EV Key Cylinder Locking During Battery Replacement

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Solution Overview

Problem

The risk of arc discharge and component damage due to vehicle activation during battery replacement, and the potential for unnecessary battery replacement procedure failures in electric vehicles with battery replacement systems.

Innovation Solution

A control system with a key cylinder, key-lock control section, and battery replacement control section that locks the ignition switch during battery replacement and unlocks it only upon completion, preventing vehicle activation operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the system main relay is brought into an on state when a vehicle activation operation is performed, then the vehicle is made ready for traveling, but high voltage is applied to a non-connected battery connector which may cause arc discharge and component damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle activation operationVSAvoidarc discharge and component damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The battery replacement control section performs preliminary action by locking the key cylinder before the battery connector is connected, preventing the vehicle activation operation from being executed during battery replacement. This anticipates the potential hazard and eliminates it before it can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The key cylinder lock mechanism acts as an intermediary between the battery replacement state and the vehicle activation operation. By controlling the accessibility of the ignition switch through locking/unlocking, it mediates to prevent direct activation during battery replacement while allowing normal operation when battery is properly connected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the ECU notifies the battery replacement station of an emergency stop command during battery replacement, then potential danger is avoided, but the battery replacement procedure is unnecessarily redone or operation failure is induced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety during battery replacementVSAvoidbattery replacement procedure efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by locking the key cylinder before battery replacement begins, which prevents the need for emergency stop commands during the procedure. This anticipates the safety requirement while avoiding the negative consequence of procedure interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the potential harm of unnecessary emergency stops into benefit by using the key cylinder lock mechanism to proactively prevent vehicle activation during battery replacement. This transforms a reactive safety measure (emergency stop) into a proactive prevention system that maintains both safety and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS20250332949A1Control system for electric vehicle

Publication Date: 2025.10.30 ISUZU MOTORS LTD

AI summary

Control system Cu for electric vehicle C according to the present disclosure includes: key cylinder 102; key-lock function ECU 202; battery replacement switch 101; and battery replacement function ECU 201, in which battery replacement function ECU 201 switches key cylinder 102 from an unlocked state to a locked state when a replacement command for battery 11 is received, and maintains the locked state of key cylinder 102 from a start to an end of a replacement procedure of battery 11, and switches key cylinder 102 from the locked state to the unlocked state, upon the end of the replacement procedure of battery 11 as a trigger.