Pickup PHEV Battery Layout Below the Cargo Bed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) face challenges in providing sufficient space for batteries and high-voltage electrical units in pickup trucks due to the need to accommodate components like the transmission, drive shaft, exhaust pipe, and fuel tank under the floor, which reduces cabin and cargo space.
Innovation Solution
The PHEV design incorporates a battery and power control and on-board charging units positioned below the cargo bed, utilizing a frame structure that allows for the arrangement of these components without compromising space in the vehicle cabin or cargo area, with overlapping arrangements in both transverse and vertical directions to minimize space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the floor is raised to arrange the battery and high-voltage electrical units under the floor, then space for these components is provided, but space in the vehicle cabin and cargo bed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal placement (under the floor) to vertical placement (below the cargo bed floor level). The battery and high-voltage electrical units are arranged in the vertical dimension beneath the cargo bed, utilizing the space between the cargo bed floor and the frame rails. This dimensional shift allows component accommodation without reducing horizontal cargo bed space or cabin space.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery and electrical units are nested within the vertical space created by the frame structure below the cargo bed. The components are positioned within the hollow space formed by the frame rails and cross members, effectively nesting the electrical system within the structural framework without encroaching on usable cargo or cabin space.
2Strength
If a body-on-frame structure is used in a pickup truck PHEV, then structural strength is maintained, but space for battery and electrical units becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The battery and electrical units are nested within the hollow space created by the body-on-frame structure. The components are positioned within the vertical void between the cargo bed floor and the frame rails, utilizing the structural framework's internal volume rather than adding external bulk or compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits the vertical dimension provided by the body-on-frame structure's hollow rails. By arranging components vertically below the cargo bed floor level but above the frame rails, the design converts the structural framework from a space constraint into a space-providing element.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design ensures sufficient space for the battery and electrical units while maintaining the overall space utility of the vehicle, facilitating the arrangement of the battery and electrical components without affecting passenger or cargo capacity.
Implementation Method 1
an engine configured to generate rotational power through combustion of fuel
Implementation Method 2
a motor configured to generate the rotational power with electric power supplied from the battery
Implementation Method 3
an on-board charging unit configured to convert electric power supplied from the external power source and supply the converted electric power to the battery
Data Source
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AI summary
A PHEV of a pickup truck type includes a cabin section having a passenger compartment, a front section including a longitudinal engine, and a cargo section including a cargo bed having an upper opening. In the PHEV of the pickup truck type, an on-board charging unit, which converts electric power supplied from an external power source and supplies the converted electric power to a battery, is arranged downward from the cargo bed of the cargo section.