Electrically driven vehicle, especially passenger motor vehicle

An electrically driven vehicle, especially a passenger motor vehicle with an electric power source taken along in the vehicle which is arranged in the area of the vehicle floor and is connected therewith by way of mounting supports, whereby the latter are provided with means that effect a detachment of the electric power source, especially of a storage battery, from the vehicle in case of an impact of the vehicle beginning with a predetermined impact strength.

The present invention relates to an electrically driven vehicle, especially 
a passenger motor vehicle, with an electric power source taken along in 
the vehicle, especially with an accumulator or storage battery which is 
arranged in the area of the vehicle floor and is in connection therewith 
by way of mounting supports. 
Owing to the known slight energy density or energy capacity relative to the 
size or weight of such electric power sources, the same represent, with an 
acceptable radius or range of action or operation of the electrically 
driven vehicle, a not insignificant proportion in the overall weight of 
the vehicle. Corresponding to this overall weight, the body of the vehicle 
has to be dimensioned and designed such that its construction provides 
effective passive safety of the vehicle body, i.e. is an inherently safe 
construction. This leads disadvantageously to constructions of the vehicle 
body which are costly as regards material and manufacture. 
The present invention is therefore concerned with the task to provide an 
arrangement of the electric power source taken along in the vehicle, 
whereby the vehicle body can be designed and constituted more light-weight 
and more simple in its constructions concerning the passive safety. 
The underlying problems are solved according to the present invention in 
that the mounting supports include a means which effects in case of an 
impact of the vehicle, beginning with a predetermined impact strength, a 
detachment or disengagement of the storage batteries from the vehicle. 
As a result thereof, in case of an accident, especially in case of a front 
end impact, the vehicle passengers are endangered by the battery itself as 
well as by the pouring-out of electrolyte both of which are avoided in an 
advantageous manner. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an 
electrically driven vehicle, especially a passenger motor vehicle which 
avoids by simple means the aforementioned shortcomings and drawbacks 
encountered in the prior art. 
Another object of the present invention resides in electrically driven 
vehicles, especially in electrically driven passenger motor vehicles, in 
which the safety of the passengers is safeguarded with respect to the 
carried-along storage batteries in case of an accident, yet the vehicle 
construction itself can be realized in a relatively light-weight and 
simple manner. 
A further object of the present invention resides in an electrically driven 
passenger motor vehicle of the type described above which gives due 
consideration to the passive safety features of the body, yet reduces the 
cost of materials and manufacture of the vehicle, particularly as regards 
the body thereof. 
A still further object of the present invention resides in an electrically 
driven vehicle which greatly minimizes the danger to vehicle passengers by 
the battery or the electrolyte thereof in case of an accident.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used 
throughout the various views to designate like parts, FIG. 1 shows in 
schematic illustration a passenger motor vehicle generally designated by 
reference numeral 1. This passenger motor vehicle 1 may include a 
self-supporting body of any conventional construction which in its 
construction includes longitudinal bearers generally designated by 
reference numeral 2 and 2' in the floor group thereof. These longitudinal 
bearers 2 and 2' form, according to FIG. 2 together with the cross bearers 
3 and 3' a vehicle frame generally designated by reference numeral 4. The 
frame cooperates corresponding to the showing in FIG. 4 with a sheet-metal 
floor member 5 for purposes of forming a floor pan generally designated by 
reference numeral 6. The sheet-metal floor member 5 extends in its 
extension between the longitudinal bearers 2 and 2' in the plane of the 
narrow, bottom sides of the longitudinal bearers 2 and 2' facing the road. 
The connection of the sheet metal floor member 5 with the longitudinal 
bearers 2 and 2' may take place, as illustrated, by way of the narrow, top 
sides thereof facing the passenger space (FIG. 4). The floor pan 6 is 
connected at each end with longitudinal bearers 7 and 8 extending toward 
the respective vehicle axle. 
The floor pan 6 includes a bay or indentation 10 in front of the wheels 9 
of the rear axle of the passenger motor vehicle 1. The bay or indentation 
10 extends over the entire vehicle width and serves for the arrangement of 
a storage battery as an electric power source for the electrically driven 
passenger motor vehicle 1. The accumulator or storage battery is 
accommodated in a trough 11 which can be seen in FIG. 3. The battery 
trough 11 is arranged suspended at the floor pan 6 by way of mounting 
supports 12 and 12'. The manner of the trough arrangement as well as the 
extension of the bay 10 over the entire vehicle width result in a 
step-shaped construction of the longitudinal bearers 2 and 2' with one 
section 13 and 13' each extending above the battery trough 11. Each 
section 13 and 13' is connected with the longitudinal bearer section 14 
and 14' which extends in the driving direction and is arranged lower than 
the sections 13 and 13' by approximately the amount of the height of the 
battery trough 11, by way of sections 15 and 15' which are shaped so as to 
extend obliquely downwardly in the forward direction. The sheet-metal 
floor member 5 which extends between the longitudinal bearer sections 15 
and 15' is constructed following the contour of the aforementioned 
sections on the side facing the trough or road surface. The section 16 
(FIG. 3) of the floor pan 6, which extends over the entire vehicle width 
obliquely downwardly and forwardly in the driving direction, serves for 
safely and reliably forcing the battery trough 11 in the direction toward 
the road surface, which trough is separable from the vehicle by the 
inertia of the storage battery in case of a front end impact of the 
passenger motor vehicle beginning with a predetermined impact strength. 
In order to achieve a predetermined separation of the battery trough 11 
from the passenger motor vehicle 1, the forwardly disposed mounting 
support 12, as viewed in the driving direction, includes an intentional 
breaking or rupturing place. The connection of an angle rail 17 as part of 
the mounting support 12 with the longitudinal bearers 2 and 2' and with 
the sheet-metal floor member 5 may be constructed as intentional breaking 
or rupturing place. Preferably, the intentional breaking or rupturing 
place is to be attained by means of a weakly dimensioned welded 
connection. 
The mounting support 12' includes an angle rail designated by reference 
numeral 18 which is fixedly connected with the cross bearer 3'. The 
battery trough 11 cooperates with the angle rails 17 and 18 by way of 
flanges 19 and 20. The battery trough 11 is made, for example, of 
reinforced glass fiber synthetic resinous material whereby the flanges 19 
and 20 are constructed as angularly bent-off edges of its longitudinal 
sides 21 and 22 which project from the battery trough 11. 
The bay or indentation 10 accommodating the battery trough 11 is covered 
off on both sides of the passenger motor vehicle 1 by the respective outer 
body panel. With a passenger motor vehicle 1 intended for right-hand 
traffic, an opening adapted to be closed off by means of a flap 23 is 
provided in the outer body panel of the right vehicle side within the area 
of the battery trough 11. The battery trough 11 which rests slidably on 
the angle rails 17 and 18 can be pulled out laterally out of the passenger 
motor vehicle 1 by way of the opening for purposes of examining and 
servicing work as well as for purposes of changing the storage battery. In 
order to reduce the friction between the flanges 19 and 20 of the battery 
trough 11 and the angle rails 17 and 18, the latter are coated with 
Teflon. The terminal connections of the storage battery, a filling level 
control for the electrolyte in addition to a refill opening as well as a 
device for locking the battery trough 11 to the floor pan 6 are arranged 
at the end face of the battery trough 11 facing the flap 23. However, the 
terminal connections may also be arranged in the form of automatically 
engaging plugs at the end face of the battery trough 11 facing the closed 
outer body panel. 
In order to attain a completely satisfactory separation of the storage 
battery from the passenger motor vehicle 1 for purposes of achieving a 
favorable crash behavior, the storage battery is connected with the 
current feed lines by way of tear-off or shear-off bolts. 
It is also possible within the scope of the present invention to provide 
the intended breaking place in one of the flanges and/or in one of the 
angle rails, such as by providing zones of reduced strength in these 
components, for example, along their length, rather than providing a 
weakly constructed welding connection, as described above. 
While I have shown and described only one embodiment in accordance with the 
present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto 
but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to those 
skilled in the art, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the 
details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes 
and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.