Patent ID: 7070015

Claim:
An automotive vehicle having a battery mounting system, comprising: a battery tray fastened to a floor within a compartment of the vehicle, with the compartment having a longitudinal axis; and a motion convertor for repositioning said battery tray as a result of a collision impact upon the compartment and subsequent axial deformation of the compartment floor, with said motion convertor causing said battery tray to rotate from a first position in which the battery tray is generally parallel to the floor, to a second position in which the battery tray is not parallel to the floor, wherein said motion convertor comprises a first inclined plane fastened rigidly to said floor, with said first inclined plane engaging a second inclined plane comprising a portion of said battery tray such that axial deformation of said floor beyond a predetermined extent causes the first inclined plane to slidingly engage said second inclined plane, so as to thereby lift and initiate rotation of said battery tray in a direction away from said floor.