Integrated Battery Shear Panel Floor for Lower-Mass EV Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing design of vehicle floors and rechargeable energy storage systems as separate components leads to a large part count and excessive mass due to the need for reinforcement stringers/crossmembers to withstand side impact loads, with neither providing structural support.
Innovation Solution
A unified structural design integrating the rechargeable energy storage system top sheet and vehicle floor, utilizing structural formations like dimples and corrugations to provide both structural support and sealing, reducing reliance on additional crossmembers and potting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the rechargeable energy storage system top sheet and vehicle floor are designed as separate non-structural components, then mounting flexibility is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates requiring additional reinforcement stringers and crossmembers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the previously separate vehicle floor and RESS top sheet into a unified structural component. The consolidated floor panel integrates the RESS housing cover and vehicle floor into a single assembly that provides both sealing and structural support, eliminating the need for additional reinforcement stringers and crossmembers while maintaining side impact load resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The consolidated floor panel serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the RESS housing cover, the vehicle floor, and the structural support element. This multi-functional design replaces the traditional separate components (non-structural RESS cover, non-structural floor, and reinforcement stringers/crossmembers) with a single component that performs all these functions.
2Strength
If reinforcement stringers and crossmembers are added to ensure robust connection, then structural integrity is improved, but device complexity and mass increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple components (RESS top sheet, vehicle floor, and reinforcement stringers/crossmembers) into a single unified floor panel assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate reinforcement elements, reducing the part count while maintaining the structural integrity required to withstand side impact loads.
3Strength
If reinforcement stringers and crossmembers are added to ensure robust connection, then structural integrity is improved, but mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified floor panel design eliminates the need for separate reinforcement stringers and crossmembers, removing their mass from the overall assembly. The consolidated structure achieves the required structural integrity through its integrated design, resulting in a lighter overall mass compared to the traditional approach with additional reinforcement components.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional separate component design is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but volume utilization rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The consolidated floor panel integrates the RESS housing cover and vehicle floor into a single assembly, eliminating the air gap and unnecessary structural elements between components. This merging maximizes the usable volume within the vehicle floor cavity, allowing better space utilization for battery cells and other components.
Data Source
AI summary
A consolidated vehicle floor and a rechargeable energy storage system cover having a lower cover panel with a plurality of first structural formations including at least one of dimples and corrugations such that the lower cover panel includes upwardly protruding portions and downwardly protruding portions and an upper cover panel with second structural formations including at least one of dimples and corrugations such that the upper cover panel includes downwardly protruding portions and upwardly protruding portions, the downwardly protruding portions of the upper cover panel are secured to respective ones of the upwardly protruding portions of the lower cover panel. A vehicle floor panel with a plurality of third structural formations such that the vehicle floor panel includes downwardly protruding portions and upwardly protruding portions, the downwardly protruding portion of the vehicle floor panel are secured to respective ones of the upwardly protruding portions of the upper cover panel.