Side-Mounted Battery Layout in Work Vehicles for Hood Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in existing working vehicles is the limited installation space for equipment due to the battery being located inside the hood, which hinders the accommodation of other components like a fuel-cell module.
Innovation Solution
The battery unit is positioned outward of the vehicle body in the width direction, located between the front and rear wheels, with specific arrangements to avoid overlapping with other components and maintain vehicle width, allowing for additional equipment space within the hood.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the battery is located inside the hood, then the battery is protected and integrated into the vehicle body, but the installation space for other equipment (e.g., fuel-cell module) inside the hood becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The battery unit is extracted from the traditional location inside the hood and repositioned to the外侧 of the vehicle body in the width direction. This extraction resolves the space conflict by removing the battery from the hood area, thereby creating sufficient installation space for other equipment such as the fuel-cell module within the hood while maintaining the battery's functional integration with the vehicle.
2Area of stationary object
If the battery unit is positioned outward of the vehicle body, then space for other equipment is secured, but the vehicle width increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of expanding the battery unit's position along the width direction which would increase vehicle width, the patent positions the battery unit outward in the width direction but confines it within the front-rear boundaries defined by the front and rear wheels. This dimensional constraint allows the battery to occupy lateral space without increasing the overall vehicle width envelope, as the battery is positioned between the wheel outer ends in the width direction.
3Area of stationary object
If the battery unit is positioned between the front and rear wheels, then space utilization is optimized, but access to the battery becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The battery unit is designed as a separable, modular component that can be independently removed from the vehicle body. This segmentation allows the battery to be positioned in the optimized location between the front and rear wheels while maintaining ease of access, as the battery can be detached and removed without disassembling other vehicle components. The modular design enables simple maintenance and replacement operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
To facilitate securing an installation space for other equipment in a working vehicle including an electric motor and a battery, by positioning the battery in a special manner. A working vehicle (1) includes a vehicle body (2), an electric motor (7) in or on the vehicle body, and a battery unit (9) including a battery to store electric power to be supplied to the electric motor. The battery unit is located outward of the vehicle body in a width direction of the vehicle body. It is preferable that the battery unit be located between a front wheel (4A) and a rear wheel (4B) in side view.