Height-Adjustable Engine Mount for Inductive Charging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hybrid vehicles with inductive charging options face challenges in efficiently and simply lowering the secondary coil for minimal distance during charging, leading to inefficiencies in energy transfer and maintenance requirements.

Innovation Solution

A hybrid vehicle design featuring a height-adjustable engine mount for the internal combustion engine, utilizing the motor bearing to lower the secondary coil relative to the chassis, allowing for energy-efficient positioning of the secondary coil close to the primary coil during charging, with hydraulic, pneumatic, or electromechanical adjustment mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the entire vehicle body is lowered relative to the chassis to minimize distance between primary and secondary coils, then inductive charging efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption and maintenance requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy transfer efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption for lowering
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the lowering function by separating the secondary coil from the vehicle body and attaching it independently to the combustion engine. This allows only the combustion engine with the secondary coil to be lowered, rather than lowering the entire vehicle body, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining charging efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a height-adjustable engine mount as an intermediary mechanism between the combustion engine and the chassis. This mount enables selective lowering of the combustion engine with the attached secondary coil, achieving the desired positioning without requiring body-level adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of energy

If the entire vehicle body is lowered to achieve minimal distance between coils, then inductive charging efficiency is improved, but the complexity of the lowering mechanism and maintenance requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy transfer efficiencyVSAvoidlowering mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention simplifies the lowering mechanism by segmenting the system so that only the combustion engine with the secondary coil needs to be lowered. This reduces the complexity of the height-adjustable mechanism compared to lowering the entire vehicle body, as the engine mount mechanism is simpler and more localized.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Use of energy by moving object

If only the combustion engine is lowered instead of the entire body, then energy consumption and maintenance needs are reduced, but the distance between primary and secondary coils may increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumption for loweringVSAvoidenergy transfer efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The height-adjustable engine mount serves as an effective intermediary that enables sufficient lowering of the combustion engine with the secondary coil to achieve minimal distance from the primary coil, while consuming significantly less energy than body-level lowering. The mount provides the necessary adjustment range to optimize charging efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

Enables efficient inductive charging by minimizing energy consumption and reducing maintenance needs, as only the lighter combustion engine is lowered, with the moving parts designed for the reduced weight, thereby optimizing the charging process.

Implementation Method 1

Electrical energy for charging the battery in the vehicle can be transferred from the primary coil to the secondary coil by induction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3509884B1Hybrid vehicle including a charging possibility
Publication Date: 2020.10.07 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP3509884B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3509884B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle comprising an electric machine for driving the vehicle, a battery for feeding the electric machine, an internal combustion engine for generating electric energy and/or for directly driving the vehicle, a secondary coil which is arranged on the undercarriage of the internal combustion engine and which inductively charges the battery, and a height-adjustable engine mount for fixing the internal combustion engine to the chassis of the vehicle, the engine mount being designed, for a charging process, to lower the internal combustion engine together with the secondary coil with respect to the chassis.