US Patent 9440523 Underfloor unit for a motor vehicle

An underfloor unit for reinforcing a motor vehicle body has a base body (12) connected to the motor vehicle body and intended to dissipate static and/or dynamic loads of the motor vehicle body. The base body (12) has an upwardly directed support plate (14) for supporting battery cell units of a traction battery for and a downwardly directed separate armor plate (16) for protecting the battery cell units against sudden effects of force from below. A cooling duct (18) for cooling the battery cell units is formed between the support plate (14) and the armor plate (16). The underfloor unit (10) can support the battery cells of the traction battery as a support plate (14), protect them as armor and cool them with the aid of the cooling duct (18) as a heat exchanger.