EP-4737153-A1 - BATTERY SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT WITH DIAGONALLY ARRANGED BUSHINGS

EP4737153A1EP 4737153 A1EP4737153 A1EP 4737153A1EP-4737153-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery suspension arrangement comprising a pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets spaced apart from each other, wherein a first battery supporting bushing of a first one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets facing in a direction towards a second one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets, and wherein a second battery supporting bushing of the second one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets facing in a direction towards the first one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets.

Inventors

LANDVIK, Sondre
NAWKHARE, Nilesh Ravindra
ALBERT, Ioana

Assignees

Volvo Truck Corporation

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20241029

Claims (15)

A battery suspension arrangement (100) for a vehicle, the battery suspension arrangement comprising a pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets (102, 202) spaced apart from each other, each one of the triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets comprising a first (104, 204), second (106, 206) and third (108, 208) portion, an elongated vertical member (110, 210) extending from the first portion (104, 204) to the second portion (106, 206), an elongated horizontal member (112, 212) extending from the first portion (104, 204) to the third portion (108, 208), and an elongated slanted member (114, 214) extending from the second portion (106, 206) to the third portion (108, 208), each of the triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets being connectable to a frame (40) of the vehicle at the second portion (106, 206), wherein each of the triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets comprises a first (111, 211) and second (120, 220) battery supporting bushing arranged on the respective elongated horizontal member (112, 212) between the first and third portions, wherein the first battery supporting bushing (111, 211) is arranged closer to the first portion (104, 204), and facing in an opposite direction, compared to the second battery supporting bushing (120, 220), wherein the first battery supporting bushing (111) of a first one (102) of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets facing in a direction towards a second one (202) of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets, and wherein the second battery supporting bushing (220) of the second one (202) of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets facing in a direction towards the first one (102) of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets.
The battery suspension arrangement of claim 1, wherein the second portion (106, 206) of each one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets comprises a frame connecting structure (133) for connecting the respective triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets to the frame (40).
The battery suspension arrangement of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the battery suspension arrangement further comprises a first (142) and second (144) elongated frame, each one of the first (142) and second (144) elongated frames comprises a battery support surface (150), wherein the battery support surface of the first and second elongated frame are configured to suspend a first traction battery.
The battery suspension arrangement of claim 3, wherein the first elongated frame (142) is suspended to the first triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket (102) by the first battery supporting bushing (111) of the first triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket, and the second elongated frame (144) is suspended to the second triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket (202) by the second battery supporting bushing (220) of the second triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket.
The battery suspension arrangement of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a first protection plate bracket (400), the first protection plate bracket comprising a first portion (402), a second portion (404) and a third portion (406), wherein the first protection plate bracket comprises an elongated vertical member (408) extending from the first portion (402) to the second portion (404), and an elongated horizontal member (410) extending from the second portion (404) to the third portion (406), wherein the first portion (402) is attached to the third portion (108) of the first triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket (102) and the third portion (406) is attached to the elongated slanted member (114) of the first triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket.
The battery suspension arrangement of claim 5, wherein the first protection plate bracket comprises a bushing arrangement configured to suspend a protection plate to the first protection plate bracket, the bushing arrangement being arranged at the second portion of the first protection plate bracket.
The battery suspension arrangement of claim 6, wherein the first protection plate bracket comprises a cavity, the bushing arrangement being arranged in the cavity.
The battery suspension arrangement of claim 7, wherein the bushing arrangement comprises a first part arranged in, and rotationally fixed to, the bracket cavity, the first part comprising a central cavity, a second part arranged in the central cavity, and a third part arranged in the second part, wherein the third part comprises an aperture configured to receive a fastener element for connecting the protection plate to the first protection plate bracket.
The battery suspension arrangement of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a third triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket (302) spaced apart from the second one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets such that the second one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets is arranged between the first one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets and the third triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket.
The battery suspension arrangement of claim 9, wherein the third triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket comprises a first, second and third portion, an elongated vertical member extending from the first portion to the second portion, an elongated horizontal member extending from the first portion to the third portion, and an elongated slanted member extending from the second portion to the third portion, the third triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket being connectable to the frame of the vehicle at the second portion.
The battery suspension arrangement of claim 10, wherein the third triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket (302) comprises a first (310) and second (320) battery supporting bushing arranged on the elongated horizontal member between the first and third portions, wherein the first battery supporting bushing is arranged closer to the first portion, and facing in an opposite direction, compared to the second battery supporting bushing.
The battery suspension arrangement of claim 11, wherein the first battery supporting bushing (211) of the second one (202) of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets faces in a direction towards third triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket (302), and wherein the second battery supporting bushing (320) of the third triangularly shaped battery suspension bracket (302) faces in a direction towards the second one (202) of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets.
The battery suspension arrangement of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets being a first pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets, the battery suspension arrangement further comprising a second pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets spaced apart from each other, wherein the first and second pair triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets being connectable to a respective longitudinally extending frame rail of the frame of the vehicle.
An energy storage arrangement (1000), comprising a traction battery and a battery suspension arrangement of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the traction battery is supported by the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets.
A vehicle comprising the battery suspension arrangement of any one of claims 1 - 13, or the energy storage arrangement of claim 14.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates generally to suspension of traction batteries. In particular aspects, the disclosure relates to a battery suspension arrangement with diagonally arranged bushings. The disclosure can be applied to heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment, among other vehicle types. Although the disclosure may be described with respect to a particular vehicle, the disclosure is not restricted to any particular vehicle. BACKGROUND The propulsion systems of vehicles are continuously developed to meet the demands from the market. A particular aspect relates to the emission of environmentally harmful exhaust gas. Therefore, vehicles propelled by electric traction motors have been increasingly popular, both for cars as well as for trucks and other heavy duty vehicles. For heavy duty vehicles, the energy storage arrangements, often in the form of traction batteries, need to be relatively large in size to be able to contain a sufficient level of energy such that the vehicle can be operated at an acceptable range using the electric traction motors. The large energy storage arrangements are in turn of substantial weight, and there is a challenged arrange these traction batteries to obtain beneficial load distribution. SUMMARY According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a battery suspension arrangement for a vehicle, the battery suspension arrangement comprising a pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets spaced apart from each other, each one of the triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets comprising a first, second and third portion, an elongated vertical member extending from the first portion to the second portion, an elongated horizontal member extending from the first portion to the third portion, and an elongated slanted member extending from the second portion to the third portion, each of the triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets being connectable to a frame of the vehicle at the second portion, wherein each of the triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets comprises a first and second battery supporting bushing arranged on the respective elongated horizontal member between the first and third portions, wherein the first battery supporting bushing is arranged closer to the first portion, and facing in an opposite direction, compared to the second battery supporting bushing, wherein the first battery supporting bushing of a first one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets facing in a direction towards a second one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets, and wherein the second battery supporting bushing of the second one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets facing in a direction towards the first one of the pair of triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets. The first aspect of the disclosure may seek to at least partly solve the problem of insufficient mechanical suspension of traction batteries to the frame of a vehicle. A technical benefit may include that forces caused by twisting of the frame may not be transmitted to the traction batteries. In detail, by connecting the traction battery to the first bushing, i.e. to an inner bushing, of one of the brackets, as well as to the second bushing, i.e. to an outer bushing, of another one of the brackets, torque and forces caused by frame twisting may not be transmitted to the traction battery, or transmitted at a significantly reduced magnitude. By providing the brackets and bushing as described above, a pseudo-three-point suspension may be provided for the traction battery which allows for improved decoupling from frame twisting compared to e.g. a four-point suspension. In addition, the battery suspension arrangement may enable for simplified connection and disconnection of the traction battery as a low number of connecting portions for the traction battery to the battery suspension arrangement is provided. Hence, assembly of the traction batteries to the battery suspension arrangement can be performed in a more rapid manner. In a similar vein, maintenance and replacement of the traction battery can also be performed more rapidly. Further, the triangularly shaped brackets further enables for improved crash protection of a traction battery connected to the battery suspension arrangement. In detail, the forces from a side collision may be transmitted to the frame of the vehicle without substantially affecting the traction battery suspended by the battery suspension arrangement. The triangularly shaped battery suspension brackets should be construed as three-sided brackets and the first, second and third portions may preferably be construed as the edges of such triangular. Hence, the elongated vertical member, the elongated horizontal member and the elongated slanted member may form the sides of the triangle. According to an example, the second portion may be an upper portion of e