JP2008044424A - Secondary battery cooling structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cool a secondary battery while attaining space-saving in a hybrid vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The secondary battery cooling structure has the secondary battery 12 storing a plurality of battery cells in a battery case; a vehicle seat 14 in which an occupant is sittable and capable of blowing air to the occupant; and a blast means 16 capable of feeding air to the secondary battery 12 and the vehicle seat 14 respectively. Cooling of the secondary battery 12 can be performed by feeding air to the secondary battery 12 by the blast means 16, and comfortability of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat 14 can be enhanced by feeding the air to the vehicle seat 14. Since the blast means 16 is commonly used, cooling of the secondary battery 12 can be performed while attaining space-saving in the hybrid vehicle having the secondary battery 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a secondary battery cooling structure for a hybrid vehicle.

A battery cooling structure in which a cooling fan is connected to a front wall of a battery case via an air introduction duct in order to cool a secondary battery whose temperature rises during charging (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-105894 A JP 2001-354039 A JP 2003-336600 A JP 11-48772 A

  However, if a dedicated fan for cooling the battery is provided as in the above-described conventional example, a limited space of the vehicle compartment is consumed by the cooling fan for the battery, and a space for disposing other parts. Will be sacrificed.

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to cool a secondary battery while saving space in a hybrid vehicle.

  The invention of claim 1 includes a secondary battery in which a plurality of battery cells are housed in a battery case, a vehicle seat configured to be seated by an occupant and capable of blowing air to the occupant, the secondary battery, and And an air blowing means capable of supplying air to each of the vehicle seats.

  In the secondary battery cooling structure according to claim 1, air blowing means for supplying air to the secondary battery and the vehicle seat is shared, and the secondary battery is supplied with the air by supplying air to the secondary battery. While cooling can be performed, the comfort of the passenger | crew seated in this vehicle seat can be improved by supplying air to the vehicle seat. Since the air blowing means is shared, in the hybrid vehicle having the secondary battery, it is possible to cool the secondary battery while saving space.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the secondary battery cooling structure according to the first aspect, the air blowing means includes a valve mechanism capable of controlling supply of air to the secondary battery and supply of air to the vehicle seat. It is characterized by having.

  In the secondary battery cooling structure according to claim 2, since the air blowing means has a valve mechanism capable of controlling supply of air to the secondary battery and supply of air to the vehicle seat, respectively, the secondary battery and The supply of air to the vehicle seat can be independently controlled. For this reason, it is possible to always cool a secondary battery appropriately, without depending on the presence or absence of the ventilation with respect to a vehicle seat.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the secondary battery cooling structure according to the first or second aspect, as the air blowing means, a blower disposed at a lower portion of the vehicle seat, the blower, and the second It has the 1st communicating path which connects a secondary battery, and the 2nd communicating path which connects the said air blower and the said vehicle seat.

  In the secondary battery cooling structure according to claim 3, as a blowing unit, a blower disposed below a vehicle seat, a first communication path connecting the blower and the secondary battery, and a blower And a second communication passage that connects the vehicle seat and cooling the secondary battery and blowing air to the vehicle seat while sharing a blower disposed at the bottom of the vehicle seat it can. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange the blower for cooling the secondary battery and the blower for the vehicle seat in a double manner, and space for the vehicle compartment can be saved when installing the blowing means. The cabin space can be used effectively for installation of other parts.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the secondary battery cooling structure according to the third aspect, the secondary battery is disposed in a lower portion of a center console of a vehicle.

  In the secondary battery cooling structure according to claim 4, since the secondary battery is disposed at the lower part of the center console of the vehicle, the space under the center console can be effectively used, and from the blower to the secondary battery. The first communication path can be shortened. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently cool the secondary battery while effectively utilizing the passenger compartment space.

  As described above, according to the secondary battery cooling structure according to claim 1 of the present invention, in the hybrid vehicle, it is possible to cool the secondary battery while saving space. Is obtained.

  According to the secondary battery cooling structure of the second aspect, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that the secondary battery can always be appropriately cooled without depending on the presence or absence of air blowing to the vehicle seat.

  According to the secondary battery cooling structure of the third aspect, the space of the vehicle compartment can be saved when installing the air blowing means, and the limited vehicle compartment space is effectively utilized for the installation of other parts. The excellent effect of being able to be obtained is obtained.

  According to the secondary battery cooling structure of the fourth aspect, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that the secondary battery can be efficiently cooled while effectively utilizing the passenger compartment space.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a secondary battery cooling structure S according to the present embodiment relates to a cooling structure for a secondary battery mounted on a hybrid vehicle, for example, and a plurality of battery cells (not shown) are connected to a battery case 10 (FIG. 3). ) Has a secondary battery 12, a vehicle seat 14, and an air blowing means 16.

  The secondary battery 12 is disposed on a floor panel 22 positioned below the center console 18 of the vehicle, that is, between the left and right vehicle seats 14, for example. The secondary battery 12 is covered with a ventilation duct 20 connected to the blowing means 16 and fixed to the floor panel 22.

  The vehicle seat 14 is a seat with a so-called air conditioning function that includes a seat cushion 28 and a seat back 30 so that an occupant (not shown) can be seated and can blow air to the occupant. On the surface of the seat back 30, a large number of air ejection ports 32 for ejecting the air supplied from the blowing means 16 are provided. The vehicle seat 14 is disposed at a position higher than the floor panel 22 by one floor using, for example, a floor cross member 24. A seat slide mechanism (not shown) is fixed to the floor cross member 24, and a leg portion 26 of the vehicle seat 14 is attached to the seat slide mechanism. An air outlet similar to the seat back 30 may be provided on the surface of the seat cushion 28.

  The air blowing means 16 is configured to be able to supply air to the secondary battery 12 and the vehicle seat 14, and specifically, a blower 34 disposed at a lower portion of the vehicle seat 14, A first communication path 41 that connects the secondary battery 12, a second communication path 42 that connects the blower 34 and the vehicle seat 14, and a valve mechanism 36 are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the blower 34 is a fan disposed at the lower part of the left and right vehicle seats 14, and is configured so that its operation and stop can be independently controlled. Yes. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the blower 34 has an impeller 46 in a casing 38 having two discharge ports 38A and 38B. The impeller 46 is rotationally driven about a shaft 44 by a motor or the like (not shown), and thereby an air flow can be generated in the casing 38.

  In the blower 34, a valve mechanism 36 that can control the supply of air to the secondary battery 12 and the supply of air to the vehicle seat 14 is provided as a part of the blowing unit 16. The valve mechanism 36 includes, for example, a first valve 51 disposed on the discharge port 38A side in the casing 38, a second valve 52 disposed on the discharge port 38B side, and the first valve 51 and the second valve. And an actuator (not shown) capable of operating each of 52 independently. The first valve 51 and the second valve 52 are configured as rotary doors that are driven by an actuator and are movable along the inner wall of the casing 38, so that the discharge ports 38A and 38B can be opened and closed independently.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram in which the size of the blower 34 is greatly exaggerated as compared with the secondary battery 12 and the vehicle seat 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the actual blower 34 is shown in FIG. Is determined in consideration of the space below the vehicle seat 14. Moreover, in FIG. 3, the structure of the air blower 34 is typically shown for simplicity, and the structure of the air blower 34 is not limited to this. Further, the arrangement of the valve mechanism 36 is not limited to the inside of the blower 34, and may be provided in the first communication path 41 or the second communication path 42, for example.

  1 and 2, the first communication path 41 is a duct that connects the blower 34 and the secondary battery 12, and the second communication path 42 is a duct that connects the blower 34 and the vehicle seat 14. It is. A total of two first communication passages 41 are connected to the secondary battery 12, one by one from each of the two blowers 34 disposed at the lower part of the left and right vehicle seats 14. . Specifically, the first communication passage 41 is connected to the ventilation duct 20 that covers the secondary battery 12 in order to supply air to the secondary battery 12. An exhaust port (not shown) for releasing the air used for cooling the secondary battery 12 to the outside of the vehicle is provided, for example, behind the ventilation duct 20 in the vehicle.

(Function)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. In FIG. 3, in the secondary battery cooling structure S, the air blowing means 16 for supplying air to the secondary battery 12 and the vehicle seat 14 is shared, and the secondary battery 12 supplies the air by supplying the air. The secondary battery 12 can be cooled and the comfort of an occupant (not shown) seated on the vehicle seat 14 can be improved by supplying air to the vehicle seat 14. By sharing the blowing means, in the hybrid vehicle having the secondary battery 12, it is possible to cool the secondary battery 12 while saving space.

  First, in FIG. 3, a state in which neither the air conditioning function of the vehicle seat 14 nor the cooling of the secondary battery 12 is performed and the operation of the secondary battery cooling structure S is stopped will be described. In this state, the blower 34 in the blowing means 16 is stopped, the first valve 51 closes the discharge port 38A, and the second valve 52 closes the discharge port 38B. When the secondary battery 12 is in a state of generating heat, for example, in a charged state and the air conditioning function of the vehicle seat 14 is not used, the operation of the secondary battery cooling structure S is stopped in this way.

  Next, in FIG. 4, a state where the air conditioning function of the vehicle seat 14 is not used and only the secondary battery 12 is cooled will be described. In this state, the blower 34 in the blowing means 16 is operated, the second valve 52 in the valve mechanism 36 closes the discharge port 38B, and the first valve 51 opens the discharge port 38A. Air is discharged only in the direction of the arrow A. 1 and 2, the air discharged from the discharge port 38 </ b> A is supplied into the ventilation duct 20 through the first communication path 41, and cools the secondary battery 12 in the ventilation duct 20. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the secondary battery 12 that generates heat during charging. The air used for cooling the secondary battery 12 is discharged from the exhaust port of the ventilation duct 20 to the outside of the vehicle.

  The amount of cooling air supplied from the blower 34 to the secondary battery 12 can be freely controlled according to the state of charge of the secondary battery 12 and the degree of heat generation. For example, when the degree of heat generation of the secondary battery 12 is small, air is supplied from one blower 34, and when the degree of heat generation of the secondary battery 12 is large, air is supplied from the left and right blowers 34. It is possible to perform efficient cooling. Moreover, you may make it respond | correspond to the heat generation degree of the secondary battery 12 by adjusting the supply_amount | feed_rate of the air from each air blower 34, respectively.

  Next, in FIG. 5, a state where the secondary battery 12 is not cooled and only the air conditioning function of the vehicle seat 14 is used will be described. In this state, the blower 34 corresponding to each vehicle seat 14, that is, the blower 34 disposed under the vehicle seat 14 in which the air conditioning function is used is operating. When the air conditioning function is used in both the vehicle seats 14, the left and right blowers 34 operate together. At this time, since the first valve 51 in the valve mechanism 36 closes the discharge port 38A and the second valve 52 opens the discharge port 38B, air is discharged only from the discharge port 38B in the arrow B direction.

  1 and 2, the air discharged from the discharge port 38B is supplied to the vehicle seat 14 through the second communication passage 42, and is occupant (not shown), for example, from an air outlet 32 provided on the surface of the seat back 30. ). Thereby, it is possible to mainly give a cool feeling to the occupant and improve the comfort of the occupant. The amount of air supplied from the blower 34 to the vehicle seat 14 is automatically adjusted, for example, while detecting the degree of sweating of the occupant by a sensor. Of course, the passenger may be able to adjust the air volume appropriately.

  In FIG. 6, a state in which the secondary battery 12 is cooled and the air conditioning function of the vehicle seat 14 is used will be described. In this state, each blower 34 in the blowing means 16 is operated according to the use state of the air conditioning function of the vehicle seat 14, and the first valve 51 and the second valve 52 in the valve mechanism 36 open the discharge ports 38 </ b> A and 38 </ b> B. Since they are open, air is discharged from the discharge port 38A in the direction of arrow A, and air is discharged from the discharge port 38B in the direction of arrow B.

  1 and 2, the air discharged from the discharge port 38 </ b> A is supplied into the ventilation duct 20 through the first communication path 41, and cools the secondary battery 12 in the ventilation duct 20. The air discharged from the discharge port 38B is supplied to the vehicle seat 14 through the second communication passage 42 and blown toward the passenger from the air outlet 32 of the seat back 30. In other words, in the state shown in FIG. 6, the secondary battery 12 can be cooled and the vehicle seat 14 can be simultaneously blown while sharing the blower 34 disposed below the vehicle seat 14. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange the blower for cooling the secondary battery and the blower for the vehicle seat in a double manner, and space for the vehicle compartment can be saved when the blower means 16 is installed. The vehicle compartment space can be used effectively for installation of other parts (not shown). In addition, this makes it possible to reduce the weight and cost of the vehicle.

  In the secondary battery cooling structure S, the air blowing means 16 has the valve mechanisms 36 that can control the supply of air to the secondary battery 12 and the supply of air to the vehicle seat 14, respectively. The supply of air to the vehicle seat 14 can be independently controlled. For this reason, it is possible to always cool the secondary battery 12 appropriately without depending on the presence or absence of the ventilation with respect to the vehicle seat 14.

  Further, in the secondary battery cooling structure S, since the secondary battery 12 is disposed below the center console 18 of the vehicle, the space under the center console can be effectively utilized, and the blower 34 to the secondary battery 12 can be used. The first communication passage 41 can be shortened. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently cool the secondary battery 12 while effectively utilizing the passenger compartment space.

  The secondary battery cooling structure S includes the blower 34, the first communication path 41, the second communication path 42, and the valve mechanism 36 as the blower unit 16. The configuration is not limited to the above, and any configuration may be used as long as it can be shared as a means for supplying air to the secondary battery 12 and the vehicle seat 14.

  Further, the arrangement of the secondary battery 12 is not limited to the lower part of the center console 18 and may be another part.

It is a front view which shows a secondary battery cooling structure. It is a top view which shows a secondary battery cooling structure. In the secondary battery cooling structure, a front view of the secondary battery and the vehicle seat schematically showing a state where the secondary battery is not cooled and the air conditioning function of the vehicle seat is not used, and a cross-sectional view of the blower It is. FIG. 2 is a front view of a secondary battery and a vehicle seat schematically showing a state where only the secondary battery is cooled, and a cross-sectional view of a blower. It is the front view of the secondary battery and vehicle seat which show the state where only the air-conditioning function of the vehicle seat is used, and the sectional view of an air blower. FIG. 2 is a front view of the secondary battery and the vehicle seat schematically illustrating a state where the cooling of the secondary battery is performed and the air conditioning function of the vehicle seat is used, and a cross-sectional view of the blower.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Battery case 12 Secondary battery 14 Vehicle seat 16 Blower means 18 Center console 34 Blower 36 Valve mechanism 41 1st communication path 42 2nd communication path S Secondary battery cooling structure

Claims (4)

A secondary battery in which a plurality of battery cells are housed in a battery case;
A vehicle seat configured to be seated by an occupant and capable of blowing air to the occupant;
Blower means capable of supplying air to the secondary battery and the vehicle seat, respectively.
A secondary battery cooling structure comprising:   2. The secondary battery cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing unit includes a valve mechanism capable of controlling air supply to the secondary battery and air supply to the vehicle seat. . As the blowing means,
A blower disposed in a lower portion of the vehicle seat;
A first communication path connecting the blower and the secondary battery;
A second communication path connecting the blower and the vehicle seat;
The secondary battery cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery cooling structure is provided.   The secondary battery cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein the secondary battery is disposed at a lower portion of a center console of a vehicle.

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