Straddled Electric Vehicle Battery Housing Inversion

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Solution Overview

Problem

The rigidity of the battery case in straddled electric vehicles decreases due to the large opening required for battery insertion, leading to potential weight increases when trying to enhance rigidity by thickening the battery case.

Innovation Solution

The battery attachment/detachment opening is designed to allow battery passage only in the frontward or backward direction, preventing upward or downward movement, thereby reducing the opening size and maintaining rigidity without increasing weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the opening of the battery case is made large to allow battery insertion from above, then the ease of operation is improved, but the rigidity of the battery case decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery insertionVSAvoidrigidity of battery case
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing an opening in the top surface of the battery case for battery insertion, the patent inverts the approach by providing the opening in the bottom surface. This allows the battery to be inserted from below rather than from above, maintaining ease of operation while preserving the rigidity of the top surface and overall case structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the dimensional approach by moving the opening from the vertical top surface to the horizontal bottom surface. This spatial reconfiguration allows battery access while maintaining the structural integrity of the main case body, as the opening is now in a different orientation and location that does not compromise overall rigidity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Strength

If the thickness of the battery case is increased to maintain rigidity, then the strength is improved, but the weight of the frame increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverigidity of battery caseVSAvoidweight of frame
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the opening location to the bottom surface, the patent maintains adequate rigidity with the existing case thickness, avoiding the need to increase thickness and thereby preventing weight increase. The structural integrity is preserved while accommodating the opening requirement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If the opening of the battery case is made large to allow battery passage, then the ease of operation is improved, but the area of the opening increases leading to rigidity decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery insertionVSAvoidarea of opening
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the opening location to the bottom surface of the battery case. This allows the battery to be inserted from below through a smaller opening area, while the top surface remains intact and maintains its rigidity. The opening is positioned where it has minimal impact on the overall structural strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3536592B1Straddled electric vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.09.29 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3536592B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3536592B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3536592B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a straddled electric vehicle (1) which restricts a decrease in the rigidity of the main member (25) formed with the battery housing part (22) for housing the battery (9), and an increase in the weight of the main member. The main member includes a battery housing part, the battery housing part including: a battery housing space (Sp) for housing the battery, the battery housing space being located between the front axle (Ax1), which is a rotational center of that front wheel (3), among the one or more front wheels, that is located most backward, and the rear axle (Ax2), which is a rotational center of that rear wheel (4), among the one or more rear wheels, that is located most frontward in the vehicle-body front-back direction when the vehicle body is seen in a downward direction; and a battery attachment/detachment opening (Op1) having a shape permitting the battery to pass in a battery frontward or backward direction, and preventing the battery from passing in a battery upward or downward direction, and connecting an external space, which is a space around the main member, with the battery housing space, the battery attachment/detachment opening being located further upward in the vehicle-body upward direction than a bottom face (90b) of the battery with the battery being housed in the battery housing space.