Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Micah Smith

Ihab Grace

Yongcai Wang

Brad Warren Probert

Suriyaprakash Ayyangar Janarthanam

George Albert Garfinkel

Mike Popovski

John Jardine

Tarek Obeid

Michael Luchtman

Eric Yoo

Melissa Kathryn Christensen

John Marshall

Saravanan Paramasivam

Rajaram Subramanian

James Lawrence Swoish

Dave Moschet

Yunan Guo

Ahteram Khan

Mladen Marjanovic

Brent Zapczynski

Sean Brady

Vijay Pachore

Brian D Bishop

Charles Moore

Derek Langley

A battery pack includes an enclosure assembly, a battery assembly housed within the enclosure assembly, a mounting structure secured to the enclosure assembly, and a mounting clamp that includes a first section mounted to the mounting structure and a second section contacting the battery assembly.

Mounting clamps for securing groupings of battery cells

A traction battery assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes a traction battery, an electric machine, an electrical harness assembly, a protrusion adjacent the electrical harness assembly. The protrusion is configured to move from a first position to a second position in response to a loading event. When the protrusion is in the first position, the electric machine is electrically coupled to the traction battery through the electrical harness assembly. When the protrusion is in the second position, the electric machine is electrically decoupled from the traction battery.

Traction battery circuit interrupter assembly and interruption method

This disclosure details exemplary battery pack designs for use in electrified vehicles. An exemplary battery pack may include an enclosure assembly that houses one or more battery arrays. An impact protection shroud is mounted to a portion of at least one of the battery arrays. A battery sensitive component is at least partially covered by the impact protection shroud. The impact protection shroud is configured to establish minimum clearances relative the battery sensitive component and to redirect loads away from the battery sensitive component, thereby protecting the battery sensitive component during vehicle impact loading events.

Impact protection shrouds for protecting battery pack components

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

A battery pack assembly includes, among other things, a tray, a lid secured to the tray to provide an enclosure having an interior, at least one battery module disposed within the interior, a cross-member disposed within the interior adjacent to the at least one battery module, and a stanchion secured to the cross-member. The stanchion disposed entirely within the interior. The assembly further includes a fastener that extends through an opening in the lid to engage the stanchion.

Traction battery securing assembly and method

This disclosure details exemplary battery pack designs for use in electrified vehicles. Exemplary battery packs may include an enclosure assembly that houses one or more battery arrays. The battery arrays may be efficiently arranged relative to one another inside the enclosure assembly to establish an open channel within the enclosure assembly. Coolant lines and/or wiring lines may be positioned within and/or routed through the open channel in order to maximize battery internal component volume without increasing the overall footprint of the enclosure assembly.

Systematic layouts for electrified vehicle traction battery packs

A multi-tier traction battery support assembly includes, among other things, a lower-tier battery array, an intermediate bracket directly secured to at least one endplate of the lower-tier battery array, and an upper-tier battery array supported on the intermediate bracket. A multi-tier traction battery support method includes supporting an intermediate bracket with at least one endplate of a lower-tier battery array and supporting an upper battery array with the intermediate bracket. The intermediate bracket is secured directly to the at least one endplate.

Traction battery upper-tier battery array support assembly and support method

An electrified vehicle assembly includes, among other things, a traction battery, and at least one shield extending longitudinally and having a portion that is vertically beneath the traction battery. The shield is removably fastened directly to the traction battery.

Traction battery protection assembly and method

A battery assembly includes, among other things, a tray having a floor, a lid secured to the tray to provide an enclosure having an interior, and a battery module disposed within the interior. The battery module has a plurality of battery cell frames disposed along a battery module axis. The battery cell frames each include a frame toe that projects horizontally. The battery assembly further includes a cross-member disposed within the interior adjacent to the battery module. The cross-member includes a vertically extending wall having a protrusion that is vertically aligned with the frame toes of the plurality of battery cell frames.

Battery assembly having a cross-member and method of managing loads utilizing a cross-member

This disclosure details exemplary battery pack designs for use in electrified vehicles. An exemplary battery pack may include a heat exchanger plate and a battery array positioned against the heat exchanger plate. The battery array may include an array frame and a thermal fin held within the array frame. The array frame may additionally include a standoff for controlling a size of a gap extending between the thermal fin and the heat exchanger plate. By controlling this gap, the amount of thermal interface material (TIM) that must be utilized to fill the gap can be reduced.

Battery array frame designs with standoff features for reducing thermal interface material usage

An example retention method includes, among other things, resting opposing laterally outer regions of a battery array on a respective first and second rails that are disposed on an enclosure structure such that the battery array is spaced a distance from the enclosure structure. The method then includes securing, from at least one position between the laterally outer regions, the battery array relative to the enclosure structure. An example retention assembly includes, among other things, an enclosure, a first and a second rail, and a battery array having a first laterally outer region resting on the first rail and an opposing, second laterally outer region resting on the second rail. The battery array is secured relative to the enclosure at a position spaced from the first and second laterally outer regions to clamp the first and second laterally outer regions against the first and second rails.

Battery array retention method and assembly

This disclosure details electrified vehicles that are equipped with pass through assemblies for structurally reinforcing and sealing battery packs. An exemplary pass through assembly includes clean-side component and a dirty-side component. The clean-side component is positioned primarily inside the battery pack, and the dirty-side component engages the clean-side component and extends to a location outside of the battery pack for interfacing with a component of the vehicle underbody. A seal of the pass through assembly is positioned between the clean-side component and the dirty-side component and is configured to block the ingress of water, dirt, and other potential contaminants.

Growing community of inventors

Berkley, MI, United States of America

Micah Smith