Battery Mounting Structure with Linear Depression for Vehicle Floor Rigidity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle battery mounting structures protrude upward, restricting the passenger compartment and compromising vehicle height and rigidity, especially under side impact conditions.

Innovation Solution

A battery mounting structure featuring frame members with a linear depression to accommodate a battery pack, reinforced by cross and longitudinal members integrated with the floor panel, allowing the battery pack to be positioned underneath without protruding, enhancing both width and longitudinal rigidity and eliminating the need for additional fixing members.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If vehicle cross-members are coupled to side sill walls to enhance floor panel rigidity, then floor panel rigidity is improved, but the passenger compartment is restricted due to upward protrusion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefloor panel rigidityVSAvoidpassenger compartment space

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having reinforcement members protrude upward from the floor panel into the passenger compartment, the invention inverts the structure by having the linear depression protrude downward from the battery pack casing. This allows the battery pack to serve as its own reinforcement member, eliminating the need for upward-protruding cross-members while maintaining floor panel rigidity and preserving passenger compartment space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The battery pack is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides electrical energy storage and simultaneously acts as a reinforcement member for the floor panel. The linear depression in the battery pack casing integrates with the floor panel structure to enhance rigidity, eliminating the need for separate reinforcement members and maximizing space utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Strength

If additional reinforcement members are added to enhance vehicle rigidity, then vehicle rigidity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle rigidityVSAvoidnumber of reinforcement members

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The battery pack serves dual purposes as both an energy storage device and a structural reinforcement member. By integrating the linear depression directly into the battery pack casing, the invention eliminates the need for separate reinforcement members, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining or enhancing vehicle rigidity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the battery pack structure with the floor panel reinforcement structure. The linear depression of the battery pack is integrated with the linear depression of the floor panel, creating a unified structural element that provides both energy storage and structural support functions, thereby reducing the total number of components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10207573B2Battery mounting structure for vehicle

Publication Date: 2019.02.19 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A battery mounting structure for maintaining a sufficient passenger compartment in vehicles is provided. The battery mounting structure comprises a pair of longitudinal side sills (11, 12), and a battery pack (7) disposed between the side sills (11, 12). A plurality of battery modules (9) are juxtaposed in a casing (8) of the battery pack (7). A linear depression (39) protrudes downwardly from a reinforcement member (15) situated underneath a floor panel (17) supported by the side sills (11, 12), and the battery pack (7) has a linear depression (38) hold the linear depression (39) therein.