member to be formed into the tray is performed.

15. An electric vehicle battery case comprising:

a frame made of metal configured to define a space inside; and

a tray made of resin and having a bathtub shape, the tray including a bottom wall positioned in the space, a peripheral wall provided around the bottom wall and configured to define an opening portion on an opposite side from the bottom wall, and a flange provided at a tip of the peripheral wall, the tray being integrated with the frame,

wherein a negative angle portion in which a negative angle directed at least partially inward from the bottom wall toward an opening portion of the tray is provided.

16. The electric vehicle battery case according to claim 15 , wherein the tray is made of fiber-reinforced resin.

17. The electric vehicle battery case according to claim 15 , wherein the frame is made of an aluminum alloy extruded product, an aluminum alloy cast product, a magnesium alloy extruded product, a magnesium alloy cast product, or a combination of them.

18. The electric vehicle battery case according to claim 15 , wherein the frame is made of a steel plate roll form material, a steel plate press component, or a combination of them.

19. The electric vehicle battery case according to claim 15 , wherein the frame includes a cross member.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: ISHITOBI, HIDEKI
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
Reel/Frame 059245/0397 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-187899 · Oct 11, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220344752A1 · Oct 27, 2022
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