EV Battery Pack Lateral Stability via Connecting Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs for electric vehicles face instability and tilting issues due to limited retaining force against lateral impacts, particularly in side crashes, as the securing straps extending in the fore and aft direction provide inadequate lateral support.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a base plate with laterally arranged rectangular modules secured by straps with upper, front, and rear portions, and a connecting plate that enhances stability by preventing lateral tilting and shifting through strategic bend lines and spacers, ensuring secure attachment to the base plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If securing straps extend in the fore and aft direction to accommodate the battery pack over the entire width of the vehicle, then the power capacity is maximized, but the retaining force against lateral tilting movement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds a lateral dimension to the securing system by introducing a connecting plate that extends in the lateral direction and connects securing straps of adjacent battery modules. This transforms the securing approach from purely fore-aft orientation to a three-dimensional network that includes lateral connections, thereby providing effective restraint against lateral tilting while maintaining the fore-aft extension for power capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting plate serves as an intermediary element that mediates between multiple securing straps and the vehicle body. It collects and distributes securing forces from adjacent battery modules laterally, creating a cooperative securing system that enhances lateral stability without requiring individual lateral securing mechanisms for each module.
2Quantity of substance
If securing straps are attached to the base plate at the fore and aft ends to allow full width accommodation, then the battery pack capacity is maximized, but the battery pack stability under lateral impact is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting plate introduces lateral connectivity between battery modules that were previously only connected through fore-aft securing straps. This creates a three-dimensional securing network that provides structural rigidity and stability against lateral impacts while maintaining the fore-aft extension necessary for maximizing battery pack capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the securing functions of multiple straps by connecting them through a common connecting plate. This consolidation creates a unified securing system where the lateral connections work together with the fore-aft securing straps to provide comprehensive stability under lateral impact conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack for an electric motor comprises a base plate, a plurality of rectangular battery modules positioned laterally one next to another, a securing strap provided for each battery module and including an upper portion extending along an upper surface of the corresponding battery module in a fore and aft direction, a front portion extending downward from a front end of the upper portion along a front surface of the corresponding battery module, a rear portion extending downward from a rear end of the upper portion along a rear surface of the corresponding battery module, a front mounting portion formed in a lower end of the front portion and secured to the base plate, a rear mounting portion formed in a lower end of the rear portion and secured to the base plate. A connecting plate extends laterally and is fixedly connected to the securing straps.