JP2021005582A - Heat dissipation structure and battery including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide: a heat dissipation structure which can conform to various shapes of heat sources and has excellent heat dissipation efficiency; and a battery including the heat dissipation structure.SOLUTION: The present invention pertains to a heat dissipation structure 1 and a battery 30 including the same. The heat dissipation structure includes one or two or more heat dissipation members 8 for enhancing heat dissipation from a heat source. The heat dissipation member 8 includes a cushion member 21 and a heat conductive sheet 20. The cushion member 21 is capable of being more easily deformed to conform to the surface shape of the heat source than the heat conductive sheet 20, and has a shape where concave inner surfaces 27, 28 of respective two boat members 22, 23 long in one direction are arranged to face each other. The heat conductive sheet 20 covers the outside of the cushion member 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a heat dissipation structure and a battery including the heat radiating structure.

Control systems for automobiles, aircraft, ships, and household or commercial electronic devices are becoming more accurate and complex, and the density of small electronic components on circuit boards is increasing. .. As a result, it is strongly desired to solve the failure and shortening of the life of electronic components due to heat generation around the circuit board.

In order to realize quick heat dissipation from the circuit board, conventionally, the circuit board itself is made of a material having excellent heat dissipation, a heat sink is attached, or a cooling fan is driven by a single means or a combination of multiple means. It is done. Of these, a method in which the circuit board itself is made of a material having excellent heat dissipation, for example, diamond, aluminum nitride (AlN), cubic boron nitride (cBN), etc., makes the cost of the circuit board extremely high. In addition, the arrangement of the cooling fan causes problems such as failure of the rotating device called the fan, maintenance necessity for preventing the failure, and difficulty in securing the installation space. On the other hand, the heat radiating fin is a simple one that can increase the surface area and further improve the heat radiating property by forming a large number of columnar or flat plate-shaped projecting portions using a metal having high thermal conductivity (for example, aluminum). Since it is a member, it is widely used as a heat-dissipating component (see Patent Document 1).

By the way, at present, there are active movements around the world to gradually convert conventional gasoline-powered vehicles or diesel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles for the purpose of reducing the burden on the global environment. In particular, electric vehicles are becoming widespread in China as well as in European countries such as France, the Netherlands, and Germany. In order to popularize electric vehicles, it is necessary to develop high-performance batteries and install a large number of charging stations. In particular, it is important to develop technology to enhance the charge / discharge function of lithium-based automobile batteries. It is well known that the above-mentioned automobile battery cannot fully exert its charge / discharge function at a high temperature of 60 degrees Celsius or higher. In addition, the battery cell may become overheated when the battery is charged, shortening its life. For this reason, it is important to improve the heat dissipation of the battery as well as the circuit board described above.

To realize quick heat dissipation of the battery, place the water cooling pipe in a metal housing with excellent thermal conductivity such as aluminum, place a large number of battery cells in the housing, and place the battery cell and the bottom of the housing. A structure in which an adhesive rubber sheet is sandwiched between the two is adopted. In a battery having such a structure, the battery cell transfers heat to the housing through a rubber sheet and is effectively removed by water cooling.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-24399

However, in the conventional battery as described above, since the rubber sheet has lower thermal conductivity than aluminum or graphite, it is difficult to efficiently transfer heat from the battery cell to the housing. A method of sandwiching a spacer such as graphite instead of the rubber sheet is also conceivable, but since the lower surfaces of the plurality of battery cells are not flat and have steps, a gap is generated between the battery cells and the spacer, and the heat transfer efficiency is improved. descend. As seen in such an example, since the battery cell can take various forms (including unevenness such as a step or a non-smooth surface state), it can be adapted to various forms of the battery cell and has high heat transfer efficiency. There is a growing demand for realization. The above requirements also apply to heat dissipation from not only battery cells but also other heat sources such as circuit boards, electronic components or electronic device bodies.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat radiating structure which is adaptable to various forms of a heat source and has excellent heat radiating efficiency, and a battery provided with the heat radiating structure. To do.

(1) The heat radiating structure according to the embodiment for achieving the above object is a heat radiating structure including one or more heat radiating members that enhance heat radiating from a heat source, and the heat radiating member is a cushion member. The cushion member is more easily deformed according to the surface shape of the heat source than the heat conductive sheet, and faces each concave inner surface of two long boat members in one direction. It has an arranged form, and the heat conductive sheet covers the outside of the cushion member.
(2) In the heat dissipation structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the two boat members include a first boat member and a second boat member, and the first boat member is the second boat member. It is united so as to cover a part of the outer side surface.
(3) In the heat radiating structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the heat conductive sheet covers the outside of the cushion member while spirally advancing in the length direction of the cushion member.
(4) The heat radiating structure according to another embodiment is preferably a member provided with two or more heat radiating members, and the heat radiating members can be fixed in a state of being arranged in a direction orthogonal to the length direction thereof. Further, a fixing member for fixing at least one end of the heat radiating member in the length direction is further provided.
(5) In the heat radiating structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the fixing member is formed so as to surround two or more heat radiating members arranged in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the heat radiating member.
(6) The heat radiating structure according to another embodiment preferably includes two or more heat radiating members and connects the two or more heat radiating members in a direction orthogonal to the length direction. The connecting member is made of a thread.
(7) The heat radiating structure according to another embodiment preferably has a heat conductive oil on the surface of the heat conductive sheet for increasing the heat conductivity from the heat source in contact with the surface to the surface.
(8) In the heat radiating structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the heat conductive oil has a higher thermal conductivity than the silicone oil and the silicone oil, and is composed of one or more of metal, ceramics or carbon. Includes with sex filler.
(9) The battery according to the embodiment for achieving the above object is a battery having one or more battery cells as heat sources in a housing having a structure for flowing a cooling member, and the battery cells. Any of the above-mentioned heat dissipation structures is provided between the housing and the housing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat radiating structure that is adaptable to various forms of a heat source and has excellent heat radiating efficiency, and a battery including the heat radiating structure.

FIG. 1 is a side view (1B) and (1A) of the heat radiating structure shown in the plan view (1A) and (1A) of the heat radiating structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the direction of arrow C. Side views (1C) of the structure viewed from the direction of arrow D are shown. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the region B in FIG. 1 (1A), and shows a cross-sectional view before and after being pressed from above the heat radiating member. FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the heat radiating structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a diagram for explaining a part of a method of manufacturing a heat radiating structure. FIG. 5 shows a vertical cross-sectional view (5A) of the battery according to the embodiment of the present invention and a vertical cross-sectional view (5B) before and after mounting a part of the battery cell which is an example of the heat source on the heat radiating structure. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view when the battery cell is laid horizontally so as to be in contact with the side surface of the battery cell on the heat radiating structure, a partially enlarged view thereof, and a partial cross-sectional view when the battery cell expands during charging and discharging. Each is shown. FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a part of the heat radiating member according to various modified examples.

Next, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described below does not limit the invention according to the claims, and all of the elements and combinations thereof described in each embodiment are the means for solving the present invention. Is not always required.

1. 1. Heat dissipation structure and its manufacturing method (first embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a side view (1B) and (1A) of the heat radiating structure shown in the plan view (1A) and (1A) of the heat radiating structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the direction of arrow C. Side views (1C) of the structure viewed from the direction of arrow D are shown. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the region B in FIG. 1 (1A), and shows a cross-sectional view before and after being pressed from above the heat radiating member.

(1) Schematic Configuration The heat dissipation structure 1 according to the first embodiment includes two or more heat dissipation members 8 that enhance heat dissipation from a heat source. Only one heat radiating member 8 may be used. The heat radiating member 8 includes a cushion member 21 and a heat conductive sheet 20. The cushion member 21 is more easily deformed according to the surface shape of the heat source than the heat conductive sheet 20. The cushion member 21 has a form in which the concave inner surfaces 27 and 28 of the two boat members 22 and 23 that are long in one direction are arranged to face each other. The heat conductive sheet 20 covers the outside of the cushion member 21. The heat radiating member 8 may be referred to as a "heat transfer member".

The heat radiating structure 1 is a member capable of fixing two or more heat radiating members 8 in a direction orthogonal to the length direction (also referred to as a side by side), and both ends of the heat radiating member 8 in the length direction. A frame member (an example of a fixing member) 10 for fixing the portion is further provided. The frame member 10 is a member that surrounds a substantially outer circumference of an aggregate in which two or more heat radiating members 8 are arranged side by side. However, the frame member 10 may be a member that fixes at least one end of two or more heat radiating members 8 in the length direction. In this embodiment, the frame member 10 is provided with an opening 11 penetrating in the thickness direction of the frame member 10 inside a thin plate or film-like frame. The heat radiating member 8 is fixed to one side of the frame member 10 in a state of floating above the opening 11. The frame member 10 is preferably formed so that its thickness is thinner than the thickness of the heat radiating member 8 deformed by pressing from a heat source. Therefore, when the heat radiating member 8 is pressed toward the opening 11 by a heat source from the direction opposite to the opening 11, the heat radiating member 8 sinks a part of the thickness direction (Z direction) into the opening 11. Can be bent like this. The gap L between the heat radiating members 8 is flattened until the diameter D of the heat radiating member 8 becomes 80% by pressing from above the heat radiating member 8 (that is, above the surface of the frame member 10 fixing the heat radiating member 8). The distance is such that the heat radiating members 8 do not come into contact with each other even in the state. However, if the gap L between the heat radiating members 8 is made excessively large, a large amount of air as an insulator may be present, which may hinder heat transfer from the heat source to the cooling portion. Therefore, it is preferable to set the gap L to the shortest distance at which the heat radiating members 8 do not come into contact with each other even if the heat radiating members 8 are flattened until the diameter D becomes 80%.

The heat radiating structure 1 includes a thread 7 (an example of a connecting member) that connects a plurality of heat radiating members 8 in a state of being arranged in a direction orthogonal to the length direction thereof. In this embodiment, the thread 7 as the connecting member has the heat radiating member 8 in a state where both ends in the length direction of the heat radiating member 8 are placed on both opposite sides (both sides in the Y direction of FIG. 1) of the frame member 10. Is fixed to the frame member 10. Further, the thread 7 connects a plurality of heat radiating members 8 at substantially intermediate positions in the length direction of the heat radiating member 8 and faces both sides located on the extension lines of the heat radiating members 8 (both sides in the X direction in FIG. 1). Fix to.

Next, each component of the heat dissipation structure 1 will be described.

(2) Heat Conductive Sheet In this embodiment, the heat conductive sheet 20 is a strip-shaped sheet having a width shorter than the length of the cushion member 21. The heat conductive sheet 20 preferably covers the outside of the cushion member 21 while spirally advancing in the length direction of the cushion member 21. The "outside" corresponds to the outer surface of the tubular member when the cushion member 21 is regarded as one tubular member.

The heat conductive sheet 20 is preferably a sheet containing carbon, and more preferably 90% by mass or more of carbon. For example, a graphite film formed by firing a resin can be used for the heat conductive sheet 20. However, the heat conductive sheet 20 may be a sheet containing carbon and resin. In that case, the resin may be a synthetic fiber, and in that case, an aramid fiber can be preferably used as the resin. The term "carbon" as used in the present application is broadly defined to include any structure composed of carbon (element symbol: C) such as graphite, carbon black having lower crystallinity than graphite, diamond, and diamond-like carbon having a structure similar to diamond. Is interpreted as. In this embodiment, the heat conductive sheet 20 can be a thin sheet obtained by curing a material obtained by blending and dispersing graphite fibers and carbon particles in a resin. The heat conductive sheet 20 may be carbon fibers knitted in a mesh shape, and may be blended or knitted. In addition, various fillers such as graphite fibers, carbon particles and carbon fibers are all included in the concept of carbon fillers.

When the heat conductive sheet 20 is a sheet containing carbon and a resin, the resin may exceed 50% by mass or 50% by mass or less with respect to the total mass of the heat conductive sheet 20. .. That is, the heat conductive sheet 20 may or may not use resin as the main material as long as there is no major problem in heat conduction. As the resin, for example, a thermoplastic resin can be preferably used. As the thermoplastic resin, a resin having a high melting point that does not melt when conducting heat from a heat source is preferable, and for example, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyamideimide (PAI), and aroma. Group polyamide (aramid fiber) and the like can be preferably mentioned. The resin is dispersed in the gaps between the carbon fillers in the form of particles or fibers in the state before molding of the heat conductive sheet 20. In addition to the carbon filler and the resin, the heat conductive sheet 20 may be dispersed with AlN or diamond as a filler for further enhancing the heat conduction. Further, instead of the resin, an elastomer softer than the resin may be used. The thermal conductivity sheet 20 can also be a sheet containing metals and / or ceramics in place of or with carbon as described above. As the metal, those having relatively high thermal conductivity such as aluminum, copper, and alloys containing at least one of them can be selected. Further, as the ceramics, ceramics having relatively high thermal conductivity such as Al ₂ O ₃ , AlN, cBN, and hBN can be selected.

It does not matter whether the heat conductive sheet 20 is excellent in conductivity or not. The thermal conductivity of the heat conductive sheet 20 is preferably 10 W / mK or more. In this embodiment, the heat conductive sheet 20 is preferably a strip of graphite and is made of a material having excellent heat conductivity and conductivity. The heat conductive sheet 20 is preferably a sheet having excellent curvature (or flexibility), and the thickness thereof is not limited, but 0.02 to 3 mm is preferable, and 0.03 to 0.5 mm is more preferable. However, since the thermal conductivity of the heat conductive sheet 20 decreases as the thickness increases, it is necessary to determine the thickness by comprehensively considering the strength, flexibility and heat conductivity of the sheet. preferable.

(3) Cushion member The important functions of the cushion member 21 are deformability and resilience. The resilience depends on the elastic deformability of the cushion member 21. Deformability is a characteristic required to follow the shape of the heat source, especially in the case of a battery cell that contains semi-solid materials such as lithium-ion batteries and contents that also have liquid properties in a easily deformable package. In many cases, the design dimensions are irregular or the dimensional accuracy cannot be improved. Therefore, it is important to maintain the deformability of the cushion member 21 and the resilience for maintaining the following force.

In this embodiment, the cushion member 21 is provided in the cylinder of the heat conductive sheet 20 wound in a spiral shape. In this embodiment, the two boat members 22 and 23 constituting the cushion member 21 are the first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23. The first boat member 22 is a boat (or boat) -shaped member in which a substantially semi-cylindrical long plane is recessed inward. The second boat member 23 has the same shape as the first boat member 22, but has a smaller opening area than the first boat member 22. The first boat member 22 is united so as to cover a part of the outer surface of the second boat member 23 to form the cushion member 21. The gangway 24 formed in the length direction of the cushion member 21 is a long space formed by the meshing structure of the first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23.

The cushion member 21 has a function of improving the contact between the heat conductive sheet 20 and the heat source even when the heat source in contact with the heat radiating member 8 is not flat. Further, the gangway 24 facilitates the deformation of the cushion member 21, and in addition contributes to the weight reduction of the heat radiating structure 1. The cushion member 21 also has a function as a protective member for preventing the heat conductive sheet 20 from being damaged by a load applied to the heat conductive sheet 20 from a heat source or the like. The cushion member 21 is more easily elastically deformed than the heat conductive sheet 20, and is less likely to crack or crack due to deformation due to pressing from a heat source or the like and its release. Therefore, the cushion member 21 can suppress the situation where the heat conductive sheet 20 is cracked. In this embodiment, the cushion member 21 is a member having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat conductive sheet 20.

The first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23 are not fixed by coupling, bonding, or other fixing means in the region 25 in contact with each other. The region 25 is a portion where the first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23 overlap. The region 25 has a sufficient length so that the overlap between the first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23 can be maintained even when the heat radiating member 8 is flattened. By engaging the first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23 so as to include such a region 25, the cushion member 21 is integrally formed in a tubular shape when the heat radiating member 8 is crushed into a flat shape. Compared to the cushion member, stress can be released in the region 25. As a result, the cushion member 21 is easily deformed according to the form of the heat source that comes into contact with the heat conductive sheet 20, and damage or destruction of the cushion member 21 itself can be reduced. On the other hand, the first boat member 22 and / or the second boat member 23 is preferably fixed, partially or entirely, by bonding, bonding, or other fixing means in the region of contact with the heat conductive sheet 20. .. However, the first boat member 22 and / or the second boat member 23 may not be fixed at all in the region in contact with the heat conductive sheet 20.

The cushion member 21 is preferably a thermosetting elastomer such as silicone rubber, urethane rubber, isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, natural rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, nitrile rubber (NBR) or styrene butadiene rubber (SBR); urethane-based , Ester-based, styrene-based, olefin-based, butadiene-based, fluorine-based and other thermoplastic elastomers, or composites thereof and the like. The cushion member 21 is preferably made of a material having high heat resistance that can maintain its shape without being melted or decomposed by the heat transmitted through the heat conductive sheet 20. In this embodiment, the cushion member 21 is more preferably made of a urethane-based elastomer impregnated with silicone or silicone rubber. The cushion member 21 may be configured by dispersing fillers typified by Al ₂ O ₃ , AlN, cBN, hBN, diamond particles, etc. in rubber in order to increase its thermal conductivity as much as possible. The cushion member 21 may contain air bubbles or may not contain air bubbles. Further, the "cushion member" means a member that is highly flexible and can be elastically deformed so as to be in close contact with the surface of a heat source, and in this sense, it can be read as a "rubber-like elastic body". Further, as a modification of the cushion member 21, a metal may be used instead of the rubber-like elastic body. The cushion member 21 can also be made of a sponge or a solid (a non-porous structure such as a sponge) formed of resin, rubber, or the like.

(4) Connecting member The thread 7 which is an example of the connecting member is a member which connects two or more heat radiating members 8 and regulates the free movement of the heat radiating member 8. The yarn 7 is preferably a yarn that can withstand a high temperature of about 120 ° C., and is preferably composed of a twisted yarn made of fibers such as natural fibers, synthetic fibers, carbon fibers, and metal fibers. It is preferable that the thread 7 has flexibility or a spatial region of a ring that allows the heat radiating member 8 to have a flat shape due to the load of a heat source or the like. In this embodiment, the two or more heat radiating members 8 are sewn and connected so as to reach the through-passage 24 of the heat radiating member 8. To sew and connect the heat radiating member 8 with the thread 7, it may be sewn by hand or by using a sewing machine. The sewing method of the thread 7 is not particularly limited, and any sewing method such as hand sewing, lock stitching, zigzag stitching, single chain stitching, double chain stitching, overlock stitching, flat stitching, safety stitching, and overlock sewing may be used. Further, according to the display symbols specified by JIS L 0120, as suitable sewing methods, "101", "209", "301", "304", "401", "406", "407", "410" , "501", "502", "503", "504", "505", "509", "512", "514", "602" and "605". It can be illustrated. Further, a plurality of rings may be formed in the length direction of the thread 7, and the heat radiating members 8 may be connected to each other by passing the heat radiating member 8 through the rings. The heat radiating members 8 may be connected to each other by using a connecting member other than the thread 7, or the heat radiating member 8 may be fixed to a fixing member such as a frame member 10. Examples of the connecting member other than the thread 7 include those having a plurality of protruding portions arranged along the length direction of one long member. The heat radiating member 8 can be connected by a connecting member by inserting a protrusion into the gangway 24.

(5) Thermally Conductive Oil The thermally conductive oil preferably contains a silicone oil and a thermally conductive filler having a higher thermal conductivity than the silicone oil and consisting of one or more of metal, ceramics or carbon. The heat conductive sheet 20 has a gap (hole or recess) microscopically. Normally, air is present in the gap, which may adversely affect the thermal conductivity. The heat conductive oil fills the gap and exists in place of air, and has a function of improving the heat conductivity of the heat conductive sheet 20.

The heat conductive oil is provided on the surface of the heat conductive sheet 20, at least the surface where the heat source or the like and the heat conductive sheet 20 come into contact with each other. In the present application, the "oil" of the thermally conductive oil refers to a combustible substance that is liquid or semi-solid at room temperature (any temperature in the range of 20 to 25 ° C.) that is water-insoluble. Instead of the word "oil", "grease" or "wax" can also be used. The heat conductive oil is an oil having a property that does not interfere with heat conduction when heat is transferred from the heat source to the heat conductive sheet 20. As the heat conductive oil, a hydrocarbon-based oil or a silicone oil can be used. The thermally conductive oil preferably contains a silicone oil and a thermally conductive filler having a higher thermal conductivity than the silicone oil and consisting of one or more of metal, ceramics or carbon.

Silicone oils preferably consist of molecules with a linear structure having a siloxane bond of 2000 or less. Silicone oil is roughly classified into straight silicone oil and modified silicone oil. Examples of the straight silicone oil include dimethyl silicone oil, methyl phenyl silicone oil, and methyl hydrogen silicone oil. Examples of the modified silicone oil include reactive silicone oil and non-reactive silicone oil. Reactive silicone oils include, for example, various silicone oils such as amino-modified type, epoxy-modified type, carboxy-modified type, carbinol-modified type, methacryl-modified type, mercapto-modified type, and phenol-modified type. The non-reactive silicone oil includes various silicone oils such as a polyether-modified type, a methylstyryl-modified type, an alkyl-modified type, a higher fatty acid ester-modified type, a hydrophilic special-modified type, a higher fatty acid-containing type, and a fluorine-modified type.

Since silicone oil is an oil having excellent heat resistance, cold resistance, viscosity stability, and thermal conductivity, it is applied to the surface of the heat conductive sheet 20 to intervene between the heat source and the heat conductive sheet 20. It is particularly suitable as a conductive oil. The thermally conductive oil preferably contains, in addition to the oil, a thermally conductive filler composed of one or more of metal, ceramics or carbon. Examples of the metal include gold, silver, copper, aluminum, beryllium, and tungsten. Examples of ceramics include alumina, aluminum nitride, cubic boron nitride, and hexagonal boron nitride. Examples of carbon include diamond, graphite, diamond-like carbon, amorphous carbon, and carbon nanotubes.

The heat conductive oil is preferably interposed between the heat source and the heat conductive sheet 20 as well as between the heat conductive sheet 20 and the cooling portion. The heat conductive oil may be applied to the entire surface of the heat conductive sheet 20 or may be applied to a part of the heat conductive sheet 20. The method for allowing the heat conductive oil to exist in the heat conductive sheet 20 is not particularly limited, and includes spraying with a spray, coating with a brush, and immersing the heat conductive sheet 20 in the heat conductive oil. Any method may be used. The heat conductive oil is not an essential configuration for the heat radiating structure 1, but an additional configuration that can be suitably provided. This also applies to the second and subsequent embodiments.

(6) Fixing member The material of the fixing member represented by the frame member 10 is not particularly limited, and for example, a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, a photocurable resin or an electron beam curable resin is preferably used. Can be done. The fixing member is used for fixing a plurality of heat radiating members 8, and has a function of facilitating the arrangement of the heat radiating structure 1 between the heat source and the cooling member or the cooling portion close to the cooling member.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the heat dissipation structure according to the second embodiment will be described. The same reference numerals are given to the parts common to the first embodiment, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the heat radiating structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The heat radiating structure 1a according to the second embodiment includes two or more heat radiating members 8 like the heat radiating structure 1 described above. The main portion of the heat radiating structure 1a different from the heat radiating structure 1 is the form of the fixing member. The fixing member of the heat radiating structure 1a is two bars 10a for fixing both ends of the heat radiating member 8 in the length direction. Both ends of the heat radiating member 8 are fixed to the bar 10a by using the thread 7. Unlike the heat radiating structure 1, the thread 7 is not used for fixing the substantially intermediate portion of the heat radiating member 8 in the length direction.

Next, a method for manufacturing the heat radiating structure according to each of the above embodiments of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram for explaining a part of a method of manufacturing a heat radiating structure. In FIG. 4, it is drawn shorter than the actual length of the heat radiating member.

First, the hollow cushion member 21 is formed by engaging the second boat member 23 so as to insert a part of the second boat member 23 on the opening side inside the opening of the first boat member 22. The first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23 may be in a non-fixed state or in a temporarily fixed state using an adhesive, an adhesive or the like. Next, the heat conductive sheet 20 is spirally wound around the outside of the cushion member 21. At this time, it is preferable to apply an uncured adhesive to at least one surface of the outer surface of the cushion member 21 and the inner surface of the heat conductive sheet 20.

As another manufacturing method that does not use an uncured adhesive when winding the heat conductive sheet 20 around the outside of the cushion member 21, the following method can be exemplified. For example, the heat conductive sheet 20 is wound in an uncured state in which the first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23 are not completely cured. After that, the first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23 are completely cured by heating. At this time, it is preferable that the first boat member 22 and the second boat member 23 are not joined.

After the heat conductive sheet 20 is wound around the outside of the cushion member 21 in a spiral shape, if there is a portion of the heat conductive sheet 20 protruding from both ends of the cushion member 21, the protruding portion is cut or the cushion member 21 is cut together. To do. Finally, the heat conductive oil is applied to the surface of the heat conductive sheet 20.

The cutting step of cutting the portion protruding from both ends of the cushion member 21 of the heat conductive sheet 20 and the coating step of applying the heat conductive oil are not limited to those performed at the above-mentioned timing. For example, the cutting step may be performed after the coating step.

In the heat radiating structure 1, 1a, two or more heat radiating members 8 manufactured by the above-mentioned manufacturing method are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the heat conductive sheet 20 is wound and travels (the length direction of the heat radiating member 8). In this state, it is manufactured by connecting with a thread 7 and sewing it to a fixing member with the thread 7. More specifically, the heat radiating structures 1, 1a are connected by hand-sewn or sewn with a sewing machine using a thread 7 in a state where a plurality of heat radiating members 8 are arranged side by side.

2. 2. Battery Next, the battery according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 5 shows a vertical cross-sectional view (5A) of the battery according to the embodiment of the present invention and a vertical cross-sectional view (5B) before and after mounting a part of the battery cell which is an example of the heat source on the heat radiating structure.

In this embodiment, the battery 30 is, for example, a battery for an electric vehicle and includes a large number of battery cells (which may be simply referred to as cells) 40. The battery 30 includes a bottomed housing 31 that opens to one side. The housing 31 is preferably made of aluminum or an aluminum-based alloy. The battery cell 40 is arranged inside 34 of the housing 31. An electrode (not shown) is projected above the battery cell 40. The plurality of battery cells 40 are preferably brought into close contact with each other in the housing 31 by applying a force in the direction of compression from both sides thereof using screws or the like (not shown). The bottom 32 of the housing 31 is provided with one or more water cooling pipes 33 for flowing cooling water, which is an example of the cooling member 35. The cooling member may be referred to as a cooling medium or a coolant.

The battery cell 40 is arranged in the housing 31 so as to sandwich the heat radiating structure 1 with the bottom portion 32. In the battery 30 having such a structure, the battery cell 40 transfers heat to the housing 31 through the heat radiating structure 1 and is effectively removed by water cooling. As described above, the battery 30 includes a battery cell 40 as one or more heat sources in the housing 31 having a structure for flowing the cooling member 35, and the battery cell 40 and the housing 31 (here, the bottom portion 32). A heat radiating structure 1 is provided between the two. The cooling member 35 is not limited to cooling water, but is interpreted to include an organic solvent such as liquid nitrogen and ethanol. The cooling member 35 is not limited to a liquid under the conditions used for cooling, and may be a gas or a solid. Further, although the heat dissipation structure 1 has 11 battery cells 40 mounted therein, the number of battery cells 40 is not limited to 11. Further, the number of heat radiating members 8 is not particularly limited.

The plurality of heat radiating members 8 constituting the heat radiating structure 1 have a substantially cylindrical shape when the battery cell 40 is not mounted, but when the battery cell 40 is mounted, they are compressed by the weight and flattened. Become a form. In the present application, the "vertical cross section" means a cross section in the inner 34 of the housing 31 of the battery 30 in the direction of vertically cutting from the upper opening surface to the bottom 32.

3. 3. Other Embodiments As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to these, and can be implemented in various modifications.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view when the battery cell is laid horizontally so as to be in contact with the side surface of the battery cell on the heat radiating structure, a partially enlarged view thereof, and a partial cross-sectional view when the battery cell expands during charging and discharging. Each is shown.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the situation in which the battery cell 40 is vertically arranged and the heat radiating structure 1 is brought into contact with the lower end thereof has been described, but the arrangement form of the battery cell 40 is not limited to this. The battery cell 40 may be arranged so that the side surface of the battery cell 40 is in contact with each heat radiating member 8 of the heat radiating structure 1. The temperature of the battery cell 40 rises during charging and discharging. If the container itself of the battery cell 40 is made of a highly flexible material, the side surface of the battery cell 40 may bulge in particular. Even in such a case, since each heat radiating member 8 constituting the heat radiating structure 1 can be deformed according to the shape of the outer surface of the battery cell 40, high heat radiating property can be maintained even during charging and discharging.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a part of the heat radiating member according to various modified examples.

The heat radiating member 8a is a heat conductive sheet 20a that covers the outside of the cushion member 21 in a cylindrical shape instead of the band-shaped heat conductive sheet 20 in which the outside of the cushion member 21 is spirally wound in the heat radiating member 8 described above. This is the member used. As described above, the heat radiating member 8a may include the cushion member 21 and the heat conductive sheet 20a that covers the outside thereof in a substantially cylindrical shape.

The heat radiating member 8b may include a cushion member 21a configured such that the first boat member 22a having the shape of a cylinder divided in half in the length direction and the second boat member 23a having the same shape are aligned with each other on the opening side. good. The heat conductive sheet 20 spirally winds around the outside of the cushion member 21a. The first boat member 22a and the second boat member 23a are in contact with each other by a long thin flat surface, but are not fixed. Therefore, the cushion member 21a is easily deformed and is not easily damaged when the heat radiating member 8b is deformed into a flat shape.

The heat radiating member 8c is a member in which the outside of the cushion member 21a is cylindrically covered with a heat conductive sheet 20a. Even with such a heat radiating member 8c, the same effect as that of the heat radiating member 8b can be obtained.

The heat source includes not only the battery cell 40 but also all objects that generate heat, such as a circuit board and an electronic device main body. For example, the heat source may be an electronic component such as a capacitor and an IC chip. The heat radiating structure 1 may be arranged in a structure other than the battery 30, for example, an electronic device, a home appliance, a power generation device, or the like.

Further, the plurality of heat radiating members 8, 8a, 8b, 8c constituting the heat radiating structure 1, 1a may have only one end in the length direction fixed to the fixing member (for example, the bar 10a). .. Further, the heat radiating members 8, 8a, 8b, 8c may be fixed by the four sides forming the frame member 10 and the thread 7. Further, the frame member 10 may not be a member having a square frame shape in a plan view, but may have an ellipse, a circle, a triangle, or a polygonal outer shape of pentagon or more, and may have an opening portion inside the frame member 10. Further, the frame member 10 and the heat radiating members 8, 8a, 8b, so that the surface of the frame member 10 on the battery cell 40 side is at the same position as the surface of the heat radiating members 8, 8a, 8b, 8c on the battery cell 40 side. 8c may be fixed. Further, the frame member 10 may be fixed at a middle position in the height direction (direction from the battery cell 40 toward the bottom 32) of the heat radiating members 8, 8a, 8b, 8c. Further, the heat radiating structures 1, 1a do not have to be provided with a fixing member such as the frame member 10 or the bar 10a.

The battery 30 may have a heat radiating structure provided with any of the heat radiating members 8, 8a, 8b, and 8c. Further, the heat radiating structure may be configured to include two or more of the heat radiating members 8, 8a, 8b, 8c. The shape of the heat radiating members 8, 8a, 8b, 8c may be other than a cylinder or a cylinder, such as an elliptical cylinder, an elliptical pillar, a prism having a triangle or more, or a prism.

Further, the plurality of components of each of the above-described embodiments can be freely combined except when they cannot be combined with each other.

The heat dissipation structure according to the present invention can be used not only for automobile batteries but also for various electronic devices such as automobiles, industrial robots, power generation devices, PCs, and household electric appliances. Further, the battery according to the present invention can be used not only as a battery for automobiles but also as a rechargeable battery for home use and a battery for electronic devices such as PCs.

1,1a ... Heat dissipation structure, 7 ... Thread (example of connecting member), 8,8a, 8b, 8c ... Heat dissipation member, 10 ... Frame member (example of fixing member), 10a ... Bar (an example of a fixing member), 11 ... opening, 20, 20a ... heat conductive sheet, 21,21a ... cushion member, 22, 22a ... first boat member, 23, 23a ... second boat member, 27, 28 ... concave inner surface, 30 ... battery, 31 ... housing, 35 ... cooling member, 40 ... battery cell (an example of heat source).

Claims (9)

A heat dissipation structure including one or more heat dissipation members that enhance heat dissipation from a heat source.
The heat radiating member is
Cushion member and
With a heat conductive sheet
With
The cushion member is more easily deformed according to the surface shape of the heat source than the heat conductive sheet, and has a form in which the concave inner surfaces of two long boat members are arranged to face each other in one direction. ,
The heat conductive sheet is a heat radiating structure that covers the outside of the cushion member. The two boat members
1st boat member and
The second boat member and
Including
The heat radiating structure according to claim 1, wherein the first boat member is united so as to cover a part of the outer surface of the second boat member. The heat radiating structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat conductive sheet covers the outside of the cushion member while spirally advancing in the length direction of the cushion member. With two or more heat dissipation members
Claim 1 further includes a member capable of fixing the heat radiating member in a state orthogonal to the length direction thereof, and further comprising a fixing member for fixing at least one end of the heat radiating member in the length direction. The heat radiating structure according to any one of 3 to 3. The heat radiating structure according to claim 4, wherein the fixing member is formed so as to surround two or more heat radiating members arranged in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the heat radiating member. With two or more heat dissipation members
A connecting member for connecting two or more heat-dissipating members in a state of being arranged in a direction orthogonal to the length direction is provided.
The heat radiating structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the connecting member is made of a thread. The heat radiating structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the surface of the heat conductive sheet has a heat conductive oil for increasing the heat conductivity from the heat source in contact with the surface to the surface. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 7, wherein the thermally conductive oil contains a silicone oil and a thermally conductive filler having a higher thermal conductivity than the silicone oil and composed of one or more of metal, ceramics or carbon. A battery having one or more battery cells as heat sources in a housing having a structure for flowing a cooling member, and any one of claims 1 to 8 is provided between the battery cells and the housing. A battery with the heat dissipation structure described in the section.