Hybrid Vehicle Battery Housing Segmentation for Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The maintenance of accumulator assemblies in electric or hybrid vehicles is complex due to their large dead weight and the need to completely uninstall and reattach battery modules in case of failure, making individual module replacement cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
The accumulator assembly features a housing with a releasable upper and lower part, allowing battery modules to be easily accessed and replaced by fixing them to the housing upper part, which can be securely attached to the vehicle floor panel, using force-fitting, form-fitting, or adhesive connections, and incorporating reinforcement structures for protection and impact absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the accumulator assembly is designed as a single integrated housing with battery modules fixed to the floor panel, then the structural strength and rigidity are improved, but the maintenance complexity and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a removable housing upper part and a housing lower part that remains fixed to the vehicle. The housing upper part can be completely removed to provide access to all battery modules, while the housing lower part stays attached to the floor panel. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and replace individual battery modules without having to remove the entire accumulator assembly, significantly reducing maintenance time and complexity while maintaining structural integrity through the remaining housing lower part.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing upper part is designed as a separate, removable component that can be completely extracted from the vehicle structure. This extracted upper part contains the battery modules and can be removed as a single unit or with individual modules still attached. By taking out only the necessary portion (housing upper part) rather than the entire assembly, the invention enables maintenance without disrupting the overall structural strength provided by the housing lower part and floor panel integration.
2Stability of the object's composition
If battery modules are securely fixed to the housing to prevent movement, then the stability and safety are improved, but the ease of removal for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing mechanism uses reversible fastening elements (such as screws, clips, or latches) that can transition between a locked state during normal operation and an unlocked state during maintenance. These fastening elements secure the battery modules firmly to the housing upper part under vibration and operational loads, but can be quickly released by maintenance personnel using simple tools or manual operation. The dynamic nature of the fastening system allows it to provide both stability during use and ease of removal during maintenance.
3Strength
If the housing is made from heavy metal materials to provide protection and strength, then the mechanical protection is improved, but the dead weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing, particularly the housing upper part, is constructed from composite materials such as fibre-reinforced plastics (e.g., glass fiber or carbon fiber reinforced polymers). These composite materials provide mechanical strength and protection comparable to or exceeding traditional metal materials, while significantly reducing the weight. The composite housing maintains structural integrity, protects battery modules from mechanical damage, and reduces the dead weight of the accumulator assembly, improving vehicle efficiency without compromising safety.
Data Source
AI summary
An accumulator assembly for an electric or hybrid vehicle may include a housing including a housing upper part and a housing lower part releasably fixed to the housing upper part. The housing upper part may be fixable to a floor panel of the vehicle. The assembly may further include at least one battery module disposed in a receptacle space between the housing upper part and the housing lower part. The at least one battery module may be releasably fixed to the housing upper part.