Detachable Vehicle Battery Connector Alignment With Lateral Float

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aligning a vehicle-body-side connecting portion with a battery-side connecting portion in vehicles is difficult due to their complex configurations and relative movements.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle design featuring a mounting portion on the vehicle body that opens downward to accommodate a detachable battery with a battery-side connecting portion that protrudes upward and is movable laterally, allowing easy alignment with a vehicle-body-side connecting portion, which includes a guide portion and locking mechanisms for secure attachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the battery is made detachable for easy replacement, then the ease of operation is improved, but the alignment difficulty between connecting portions increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery replacement easeVSAvoidconnecting portion alignment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The battery-side connecting portion is designed to be movable relative to the battery main body in the lateral direction, allowing dynamic adjustment during the insertion process to facilitate alignment with the vehicle-body-side connecting portion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A guide portion is introduced as an intermediary structure that guides the battery-side connecting portion during insertion, mediating the alignment between the battery and vehicle body connecting portions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4378724A1vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.06.05 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4378724A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4378724A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4378724A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A vehicle (200) includes a vehicle body including a mounting portion (200c) that opens downward and that is configured to mount a battery, and the battery that is detachably mountable to the mounting portion. The battery includes a battery main body (103) and a battery-side connecting portion (104) that protrudes upward from the battery main body. The mounting portion includes a vehicle-body-side connecting portion (204) that fits with the battery-side connecting portion. The battery-side connecting portion (104) is movable relative to the battery main body (103) in a lateral direction.