Vehicle Battery Pack Positioning for Reduced Removal Man-Hours
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing placement of battery packs between driver's and passenger's seats in vehicles requires the removal of both seats for replacement or disposal, resulting in a high number of man-hours for the removal work.
Innovation Solution
The battery pack is positioned forward of the space between the driver's and passenger's seats and rearward of the instrument panel, allowing the seats to be slid and moved out of the way, eliminating the need for their removal, and incorporating an intake opening for cooling air and a connecting portion for the electric device within the battery pack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the battery pack is disposed between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat, then the battery pack can be mounted in the vehicle, but the driver's seat and passenger's seat must be removed for battery pack replacement or vehicle disposal, resulting in a large number of man-hours
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is repositioned from the conventional space between seats to a new spatial arrangement forward of the seats and rearward of the instrument panel. This dimensional relocation allows the battery pack to be accessed and removed without interfering with the seats, eliminating the need to remove seats during battery pack replacement or vehicle disposal operations.
2Loss of time
If the battery pack is disposed forward of the space between seats and rearward of the instrument panel, then the number of man-hours for removal work is reduced, but the space available for battery pack installation is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle interior space is segmented into distinct zones: the instrument panel area forward, the battery pack installation space in the middle, and the seat area rearward. This segmentation allows the battery pack to occupy a specific volume forward of the seats without encroaching on seat space, while still providing sufficient room for battery pack installation and maintenance access.
3Temperature
If the intake opening portion is provided at the front of the battery pack, then cooling air from the HVAC system can be effectively taken in, but the battery pack design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The HVAC system's cooling air, originally intended for passenger comfort, is repurposed to cool the battery pack. The intake opening portion allows the battery pack to utilize the same cooling air flow path as the passenger compartment, making the cooling system serve dual functions without requiring a separate dedicated cooling system for the battery.
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 reduces the number of man-hours required for battery pack removal, facilitates the replacement process, and enhances cooling efficiency by utilizing lower-temperature air from the HVAC system.
Implementation Method 1
the intake opening portion may take in cooling air for cooling the inside of the battery pack into the battery pack
Data Source
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AI summary
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle in which the number of man-hours involved in the removal work of a battery pack can be reduced. [SOLVING MEANS] A vehicle 100 according to the present invention includes a battery pack 2, wherein the battery pack is disposed, in the vehicle, forward Fr of a space S2 formed between a driver's seat 11 and a passenger's seat 12 provided side by side in a vehicle width direction, and rearward Rr of an instrument panel 31 provided forward of the driver's seat 11 and the passenger's seat 12 in the interior of the vehicle. According to the present invention, it is unnecessary to remove the driver's seat and the passenger's seat in removing the battery pack from the vehicle body, and the number of man-hours involved in the removal work of the battery pack can be reduced as compared with the conventional vehicle.