Long Bolt Fastening for High-Voltage Casing Collision Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-voltage devices in vehicles, when protected by a metal plate, increase the number of components, size, and weight, and are prone to breakage during collisions due to collisions with vehicle components.
Innovation Solution
The use of long bolts positioned at strategic intervals around the casing to protect the inwardly located portions from external impacts, with insert boss portions for enhanced support, reduces the number of components and weight while preventing breakage during vehicle collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal plate protector is provided outside the motor unit, then the motor unit is protected from collision damage, but the number of components, size, and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the protector function with the existing long bolts that fasten the control casing to the vehicle structure. Instead of adding a separate metal plate protector, the long bolts serve dual purposes: structural fastening and collision protection. This merging eliminates the need for additional protector components while maintaining protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The long bolts are designed to perform multiple functions: (1) fasten the control casing to the vehicle underfloor structure, (2) provide structural support, and (3) act as a protector during collisions. By making the bolts universal components that fulfill multiple roles, the patent avoids increasing the number of components while achieving protection.
2Reliability
If a metal plate protector is provided outside the motor unit, then the motor unit is protected from collision damage, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protector function is merged into the existing long bolts, eliminating the need for separate metal plate protectors that would add weight. The long bolts, already present for structural fastening, are extended or reinforced to provide collision protection, thus avoiding additional weight from redundant components.
Solution Approach 2:
The long bolts serve as universal components that simultaneously provide fastening, structural support, and collision protection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional protective components that would increase vehicle weight.
3Reliability
If the control casing is made more robust to prevent breakage, then protection improves, but the number of components, size, and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The long bolts are positioned and designed to provide protective support before collision occurs. During impact, the long bolts absorb and distribute the collision forces, cushioning the control casing against breakage. This beforehand protection mechanism prevents casing failure without requiring the casing itself to be made more robust or complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The long bolts act as an intermediary element between the external collision force and the control casing. Instead of strengthening the casing directly, the long bolts mediate the impact forces, distributing them away from the casing to prevent breakage while maintaining the casing's original simple structure.
4Reliability
If the control casing is made more robust to prevent breakage, then protection improves, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The long bolts are designed to provide protective cushioning before collision occurs. During impact, they absorb and distribute forces, protecting the control casing from breakage without requiring the casing to be made heavier or more robust.
Solution Approach 2:
The long bolts serve as an intermediary that handles collision forces, eliminating the need to strengthen the control casing itself. This approach prevents casing breakage while avoiding the weight penalty that would result from making the casing more robust.
Data Source
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AI summary
To reduce the number of components, size and weight while preventing breakage of the casing, a high-voltage device (21) provided adjacent to a vehicle component (12, 14) constituting a vehicle includes: a casing (26, 28) housing a high-voltage portion (24); and a plurality of bolts (34, 38) fastening the casing to an attachment portion (23) to which the casing is attached. The high-voltage device has a first end face at which the casing is in contact with the attachment portion and a second end face opposite to the first end face, and the plurality of bolts are composed of long bolts (34, 38) extending from the second end face to the first end face. The long bolts are each attached to the casing at a position between the vehicle component and the high-voltage portion.