Stack Frame Weld Line Displacement for Impact Durability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The joint sections of existing stack frames, used to mount battery stacks on vehicles, tend to have less impact durability, leading to potential damage during collisions.
Innovation Solution
A stack frame configuration with a body section and a crash box, where the weld lines are strategically positioned to distribute impact loads away from the weld lines, using a cross member and ribs to absorb and redirect impact forces, enhancing impact durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plural members are joined by welding to form the stack frame, then the stack frame can be assembled from multiple components, but the joint section has less impact durability than the member bodies
Solution Approach 1:
The crash box serves as an intermediary component that absorbs and redirects impact forces away from the weld lines. By positioning the crash box such that its lateral wall surface is displaced from the extended line of the weld line, impact loads are transferred through the hollow sections and ribs rather than directly through the joint sections, protecting the welds from collision forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The stack frame is segmented into distinct functional zones: the crash box for impact absorption, the hollow sections for structural support, and the weld lines for joining. This segmentation allows impact forces to be channeled through specific paths (through the hollow sections and ribs) that bypass the joint sections, maintaining both assembly capability and impact durability.
2Device complexity
If the weld line is positioned directly in the path of impact load, then the load transfer path is simplified, but the joint section becomes vulnerable to damage during collision
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow sections and ribs act as intermediary load transfer elements that redirect impact forces around the weld lines. The crash box, positioned with its lateral wall surface displaced from the extended line of the weld line, transfers loads through these intermediaries rather than directly through the joint sections, maintaining reliability without significantly increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the stack frame are assigned different functional qualities: the hollow sections and ribs are designed to bear impact loads, while the joint sections are designed for clean joining. This local differentiation allows the structure to handle impact forces through specific load-bearing elements while keeping the joint sections intact.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively suppresses damage to the joint sections by redirecting collision loads, thereby improving the overall impact durability of the stack frame.
Implementation Method 1
The body section includes plural members that are welded to each other along a weld line
Implementation Method 2
after the front portion of the vehicle, in which the stack frame is arranged, is involved in a collision and the crash box is crashed, a load by the collision is transferred as is to portions of the members except for the weld line
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides a stack frame that is arranged in a front portion of a vehicle and on which a battery stack is mounted. The stack frame includes a body section and a crash box. The body section includes plural members that are welded to each other along a weld line. The weld line between the plural members extends in a front-back direction of the vehicle. The crash box is arranged on a front side of the body section. A lateral wall surface of the crash box is displaced from an extended line of the weld line.