JP2021125409A - Heat conductive structure and battery including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a heat conductive structure that can adapt to various forms of a heat source, has excellent heat conduction characteristics, and enables easy and accurate contact with the heat source, and a battery provided with the heat conductive structure.SOLUTION: A heat conductive structure 1 according to the present invention includes a plurality of long heat conductive members 10, and a fixing member 20 that fixes at least one end of both ends of the heat conductive member 10 in the length direction, and has a recess 25 or a through hole into which the end is inserted, and the heat conductive member 10 includes a cushion member 11 that is more flexible than the heat conductive member 10, and a heat conductive sheet 13 that has higher heat conductivity than the cushion member 11 and covers the outer surface of the cushion member 11, and the fixing member 20 fixes the plurality of heat conductive members 10 at predetermined intervals T in the width direction of the heat conductive members 10. There is also provided a battery 90 including the heat conductive structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a heat conductive structure and a battery including the same.

Control systems for automobiles, aircraft, ships, or 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, in addition to European countries such as France, the Netherlands, and Germany, China is also focusing on the spread of electric vehicles. 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. For this reason, it is important to improve the heat dissipation of the battery as well as the circuit board described above.

In order to quickly dissipate heat from the battery, a water-cooled pipe is placed in a metal housing with excellent thermal conductivity such as aluminum, and a large number of battery cells are placed in the housing. A structure in which an adhesive rubber sheet is sandwiched between the "cell") and the bottom surface of the housing is adopted. In a battery having such a structure, the 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 cell to the housing. Further, when the liquid rubber composition is cured to form a rubber sheet, it takes a lot of labor to peel off the rubber sheet from the battery, and a residue of the rubber sheet remains. Therefore, it is also required to facilitate taking out a heat conductive structure such as a rubber sheet from the inside of the battery and mounting another heat conductive structure. 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 cells are not flat and have steps, a gap is generated between the cells and the spacer, and the heat transfer efficiency is lowered. As seen in such an example, since the cell can take various forms (including unevenness such as a step or a surface state), there is a demand for adapting to various forms of the cell and realizing high heat transfer efficiency. Is increasing. It is also necessary to accurately position the heat conductive structure when it is incorporated inside the battery. The above requirements extend not only to cells, but also to 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 is adaptable to various forms of a heat source, has excellent heat conduction characteristics, and enables easy and accurate contact with the heat source. It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure and a battery including the heat conductive structure.

(1) The heat conductive structure according to the embodiment for achieving the above object includes a plurality of elongated heat conductive members and at least one end of both ends in the length direction of the heat conductive member. It is a member for fixing the portion, and includes a fixing member having a recess or a through hole into which the end portion is inserted.
The heat conductive member includes a cushion member that can be elastically deformed, and a heat conductive sheet that has higher heat conductivity than the cushion member and covers the outer surface of the cushion member.
A plurality of the heat conductive members are fixed to the fixing member at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the heat conductive member.
(2) In the heat conductive structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the fixing member may fix both ends of the heat conduction member in the length direction.
(3) In the heat conductive structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the fixing member may be a member sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member.
(4) In the heat conductive structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the recess or the through hole of the fixing member is fixed in a state where the end portion of the heat conduction member is compressed and deformed. good.
(5) In the heat conductive structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the fixing member fixes the end portion of a part of the plurality of heat conductive members in the length direction. A plurality of individual members may be connected.
(6) In the heat conductive structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the heat conductive sheet may be a member that advances while spirally winding in the length direction of the cushion member.
(7) In the heat conductive structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the cushion member may include a gangway that penetrates in the length direction thereof.
(8) In the heat conductive structure according to another embodiment, preferably, the cushion member may be a spiral cushion member that is spirally wound along the back surface of the heat conductive sheet.
(9) The battery according to the embodiment for achieving the above object is a battery having a plurality of battery cells in a housing having a structure for flowing a cooling agent, and the battery cells and the housing. In between, any of the heat conductive structures described above is provided.
(10) In the battery according to another embodiment, preferably, the heat conductive member may be densely packed in the battery cell having a higher temperature among the plurality of battery cells.

According to the present invention, a heat conductive structure that can adapt to various forms of a heat source, has excellent heat conduction characteristics, and enables easy and accurate contact with the heat source, and the heat conduction structure. Can provide a battery with.

FIG. 1 shows a plan view, a front view, and a right side surface of the heat conductive structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the manufacturing process of the heat conductive member provided in the heat conductive structure of FIG. 1 step by step. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a situation in which the heat conductive member manufactured through the process of FIG. 2 is fixed to the fixing member. FIG. 4 shows a manufacturing situation of the heat conductive structure according to the second embodiment, an exploded enlarged perspective view of individual members which are components of the fixing member and are attached to both ends of the heat conductive member, and the individual members of the heat conductive member. A cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of the state of being attached to both ends is shown. FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the heat conductive structure completed through the manufacturing process of FIG. FIG. 6 shows a situation in which the end portion of the heat conductive member is inserted into the individual member of the heat conductive structure according to the first modification, and a cross-sectional view when the heat conductive member is cut along the DD line as in FIG. 4 after the situation. show. FIG. 7 shows the manufacturing process of the heat conductive member provided in the heat conductive structure according to the modified example 2 step by step. FIG. 8 shows a manufacturing process of a heat conductive member provided in the heat conductive structure according to the modified example 3. FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the inside of the battery according to the embodiment and a left side view seen from the direction of the arrow G. FIG. 10 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the entire battery including the inside of the battery of FIG. 9 and a change before and after mounting the cell of a part J.

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. Thermally conductive structure (first embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a plan view, a front view, and a right side surface of the heat conductive structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the manufacturing process of the heat conductive member provided in the heat conductive structure of FIG. 1 step by step. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a situation in which the heat conductive member manufactured through the process of FIG. 2 is fixed to the fixing member. FIG. 1 transparently shows the end portion of the heat conductive member fixed to the fixing member. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of one end surface (A) of the heat conductive member.

The heat conductive structure 1 according to the first embodiment is a member that fixes a plurality of long heat conductive members 10 and both ends of the heat conductive member 10 in the length direction, and inserts the both ends, respectively. It includes two fixing members 20 having recesses 25. The fixing member 20 fixes a plurality of heat conductive members 10 at predetermined intervals T in the width direction of the heat conductive member 10. That is, the plurality of heat conductive members 10 connect the two fixing members 20. In the present application, the direction connecting both ends of the elongated heat conductive member 10 is the "length direction", the direction in which the plurality of heat conductive members 10 are arranged at intervals of T is the "width direction", and the width direction and the above. The direction perpendicular to the length direction is referred to as the "thickness direction". In this embodiment, the number of the heat conductive members 10 is 18, but it may be 2 to 17 or 19 or more.

The heat conductive member 10 includes a cushion member 11 that can be elastically deformed, and a heat conductive sheet 13 that has higher thermal conductivity than the cushion member 11 and covers the outer surface of the cushion member 11.

<Cushion member>
The important functions of the cushion member 11 are easiness of deformation and resilience. Resilience depends on elastic deformability. Deformability is because the battery cell (also simply referred to as “cell”), which is an example of a heat source described later, follows the end face shape of the cell or cell group when it comes into contact with the heat conductive member 10 from one of the thickness directions. It is a characteristic required for. Resilience is required to restore the heat conductive member 10 to its original shape when the cell is removed from the heat conductive member 10 or when the mass of the cell becomes smaller. In the case of a cell in which semi-solid materials such as lithium-ion batteries and contents that also have liquid properties are contained in a easily deformable package, the design dimensions may be irregular or the dimensional accuracy may not be improved. many. Therefore, it is important to maintain the deformability of the cushion member 11 and the resilience for maintaining the following force.

In this embodiment, the cushion member 11 is a tubular cushion member provided with a gangway 12 penetrating the cushion member 11 in the length direction. The cushion member 11 improves the contact between the heat conductive sheet 13 and the lower end portions even when the lower end portions of the plurality of cells are not flat. Further, the gangway 12 has a function of facilitating the deformation of the cushion member 11, contributing to the weight reduction of the heat conductive structure 1, and enhancing the contact between the heat conductive sheet 13 and the lower end of the cell. The cushion member 11 has a function of being located between the cell and the bottom of the battery to exert cushioning properties, and also as a protective member for preventing the heat conductive sheet 13 from being damaged by a load applied from the cell to the heat conductive sheet 13. Also has.

In this embodiment, the cushion member 11 is a member having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat conductive sheet 13. The gangway 12 is formed in a circular cross section, but the cross section of the gangway 12 is not limited to a circle. For example, a polygon, an ellipse, a semicircle, or a substantially polygon with rounded vertices. Etc. may be used. Further, the gangway 12 may be composed of a plurality of gangways, for example, two gangways having a semicircular cross section whose cross-sectional circular shape is divided into two vertically or horizontally. Instead of the gangway 12, the cushion member 11 may include recesses in which at least one of both ends of the cushion member 11 is closed. Further, the cushion member 11 may be a columnar member having no through-passage 12 or the recess.

The cushion member 11 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. The cushion member 11 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 13. In this embodiment, the cushion member 11 is more preferably made of a urethane-based elastomer impregnated with silicone or silicone rubber. The cushion member 11 may be configured by dispersing a filler typified by AlN, cBN, hBN, diamond particles, or the like in rubber in order to increase its thermal conductivity as much as possible. The cushion member 11 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 11, a metal may be used instead of the rubber-like elastic body. For example, the cushion member 11 can also be made of spring steel. Further, a coil spring can be arranged as the cushion member 11. Further, the spirally wound metal may be made of spring steel and arranged on the annular back surface of the heat conductive sheet 13 as a cushion member. Further, the cushion member 11 can be made of a sponge or a solid (a non-porous structure such as a sponge) formed of resin, rubber or the like.

<Heat conduction sheet>
The heat conductive sheet 13 preferably has higher heat conductivity than the cushion member 11 and covers the outer surface of the cushion member 11. In this embodiment, the heat conductive sheet 13 is a member that advances while spirally winding in the length direction of the cushion member 11 and covers the outer surface of the cushion member 11. The heat conductive sheet 13 may cover not only the outer surface of the cushion member 11 but also at least one end surface of both end surfaces of the cushion member 11. The heat conductive sheet 13 is preferably fixed to the cushion member 11 via an adhesive layer or an adhesive layer. However, the heat conductive sheet 13 is not fixed on the outer surface of the cushion member 11 via any adhesive layer and adhesive layer, and may be fitted or adhered to both ends of the cushion member 11.

The heat conductive sheet 13 is preferably a sheet containing carbon or a sheet containing a carbon filler and a resin. The resin can be a synthetic fiber, and in that case, an aramid fiber can be preferably used. The heat conductive sheet 13 may be a sheet in which most or all of the heat conductive sheet 13 is made of carbon. Such a sheet can be obtained, for example, by carbonizing a sheet-shaped resin by firing or the like. The term "carbon" as used in the present application includes any structure composed of carbon (element symbol: C) such as graphite, carbon black having lower crystallinity than graphite, expanded graphite, diamond, and diamond-like carbon having a structure similar to diamond. Is interpreted in a broad sense. The heat conductive sheet 13 may be carbon fiber knitted in a mesh shape, and may be blended or knitted. The carbon filler is interpreted to include various fillers such as graphite fibers, carbon particles, and carbon fibers. In this embodiment, the heat conductive sheet 13 can be a thin sheet obtained by curing a material obtained by blending and dispersing graphite fibers and carbon particles in a resin.

When the heat conductive sheet 13 contains 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 13. That is, the heat conductive sheet 13 may or may not use resin as the main material as long as the heat conduction is not significantly hindered. 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 cell, which is an example of a heat source, is preferable. For example, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyamideimide are preferable. (PAI), aromatic polyamide (aramid fiber) and the like can be preferably mentioned. The resin is dispersed in the gaps between the carbon fillers, for example, in the form of particles or fibers in the state before molding of the heat conductive sheet 13. In addition to the carbon filler and the resin, the heat conductive sheet 13 may be _{dispersed with Al 2} O ₃ , Al N or diamond as a filler for further enhancing the heat conduction. Further, instead of the resin, an elastomer that is more flexible than the resin may be used. The heat conductive sheet 13 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 13 is excellent in conductivity or not. The thermal conductivity of the heat conductive sheet 13 is preferably 10 W / mK or more. In this embodiment, the heat conductive sheet 13 is preferably graphite or a composite of graphite and resin, but is made of a material having excellent heat conductivity and conductivity, for example, aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper or stainless steel. A strip-shaped plate may be used. The heat conductive sheet 13 is preferably a sheet having excellent flexibility or flexibility (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 preferable. Is more preferable. However, since the thermal conductivity of the heat conductive sheet 13 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.

<Fixing member>
In this embodiment, the fixing member 20 is a member that sandwiches the heat conductive member 10 from both sides in the thickness direction. The fixing member 20 includes a first divided member 21 that contacts the heat conductive member 10 from one side in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10 and a second divided member 22 that contacts the heat conductive member 10 from the other side in the thickness direction. I have. The first dividing member 21 and the second dividing member 22 may be united by any method such as adhesion and fitting. Since the heat conductive member 10 which is one component of the heat conductive structure 1 is inside the surface of the two fixing members 20 in the thickness direction, when the heat conductive structure 1 is placed on a flat surface, it is allowed to stand still. In addition, it floats in the air without touching the plane. However, the heat conductive member 10 may be fixed to the fixing member 20 so as to be flush with any surface of the fixing member 20 in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the fixing member 20 is a member in which the first dividing member 21 and the second dividing member 22 are completely separable. However, the fixing member 20 may be a member in which the first dividing member 21 and the second dividing member 22 are partially connected and can be opened and closed. Further, the fixing member 20 may not be a member sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10, but may be an integral columnar member provided with a recess 25.

The material of the fixing member 20 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, metal, resin, ceramics, carbon, wood, glass, or a composite of two or more of these. The fixing member 20 is useful for fixing the plurality of heat conductive members 10 and accurately and easily arranging the heat conductive structure 1 in a predetermined place where a heat source exists. The distance T between the heat conductive members 10 may be the same distance or different distances in all the pair of adjacent heat conductive members 10. The fixing member 20 may be provided with a through hole penetrating in the length direction of the heat conductive member 10 instead of the recess 25 into which the end portion of the heat conductive member 10 is inserted. In that case, at least one end of the heat conductive member 10 in the length direction penetrates the fixing member 20 and is held by the fixing member 20. The recess 25, the through hole, and the heat conductive member 10 may be fixed by any fixing method such as fitting or adhesion.

<Manufacturing process>
Although the heat conductive structure 1 is an example, it can be manufactured by fixing the heat conductive member 10 to the fixing member 20 as shown in FIG. 3 after manufacturing the heat conductive member 10 in the step shown in FIG. .. Hereinafter, an exemplary manufacturing process will be described.

First, a long cushion member 11 having a through hole 12 is prepared, and a band-shaped heat conductive sheet 13 is spirally wound around the outer surface thereof. It is preferable that the adhesive is applied to at least one of the outer surface of the cushion member 11 and the back surface (pasting surface) of the heat conductive sheet 13. Through the above steps, the heat conductive member 10 in which the heat conductive sheet 13 is spirally wound around the outer surface of the cushion member 11 is completed.

Next, two fixing members 20 are prepared. The fixing member 20 includes a first dividing member 21 and a second dividing member 22, respectively. The first dividing member 21 includes half-split groove portions 26 constituting the recess 25 as many as the number of heat conductive members 10. Similarly, the second dividing member 22 includes half-split groove portions 27 constituting the recess 25 as many as the number of the heat conductive members 10. When the first dividing member 21 and the second dividing member 22 are united so as to align the grooves 26 and 27 with each other, a recess 25 is formed.

In order to fix the heat conductive member 10 with the fixing member 20, first, the two second divided members 22 are allowed to stand at a certain distance. Next, both ends of the plurality of heat conductive members 10 are fitted into the grooves 27 of each of the second divided members 22. Finally, two first dividing members 21 are prepared and each of them is covered over the second dividing member 22 to form a fixing member 20. Through the above steps, the heat conductive structure 1 is completed.

First, the first dividing member 21 and the second dividing member 22 are combined to manufacture the fixing member 20 to form the recess 25, and then one end of the heat conductive member 10 is formed into the recess 25 of one of the fixing members 20. And finally, the other end of the heat conductive member 10 may be inserted into the recess 25 of the other fixing member 20.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the heat conductive 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. 4 shows a manufacturing situation of the heat conductive structure according to the second embodiment, an exploded enlarged perspective view of individual members which are components of the fixing member and are attached to both ends of the heat conductive member, and the individual members of the heat conductive member. A cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of the state of being attached to both ends is shown. FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the heat conductive structure completed through the manufacturing process of FIG. 4 and 5 transparently show the ends of the heat conductive member fixed to the fixing member.

Unlike the first embodiment, the heat conductive structure 1 according to the second embodiment includes a fixing member 20a to which a plurality of individual members 30 individually fixed to one heat conductive member 10 can be attached and detached. According to such a configuration, a plurality of units 35 having individual members 30 attached to both ends of the heat conductive member 10 can be prepared and combined to form a heat conductive structure 1 having a desired length.

The fixing member 30 of the heat conductive structure 1 can connect a plurality of individual members 30 for fixing the end portions of the heat conductive member 10 in a part (here, one) of the plurality of heat conductive members 10 in the length direction. Is. When it is desired to fix the fixing member 20a only to one end in the length direction of the heat conductive member 10, the individual member 30 may be fixed only to one end in the length direction of the heat conductive member 10. In this way, the structure in which one heat conductive member 10 and one or two individual members 30 are united is referred to as a heat conductive member unit (simply also referred to as “unit”) 35 here. Refer to. When the heat conductive units 35 are united as shown by arrows B, the heat conductive structure 1 having a desired length is completed.

The individual member 30 includes a recess 25 for fixing the end portion of the heat conductive member 10. The recess 25 may be a through hole that penetrates the individual member 30 in the length direction of the heat conductive member 10. As shown in the exploded enlarged perspective view of the region C, the individual member 30 is preferably a member that can be divided into two, and includes a first divided individual member 31 and a second divided individual member 32. The first divided individual member 31 includes a half-split groove portion 26 that constitutes the recess 25. Similarly, the second division individual member 32 includes a half-split groove portion 27 constituting the recess 25. By sandwiching the heat conductive member 10 between the first divided individual member 31 and the second divided individual member 32 from both sides in the thickness direction of the end portion, the individual member 30 can be fixed to the end portion of the heat conductive member 10. The first divided individual member 31 and the second divided individual member 32 may be combined by any method such as adhesion and fitting. In this embodiment, the individual member 30 is a member in which the first divided individual member 31 and the second divided individual member 32 are completely separable. However, the individual member 30 may be a member in which the first divided individual member 31 and the second divided individual member 32 are partially connected and can be opened and closed. Further, the individual member 30 may not be a member sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10, but may be an integral block-shaped member provided with the recess 25.

The individual member 30 includes connecting portions 40 and 50 for connecting to another individual member 30. The connecting portion 40 and the connecting portion 50 are provided on both sides of the individual member 30 in the width direction. As a result, the connecting portion 40 of the individual member 30 can be connected to the connecting portion 50 of another individual member 30. The first divided individual member 31 includes a half-split connecting element 41 constituting the connecting portion 40. The second divided individual member 32 includes a half-split connecting element 42 constituting the connecting portion 40. Further, the first divided individual member 31 includes a half-split connecting element 51 constituting the connecting portion 50. The second divided individual member 32 includes a half-split connecting element 52 constituting the connecting portion 50. When the first divided individual member 31 and the second divided individual member 32 are combined, the connecting element 41 and the connecting element 42 are combined to form the connecting portion 40. Similarly, the connecting element 51 and the connecting element 52 are united to form the connecting portion 50.

As shown in the DD cross-sectional view, the individual member 30 is formed by combining the first divided individual member 31 having a thickness L1 and the second divided individual member 32 having a thickness L2. In this embodiment, L1 = L2. However, L1> L2 or L1 <L2 may be used. The distance L3 between the lowermost surface of the heat conductive member 10 in the thickness direction and the outermost surface of the second divided individual member 32 located on the opposite side of the first divided individual member 31 is of any size as long as L2> L3 holds. But it's okay. However, L3 is preferably at a distance as close to zero as possible, or at zero. L3 corresponds to the distance at which the heat conductive member 10 floats from the bottom of the battery (usually, the portion cooled by the coolant) when the heat conductive structure 1 is arranged in the battery. The smaller L3 is, the easier it is for the heat conductive member 10 to be sandwiched between the cell and the bottom when the cell is placed on the heat conductive member 10 from the side opposite to the bottom. This will be described later.

In this embodiment, the connecting portion 40 and the connecting elements 41 and 42 both have a substantially T-shape in the plan view of the heat conductive structure 1. That is, the connecting portion 40 and the connecting elements 41 and 42 have a shape like a hammer head. The connecting element 41 connects the neck portion 41a and the head portion 41b having a volume larger than that of the neck portion 41a. Similarly, the connecting element 42 connects the neck portion 42a and the head portion 42b having a volume larger than that of the neck portion 42a. The neck portion formed by the union of the neck portion 41a and the neck portion 42a and the head portion formed by the union of the head portion 41b and the head portion 42b have the same thickness (= L1 + L2). The form of the connecting portion 40 is not limited to the form of the hammer head, and may be, for example, a form of only the neck portion.

Further, the connecting portion 50 and the connecting elements 51 and 52 are both substantially T-shaped gap portions in the plan view of the heat conductive structure 1. That is, the connecting portion 50 and the connecting elements 51 and 52 are recesses shaped like a hammer head. The connecting element 51 connects the neck portion 51a and the head portion 51b having a volume larger than that of the neck portion 51a. Similarly, the connecting element 52 connects the neck portion 52a and the head portion 52b having a volume larger than that of the neck portion 52a. The neck portion formed by the union of the neck portion 51a and the neck portion 52a and the head portion formed by the union of the head portion 51b and the head portion 52b have the same thickness (= L1 + L2). The form of the connecting portion 50 is not limited to the form of the hammer head, and may be, for example, a form of only the neck portion.

(Modification example 1)
Next, the heat conductive structure according to the first modification will be described. The parts common to each of the above-described embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

FIG. 6 shows a situation in which the end portion of the heat conductive member is inserted into the individual member of the heat conductive structure according to the first modification, and a cross-sectional view when the heat conductive member is cut along the DD line as in FIG. 4 after the situation. show. In FIG. 6, the portion extending from the end portion of the heat conductive member is shown as a dotted line.

The heat conductive structure 1 according to the first modification has a rectangular parallelepiped shape of the recess 25 of the individual member 30, and the cylindrical end of the heat conductive member 10 is deformed into a rectangular parallelepiped and inserted into the recess 25. Except for this, it is common with the heat conductive structure 1 according to the second embodiment described above. When the end of the cylindrical heat conductive member 10 is pushed into the rectangular parallelepiped recess 25 in the direction of arrow E, the end is deformed according to the shape of the recess 25 (see the cross-sectional view shown by arrow F). ). As a result, the form of the heat conductive member 10 is such that the end portion inserted into the individual member 30 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and the other portion is a cylindrical shape. In this way, the recess 25 of the fixing member 30 may be fixed in a state where the end portion of the heat conductive member 10 is compressed and deformed. The recess 25 may be a through hole that penetrates the individual member 30 in the length direction of the heat conductive member 10. The distances L1, L2, and L3 are the same as the distances L1, L2, and L3 in the heat conductive structure 1 according to the second embodiment. The rectangular parallelepiped recess 25 may be used for the fixing member 20 in the first embodiment.

(Modification 2)
Next, the heat conductive structure according to the second modification will be described. The same reference numerals are given to the parts common to each of the above-described embodiments and the first modification, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 7 shows the manufacturing process of the heat conductive member provided in the heat conductive structure according to the modified example 2 step by step.

The heat conductive structure 1 according to the second modification will be described above except that the heat conductive member 10a is a member in which the outer surface of the elongated cushion member 11 is tubularly covered with the heat conductive sheet 13a. It is common with the heat conductive structure 1 according to each of the above-described embodiments and the first modification. That is, the heat conductive sheet 13a is a substantially rectangular sheet, and covers the outer surface of the cushion member 11 in a tubular shape instead of winding it in a spiral shape. Hereinafter, an exemplary manufacturing process of the heat conductive member 10a will be described.

First, a long cushion member 11 having a through hole 12 is prepared, and a rectangular heat conductive sheet 13a is wound around the outer surface of the cushion member 11 in a tubular shape. It is preferable that the adhesive is applied to at least one of the outer surface of the cushion member 11 and the back surface (pasting surface) of the heat conductive sheet 13a. Through the above steps, the heat conductive member 10a in the form of a tubular heat conductive sheet 13a wound around the outer surface of the cushion member 11 is completed.

(Modification example 3)
Next, the heat conductive structure according to the modified example 3 will be described. The same reference numerals are given to the parts common to each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 8 shows a manufacturing process of the heat conductive member provided in the heat conductive structure 1 according to the modified example 3.

The heat conductive structure 1 according to the third modification has a form in which the heat conductive member 10b is spirally wound with a laminated body 60 in which a sheet-shaped cushion member 61 is laminated on the back side of the heat conductive sheet 13. , It is common with the heat conductive structure 1 according to each embodiment and each modification described above. The cushion member 61 in the heat conductive member 10b is a spiral cushion member that is spirally wound along the back surface of the heat conductive sheet 13. Hereinafter, an exemplary manufacturing process of the heat conductive member 10b will be described.

First, a laminated body 60 composed of two layers of a heat conductive sheet 13 and a cushion member 61 having substantially the same width is manufactured. The laminated body 60 is an elongated and thin belt-shaped member. Next, the laminated body 60 is wound in a spiral shape (may be referred to as a coil shape) so as to proceed in one direction. In this way, the elongated heat conductive member 10b in which the laminated body 60 is wound in a spiral shape is completed. The heat conductive member 10b has a gangway 12 penetrating in the length direction thereof. Also in the modified example 3, the cushion member 61 is provided with a gangway 12 penetrating in the length direction thereof.

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

FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the inside of the battery according to the embodiment and a left side view seen from the direction of the arrow G. In FIG. 9, the battery housing is omitted. FIG. 10 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the entire battery including the inside of the battery of FIG. 9 and a change before and after mounting the cell of a part J.

The battery 90 according to this embodiment is a battery having a plurality of cells 70 in a housing 80 having a structure for flowing a coolant 85. One of the above-mentioned heat conductive structures 1 is provided between the cell 70 and the housing 80. The battery 90 is, for example, a battery for an electric vehicle. The battery 90 includes a bottomed housing 80 that opens to one side. The housing 80 is preferably made of aluminum or an aluminum-based alloy. The cell 70 is arranged inside 81 of the housing 80. An electrode 71 projects above the cell 70. The plurality of cells 70 are preferably subjected to a force in the housing 11 in the direction of compression by using screws or the like from both sides thereof (not shown). The number of cells 70 is 9 in this embodiment. However, the number of cells 70 may be 2 to 8 or 10 or more.

The bottom 82 of the housing 80 is provided with one or more water cooling pipes 83 for flowing cooling water, which is an example of the coolant 85. The "cooling agent" may be referred to as a "cooling medium". The cell 70 is arranged inside the housing 80 so as to sandwich the heat conductive structure 1 with the bottom portion 82. In the battery 90 having such a structure, the cell 70 transfers heat to the housing 80 through the heat conductive structure 1 and is effectively removed by water cooling. The coolant 85 is not limited to cooling water, but is interpreted to include an organic solvent such as liquid nitrogen and ethanol. The coolant 85 is not limited to a liquid under the conditions used for cooling, and may be a gas or a solid.

When a plurality of cells 70 are placed on the plurality of heat conductive members 10 of the heat conductive structure 1, the heat conductive member 10 bends toward the bottom 82 of the housing 80 and comes into contact with the bottom 82 as shown by an arrow I. .. In order for the heat conductive member 10 to reliably contact the bottom portion 82, the gap between the heat conductive member 10 and the bottom portion 82 (corresponding to T3 described above) should be zero or as close to zero as possible. As a result, the heat of the cell 70 is transferred to the coolant 85 via the heat conductive sheet 13 and the bottom 82 of the heat conductive member 10. As a result, the cell 70 is quickly deheated. However, when the thermal conductivity of the fixing member 20 is close to the thermal conductivity of the heat conductive member 10, for example, the fixing member 20 is made of graphite, a composite of graphite and resin, a highly thermally conductive metal such as aluminum, or the metal filler. In the case of a resin in which a carbon filler and a ceramics filler are dispersed, the gap is allowed even at a distance where the heat conductive member 10 does not contact the bottom portion 82.

When a plurality of cells 70 are placed on the plurality of heat conductive members 10 constituting the heat conductive structure 1, the thickness (= d) of the heat conductive member 10 is reduced to kd (0 <k <1). Is compressed so that. The distance (= T) between the adjacent heat conductive members 10 decreases to t (<T). It is desirable that t is a distance so that the adjacent heat conductive members 10 do not come into contact with each other even if they are compressed. However, t may be a distance that allows the adjacent heat conductive members 10 to come into contact with each other when compressed. Further, the width (= d) of the original heat conductive member 10 increases to D (> d). In this embodiment, since the heat conductive member 10 has a cylindrical shape, the thickness and width are the same or close to the same. However, the heat conductive member 10 may be a tubular body having a polygonal end face having an angle of a triangle or more. Further, the heat conductive member 10 may be a tubular body having an elliptical end face. In such a case, the thickness and width of the heat conductive member 10 do not have to be the same.

The distance T between the adjacent heat conductive members 10 does not have to be the same in the heat conductive structure 1. For example, in the battery 90, the heat conductive members 10 may be densely packed in the cell 70 having a higher temperature among the plurality of cells 70. That is, the gap T between the plurality of heat conductive members 10 in contact with the cell 70 having a higher temperature may be smaller than the other gaps T. This makes it possible to increase the heat removal from the higher temperature cell 70. In this embodiment, among the rows of 18 heat conductive members 10 constituting the heat conductive structure 1, the gap T between the 9th and 10th heat conductive members 10 from the end of the row is the other gap T. It is preferable to make it narrower. Further, each gap T of the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th heat conductive members 10 from the end of the row can be made narrower than the other gaps T. In this way, if the gap T in the substantially central region of the row of the heat conductive members 10 is narrowed, even if the central region of the row of the plurality of cells 70 has poor heat dissipation, it can be removed. It becomes easier to heat. The narrowest gap T between the heat conductive members 10 is not limited to the central region, and may be located in a location other than the central region.

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.

The cushion members 11 and 61 may be less likely to be elastically deformed with the use of the heat conductive structure 1. In the present application, even in that case, the cushion members 11 and 61 are interpreted as corresponding to the "elastically deformable cushion member" as long as they have the property of elastically returning to the original form. The method of fixing the heat conductive members 10, 10a, 10b to the fixing members 20, 20a is any method such as inserting the heat conductive members 10, 10a, 10b into the recess 25 or the through hole, adhesively fixing, and compressing and holding. But it's okay. It suffices if the heat conductive members 10, 10a and 10b can be regulated so as not to move freely.

The fixing members 20 and 20a may be members that fix both ends or fix other positions in addition to both ends as long as at least one end of the heat conductive members 10, 10a and 10b can be fixed. Further, the heat conductive members 10, 10a and 10b may be fixed at one end in the length direction by two or more fixing members 20. The individual member 30 may be a member for fixing two or more heat conductive members 10, 10a, 10b.

The spiral cushion member 61 in the heat conductive member 10b is not limited to the same width as the heat conductive sheet 13, and may be larger or smaller than the width of the heat conductive sheet 13. The heat conductive structure 1 may be arranged in the gap between the cells 70 and / or in the gap between the cell 70 and the inner side surface of the inner 81 of the housing 80.

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. For example, each of the structures of Modifications 1 to 3 can be used for any of the heat conductive structures 1 according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment. The battery 90 may be equipped with the heat conductive structure 1 of any of the first embodiment and the second embodiment (including a form using one or two or more of the first to third embodiments). good.

The heat conductive 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 ... Heat conductive structure, 10, 10a, 10b ... Heat conductive member, 11 ... Cushion member, 12 ... Through path, 13, 13a ... Heat conductive sheet, 20, 20a ... -Fixing member, 25 ... concave, 30 ... individual member, 61 ... cushion member (spiral cushion member), 70 ... cell (battery cell), 80 ... housing, 85 ... -Cushion, 90 ... Battery, T ... Interval.

Claims (10)

With multiple long heat conductive members,
A member for fixing at least one end of both ends in the length direction of the heat conductive member, and a fixing member having a recess or a through hole into which the end is inserted.
With
The heat conductive member includes a cushion member that can be elastically deformed, and a heat conductive sheet that has higher heat conductivity than the cushion member and covers the outer surface of the cushion member.
The fixing member is a heat conductive structure characterized in that a plurality of the heat conductive members are fixed at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the heat conductive member. The heat conductive structure according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member fixes both ends of the heat conductive member in the length direction. The heat conductive structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fixing member is a member sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member. The heat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recess or the through hole of the fixing member is fixed in a state where the end portion of the heat conductive member is compressed and deformed. Conductive structure. Claims 1 to 4 are characterized in that the fixing member connects a plurality of individual members for fixing the end portion in the length direction of a part of the plurality of heat conductive members. The heat conductive structure according to any one of the above. The heat conductive structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heat conductive sheet is a member that advances while spirally winding in the length direction of the cushion member. The heat conductive structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cushion member includes a gangway that penetrates in the length direction thereof. The heat conductive structure according to claim 6, wherein the cushion member is a spiral cushion member that is spirally wound along the back surface of the heat conductive sheet. The heat conduction according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is a battery having a plurality of battery cells in a housing having a structure for flowing a coolant, and between the battery cells and the housing. A battery characterized by having a structure. The battery according to claim 9, wherein the heat conductive member is densely packed in the battery cell having a higher temperature among the plurality of battery cells.

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