Abstract:
A tray has a bottom panel for supporting a battery. An inner panel projects upwardly from the bottom panel to provide an inner locator for the battery. A retainer holds the battery down on the bottom panel. A lock member for the retainer is moveable from an unlocking position to a locking position, and when moved to the locking position forces the retainer inwardly. The retainer has an abutment engageable with the battery to move the battery inwardly against the upright panel when the retainer is moved inwardly. Two fulcrum points in the retainer cause a vertical force to hold the battery in place by a lever effect of the lock member and fulcrum points.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to battery mounts, and more particularly to a battery mount having clamping apparatus for securing the battery on a tray. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Mounting and retaining a battery in place in an automotive vehicle has been both difficult and time consuming. A battery is a heavy and unwieldy component causing noise and vibrations if not held down properly in a vehicle. The available space for mounting the battery is limited. In the past batteries were placed in the engine compartment. In this situation, the battery is placed in the fender compartment outside the enginebox forward of the left wheel well. Also, the battery is held down and against an upright panel using two point loading clamping apparatus. This was needed for space constraints, and to hold tight and locate the battery in the vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention a battery mounting system includes a cantilevered member comprising a tray having an upright panel mounted to the automobile frame and a bottom panel adapted to support the battery. Clamping apparatus is provided for securing the battery on the bottom panel against the upright panel of the tray. The clamping apparatus preferably comprises of dual point vertical and horizontal loading featured retainer spanning across the battery and top of one side, and a formed rod spanning along the top and one side, snapping into the retainer. The retainer preferably has a locking feature for the rod to stay in place for shipping and can be installed and unlocked for further fastening into the retaining position with one hand. 
     Preferably the rod when moved from the shipping position to a retaining position moves the retainer inwardly, consequently moving the battery inwardly against the upright panel. A laterally outward projection or bump-out on the upright panel serves as a cross-car locator for the battery. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary perspective view of a battery mount constructed in accordance with the invention, shown in the engine compartment of an automotive vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the battery mount showing one of the struts supporting the bottom panel of the tray in a partially detached position; 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , showing a battery being loaded onto the bottom panel of the tray; 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , showing the battery fully loaded onto the bottom panel of the tray, with both struts attached to both the bottom panel and the inner panel of the tray; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view showing the battery retainer and the lock member; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the battery supported on the tray and the retainer and lock member on the top surface of the battery; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view showing the battery supported on the tray before the battery is pushed back against the inner panel of the tray; 
         FIG. 8  is a view looking in the direction of the arrow  8  in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 7  but shows the position of the battery after it has been moved rearwardly against the inner panel of the tray; 
         FIG. 10  is a view looking in the direction of the arrow  10  in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing the lock member assembled with the battery retainer; 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of the retainer; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of the retainer; 
         FIG. 14  is a front view of the retainer; 
         FIG. 15  is a view similar to  FIG. 11  but shows the lock member in various positions during its assembly with the retainer; and 
         FIG. 16  is a top view of the retainer showing the lock member assembled therewith. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and especially  FIG. 1 , a battery mount  10  includes a tray  12  made of metal or any relatively rigid material. The tray has a bottom, generally horizontal panel  14  and an upright, generally vertical panel  16  projecting upwardly from the laterally inner edge of the bottom panel. The tray  12  is shown as being mounted in the engine compartment of an automotive vehicle  15 , with the upright panel  16  of the tray bolted or otherwise secured to a rigid longitudinally extending side frame member  18  of the vehicle by fasteners  22 . The tray is supported behind the front bumper of the vehicle on the laterally outer side of the side frame member  18  in a position between the side frame member and a side quarter panel  26  of the vehicle body, with the bottom panel  14  of the tray extending laterally outwardly from the upright panel  16  toward the quarter panel. 
     Referring to FIGS.  1  and  2 - 4 , front and rear struts  30  and  32  extend from the upper edge of the upright panel  16  to the laterally outer edge of the bottom panel  14 . Fasteners, here shown as nut and bolt assemblies  34  and  36 , releasably secure the ends of the struts  30  and  32  to the upright panel  16  and to the bottom panel  14 . 
     A battery B is supported on a pad  38  which rests on the top surface of the bottom panel  14 . The pad  38  separates the battery B from the bottom panel  14  of the tray  12  and is adapted to collect or manage battery acids which may leak from the battery and corrode the tray. The pad  38  may be made of a polymer or any other material suitable for the purpose. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  5 ,  6  and  11 - 16 , the battery B is clamped down on the bottom panel  14  up against a laterally outward projection or bump-out  39  of the upright panel  16  by clamping apparatus  40  including a retainer  42  which is adapted to be placed on the top of the battery, and a lock member  44 . The retainer  42  includes an outer clamp  43  and an inner clamp  45  spaced from and connected to the outer clamp by a bar  47 . The clamps  43  and  45  are adapted to bear down on the battery with a vertical clamping force. The lock member  44  comprises an elongated rod  46 . The retainer  42  has a rod holder formed by spaced apart ridges  50  and  52  on the bar  47  that may be integral with the bar and together form a channel  54  which rotatably receives the rod  46 . 
     The inner end of the rod  46  is adapted to extend through a self-locating triangular opening  56  in the upright panel  16  of the tray (see  FIGS. 1 and 6 ) and is bent at a right angle to form a transverse hook  58  that is adapted to engage the laterally inner side of the upright panel  16  as explained more fully hereinafter. An acute angle at the top of the opening  56  locates the rod  46  laterally. The bar  47  of the retainer  42  has a recess  60  beneath the channel  54  (see  FIGS. 13 ,  15  and  16 ). To install the rod  46  in the channel  54 , the rod may be slid into the channel hook end first in a laterally inward direction by holding the rod at an angle to the retainer so that the recess  60  clears the hook  58  as it initially enters the channel (see  FIG. 15 ). Then the rod  46  can be straightened during further entry into the channel  54  so that it extends lengthwise within the channel. Alternatively, the rod  46  may be installed in the channel  54  by holding it horizontally above and parallel to the channel and snapping it down vertically into the channel  54  between the ridges  50  and  52 . 
     The outer end of the rod  46  is bent at a right angle to form a crank handle  64  which may be used to manually rotate the rod from an unlocking position shown in  FIGS. 6-8  and  11  to a locking position shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  9  and  10 . 
     The clamp  43  of the retainer  42  has a vertically downwardly extending flange forming an abutment  68  at its laterally outer extremity which overlaps the laterally outer face of the battery (see  FIGS. 1 ,  6  and  10 ). 
     The clamp  43  of the retainer  42  has a slanted wedge surface  70  on its laterally outer end (see  FIGS. 7-11 ,  13  and  14 ). The crank handle  64  slides over the wedge surface  70  with a camming action when the rod  46  is rotated from its unlocking position to its locking position, to drive the retainer  42  laterally inwardly as more fully explained hereinafter. The inner end of the rod  46  can rotate in the opening  56  and the hook  58  prevents the inner end of the rod from pulling out of the opening in all rotative positions of the rod. The retainer  42  has a rib  72  at the high end of the wedge surface  70  to provide a stop which is contacted by the crank handle  64  to prevent the crank handle from rotating beyond the locking position of the rod  46 . 
     The end of the crank handle  64  is releasably secured to a clip  74  (see  FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  11  and  12 ) on the clamp  43  of the retainer  42  when the rod is in the unlocking position. The crank handle  64  can be secured to the bottom panel  14  by a fastener  76  to retain the rod in the locking position. 
     In order to install the battery B on the tray  12 , the nut and bolt assembly  36  securing the strut  32  to the bottom panel  14  is removed, permitting the strut  32  to swing downward to a vertical position. The pad  38  is then placed upon the bottom panel  14  and the battery is placed upon the pad by moving the battery forwardly through the space previously occupied by the strut  32 . 
     The retainer  42 , with the rod  46  disposed in the channel  54  of the retainer, is placed upon the top surface of the battery. When placing the retainer  42  on the battery, the retainer is manipulated to extend the rod  46  laterally inwardly through the self-locating triangular opening  56  in the upright panel  16  of the tray so that the hook  58  engages the inner side of the upright panel and prevents the rod from pulling away from the upright panel. The rod  46  is laterally located by being engaged in the angle at the top of the opening  56 . At this time, the rod  46  is in the unlocking position with the crank handle releasably retained by the clip  74 , and the abutment  68  on the clamp  43  of the retainer  42  overlapping the laterally outer face of the battery. 
     The installer may then rotate the rod  46  from its unlocking position to its locking position. The crank handle  64  is used for this purpose and readily releases from the clip  74 . As the rod  46  is rotated to the locking position, the crank handle  64  slides over the wedge surface  70  on the clamp  43  of the retainer  42  with a camming action to move the retainer laterally inwardly. The inward movement of the retainer  42  causes the abutment  68  to engage the outer face of the battery and move the battery laterally inwardly against the bump-out  39  of the upright panel  16  of the tray to provide a cross-car locator for the battery. The upright panel  16  thus serves as a locator for the battery. 
     In the past, it has been very difficult to position and properly locate a battery on a tray without using both hands, particularly because of the limitations of available space. The present invention makes it possible, after the battery is initially placed on the tray, to properly locate and secure the battery, requiring only one hand to turn the crank handle. 
     Finally the strut  32  is reattached to the bottom panel  14  by applying the nut and bolt assembly  36 , and the crank handle  64  is secured to the bottom panel  14  by the fastener  76  to retain the rod  46  in the locking position. 
     The battery, when secured on the tray  12  by the clamping apparatus  40  of this invention, is held down on the bottom panel  14  by the vertical force caused by the lever effect of the rod  46  and fulcrum points of the clamps  43  and  45  of the retainer  42  and is pressed against the upright panel  16  by the horizontal clamping force of the abutment or flange  68  on the clamp  43  of the retainer, thus providing dual point loading. The vertical and horizontal clamping forces create a resultant diagonal clamping force on the battery running from the juncture of the clamp  43  and abutment  68  of the retainer  42  downwardly and laterally inwardly to the intersection of the bottom and upright panels  14  and  16  of the tray  12 . 
     The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.