Vehicle Fuse Box Protection With Pre-Holding for Frontal Impact

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle fuse boxes are vulnerable to damage during collisions, particularly frontal impacts, which can disrupt the electrical supply to safety devices, rendering them inoperative.

Innovation Solution

A protective device comprising a fuse box arrangement with a pre-holding mechanism, such as a notch, and a protective cover made of sheet metal, which holds the fuse box in a mounting position to facilitate assembly and protects it during impacts by allowing lateral movement and pivoting, ensuring the fuse box remains undamaged.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the fuse box is mounted close to the battery in the front compartment, then the electrical supply to safety devices is ensured, but the fuse box becomes vulnerable to damage during frontal collisions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical supply reliabilityVSAvoidcollision damage risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fuse box is pre-positioned in a mounting position above the battery using a pre-holding mechanism (notch) before collision occurs. This preliminary positioning allows the fuse box to be close to the battery for reliable electrical supply while being held in a protected location that prevents direct impact damage during frontal collisions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protective device acts as an intermediary between the fuse box and the battery, allowing the fuse box to be mounted close to the battery while preventing direct contact and potential damage. The protective device mediates the spatial relationship, enabling both proximity for electrical reliability and separation for collision protection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If the fuse box is held in a fixed mounting position, then assembly is facilitated, but the fuse box cannot move laterally to avoid impact during collision

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly easeVSAvoidimpact response adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-holding mechanism provides a dynamic solution where the fuse box is constrained in a specific mounting position during normal operation and assembly, but can move laterally when needed during collision. The notch provides initial positioning for ease of assembly, while the protective device allows controlled movement to avoid impact, transitioning from static positioning to dynamic adaptability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the positional parameters of the fuse box based on conditions. During assembly and normal operation, the fuse box is held in a fixed position (defined by the notch) for ease of manufacture. During collision, the protective device allows lateral movement, changing the position parameters to avoid impact while maintaining electrical connection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4323238B1Arrangement comprising a protection device for a vehicle fuse box
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 RENAULT SA
  • EP4323238B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4323238B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4323238B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to an arrangement (3) for a vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a fuse box (20), a first element (40), in particular a battery (41), a second element (50), in particular a braking assistance means (51), a protection device (10) intended to protect the fuse box (20) in the event of an impact, in particular in the event of a head-on impact, the fuse box (20) passing at least partially above the first element (40), the protection device (10) comprising a means (11) for pre-holding the fuse box (20) in an assembly position so as to facilitate the assembly of the first element (40) close to the fuse box (20).