Vehicle Underfloor Support System with Extendable Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support systems for replacing components in underfloor areas of vehicles, such as rail vehicles, are complex and require numerous additional components, making maintenance and replacement cumbersome and risky for maintenance personnel.
Innovation Solution
A support system with an extendable mechanism featuring interlocking rails and a stop device that can be locked or unlocked, allowing the receiving device to be pulled out or pushed back into the underfloor area safely, and incorporating restoring means to ensure the stop device is always in a locked position when the device is inserted, preventing unintentional removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a working platform is used to support the battery outside the underbody compartment, then the battery can be accessed for maintenance, but the system becomes complex and requires many additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving device is nested within the underbody compartment when not in use, and can be extended outward when maintenance is needed. The second rail is displaceably supported on the first rail, allowing the receiving device to move between retracted and extended positions, effectively nesting the maintenance function within the vehicle structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support system transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one where the receiving device can be displaced along the rails. The stop device provides dynamic control by being switchable between locked and unlocked positions, enabling the system to adapt between secure storage and maintenance modes.
2Ease of operation
If the receiving device can be completely removed from the underfloor area, then replacement of components is simplified, but the component may fall out unintentionally
Solution Approach 1:
The stop device is designed to prevent unintentional removal by providing a locked position that actively counteracts forces that might cause the receiving device to detach. The stop element engages with the first rail to limit displacement, providing preliminary protection against accidental removal while still allowing intentional removal when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop device transitions between locked and unlocked states dynamically. When locked, it provides secure retention; when unlocked, it allows complete removal. This dynamic behavior enables the system to switch between safety and ease of replacement based on operational needs.
3Reliability
If the stop device limits displacement of the rails, then the component is secured, but the receiving device cannot be fully removed for replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The stop device is designed with switchable states between locked and unlocked positions. In the locked position, it limits rail displacement to secure the component. In the unlocked position, it allows the receiving device to be completely removed from the underfloor area, enabling full adaptability for component replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of displacement limitation by switching the stop device between locked and unlocked states. This parameter change enables the system to adapt between providing security and allowing complete removability, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
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 design simplifies maintenance and replacement by allowing easy access to components while ensuring safety, reducing the risk of injury and the need for additional components, and allows for efficient handling of heavy components like battery units.
Implementation Method 1
the second rail being displaceably supported directly or indirectly on the first rail
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3d
Figure 4a~4d
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle with a support system for attaching a replaceable component to an underfloor area, which has a simple and robust design. Furthermore, the maintenance and replacement of such a component are to be simplified. The above problem is solved by a vehicle according to claim 1. This vehicle has a support system comprising a receiving device for the component and an extendable support device for bracing the receiving device against the underfloor area. According to one embodiment, this support system has a first and a second rail, wherein a stop device is effectively provided between one rail and the underfloor area or between the rails, which can assume a locking position and an unlocking position. The receiving device is attached to the second rail, the second rail being slidably supported directly or indirectly on the first rail.Furthermore, the first rail, which directly or indirectly supports the second rail, is attached to a supporting structure in the vehicle's underfloor area. This allows the mounting device to be pulled out of the vehicle's underfloor area like a drawer and pushed back in. The stop device, in conjunction with a first rail stop, serves to limit any displacement of the rails relative to each other in the extension direction.