Vehicle Electric Component Heat Insulating Structure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooling structures for electric components in vehicles require a cooling apparatus, increasing manufacturing costs and space requirements, while also exposing passengers to heat from these components.

Innovation Solution

A heat insulating structure that eliminates the need for a cooling apparatus by using a fixing member, a cover member, and a heat insulating member to improve heat dissipation and protect passengers from heat without increasing manufacturing costs, featuring a configuration where the electric component is placed on a fixing bracket above the floor panel, covered by a cover member, and insulated by a heat insulating bracket that directs heat away from passengers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a cooling apparatus is installed to cool electric components, then heat dissipation performance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the cooling apparatus from the system by using the battery case's own structure (insulating layer and air cooling passages) to achieve heat dissipation, thereby removing the need for separate cooling equipment and reducing manufacturing costs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The battery case is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support, thermal insulation through an insulating layer, and heat dissipation through integrated air cooling passages, eliminating the need for dedicated cooling apparatus

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Temperature

If a cooling apparatus is installed to cool electric components, then heat dissipation performance is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation performanceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the heat dissipation function into the battery case structure itself by integrating air cooling passages and an insulating layer, combining multiple functions (support, insulation, cooling) into a single component and reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling apparatus is extracted and removed from the system, replacing it with a simplified structure that uses the battery case's own design features to achieve heat dissipation without additional complex components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Volume of moving object

If electric component is placed close to floor panel, then space utilization is improved, but passengers are affected by heat

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidheat exposure to passengers
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The battery case is segmented into functional layers including an insulating layer that divides the space between the electric component and the floor panel, creating thermal barriers that prevent heat from reaching passengers while maintaining compact spacing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating layer acts as an intermediary between the hot electric component and the floor panel/passenger space, blocking heat transmission while allowing the electric component to be positioned close to the floor panel for efficient space utilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 solution effectively improves heat dissipation performance, eliminates the need for a cooling apparatus, and prevents passengers from being affected by heat from electric components while maintaining cost-effectiveness.

Implementation Method 1

a heat insulating member including a heat-insulating-member-side ceiling wall and at least one heat-insulating-member-side side wall extending downward from the heat-insulating-member-side ceiling wall, the heat insulating member being provided between the cover member and the electric component

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

the cover member includes a first support part, a second support part and a third support part... the placement surface is higher than the floor panel

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4035917B1Heat insulating structure of electric component
Publication Date: 2023.07.26 SUZUKI MOTOR CORP
  • EP4035917B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4035917B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4035917B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

[Problem to be Solved] To provide a heat insulating structure of an electric component capable of eliminating the need for a cooling apparatus, improving heat dissipation performance of the electric component and preventing passengers from being affected by heat while preventing an increase in the manufacturing cost. [Solution] A heat insulating structure of an electric component (22) includes: a fixing bracket (21) including a placement surface (21a) on which the electric component (22) is mounted, the fixing bracket (21) being installed on an upper surface of a floor panel (2) of a vehicle (1); a cover member (23); and a heat insulating bracket (41). The cover member (23) includes a rib (23S), a rib (23T) and a rib (23U). The rib (23S) is provided on a ceiling wall (23A) and is in contact with a right end portion (41b) of a ceiling wall (41A) in a direction in which the ceiling wall (41A) extends. The rib (23S) is provided on a rear wall (23C) facing the rear wall (41B) and is in contact with a right end portion (41c) of a rear wall (41B). The rib (23U) is provided on the rear wall (23C) and is in contact with a bottom end portion (41a) orthogonal to a direction in which the rear wall (41B) extends.