Motor Vehicle Floor Assembly Integrating Electrical Routing and Airflow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electrified vehicles face challenges in efficiently facilitating electrical connections and airflow within the vehicle, as existing solutions often require separate ducts or conduits for airflow and do not effectively utilize the vehicle floor for routing electrical lines.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle floor assembly with electrical lines and airflow paths integrated within the floor, featuring a cover that serves as both a battery enclosure and a passenger cabin floor, allowing for direct electrical connections between modules and reducing the need for separate airflow ducts by embedding electrical lines and bus bars within the floor material and configuring airflow paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If separate ducts or conduits are used for airflow and electrical routing, then electrical connections and airflow can be facilitated, but device complexity and space utilization worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines electrical line routing and airflow paths within a single integrated floor structure. The floor includes cavities that simultaneously accommodate electrical lines and provide airflow passages, eliminating the need for separate ducts and conduits. This merging of functions reduces overall device complexity while maintaining ease of electrical connections and airflow management.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor assembly serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, routes electrical lines through embedded cavities, and facilitates airflow through integrated passages. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby reducing complexity while preserving operational effectiveness.
2Volume of moving object
If electrical lines are routed separately from the floor structure, then electrical connections can be made, but space utilization and compactness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical lines are nested within cavities of the floor structure. The floor is designed with internal voids and channels that accommodate electrical lines, allowing the electrical routing system to be contained within the floor's own volume rather than occupying additional external space. This nesting approach maximizes space utilization while maintaining electrical connectivity.
3Device complexity
If the floor is used for both battery enclosure and passenger cabin floor, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The floor assembly merges the battery enclosure function and passenger cabin floor function into a single integrated component. The floor includes an upper surface forming the passenger cabin floor and a lower portion that encloses the battery assembly, with cavities providing both electrical routing and airflow paths. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components while requiring precise manufacturing to ensure proper integration of multiple functions within the single structure.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to a motor vehicle floor assembly configured to facilitate electrical connections and/or airflow within the vehicle, and a corresponding method. An example assembly includes a floor including an electrical line arranged entirely within the floor. In another example assembly, the floor additionally or alternatively includes an air flow path.