Swiveling Rail Vehicle Battery Tray for Non-Cuboid Box Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing design of battery troughs for rail vehicles, which are typically cuboid and connected to battery boxes via telescopic rails, limits flexibility in shape and volume usage, making maintenance and assembly cumbersome, especially due to the need for heavy lifting equipment and restricted access.
Innovation Solution
A battery trough with a non-cuboid shape, rotatably connected to the battery box via a hinge mechanism, allowing for vertical movement and assembly using lifting devices, and enabling the use of previously unused volumes within the rail vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If battery trays are connected to battery boxes via telescopic rails for linear movement, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but the battery box is limited to a cuboid shape and volume efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing the static telescopic rail connection with a dynamic hinge mechanism that allows the battery tray to rotate between stored and maintenance positions. This dynamic connection enables the battery box to adopt non-cuboid shapes while maintaining full accessibility during maintenance, as the tray can pivot to an extended position regardless of the box's geometric form.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from one-dimensional linear movement along telescopic rails to two-dimensional rotational movement via a hinge mechanism. This dimensional change allows the battery tray to access maintenance positions by rotating in an arc, enabling non-cuboid battery box shapes to be utilized efficiently while preserving maintenance accessibility.
2Ease of manufacture
If battery trays are designed with cuboid shape and fork mounts for forklift assembly, then assembly ease is improved, but design flexibility and adaptability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism serves multiple functions: it enables rotational movement for maintenance access, allows non-cuboid battery box shapes, and maintains simple assembly procedures. This universal connection mechanism replaces the specialized fork-mount system, providing both ease of assembly and design flexibility across various battery box configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing the dynamic hinge connection, the system achieves both ease of assembly (through simple mechanical attachment) and design flexibility (by accommodating various battery box geometries). The hinge mechanism is universally applicable to different shapes, eliminating the constraint of cuboid designs while maintaining assembly simplicity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If battery trays are rotatably connected to battery boxes via hinge mechanism, then design flexibility and volume usage are improved, but maintenance accessibility may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism provides dynamic rotational movement that enables the battery tray to reach a fully extended maintenance position. This dynamic capability ensures that regardless of the battery box's non-cuboid shape, the tray can always be rotated to an accessible position for maintenance operations, preserving ease of operation while gaining design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
By transitioning from linear to rotational movement, the system gains the ability to access maintenance positions in a different spatial dimension. The battery tray rotates in an arc to reach the maintenance position, ensuring accessibility is maintained even when the battery box has complex non-cuboid geometries that would restrict linear movement.
4Volume of stationary object
If non-cuboid battery trays are used to utilize unused volumes, then volume efficiency is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is segmented into modular components: the battery box, the hinge mechanism, and the battery tray. This segmentation allows the tray to be designed in various non-cuboid shapes to fit unused volumes, while the standardized hinge interface maintains assembly simplicity. Each module can be independently designed and assembled, reducing overall complexity despite geometric complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a battery receptacle (1) for a rail vehicle and to a rail vehicle comprising a battery receptacle (1). The battery receptacle (1) has a volume form which deviates from a cuboidal form. The battery receptacle (1) has connection elements (6) that are designed such that the battery receptacle (1) can be swivelably connected to an associated battery box (10) of the rail vehicle so that when the battery receptacle (1) is swiveled about an axis it can be swiveled into the battery box (10) or swiveled out of the battery box (10).