Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to a device ( 10 ) for fixing a battery ( 11 ), consisting of a support tray ( 12 ) comprising an essentially-flat support face ( 16 ) and two longitudinal flanges ( 17   a,    17   b ). According to the invention, the first longitudinal flange ( 17   a ) comprises fixed lugs ( 20 ) which serve as positioning stops for a first lug ( 14   a ) of the battery ( 11 ). The support tray ( 12 ) comprises mobile lugs ( 21 ) which are connected to the second longitudinal flange ( 17   b ) and which each define a first blocking surface ( 22 ) for a second lug ( 14   b ) of the battery ( 11 ). The fixing device ( 10 ) comprises elastically-deformable actuation levers ( 25 ) which are associated with the mobile lugs ( 21 ) and a locking ramp ( 26 ) which co-operates with each mobile lug ( 21 ) and each corresponding actuation lever ( 25 ) such as to lock the battery ( 11 ) in position in the support tray ( 12 ).

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention concerns a hold-down device for a battery, particularly for automotive vehicles. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In all types of automotive vehicles, the battery is a standard component whose dimensions are governed by precise standards. There are various types of known hold-down devices for placing and immobilizing the battery on the chassis of the vehicle. A first type of known hold-down device utilizes the upper surface of the battery and a second type of known hold-down device utilizes the lugs of the battery. 
   A first example of a hold-down device utilizing the upper surface of the battery consists in resting the battery on a support tray, placing two vertical rods one on each side of the battery and positioning a bracketing element that connects the two vertical rods above the battery. The hold-down device then exerts a vertical clamping action on the battery by bearing on its upper surface. The rods generally have threaded ends that pass through the bracketing element and cooperate with nuts to bring about the clamping action. However, this type of device calls for the use of tools, especially for tightening the nuts, and the manipulation of the various parts is exacting. 
   Other examples of hold-down devices utilizing the upper surface of the battery consist in employing a support tray having raised side walls replacing the vertical rods and cooperating with a bracketing element that connects the two walls of the tray and is fixed by one or two anchoring points. Another example of a hold-down device uses a simple fabric strap surrounding the battery with its ends fastened on one and the other side of the battery. 
   However, all these examples of hold-down devices utilizing the upper surface of the battery have proven overly complex, since they are made up of several easy-to-lose parts and necessitate the use of tools for installing and removing the battery. Furthermore, the retention of the battery in its support tray is not safeguarded. 
   A first example of a hold-down device utilizing the lugs of the battery is a metal clamp integral to the support tray and made to bear against a lug of the battery. The clamp is fixed to the support tray, for example by a screw fastening system, and produces a high clamping pressure on the lug of the battery. However, tools still have to be used to install and remove the battery, and the hold-down device is made up of several parts that are hard to manipulate. In addition, the production cost of such a device is still high. 
   Another example of a hold-down device utilizing the lug of the battery is a pivoting cam system. One side of the battery is gripped in a fixed lug on the support tray and the other side of the battery cooperates with a cam system mounted to rotate parallel to the support tray. The cam is set in motion manually by an eccentric, which comes to bear against the lug of the battery in the locking position, while at the same time applying a clamping force to the lug. However, this type of device also requires the use of a screwdriver-type tool, especially during the removal of the battery. In addition, dust can come to foul the internal friction zones of the hold-down device. This then creates difficulties in removing the battery. 
   Another example is given by the document FR 2 796 494, which describes a battery hold-down device that is an integral part of the support tray. As illustrated schematically in  FIG. 1 , the hold-down device  10  for a battery  11  comprises a support tray  12  with a first flange  13   a , serving as a stop for a first lug  14   a  of the battery  11 . The support tray  12  comprises a second flange  13   b  provided with a deformable tab  15 , articulated in rotation according to arrow F 1  and designed to quickly immobilize and release the battery  11 . The immobilizing is done by pressing the second lug  14   b  of the battery  11  against the tab  15 , which deforms, thereby making it possible to position the battery  11  on the floor of the support tray  12 . The battery  11  is loosened by exerting a pressure according to arrow F 2  on the free end of the tab  15 , which then releases the second lug  14   b  of the battery  11  and allows the battery  11  to be disengaged. 
   Although this type of device avoids the use of tools, it does not ensure safeguarded retention of the battery  11  in the support tray  12  and does not make it possible to determine whether the lug of the battery is actually in place. In addition, such a hold-down device does not permit positive locking of the battery in the support tray. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a simple and inexpensive battery hold-down device of reduced weight and space consumption, permitting quick and reliable locking and unlocking of a standard battery on its support tray without the need to use tools. 
   The subject of the invention is characterized in that the support tray comprises at least one movable lug, connected to the second longitudinal flange and cooperating with a corresponding actuating lever and defining a first immobilizing surface for the second lug of the battery; and a locking means comprising a locking ramp that inserts itself between each movable lug and each corresponding actuating lever, said ramp comprising at least one locking wedge having a first, lower inclined surface associated with a second immobilizing surface of the corresponding movable lug, and a second, upper inclined surface associated with the corresponding actuating lever and designed to ensure positive locking of the actuating lever between a first, locking position that locks the position of the battery in the support tray and a second, unlocking position. 
   Such a hold-down device, employing a locking ramp cooperating both with movable lugs of the support tray and with actuating levers, makes it possible to effectively immobilize the position of the battery in its support tray and to ensure effective, reliable locking of that position. 
   In one embodiment, each movable lug is connected to the corresponding longitudinal flange of the support tray by means of two flexible connecting ridges that form elastic hinges and make it possible to shift the movable lug between a first, idle position, awaiting the battery, and a second position immobilizing the battery. 
   Such flexible hinges facilitate the drawing back of the movable lugs and their automatic return to their initial position. 
   In another embodiment of the invention, the upper surface of each locking wedge is provided with a plurality of notches. 
   The notches of the locking wedges ensure positive locking of the actuating levers to the locking ramp, preventing any inadvertent disengagement of the actuating levers. 
   In another embodiment, the locking ramp comprises a plurality of locking wedges, interconnected by rigid, high-mechanical-strength connection zones, and the support tray comprises a plurality of movable lugs, each associated with a corresponding actuating lever, which in turn is associated with a corresponding locking wedge. The actuating levers are connected in their respective upper portions by connecting bars that serve as gripping means for the levers. 
   Such a hold-down device is therefore easy to manipulate and ensures safeguarded locking of the position of the battery, since all the levers are simultaneously made to move toward the locking position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a partial view of a battery hold-down device according to the prior art; 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  respectively illustrate a perspective view and a partial cutaway front view of a hold-down device according to the invention, on which a battery is positioned; 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  respectively illustrate a front sectional view along axis A-A and a top view of a support tray of the hold-down device according to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show two perspective views of the support tray according to  FIGS. 4 and 5 ; 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show two perspective views of a locking ramp of the hold-down device according to  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a side sectional view along axis B-B of the locking ramp according to  FIGS. 8 and 9 ; 
       FIGS. 11 to 17  show various successive steps in the installation of a battery on the hold-down device according to  FIGS. 2 to 10 ; and 
       FIGS. 18 and 19  show two successive steps in the removal of the battery from the hold-down device according to  FIGS. 2 to 17 . 
   

   Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the hold-down device  10  is designed particularly to fix a battery  11  on the chassis of an automotive vehicle. Regardless of the standardized dimensions of the battery  11 , the hold-down device  10  comprises a standard support tray  12  of substantially rectangular overall shape, capable of receiving all types of batteries, and a locking ramp  26  serving to lock the position of the battery  11  in its support tray  12 . 
   The hold-down device  10  according to the invention therefore makes it possible, on the one hand, to immobilize the battery  11  in its support tray  12 , and, on the other hand, to lock the position of the battery  11 . The hold-down device  10  shifts from a first, locking position ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ), in which the battery  11  is solidly fixed, to a second, unlocking position ( FIGS. 11 to 14  and  18 - 19 ), in which the battery  11  can be removed. 
   In  FIGS. 4 to 7 , the support tray  12  of the battery  11  comprises a substantially planar resting surface  16  on which the battery  11  rests after being installed, two longitudinal flanges  17   a ,  17   b  and two transverse flanges  18   a ,  18   b . The support tray  12  is preferably designed with a material that will make it possible to withstand various types of chemical attack, particularly by agents found in the body of the battery  12 . 
   In  FIG. 5 , three fastener holes  19  have been pierced through the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12  in order to fasten the hold-down device  10  to the chassis of the vehicle or any other specific support. 
   The first longitudinal flange  17   a  preferably comprises three fixed lugs  20  projecting from said longitudinal flange  17   a  toward the inside of the support tray  12  and designed to cooperate with the first lug  14   a  of the battery  11  ( FIG. 3 ). The fixed lugs  20  are of one piece with the support tray  12  and are configured to the longitudinal flange  17   a , such that they cooperate with the corresponding shape of lug  14   a  of the battery  11 . The fixed lugs  20  are preferably positioned in a median section of longitudinal flange  17   a , particularly so that they can be used regardless of the size of the battery  11  ( FIGS. 5 to 7 ). 
   The support tray  12  preferably comprises three movable lugs  21  capable of shifting between a first, idle position, in which the support tray  12  and the movable lugs  21  await the positioning of the battery  11  ( FIGS. 4 to 7  and  11 ), and a second, immobilizing position, in which the second lug  14   b  of the battery  11  is completely immobilized by the movable lugs  21  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  15  to  17 ). 
   Each movable lug  21  is configured to cooperate with the corresponding shape of the second lug  14   b  of the battery  11  ( FIG. 3 ). Each movable lug  21  comprises two reinforcing ribs  22  ( FIG. 6 ), defining a first immobilizing surface for lug  14   b  of the battery  11  ( FIG. 3 ). The two ribs  22  reinforce the mechanical strength of the movable lugs  21  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) and constitute an inclined ramp facilitating the sliding of lug  14   b  during the installation and removal of the battery  11 . 
   The respective positions of the movable lugs  21  on longitudinal flange  17   b  are advantageously offset from the respective positions of the fixed lugs  20  on longitudinal flange  17   a  ( FIG. 5 ). This configuration enables the support tray  12  to adapt to all sizes of battery  11  and makes it possible to optimize the immobilization of the battery  11 . 
   In  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each movable lug  21  is connected to longitudinal flange  17   b  by two flexible ridges  23  forming elastic hinges that are capable of deforming during the installation of the battery  11  in and its removal from the support tray  12 . The flexible ridges  23  have substantially S-shaped sections and deform elastically to act as springs. The flexible ridges  23  absorb the longitudinal stresses generated by the installation of the battery  11 , so that the movable lugs  21  can travel parallel to the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12 , in the direction of longitudinal flange  17   b.    
   In addition, as depicted in  FIG. 4 , each movable lug  21  is connected solely to the corresponding longitudinal flange  17   b  and not to the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12 , to allow the movable lugs  21  to draw back longitudinally in the direction of longitudinal flange  17   b . Each movable lug  21  thus delimits an empty space  24  extending between the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12  and the respective bottom ends of the reinforcing ribs  22  defining the first immobilizing surface of the movable lug  21 . This empty space  24  particularly constitutes a compensating play that is necessary for the movements of the lug  14   b  and the battery  11 , to make up for the size differences between standard batteries  11 . 
   In  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  7 , longitudinal flange  17   b  of the support tray  12  is preferably prolonged by three actuating levers  25  extending substantially perpendicularly to the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12  and at the level of the movable lugs  21 . The levers  25  form a single piece with the support tray  12  and act as locking/unlocking levers designed to cooperate with the movable lugs  21  and the locking ramp  26  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) to lock the position of the battery  11  in the support tray  12 . 
   For this purpose, each actuating lever  25  is elastically deformable and is rotationally mounted on longitudinal flange  17   b , at the level of each movable lug  21 , by means of hinge elements  27  formed, for example, by a narrowing of material in the thickness of the levers  25  ( FIGS. 4 and 7 ). The hinge elements  27  enable the actuating levers  25  to move rotationally with respect to their lower portion connecting them to longitudinal flange  17   b , between a locking position of the hold-down of the battery  11  in the support tray  12  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) and an unlocking position of the hold-down of the battery  11  ( FIGS. 4 to 7 ). By way of example, the hinge elements  27  are elements of rectangular section designed to withstand a high tensile load. 
   The actuating levers  25  are advantageously connected in their respective upper portions by a bar  31  serving as a grasping member that facilitates the simultaneous manipulation of the actuating levers  25  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ). Locking is thereby facilitated and made more reliable. 
   In  FIGS. 8 to 10 , the locking ramp  26  of the hold-down device  10  according to the invention is preferably provided with three locking wedges  29  designed to cooperate with the movable lugs  21  and the corresponding actuating levers  25  to immobilize and lock the position of the battery  11  in its support tray  12 . 
   Each actuating lever  25  comprises an opening  28  delimited by the hinge elements  27  and designed to cooperate with a locking wedge  29  of the ramp  26 . Each opening  28  is provided with a beveled edge  30  projecting toward the inside of the opening  28  and designed to cooperate with the locking wedge  29 , as described below. 
   In  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the support tray  2  also comprises guide grooves  32  formed so as to project from longitudinal flange  17   b  in the direction of the corresponding movable lug  21  and in prolongation of the opening  28  in each actuating lever  25 . The grooves  32  cooperate with each locking wedge  29  of the ramp  26  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) to center the locking wedges  29  in their descending movement. 
   In  FIGS. 8 to 10 , the locking ramp  26  comprises three locking wedges  29 , each cooperating with the opening  28  in a respective actuating lever  25  and a corresponding movable lug  21  of longitudinal flange  17   b . Each locking wedge  29  interposes itself between a second immobilizing surface  33  of the associated movable lug  21  ( FIGS. 3 and 5 ) and longitudinal flange  17   b  of the support tray  12 . 
   Each locking wedge  29  comprises two centering ribs  34  defining a first, lower inclined surface ( FIG. 10 ). The centering ribs  34  of each locking wedge  29  position themselves and slide on one and the other side of the second immobilizing surface  33  of the corresponding movable lug  21  during the placement of the locking ramp  26 . The ribs  34  thus serve to optimize and improve the placement of the locking ramp  26 . 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the first, lower face  34  of each locking wedge  29  bears against the second immobilizing surface  33  of each associated movable lug  21 , and the first immobilizing surface  22  of each movable lug  21  thus exerts a very strong pressure on lug  14   b  of the battery  11 . 
   Each locking wedge  29  also has a second, upper inclined surface  35 , cooperating with the opening  28  in the corresponding actuating lever  25  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
   The upper inclined surface  35  of each locking wedge  29  is provided with a series of notches  36  designed to cooperate with the beveled edge  30  of the opening  28  in the corresponding actuating lever  25 . The notches  36  have a slight inclination ( FIG. 10 ), to ensure positive locking of the actuating lever  25  to the associated locking wedge  29  and to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the lever  25 . The notches  36  also make it possible to compensate for dimensional differences in the batteries  11  by offering different positioning options for the actuating levers  25 . 
   The locking wedges  29  pass through the openings  28  in the actuating levers  25  during the locking of the hold-down of the battery  11  in the support tray  12 . The beveled edges  30  of the openings  28  accordingly place themselves in one of the notches  36  in the upper surfaces  35  of the locking wedges  29 , depending on the size of the battery  11 . 
   In addition, the locking wedges  29  of the ramp  26  are advantageously connected by connection zones  37  of substantially rectangular section, which are sufficiently rigid to be manipulated by hand. Connection zones  37  have a high mechanical strength, since the loads applied by the user are exerted primarily on said connection zones  37 . 
   Each locking wedge  29  also comprises positioning ribs  38  cooperating with the guide grooves  32  formed against longitudinal flange  17   b . The positioning ribs  38  of the locking wedges  29  and the guide grooves  32  of second longitudinal flange  17   b  serve in particular to optimize the positioning of the locking ramp  26 . This results in optimum centering of the locking wedges  29  between movable lugs  21  and longitudinal flange  17   b.    
   The installation of the battery  11  in the support tray  12  of the hold-down device  10  according to the invention, the locking of its position and the removal of the battery  11  will be described in more detail with regard to  FIGS. 11 to 19 . 
   In  FIG. 11 , the battery  11  is put in place in the support tray  12  by first lodging the first lug  14   a  in abutment under the fixed lugs  20  of the support tray  12 . The battery  11  thus is inclined in abutment against the fixed lugs  20  and in bearing relation on the movable lugs  21  of the support tray  12 . 
   In  FIGS. 12 and 13 , a pressure exerted by the battery  11  according to arrow F 3  causes the first lug  14   a  of the battery  11  to slide over the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12 , according to arrow F 4 , toward the respective roots of the fixed lugs  20 . The second lug  14   b  of the battery  11  slides along the respective first surfaces  22  of the movable lugs  21 , causing said movable lugs  21  to draw back according to arrow F 5  ( FIG. 13 ). The movable lugs  21  shift backward in parallel with the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12 . 
   In  FIG. 14 , the battery  11  is positioned on the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12 . The movable lugs  21  have returned to their idle position, according to arrow F 6 , by virtue of the elastic return effect generated by the flexible ridges  23  of the movable lugs  21 . The lugs  14   a  and  14   b  of the battery  11  are then immobilized, respectively by the fixed lugs  20  and the first immobilizing surfaces  22  of the movable lugs  21 . A small empty space  39  is still present between the second lug  14   b  of the battery  11  and the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12 , since the clamping action generated by the movable lugs  21  is not maximal. 
   In the position illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the first phase of installing the battery  11  in the support tray  12  has been completed. It is now necessary to lock this position by means of the locking ramp  26 , to prevent any inadvertent disassembly of the battery from the support tray  12 . 
   In  FIG. 15 , the locking ramp  26  is put in place between the movable lugs  21  and the actuating levers  25 , according to arrow F 7 , by sliding the centering ribs  34  of each locking wedge  29  along the second immobilizing surface  33  of the movable lugs  21  and sliding the positioning ribs  38  along the guide grooves  32  of the second longitudinal flange  17   b . The actuating levers  25  thus pivot slightly according to arrow F 8  during the insertion of the locking ramp  26 . The positioning of the locking wedges  29  also causes the battery  11  to be applied flatly to the resting surface  16  of the support tray  12  and eliminates the residual empty space  39  described above. This results in complete and maximal immobilization of the battery  11  in the support tray  12 . 
   In  FIG. 16 , the phase of locking the position of the battery  11  in the support tray  12  is carried out by simultaneously applying pressure to the locking ramp  26  according to arrow F 9  and by rotating the actuating levers  25 , according to arrow F 10 , toward the inside of the support tray  12  above the locking ramp  26 . The locking wedges  29  of the ramp  26  then pass through the openings  28  in the actuating levers  25 , which position themselves at the level of the respective upper surfaces  35  of the locking wedges  29 . This step represents a coarse adjustment of the locking of the position of the battery  11  in its support tray  12 . In addition, the clamping action caused by the actuating levers  25  forces the locking ramp  26  to tighten the movable lugs  21  still further by making the locking wedges  29  descend slightly. 
   In  FIG. 17 , the locking phase is completed by applying a substantially horizontal thrust, according to arrow F 11 , to the actuating levers  25  so as to place them in a notch  36  in one of the upper surfaces  35  of the locking wedges  29  that corresponds to the maximum position attainable by the actuating levers  25 . The lock is then positive and prevents inadvertent disengagement of the levers  25 . This phase represents a fine adjustment of the locking of the position of the battery  11  in its support tray  12 . 
   In  FIG. 18 , the unlocking of the battery  11  is performed simply by actuating the levers  25  in the opposite direction to that of arrows F 10  and F 11  in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . The slight inclination of the notches  36  in the upper surfaces  35  of the locking wedges  29  makes it possible to disengage the levers  25 . The locking ramp  26  is then released from the lock produced by the actuating levers  25 . All that remains is to remove the locking ramp  26  according to arrow F 12 . 
   In  FIG. 19 , the removal of the battery  11  from its support tray  12  then consists in lifting it according to arrow F 13  while pivoting it around the fixed lugs  20  of the support tray  12 . The movable lugs  21  thereupon draw back according to arrow F 5 , enabling the second lug  14   b  of the battery  11  to disengage from the movable lugs  21 . The battery  11  is then removed from the support tray  12 . 
   Such a hold-down device  10  for a battery  11 , permitting easy installation and removal, as described above, is therefore simple and inexpensive and features reduced weight and space consumption. It serves simultaneously to immobilize and lock the position of the battery  11  in its support tray  12  in an effective and reliable manner. 
   The hold-down device  10  has only one moving part in addition to the support tray  12 , namely the locking ramp  26 , for holding down and locking the battery  11 . The notched upper surfaces  35  of the locking wedges  29  permit effective positive locking of the actuating levers  25 . 
   In addition, the actuating levers  25  are connected to one another for better gripping and faster and more reliable manipulation. The locking and unlocking of the battery  11  are simple and quick and are performed without tools. 
   The invention is not limited to the various embodiments described hereinabove. In  FIGS. 2 to 19 , the hold-down device  10  comprises three fixed lugs  20  and three movable lugs  21 , so that it is able to hold down all standard battery sizes. Obviously, the device  10  can have a different number of movable lugs  21  and fixed lugs  20 , as long as the number of movable lugs  21  is equal to the number of locking wedges  29  of the locking ramp  26 , which in turn is equal to the number of actuating levers  25  of the support tray  12 , to ensure optimum immobilization and locking. 
   While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7