Automotive Battery Protection via Upward Floor Panel Deformation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery protection structures for automobiles face challenges in preventing deformation of the body's side portion during lateral collisions, especially when high-capacity batteries are used, leading to potential interference and increased mass and cost due to enhanced rigidity and strength measures.
Innovation Solution
A battery protection structure that includes a rocker, a floor panel, a reinforcement, and an input member connecting between the rocker and reinforcement, which disperses collision loads by deforming the floor panel upward, reducing the deformation stroke of the body's side portion and protecting the battery from deformation, while maintaining lightweight and low-cost construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the strength and rigidity of the body's side portion are increased to reduce deformation in lateral collision, then the battery can be protected from interference, but the mass and cost of the body increase
Solution Approach 1:
The input member is divided into multiple segments (first input member and second input member) that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the collision load to be distributed across multiple deformation zones, protecting the battery without requiring the entire body side portion to be strengthened, thus avoiding increased mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The input member is designed to be dynamically deformable during collision, transitioning from a rigid structure to a controlled deformation mechanism. The member absorbs impact energy through elastic and plastic deformation, reducing the force transmitted to the battery while maintaining lightweight construction compared to fully rigid structures.
2Reliability
If the strength and rigidity of the body's side portion are increased to reduce deformation in lateral collision, then the battery can be protected from interference, but the cost of the body increases
Solution Approach 1:
The input member is divided into multiple segments (first input member and second input member) that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the collision load to be distributed across multiple deformation zones, protecting the battery without requiring the entire body side portion to be strengthened, thus avoiding increased mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The input member is designed to be dynamically deformable during collision, transitioning from a rigid structure to a controlled deformation mechanism. The member absorbs impact energy through elastic and plastic deformation, reducing the force transmitted to the battery while maintaining lightweight construction compared to fully rigid structures.
3Quantity of substance
If a high capacity, large sized battery is used, then the battery capacity increases, but the amount of deformation of the body's side portion must be reduced to avoid interference
Solution Approach 1:
The input member acts as an intermediary element between the rocker and the battery. It absorbs and redirects collision forces away from the battery through controlled deformation, allowing larger batteries to be positioned closer to the body side without increasing interference risk during lateral collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The input member is designed to utilize the harmful collision force to create beneficial deformation patterns. By allowing controlled deformation of the input member itself, the system converts the harmful impact energy into useful deformation work, protecting the battery while enabling larger battery sizes.
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 effectively reduces the deformation of the body's side portion during lateral collisions, allowing for larger battery capacity without increasing the vehicle's mass or cost, and enhances impact energy absorption by guiding deformation towards the upper side of the body.
Implementation Method 1
an input member that connects between the rocker and the reinforcement, and is configured to input, upon input of a collision load directed inward in the body width direction to the rocker, a part of the collision load to a midsection of the floor panel between the rocker and the reinforcement as a component directed upward of the body
Data Source
AI summary
A battery protection structure for an automobile includes a rocker placed in a side portion of a body, a floor panel whose outer end in a body width direction is secured to the rocker, a reinforcement located more inward in the body width direction than the rocker, and secured to the floor panel, the reinforcement forming a part of a frame of the body, a battery located more inward in the body width direction than the rocker, and placed below the floor panel in the body, and an input member that connects between the rocker and the reinforcement, and configured to input, upon input of a collision load directed inward in the body width direction to the rocker, a part of the collision load to a midsection of the floor panel between the rocker and the reinforcement as a component directed upward of the body.