Vehicle Safety System External Plug for Battery Disconnection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current safety systems for vehicles, particularly those with lithium-ion batteries, do not adequately protect occupants and rescue workers from electric shocks during accidents or maintenance, as they require access to conductive components and lack effective disconnection mechanisms, posing risks and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A safety system with an operable surface and charging slot outside the vehicle, where the operating plug and charging slot are combined to de-energize the vehicle by mechanically separating high-voltage and low-voltage circuits, using an electrically non-conductive operable area that can be secured against unauthorized operation, allowing safe battery disconnection without touching conductive components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the service device is concealed on the vehicle and requires access to conductive components for operation, then the battery can be disconnected for safety, but the rescue workers are exposed to electric shock risks and the operation becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of occupants and rescue workersVSAvoidelectric shock risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the service plug with integrated charging slot and operable surface - that mediates between the rescue workers and the high-voltage battery system. This plug serves as a safe interface that allows disconnection without direct contact with conductive components, eliminating the electric shock hazard while maintaining reliable battery disconnection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The service function is extracted from the concealed interior location and brought to the exterior of the vehicle through the service plug. This extraction allows rescue workers to access and operate the disconnection mechanism from outside the vehicle, eliminating the need to open the vehicle or touch conductive components, thus removing the electric shock risk while maintaining safety reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the service device is mounted on the battery housing with low center of gravity for driving stability, then the vehicle achieves good driving dynamics, but the service device becomes difficult to access for maintenance and emergency operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving stabilityVSAvoidaccessibility of service device
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The service function is segmented from the battery housing structure and implemented as a separate, movable service plug that can be positioned at the exterior of the vehicle. This segmentation allows the battery housing to remain in its optimal low center of gravity position for driving stability, while the service plug provides easy exterior accessibility for rescue workers and maintenance personnel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The service access point is moved from the vertical dimension (concealed interior or low-position mounting) to the exterior horizontal dimension of the vehicle. This dimensional change allows rescue workers to access the service device from outside the vehicle at an ergonomic height, improving ease of operation while the battery housing maintains its optimal position for driving stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the operating plug and charging slot are combined outside the vehicle with mechanical connection to operable surface, then safe battery disconnection is achieved without touching conductive components, but the device structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety during battery disconnectionVSAvoidstructure of safety system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The operating plug and charging slot are merged into a single integrated component located outside the vehicle. This combination eliminates the need for separate disconnection and charging mechanisms, reducing the overall device complexity while maintaining the safety function of disconnecting the battery without touching conductive components. The integrated design also simplifies the user interface by providing both functions in one location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2705970B1Safety system for a vehicle for reducing the risk of an electrical shock from a battery
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD
  • EP2705970B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2705970B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A safety system (10) for vehicles (11) is described for reducing the risk of electric shock from a battery (12), wherein the safety system (10) is arranged on the outside of the vehicle (11) and has an operable area and a charging port (14) with an operating plug. A characteristic feature is that the operating plug and the charging port (14) are combined outside the vehicle (11) and are designed such that removing the operating plug disconnects the vehicle (11) from the power supply.