Lifting Control for Battery Alignment and Bracket Overload Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle lifting devices face challenges in safely and efficiently installing and removing energy storage devices, such as vehicle batteries, due to overload on mounting brackets and difficulty in precise alignment, particularly when lowering the vehicle.

Innovation Solution

A control device is integrated with a lifting device to monitor operating data like load capacity and lifting height, adjusting travel speed based on predefined reference values and safety factors to ensure precise positioning and prevent overloading.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the vehicle is lowered at constant speed, then the lowering process is smooth and controlled, but precise alignment of the battery with the mounting bracket cannot be achieved and the mounting bracket may be overloaded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelowering speedVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The lowering speed is made dynamic rather than constant. The control device adjusts the lowering speed in real-time based on the distance between the battery and the mounting bracket. When the battery approaches the bracket, the lowering speed is automatically reduced to enable precise alignment, while maintaining smoother operation compared to abrupt stopping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A feedback mechanism is implemented where the control device continuously monitors the position and distance between the battery and the mounting bracket. Based on this feedback information, the control device dynamically adjusts the lowering speed to achieve both smooth operation and precise alignment at the target position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If additional sensors are added to detect contact between the vehicle and mounting device, then contact detection is improved, but the battery storage device becomes more complex and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact detection reliabilityVSAvoidbattery storage device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls the lowering speed, monitors the position, detects contact between the battery and mounting bracket, and prevents overloading. By making the control device universal and multi-functional, additional specialized sensors are avoided, keeping the battery storage device simple while maintaining reliable contact detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the existing control infrastructure of the lifting device to serve the additional function of contact detection and overload prevention. The control device monitors operating data including load capacity and lifting height, and uses this information to detect contact and prevent overloading without requiring separate dedicated sensors on the battery storage device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If the mounting bracket is designed to support only battery weight, then the bracket remains simple and cost-effective, but it cannot承受 the entire vehicle weight when the vehicle is lowered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting bracket simplicityVSAvoidload bearing capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The control device implements preliminary anti-action by detecting the approach of the vehicle to the mounting bracket and automatically reducing the lowering speed before contact occurs. This preventive measure ensures that the bracket only bears the battery weight during actual contact, not the entire vehicle weight, thereby maintaining bracket simplicity while preventing overload through proactive control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by monitoring the load capacity and lifting height data to detect when the battery is approaching the mounting bracket. Before the vehicle fully contacts the bracket, the control device has already initiated speed reduction, ensuring that the bracket is prepared to receive only the battery weight rather than the full vehicle weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4703187A1Control device for a lifting device
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 MAHA MASCHINENBAU HALDENWANG GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4703187A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4703187A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4703187A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a control device 1 for controlling a lifting device 10 with at least one lifting element 11, in particular a motor vehicle lifting device, the control device 1 comprising a control unit 2 and a communication unit 4.