Battery Housing Assembly With Variable Sheet Thickness for Crash Strength

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing housing arrangements for electrical storage in electric vehicles are either heavy, costly, or compromise on sealing and strength, failing to provide a lightweight, cost-effective solution with good sealing properties.

Innovation Solution

A housing arrangement featuring a trough and cover design made from flexibly rolled metallic material with variable sheet thickness, where end sections have increased thickness for strength and crash resistance, and thinner sections for weight reduction, forming a self-contained, sealed structure with integral rigidity and strength.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If traditional housing arrangements use uniform thick metallic material throughout, then strength and crash resistance are improved, but weight increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestrength and crash resistanceVSAvoidweight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The housing arrangement employs variable sheet thickness in the metallic material, with thicker sections positioned at critical load-bearing areas and thinner sections in non-critical areas. This local differentiation of material properties optimizes strength where needed while reducing weight and cost in less demanding regions, resolving the contradiction between overall strength and weight reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If traditional housing arrangements use uniform thick metallic material throughout, then strength and crash resistance are improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestrength and crash resistanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The variable thickness design allows metallic material to be strategically distributed - thicker only where structural integrity is critical for strength and crash resistance, and thinner where less support is needed. This localized material optimization reduces overall material consumption and manufacturing cost while preserving necessary strength characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Weight of moving object

If housing arrangements use thinner metallic material, then weight is reduced and manufacturing cost decreases, but sealing properties and structural strength deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveweightVSAvoidsealing properties and structural strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The housing arrangement implements variable sheet thickness with strategically thickened sections at critical locations that require enhanced sealing and structural strength. This localized reinforcement ensures reliability where needed while maintaining weight reduction and cost benefits in non-critical areas, resolving the contradiction between thinning for weight reduction and thickening for reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution results in a lightweight housing arrangement that can withstand high loads without compromising mechanical properties, ensuring effective sealing and reduced manufacturing costs while maintaining high strength and rigidity.

Implementation Method 1

A metal strip is produced by flexible rolling, resulting in strip sections with different thicknesses along the length of the metal strip, adapted to the respective loads of the component

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlexible rolling: Plasticity

Implementation Method 2

Blanks are then removed from this metal strip and subsequently hot-formed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHot-forming: Heat Treatment

Data Source

PatentEP3544082B9Housing assembly for electrical storage means and method for producing a housing assembly
Publication Date: 2024.12.11 MUHR UND BENNDER KG
  • EP3544082B9 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3544082B9 patent drawingFigure 1D~1G
  • EP3544082B9 patent drawingFigure 2A~3C

AI summary

The invention relates to a housing arrangement for receiving electrical storage means for the propulsion of an electrically powered motor vehicle. The housing arrangement (2) comprises a trough arrangement (4) into which electrical storage means (3) can be inserted, and a cover arrangement (5) which can be placed on the trough arrangement (4) and detachably connected to it, wherein the trough arrangement (4) and/or the cover arrangement (5) has a first molded part (6; 21) and a second molded part (7; 22), each having a base (19, 24) and side walls (20, 25); wherein the first molded part (6; 21) and the second molded part (7; 22) are arranged side by side and connected to each other in a longitudinally extending connection area (15, 23); wherein the first molded part (6; 21) and the second molded part (7; 22) are each made of flexibly rolled steel sheet, so that they have a variable sheet thickness in the longitudinal direction of the respective molded part (6, 7; 21, 22).