Abstract:
A battery system of a vehicle includes a battery, a battery tray configured to support the battery, and a battery pouch. The pouch has a plurality of side walls and a bottom defining a space sized to accommodate the battery. The side walls each include an absorbent layer containing a base, such as sodium bicarbonate, and an outer layer impervious to the electrolyte and the base. One of the side walls is a front side wall that includes a wedge that is configured to mate with a front of the battery and the tray. The wedge cooperates with a bottom lip of the battery to secure the battery to the tray.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This disclosure relates to protective battery system structures for vehicle batteries. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Vehicles including electric vehicles use batteries such as lead-acid 12V batteries. Due to variations in vehicle design and design constraints, these batteries may be packaged in a variety of locations including the trunk, passenger compartment, or under the seats. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A vehicle battery system includes a battery having an acidic electrolyte, a battery tray configured to support the battery, and a pouch. The pouch has a plurality of side walls and a bottom defining a space sized to accommodate the battery. Each of the side walls includes an absorbent layer containing a base and an outer layer impervious to the electrolyte and the base. One of the side walls includes a wedge configured to cooperate with a bottom lip of the battery and the tray to secure the battery to the tray. 
         [0004]    The wedge may define a hole generally aligned with a threaded receiver of the tray and configured to permit a bolt to pass thru the hole to secure the wedge to the tray. The wedge may define a slot generally aligned with a threaded receiver of the tray and configured to permit a bolt to pass thru the slot to secure the wedge to the tray. The system may further include a top wall extending from one of the side walls and sized and configured to fold over a top of the battery. The top wall may further define two openings generally aligned with terminals of the battery to allow the battery terminals to pass through the openings. Two opposing side walls may extend beyond a height of the battery such that the opposing side walls connect when folded over a top of the battery. The two opposing side walls define two slots configured as handles to facilitate lifting the pouch. The base may be a carbonate or hydroxide of an alkali or alkaline earth metal. The absorbent layer may be a felt. The outer layer may be an olefin polymer. 
         [0005]    A vehicle includes an interior compartment, a battery having an acidic electrolyte, a battery tray disposed within the interior compartment and configured to support the battery, and a pouch. The pouch has a plurality of side walls and a bottom defining a space sized to accommodate the battery. The side walls each include an absorbent layer containing a base and an outer layer impervious to the electrolyte and the base. Two opposing side walls extend beyond a height of the battery such that the opposing side walls connect when folded over a top of the battery. 
         [0006]    The base may be a carbonate or hydroxide of an alkali or alkaline earth metal. The two opposing side walls may define two slots configured as handles to facilitate lifting the pouch. The interior compartment may be a trunk or passenger compartment. One of the plurality of side walls may include a wedge configured to cooperate with a bottom lip of the battery and the tray to secure the battery to the tray. The wedge may define a hole generally aligned with a threaded receiver of the tray and configured to permit a bolt to pass thru the hole to secure the wedge to the tray. 
         [0007]    A vehicle battery pouch arrangement includes a pouch having a plurality of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall defining a space sized to accommodate a battery. The walls each include an absorbent layer containing a base and an outer layer impervious to an acid and the base. The top wall extends from one of the side walls and is configured to fold over a top of the battery. 
         [0008]    The top wall may further define two openings generally aligned with terminals of the battery allowing the battery terminals to pass through the openings. One of the plurality of side walls may include a wedge configured to cooperate with a bottom lip of the battery and a battery tray to secure the battery to the tray. The wedge may define a hole generally aligned with a threaded receiver of the tray and configured to permit a bolt to pass thru the hole to secure the wedge to the tray. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1A  is an exploded view of an exemplary battery system including a battery, battery tray, and battery pouch having an integrated wedge, and a cross section view of layers of the battery pouch. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of an exemplary battery system. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1C  is an expanded cross-sectional view of a battery pouch. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2A  is an exploded view of an exemplary battery system including a battery, battery tray, and battery pouch having integrated handles. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of an exemplary battery system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended to be merely examples that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting, but as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts. 
         [0015]    As vehicle designs vary, so do the location of the batteries. Some vehicles are designed with a vehicle battery, including a flooded lead acid battery, located in a passenger compartment or luggage compartment of the vehicle. This placement may require special considerations for service attendants that may be required to remove a battery without facilitating electrolyte leakage to surrounding compartments or structures. One exemplary structure is a multi-layered cloth-like container or pouch that has been impregnated with a neutralizing base material. The pouch may be configured to retain the volume of the electrolyte in the battery and may include extended sidewalls to provide splash prevention. The pouch exterior having an outer layer and an absorbent layer may also provide insulation from transient temperatures to the battery. This battery pouch is intended for a low voltage battery such as a  12  Volt lead-acid battery, but could be used with a variety of battery technologies including low voltage lithium ion-batteries. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1A  is an exploded view of an exemplary battery system  100  including a battery  110 , battery tray  132 , and battery pouch  102  having an integrated wedge  126 , and a cross-section view of layers of the battery pouch. The battery pouch  102  includes of an outer layer  104  and an absorbent layer  106 . The outer layer  104  may be impervious to chemicals such as an acidic battery electrolyte and a base such as a carbonate or hydroxide of an alkali or alkaline earth metal. An example of an alkali metal carbonate is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ). An example of an alkaline earth metal carbonate is calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). An example of an alkali metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide (NaOH) An example of an alkaline earth metal hydroxide is calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ). The outer layer  104  may include a polymer including an olefin polymer such as polypropylene or polyethylene. The absorbent layer  106  may include a felt such as a wool felt, a cotton felt, a wood fiber felt, or a polyacrylonitrile felt. The absorbent layer may be soaked or impregnated with the base such that any leak, spill or overflow of the acidic battery electrolyte will be neutralized by a corresponding base. The absorbent layer  106  may also include a material configured to gel upon activation by electrolyte of the battery. The battery pouch  102  may also include an inner layer  108  that may be a semi-permeable membrane to allow a fluid, such as the acidic battery electrolyte to pass through. The semi-permeable membrane may include a polyamide, or an olefin polymer such as polypropylene or polyethylene. Once the battery acid passes the membrane, the acid may react with chemicals or materials in the absorbent layer  106  to form larger molecules thereby trapping the fluid in the absorbent layer  106 . 
         [0017]    In this exemplary illustration, the pouch  102  includes a top flap or top wall  112  that may define holes  114  such as a first hole  114 A for a first terminal and a second hole  114 B for a second terminal. The first and second terminals include a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The top  112  is configured to cover a top of the battery  110  such that terminals of the battery align with the holes  114  and are accessible through the holes  114 . The pouch  102  includes a bottom wall  116  or bottom and side walls  118 ,  120 ,  122 , and  124 . The bottom  116  and side walls  118 ,  120 ,  122 , and  124  are sealed to contain the battery contents. In this exemplary illustration, a front wall of the pouch  102  includes a slide wedge  126  also referred to as a wedge. The wedge  126  may be integrated into the outer layer  104 , or it may be attached to the pouch  102 . The wedge  126  is configured to cooperate with a battery lip  128  to secure the battery to a battery tray  132 . The wedge  126  may include a hole  130  that is aligned with a ramp  134  on the battery tray  132  configured to allow a bolt  138  to secure the wedge  126  and battery  110  to the battery tray  132  using a threaded receiver  136 . The wedge  126  is illustrated on the front of the pouch  102 , but could be located on any of the other side walls  118 ,  120 ,  122 , or  124  of the battery pouch  102 , such that the wedge  126  engages the battery lip and is aligned with the ramp  134  located on a corresponding side of the battery tray  132 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of an exemplary battery system  150 . The battery system  150  is shown assembled having the terminals accessible through the holes, however, other embodiments may not include the holes and cables from the vehicle may be connected with the battery and then the top flap would be secured over the terminals and cables thereby being accessible via a gap between sidewalls  118  and the top  112 , or a gap between sidewalls  120  and the top  112 . The pouch may be configured to retain all or a substantial volume of the electrolyte. 
         [0019]    In another embodiment, the top  112  may not have holes, but may be configured such that the battery cables access the terminals of the battery through an opening between the top  112  and side walls  118 ,  120 , and  122 . The top  112  may include an apparatus to selectively couple the top  112  with the side wall  122 . The apparatus may include a magnetic element, a hook and loop fastener, a snap, a button, or a twisting mechanism to join the top  112  and the side walls  118 ,  120 , and  122 . 
         [0020]    The outer layer  104  of the battery pouch  102  may include ridges that define a plurality of voids between a wall of the battery  110  and an exterior surface of the battery pouch  102 . The absorbent layer  106  may be disposed in the voids between consecutive ridges and between the wall of the battery  110  and the exterior surface of the battery pouch  102 . This embodiment may improve the assembly of the battery  110  within the pouch  102  as the resistance between the walls of the battery and the ridges may be less than the resistance of the walls of the battery  110  and the area of the absorbent layer  106 . The ridges may be configured to form a T-shape from a surface of the outer layer  104  such that the absorbent layer  106  may be disposed in the voids between consecutive ridges and between the wall of the battery  110  and the exterior surface of the battery pouch  102 , and the T-shape structure generally holds the absorbent layer  106  in place during insertion and removal of the battery  110  from the pouch  102 . 
         [0021]    Another embodiment may include a plurality of attachment points for the outer layer  104  and the absorbent layer  106 . The attachment points may include quilting of the outer layer  104  of the battery pouch  102  and the absorbent layer  106 . Another embodiment may include a plurality of attachment points of the outer layer  104  and the inner layer  108 . This may include quilting of the outer layer  104  and the inner layer  108  such that the absorbent layer  106  and the material impregnated within the absorbent layer  106  are generally uniformly maintained. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2A  is an exploded view of an exemplary battery system  200  including a battery  220 , battery tray  226 , and battery pouch  202  having integrated handles  216 . The pouch  202  includes a bottom wall  224 , also referred to as a bottom, and side walls  204 ,  206 ,  208 , and  210 . The bottom  224  and side walls  204 ,  206 ,  208 , and  210  are sealed to contain the battery contents. In this exemplary illustration, opposing sidewalls  204  and  206  are extended beyond a height of the battery  220  and a height of the other sidewalls  208  and  210 . The top flaps  212  and  214  that extend above the height of the other side walls  208  and  210  are configured to fold over to secure them in place. The flaps  212  and  214  are shown to include a first handle  216 A and a second handle  216 B commonly referred to as handles  216  integrated into the pouch to aid in lifting the battery  220 . The flaps  212  and  214  also are sized and positioned to allow accessibility of a first terminal  222 A and a second terminal  222 B commonly referred to as terminals  222  of the battery when the flaps  212  and  214  are folded over. The handle  216 A is shown configured with an apparatus  218  to selectively couple the flap  212  with the flap  214 . The apparatus  218  may include a magnetic element, a hook and loop fastener, a snap, a button, or a twisting mechanism to join the flaps  212  and  214 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of an exemplary battery system  250 . The battery system  250  is shown assembled having the terminals accessible through the handles  216 . However, battery cables from the vehicle may be connected with the battery and then the top flaps  212  and  214  can be secured over the terminals with the cables thereby being accessible via a gap between a front sidewall  208  and the top flaps  212  and  214 , or a gap between a back sidewall  210  and the top flaps  212  and  214 . 
         [0024]    The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes may include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications.