Vehicle Lower Structure Layout to Protect Battery Units in Front Collisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hybrid vehicles, when the gearbox is disposed with a part of it present in the floor tunnel, battery units may come into contact with the gearbox during a front collision, potentially causing damage due to the gearbox's diagonal movement.
Innovation Solution
A lower vehicle structure design where the gearbox is positioned with its rear portion in the floor tunnel, with a propeller shaft transmitting power to the rear wheel, and battery units are placed on either side with inner protectors covering their front end portions to prevent direct contact with the gearbox, and reinforced ribs to absorb collision loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gearbox is disposed with the rear portion present in the floor tunnel to increase collision stroke, then the collision load absorption is improved, but the battery units may come into contact with the gearbox during diagonal movement causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an inner protector as an intermediary component between the battery unit and the gearbox. This protector prevents direct contact during diagonal movement while allowing the gearbox to move backward for collision absorption. The inner protector acts as a mediator that blocks the harmful interaction path without restricting the beneficial movement of the gearbox.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery unit is segmented into multiple parts, with the inner side surface portion being separable from the main body. This segmentation allows the inner side surface portion to be protected by the inner protector while the rest of the battery unit maintains its functional integrity. The separated structure enables selective protection of the vulnerable front end portion.
2Ease of operation
If the inner side surface portion of the battery unit is positioned at the floor tunnel location, then the gearbox can enter the floor tunnel during collision, but direct contact between the gearbox and battery unit may occur causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The inner protector serves as a mediator that allows the gearbox to move into the floor tunnel while preventing direct contact with the battery unit's inner side surface portion. It creates a protective barrier that permits the necessary movement for collision absorption without allowing harmful contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner protector is pre-installed on the battery unit before collision occurs. It provides preliminary protection by covering the inner side surface portion that would otherwise be vulnerable to contact during diagonal movement. This advance protective measure prevents damage before the harmful contact can occur.
Data Source
AI summary
A lower structure of a vehicle may include a transmission disposed in a floor tunnel, a rear propeller shaft that transmits power from the transmission to rear wheels, and left and right battery units disposed on the left and right sides of the floor tunnel, in which a rear portion (transfer 4a) of the transmission is disposed in proximity to the portions on the front side and the upper side of the battery units, and inner protectors that cover inner side surface portions in the vehicle width direction of the battery units from the inner side in the vehicle width direction may be mounted to the front end portions of the inner side surface portions.