Modular Traction Battery Layouts for Industrial Truck Load Balance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing industrial trucks face challenges in optimizing battery capacity, weight, and center of gravity, leading to increased energy consumption and costs, while maintaining a high residual load capacity.

Innovation Solution

A modular design for the battery compartment in industrial trucks that allows for the simultaneous accommodation of multiple traction batteries in upright or lying positions, with adjustable configurations to optimize weight distribution and geometric properties, using batteries with high energy density and additional weights to enhance load capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If battery capacity is increased to extend operating time, then duration of action is improved, but vehicle weight increases leading to higher energy consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating timeVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The battery system is divided into multiple individual traction batteries that can be independently installed in the battery compartment. This segmentation allows the operating time to be extended by adding more battery units without necessarily increasing the weight of a single battery, enabling flexible configuration to meet different operating time requirements while managing weight and energy consumption effectively.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Duration of action of moving object

If battery capacity is increased to extend operating time, then duration of action is improved, but vehicle weight increases leading to reduced load capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating timeVSAvoidresidual load capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The battery compartment is designed to accommodate multiple individual traction batteries that can be independently configured. This segmentation enables the system to extend operating time through multiple lighter battery units rather than one large heavy battery, allowing optimization of the balance between operating time and residual load capacity based on specific application requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement in the battery compartment, allowing batteries to be positioned in different orientations and configurations. This dimensional flexibility enables optimal use of available space, allowing the system to achieve extended operating time while maintaining residual load capacity by efficiently distributing battery weight throughout the compartment volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Duration of action of moving object

If battery geometry is changed to increase capacity, then duration of action is improved, but center of gravity changes affecting vehicle stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating timeVSAvoidcenter of gravity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a single large battery with fixed geometry, the system employs multiple segmented battery units that can be independently positioned in the battery compartment. This segmentation provides flexibility in arranging batteries to maintain optimal center of gravity position while achieving the desired operating time, as batteries can be distributed to balance the vehicle's weight distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The battery configuration is made dynamic and adaptable rather than fixed. Individual batteries can be added, removed, or repositioned within the compartment to dynamically adjust the center of gravity according to different operating conditions, thereby maintaining vehicle stability while extending operating time as needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4613694A1Industrial truck and traction battery and use thereof
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 JUNGHEINRICH AG
  • EP4613694A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4613694A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4613694A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Industrial truck (10), in particular a reach truck, with a battery receiving compartment, wherein the battery receiving compartment has a base area and is designed and configured to receive more than one traction battery (12) simultaneously, wherein the base area has a base area width and a base area depth, wherein at least one traction battery (12) is received in the battery receiving compartment in an upright or lying position, wherein the traction battery (12) has a height which is greater than the width, wherein n traction batteries (12) standing next to one another or m traction batteries (12) lying next to one another can be or are received in the battery receiving compartment, which fill the base area width of the battery receiving compartment, wherein n and m are natural numbers which are greater than 1, wherein n is greater than m and the traction batteries (12) have the same heights, the same widths and in particular the same depths.