Front Body Charger Layout for EV Ground Clearance and Crash Load Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electric vehicles, securing a minimum ground clearance and departure angle while accommodating a large-sized contactless charger and ensuring impact absorbability in offset collisions is challenging due to the placement of batteries below the floor panel and the large dimensions of the charger.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-body front structure with a battery casing under the floor panel, featuring left and right side frames extending outward, a cross member arrangement, and a contactless charger positioned between these frames, allowing for impact absorption and layout improvement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the contactless charger is positioned directly above the power transmission coil to enable charging, then charging function is achieved, but the ground clearance and departure angle are reduced due to the large size of the charger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the contactless charger from a location directly above the power transmission coil (vertical alignment) to a location between the left and right side frames (lateral positioning). This dimensional change in spatial arrangement allows the charger to be accommodated within the existing vehicle structure without compromising ground clearance or departure angle, while still enabling wireless charging functionality through electromagnetic coupling with the ground-based power transmission coil
2Power
If the contactless charger includes a large-sized coil to receive large current, then charging capacity is improved, but the charger dimensions increase making it difficult to secure departure angle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the large-sized contactless charger laterally between the side frames rather than extending it outward, utilizing the width dimension of the vehicle body. This allows the charger to accommodate a large coil for high current reception while maintaining the vehicle's departure angle by not extending beyond the existing footprint defined by the side frames
3Strength
If the left and right side frames are positioned on vehicle-width-direction outer sides toward front to absorb offset collision impact, then impact absorbability is improved, but the space for accommodating the contactless charger is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the space between the left and right side frames, which are positioned on the vehicle-width-direction outer sides for impact absorption, to accommodate the contactless charger. The side frames serve dual functions: maintaining structural integrity and impact absorbability during offset collisions, while simultaneously defining the boundaries that contain and support the contactless charger during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent positions the contactless charger in the lateral dimension between the side frames rather than in the front-rear dimension, which would interfere with impact absorption. This spatial arrangement allows both the side frames to perform their collision-mitigation function and the charger to be accommodated without compromising either function
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 structure secures a minimum ground clearance, accommodates a large-sized coil, and effectively absorbs impact loads during collisions by distributing the load through the cross members, enhancing layout characteristics and maintainability.
Implementation Method 1
a contactless charger (4) which is arranged between the left and right side frames (11, 12) and receives a charging current for the battery from an outside
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle-body front structure includes a pair of left and right side frames which extend from a front-side battery frame toward vehicle front to be positioned on vehicle-width-direction outer sides, a contactless charger between the left and right side frames, and a cross member between the left and right side frames. The contactless charger has a cross member housing configured to house the cross member.