METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for producing an electrically driveable vehicle which has a sealed space for accommodating a high-voltage (HV) energy storage is described. The following steps are provided: providing a body structure which delimits the space for accommodating the HV energy storage at least in an upward direction and which sealingly closes off said space at least in the upward direction and which has attachment points for the direct or indirect connection of at least one energy storage module; providing at least one energy storage module; connecting at least one energy storage module to the body structure, wherein the space for accommodating the HV energy storage is open at least in partial regions; providing an installation protection structure which delimits the space for accommodating the HV energy storage in the downward direction and which sealingly closes off the space at least in the downward direction; connecting the body structure to the installation protection structure, whereby the space for accommodating the HV energy storage is sealingly dosed.

Claims

1. A method for producing an electrically driveable vehicle which has a space for accommodating a high-voltage (HV) energy storage, the method comprising the steps of: 1. providing a body structure which delimits the space for accommodating the HV energy storage at least in an upward direction and which substantially sealingly closes off said space at least in the upward direction and which has attachment points for direct or indirect connection of at least one energy storage module; 2. providing at least one energy storage module; 3. connecting the at least one energy storage module at least one of directly or indirectly to the body structure, wherein the space for accommodating the HV energy storage is open at least in partial regions, and not closed, at least in a downward direction; 4. providing an installation protection structure which delimits the space for accommodating the HV energy storage at least in the downward direction and which sealingly closes off the space at least in the downward direction; 5. connecting the body structure to the installation protection structure, whereby the space for accommodating the HV energy storage is sealingly closed.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method steps 1. and 2. are performed in an arbitrary sequence before the method step 3., and the method step 4. is performed arbitrarily before the method step 5.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the space for accommodating the HV energy storage is, in the method step 1., delimited in the upward direction at least partially by a body floor structure of the body structure and laterally at least partially by a lateral body longitudinal member structure of the body structure.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the space for accommodating the HV energy storage is sealingly closed toward at least one of the side by the body structure or the installation protection structure.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing of the space for accommodating the HV energy storage in the body structure is performed by at least one of thermal joining methods, application of adhesive, application of plastics, a single-part deep-drawn metal plated, or a multi-part deep-drawn metal plate, which is arranged in the region of the space for accommodating the HV energy storage.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body structure, on the top side of the space for accommodating the HV energy storage, is composed of steel at least in partial regions.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the at least one energy storage module in the third step is performed, in a vehicle transverse direction, at least substantially outside a vehicle tunnel of the vehicle in the region of the body floor structure.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during the connection of the at least one energy storage module to the body structure, in the case of the indirect connection of the energy storage modules to the body structure, provision is also made for at least one structural component to be provided and connected to the body structure, to which at least one structural component the at least one energy storage module is directly connected.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during the connection of the at least one energy storage module to the body structure, provision is made for an HV assembly to be provided and connected to the body structure, wherein the HV assembly is composed of at least one of (i.) at least one energy storage module and at least one structural component, (ii.) at least one electrical rail, or (iii.) at least one temperature-control component/temperature-control unit.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the HV assembly is connected in an uninstallable fashion to the body structure.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein, during the connection of the HV assembly to the body structure, at least one of the energy storage modules or the structural components are connected to the body structure, wherein the energy storage modules have no direct connection to, and are not in direct contact with, the installation protection structure.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy storage modules are formed with integrated transverse-load paths.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy storage modules are formed with integrated temperature-control means.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection between the body structure and the installation protection structure is of cohesive, non-positively locking or positively locking form or is formed by means of combinations of said connection types.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the installation protection structure is connected in uninstallable fashion to the body structure.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection of the body structure and of the installation protection structure is of water-tight form, and the sealing is realized by at least one of adhesive bonding, or compression/pressing-on of an elastic, plastic seal.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: checking the leak-tightness of the body structure, wherein the body structure leak-tightness check is performed after the step 1. of providing the body structure and before the step 3. of connecting an energy storage module to the body structure.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: checking the leak-tightness of the overall system, wherein the overall system leak tightness check is performed after the step 5. of connecting the body structure to the installation protection structure.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein all steps 1.-5. are performed before the installation of the chassis and the drive in the automobile manufacturing process.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Further features of the invention will emerge from the subclaims, from the appended drawing and from the description of the exemplary embodiments depicted in the drawing for the purposes of illustrating a vehicle produced in accordance with the method, without being restricted thereto.

[0037] In the drawing:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary illustration of the space for accommodating an HV energy storage in an electrically driveable vehicle, specifically in an exclusively electrically driveable passenger motor vehicle,

[0039] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary illustration of the overall structure such as is realized after the method step 5., Illustrated for a left-hand half of the vehicle,

[0040] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary illustration of the arrangement of the battery modules substantially in the region of the body floor structure, outside the region of the vehicle tunnel, after the method step 3., in a section in a Y-Z plane (X: vehicle longitudinal direction, Y: vehicle transverse direction, Z: vehicle vertical direction),

[0041] FIG. 4 shows the arrangement as per FIG. 3 in a view Z as per FIG. 3, viewed from below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows, in the section in the Y-Z plane, a space 1 for accommodating an HV energy storage. Said space 1 is delimited on both sides of the vehicle in each case by a lateral body structure 2. At the top, the space 1 is delimited by a body floor structure 3, and at the bottom, said space is delimited by an installation protection structure 4. The stated parts of the body structure constitute the bodyshell structure of the vehicle.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows the relevant region of the vehicle after the steps according to aspects of the invention for the production thereof, that is to say after the method step 5. Only the left-hand half of the structure sectioned in the Y-Z plane is shown. The right-hand half is of mirror-symmetrical form about a plane of symmetry 5, which constitutes the plane of symmetry of a central longitudinal profile 6 and which is arranged in an X-Z direction. The illustration shows a lateral body structure 2 and a body tunnel structure 7 above the central longitudinal profile 6. An installation bridge 8 is mounted in the centre longitudinal profile 6, and an installation element 9 is mounted in the lateral body structure 2. By means of the installation bridge 8, an energy storage module 10a battery moduleis mounted in the body tunnel structure 7, and the energy storage module 10 is mounted in the lateral body structure 2 by means of the installation element 9.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows, for the state after method step 3., that is to say before the connection of the installation protection structure 4 to the body structure, the regions 11 in which the energy storage module 10 is arranged in the region of the body floor structure 3 and a region 12 in which the energy storage module 10 is arranged in the region of the body tunnel structure 7. FIG. 4 shows, for said state, said regions 11 and 12 in a view from below. Also schematically indicated is a rear axle 13 of the vehicle and that end 14 of the vehicle which faces toward the rear bumper of the vehicle.

[0045] With regard to the individual method steps for the production of the electrically driveable vehicle, including the refinement of said method, reference is made to the detailed description preceding the description of the figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

[0046] 1 Space [0047] 2 Lateral body structure [0048] 3 Body floor structure [0049] 4 Installation protection structure [0050] 5 Plane of symmetry [0051] 6 Central longitudinal profile [0052] 7 Body tunnel structure [0053] 8 Installation bridge [0054] 9 Installation element [0055] 10 Energy storage module [0056] 11 Region [0057] 12 Region [0058] 13 Rear axle [0059] 14 End