Motor Guidance Component for Electric Vehicle Crash Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

In electric vehicles, the electric motor can become dislodged during crashes, posing a safety hazard by potentially damaging the battery housing and passenger compartment, as existing designs lack effective guidance mechanisms to redirect the motor away from critical areas.

Innovation Solution

A motor guidance component comprising a top bar and angled bars secured to the chassis, which guides a dislodged electric motor either downwards or upwards, away from protected areas such as the battery housing and passenger cabin, utilizing a configuration that can be integrated into the vehicle's structure to redirect crash forces and prevent damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the electric motor is securely mounted to the chassis, then the motor remains stable during normal operation, but the motor may still become dislodged during crashes and damage protected areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotor stabilityVSAvoidcrash damage to protected areas

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The motor guidance component acts as an intermediary element between the motor mounting and the protected areas (battery housing and passenger compartment). This intermediary structure redirects crash forces away from critical zones, allowing the motor to be securely mounted during normal operation while preventing damage during crashes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guidance component utilizes the crash force itself to achieve protective function. When crash forces dislodge the motor, the angled bars and top bar work together to channel the motor's movement away from protected areas, converting the harmful dislodgement force into a protective redirection mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Ease of manufacture

If existing motor mounting designs are used, then the motor is securely fixed during normal operation, but no effective guidance mechanism exists to redirect the motor away from critical areas during crashes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotor mounting simplicityVSAvoidcrash protection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The motor mounting system is segmented into multiple functional components: the original motor mounting structure for normal operation security, and the additional guidance component with angled bars and top bar for crash protection. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guidance component adds a new dimensional aspect to motor mounting - while traditional mounting only considers vertical attachment, the guidance component introduces angled bars that create a three-dimensional guidance pathway, redirecting motor movement in multiple directions away from protected areas during crashes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10370035B2Motor guidance component configured to direct movement of a dislodged electric motor of an electric vehicle in response to crash forces

Publication Date: 2019.08.06 AMERICAN BATTERY SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

In an embodiment, a motor guidance component is configured to guide a dislodged electric motor away from one or more protected areas of the electric vehicle in response to crash forces. In a further embodiment, the motor guidance component may be configured to guide the one dislodged electric motor in an upwards direction (e.g., above the one or more protected areas) or in a downwards direction (e.g., below the one or more protected areas).