Modular Vehicle Battery Housing with Steel Frame and Sandwich Lid

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle battery housings are expensive, heavy, and inefficient in terms of space, weight, and stability, particularly as they need to accommodate increasing battery capacities and ranges while ensuring waterproofing, crash protection, and maintenance-free operation.

Innovation Solution

A modular battery housing design featuring a frame with a rolling profile or C-profile made of high-strength steel, a strong bottom plate, and a lid plate with a metal-plastic sandwich material, incorporating spacers and reinforcement elements for enhanced stability and weight reduction, along with a simple and disassemblable structure for easy maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If traditional complex housing designs are used to meet requirements for weight support, crash protection, and waterproofing, then the housing achieves adequate protection and functionality, but the housing becomes heavy and expensive to manufacture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrash protectionVSAvoidhousing weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into modular components: a frame structure, base plate, cover plate, and optional cross-member elements. These segments can be independently optimized for weight and strength, and assembled to meet specific protection requirements without over-engineering the entire housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The housing employs composite construction combining high-strength steel frame elements with lighter base and cover plates. This allows critical structural areas to use high-strength materials while non-critical areas use lighter materials, reducing overall weight while maintaining crash protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If traditional complex housing designs are used to meet requirements for weight support, crash protection, and waterproofing, then the housing achieves adequate protection and functionality, but the housing becomes expensive to manufacture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrash protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into modular components: a frame structure, base plate, cover plate, and optional cross-member elements. These segments can be independently optimized for weight and strength, and assembled to meet specific protection requirements without over-engineering the entire housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The frame elements are designed with adjustable parameters including cross-sectional dimensions, wall thickness, and material grade. This allows the housing to be customized for different battery sizes and protection requirements without redesigning the entire structure, reducing development and manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Volume of moving object

If more installation space is allocated to accommodate increasing battery capacities, then battery capacity greater than 20 kWh can be achieved, but the housing requires higher stability and increased weight

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery capacityVSAvoidhousing weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into modular components: a frame structure, base plate, cover plate, and optional cross-member elements. These segments can be independently optimized for weight and strength, and assembled to meet specific protection requirements without over-engineering the entire housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The frame structure serves multiple functions: providing structural strength for crash protection, defining the housing volume for battery installation, and offering mounting points for thermal management and electrical connections. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components that would increase weight.

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

4Ease of manufacture

If the frame is designed as a one- or multi-part rolled profile for easy assembly and scaling, then the housing becomes easy to assemble and manufacture, but the manufacturing precision and structural integrity must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly easeVSAvoidframe precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The frame elements are designed with adjustable parameters including cross-sectional dimensions, wall thickness, and material grade. This allows the housing to be customized for different battery sizes and protection requirements without redesigning the entire structure, reducing development and manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The housing is divided into modular components: a frame structure, base plate, cover plate, and optional cross-member elements. These segments can be independently optimized for weight and strength, and assembled to meet specific protection requirements without over-engineering the entire housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3465795B1Housing for a vehicle battery, and method for manufacturing a housing of said type
Publication Date: 2021.07.28 THYSSENKRUPP AG
  • EP3465795B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3465795B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3b
  • EP3465795B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5b

AI summary

Disclosed is a housing (1) for a vehicle battery, comprising a top plate (2) and a base plate (3) between which a frame (4) is arranged; the frame (4) is connected to the top plate (2) and the base plate (3); at least one cross-beam element (5) is arranged in the space surrounded by the frame (4).