Pivoting Battery Carrier Structure for Commercial Vehicle Side Impact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial vehicles' batteries are at risk of damage and potential harm to occupants during sideways crashes due to the energy input, and existing solutions either risk damaging the batteries or transferring all impact energy to the occupants.
Innovation Solution
A device with a battery carrier that is partially rigidly attached to the vehicle main frame, allowing it to rotate and deform during a side impact, distributing the energy dissipation and protecting the batteries while reducing occupant risk through a defined deformation of the support structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid cage is built around the power storage units to prevent damage, then the batteries are protected from impact damage, but all impact energy is transferred to the occupants causing serious injury risk
Solution Approach 1:
The battery carrier is designed with a detachable connection to the vehicle main frame, allowing it to move dynamically during impact. The connection can detach or deform to absorb impact energy, transforming the rigid protection approach into a dynamic energy management system that protects both batteries and occupants.
Solution Approach 2:
The impact energy that would otherwise be harmful to occupants is converted into a beneficial force by allowing the battery carrier to detach or deform. This controlled failure mode absorbs the harmful energy, protecting the occupants while still maintaining battery safety through the carrier's protective structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the battery carrier is rigidly attached to the vehicle main frame, then the batteries are securely positioned, but impact energy cannot be dissipated and is transferred to occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between battery carrier and vehicle main frame is designed to transition from a stable, rigid state during normal operation to a dynamic, detachable state during impact. This allows the system to maintain positioning stability when needed while enabling energy dissipation when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system is segmented into detachable components that can separate during impact. This segmentation allows the battery carrier to remain securely attached during normal use while enabling controlled separation to dissipate impact energy, resolving the contradiction between stability and energy dissipation.
3Volume of moving object
If the battery carrier projects downwards beyond the vehicle main frame, then space is utilized efficiently, but the batteries become vulnerable to side-impact collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The battery carrier's downward projection is combined with a dynamic detachment mechanism. During normal operation, the carrier projects downwards to utilize space efficiently. During side-impact, the detachable connection allows the carrier to move or detach, reducing vulnerability while maintaining space utilization benefits.
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
The device effectively reduces battery damage and occupant injury by managing impact energy through the rotation and deformation of the battery carrier and support structure, ensuring energy dissipation without transferring it entirely to the occupants.
Implementation Method 1
In the event of a side-on crash, e.g. caused by a car, a type of articulated mounting of the battery carrier on the vehicle's main frame is created. The upper, rigidly connected section does not shift. The support structure of the power storage unit rotates away around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle's main frame. The device can dissipate the impact energy from a side impact in a defined manner and thereby protect the batteries from damage.
Implementation Method 2
The device can dissipate the impact energy from a side impact in a defined manner and thereby protect the batteries from damage. At the same time, the risk of injury to occupants of, for example, an impacting car can be reduced by the device partially dissipating the impact energy.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (10) for carrying at least one battery (12), preferably a traction battery, for a motor vehicle, preferably a commercial vehicle. The device (10) has a vehicle main frame (16). The device (10) has at least one battery carrier (14) which is attached to a longitudinal outer surface of the vehicle main frame (16) and projects downwards in a vertical direction beyond the longitudinal outer surface of the vehicle main frame (16). Due to the downwardly projecting area of the battery carrier (14), in the event of a side impact, e.g., by a passenger car, a kind of articulated mounting of the battery carrier (14) on the vehicle main frame (16) is created, such that the battery carrier (14) can be pivoted at least partially beneath the vehicle main frame (16).