JP6233781B2 - Cooling system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooling device in which a plurality of batteries are accommodated in a battery case having a coolant flow path and each battery is cooled.

In order to make it possible to use a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a battery pack or an assembled battery in which a plurality of single cells are connected to obtain a large current capacity has a heat generation amount. Since it is large, a cooling device that cools the battery with a cooling liquid is used to suppress the temperature rise of the battery. As this cooling device, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of cooling devices are used. In an assembled battery in which a long cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery is housed in a box-shaped assembled battery case and the positive and negative electrode terminals protrude outside, the lithium ion secondary battery is directly passed through the assembled battery case. There has been proposed a cooling device capable of efficiently suppressing the temperature rise by performing the above cooling.

However, in the assembled battery cooling device proposed in Patent Document 1, the cooling liquid is in direct contact with the battery in the assembled battery case, so that the cooling efficiency is good against the temperature rise of the electrode terminal. It is necessary to take measures to prevent the electrode terminals from being corroded by the liquid.

On the other hand, as a cooling device that houses a plurality of batteries in a battery case and cools each battery so that the coolant does not come into direct contact with the battery by forming a coolant flow path on the outer periphery of the battery case, For example, it is disclosed in Patent Document 2. That is, a partition wall in which the outer surface of the battery is brought into close contact with and in contact with a cylindrical opening (battery housing chamber) that houses a battery such as a cylindrical storage battery is formed, and a liquid refrigerant (cooling liquid) is formed in the partition wall. There has been proposed a cooling device for cooling the battery by forming a cooling groove for flowing the battery.

However, in the cooling device proposed in Patent Document 2, the electrode terminals are not taken into consideration, and the cooling is performed efficiently by closely contacting the battery and reducing the thickness of the partition wall facing the battery to improve heat transfer. However, when cooling the partition wall by circulating the coolant, it is not considered that the coolant flows smoothly without staying.

JP 2001-60466 A JP 2005-534143 A

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a cooling device in which a plurality of batteries are accommodated in a battery case having a coolant flow path, and each battery is cooled. An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device that can smoothly flow without stagnation and efficiently cool each battery without the electrode terminals of each battery coming into contact with the coolant.

The cooling device according to claim 1 of the present invention is a cooling system in which a plurality of batteries are accommodated in a battery case having a coolant flow path and provided with positive and negative electrode terminals, and each battery is cooled. In the apparatus, a plurality of cylindrical battery storage chambers are provided in the battery case, a spiral flow path is formed on the outer periphery of each battery storage chamber, and a coolant is supplied to the outer periphery of the battery storage chamber. a cooling system for cooling the battery, the battery case is made of is formed by contact bonding of a cylindrical lower Hol da its lower end the upper holder and the upper end of the open tubular open, the upper holder Alternatively, the lower holder has an inlet for allowing the coolant to flow into the flow path and a flow outlet for allowing the coolant to flow out of the flow path at a site away from the electrode terminal . The cooling device according to claim 2 is the cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the upper holder and the lower holder are made of a synthetic resin material, and the upper holder has a plurality of cylindrical shapes made of a metal material. The battery housing chamber is integrally formed. The cooling device according to claim 3 is the cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper holder has an inflow portion for allowing a coolant to flow in, and the lower holder is caused to allow the coolant to flow out. It has an outflow part. The cooling device according to claim 4 is the cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper holder has an inflow portion for allowing a coolant to flow in and an outflow portion for allowing the coolant to flow out. To do.

Cooling device of the present invention has a flow path of the cooling liquid, and accommodates a plurality of batteries in a battery case provided with electrode terminals of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, in a cooling device for cooling the batteries, the battery case A cooling device in which a plurality of cylindrical battery housing chambers are provided, a spiral flow path is formed on the outer periphery of each battery housing chamber, and a cooling liquid is allowed to flow on the outer periphery of the battery housing chamber to cool each battery. The battery case is formed by tightly joining a cylindrical upper holder having a lower end opened and a cylindrical lower holder having an upper end opened, and the upper holder or the lower holder includes and possess an outlet for outflow of the inlet and the cooling fluid for flowing the cooling fluid in the flow path at a site distant from the electrode terminal from the flow path, each battery by flowing a cooling fluid to the outer periphery of the battery housing chamber So that the electrode terminals of each battery are in contact with the coolant. Can prevent not, such an effect can detail the outer circumference of the battery case is efficiently cool each battery was smoothly flow so without coolant stagnates at the outer periphery of the battery housing chamber .

In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is sectional drawing of the side part of a cooling device. In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is sectional drawing of the front site | part of a cooling device. In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a front view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a top view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a bottom view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a side view of a cooling device. It is sectional drawing which expand | deployed the cooling device in Embodiment 1 of this invention. In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a bottom view of the upper holder of a cooling device. In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a top view of the lower holder of a cooling device. In Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a fragmentary sectional view of the inflow part of a cooling device. In Embodiment 2 of this invention, it is sectional drawing of the side part of a cooling device. In Embodiment 2 of this invention, it is sectional drawing of the front site | part of a cooling device. In Embodiment 2 of this invention, it is a side view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 2 of this invention, it is a front view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 2 of this invention, it is a top view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 2 of this invention, it is sectional drawing of the side part of the upper holder of a cooling device. In Embodiment 3 of this invention, it is a front view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 3 of this invention, it is a side view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 3 of this invention, it is a top view of a cooling device. In Embodiment 3 of this invention, it is sectional drawing of the side part of a cooling device. In Embodiment 3 of this invention, it is sectional drawing of the front site | part of a cooling device.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 to FIG. 10 show Embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which a battery case is box-shaped and is formed by joining an upper holder 1 and a lower holder 2, and a coolant is allowed to flow into the upper holder 1. The inflow part 3 is provided, the lower holder 2 has the outflow part 4 for allowing the coolant to flow out from the flow path 6, and the battery 100 accommodated in the battery case is a cylindrical lithium ion battery, etc. In the secondary battery, a positive electrode terminal 100A and a negative electrode terminal 100B are provided at the upper end and the lower end, respectively. In this case, the electrode terminal 100A and the electrode terminal 100B illustrate the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively. However, in the cylindrical lithium ion battery made of aluminum, the electrode terminal 100A and the positive electrode terminal 100B are the negative electrode terminal 100A and the positive electrode terminal 100B. 7A is a negative electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal connection part, respectively, 8, 8A and 8B are a positive electrode terminal, a positive electrode terminal connection part, and a battery contact negative electrode plate, respectively.

1, 2 and 4, the upper holder 1 has a box shape with an open lower end, and an upper end wall 1 </ b> A and a cylindrical peripheral wall 1 </ b> B form a space, and this space has an inner surface of the upper end wall 1 </ b> A. In addition, a plurality (three in the figure) of cylindrical walls 1 </ b> C having an open lower end are formed in a straight line. The upper end wall 1A, the peripheral wall 1B, and the annular wall 1C are integrally formed of a synthetic resin material. The synthetic resin material includes polyphenylene sulfide resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polystyrene resin, polycarbonate resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyethylene naphthalate resin. Examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as polybutylene naphthalate resins, fluorine resins, and polyether ether ketone resins, and thermosetting resins such as phenol resins and epoxy resins.

Inside each cylindrical annular wall 1C, a cylindrical battery housing chamber 5 having upper and lower ends opened is formed integrally with the upper end wall 1A. The material of the battery housing chamber 5 is a material having good thermal conductivity, such as a metal material such as aluminum, copper, or iron, or a metal material such as a nickel material formed on the surface of the metal material or a metal material such as stainless steel. If it is a synthetic resin material, it is preferable to make it thinner than other parts. Further, the shape is a size that accommodates the battery 100, and in the figure, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery is illustrated as a cylindrical battery, and thus the shape is cylindrical. Between each battery storage chamber 5 and the annular wall 1C is a flow path forming space portion 1E, and a flow path 6 that spirally extends in a lower end direction from an inflow guide hole 1D (described later) of the upper end wall 1A is formed. As a method of forming the channel 6 in a spiral shape, a synthetic resin material such as a fluorine-based resin or a spiral molded product in which a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel is spirally formed is used, as shown in FIG. The method of mounting | wearing with the flow-path formation space part 1E of the outer periphery of the storage chamber 5 is illustrated. In this method of forming the spiral flow path 6, if the spiral molded product is not fixed to the outer periphery of the battery storage chamber 5, but is fixed in advance by integral molding or the like, the mounting operation of the spiral molded product is not necessary. It becomes unnecessary. Further, a positive terminal connecting portion 7A or a negative terminal connecting portion 8A made of a metal material such as aluminum or copper is formed at a substantially central portion of the upper end surface inside each battery housing chamber 5, and the negative terminal connecting portion is formed. As for 8A, the battery contact negative electrode plate 8B is formed on the inner surface of the upper end surface of the battery housing chamber 5. However, this battery contact negative electrode plate 8B may be formed on the inner surface of the upper end wall 1A of the upper holder 1.

In addition, an inflow portion 3 for allowing the coolant to flow into the flow path 6 is formed in the upper end wall 1A. The inflow portion 3 includes an inflow port 3A and an inflow channel 3B. The inflow port 3A communicates with the inflow channel 3B and is formed to protrude outward from the peripheral wall 1B at the upper end wall 1A. A hollow tube made of a metal material that can be integrally molded so as to be embedded in the upper end wall 1A of a synthetic resin material. A plurality of inflow holes 3C are formed so that a coolant flows into each flow path 6. Has been. As shown in FIG. 10, the inflow hole 3 </ b> C is formed with a throttle portion 3 </ b> D that locally narrows the inflow path 3 </ b> B so that the inner wall surface of the inflow path 3 </ b> B is partially projected. The cooling liquid is guided to each flow path 6 so as to easily flow in.

Furthermore, the positive electrode terminal which is an electrode terminal of the battery 100 connected to each of the positive electrode terminal connecting portion 7A and the negative electrode terminal connecting portion 8A formed at the substantially central portion on the upper end surface side of each battery accommodating chamber 5 in the upper end wall 1A. 7 and the negative electrode terminal 8 are juxtaposed as shown in FIG. In this case, the negative electrode terminal 8 is connected to the negative electrode terminal connection portion 8A via the battery contact negative electrode plate 8B. Further, an inflow guide hole 1D communicating with the inflow hole 3C of the inflow passage 3B is formed in a portion away from the central portion of the upper end wall 1A, that is, a portion away from the positive electrode terminal 7 and the negative electrode terminal 8. Therefore, the coolant flows into the outer periphery of the battery housing chamber 5 and does not flow into the battery housing chamber 5, so that the electrode terminals of the battery 100 can be prevented from coming into contact with the coolant.

On the other hand, in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the lower holder 2 has a box shape with the upper end opened, and is joined to the upper holder 1 so as to close the lower end opening of the upper holder 1. And the cylindrical peripheral wall 2B have a space, the lower end wall 2A and the peripheral wall 2B are made of a synthetic resin material, and the material thereof is the same material as the upper end wall 1A, the peripheral wall 1B and the annular wall 1C of the upper holder 1 Can be illustrated. As shown in FIG. 5, a positive electrode terminal 7 and a negative electrode terminal 8 which are electrode terminals of the battery 100 connected to the positive electrode terminal connection portion 7A and the negative electrode terminal connection portion 8A are provided at a substantially central portion of the lower end wall 2A. The positive electrode terminal 7 and the negative electrode terminal 8 are arranged in parallel so as to be a pair of the positive electrode terminal 7 and the negative electrode terminal 8 of the upper end wall 1A and the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively. In this case, the negative electrode terminal 8 is connected to the negative electrode terminal connection portion 8A via the battery contact negative electrode plate 8B formed on the upper surface of the lower end wall 2A (the surface facing the battery storage chamber 5 of the upper holder 1). . In the lower end wall 2A, a plurality of outflow guide holes 2C are formed in portions away from the central portion, that is, in portions away from the positive terminal 7 and the negative terminal 8.

Furthermore, the lower end wall 2 </ b> A is formed with an outflow portion 4 for allowing the coolant to flow out of the flow path 6 at a portion away from the central portion, that is, a portion away from the positive terminal 7 and the negative terminal 8. The outflow portion 4 includes an outflow passage 4B and an outflow port 4A protruding outward from the peripheral wall 2B communicating with the outflow passage 4B. The outflow passage 4B is a hollow tube made of a metal material that can be integrally molded so as to be embedded in the lower end wall 2A of the synthetic resin material, and the outflow guide hole 2C and the outflow guide hole 2C A communicating outflow hole 4C is formed. Accordingly, since the coolant does not flow into and out of the battery housing chamber 5, the coolant can be prevented from contacting the positive electrode terminal 100A and the negative electrode terminal 100B of the battery 100.

Next, a procedure for joining the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2 to form a battery case will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, a box-like shape having an open lower end has a space portion between an upper end wall 1A and a cylindrical peripheral wall 1B, and a plurality of cylindrical annular walls 1C are linearly arranged in this space portion. When the mold is filled with a synthetic resin material, a plurality of cylindrical battery housing chambers 5, hollow tubular inflow passages 3B, positive terminal connecting portions 7A and negative terminal connecting in the direction of arrow A are prepared. The metal material of the part 8A is inserted and injection-molded to form a flow path forming space 1E between the annular wall 1C and the battery housing chamber 5. In this case, a positive terminal connection portion 7A is formed in the first and third of a part of the plurality of cylindrical battery housing chambers 5, three in the figure, and the second (middle) battery. A negative electrode terminal connection portion 8A is formed through the contact negative electrode plate 8B. Further, an inflow guide hole 1D is formed in a portion away from the positive electrode terminal connection portion 7A and the negative electrode terminal connection portion 8A, and an inflow passage 3B having an inflow hole 3C communicating with the inflow guide hole 1D is formed in the upper end wall 1A. It is buried in. Next, the upper holder 1 is formed by inserting a spiral molded product formed in a spiral shape in the flow path forming space 1E in the direction of the arrow B and mounting it on the outer periphery of the cylindrical battery housing chamber 5. . On the other hand, the lower holder 2 is hollow in the direction of arrow A when filling a molding die having a box shape with an upper end opened and having a space portion between the lower end wall 2A and the cylindrical peripheral wall 2B. The metal material of the tubular outflow passage 4B, the positive terminal connecting portion 7A and the negative terminal connecting portion 8A is inserted and injection-molded to correspond to the three cylindrical battery housing chambers 5 of the upper holder 1, and the first and Third, the battery contact negative electrode plate 8B is formed, and the lower holder 2 is formed. Thus, the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2 are prepared, and the battery 100 is placed in the battery storage chamber 5 of the upper holder 1 in the first and third, the positive electrode is upward, and in the second (middle). After the positive electrode is inserted in the direction of arrow C with the positive electrode facing down, the upper end of the lower holder 2 opened is joined to the opened lower end of the upper holder 1 with an adhesive or the like so as to overlap in the direction of arrow D Thus, a battery case having a spiral flow path 6 and a plurality of batteries 100 sealed and housed is obtained. In this case, in order to replace the battery 100 in order to replace the battery 100, the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2 may be joined using a removable band instead of an adhesive or welding.

Next, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the flow operation of the cooling liquid for cooling the battery 100 will be described below.

As for the cooling liquid, cooling water is illustrated, and when this cooling liquid flows into the inflow path 3B of the upper holder 1 from the inflow port 3A of the inflow portion 3, the inflowing cooling liquid is formed in the inflow path 3B. The inflow hole 3C (see FIG. 10) flows into the spiral flow path 6 in the flow path forming space 1E of each battery storage chamber 5 through the inflow guide hole 1D, and the coolant flows spirally. It flows from the outflow guide hole 2C of the lower holder 2 through the outflow hole 4C of the outflow portion 4 to the outflow passage 4B and is discharged from the outflow port 4A. The cooling liquid flowing from the inflow part 3 to the outflow part 4 through the flow path 6 is circulated by a cooling liquid supply device (not shown), and the cooling liquid is stored in each battery storage chamber 5 by the spiral flow path 6. The batteries 100 flow smoothly without staying in the flow path forming space 1 </ b> E corresponding to the outer periphery, and each battery 100 is efficiently cooled via the battery housing chamber 5.

(Embodiment 2)
FIGS. 11 to 16 show a second embodiment of the present invention. Like the first embodiment, the battery case has a box shape, and the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2 are joined. Has an inflow part 3 for allowing cooling liquid to flow into the flow path 6, and the lower holder 2 has an outflow part 4 for allowing cooling liquid to flow out of the flow path 6, and the battery 101 accommodated in the battery case is an embodiment. 1, in a secondary battery such as a cylindrical lithium ion battery exemplifying a long cylindrical shape, a positive electrode terminal 101 </ b> A and a negative electrode terminal 101 </ b> B are arranged in parallel at the upper end.

The upper holder 1 has a box shape with an open lower end, and an upper end wall 1A and a cylindrical peripheral wall 1B form a space portion. A plurality of (three in the figure) inner surfaces of the upper end wall 1A are formed in the space portion. An annular wall 1C that is cylindrical and has an open lower end is formed in a straight line. The upper end wall 1A, the peripheral wall 1B, and the annular wall 1C are integrally formed of a synthetic resin material. The synthetic resin material includes polyphenylene sulfide resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polystyrene resin, polycarbonate resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyethylene naphthalate resin. Examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as polybutylene naphthalate resins, fluorine resins, and polyether ether ketone resins, and thermosetting resins such as phenol resins and epoxy resins.

A cylindrical battery housing chamber 5 is formed integrally with the upper end wall 1A inside each cylindrical annular wall 1C. The material of the battery housing chamber 5 is a material having good thermal conductivity as in the first embodiment. For example, a metal material such as aluminum, copper, or iron, or a metal material that has been surface-treated such as forming a nickel film on the surface of the metal material Or it is metal materials, such as stainless steel, and the shape is the magnitude | size which accommodates the battery 101, and in the figure, since the long cylindrical battery is illustrated, it is long cylindrical shape and is integrated with 1 A of upper end walls. Molded. On the outer periphery of the battery housing chamber 5, a flow path 6 that spirally extends in the lower end direction is formed in the flow path forming space 1E between the annular wall 1C. In order to form the flow path 6 in a spiral shape, for example, a spiral molded product in which a synthetic resin material such as a fluorine-based resin or a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel is formed in a spiral shape is used. What is necessary is just to mount | wear with the flow-path formation space part 1E of the outer periphery of the battery storage chamber 5. FIG. Further, when the upper end wall 1A, the peripheral wall 1B and the annular wall 1C are made of a synthetic resin material and are integrally formed with the battery housing chamber 5 made of a metal material, the upper end wall 1A communicates with the battery housing chamber 5 as shown in FIG. A pair of terminal penetration holes 1F and 1F are formed with a mold. As a result, when the battery 101 is housed in the battery housing chamber 5, as shown in FIG. 11, the electrode terminal of the positive electrode of the battery 101 is inserted into each of the terminal insertion holes 1F and 1F on the upper end surface of each battery housing chamber 5. The positive electrode terminal 9 and the negative electrode terminal 10 are formed by inserting 101A and the negative electrode terminal 101B so as to protrude outside the upper end wall 1A and being connected and fixed by bolting or the like.

Further, the upper end wall 1A is formed with an inflow portion 3 for allowing the coolant to flow into the flow path 6 between the terminal insertion holes 1F and 1F, that is, between the positive electrode terminal 9 and the negative electrode terminal 10 at a substantially central portion. Has been. The inflow portion 3 includes an inflow passage 3B and an inflow port 3A. The inflow port 3A communicates with the inflow passage 3B and is formed to protrude outward from the peripheral wall 1B at the upper end wall 1A. This inflow passage 3B is made of a hollow tube made of a metal material that can be integrally molded so as to be embedded in the upper end wall 1A of a synthetic resin material. In this case, in order to embed the inflow passage 3B in the upper end wall 1A of the synthetic resin material, the upper end wall 1A and the cylindrical peripheral wall 1B have a space portion, and a plurality of cylindrical annular walls 1C are provided in the space portion. Are prepared in a straight line, and when filling the mold with a synthetic resin material, a plurality of cylindrical battery housing chambers 5 and metal materials of the hollow tubular inflow passages 3B are prepared. It is obtained by inserting and injection molding. Further, the inflow path 3B is the same as in the first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of inflow holes 3C are formed so that the coolant flows into each flow path 6. In the portion of the inflow hole 3C, a constricted portion 3D that locally narrows the inflow passage 3B is formed so that the inner wall surface of the inflow passage 3B protrudes partially, so that the coolant flows into the flow passage 6. For ease of explanation, an inflow guide hole 1D communicating with the inflow hole 3C of the inflow path 3B is formed at the upper end wall 1A at a portion of the upper end surface of each battery housing chamber 5. Therefore, since the coolant does not flow into the battery housing chamber 5, the positive electrode terminal 101A and the negative electrode terminal 101B of the battery 101 can be prevented from coming into contact with the coolant.

On the other hand, the lower holder 2 has a box shape with an upper end opened, and is joined to the upper holder 1 so as to close the opening at the lower end of the upper holder 1 with the lower end wall 2A and the cylindrical peripheral wall 2B. The lower end wall 2A and the peripheral wall 2B are made of a synthetic resin material, and the same material as the upper end wall 1A, the peripheral wall 1B and the annular wall 1C of the upper holder 1 can be exemplified. A plurality of outflow guide holes 2C and an outflow portion 4 through which the coolant flows out from the flow path 6 are formed at a substantially central portion of the lower end wall 2A. The outflow portion 4 includes an outflow passage 4B and an outflow port 4A protruding outward from the peripheral wall 2B communicating with the outflow passage 4B. The outflow passage 4B is made of a hollow tube made of a metal material that can be integrally molded so as to be embedded in the lower end wall 2A of the synthetic resin material. In this case, in order to embed the outflow passage 4B in the lower end wall 2A of the synthetic resin material, when filling the molding die having a space portion with the lower end wall 2A and the cylindrical peripheral wall 2B, The metal material of the outflow passage 4B is inserted and obtained by injection molding. The outflow path 4B is formed with an outflow hole 4C communicating with the outflow guide hole 2C so as to allow the coolant to flow out from the respective flow paths 6. Therefore, since the coolant does not flow into and out of the battery housing chamber 5, the positive electrode terminal 101A and the negative electrode terminal 101B of the battery 101 can be prevented from coming into contact with the coolant.

In the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2, the upper end opened of the lower holder 2 is joined to the opened lower end of the upper holder 1 by joining with an adhesive or a band as in the first embodiment, A battery case having a spiral flow path 6 and containing a plurality of batteries 101 is obtained so as to close the opening at the lower end of the upper holder 1, and the cooling liquid exemplifies cooling water flows through the inflow portion 3. When flowing into the inflow path 3B of the upper holder 1 from the inlet 3A, the inflowing coolant flows from the inflow holes 3C (see FIG. 10) formed in the inflow path 3B through the inflow guide holes 1D to the respective battery accommodating chambers 5. The coolant flows spirally in the spiral flow path 6 in the flow path forming space 1E, flows from the outflow guide hole 2C of the lower holder 2 to the outflow path 4B through the outflow hole 4C of the outflow section 4. It is discharged from the outlet 4A. At that time, the inflow portion 3 and the outflow portion 4 are circulated by a coolant supply device (not shown), and each battery 101 can be efficiently cooled via each battery housing chamber 5.

(Embodiment 3)
FIGS. 17 to 21 show Embodiment 3 of the present invention, in which the battery case is box-shaped, and is formed by joining the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2, and the coolant is allowed to flow into the upper holder 1. A battery 100 having an inflow part 3 and an outflow part 4 for allowing cooling liquid to flow out and accommodated in the battery case is a secondary battery such as a cylindrical lithium ion battery, which is exemplified by the same cylindrical shape as that of the first embodiment, and is a positive electrode. The electrode terminal 100A and the negative electrode terminal 100B are provided at the upper end and the lower end, respectively, but the portions of the inflow portion 3 and the outflow portion 4 are different from those of the first embodiment and will be described below.

FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 are a front view, a side view and a plan view of the cooling device, respectively, and the upper holder 1 is formed with an inflow portion 3 and an outflow portion 4. The side holder 2 is not formed with the outflow portion 4. 20 and 21 are a cross-sectional view of a side portion and a front portion of a cooling device, respectively, and the upper holder 1 is a box shape with an open lower end, and the material thereof is the same synthetic resin material as in the first embodiment. An upper end wall 1A and a cylindrical peripheral wall 1B form a space portion, and this space portion has an annular wall having a plurality of (for example, three) cylindrical openings on the inner surface of the upper end wall 1A. 1C is formed in a straight line. In each cylindrical annular wall 1C, a cylindrical battery housing chamber 5 with upper and lower ends opened is formed integrally with the upper end wall 1A with the same material and shape as in the first embodiment. And the annular wall 1C is a flow path forming space 1E. Unlike the first embodiment, the upper holder 1 is provided with an inflow path 3B and an outflow path 4B. An injection path 1H made of a through hole is formed between the peripheral wall 1B and the annular wall 1C. The injection path 1H communicates with the inflow guide hole 1D of the upper holder 1 at the upper end of the lower holder 2. The lower end is closed by the lower holder 2. Further, a hole 1J communicating with the flow path forming space 1E is formed at the lower end of the injection path 1H. A flow path 6 made of a spiral molded product similar to that of the first embodiment is formed in the flow path forming space 1E, and the spiral shape of the spiral molded product is opposite to that of the first embodiment in the upward direction. The coolant flowing in from the hole 1J flows from the direction of the lower holder 2 to the direction of the upper holder 1 and flows out of the outflow guide hole 1G. In addition, a positive terminal connecting portion 7A or a negative terminal connecting portion 8A made of a metal material such as aluminum or copper is formed at a substantially central portion of the upper end surface inside each battery housing chamber 5. Among them, for the negative electrode terminal connection portion 8 </ b> A, a battery contact negative electrode plate 8 </ b> B is formed on the inner surface of the upper end surface of the battery housing chamber 5. Therefore, the inflow path 3B and the outflow path 4B are formed in a portion away from the positive terminal 7 and the negative terminal 8 in the upper end wall 1A. The electrode terminal 100A and the electrode terminal 100B exemplify a positive electrode and a negative electrode, respectively. However, in a cylindrical lithium ion battery made of aluminum, the electrode terminal 100A and the electrode terminal 100B are a negative electrode terminal.

On the other hand, the lower holder 2 has a box shape with an upper end opened, and is joined to the upper holder 1 so as to close the opening at the lower end of the upper holder 1 with the lower end wall 2A and the cylindrical peripheral wall 2B. The lower end wall 2A and the peripheral wall 2B are made of a synthetic resin material, and the same material as the upper end wall 1A, the peripheral wall 1B and the annular wall 1C of the upper holder 1 can be exemplified. The positive electrode terminal 7 and the negative electrode terminal 8 which are electrode terminals of the battery 100 connected to the positive electrode terminal connection portion 7A and the negative electrode terminal connection portion 8A are provided at the lower end wall 2A. Are arranged side by side so as to be a pair of a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal 8 of the upper end wall 1A and a positive electrode and a negative electrode. In this case, the negative electrode terminal 8 is connected to the negative electrode terminal connection portion 8A via a battery contact negative electrode plate 8B formed on the upper surface of the lower end wall 2A (the surface facing the battery storage chamber 5 of the upper holder 1).

The upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2 formed as described above are joined together with an adhesive, a welded band, or a removable band in the same manner as in the first embodiment. A battery case in which the battery 100 is accommodated is obtained, and the coolant flows from the inflow guide hole 1D to the injection path 1H, from the hole 1J to the flow path 6, and to the outflow guide hole 1G. Thus, since the flow path 6 is spiral, the coolant flows smoothly without stagnation, and each battery 100 can be efficiently cooled via each battery housing chamber 5. Moreover, since the coolant does not flow into and out of each battery housing chamber 5, the electrode terminals 100A and 100B of each battery can be prevented from coming into contact with the coolant, and the inflow path 3B and the outflow path 4B are on the upper side. Since it is arranged in parallel with the holder 1, a space for providing the outflow passage 4B in the lower holder 2 is not required, and a compact cooling device can be provided.

In the third embodiment, the coolant flows in the direction of the lower holder 2 from the inflow guide hole 1D of the upper holder 1 having the inflow path 3B, and passes through the spiral flow path 6 from the upper surface of the lower holder 2. The injection path 1H is used to flow out from the outflow guide hole 1G to the outflow path 4B in the upper holder 1, but instead of such an injection path 1H, from the inflow guide hole 1D of the upper holder 1 The coolant may flow directly into the flow path forming space 1E. For example, although not shown, the spiral flow path 6 is moved upward (position of the upper holder 1) so that the coolant flows into the spiral flow path 6 from the inflow guide hole 1D and flows out to the outflow guide hole 1G. So that the coolant flows spirally downward (position of the lower holder 2), and then the coolant turns back from below (position of the lower holder 2) and spirals upward (position of the upper holder 1). It may be formed so that the cooling liquid flows through.

In the present invention, the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2 may be reversed in the vertical direction or in the horizontal direction. In the first, second, and third embodiments, the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2 each have a cylindrical peripheral wall 1B, 2B and have a box shape with one end opened. The upper wall 1A or the lower wall 2A alone may be used to form a box shape by combining the upper holder 1 and the lower holder 2 without the peripheral walls 1B and 2B.

The cooling device of the present invention has a coolant flow path so that the battery case can accommodate a plurality of batteries so as to become a battery pack or a battery pack and cool each battery. A plurality of secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries can be connected to cool a power supply device for driving a motor such as an automobile that requires high power.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Upper holder 2 Lower holder 3 Inflow part 4 Outflow part 5 Battery storage chamber 6 Flow path

Claims (4)

In a cooling device that has a flow path for cooling liquid and accommodates a plurality of batteries in a battery case provided with positive and negative electrode terminals, and cools each battery, a plurality of cylindrical shapes are formed in the battery case. A cooling device that cools each battery by flowing a cooling liquid around the outer periphery of the battery housing chamber, wherein a spiral flow path is formed on the outer periphery of each battery housing chamber. Is formed by close bonding of a cylindrical upper holder with an open lower end and a cylindrical lower holder with an upper end open, and the upper holder or the lower holder is separated from the electrode terminal The cooling device further includes an inlet for allowing the cooling liquid to flow into the flow path and an outlet for allowing the cooling liquid to flow out of the flow path . 2. The upper holder and the lower holder are made of a synthetic resin material, and a plurality of cylindrical battery housing chambers made of a metal material are integrally formed on the upper holder. Cooling system. 3. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the upper holder has an inflow portion through which a cooling liquid flows in, and the lower holder has an outflow portion through which the cooling liquid flows out. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper holder has an inflow portion for allowing a coolant to flow in and an outflow portion for allowing the coolant to flow out.

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