Mid-span Battery Pack Attachment Column and Sealing Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing attachment and sealing systems for battery packs in electrified vehicles fail to effectively secure mid-span attachment points while maintaining a sealed environment, which can affect durability and lead to noise, vibration, and harshness issues due to large spans between peripheral attachment points.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an attachment and sealing assembly that includes an attachment column with a tube extending through the enclosure assembly, a sealing ring, and a stanchion engaging a threaded opening in the battery internal structure, providing a mid-span attachment point and sealing mechanism to secure the battery pack to the vehicle body component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If peripheral attachment points are used to mount the battery pack, then the battery pack can be secured to the vehicle body, but large spans between attachment points cause noise, vibration, and harshness issues while reducing durability
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple attachment points including peripheral attachment points at corners and mid-span attachment points along the edges of the battery pack. This segmentation divides the single large span into smaller spans, reducing vibration and noise while improving durability through distributed load bearing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If mid-span attachment points are added to reduce spans, then noise, vibration, and harshness are reduced, but the sealing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment column combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides structural attachment capability while incorporating a sealing ring that integrates both sealing and attachment functions. This merging reduces overall system complexity compared to separate sealing and attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment column serves multiple purposes: it acts as a structural support element, provides a mounting point for fasteners, incorporates sealing functionality through the integrated sealing ring, and maintains the sealed environment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sealing components at mid-span attachment points.
3Reliability
If multiple separate sealing components are used at attachment points, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the number of parts and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring is integrated directly into the attachment column structure, combining what would traditionally be separate sealing components and attachment hardware into a single unified part. This reduces the total number of parts while maintaining effective sealing at mid-span attachment points.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure details electrified vehicles that are equipped with one or more attachment and sealing assemblies for securing a battery pack to vehicle body components. An exemplary attachment and sealing assembly may establish a mid-span attachment point of the battery pack. The attachment and sealing assembly may include an attachment column and a sealing ring that cooperate to secure the battery pack to the vehicle and to seal openings formed through the battery pack and the vehicle body component.