Dovetail Sliding Connection for External Electric Vehicle Battery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current external battery solutions for electric bicycles and scooters are bulky, difficult to transport, and limited in placement options, failing to provide simultaneous ease of access, portability, and maintenance for shared vehicles.

Innovation Solution

An electrical energy storage device with a dovetail-type sliding connection system that allows secure attachment to various vehicle frames, featuring a cylindrical design with a USB-C connector and a Battery Management System, enabling easy installation, removal, and recharging, while minimizing short-circuit risks and optimizing energy density.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a battery is designed to be compact and portable for personal use, then it becomes difficult to fit into personal bags and hard to access, but if it is made larger for easier access, then it becomes bulky and difficult to transport

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of accessVSAvoidbattery size
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The battery system is divided into a removable battery unit and a separate charging base. The battery unit can be easily carried in personal bags while the charging base remains stationary. This segmentation allows the battery to be compact for portability while maintaining easy access through the charging base interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If a battery is designed with parallel slideways for installation between sliding rails, then it becomes easy to install at specific locations, but then the number of possible installation locations on the vehicle is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of installationVSAvoidnumber of installation locations
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The charging base is designed with a universal docking interface that can accommodate the battery unit at multiple locations on the vehicle. The base unit remains stationary while providing charging capability at different positions, making the system adaptable to various installation locations without requiring parallel slideways at each position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If a battery is made removable for recharging purposes, then it becomes easy to take away for recharging, but then it may become loose or unexpectedly unhooked during vehicle use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of removalVSAvoidsecure attachment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The battery unit features a curved or rounded docking interface that complements the charging base receptacle. This curved geometry provides natural retention through geometric interlocking while still allowing easy removal when needed, preventing unexpected unhooking during normal vehicle operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Volume of moving object

If connectors are placed close together on the battery for compact design, then the battery size is reduced, but then the risk of short circuit between connectors increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery sizeVSAvoidshort circuit risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The connectors on the battery unit are positioned asymmetrically relative to each other and to the battery geometry. This asymmetric arrangement, combined with the curved docking interface, ensures that even when connectors are relatively close together for compact design, the geometric asymmetry prevents simultaneous contact with conductive surfaces that could cause short circuits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP3772760A1Device for storing electrical energy intended for being attached to the outside of a vehicle such as an electric bicycle or scooter
Publication Date: 2021.02.10 BIROTA
  • EP3772760A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3772760A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3772760A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to an electrical energy storage device (100) configured to cooperate with a surface of a vehicle structure, said surface being oriented towards the exterior of the structure, comprising an electrical connection means between the electrical energy storage device and an electrical circuit of the structure. Such an electrical energy storage device also comprises a first sliding means (120) configured on a face of the electrical energy storage device, the sliding means comprising one of the two elements of a dovetail joint, the first sliding means cooperating in a complementary manner with a second sliding means presented by the exterior surface of the structure, the second sliding means being the other element of the dovetail joint.