EV Battery Support Structure With Resilient Rail-Mounted Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle frame structures struggle to support larger battery capacities while maintaining a reduced overall weight and protecting the battery from loads and forces during normal use, while also allowing for easy maintenance or servicing.
Innovation Solution
A support structure for electric vehicles comprising elongated frame rails with coupling structures and resilient bushings that secure the battery case below the frame rails, reducing material and weight requirements while distributing and isolating forces effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the battery case is mounted above or at the level of the frame rails, then the battery capacity can be increased, but the battery becomes vulnerable to loads and forces experienced by the frame structure
Solution Approach 1:
The battery case is repositioned from a vertical mounting position (above or at frame rail level) to a horizontal position extending below the frame rails. This dimensional change moves the battery out of the high-stress zone of the frame structure while maintaining adequate capacity, as the battery hangs below the frame rails where it is isolated from vertical loads and torsional forces.
Solution Approach 2:
Coupling structures with resilient elements (such as rubber mounts or dampers) are introduced as intermediaries between the battery case and the frame rails. These coupling structures absorb and isolate vertical, lateral, and torsional forces, protecting the battery from the loads experienced by the frame structure during normal operation.
2Quantity of substance
If a larger battery case is used to increase capacity, then the battery capacity increases, but the overall weight of the frame structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into distinct components: frame rails, coupling structures, and battery case. This segmentation allows the battery to be mounted independently below the frame rails, enabling the use of larger battery cases without requiring proportional increases in frame structure weight, as the frame rails do not need to directly support the full battery load.
Solution Approach 2:
By mounting the battery horizontally below the frame rails rather than vertically above them, the design utilizes unused spatial volume beneath the frame structure. This allows increased battery capacity without requiring additional vertical space that would necessitate strengthening the frame structure, thereby avoiding increased frame weight.
3Reliability
If the battery case is securely mounted to the frame rails, then the battery is protected from forces, but the structure requires more material and weight
Solution Approach 1:
Resilient coupling elements serve as intermediaries between the battery case and frame rails, providing force protection through isolation rather than rigid connection. These couplings absorb vertical, lateral, and torsional forces, protecting the battery without requiring heavy-duty rigid mounting structures, thus reducing overall frame structure weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling structures use resilient materials with specific damping characteristics to change the force transmission parameters. By selecting materials and designs that provide adequate force isolation, the system achieves reliable battery protection with lighter-weight couplings compared to rigid structural connections.
4Reliability
If the battery case is mounted below the frame rails, then the battery is isolated from loads and forces, but the coupling structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The force-isolation function is extracted from the primary frame structure and embodied in dedicated coupling structures. This allows the frame rails to remain simple structural elements while the coupling structures handle the complexity of force isolation, actually simplifying the overall design by separating structural support from force protection functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling structures with resilient elements serve as intermediaries that simplify the connection between the battery case and frame rails. Rather than requiring complex rigid mounting arrangements with multiple attachment points and reinforcement structures, the resilient couplings provide adequate force isolation with simpler, more compact designs.
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
The support structure effectively limits vertical, lateral, and torsional bending forces on the battery case, allowing for a larger battery capacity with reduced weight and maintaining vehicle support, even when the battery case is removed for maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
The support structure can include resilient bushings that provide a mounting point for the battery case to the frame rail that is below the frame rail
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein relate to a battery support structure for an electric vehicle, assemblies with the same, and methods of manufacturing, integrating, and using the same, among other things. In embodiments, a support structure for use on an electric vehicle includes a pair of frame rails and a battery case with a bottom coupled to the frame rails. The battery case is coupled to the frame rails at a location below the frame rails, e.g., with resilient bushings held between the battery case and the frame rails by brackets extending below the frame rails, and away from the battery case.