Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Brock Dunlap

William David Treharne

Bryan Michael Bolger

Michael E Reibling

Kevin A Montgomery

Angel Fernando Porras

Hari Krishna Addanki

Patrick Daniel Maguire

Karin Lovett

Mohammadreza Eftekhari

Jeffrey Matthew Haag

Samir Subba

Scott Benedict

Sam Jeffrey Tomlinson

Joseph Todd White

Traction battery packs are disclosed for use in electrified vehicles. An exemplary traction battery pack may include an outer enclosure assembly establishing an interior, and a battery array housed within the interior. A polymer-based enclosure cover of the outer enclosure assembly may be structurally reinforced by one or more structural cross-members. The structural cross members are designed to provide structural integrity during both normal operating conditions and thermal/venting events of the traction battery pack.

Structurally reinforced enclosure covers for traction battery packs

This disclosure details electrified vehicles that are equipped with one or more attachment and sealing assemblies for securing a battery pack to vehicle body components. An exemplary attachment and sealing assembly may establish a mid-span attachment point of the battery pack. The attachment and sealing assembly may include an attachment column and a sealing ring that cooperate to secure the battery pack to the vehicle and to seal openings formed through the battery pack and the vehicle body component.

Electrified vehicle battery pack attachment and sealing strategies

This disclosure details electrified vehicles that are equipped with one or more attachment and sealing assemblies for securing a battery pack to the vehicle. An exemplary attachment and sealing assembly may establish a mid-span attachment point of the battery pack and may include a pass-through component, a fastener, and a seal. The fastener may be positioned relative to the pass-through component using either a bottom-up or top-down approach. The seal may radially seal between a portion of a battery pack enclosure assembly and the pass-through component.

Electrified vehicle battery pack to vehicle body attachment and sealing strategies

An exemplary battery assembly includes first and second pieces of an enclosure, a flange of the first piece, and a clamping device compressing together the flange and a portion of the second piece to seal an interface. The clamping device has an interior area that receives the flange such that the clamping device extends continuously from a first side, about an outer edge, to an opposite, second side of the flange. An exemplary battery enclosure securing method includes receiving a flange of a first enclosure piece within an open area of a clamping device while the clamping device compresses together the flange and a portion of a second enclosure piece. The clamping device extends continuously from a first side of the flange, about an outer edge of the flange, to an opposite, second side of the flange when the flange is received within the open area.

Traction battery enclosure clamping device and securing method

A battery pack includes an enclosure assembly including a tray and a cover system secured relative to the tray. The cover system includes a first cover and a second cover that overlap one another. At least one of the first cover and the second cover includes a stepped design. Another battery pack includes an insert received within a tray and adapted to establish a first compartment and a second compartment within the tray. A first cover is positioned to cover the first compartment and a second cover is positioned to cover the second compartment.

Battery pack cover system

A vehicle includes an engine, a traction battery, a generator coupled to the engine and battery, and a controller. The controller may be configured to, in response to a current flowing from a battery charge station to the battery being less than a maximum charge current, a selection of a fast charge mode, and a temperature of the engine being less than a predetermined temperature, operate the engine to generate a supplemental current to charge the battery.

Electric vehicle charging via grid and engine

A vehicle includes an electric machine arranged to exchange power with a traction battery. The vehicle also includes a thermal conditioning system for influencing a battery temperature and a controller programmed to schedule battery charging. In response to a temperature of the traction battery exceeding a threshold, the controller issues a command to operate the thermal conditioning system prior to a scheduled battery charge to achieve a predetermined battery temperature at a start of battery charging.

Electric vehicle opportunistic charging systems and methods

A vehicle includes an engine arranged to output torque and an electric machine arranged to apply a reaction torque against engine output torque to generate power for charging a traction battery. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to issue a command to adjust the engine output torque and an output speed corresponding to a predetermined optimal brake specific fuel consumption while providing power to charge the fraction battery, satisfy an accessory power demand, and propel the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Brock Dunlap