JPH05193370A - Battery box for electric automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To cool each battery effectively and securely by disposing plural batteries in a containing part concentrically, and putting the specified batteries disposed at least in the outermost line through spaces between the batteries protruding on the containing part side to be apart from each other a desired interval. CONSTITUTION:Plural batteries are disposed concentrically in a containing part inside a box main body 34, and the specified batteries disposed at least on the outermost line through spaces 40a, 40b between the batteries protruding in this containing part are put to be apart from each other for a desired interval. The batteries disposed at a center part can thus be cooled effectively through cooling air because other batteries as heat sources are not existing at least on one side of a car width.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery box for an electric vehicle that centrally houses a plurality of batteries for driving the electric vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as a power source for driving an electric vehicle, one configured by connecting a plurality of batteries in series is used. For example, when using a 12V battery, it is necessary to connect nine or more batteries in series and load them into an electric vehicle in order to obtain a desired electric power. A structure is adopted in which it is hung from a vehicle body frame member under the floor in a state of being housed in the vehicle (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-350).
23).

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of batteries in a plurality of rows in the vehicle length direction and the vehicle width direction and in close proximity to each other in order to narrow the space for accommodating the batteries. There is. Therefore, even if it is attempted to forcibly cool the battery via the fan, it is possible to effectively cool the battery, especially in the central portion where other batteries that are heat sources are arranged close to each other in the front, rear, left and right. The problem of not being able to do so has been pointed out. As a result, the performance of the battery is degraded and the cycle life of the battery is reduced.

The present invention solves this kind of problem, in which a plurality of batteries are centrally housed in a battery box and each battery can be cooled effectively and surely. Intended to provide a box.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a battery box for centrally disposing a plurality of batteries for driving an electric vehicle, the battery box comprising: A box body for accommodating a battery is provided, and the box body is oriented in the vehicle length direction and / or the vehicle width direction, and an accommodating portion for disposing the batteries in a plurality of rows in the vehicle length direction and the vehicle width direction, respectively. It is characterized in that it is provided with a battery separating portion which is provided in substantially middle portions of both side walls and which separates predetermined batteries, which protrude toward the accommodation portion side and are arranged in at least the outermost row, from each other by a predetermined distance. ..

[0006]

In the battery box for an electric vehicle according to the present invention described above, a plurality of batteries are centrally arranged in a housing portion in the box body, and at least a battery separating portion protruding into the housing portion is provided. The predetermined batteries arranged in the outermost row are separated from each other by a desired distance. Therefore, especially in the battery arranged in the central portion, for example, another battery does not exist in the vehicle width direction, and the cooling work of this battery is surely performed.

[0007]

The battery box for an electric vehicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2, reference numeral 10
Shows an electric vehicle to which the battery box according to the present embodiment is applied. The electric vehicle 10 includes front wheels 12 and rear wheels 14 and a vehicle body 16. A frame member 18 forming the vehicle body 16 has a hollow shape, and
A front cross member 22a and a rear cross member 22b are provided between the side frames 20a and 20b (see FIG. 2).

A battery box 30 according to this embodiment is suspended between the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 14 on the side frames 20a and 20b. This battery box 30
Is a plurality of batteries 3 for driving the electric vehicle 10.
This electric vehicle 1 accommodates 2a to 32p.
The box main body 34 is attached to the battery pack 0. The box main body 34 has a plurality of rows of the batteries in the vehicle length direction (direction of arrow A in FIG. 4) and the vehicle width direction (direction of arrow B in FIG. 4). Housing 36 for disposing 32a to 32p
And the predetermined batteries 32e and 32m and the batteries 32h and 32p which are provided in substantially the middle portions of the side walls 38a and 38b oriented in the vehicle length direction and which project toward the housing portion 36 and are arranged in the outermost row, Battery separating parts 40a and 40b are arranged to be separated from each other by a predetermined interval L.

The battery separating parts 40a and 40b are
It is configured by bending both side walls 38a and 38b in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle length direction.
It has a space capable of accommodating batteries for the number of batteries.

A casing 42 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided at the front end of the box body 34 in the vehicle body traveling direction. The casing 42 has an upper end side communicating with the cross member 22a and a lower end side thereof. The cylindrical bodies 44a and 44b communicating with the inside of the housing 42 are fixed. The cross member 22a and the inside of the box body 34 communicate with each other through the tubular bodies 44a and 44b, and a hole 48a is formed at the rear end of the box body 34.
Cooling fans 50a and 50b are mounted via 48b. The fans 50a and 50b are provided with exhaust ducts 52a,
The exhaust ducts 52a, 52 are surrounded by the exhaust duct 52b.
b is opened in the cross member 22b.

Both side walls 38a, 38b of the box body 34
Includes a front attachment portion 56a and a rear attachment portion 56.
b is provided, and the front attachment portion 56a and the rear attachment portion 56b are fixed to the side frames 20a, 20b via bolts 58a, 58b. A lid 60 is mounted on the top of the box body 34 so as to be openable and closable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the battery box 30
A passenger compartment 82 is formed above the floor through the floor 80,
A front seat 84 and a rear seat 86 are provided in the passenger compartment 82.
And are installed. Between the front seat 84 and the rear seat 86, the rear seat side foot rest portions 88a, 88b are provided.
The foot rests 88a, 88b correspond to the positions of the battery separating portions 40a, 40b of the battery box 30 (see FIG. 3).

The floor 80 includes a lower floor 102 and an upper floor 104. The lower floor 102 is
One end is fixed to the front cross member 105 and extends downward, extends horizontally above the battery box 30, and reaches the rear end portion of the vehicle body 16. The upper floor 104 is fixed to the lower floor 102 and also serves as a holding structure for the rear seat 86. Further, a chamber 106 is formed between the upper floor 104 and the lower floor 102, and the upper floor 104 is fixed to the rear end portion of the lower floor 102. A motor controller 108, a power distribution box 110, and a voltage converter 112 are arranged in this chamber 106 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

A drive motor 13 is provided on the rear end side of the vehicle body 16.
0 is mounted, and the motor 130 is connected to the rear wheel drive shaft 134 via the transmission 132. A cooling fan 138 is connected to the motor 130 via a duct 136.

Next, the electric vehicle 1 thus constructed
The operation of 0 will be described in relation to the battery box 30 according to the present embodiment.

First, the motor 130 is driven by the electric power supplied from the batteries 32a to 32p via the motor controller 108, and the rear wheels 14 rotate under the rotating action of the rear wheel drive shaft 134 connected to the transmission 132, This electric vehicle 10 runs. Each battery 32
a to 32p are connected in series, and actually 192V
Since the high voltage is output, the voltage is reduced to a predetermined voltage via the voltage converter 112 and supplied to the motor 130.

At this time, by driving the fans 50a and 50b, the cooling air in the cross member 22a is sucked through the housing 42, and this cooling air is shown in FIG.
It flows through the inside of the box body 34 as shown by the arrow.
Then, the cooling air that has cooled the batteries 32a to 32p housed in the box body 34 is discharged into the cross member 22b via the exhaust ducts 52a and 52b.

In this case, in this embodiment, the box body 34
In addition, since the battery separating portions 40a and 40b that project inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the housing portion 36 are provided, the portions corresponding to the battery separating portions 40a and 40b are
Neither battery is present. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, since the batteries 32i to 32l arranged in the central portion do not have another battery as a heat source on at least one side in the vehicle width direction, the batteries 32i to 32l are effectively used via the cooling air. It is possible to obtain the effect that it is possible to prevent the temperature from becoming higher than the required temperature by being cooled.

The batteries 32f and 32g arranged in front of the central portion are the other batteries 32b and 32c,
It is surrounded by 32e, 32h, 32i, and 32j in the front, rear, left, and right, but is close to the casing 42 that is a cooling air introducing portion. For this reason, it becomes possible to effectively cool the cooling air through the cooling air having a relatively low temperature and prevent the temperature from becoming higher than the required temperature.

Further, in this embodiment, the foot rests 88a, 88b of the rear seat 86 correspond to the positions of the battery separating portions 40a, 40b of the battery box 30.
Therefore, the passenger of the rear seat 86 is
By throwing one's feet on 88b, a suitable riding comfort can be secured. As a result, the battery box 3
It is possible to arrange 0 close to the passenger compartment 82 side,
The advantage that the accommodation space of the battery box 30 can be narrowed is obtained.

[0022]

According to the battery box for an electric vehicle of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

A plurality of batteries are centrally arranged in the accommodating portion, and the predetermined batteries arranged at least in the outermost row through the battery separating portions protruding toward the accommodating portion side are mutually desired. Separated by the interval. Therefore, the battery arranged in the central portion does not include any other battery as a heat source in the vehicle width direction or the vehicle length direction. Therefore, it is possible to reliably and effectively cool the plurality of batteries arranged close to each other.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration side view of an electric vehicle incorporating a battery box according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a part of an upper floor is cut away, based on a frame member.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a state where the floor of the electric vehicle is removed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view of the battery box.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a box body that constitutes the battery box.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Electric vehicle 16 ... Vehicle body 18 ... Frame members 20a, 20b ... Side frames 22a, 22b ... Cross member 30 ... Battery box 34 ... Box body 36 ... Housing 38a, 38b ... Side walls 40a, 40b ... Battery separation part 42 ... Housing Body 44 ... Cylindrical body 50a, 50b ... Fan 52a, 52b ... Exhaust duct 80 ... Floor 82 ... Vehicle compartment 88a, 88b ... Foot rest 102 ... Lower floor 104 ... Upper floor 130 ... Motor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A battery box for centrally arranging a plurality of batteries for driving an electric vehicle, comprising: a box main body accommodating the plurality of batteries, wherein the box main body is in a vehicle length direction. And accommodating portions for arranging batteries in a plurality of rows in the vehicle width direction, and substantially intermediate portions of both side walls that are oriented in the vehicle length direction and / or the vehicle width direction, and project toward the accommodating portion side. A battery box for an electric vehicle, comprising: a battery separating portion for separating at least predetermined batteries arranged in the outermost row from each other by a predetermined distance. 2. The battery box according to claim 1, wherein a battery separating portion projecting toward the accommodating portion is provided at a substantially middle portion of both side walls of the box body parallel to the vehicle length direction, and the battery separating portion is A battery box for an electric vehicle, which is arranged corresponding to a footrest position on the rear seat side.