Vehicle-Body Front Structure With Rearward Motor Crash Load Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face challenges in absorbing impact loads during collisions due to the absence of engine and accessory components, which can result in insufficient crash stroke and potential damage to batteries when the traveling motor is positioned close to the rear, causing impact loads to be exerted on the battery.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-body front structure with a partition wall portion that bulges inward to accommodate the traveling motor, a reinforcement member extending from the motor arrangement portion to the rear, and a battery unit with a lid body and frame to disperse impact loads, ensuring the motor is positioned close to the rear while preventing impact loads from being directly applied to the battery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the traveling motor is disposed close to the vehicle rear side, then the crash stroke in the front-rear direction is sufficiently secured, but the traveling motor approaches the batteries and may exert impact load on the battery during collision
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall portion is segmented into a flat portion and a bulging portion, creating a motor arrangement portion that separates the traveling motor from the battery unit. This segmentation allows the motor to be positioned rearward for crash stroke while preventing direct contact with the battery during impact
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement member acts as an intermediary between the motor arrangement portion and the battery unit. It transmits and disperses impact loads from the motor to the floor panel and lid body, preventing direct transmission of impact force to the battery
2Device complexity
If accessory components are largely decreased compared to an engine, then the vehicle structure is simplified, but the impact load cannot be sufficiently absorbed in collision
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall portion serves multiple functions: it demarcates the vehicle cabin inside space, provides a motor arrangement portion through bulging, and works with the reinforcement member to absorb impact loads. This multi-functionality compensates for the reduced number of accessory components
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement member is pre-installed to provide cushioning protection to the battery unit before collision occurs. It is positioned to receive and disperse impact loads, creating a protective structure in advance that compensates for the lack of engine components
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] In an electric vehicle, a traveling motor is disposed as close to a vehicle rear side as possible, and an impact load is thereby inhibited from being exerted on a battery in a collision while a crash stroke in the collision is sufficiently secured in a front-rear direction. [Means for Solution] A vehicle-body front structure A includes a partition wall portion which demarcates a vehicle cabin inside space, a motor arrangement portion which is formed by causing a part of the partition wall portion to bulge to an inside of a vehicle cabin and in which at least a part of a traveling motor is capable of being arranged, and a reinforcement member 94 which extends from an upper portion of the motor arrangement portion to vehicle rear and is inclined to be positioned lower toward the vehicle rear. A rear portion of the reinforcement member 94 is mounted on a floor panel 70 and a lid body 35 of a battery unit BY.