Vehicle Body Lower Structure Using Shared Tank-Battery Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle body structures require dedicated protection members for batteries, which occupy valuable space around side rails and complicate impact protection.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body lower structure design that incorporates side rails, hydrogen tanks protected by external members, and a battery supported between these protection members, eliminating the need for a dedicated battery protection member by leveraging the protection provided to the hydrogen tanks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dedicated protection member for battery is mounted, then battery protection from external impact is improved, but space around side rail is occupied and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protection members originally designed for hydrogen tanks are made to serve dual purposes: protecting hydrogen tanks from external impact and protecting the battery from side collisions. This is achieved by positioning these protection members at locations that can simultaneously shield both the hydrogen tanks and the battery, eliminating the need for separate dedicated battery protection members.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the protection function for hydrogen tanks and the protection function for battery into a single integrated system. The protection members are strategically positioned and configured to provide combined protection for both components, reducing the total number of protection members required while maintaining effective protection for both the hydrogen tanks and the battery.
2Reliability
If a dedicated protection member for battery is mounted, then battery protection from external impact is improved, but space around side rail is occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The protection members are designed to perform multiple protective functions simultaneously. By positioning these members to protect both hydrogen tanks and battery, the available space around the side rails is utilized more efficiently, avoiding the need for additional dedicated battery protection members that would further occupy this limited space.
3Strength
If protection members are positioned outside side rails, then impact force is effectively absorbed, but space for battery placement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The protection members positioned outside the side rails are configured to serve dual protective roles. They maintain their original function of protecting hydrogen tanks from external impact while simultaneously providing protection for the battery from side collisions. This multi-functional positioning allows effective impact absorption without requiring additional space-consuming dedicated battery protection members.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A vehicle body lower structure according to one aspect includes: a pair of side rails disposed apart from each other in a width direction of a vehicle and extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle; a pair of hydrogen tanks respectively disposed outside the pair of side rails in the width direction; a pair of protection members configured to respectively protect the pair of hydrogen tanks from external impact; and a battery supported by the pair of side rails between the pair of protection members.