Modular Battery Frame for Below-Vehicle Battery Box Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs in electrified vehicles require special equipment and training for service due to their size and weight, making them difficult to remove and replace, and there is a need for improved weight distribution, temperature regulation, and serviceability.
Innovation Solution
A battery frame with a removable outer frame and independently installable battery boxes, allowing for separate installation and removal from below, featuring a flat shape with structural members and watertight seals, and using materials like extruded aluminum for enhanced flexibility and scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional battery packs are used in electrified vehicles, then the batteries can store electrical energy, but the battery packs require special equipment and training for service due to their size and weight, making them difficult to remove and replace
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into a stationary outer frame and removable battery boxes. The outer frame remains in the vehicle while individual battery boxes can be easily removed and replaced, eliminating the need to handle the entire heavy battery pack during service operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery boxes are extracted from the conventional integrated battery pack design, allowing them to be independently removed from the outer frame. This enables service personnel to handle only the lightweight battery boxes rather than the entire heavy battery pack.
2Ease of repair
If conventional battery packs are used in electrified vehicles, then the batteries can store electrical energy, but special equipment and training are required for service due to the size and weight of conventional battery packs
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is segmented into a permanent outer frame and removable battery boxes, allowing standard service equipment to handle only the lightweight battery boxes rather than requiring specialized equipment for the entire battery pack.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery boxes are designed as independent, replaceable units that can be easily swapped out, similar to disposable components. This eliminates the need for complex service equipment and training, as battery boxes can be quickly replaced without specialized tools.
3Ease of operation
If a removable battery box design is used, then serviceability is improved by allowing individual replacement, but the outer frame and battery box interface must ensure proper structural support and electrical connections
Solution Approach 1:
The outer frame and battery box interface is designed with localized precision features at critical connection points, while the overall structure maintains simplicity. This ensures proper alignment and connection without requiring high precision throughout the entire assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface design incorporates visual alignment features that guide proper positioning of battery boxes in the outer frame, ensuring correct alignment during installation without requiring complex precision mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery frame for holding one or more battery boxes includes an outer frame surrounding an interior space and formed from a plurality of structural members including first rails extending parallel to and spaced apart from one another and second rails between the first rails and perpendicularly thereto. The outer frame defines a top extending in a flat plane and a bottom. Each of the first rails includes a mounting flange extending outwardly away from the interior space for holding the battery frame to a vehicle structure. One or more battery boxes are disposed within the interior space of the outer frame and are removable from below the outer frame with the outer frame mounted within a vehicle. Support members and cross-beams provide structural rigidity, distribute or absorb crash loads, and hold one or more of the battery boxes within the battery frame.