Compensation Insert for EV Battery Frame Tolerance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge in designing a support frame for electric vehicle batteries is to create a structure that compensates for dimensional deviations and torsions in metal profiles, ensuring tightness and load-bearing capacity, particularly during crashes, while allowing for automated welding and preventing leaks and moisture ingress.

Innovation Solution

A battery support frame with a compensation insert between longitudinal and transverse profiles, made from light metal alloys, which compensates for tolerances and misalignments, allowing for integral connections via welding or adhesive bonding, and features a trough-shaped compensation insert that can rotate to accommodate deviations, ensuring strong and tight welds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If metal profiles with long lengths (more than one meter) are used for the support frame, then the structural tasks and load-bearing capacity are improved, but dimensional deviations and twists occur at connection points leading to gaps and misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload-bearing capacityVSAvoiddimensional accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A compensation insert is introduced as an intermediary component between the longitudinal and transverse profiles. This insert absorbs and compensates for dimensional deviations and twists, enabling precise alignment of the profiles while maintaining the structural integrity provided by long profile lengths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If automated welding processes are used for connecting profiles, then productivity and manufacturing efficiency are improved, but the process control and automation become difficult due to gaps and misalignment from dimensional deviations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidprocess control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The compensation insert serves as a mediator that standardizes the connection interface, enabling automated welding processes to operate with consistent parameters. By pre-compensating for deviations, the insert allows robotic welding systems to maintain precise control without manual intervention for alignment corrections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the support structure is sealed to prevent liquid leakage and moisture ingress, then reliability and protection against harmful factors are improved, but the connection points must be sufficiently tight and stable which is compromised by dimensional deviations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidconnection tightness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The compensation insert ensures tight and stable connections by absorbing dimensional deviations, thereby maintaining the sealing effectiveness of the support structure. The insert creates a reliable interface that prevents gaps and ensures proper sealing against liquid leakage and moisture ingress.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Manufacturing precision

If compensation inserts are used to tolerate dimensional deviations, then manufacturing precision and connection quality are improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection qualityVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support frame is segmented into modular components including the compensation insert, which can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows for precise manufacturing of each component and simplifies the assembly process, offsetting the added complexity through modularity and standardization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3419081B1Battery compartment and method for its production
Publication Date: 2021.10.13 DUS OPERATING INC
  • EP3419081B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~2b
  • EP3419081B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(f)
  • EP3419081B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

In order to optimize a support frame for an electric vehicle battery with regard to tightness, compensation of component tolerances and load bearing, especially in the event of a crash, and to ensure good automated weldability, it is planned to arrange a compensation insert between a longitudinal profile and a transverse profile as tolerance compensation.