Vehicle Chassis Battery Pack Connection for Side-Collision Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle chassis designs do not adequately protect battery packs from severe deformation and displacement during a side collision, as the batteries are often exposed and susceptible to impact forces.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle chassis design featuring a connection arrangement with energy absorbing members between the battery packs, which allows for relative movement and energy absorption in the event of a side collision, thereby limiting battery pack deformation and displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery pack is suspended from the frame rails, then the battery pack is easily accessible and installed, but the battery pack becomes exposed to side collision forces and susceptible to severe deformation and displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating energy-absorbing members in the connection arrangement between battery packs. These members are pre-configured to deform plastically during side collisions, absorbing impact energy before it reaches the battery packs. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining the simple suspended mounting for ease of installation while adding protective cushioning that activates during harmful side collision events.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid connection between battery packs is used, then structural stability is maintained, but battery packs cannot move relative to each other during collision, leading to severe deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by designing the connection arrangement with energy-absorbing members that transition from a rigid state during normal operation to a plastic deformation state during collision. The connection is rigid enough to maintain structural stability during normal vehicle operation, but becomes dynamically adaptable during side collisions by allowing controlled plastic deformation. This resolves the contradiction by making the connection stiffness conditional on the operational state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing the plastic deformation characteristic of the energy-absorbing members. During normal operation, the members maintain rigid mechanical properties for structural stability. During side collision, the members undergo permanent deformation, changing their mechanical parameters from elastic to plastic state, thereby absorbing energy and protecting the battery packs from severe deformation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If energy absorbing members are added to the connection arrangement, then side collision energy is absorbed and battery protection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies discarding and recovering by designing the energy-absorbing members to undergo permanent plastic deformation during side collisions. These members are intentionally designed to be discarded (deformed) during collision events to absorb energy, while the rest of the connection arrangement and battery packs remain intact and recoverable. This resolves the contradiction by localizing the complexity and potential damage to replaceable energy-absorbing components rather than the entire connection system or battery packs.
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 energy absorbing members effectively absorb energy from side collisions, reducing the risk of battery pack deformation and displacement, thus enhancing the safety and integrity of the vehicle's power system.
Implementation Method 1
each energy absorbing member in the set of energy absorbing members is adapted to plastically deform to thereby allow a relative movement between the first battery pack lower portion and the second battery pack lower portion
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle chassis (12) comprising a first chassis frame rail (14) and a second chassis frame rail (16). The vehicle chassis (12) comprises a first battery pack (20) connected to a first connection portion (22) of a first chassis frame rail (14) whereby a first battery pack lower portion (24) of the first battery pack (20) is located beneath the first connection portion (22) in a vehicle chassis vertical direction (V). The vehicle chassis (12) comprises a second battery pack (26) connected to a second connection portion (28) of a second chassis frame rail (16) whereby a second battery pack lower portion (30) of the second battery pack (26) is located beneath the second connection portion (28) in the vehicle chassis vertical direction (V). The vehicle chassis (12) comprises a connection arrangement (34) wherein the first battery pack lower portion (24) and the second battery pack lower portion (30) are connected via the connection arrangement (34).