Battery Housing Assembly With Variable-Thickness Structural Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery housings for electric vehicles lack good sealing properties and are prone to corrosion, while also being heavy and costly due to unnecessary welds and uniform material thicknesses that do not account for varying stress levels.
Innovation Solution
A housing arrangement with a pan frame made of formable steel, a structural frame with variable thickness, and reinforcing elements, allowing for optimized sealing, corrosion resistance, and weight reduction by tailoring material thickness based on stress levels, with a detachable lid for leak-proof protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the pan frame is made with uniform material thickness to ensure structural strength, then the housing assembly can withstand high loads, but the weight of the housing assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pan frame is designed with variable material thickness where thicker sections are positioned only in areas subjected to high stress loads, while thinner sections are used in low-stress areas. This local differentiation of material properties optimizes the strength-to-weight ratio by providing structural strength exactly where needed without adding unnecessary weight throughout the entire housing assembly.
2Strength
If additional welds are added to attach components to ensure structural integrity, then the housing assembly can withstand high loads, but the corrosion resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The pan frame is designed as an integrated formed structure that combines sealing, structural support, and component attachment functions into a single piece. This merging eliminates the need for additional welds to attach separate components, thereby maintaining structural integrity while preventing corrosion at weld joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural frame is extracted as a separate component that can be inserted into and attached to the pan frame without requiring welds. This separation allows the pan frame to maintain its corrosion-resistant formed structure while still providing structural support through the inserted frame.
3Reliability
If the pan frame is designed with complex sealing structures to prevent fluid leakage, then the sealing properties improve, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing structures are integrated into the pan frame during the forming process itself, rather than being added as separate components afterward. This preliminary action of creating sealing features during forming ensures reliable sealing properties while avoiding the manufacturing complexity of assembling separate sealing components.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~3C
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The invention relates to a housing assembly for electrical storage means, comprising: a base tray (3) having a base (7) and a peripherally closed tray frame (6) which is produced in one piece from a metal material by shaping; a structural frame (4) having a plurality of frame elements (8, 9, 10, 11) and reinforcing elements (12) which are each made of steel material and are connected to one another to form the structural frame, the structural frame (4) being inserted into the base tray (3) and being connected thereto, the yield strength of the steel material of the structural frame (4) being at least 10% greater than the yield strength of the metal material of the tray frame (6); and a cover (5) which can be releasably connected to the tray frame (6), the tray frame (6) and the cover (5) enclosing a receiving space for electrical storage means.