Electric Work Vehicle Motor Alignment for Scratch-Free Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric work vehicles face issues with motor attachment due to scratching and interference from hard materials, particularly when a recess and protrusion configuration is used, and harness connection complicates smooth attachment.

Innovation Solution

A positioning mechanism with guide portions on the motor and support member, using pins and holes to align the motor accurately before fitting, avoiding surface scratching and harness interference during attachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a recess and protrusion configuration is used to position the motor, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the surface of the protrusion gets scratched due to contact with the hard support member

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidsurface scratching
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A positioning pin made of a soft material (e.g., resin) is introduced as an intermediary between the motor housing and the support member. The positioning pin fits into a positioning hole in the support member and contacts the motor housing, thereby achieving accurate positioning without the hard support member directly contacting and scratching the motor surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The material hardness parameter is changed by using a soft material (resin) for the positioning pin instead of a hard material (metal). This allows the positioning function to be maintained while eliminating the harmful scratching effect on the motor surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If the motor is attached directly to the support member, then attachment is simple, but the harness interferes with the attachment process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattachment simplicityVSAvoidattachment smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment function is segmented into two independent parts: positioning (achieved by the positioning pin and hole) and fastening (achieved by the bolt). This segmentation allows the motor to be positioned accurately before the harness is connected, and then securely fastened, eliminating the interference problem while maintaining simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning pin is installed in advance in the support member, creating a pre-positioning structure. This preliminary action enables the motor to be accurately positioned and the harness to be connected without interference before the final fastening operation is performed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4644148A1Electric work vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 KUBOTA CORP
  • EP4644148A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4644148A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4644148A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electric work vehicle includes a harness connecting a front portion of a motor (40) to an inverter, and a positioning mechanism (7) having a first guide portion (71) provided on one of the motor (40) and a support member (50) and a second guide portion (72) provided on the other of the motor (40) and the support member (50), and configured to position the motor (40) relative to the support member (50) as viewed in the front-back direction, by the first guide portion (71) and the second guide portion (72) coming in contact with each other. The positioning mechanism (7) is configured such that, at a time of attaching the motor (40) to the support member (50), the first guide portion (71) is contactable with the second guide portion (72) while a protrusion (45) is forward of a support front surface (51). (Fig. 4)