초록 ▼

Battery enclosures include a pre-stressed bottom sheet having a convex surface, at least one vibration isolator disposed along at least a portion of a perimeter of the bottom sheet, a sidewall in contact with the at least one vibration isolator so as to be isolated from the bottom sheet, and at leas

Battery enclosures include a pre-stressed bottom sheet having a convex surface, at least one vibration isolator disposed along at least a portion of a perimeter of the bottom sheet, a sidewall in contact with the at least one vibration isolator so as to be isolated from the bottom sheet, and at least one strap attached to the bottom sheet, the at least one strap being configured to hold a bottom surface of an outer casing of a battery against the convex surface of the bottom sheet such that internal battery cells are supported by a substantially planar surface.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A battery enclosure, comprising: a pre-stressed bottom sheet having a convex top surface; at least one vibration isolator disposed along at least a portion of a perimeter of the bottom sheet; a sidewall having a bottom portion in contact with the vibration isolator, the sidew

What is claimed is: 1. A battery enclosure, comprising: a pre-stressed bottom sheet having a convex top surface; at least one vibration isolator disposed along at least a portion of a perimeter of the bottom sheet; a sidewall having a bottom portion in contact with the vibration isolator, the sidewall being isolated from the bottom sheet by the vibration isolator; and at least one strap having two end portions, each end portion being attached to the bottom sheet, the at least one strap being configured to hold a bottom surface of an outer casing of a battery against the top surface of the bottom sheet. 2. The battery enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one vibration isolator comprises four vibration isolators disposed on each corner of the bottom sheet and the at least one strap comprises four straps, the battery enclosure further comprising: composite sheets, the composite sheets being disposed between the four straps and external surfaces of the battery; and a plurality of vibration isolators disposed between the composite sheets and the sidewall. 3. The battery enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the sidewall is L-shaped and the at least one vibration isolator is disposed on an inside corner of the L-shaped sidewall. 4. The battery enclosure according to claim 1, further comprising: struts connected to a bottom surface of the bottom sheet. 5. The battery enclosure according to claim 4, wherein the sidewall is L-shaped, a cross section of the struts is C-shaped, the struts are disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom sheet on an X pattern, the bottom sheet includes an S-shaped member disposed along the perimeter of the bottom sheet, the at least one vibration insulator is disposed between the S-shaped member and an inside corner of the L-shaped sidewall, and an end portion of the S-shaped member is substantially flush with a bottom portion of the C-shaped struts. 6. The battery enclosure according to claim 1, further comprising: an L-shaped cover, a first portion thereof forming a portion of the sidewall, a second portion of the L-shaped cover, perpendicular to the first, being configured to cover the battery enclosure, and the second portion of the top cover being configured to slide in and out of the battery enclosure on tracks disposed on a top portion of the sidewall. 7. The battery enclosure according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of brackets attached to the bottom sheet to support external components of the battery. 8. The battery enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one vibration isolator is an elastomeric material. 9. The battery enclosure according to claim 8, wherein physical properties of the elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a spring constant, a dynamic response, and combinations thereof are selected based on a natural frequency of the battery enclosure, on a natural frequency of the battery, on a frequency spectrum of vibrations transmitted from a vehicle carrying the battery enclosure and the battery, or on combinations thereof. 10. A combination, comprising: a battery including a plurality of cells interconnected by a plurality of bus bars, a button sheet supporting the plurality of cells, and an outer casing surrounding the button sheet and the plurality of cells; and a battery enclosure including a pre-stressed bottom sheet having a convex top surface, at least four vibration isolators disposed on corresponding corners of the bottom sheet, sidewalls isolated from the bottom sheet by the at least four vibration isolators, four straps each having two end portions attached to the bottom sheet, a plurality of composite sheets, a plurality of vibrator isolators, and an L-shaped cover, wherein a first portion of the L-shaped cover forms a portion of the sidewalls, a second portion of the L-shaped cover, perpendicular to the first, is configured to cover the battery enclosure, the second portion of the top cover is configured to slide in and out of the battery enclosure on tracks disposed on a top portion of the sidewalls, the plurality of insulators are disposed on the composite sheets, the sidewalls are separated from the composite sheets by the plurality of vibrator insulators, an outer surface of the outer casing of the battery is compressed against the top surface of the bottom sheet by the straps such that the plurality of cells of the battery is substantially flat, and the composite sheets are disposed between the straps and the battery. 11. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the bottom sheet includes struts disposed on a bottom surface thereof, the sidewalls are L-shaped, a cross section of the struts is C-shaped, the struts are disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom sheet on an X pattern, and the bottom sheet includes an S-shaped member disposed along the perimeter of the bottom sheet, the at least four vibration insulators being disposed between the S-shaped member and an inside corner of the L-shaped sidewalls and an end portion of the S-shaped member being substantially flush with a bottom portion of the C-shaped struts. 12. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the at least four vibration isolators are made of an elastomeric material, wherein physical properties of the elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a spring constant, a dynamic response, and combinations thereof are selected based on a natural frequency of the battery enclosure, on a natural frequency of the battery, on a frequency spectrum of vibrations transmitted from a vehicle carrying the battery enclosure and the battery, or on combinations thereof. 13. The combination according to claim 10, further comprising a vehicle, the battery enclosure with the battery therein being disposed in the vehicle. 14. The combination according to claim 13, the battery enclosure further comprising at least one protrusion to mate with a corresponding groove on at least one rack-mounting bracket connected to a structural member of the vehicle, the at least one rack-mounting bracket, comprising: a first frame member having a first portion connected to a structural member of the vehicle, the first member extending generally horizontally from the structural member; a second frame member having a first end portion connected to the first frame member at a second end portion of the first member disposed away from the structural member and a second end portion, extending diagonally, connected to the structural member; and a third frame member connected to the second end portion of the first member extending generally downward therefrom. 15. The combination according to claim 14, wherein the at least one rack-mounting bracket further comprises a fourth frame member extending substantially parallel to the first member, and a C-channel support connected to the first and fourth frame member, wherein the C-channel support is connected to the structural member so as to form a passage for battery wiring and cooling, and the at least one rack-mounting bracket is configured to hold two battery enclosures one on top of the other. 16. The combination according to claim 14, wherein the at least one rack-mounting bracket is made of a single laser-cut metal sheet and the at least one rack-mounting rack includes a cutout to form a passage for battery wiring and cooling. 17. The combination according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a locomotive, an off-highway mining vehicle, a marine vehicle, a crane, a bus, and an automobile. 18. The combination according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle is a retrofitted vehicle. 19. A method for securing a battery to a battery enclosure, the method comprising: covering at least a portion of the battery with a composite sheet; disposing a strap over the composite sheet; attaching end portions of the strap to a bottom sheet of the battery enclosure; and compressing a bottom surface of the battery to a pre-stressed convex surface of the bottom sheet of the battery enclosure so that internal cells of the battery are maintained substantially flat. 20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: isolating the battery from vibrations from a vehicle carrying the battery by disposing elastomeric vibration isolators between sidewalls of the enclosure and the bottom sheet. 21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: selecting a physical property of the elastomeric vibration isolators selected from the group consisting of a spring constant, a dynamic response, and combinations thereof based on a natural frequency of the battery enclosure, on a natural frequency of the battery, on a frequency spectrum of vibrations transmitted from a vehicle carrying the battery enclosure and the battery, or on combinations thereof.