Plastic Battery Cover Ribs for Crash Load Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery cover elements made of sheet metal lack the ability to create complex three-dimensional geometries for optimal support and force transmission during a crash event, leading to high costs and limited effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A battery arrangement with a cover element made of plastic, featuring rib-like support portions that rest on cooling plates and longitudinal members, allowing for improved rigidity and force transmission through a form-fitting design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If sheet metal is used for the cover element, then the material strength is sufficient, but the ability to create complex three-dimensional geometries for optimal support and force transmission is limited and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecover element strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity and cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from sheet metal to thermoplastic material, enabling complex three-dimensional geometries to be manufactured cost-effectively through injection molding while maintaining sufficient strength for crash events

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material that combines the strength characteristics of traditional metal materials with the manufacturing advantages of plastic materials, allowing complex geometries to be formed integrally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If sheet metal is used for the cover element, then the material is readily available, but complex three-dimensional geometries for optimal support require very complex manufacturing processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegeometric complexityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Changing from metal to thermoplastic material enables complex geometries to be manufactured through simple injection molding processes, reducing manufacturing complexity while increasing geometric adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple functions (support portions, carrying portions, integration features) into a single integrally molded cover element, simplifying the manufacturing process while achieving complex three-dimensional geometries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250329855A1Battery arrangement with a cover element made of plastic and having rib-like supporting portions, and motor vehicle with such a battery arrangement

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 AUDI AG

AI summary

A battery arrangement for an at least partially electrically powered motor vehicle, including a battery box; a plurality of battery modules arranged next to one another in the battery box; a cooling plate arranged on a respective battery module with at least one coolant channel; a cover element made of a plastic material, which is arranged on the battery box so that the battery modules and the cooling plates are covered. The cover element has rib-like support portions facing the battery modules, which support the cover element on the cooling plates.