Single-Piece FRP Battery Tray with Integrated Energy Absorption
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery trays for electric vehicles are composed of multiple components requiring manual assembly, which can be cumbersome and lack integrated energy absorption and impact resistance.
Innovation Solution
A single-piece, lightweight battery tray with upwardly sloping side walls, a peripheral flange, and an energy-absorbing structure, incorporating continuous fibers, flame-resistant fibers, and a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) corrugated structure, along with discrete energy-absorbing elements and a fracture detection circuit for enhanced impact resistance and structural support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional battery trays are composed of multiple components requiring manual assembly, then structural support can be achieved, but assembly complexity increases and manufacturing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (floor, side walls, energy absorbing structures, reinforcement members) into a single integrated battery tray component. This single-piece construction eliminates the need for manual assembly of multiple parts while maintaining all necessary structural functions including support, energy absorption, and reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-piece battery tray performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for battery modules, incorporates energy absorbing structures for impact protection, includes reinforcement members for structural integrity, and integrates mounting features for battery module attachment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components for each function.
2Productivity
If conventional battery trays use multiple components, then structural support is provided, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By combining all structural elements into one monolithic component, the patent eliminates the time-consuming manual assembly process required for multiple separate parts. The single-piece battery tray can be manufactured as one unit and installed as one component, dramatically reducing assembly time and improving manufacturing efficiency.
3Strength
If conventional battery trays lack integrated energy absorption, then manufacturing is simpler, but impact resistance and intrusion protection are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates energy absorbing structures directly into the battery tray body as an inherent feature rather than a separate add-on component. The energy absorbing structures are formed as integral parts of the single-piece tray, providing impact resistance and intrusion protection without requiring additional separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery tray utilizes composite material construction with fiber-reinforced polymers and layered structures that provide both structural strength and energy absorption capabilities. The composite materials enable the single-piece design to achieve high impact resistance while maintaining manufacturability.
Data Source
AI summary
A single-piece, lightweight, energy-absorbing, and impact resistant battery tray for a battery enclosure for a vehicle includes a lower floor including an impact resisting structure, upwardly sloping side walls integrally formed with the lower floor, and a peripheral flange integrally formed with the upwardly sloping side walls and including an energy absorbing structure.