Swappable Battery Mounting Structure Without a Swapping Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery mounting systems require a battery swapping frame that occupies additional space, limiting volume energy density and increasing swapping costs due to the need for trenching or lifting the vehicle during battery replacement.
Innovation Solution
A battery with a mounting structure detachably connected to the vehicle's longitudinal beam, omitting the need for a swapping frame, allowing direct mounting and improving energy density and reducing swapping costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a battery swapping frame is used to mount the battery, then the battery can be securely mounted to the vehicle, but the mounting space increases and volume energy density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the mounting function from the separate battery swapping frame and integrates it directly into the battery housing. The mounting structure is built into the battery case itself, eliminating the need for the additional swapping frame while maintaining secure mounting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the mounting structure with the battery housing into a single integrated component. The mounting ears, connecting arms, and locking mechanisms are formed as part of the battery case structure, combining the battery containment function with the mounting function.
2Reliability
If a battery swapping frame is used, then the battery can be mounted, but the overall vehicle load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate battery swapping frame from the system and extracts only the essential mounting functions, integrating them into the battery housing. This eliminates the weight of the additional frame structure while preserving mounting stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting structure is combined with the battery housing, so the same structural components serve dual purposes: containing the battery cells and providing mounting attachment points. This reduces the total material required and decreases vehicle load.
3Length of stationary object
If the battery height above ground is small, then the vehicle can have lower ground clearance requirements, but the battery swapping station requires trenching or vehicle lifting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the docking structure from the bottom of the battery to the top surface. This dimensional change allows the docking interface to be accessible from above, eliminating the need for trenching or vehicle lifting during battery swapping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the docking structure at the bottom of the battery (requiring upward access), the patent inverts the approach by placing the docking structure at the top, allowing downward access during swapping operations.
4Volume of moving object
If the mounting structure is integrated into the battery housing, then the volume energy density increases, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mounting structure into separate modular components (mounting ears, connecting arms, locking mechanisms) that can be manufactured independently and then assembled. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured with standard tolerances and then precisely positioned during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting structure components are pre-assembled and pre-positioned on the battery housing before final battery assembly. This preliminary action ensures proper alignment and positioning is established early in the manufacturing process, maintaining precision without requiring extremely tight tolerances on all components.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a battery, a vehicle, and a battery swapping station. The battery includes a battery cell, a housing, and a mounting structure and a docking structure that are disposed at the housing. The battery cell is accommodated in the housing. The mounting structure is adapted to be located between the housing and a vehicle-bottom longitudinal beam of a vehicle, and is configured to detachably mount the battery to the vehicle-bottom longitudinal beam. The docking structure is configured to dock with the vehicle to allow for current conduction and/or liquid conduction.