DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention generally relates to a cradle assembly for a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] A cradle assembly is provided in a front compartment of electric vehicles to support motor and high voltage components. Owing to low load bearing capacity of existing cradle assemblies, other components such as Low Voltage Battery, Compressor, Powertrain mounts, Battery heater, Cabin heater, Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), vacuum pump, chiller unit, water pumps, and degassing tank are not mounted on the cradle as the cradle may not be able to withstand the load stress of all these components. In other words, the number of components mounted on the cradle are limited to motor and high voltage components.
[003] Also, the conventional cradle assembly is mounted on a siderail of the electric vehicle with the help of the cradle mounting brackets. The conventional cradle mounting brackets have manufacturing complexity due to lesser bending angle of the cradle mounting brackets. The cradle mounting brackets are connected to each other above the siderail with the help of a plate for the anti-rotation purpose. This prevents the siderail from bending during a crash and hence, leads to a poor crash performance.
[004] Hence there is a need in the art for a cradle assembly for a vehicle which solves at least the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[005] In one aspect, the present invention is directed towards a cradle assembly for an electric vehicle. The cradle assembly has a frame structure for supporting a plurality of vehicular components. The frame structure has a front member, a rear member, a right member, a left member and a cross member, wherein each of the front member and the rear member extends in a vehicle width direction and each of the right member and the left member extends between ends of the front member and the rear member in a vehicle front-rear direction. The cross member extends between the front member and the rear member in the vehicle front-rear direction. The frame structure further has a plurality of mounting brackets attached to the frame structure. The plurality of mounting brackets is configured to secure the frame structure to a pair of side rails of the vehicle, the pair of side rails extending along the vehicle front-rear direction. The at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets is attached to the front member and positioned on one of the pair of side rails near a dash panel of the vehicle. The at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets is made of aluminium and is configured to allow a portion of said one of the pair of side rails to collapse and absorb an impact energy during a frontal collision of the vehicle.
[006] In an embodiment, the front member and the rear member of the frame structure are symmetrically formed.
[007] In a further embodiment of the invention, the right member and the left member of the frame structure are symmetrically formed.
[008] In a further embodiment of the invention, the ends of the front member and the rear member of the frame structure has a tapered profile when viewed from a front of the cradle assembly.
[009] In a further embodiment of the invention, each of the ends of the front member and the rear member has a mating surface corresponding to an attachment face of each of the plurality of mounting brackets.
[010] In a further embodiment of the invention, wherein at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets is made of aluminium and remaining brackets are made of steel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[011] Reference will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments.
Figure 1A shows a cradle assembly for an electric vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 1B shows a top view of the cradle assembly for the electric vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 2A shows the cradle assembly mounted on a pair of side rails, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 2B shows a mounting bracket for mounting the cradle assembly on the pair of side rails, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 2C shows a sectional view of the mounting bracket for mounting the cradle assembly on the pair of side rails, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 3A shows a side rail deformation with a mounting bracket made of aluminium for the cradle assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 3B shows the side rail deformation with the mounting bracket made of steel for the cradle assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 4A shows a top view of the side rail deformation for the cradle assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 4B shows a side view of the side rail deformation for the cradle assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 5 shows a dash panel intrusion level for the vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 6A shows the cradle assembly with vehicular components mounted thereon, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 6B shows the cradle assembly with the vehicular components mounted thereon, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[012] The present invention is directed towards a cradle assembly for a vehicle. Particularly, the present invention is directed towards the cradle assembly for a front compartment of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the vehicle can be an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The cradle assembly of the vehicle comprises a frame structure. The frame structure is configured to mount plurality of vehicular components such as an electric powertrain (EPT) along with other components such as an Integrated Power Distribution Unit (IPDU), a Motor Control Unit (MCU), a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), a HVAC compressor, an auxiliary battery, a battery heater, a cabin heater, a chiller unit, and a vacuum pump as a single component. The frame structure allows for the easy mounting and removal of the components during repair and maintenance.
[013] Figures 1A and 1B illustrate the cradle assembly 100 for the electric vehicle 10. The cradle assembly 100 as discussed hereinafter is accommodated in the front compartment of the vehicle 10 which is accessible via a hinged cover. As shown in figures 1A and 1B, the cradle assembly 100 comprises a frame structure 102 for supporting a plurality of vehicular components as mentioned hereinabove. In a non-limiting embodiment, the material used for the frame structure 102 is steel. In an embodiment, the frame structure 102 comprises a front member 102a, a rear member 102b, a right member 104a, a left member 104b and a cross member 106. The front member 102a and the rear member 102b extends in a vehicle width direction from a first end to a second end. The left member 104b and the right member 104a extends between the front member 102a and the rear member 102b in a vehicle front-rear direction from the first end to the second end. In a non-limiting embodiment, the first end of the front member 102a is welded to the first end of the right member 104a. The second end of the front member 102a is welded to the first end of the left member 104b. Similarly, the first end of the rear member 102b is welded to the second end of the right member 104a and the second end of the rear member 102b is welded to the second end of the left member 104b. Hence, the frame structure 102 is welded together on all the four corners.
[014] In an embodiment, the front member 102a and the rear member 102b of the frame structure 102 are symmetrically formed. Hence, the front member 102a can interchangeably be used as the rear member 102b and vice-versa, due to the same constructional design of the front member 102a and the rear member 102b. Therefore, the front member 102a can be inverted at 180° to be used as the rear member 102b on the cradle assembly 100 and vice versa. In yet another embodiment, the right member 104a and the left member 104b of the frame structure 102 are symmetrically formed. Hence, the right member 104a can interchangeably be used as the left member 104b and vice-versa, due to the same constructional design of the right member 104a and the left member 104b. Therefore, the left member 104b can be inverted at 180° to be used as the right member 104a on the cradle assembly 100 and vice versa.
[015] The frame structure 102 further comprises a cross member 106 extending between the front member 102a and the rear member 102b in the vehicle front-rear direction. Further, each of the front member 102a, the rear member 102b, the left member 104b and the right member 104a are reinforced, thereby enhancing a load bearing capacity of the cradle assembly 100. In a non-limiting embodiment, the cradle assembly 100 as shown in figures is designed to bear a load of approximately 159 kilograms.
[016] As further depicted in Figures 2A, 2B and 2C, the cradle assembly 100 of the vehicle 10 is mounted on a pair of side rails 132a, 132b. The pair of side rails 132a, 132b extend along the vehicle front-rear direction. One end of each of the pair of side rails 132a, 132b is attached to a dash panel 134. The frame structure 102 comprises a plurality of mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d attached to the frame structure 102 for mounting the cradle assembly 100 on the pair of the side rails 132a, 132b. The plurality of mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d is configured to secure the frame structure 102 to the pair of side rails 132a, 132b of the vehicle 10.
[017] In an embodiment, at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d is attached to the front member 102a and positioned on one of the pair of side rails 132a, 132b near the dash panel 134 of the vehicle 10. In a non-limiting embodiment, the at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d is made of an aluminium and is configured to allow a portion of said one of the pair of side rails 132a, 132b to collapse and absorb an impact energy during a frontal collision of the vehicle 10. In a non-limiting embodiment, the mounting bracket 130a is made of aluminium and the mounting brackets 130b, 130c, 130d are made of steel.
[018] As further depicted in Figures 2B and 2C, the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium is configured to mount the frame structure 102 from one end on the side rail 132a. In a non-limiting embodiment, the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium has a L-shaped profile, thereby facilitating an easy mounting of the frame structure 102 on the side rail 132a of the vehicle 10. The mounting brackets 130b, 130c, 130d made of steel are configured to mount the frame structure 102 from the remaining three ends on the pair of the side rails 132a, 132b. In a non-limiting embodiment, the mounting bracket 130a made of steel has the L-shaped profile, thereby facilitating an easy mounting of the frame structure 102 on the pair of side rails 132a, 132b of the vehicle 10.
[019] In an embodiment, the ends of the front member 102a and the rear member 102b of the frame structure 102 has a tapered profile when viewed from a front of the cradle assembly 100. Further, each of the ends of the front member 102a and the rear member 102b has a mating surface corresponding to an attachment face of each of the plurality of mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d.
[020] In a non-limiting embodiment, the front member 102a and the rear member 102b have an inclined surface for enabling mounting of the cradle assembly 100 on the pair of the side rails 132a, 132b of the vehicle 10. Further, the inclined mounting surfaces remove the overhang of the brackets which would be present in case of a bracket with 90 degrees bending angle. As further depicted, the cradle assembly 100 along with components assembled thereon is mounted on the pair of the side rails 132a, 132b via the plurality of mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d. The first mounting bracket 130a secures the cradle assembly 100 on the side rail 132a at one corner. The first mounting bracket 130a is made of aluminium for enhancing the overall crash performance of the cradle assembly 100. The second mounting bracket 130b, the third mounting bracket 130c and the fourth mounting bracket 130d secure the cradle assembly 100 on the pair of the side rail 132a, 132b at the three corners. The second mounting bracket 130b, the third mounting bracket 130c and the fourth mounting bracket 130d are constructionally same as the first mounting bracket 130a. However, the second mounting bracket 130b, the third mounting bracket 130c and the fourth mounting bracket 130d are made of steel. The disposition of the first mounting bracket 130a being made of aluminium which is softer than the mounting brackets 130b, 130c, 130d made of steel improves the overall crash performance of the vehicle. Further, the cradle assembly 100 is provided with a plurality of fasteners 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d on the four corners of the cradle assembly 100. The plurality of fasteners 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d allow the mounting of the cradle assembly 100 on the pair of the side rails 132a, 132b.
[021] As further depicted in figures 2B and 2C, the mounting bracket 130a is secured to the cradle assembly 100 on the side rail 132a at one corner of the front member 102a with the help of the fastener 110a. Similarly, the mounting bracket 130b secures the cradle assembly 100 on the side rail 132a at one corner with the help of the fastener 110b. Further, the mounting brackets 130c, 130d secure the cradle assembly 100 on the side rail 132b with the help of the fasteners 110a, 110c. Further, the present invention provides the four mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d and the anti-rotation of the mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d is enabled by providing two mounting points with the cradle assembly 100.
[022] Figure 3A shows the deformation of the side rail 132a (shown in Figure 2A) observed during a frontal vehicle collision test when the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium is used for mounting the cradle assembly 100, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Figure 3B shows the deformation of the side rail 132a (shown in Figure 2A) observed during a frontal vehicle collision test when the mounting bracket 130a made of steel is used for mounting the cradle assembly 100, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Therefore, in Figure 3A, the side rail 132a deformation is observed when the mounting bracket 130a is made of aluminium and the mounting brackets 130b, 130c, 130d are made of steel. On the other hand, in Figure 3B, the side rail 132a deformation is observed when all the mounting brackets 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d are made of steel.
[023] As shown in Figure 3A, the side rail 132a is observed to have clear/sharp bending lines 1’, 2’, 3’ passing vertically through bending sections of the side rail 132a and produced due to the vehicle frontal collision when the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium is used to mount the cradle assembly 100 with a powertrain and vehicle components attached on the cradle assembly 100.
[024] Referring to Figure 3B, the side rail 132a is observed not to bend with the clear/sharp bending lines 1’, 2’, 3’ as shown in the Figure 3A as the bending line 2’ is not clearly formed due to the vehicle frontal collision when the mounting bracket 132a made of steel is used. It is observed that the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium enhances the overall crash performance by bending the side rail 132a with the clear/sharp bending lines 1’, 2’, 3’. As mentioned hereinbefore, the at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets 130a is made of aluminium and the remaining mounting brackets 130b, 130c, 130d are made of steel. Due to the impact of the vehicle frontal collision, it is further observed that the mounting bracket 130a made of the aluminium breaks down easily as compared to the mounting bracket 130a made of steel. Consequently, the mounting bracket 130a made of the aluminium allows the respective side rail 132 to collapse and absorb more energy on which it is mounted, thereby enhancing the overall crash performance of the vehicle 10 as compared to the mounting bracket 130a made of steel. Due to more energy absorption on the part of the side rail 132, the intrusion of the side rail 132a towards the dash panel 134 is minimized or reduced, thereby enhancing the safety of occupants present inside a cabin of the vehicle 10.
[025] Figure 4A shows a top view of the side rail 132a deformation for the cradle assembly 100. Figure 4B shows a side view of the side rail 132a deformation for the cradle assembly 100. As depicted in Figures 4A and 4B, the side rail 132a bending angle with the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium has greater Y displacement and lesser Z displacement as compared to the mounting bracket 130a made of steel. Therefore, the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium enhances the overall crash performance by bending the side rail 132a from the middle 2’ as depicted in Figures 3A and 3B in case of the vehicle frontal collision as compared to the mounting bracket 130a made of steel. Due to more energy absorption on the part of the side rail 132, the intrusion of the side rail 132a towards the dash panel 134 is minimized or reduced which enhances the safety of the occupants present inside the cabin of the vehicle 10.
[026] Figure 5 shows a dash panel 134 intrusion level for the vehicle 10, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As depicted in Figure 5, the dash panel 134 intrusion level with the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium is around 150 mm and the dash panel 134 intrusion level with the mounting bracket 130a made of steel is around 120 mm. Therefore, the use of the mounting bracket 130a made of aluminium for mounting the cradle assembly 100 on the side rail 132a of the vehicle 10 improves the crash performance of the vehicle 10.
[027] Referring now to Figures 6A and 6B, the cradle assembly 100 along with the vehicular components mounted thereon are shown. The frame structure 102 of the cradle assembly 100 comprises a plurality of brackets to mount the vehicular components. As depicted in Figures 6A and 6B, the vehicular components comprise an Integrated Power Distribution Unit (IPDU) 202, HVAC compressor 204, low voltage battery 206, battery heater 208, degassing tank 210, powertrain left rubber mounting 212, chiller unit 214, water pump 216, EPT and MCU 218, powertrain right rubber mounting 220, a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) 222, Vacuum pump 224 and the cabin heater 226. The PDU and the VCU are integrated with each other and forms an IPDU 202. The IPDU 202 is configured to deliver high voltage power to the other components within the vehicle 10 and therefore, converts the AC power to DC power. The IPDU 202 is mounted on the front member 102a of the frame structure 102 with the help of the brackets 108a, 108d. The IPDU 202 is mounted on the rear member 102b of the frame structure 102 with the help of the brackets 108b, 108c. The bracket 112 is configured to hold the powertrain with a rubber mounting 220 (as depicted in Figure 6A) on the right member 104a of the frame structure 102. Similarly, the bracket 114 is configured to hold the powertrain with the rubber mounting 212 on the left member 104b. The brackets 112, 114 provide the support to the EPT and MCU 218. Further, the brackets 116a, 116b are configured to mount the HVAC compressor 204 with the help of rubber mounts to prevent vibrations from entering inside the cradle assembly 100. Similarly, the bracket 118 is configured to mount the chiller unit 214 on the cradle assembly 100. The chiller unit 214 is configured to regulate the heat exchange between the HVAC compressor system 204 and the battery cooling system. Similarly, the bracket 120 is configured to mount the water pump 216 which helps to move the coolant from radiator to all the necessary parts of the vehicle 10.
[028] The brackets 122a, 122b on the left member 104b are configured to mount the Low Voltage Battery 206 which helps to provide power to the systems and accessories of the vehicle 10. The bracket 124 on the rear member 102b is configured to mount the cabin heater 226 (as depicted in Figure 6A) which produces warm air and is directly blown into the cabin. The bracket 126 on the left frame member 104b is configured to mount the battery heater 208. The battery heater 208 is configured to heat the battery to speed-up the charging process. The bracket 128 on the rear member 102b is configured to mount the heater hose. Accordingly, the cradle assembly 100 of the present invention allows the plurality of vehicular components to be mounted thereon. Further, the cradle assembly 100 is easy to install and remove during the maintenance.
[029] Advantageously, the present invention provides a cradle assembly which has high load bearing capacity. The present invention improves the side rail bending angle and therefore, reduces the dash panel intrusion level during the vehicle frontal collision. Further, the present invention provides that the mounting bracket made of aluminium allows the respective side rail to collapse and absorb more energy on which it is mounted, thereby enhancing the overall crash performance of the vehicle. Due to more energy absorption on the part of the side rail, the intrusion of the side rail towards the dash panel is minimized and reduced, thereby enhancing the safety of the occupants present inside the cabin of the vehicle. Also, the present invention eliminates the manufacturing of the front member, the rear member, the right member and the left member separately, thereby enhancing the advantages of the frame structure from a manufacturing and cost perspective as well.
[030] While the present invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modification may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

List of Reference Numerals
10 – Vehicle
100 – Cradle Assembly
102 – Frame Structure
102a – Front Member
102b – Rear Member
104a – Right Member
104b – Left Member
106 – Cross Member
108a, 108b, 108c, 108d – Plurality of Brackets for IPDU
110a, 110b, 110c, 110d – Plurality of Fasteners
112, 114 – Brackets for powertrain and MCU
116a, 116b – Brackets for HVAC compressor
118 – Bracket for Chiller Unit
120 – Bracket for Water pump
122a, 122b – Brackets for Low Voltage Battery
124 – Bracket for Cabin heater
126 – Bracket for battery heater
128 – Bracket for heater hose
130a, 130b, 130c, 130d – Plurality of Mounting Brackets
132a, 132b – Pair of Side Rails
134 – Dash Panel
202 – Integrated Power Distribution Unit
204 – HVAC compressor
206 – Low Voltage Battery
208 – Battery Heater
210 – Degassing Tank
212 – Powertrain left rubber mounting
214 – Chiller Unit
216 – Water Pump
218 – Electric powertrain and a Motor Control Unit
220 – Powertrain right rubber mounting
222 – Vehicle Control Unit
224 – Vacuum pump
226 – Cabin Heater
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. A cradle assembly (100) for an electric vehicle (10), the cradle assembly (100) comprising:
a frame structure (102) for supporting a plurality of vehicular components, the frame structure (102) comprising:
a front member (102a) and a rear member (102b), each of the front member (102a) and the rear member (102b) extending in a vehicle width direction;
a right member (104a) and a left member (104b), each of the right member (104a) and the left member (104b) extending between ends of the front member (102a) and the rear member (102b) in a vehicle front-rear direction;
a cross member (106), the cross member (106) extending between the front member (102a) and the rear member (102b) in the vehicle front-rear direction; and
a plurality of mounting brackets (130a, 130b, 130c, 130d) attached to the frame structure (102), the plurality of mounting brackets (130a, 130b, 130c, 130d) is configured to secure the frame structure (102) to a pair of side rails (132a, 132b) of the vehicle (10), the pair of side rails (132a, 132b) extending along the vehicle front-rear direction, at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets (130a, 130b, 130c, 130d) is attached to the front member (102a) and positioned on one of the pair of side rails (132a, 132b) near a dash panel (134) of the vehicle (10), said at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets (130a, 130b, 130c, 130d) being made of aluminium and is configured to allow a portion of said one of the pair of side rails (132a, 132b) to collapse and absorb an impact energy during a frontal collision of the vehicle (10).

2. The cradle assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front member (102a) and the rear member (102b) of the frame structure (102) are symmetrically formed.

3. The cradle assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the right member (104a) and the left member (104b) of the frame structure (102) are symmetrically formed.

4. The cradle assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends of the front member (102a) and the rear member (102b) of the frame structure (102) has a tapered profile when viewed from a front of the cradle assembly (100).

5. The cradle assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the ends of the front member (102a) and the rear member (102b) has a mating surface corresponding to an attachment face of each of the plurality of mounting brackets (130a, 130b, 130c, 130d).

6. The cradle assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of mounting brackets (130a, 130b, 130c, 130d) is made of aluminium and remaining brackets are made of steel.

Dated this 14th day of August 2023
MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LIMITED
By their Agent & Attorney

(Janaksinh Jhala)
of Khaitan & Co
Reg No IN/PA-2193