Vehicle Component and Component Assembly Comprising Elastic Averaging Features

Abstract

An assembly for a vehicle includes a first member including a plurality of elastically deformable locating protrusions extending outward, and a second member defining a cavity extending inward and including a plurality of elastically deformable compression features disposed within the cavity. The locating protrusions of the first member are disposed within the cavity of the second member in press fit engagement with the compression features of the second member to secure the first member relative to the second member. The average of the elastic deformation between all of the locating protrusions of the first member and all of the compression features of the second member precisely aligns the first member relative to the second member. The assembly may include but is not limited to a multiple unit battery pack, a multiple unit fuel cell pack, a dashboard assembly or adjoining body panels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle member, comprising:
 a first face and a second opposing face, the vehicle member defining a cavity that extends inward into the second face;   a first set and a second set of a plurality of elastically deformable protrusions that extend outward from an outer surface of the first face;   a first set and a second set of a plurality of compression features disposed within the cavity;   wherein the respective first sets and the respective second sets of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions and the plurality of compression features are spaced apart from each other; and   wherein the respective first sets and the respective second sets of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions and the plurality of compression features are geometrically distributed relative to each other such that when the first surface of a first of the vehicle member is matingly engaged face-to-face adjacent with the second surface of a second of the vehicle member, each of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions press fit engage with respective ones of the plurality of compression features with an averaged elastic deformation between all of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions of the first vehicle member and all of the plurality of compression features of the second vehicle member that precisely aligns the first and second vehicle members along a longitudinal central axis of at least one of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle member of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of compression features comprises a compression protrusion that extends along an axis that is parallel with a central axis of at least one of the plurality of the elastically deformable protrusions, a compression rib that forms an interior wall in the cavity that extends between opposing side walls of the cavity and that extends along a plane that is parallel with the central axis of at least one of the plurality of the elastically deformable protrusions, a compression ridge that forms a ridge of material that is peripherally disposed at a side wall of the cavity that extends along a line that is parallel with the central axis of at least one of the plurality of the elastically deformable protrusions and that extends inward toward a center of the cavity, or any combination of the foregoing compression protrusion, compression rib and compression ridge; and   the compression protrusion, the compression rib, and the compression ridge are all spaced apart from each other to define a region therebetween that is smaller than one of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions to cause an interference fit engagement between associated ones of the plurality of compression features and the respective elastically deformable protrusion.   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle member of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions has a cylindrical shaft.   
     
     
         4 . The vehicle member of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions has a cross sectional shape perpendicular to its respective central axis, the cross sectional shape defining a circular shape, a heptagon shape, an octagon shape, a decagon shape, or a dodecagon shape.   
     
     
         5 . The vehicle member of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions is formed of an active material that is changeable from a first shape to a second different shape.   
     
     
         6 . The vehicle member of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the first shape results when the active material is in an energized state, and the second shape results when the active material is in a de-energized state.   
     
     
         7 . The vehicle member of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the second shape is an inverted taper shape having a central axis that extends along a central axis of at least one of the plurality of the elastically deformable protrusions.   
     
     
         8 . The vehicle member of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a through hole that extends from the first face to the second face, wherein at least some of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions are disposed proximate the hole to provide precise alignment of a first of the vehicle member with a second of the vehicle member relative to the hole when the first and second vehicle members are matingly engaged with each other.   
     
     
         9 . The vehicle member of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle member is a battery pack or fuel cell pack member. 
     
     
         10 . An assembly, comprising:
 a plurality of members, each of the plurality of members comprising:
 a first face and a second opposing face, each member of the plurality of members defining a cavity that extends inward into the second face; 
 a first set and a second set of a plurality of elastically deformable protrusions that extend outward from an outer surface of the first face; and 
 a first set and a second set of a plurality of compression features disposed within the cavity; 
 wherein the respective first sets and the respective second sets of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions and the plurality of compression features are spaced apart from each other; and 
   wherein the first surface of a first of the plurality of members is matingly engaged face-to-face adjacent with the second surface of a second of the plurality of members, the respective first sets and the respective second sets of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions and the plurality of compression features being geometrically distributed relative to each other such that each of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions press fit engage with respective ones of the plurality of compression features with an averaged elastic deformation between all of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions of the first member and all of the plurality of compression features of the second member that precisely aligns the first and second members along a longitudinal axis of the assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the plurality of members are arranged face-to-face adjacent with each other along a longitudinal axis to define a continuous stack of the plurality of members that number more than two members.   
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of members is identical to another of the plurality of members.   
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of compression features comprises a compression protrusion that extends along an axis that is parallel with a central axis of at least one of the plurality of the elastically deformable protrusions, a compression rib that forms an interior wall in the cavity that extends between opposing side walls of the cavity and that extends along a plane that is parallel with the central axis of at least one of the plurality of the elastically deformable protrusions, a compression ridge that forms a ridge of material that is peripherally disposed at a side wall of the cavity that extends along a line that is parallel with the central axis of at least one of the plurality of the elastically deformable protrusions and that extends inward toward a center of the cavity, or any combination of the foregoing compression protrusion, compression rib and compression ridge; and   the compression protrusion, the compression rib, and the compression ridge are all spaced apart from each other to define a region therebetween that is smaller than one of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions to cause an interference fit engagement between associated ones of the plurality of compression features and the respective elastically deformable protrusion.   
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 at least one of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions has a cylindrical shaft.   
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions has a cross sectional shape perpendicular to its respective central axis, the cross sectional shape defining a circular shape, a heptagon shape, an octagon shape, a decagon shape, or a dodecagon shape.   
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 at least one of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions is formed of an active material that is changeable from a first shape to a second different shape.   
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the first shape results when the active material is in an energized state, and the second shape results when the active material is in a de-energized state.   
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the second shape is an inverted taper shape having a central axis that extends along a central axis of at least one of the plurality of the elastically deformable protrusions.   
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of members comprises a through hole that extends from the first face to the second face, wherein at least some of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions are disposed proximate the hole to provide precise alignment of the first member with the second member relative to the hole.   
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the assembly is an energy storage device assembly.