Self-Propelled Battery Positioning in Transport Vehicle Bays

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing system for transporting energy storage devices requires manual intervention for arranging and fixing batteries on vehicle bodies, leading to inefficiencies due to labor shortages and difficulties in quick positioning.

Innovation Solution

An autonomously movable energy storage device transport system where the device can self-propel within the accommodation portion of a moving body, changing its position to optimize placement without human intervention, using a slope mechanism for engagement and disengagement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual arrangement and fixing of battery on vehicle body is performed, then the battery can be positioned and fixed, but labor time and manpower are required which reduces efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery arrangement efficiencyVSAvoidtime for manual arrangement and fixing
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The battery is equipped with autonomous movement capability including wheels, a drive unit, and control unit, enabling it to self-propel to the optimal position within the accommodation portion and autonomously engage with the locking mechanism without human intervention, thus resolving the contradiction by eliminating manual labor time while maintaining positioning accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The battery performs preliminary actions by autonomously navigating to the optimal position and engaging the lock before the vehicle departs, ensuring the arrangement and fixing operations are completed in advance without requiring manual intervention during loading or departure phases

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If manual operations are used for battery arrangement and locking, then the process can be completed, but the speed of arrangement and fixing is slow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed of battery arrangement and fixingVSAvoidoperational simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The battery autonomously performs navigation, positioning, and locking operations through its integrated drive unit and control unit, eliminating the need for manual operations while achieving rapid arrangement and fixing speeds that overcome the limitation of slow manual processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple functions (movement, positioning, and locking) into a single integrated system where the battery's drive unit and control unit work together with the vehicle's locking mechanism, enabling simultaneous execution of arrangement and fixing operations to increase speed while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3950396B1Transport system, mobile body, transport method, transport program, and recording medium
Publication Date: 2024.07.24 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3950396B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3950396B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3950396B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An energy storage device transport system (1, 1A) includes an energy storage device (40) which can move by self-propelling and a moving body (30) which has an accommodation portion (31) for accommodating the energy storage device (40). In the energy storage device transport system (1, 1A), the moving body (30) accommodates the energy storage device (40) and moves to transport the energy storage device 40. The energy storage device (40) moves inside the accommodation portion (31) of the moving body (30) by self-propelling and changes a position in the accommodation portion (31) of the moving body (30).