Auxiliary Power Unit and Battery Box Suspension Between Frame Rails
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing auxiliary power unit (APU) and battery box configurations often interfere with other equipment on vehicles, cause noise, vibration, and harshness, and are exposed to environmental elements, while also experiencing driveline/driveshaft interference.
Innovation Solution
An over-frame-rail mounted APU and battery box assembly that includes a housing, battery box with removable covers, and brackets that suspend the battery box between truck frame rails, minimizing interference and exposure to environmental factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the APU and battery box are mounted in conventional positions, then they are easily accessible, but they interfere with other equipment and cause noise, vibration, and harshness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the APU and battery box from conventional horizontal mounting positions to a vertical orientation suspended between frame rails. This dimensional change positions components in the vertical space above the chassis, away from ground-level equipment, thereby reducing interference and NVH while maintaining accessibility through strategic placement of service access points.
Solution Approach 2:
The APU and battery box are extracted from the conventional chassis-mounted configuration and suspended independently between frame rails using brackets and mounting structures. This separation isolates the noise and vibration sources from other equipment, reducing harmful interactions while maintaining system accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the APU and battery box are mounted in conventional positions, then they are easily accessible, but they are exposed to environmental elements
Solution Approach 1:
By mounting the APU and battery box in the vertical space between frame rails rather than at ground level, the patent elevates components away from environmental hazards such as road spray, debris, and moisture. This vertical repositioning reduces exposure to harmful environmental elements while maintaining serviceability through accessible positioning.
3Ease of manufacture
If the APU and battery box are mounted in conventional positions, then installation is straightforward, but driveline/driveshaft interference occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves driveline interference by relocating the APU and battery box from the horizontal plane where driveshafts operate to the vertical space between frame rails. This dimensional separation eliminates spatial conflict with rotating driveline components while maintaining straightforward installation through standardized bracket mounting procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly may include an auxiliary power unit housing, a battery box, and a pair of brackets. The battery box may include a base, a first cover and a second cover. The first cover may be removably attached to the base. The auxiliary power unit housing may be mounted to the second cover. The first cover may include a lip that engages a flange of the second cover. The brackets may extend laterally outward from lateral sides of the base.