Coverless Battery Assembly Floor Pan Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high voltage battery packs in electrified vehicles occupy valuable space in passenger compartments or underbody areas, reducing cargo and passenger capacity due to their large overall height and need for covers.
Innovation Solution
A coverless battery assembly with an open top is mounted to the underside of a vehicle's floor pan, where the floor pan acts as a cover, reducing the overall height and allowing for remote mounting away from the passenger cabin, with a tray design that includes recessed battery arrays and a seal between the battery assembly and floor pan for protection and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional high voltage battery pack with cover is used, then the battery is protected, but the overall height increases and valuable space is occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the battery assembly with the floor pan by using the floor pan itself as the cover. The floor pan is designed with an integrated cover structure that directly covers the battery assembly, eliminating the need for a separate cover component. This integration reduces the overall height while maintaining protection, as the floor pan serves dual functions: structural support and battery enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor pan is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as the structural floor of the vehicle, a mounting surface for the battery assembly, and simultaneously acts as the protective cover for the battery. This multi-functionality eliminates redundant components and reduces the overall height requirement.
2Reliability
If a cover is included with the battery assembly, then internal components are protected, but space for cargo and passengers is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover function is merged with the floor pan structure. Instead of adding a separate cover that would increase volume, the floor pan itself is designed to cover the battery assembly, utilizing existing vehicle structure for dual purposes: floor support and battery protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery assembly is positioned in the vertical dimension (under the floor pan) rather than occupying horizontal space in the passenger or cargo areas. The coverless design with floor pan integration allows the battery to be embedded in the vertical space, preserving horizontal volume for passengers and cargo.
3Volume of moving object
If the battery assembly is mounted close to the passenger cabin, then space utilization is optimized, but accessibility and serviceability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The floor pan is designed with a removable or accessible section that provides access to the battery assembly. This segmentation allows the battery to be mounted remotely under the floor pan for optimal space utilization, while still providing a designated access point for serviceability without compromising passenger or cargo space.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrified vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a floor pan and a battery assembly mounted to an underside of the floor pan. The battery assembly includes an open top such that the floor pan acts as a cover of the battery assembly.