Patent ID: 12208669

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness. Like reference character refer to like elements throughout the description.

With initial reference toFIG.1, there is provided a vehicle1in the form of a truck. The vehicle1illustrated inFIG.1comprises a pair of front wheels10and a pair of rear wheels20. It should however be readily understood that the vehicle1may equally as well comprise a first pair of rear wheels and a second pair of rear wheels, where the first pair of wheels is positioned longitudinally in front of the second pair of rear wheels. The second pair of rear wheels may be connected to a so-called tag-axle and the first pair of rear wheels may be connected to a so-called pusher axle.

Furthermore, the vehicle1comprises a plurality of modules50arranged to supply power for propelling an electric machine (not shown) of the vehicle1. The vehicle1is thus operated using at least one electric machine, which can be arranged in the form of wheel hub motors or a single electric motor connected to e.g. the pair of front wheels. The modules50may thus form a plurality of vehicle batteries for supplying electrical power to the electric machine. The modules50may on the other hand, as an alternative, form a plurality of hydrogen tanks comprising hydrogen fuel which is supplied to a fuel cell system that generates electric power to be supplied to a battery or directly to the electric machine.

As is further illustrated inFIG.1, the vehicle comprises a frame structure100. The frame structure comprises a front wheel suspension arrangement30and a rear wheel suspension arrangement40. The front30and rear40wheel suspension arrangements are not depicted in detail inFIG.1but should be understood to suspend the pair of front wheels10and pair of rear wheels20, respectively. The frame structure100further comprises a load bearing frame arrangement102(seeFIGS.2-3) extending between the front30and rear40wheel suspension arrangements. The vehicle1depicted inFIG.1does hence not contain a conventional frame structure which is composed of two longitudinally extending frame rails positioned at a transversal distance from each other. Instead, the frame structure100comprises the load bearing frame arrangement102which is positioned at a transversal center portion of the vehicle1. Since the vehicle is propelled by electric machine(s), the vehicle does not contain a conventional propeller shaft. The load bearing frame arrangement102is therefore preferably positioned in the space which, for an ICE operated vehicle, is conventionally occupied by such propeller shaft.

In order to describe the frame structure100in further detail, reference is now made toFIG.2. As can be seen, the frame structure100comprises the above mentioned load bearing frame arrangement102which is, when arranged on the vehicle1, positioned at a transversal center portion and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle1. The load bearing frame arrangement102comprises a first member104and a second member106. The first104and second106members are extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle1between, as also indicated above, between the front30and rear40wheel suspension arrangements. Further, and as seen in a transversal cross section of the load bearing frame arrangement102, each of the first104and second106members comprises an extension in a diagonal direction, which are indicated by arrows numbered202and204. The diagonal extension204of the first member104interconnects with the diagonal extension202of the second member106, thereby forming a connection point108between the first104and second106members. The load bearing frame arrangement102is hereby forming an X-shaped, longitudinally extending, load carrying beam.

Preferably, and as illustrated inFIG.2, the connection point108is positioned along the diagonal extension of first104and second106member, preferably at the transversal center portion of the vehicle1. The first104and second106members may, as illustrated inFIG.2, be formed by a respective first and second plate structure, which plate structures are connected to each other at the connection point108by fastening elements206. The fastening elements206can, for example, be formed by screw joints, bolts, rivets, welds, etc. The first104and second106members are in this configuration formed as a respective rotated V-shaped member which are fixated to each other to form the X-shaped beam.

As an alternative, the X-shaped beam can be formed in one piece in which the above-described fastening elements206are superfluous. The X-shaped beam can be formed as a one piece structure by casting or extrusion, etc. A one piece X-shaped beam still comprises the connection point108between the diagonally extending first and second members.

As is further illustrated inFIG.2, each of the first104and second106members comprises a substantially horizontal upper support portion208as well as a substantially horizontal lower support portion210. The upper208and lower210support portions are arranged as support surfaces for connecting to an upper and a lower panel structure (see112and116inFIG.3). The upper panel structure112is connected to the load bearing frame arrangement102at the upper support portion208by means of suitable fastening elements212, such as e.g. screws, bolts, rivets, welds, etc. In a similar vein, the lower panel structure116is connected to the load bearing frame arrangement102at the lower support portion210by means of suitable fastening elements212, such as e.g. screws, bolts, rivets, welds, etc.

Turning now toFIG.3which illustrates the above-described frame structure100according to an example embodiment. As described above, the frame structure100comprises the X-shaped load bearing frame arrangement102. As can be seen inFIG.3, the upper112and lower116panel structures connected to the load bearing frame arrangement102by means of the fastening elements212. The upper112and lower116panel structures each has an extension in the transversal direction as well as in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle1, thereby forming a “roof” and “floor” for the frame structure100. Preferably, and as illustrated inFIG.1, the upper112and lower116panels extend between the front30and rear40wheel suspension arrangements, thereby forming a full cover both above as well as below the X-shaped load bearing frame arrangement102. The upper panel structure112is, together with the load bearing frame arrangement102, forming an upper volume302or cavity. In particular, an upper portion of the load bearing frame arrangement102is arranged in a V-shape, which forms the upper volume302or cavity. In a similar vein, the lower panel structure116is, together with the load bearing frame arrangement102, forming a lower volume304or cavity. In particular, a lower portion of the load bearing frame arrangement102is arranged in a reversed V-shape, which forms the lower volume304or cavity. The upper302and lower304volumes/cavities are advantageously used for packaging of components, such as routing of media, cablings, etc. As is also illustrated inFIG.3, the upper panel structure112comprises an access lid114. Hereby, the components positioned within the upper volume302are accessible by an operator of the vehicle, or during maintenance. Although not depicted in the figures, the lower panel structure may also comprise a similar access lid for gaining simplified access to the lower volume304.

The frame structure100further comprises a plurality of brackets110arranged laterally outside the load bearing frame arrangement102. In particular, each of the brackets are connected to the load bearing frame arrangement102and extends in a direction transversally away from the above-described connection point108. The brackets110are positioned along the longitudinal extension of the load bearing frame arrangement102at a predetermined distance from each other. The brackets110are preferably connected to the load bearing frame arrangement102by means of fastening elements308, such as screws, bolts, rivets, etc. The brackets110are further also attached/connected to the upper112and lower116panel structures by means of bracket connectors310in the form of e.g. screws, bolts, rivets, etc.

The brackets110, together with the load bearing frame arrangement102, the upper panel structure112and the lower panel structure116forms a cavity320in which the modules50, in the following merely referred to as batteries/battery modules, can be positioned. In particular, one or more battery modules can be arranged between a pair of brackets in the cavity320formed therebetween. The batteries are, after insertion to the cavity320, fixated to the frame structure in a suitable manner By arranging the battery modules in this manner, the brackets will act as a load transferring element in case of e.g. a side collision. The load from such a side collision will thus be transferred to the load bearing frame arrangement102via the brackets110, thereby protecting the batteries form damage.

As can thus be seen inFIG.3, the frame structure (100) comprises a plurality of brackets positioned along the longitudinal extension of the load bearing frame arrangement at a predetermined distance from each other, wherein each of the plurality of brackets is connected to the diagonally extending first (104) and second (106) members and extends transversally away from the connection point.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.