Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ahteram Khan

Jingmei Shen

Ihab Grace

Yongcai Wang

Yunan Guo

Thomas Alan Wagner

Afif Sabbagh

Nicholas Braeseker

Anil Reddy Pullalarevu

Ying Zhao

Shekar Prabhakar Erasala

Abdelmonaam Sassi

James Lawrence Swoish

Micah Smith

Amar Marpu

Mike Popovski

John Jardine

Chris O'Connor

Shamsuddin A Syed

Brad Warren Probert

Michael Luchtman

Yi Qu

Sean Brady

David Edward Paul

Melissa Kathryn Christensen

Dhia Meram

Ramanjaneya Reddy Butukuri

Guangyao Li

A traction battery assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a tray, at least one battery module, a lid secured to the tray to provide an enclosure having an interior that houses the at least one battery module, the lid having a lid aperture, and a reinforcement member is secured directly to the lid. The reinforcement member has a reinforcement member aperture. A fastener extends through the lid aperture and the reinforcement member aperture. The fastener is secured to a structure within the interior. The reinforcement member is secured directly to the lid separately from the fastener.

Traction battery enclosure reinforcement assembly and reinforcing method

This disclosure relates to a battery assembly for an electrified vehicle and a corresponding method. An exemplary battery assembly includes a battery cell including a terminal, a busbar, and at least one first weld bead securing the busbar to the terminal. The at least one first weld bead is substantially Z-shaped.

Battery assembly joint with Z-shaped weld bead

This disclosure relates to a motor vehicle including a bolt configured to increase the ease of releasing a connection between a battery and a vehicle frame, and a corresponding method. An example vehicle includes a frame, a battery mounted to the frame, and a fastener forming a connection of the battery to the frame. A section of the fastener is configured to increase the ease of releasing the connection.

Vehicle including fastener configured to increase ease of releasing connection between battery and frame

This disclosure details exemplary battery pack designs for use in electrified vehicles. Exemplary battery packs may include an enclosure assembly, one or more battery internal components (e.g., battery arrays, battery electronic components, or both) inside the enclosure assembly, and a structural brace outside of the enclosure assembly. The battery internal component may be mechanically coupled to the structural brace while also being mechanically decoupled from the enclosure assembly.

Mounting solutions for electrified vehicle battery packs

A busbar assembly includes, among other things, a busbar, a battery terminal, and a deformed area securing together the busbar and the battery terminal. A securing method includes, among other things, positioning a first portion of an attachment structure within an aperture, deforming a second portion of the attachment structure to provide a deformed area, and using the deformed area to secure a busbar relative to a battery terminal.

Electrified vehicle busbar secured using a deformed area of an attachment structure

A connected assembly can include, among other things, first and second side rails of a battery pack of an electrified vehicle. The battery pack including a plurality of battery arrays disposed between the first and second side rails within an enclosure assembly. The connected assembly further includes a lateral rail extending from the first side rail to the second side rail, and a bracket assembly directly connected to the first side rail and the lateral rail. A battery pack connection method can include, among other things, directly connecting a bracket assembly to a horizontally facing side of a lateral rail, and directly connecting the bracket assembly to a horizontally facing side of a first side rail of an enclosure assembly that holds a battery pack of an electrified vehicle between the first side rail and a second side rail.

Connected battery pack assembly and connecting method

This disclosure details mounting systems and associated methods for mounting a battery pack to an electrified vehicle. An exemplary electrified vehicle may include a frame, a battery pack, and a mounting system for mounting the battery pack to the frame. The mounting system may include one or more side rails. Each side rail may include a predefined crush initiator configured to plastically deform for absorbing and transferring energy during vehicle impact loading events.

High voltage battery pack mounting systems for providing load path management during impact loading events

A mounting bracket is provided for a vehicle battery system with a battery tray sized to receive a traction battery. The bracket has first and second sides extending between first and second ends. The bracket defines first and second apertures adjacent to the first end and positioned to cooperate with the first and second bosses to connect the bracket to the battery tray. The bracket defines a third aperture adjacent to the second end and positioned to cooperate with a mounting point on a vehicle frame. The bracket defines a transverse slot intersecting the first side and extending towards the second side, with the transverse slot positioned between the first and third apertures. A vehicle and a vehicle battery system with the mounting bracket are also provided.

Mounting brackets for a vehicle traction battery system

A vehicle underbody includes a battery pack surrounded by an enclosure, and a bracket. The bracket has first and second flanges disposed in a parallel arrangement, and includes a plate having a wall configured to, in response to an impact, rupture at a trigger to allow the enclosure to move away from an impact direction and deform the first flange. The wall is disposed at angle relative to the flanges, and defined such that impact energy is absorbed by the wall and first flange. The first flange, during an impact, moves toward the second flange, which maintains attachment to the vehicle underbody to absorb energy.

Bracket attachment structure having an internal plate

An electrified vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a battery pack mounted to the vehicle frame, a primary bracket secured to each of the vehicle frame and the battery pack, and a support bracket secured to the battery pack and the primary bracket. The support bracket increases the stiffness of the primary bracket.

Battery pack mounting assembly

An exemplary traction battery securing assembly includes, among other things, a platform to support a battery pack, and a bracket supporting the platform in a position spaced from a vehicle structure. The bracket moves from a less elongated position to a more elongated position in response to a load to permit movement of the platform and the traction battery relative to the vehicle structure. An exemplary traction battery securing method includes, among other things, elongating a bracket in response to a load to permit a traction battery to move relative to a vehicle structure.

Traction battery securing assembly and method

A deflector member comprises opposing first and second walls and a plurality of sidewalls arranged adjacent to each other and between the first and second walls, the sidewalls having a cross-sectional shape between the first and second walls that is at least three-sided. The deflector member is adapted to mount to a vehicle frame. The deflector member is further adapted to extend distally from the first wall to the second wall relative to the vehicle frame, and away from a centerline of the vehicle frame.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Ahteram Khan