Vehicle Floor Battery Support With Elastomeric Acoustic Detuning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle floor designs face challenges in acoustically detuning energy storage structures while maintaining lightweight construction, as increasing rigidity to prevent plastic deformation and cracking leads to significant weight gain.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle floor design incorporating a beam structure with beams and a stiffening element, supported by elastomeric elements, distributes force over a large area and enhances rigidity without excessive weight, using a compressible foam for dynamic hardening under high-frequency loads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the rigidity of the chassis floor panel is increased by thickening the floor panel, then the resistance to plastic deformation and cracking is improved, but the weight increases significantly by one to four kilograms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance to plastic deformation and crackingVSAvoidweight of chassis floor panel

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite construction consisting of the chassis floor panel combined with a stiffening element and an elastomeric element. This composite structure provides the necessary rigidity and strength resistance to prevent plastic deformation and cracking, while avoiding the need to significantly thicken the floor panel itself, thus limiting weight increase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The solution segments the stiffening function from the floor panel by introducing a separate stiffening element that can be attached to the floor panel. This allows the floor panel to remain thin and lightweight while the added stiffening element provides the required structural reinforcement in the central connection region.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If the connection region is configured to be as rigid as possible, then the acoustic detuning effect is improved, but the surface pressure on the thin chassis floor panel increases, risking plastic deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverigidity of connection regionVSAvoidresistance to plastic deformation

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The elastomeric element acts as an intermediary component between the central connection and the chassis floor panel. It provides the necessary rigidity for acoustic detuning while simultaneously distributing the surface pressure over a larger area, preventing localized stress concentrations that could cause plastic deformation or cracking of the thin floor panel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The elastomeric element changes the mechanical parameters of the connection region by providing both rigidity for acoustic purposes and compliance for stress distribution. Its material properties allow it to maintain structural stability while reducing peak stresses on the floor panel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If a stiffening element is added to the floor panel, then the rigidity is enhanced without excessive weight gain, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverigidity of chassis floor panelVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The stiffening element is applied locally in the central connection region where rigidity is most needed for acoustic detuning, rather than reinforcing the entire floor panel. This localized approach enhances rigidity where required while minimizing additional weight and structural complexity in non-critical areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

The design effectively reduces plastic deformation and weight, ensuring robust force transmission and acoustic detuning by distributing forces and stiffening the chassis floor panel, while maintaining a lightweight structure.

Implementation Method 1

an, in particular, additional stiffening element (10) is arranged on the floor panel (7) in the support region (7.1)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the compressible foam is an elastomeric foam, the material properties of which under dynamic load include dynamic hardening such that the rigidity under dynamic load beyond a threshold frequency is greater by a dynamic hardening factor than the rigidity which exists under quasi-static load

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDynamic hardening:

Data Source

PatentUS12559181B2Central connection of an energy storage structure in a vehicle floor

Publication Date: 2026.02.24 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

AI summary

A vehicle floor has a carrier beam structure that has a plurality of beams; a floor structure that has at least one floor panel; and an energy storage structure that is fastened to an underside of the beam structure and/or the floor structure such that the energy storage structure is supported on a support region of the floor panel by at least one support arrangement, in particular at least one elastomer element.