WO2023286201A1

WO2023286201A1 - Housing

Info

Publication number: WO2023286201A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/026450
Authority: WO
Inventors: 健寛右原; 尚久高橋; 洋敬栗田; 洋之永本; 佳祐栗本; 孝幸小林
Original assignee: ヤマハ発動機株式会社
Priority date: 2021-07-14
Filing date: 2021-07-14
Publication date: 2023-01-19
Also published as: TW202308267A; WO2023286623A1

Abstract

A housing (1) has a housing wall (5) forming a refrigerant passage (10). The housing wall and a lattice structure (20) including a plurality of unit cells (21) are formed so as to be continuous. The lattice structure is formed such that a part of the housing wall and another part of the housing wall are connected in a plurality of directions included in a cross section by a portion including a plurality of unit cells in the lattice structure. The plurality of unit cells are formed in a plurality of respective cell spaces (22) of a convex polyhedron having the same number of vertices, the same number of faces and the same number of sides, each cell space sharing one face and a plurality of sides forming this face with the adjacent cell space. The lattice structure includes at least one type of unit cell that is periodically repeated, and each unit cell has a rod-shaped portion that is not parallel to any side of its own cell space and/or a wall surface that is not parallel to any face of its own cell space.

Description

housing

The present invention relates to a housing, particularly a housing that houses contents including a heat source.

The housing that houses the content including the heat source has a housing wall that forms a housing space that houses the content including the heat source. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a housing for containing contents including a heat source, there is one in which an elongated coolant passage is formed between the outer surface and the inner surface of a housing wall. The heat generated by the heat source is radiated to the outside through the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage. An elongated refrigerant passage is a refrigerant passage formed so that the maximum width of the refrigerant passage in a cross section across the refrigerant flow direction is shorter than the length of the refrigerant passage in the refrigerant flow direction.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a housing that accommodates a motor (heat source) has a housing wall portion in which an elongated refrigerant passage is formed. The housing wall includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder that hold the stator of the motor. A coolant passage is formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. In Patent Literature 1, a plurality of columns that connect the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are used to improve the rigidity of the housing wall portion (in particular, the inner cylinder) and to improve the cooling performance.

JP 2010-041835 A

Enclosures with enclosure walls in which coolant passages are formed are required to have improved rigidity and strength, as well as improved cooling performance. The strength here is yield strength and/or tensile strength.

An object of the present invention is to provide a housing that can further improve the rigidity and strength of the housing and further improve the cooling performance of the housing.

A housing that houses contents including a heat source has a problem that the shape of the outer surface and inner surface of the housing is restricted for the following two reasons. The first reason is that it is necessary to consider the shape of the contents and the interference with surrounding parts when mounting the housing. The second reason is that it is necessary to secure the rigidity and strength necessary to support the contents and the housing itself. Therefore, when the housing has a housing wall portion in which an elongated coolant channel is formed, the following problems still exist. The housing, which is restricted by the shape of the outer surface and the inner surface of the housing, is required to have improved cooling performance. Restrictions on the shape of the outer and inner surfaces of the housing impose restrictions on the shape of the coolant passage formed inside the wall of the housing.
The inventors conducted more detailed research on the housing and housing wall portion of Patent Document 1 in order to improve the rigidity and strength of the housing and to improve the cooling performance of the housing. In Patent Document 1, the rigidity of the housing is increased by connecting the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder with a column. Increasing the number of cylinders increases the rigidity. However, it is difficult to increase the number of cylinders because it is necessary to ensure the flow of the coolant. Moreover, depending on the type of housing, it is difficult to provide a large number of cylinders close to each other in the coolant passage. In Patent Literature 1, a plurality of cylinders formed inside the coolant passage generate turbulence of the coolant around the cylinders. The stirring action of this turbulent flow reduces the stagnation of the refrigerant, thereby increasing the efficiency of heat exchange and enhancing the cooling performance. However, the range of turbulence generated by the cylinder is limited. Moreover, the eddy that constitutes the turbulent flow generated by the cylinder tends to grow large. Also, high flow velocities are required to create turbulence with a cylinder. When the flow velocity is low, only the Karman vortex street occurs, so the stirring action is small. In addition, since the shape of the outer and inner surfaces of the housing is restricted, the shape of the coolant passage and the orientation and position of the cylinder are also restricted. Therefore, when observed in more detail, in Patent Document 1, there is an imbalance in the flow position and/or flow velocity of the coolant in the cross section of the coolant passage, and there is room for improving the cooling efficiency. In order to further improve the rigidity, strength, and cooling performance of the housing, even if the shape of the coolant passage formed inside the housing wall is restricted due to the shape restrictions of the outer and inner surfaces of the housing, There is a demand for a cooling structure that can improve the rigidity, strength, and cooling performance of the housing.

A housing of one embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration.
A housing having a housing wall forming a housing space for housing contents including a heat source,
the housing wall forms a coolant passage through which a coolant flows between an outer surface and an inner surface of the housing wall;
The refrigerant passage is formed such that the maximum width of the refrigerant passage in a cross section that traverses the refrigerant flow direction is shorter than the length of the refrigerant passage in the refrigerant flow direction,
The housing has a cooling structure in which heat generated by the heat source is radiated to the outside through the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant passage,
The housing wall portion forming the refrigerant passage and a lattice structure portion including a plurality of unit cells are formed so as to be continuous,
The lattice structure is a portion including the plurality of unit cells of the lattice structure between a portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in a plurality of directions included in the cross section. formed to connect,
The plurality of unit cells are connected such that the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section passing through the lattice structure,
The plurality of unit cells are respectively formed in a plurality of cell spaces of a convex polyhedron having the same number of vertices, the same number of faces, and the same number of sides, and each cell space includes the adjacent cell space and one face and its face. and the lattice structure includes at least one type of unit cell that is periodically repeated, each unit cell having a bar that is not parallel to all sides of its cell space. and at least one of a wall surface that is not parallel to all surfaces of the cell space of itself, and the internal space of each unit cell is divided into the internal spaces of the plurality of unit cells adjacent to this unit cell, and the refrigerant can move. are connected like this.

According to this configuration, the housing has a housing wall portion that forms a housing space that houses the content including the heat source. The housing wall forms a coolant passage through which a coolant flows between the outer surface and the inner surface of the housing wall. The coolant passage is formed such that the maximum width of the coolant passage in a cross section is shorter than the length of the coolant passage in the coolant flow direction. A lattice structure including a plurality of unit cells is provided in the coolant passage. The lattice structure includes at least one type of unit cell that is periodically repeated. A plurality of unit cells are respectively formed in a plurality of cell spaces of a convex polyhedron having the same number of vertices, the same number of faces, and the same number of sides. A cell space shares a face and a plurality of sides forming the face with an adjacent cell space. Each unit cell has at least one of a bar-shaped portion that is not parallel to all sides of its cell space and a wall surface that is not parallel to all surfaces of its cell space. The internal space of each unit cell is connected to the internal spaces of a plurality of adjacent unit cells so that the refrigerant can move. With such a configuration of the lattice structure, it is possible to divert the refrigerant flow flowing through the refrigerant passage and add small eddies to the refrigerant flow while suppressing the occurrence of large eddies in the turbulent flow field. Moreover, when the flow velocity of the coolant is the same as when the column is provided inside the coolant passage, a turbulent flow with a higher agitating action can be generated. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the flow position of the coolant in the cross section of the coolant passage and/or the deviation of the coolant flow rate and/or the flow rate without being affected by the restrictions of the shape of the outer surface and the inner surface of the housing. Therefore, the cooling performance of the housing can be further improved. Moreover, the plurality of unit cells are connected so that the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section passing through the lattice structure. Therefore, it is easier to adjust the deviation and/or the flow velocity by the lattice structure without being affected by the restrictions of the shape of the outer surface and the inner surface of the housing. Therefore, the cooling performance of the housing can be further improved.
In addition, the lattice structure is formed so as to be continuous with the housing wall portion forming the coolant passage, and is configured to extend from a portion of the housing wall portion and the other portion of the housing wall portion in a plurality of directions in the cross section of the coolant passage. A portion of the lattice structure portion including a plurality of unit cells is formed so as to be connected to the portion of the lattice structure. Thereby, the lattice structure can be arranged so that the coolant passage of the housing wall is filled with the lattice structure without sacrificing the flow of the coolant. Therefore, the rigidity, strength and cooling performance of the housing can be improved to a higher level. Specifically, the lattice structure makes it easier to adjust the bias and/or the flow velocity, so that the cooling performance of the housing can be further improved. In addition, while improving the rigidity and strength of the housing, the cooling performance of the housing can be further improved by adjusting the distance between the heat source and the coolant and the state of the flow of the coolant.
As described above, the housing of the present invention can further improve the rigidity and strength of the housing, and further improve the cooling performance of the housing.

A housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may have the following configuration.
In the lattice structure, the plurality of unit cells of the lattice structure are separated from one part of the housing wall and another part of the housing wall in two mutually orthogonal directions included in the cross section. It is formed so as to be connected at the containing portion.

According to this configuration, the position of the coolant flowing in the cross section of the coolant passage and/or the deviation of the coolant flow speed and/or the flow speed can be controlled by the lattice structure without being affected by the shape restrictions of the outer surface and the inner surface of the housing. Easy to adjust. Therefore, the cooling performance of the housing can be further improved.

A housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may have the following configuration.
The lattice structure portion includes at least one type of unit cells that are periodically repeated at least in the coolant flow direction.

With this configuration, it is easy to grasp the tendency of the refrigerant flow in the lattice structure. Therefore, the position where the coolant flows in the cross section of the coolant passage and/or the bias and/or the flow velocity of the coolant can be easily adjusted by the lattice structure. Therefore, the cooling performance of the housing can be further improved.

A housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may have the following configuration.
The lattice structure portion includes at least one type of unit cells that are periodically repeated in at least a direction crossing the coolant flow direction.

A housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may have the following configuration.
The lattice structure includes a plurality of unit cells arranged in a line in the coolant flow direction from one end to the other end of the lattice structure.

A housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may have the following configuration.
Each unit cell has the same shape as any of the unit cells of the lattice structure.

It should be noted that the housing of the present invention is applied to a device comprising a housing for housing contents including a heat source and the contents. The type of device is not particularly limited. At least a portion of the outer surface of the device consists of at least a portion of the outer surface of the housing.

<Heat source>
In the present invention and embodiments, a heat source means an object that generates heat by itself. A heat source does not include anything that receives thermal energy and generates heat. The heat source may or may not be a device. Heat sources include objects that are capable of generating heat multiple times. Heat sources may include objects that are capable of generating heat multiple times and objects that generate heat only once. A heat source need not include a one-time heat generating object. Heat sources include objects that generate heat from electrical energy. A heat source may be, for example, anything that generates heat from electrical energy. Heat sources may include those that generate heat from electrical energy and those that generate heat from kinetic energy. A heat source need not include anything that generates heat from electrical energy. Heat resulting from kinetic energy is, for example, frictional heat. Heat sources may include those that generate heat from electrical energy and those that generate heat through chemical reactions. Heat sources may include those that generate heat from electrical energy, those that generate heat from kinetic energy, and those that generate heat through chemical reactions. The heat source may be free of substances that generate heat through chemical reactions.

<Case wall>
In the present invention and embodiments, the inner surface of the housing wall means the surface forming the accommodation space of the housing wall. The inner surface of the housing wall is exposed to the gas within the housing space. Alternatively, the inner surface of the housing wall is exposed to the liquid in the accommodation space. The outer surface of the housing wall means the side opposite to the inner surface of the housing wall. The outer surface of the housing wall may or may not be parallel to the inner surface of the housing wall. The outer surface of the housing wall may or may not form the outer surface of the housing.
In the present invention and embodiments, the housing wall may be composed of one independent component or may be composed of a plurality of components. For example, the housing wall may be composed of a plurality of parts that are connected in the refrigerant flow direction. Further, for example, the outer surface and the inner surface of the housing wall may be formed of different components. The inner surface of the housing wall portion to the coolant passage may be integrally molded. The outer surface of the housing wall portion to the coolant passage may be integrally molded. The material of the housing wall is not particularly limited. The housing wall may be made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin.

<Refrigerant passage>
In the present invention and embodiments, a refrigerant passage means a space through which a refrigerant flows. In the present invention and embodiments, the refrigerant passage may have a shape that allows a single stroke from the inlet to the outlet of the refrigerant, or may have a branch point where the refrigerant flow branches and/or a confluence point where the refrigerant flows join. The coolant passage may be tubular and formed between the tubular inner surface and the tubular outer peripheral surface of the housing wall portion. In this case, the refrigerant flows in the cylinder axis direction. In the present invention and embodiments, the housing wall may have multiple coolant passages or may have a single coolant passage. That is, the housing wall has at least one coolant passage.
In accordance with the invention and embodiments, the refrigerant may be liquid or gaseous. The liquid refrigerant may be water or may be other than water. The gas refrigerant may be air or may be other than air. The refrigerant may be forcibly introduced into the refrigerant passage by a dedicated device for pumping the refrigerant (for example, a fan or a pump). Refrigerant may be introduced into the refrigerant passage without using a dedicated device. For example, the refrigerant may be introduced into the refrigerant passage using the gravity of the liquid refrigerant. For example, part of the airflow received by the housing as the housing moves may be introduced into the refrigerant passage as a refrigerant. Also, for example, the air refrigerant may be introduced into the refrigerant passage using the rise of warmed air.
In the present invention and embodiments, the refrigerant flow direction is the direction in which the refrigerant flows. In the present invention and the embodiments, the cross section crossing the coolant flow direction is also the cross section crossing the coolant passage. The cross section is the cross section of the coolant passage. In cross section, the coolant passage is surrounded by the housing wall. The cross-section that traverses the coolant flow direction may be a plane orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the coolant flow direction. As long as it is not near a branch point or a confluence point, there may be only one direction of refrigerant flow defined for one cross-section of the refrigerant passage. The coolant flow direction may be the direction of the central axis of the coolant passage. Depending on the use of the housing, the coolant flow direction may be switched to the opposite direction. In the present invention and embodiments, the refrigerant passage may or may not have a portion where the direction of refrigerant flow is not linear but changes. The coolant passage may or may not have a portion where the cross-sectional area changes.

In the present invention, that the maximum width of the refrigerant passage in a cross section is shorter than the length of the refrigerant passage in the direction of refrigerant flow means that the maximum width of the refrigerant passage in one cross section is shorter than the length of the refrigerant passage in the direction of refrigerant flow. means that The maximum width of the coolant passage in the cross section may be shorter than the length of the coolant passage in the coolant flow direction, regardless of the position of the cross section in the coolant flow direction.
In the present invention and embodiments, the maximum width of the coolant passage in the cross section is the maximum length of a line segment that exists only in the coolant passage in the cross section. A line segment existing only in the coolant passage may overlap with the lattice structure portion.
When the refrigerant passage has branch points and/or confluence points, the refrigerant passage may have a plurality of lengths in the refrigerant flow direction. When the refrigerant passage has a branch point and/or a confluence point, when the maximum width of the refrigerant passage in the cross section is shorter than the length of the refrigerant flow direction of the refrigerant passage, the maximum width of the refrigerant passage in the cross section is It means shorter than the shortest length in the machine direction.

<Lattice structure>
The lattice structure of the present invention is included in the cooling structure of the present invention. The material of the lattice structure is not particularly limited. The lattice structure may be integrally molded. The lattice structure may be made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin. The lattice structure may be produced by, for example, a lamination method (additive manufacturing). The housing of the present invention may have multiple lattice structures. For example, a plurality of lattice structures may be arranged side by side in the coolant flow direction in one coolant passage. Two lattice structure portions adjacent to each other in a direction crossing the coolant flow direction may be in contact with each other or may be arranged with a gap therebetween.

In the present invention and embodiments, the lattice structure includes a plurality of unit cells. A plurality of unit cells included in the lattice structure are connected to each other. In the present invention, "each unit cell" means each of all unit cells of the lattice structure. The definition of each unit cell in this specification is also the same unless otherwise specified. In the present invention and embodiments, the lattice structure may include a plurality of unit cells arranged in three directions, i.e., two directions intersecting each other and a direction intersecting a plane including these two directions. Two of the three directions may be orthogonal. The lattice structure may include a plurality of unit cells arranged in three mutually orthogonal directions. The lattice structure portion may include cells positioned at the ends of the lattice structure portion in a direction perpendicular to the refrigerant flow direction and having a shape in which a part of the unit cells are missing. A cell having a shape in which a part of the unit cell is missing does not correspond to the unit cell of the present invention. Whether or not the unit cell has a partially missing shape can be determined from the periodically repeated shape of the unit cell. The lattice structure portion may or may not include cells positioned at the ends of the lattice structure portion in the refrigerant flow direction and shaped like part of the unit cells. When not included, a cell having a shape in which a part of the unit cell is missing may be connected to the end of the lattice structure in the refrigerant flow direction.

In the present invention and embodiments, the cell space is a space that partitions the lattice structure into unit cells. In the present invention, "each cell space" means each of all cell spaces of the lattice structure. The definition of each cell space in this specification is the same unless otherwise specified. In the present invention, multiple cell spaces are convex polyhedra with the same number of vertices, the same number of faces, and the same number of sides. A cell space may be, for example, a hexahedron with 8 vertices, 6 faces and 12 edges. A hexahedron having 8 vertices, 6 faces and 12 sides is, for example, a cuboid (including a cube), a parallelepiped, and a truncated quadrangular pyramid. In the present invention and embodiments, a plurality of cell spaces having the same number of vertices, the same number of faces, and the same number of sides is a concept including cell spaces with different shapes and/or sizes. For example, if the cell spaces are hexahedrons with 8 vertices, 6 faces, and 12 sides, the cell spaces are cubes, rectangular parallelepipeds with sides of different lengths, and trapezoidal faces. Any one of the hexahedron containing the shape and the parallelepiped, or a combination of any two to four types thereof may be used. A hexahedron including a trapezoidal face is, for example, a truncated quadrangular pyramid, a hexahedron having two parallel trapezoidal faces, or the like.

In the present invention, each unit cell has at least one of a bar-shaped portion that is not parallel to all sides of its own cell space and a wall surface that is not parallel to all surfaces of its own cell space. Here, the wall surface is the surface of the wall portion of the unit cell that comes into contact with the coolant. Similarly, the wall surface in the following description is the surface of the wall portion of the unit cell that comes into contact with the refrigerant. The thickness of the walls of the unit cell may be constant or may not be constant. That the rod-shaped portion is not parallel to the side of the cell space means that the central axis of the rod-shaped portion is not parallel to the side of the space. At least one of the plurality of unit cells includes a plurality of rod-shaped portions that are not parallel to all sides of the cell space and are not parallel to each other, and a plurality of wall surfaces that are not parallel to all surfaces of the cell space and are not parallel to each other. You may have at least one of At least one of the plurality of unit cells may have a bar-shaped portion parallel to either side of the cell space. At least one of the plurality of unit cells may have a wall surface parallel to any surface of the cell space. The rod-shaped portion of the unit cell may be straight or curved. The wall surface of the unit cell may be flat, curved, or a combination of flat and curved. The shape of one unit cell may be the same shape as a portion of another unit cell. At least one of the plurality of unit cells may be a structure having a triple periodic minimal surface (TPMS). Each of the plurality of unit cells is composed of a plurality of rod-shaped portions, wall portions, or a combination of at least one rod-shaped portion and wall portion. For example, the plurality of unit cells may include both a unit cell made up of a plurality of rod-shaped portions and a unit cell made up of wall portions.

In the present invention and its embodiments, the term "comprising at least one type of periodically repeated unit cells" means that at least one type of shaped unit arranged one-dimensionally, two-dimensionally, or three-dimensionally with periodic regularity. means cell. For example, two types of unit cells are arranged one-dimensionally with periodic regularity includes, but is not limited to, two types of unit cells arranged alternately in a line. One type of unit cells arranged one-dimensionally with periodic regularity may mean, for example, that unit cells of the same type are arranged alternately.
One type of unit cell means unit cells of the same shape and size. Different types of unit cells mean different shapes and/or sizes of the unit cells. For example, if a unit cell has a rod-shaped portion, two unit cells that differ only in the thickness of the rod-shaped portion do not have the same shape. Two unit cells with different proportions of the internal space of the unit cell to the volume of the cell space are not the same shape.
The lattice structure may include at least one type of unit cell that is not periodically repeated. All unit cells included in the lattice structure may be at least one kind of unit cells that are periodically repeated.
The lattice structure may include at least one type of unit cells that are periodically repeated in the coolant flow direction. That the lattice structure includes at least one kind of unit cells that are periodically repeated in the coolant flow direction means that at least one kind of unit cells that are periodically repeated are arranged in the coolant flow direction. The lattice structure may include at least one type of unit cells that are periodically repeated in the coolant flow direction and at least one type of unit cells that are periodically repeated in a direction different from the coolant flow direction.

In the present invention and embodiments, the internal space of each unit cell is connected to the internal space of a plurality of unit cells adjacent to this unit cell so that the refrigerant can move. It means that the internal space of all the unit cells adjacent to the unit cell is connected so that the refrigerant can move. It does not matter whether the coolant actually moves between these two internal spaces when it flows through the coolant passage. The coolant flows from the upstream unit cell in the coolant flow direction to the downstream unit cell among the two unit cells adjacent in the coolant flow direction. When there are two unit cells adjacent to each other in a direction orthogonal to the coolant flow direction, the coolant may or may not move between the two unit cells. A unit cell adjacent to a unit cell is a unit cell adjacent to and connected to the unit cell. For example, when the unit cell is composed of a plurality of rod-shaped portions, the internal space of the unit cell refers to a portion of the cell space where the rod-shaped portions do not exist. For example, when the unit cell is composed of a plurality of walls, the internal space of the unit cell refers to a portion of the cell space where the walls do not exist. For example, when the unit cell is composed of at least one rod-shaped portion and at least one wall portion, the internal space of the unit cell refers to a portion of the cell space where neither the rod-shaped portion nor the wall portion exists.

In the present invention and the embodiments, the case wall portion forming the coolant passage and the lattice structure portion are continuous means that at least a portion of the case wall portion forming the coolant passage and the lattice structure portion are integrally molded. Alternatively, it means that the housing wall portion forming the refrigerant passage and the lattice structure portion come into contact with each other. When the housing wall forming the coolant passage and the lattice structure contact each other, for example, a part forming the inner surface of the housing wall, a part forming the outer surface of the housing wall, and the lattice structure After forming , these may be combined to bring the housing wall portion and the lattice structure portion into contact with each other. Further, for example, after the housing wall and the lattice structure are formed, the lattice structure is inserted into the refrigerant passage of the housing wall, thereby bringing the housing wall forming the refrigerant passage into contact with the lattice structure. may When the housing wall forming the coolant passage and the lattice structure contact each other, the housing is preferably configured such that the relative position of the lattice structure with respect to the housing wall forming the coolant passage is fixed. For example, the length of the refrigerant passage in the refrigerant flow direction and the length of the lattice structure in the refrigerant flow direction are substantially the same, and members for restricting the movement of the lattice structure in the refrigerant flow direction are arranged at the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant passage. may be Further, for example, a step that restricts the movement of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction may be formed in the coolant passage. Further, for example, the housing wall portion and the lattice structure portion may be connected by an adhesive, heat welding, or the like.

In the lattice structure of the present invention, a portion of the lattice structure including a plurality of unit cells connects a portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in a plurality of directions included in the cross section. is formed as A plurality of directions included in the cross section are a plurality of linear directions included in the cross section that do not intersect the cross section. The "plurality of unit cells" in the "portion containing the plurality of unit cells of the lattice structure" connecting between one portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in multiple directions included in the cross section connected to each other.
In the present invention, a portion of the lattice structure that includes a plurality of unit cells connects between a portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in a plurality of directions included in the cross section. It means that a portion of the lattice structure including a plurality of unit cells connects a portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in a plurality of directions included in one cross section. That is, in the lattice structure of the present invention, a plurality of unit cells of the lattice structure are formed between a portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in a plurality of directions included in at least one cross section. is formed so as to be connected at a portion including A plurality of unit cells of the lattice structure are formed between a portion of the housing wall portion and another portion of the housing wall portion in a plurality of directions included in the cross section regardless of the position of the cross section in the coolant flow direction. You may connect at the part containing. In other cross-sections that traverse the coolant passage, the portions of the lattice structure containing the plurality of unit cells are not connected between a portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in a plurality of directions. may
To help understand the meaning of connecting a portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in a plurality of directions included in the cross section with a portion including a plurality of unit cells of the lattice structure, A case will be described where a portion of the housing wall portion and another portion of the housing wall portion are connected by the first unit cell and the second unit cell in the first direction included in the first cross section. A portion of the housing wall portion, the first unit cell, the second unit cell, and another portion of the housing wall portion are arranged on a first straight line parallel to the first direction in the first cross section. A portion of the housing wall and the bar-shaped portion or wall of the first unit cell are continuous on a second straight line parallel to the first direction. A portion of the housing wall and the rod-shaped portion or wall of the first unit cell are continuous means that a portion of the housing wall and the rod-shaped portion or wall of the first unit cell are integrally molded, or It means that a portion of the wall and the rod-shaped portion or wall of the first unit cell are in contact. The second straight line may or may not be included in the first cross-section. In other words, the portion where the part of the housing wall and the rod-shaped portion or wall of the first unit cell are continuous may or may not be included in the first cross section. On a third straight line parallel to the first direction, another portion of the housing wall and the bar-shaped portion or wall of the second unit cell are formed so as to be continuous. The meaning of the other portion of the housing wall being continuous with the rod-shaped portion or wall of the second unit cell is the same as above. The third straight line may or may not be included in the first cross-section. In other words, the portion where the other portion of the housing wall and the rod-shaped portion or wall of the second unit cell are continuous may or may not be included in the first cross section. Both the portion where a portion of the housing wall and the rod-shaped portion or wall of the first unit cell are continuous and the portion where the other portion of the housing wall and the rod-shaped portion or wall of the second unit cell are continuous , may be included in the first cross-section. The second straight line may be the same as or different from the first straight line. The third straight line may be the same as or different from the first straight line. The third straight line may be the same as or different from the second straight line.

In the present invention, the expression that the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section passing through the lattice structure means that the length of the coolant passage in one cross section passing through the lattice structure This means that the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the length of the lattice structure. Therefore, the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is at least longer than the minimum circumferential length among the circumferential lengths of the coolant passages in all cross sections passing through the lattice structure. The length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction may be longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section regardless of the position in the coolant flow direction of the cross section passing through the lattice structure. That is, the length of the lattice structure in the refrigerant flow direction may be longer than the maximum circumference of the refrigerant passages in all cross sections passing through the lattice structure.
In the present invention and embodiments, the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section means the circumferential length of the outer circumferential surface of the refrigerant passage when the refrigerant passage has an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface.
If the coolant passages have branch points and/or junctions, the lattice structure may also have branch points and/or junctions. If the lattice structure has branch points and/or confluences, the lattice structure may have a plurality of lengths in the coolant flow direction. When the lattice structure has a branch point or a confluence point, the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section passing through the lattice structure. This means that the maximum length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage at .
In the present invention, connecting a plurality of unit cells so that the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section passing through the lattice structure means that It means that a plurality of unit cells whose length in the coolant flow direction is shorter than that of the lattice structure are connected so that the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section. do. A plurality of unit cells may be connected in the coolant flow direction such that the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section passing through the lattice structure.

In the present invention and this specification, at least one (one) of a plurality of options includes all conceivable combinations of the plurality of options. At least one (one) of the multiple options may be any one of the multiple options, or may be all of the multiple options. For example, at least one of A, B and C may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C There may be, it may be B and C, or it may be A, B and C.
In the present invention and herein, A and/or B means that it can be A, it can be B, and it can be both A and B.

If a claim does not explicitly specify the number of an element and that element appears in the singular when translated into English, the invention may include a plurality of that element. good. Also, the invention may have only one of this component.

It should be noted that, as used in the present invention and embodiments, the terms including, having, comprising and derivatives thereof are intended to encompass additional items in addition to the recited items and their equivalents. is intended and used.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the specification and claims have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be construed to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology and this disclosure, and are not idealized or overly formal. not be interpreted in any meaningful way.

In this specification, the term "may (can be)" is non-exclusive. "May be (may be)" means "may be (may be) but is not limited to". In this specification, "may (may)" implicitly includes "may not (may not)". In this specification, the configuration described as "may be (may be)" has at least the above effect obtained by the configuration of claim 1.

Before describing embodiments of the present invention in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present invention is also possible in embodiments other than those described below. The present invention is also possible in embodiments in which various modifications are made to the embodiments described later.

According to the housing of the present invention, the rigidity and strength of the housing can be further improved, and the cooling performance of the housing can be further improved.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the housing of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a portion of the lattice structure of the housing of the second embodiment of the present invention, and is also a diagram showing a portion of the lattice structure of the housing of the third embodiment of the present invention. . 3(a) to 3(c) are cross-sectional views of a housing according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 4(a) is a perspective view of a portion of the housing of FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c), and FIG. 4(b) is a housing of FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c). 3(a) to 3(c) viewed in the vertical direction of the paper surface. FIG. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of the housing of Modification 1 of the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of the housing of Modification 2 of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 6(a) is a sectional view of a housing according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6(b) is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 6(a), and FIG. 6(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 6(a). FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view of a housing according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7(b) is a perspective view of the housing according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

<First Embodiment>
A housing 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. A housing 1 houses contents 2 including a heat source 3 . The housing 1 and the contents 2 are not limited to those shown in FIG. FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of housing 1 and contents 2 . The housing 1 has a housing wall portion 5 forming a housing space 4 for housing a content 2 including a heat source 3 . The housing wall portion 5 forms a refrigerant passage 10 through which the refrigerant flows between the outer surface 6 and the inner surface 7 of the housing wall portion 5 . The housing 1 has a cooling structure in which the heat generated by the heat source 3 is radiated to the outside through the coolant flowing through the coolant passage 10 . The refrigerant passage 10 is formed such that the maximum width of the refrigerant passage 10 in a cross section crossing the refrigerant flow direction F is shorter than the length L of the refrigerant passage 10 in the refrigerant flow direction F. In FIG. 1 , the coolant flow direction F is straight from one end to the other end of the coolant passage 10 . However, the refrigerant passage 10 is not limited to such a shape. The housing wall portion 5 forming the coolant passage 10 and the lattice structure portion 20 are formed so as to be continuous. The lattice structure 20 includes multiple unit cells 21 . FIG. 1 shows portions of four examples of lattice structure 20,

lattice structures

20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D. However, the configuration of the lattice structure portion 20 is not limited to these. FIG. 1 shows four examples of unit cell 21,

unit cells

21P, 21Q, 21R, and 21S. However, the configuration of the unit cell 21 is not limited to these.

A plurality of unit cells 21 included in the lattice structure 20 are formed in a plurality of convex polyhedral cell spaces 22 having the same number of vertices, the same number of faces, and the same number of sides. In FIG. 1 the cell spaces 22 are indicated by dashed lines. Each cell space 22 shares a face and a plurality of sides forming the face with an adjacent cell space 22 . A cell space 22 of the

unit cells

21P, 21Q, 21R, and 21S is a regular hexahedron. The cell spaces 22 of the plurality of unit cells 21 included in the

lattice structures

20A and 20C are regular hexahedrons. The cell spaces 22 of the plurality of unit cells 21 included in the lattice structure portion 20B are rectangular parallelepipeds. A cell space 22 of a plurality of unit cells 21 included in the lattice structure portion 20D is a parallelepiped. The shape of the cell space 22 is not limited to these. The lattice structure 20 may include a plurality of unit cells 21 with differently shaped cell spaces 22 . The internal space of each unit cell 21 is connected to the internal spaces of a plurality of unit cells 21 adjacent to this unit cell 21 so that the refrigerant can move. Each unit cell 21 has at least one of a bar-shaped portion that is not parallel to all sides of its own cell space 22 or a wall surface that is not parallel to all surfaces of its own cell space 22 . For example, the unit cell 21P and the unit cell 21R are composed only of a plurality of bar-shaped portions that are not parallel to all sides of their own cell spaces 22. FIG. The unit cell 21Q is composed of a plurality of rod-shaped portions that are not parallel to all sides of its own cell space 22 and a plurality of rod-shaped portions that are parallel to the plurality of sides of its own cell space 22 . The unit cell 21S is composed only of walls having wall surfaces that are not parallel to all surfaces of its own cell space 22 . The lattice structure 20 includes at least one kind of unit cells 21 that are periodically repeated. The number of types of unit cells 21 that are periodically repeated may be one. A plurality of types of unit cells 21 may be periodically repeated. The plurality of types of unit cells 21 may be unit cells 21Q and unit cells 21R, for example. The plurality of types of unit cells 21 may differ only in the thickness of the rod-shaped portion or the thickness of the wall portion.

FIG. 1 shows two cross-sectional views of each of the

lattice structures

20A, 20B, 20C and 20D. One of the two cross-sectional views is a cross-section along the coolant flow direction F. FIG. The other of the two cross-sectional views is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in the one cross-section. That is, this cross-sectional view shows a cross section across the coolant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. The plurality of unit cells 21 are connected so that the length L of the lattice structure 20 in the coolant flow direction F is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage 10 in the cross section passing through the lattice structure 20 . In the lattice structure 20, a part of the housing wall 5 and another part of the housing wall 5 are connected at a portion including a plurality of unit cells 21 of the lattice structure 20 in a plurality of directions included in the cross section. is formed as The multiple directions may or may not include two orthogonal directions. For example, in the

lattice structures

20A, 20B, and 20D, the lattices are formed between a part of the housing wall 5 and another part of the housing wall 5 in a plurality of directions indicated by arrows included in the AA cross section. The

structural portions

20A, 20B, and 20D are connected at portions including the four unit cells 21 . In the lattice structure portion 20C, there are three lattice structure portions 20C between one portion of the housing wall portion 5 and another portion of the housing wall portion 5 in a plurality of directions indicated by arrows included in the AA cross section. Alternatively, they are connected at a portion including four unit cells 21 . The housing 1 of the first embodiment can further improve the rigidity and strength of the housing 1 and further improve the cooling performance of the housing 1 .

The lattice structure 20 may include a plurality of unit cells 21 arranged in a line in the coolant flow direction F from one end to the other end of the lattice structure 20 . For example, the

lattice structures

20A and 20B can realize this configuration. The lattice structure 20 may not include a plurality of unit cells 21 arranged in a line in the coolant flow direction F from one end to the other end of the lattice structure 20 . For example, the lattice structure portion 20C can realize this configuration.

Each unit cell 21 may have the same shape as any unit cell 21 of the lattice structure 20 . The lattice structure 20 may include unit cells 21 having a different shape from any unit cell 21 .

<Second Embodiment and Third Embodiment>
A housing 1 according to a second embodiment and a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d). The second and third embodiments each have the configuration of the first embodiment. The third embodiment may have the configuration of the second embodiment. In FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d), the cell spaces 22 are indicated by dashed lines. Illustration of the rod-shaped portion and/or the wall portion that constitute the unit cell 21 is omitted. FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) show a plurality of unit cells 21 arranged in a line forming part of the lattice structure 20. FIG. The cell space 22 of the unit cell 21 shown in FIG. 2A has rectangular (including square) surfaces. The cell space 22 of the unit cell 21 shown in FIG. 2(a) may be a rectangular parallelepiped, or may be another convex polyhedron. The cell space 22 of the unit cell 21 shown in FIG. 2(b) has parallelogram faces. The cell space 22 of the unit cell 21 shown in FIG. 2(b) may be a parallelepiped or a convex polyhedron. The cell space 22 of the unit cell 21 shown in FIG. 2(c) has a trapezoidal surface. The cell space 22 of the unit cell 21 shown in FIG. 2(c) may be a truncated quadrangular pyramid or a convex polyhedron. The cell space 22 of the unit cell 21 shown in FIG. 2(d) has a non-rectangular square surface. In FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d), cell spaces 22 of unit cells 21 of the same type are hatched. The direction in which the plurality of unit cells 21 are arranged as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2D is the A direction. A plurality of unit cells 21 shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) include at least one type of unit cells 21 periodically repeated in the A direction. In the housing 1 of the second embodiment, the A direction coincides with the coolant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. That is, the lattice structure portion 20 of the second embodiment includes at least one kind of unit cells 21 that are periodically repeated at least in the coolant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. In the housing 1 of the third embodiment, the A direction is a direction that intersects the coolant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. That is, the lattice structure portion 20 of the third embodiment includes at least one kind of unit cells 21 that are periodically repeated in at least the direction intersecting the coolant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. The arrangement of the same type of unit cells 21 is not limited to the arrangement shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d). For example, the plurality of unit cells 21 shown in FIG. 2(a) may all be composed of the same type of unit cells 21 as shown in FIG. 2(d).

<Fourth Embodiment>
A housing 101 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c), 4(a), and 4(b). A housing 101 of the fourth embodiment has the configuration of the housing 1 of the first embodiment. The housing 101 of the fourth embodiment may have the configuration of the housing 1 of at least one of the second embodiment and the third embodiment. A housing 101 of the fourth embodiment accommodates a rotating electrical machine 190 . The rotating electric machine 190 may be a motor, a generator, or may have the functions of both a motor and a generator. The rotating electrical machine 190 may be an axial gap type rotating electrical machine 190 as shown in FIG. 3A, an inner rotor type radial gap type rotating electrical machine 190 as shown in FIG. The rotary electric machine 190 may be an outer rotor type radial gap type rotary electric machine 190 as shown in c). The rotating electric machine 190 has a shaft 191 , a rotor 192 and a stator 193 . The shaft 191 is rotatably supported by the housing 101 via bearings. Rotor 192 is fixed to shaft 191 and rotates integrally with shaft 191 . The rotor 192 has magnets 192a. The stator 193 has a stator yoke 193a and a winding portion 193b. As shown in FIG. 3A , in an axial gap type rotary electric machine 190 , a rotor 192 and a stator 193 face each other in a direction parallel to the central axis of the shaft 191 . As shown in FIG. 3B , in the inner rotor type radial gap type rotary electric machine 190 , the rotor 192 is arranged radially inside the stator 193 . As shown in FIG. 3( c ), in the outer rotor type radial gap type rotary electric machine 190 , the magnets 192 a of the rotor 192 are arranged radially outward of the stator 193 . When the rotating electric machine 190 functions as a motor or a generator, heat is generated in the winding portion 193b due to current flowing through the winding portion 193b. When the rotating electric machine 190 functions as a motor or a generator, eddy currents are generated due to changes in the magnetic field, and current flows through the stator yoke 193 a and the rotor 192 . Heat is thereby generated in the stator yoke 193 a and the rotor 192 . Rotor 192 and stator 193 correspond to the heat source of the present invention.

3(a) to 3(c), the housing 101 has a housing wall portion 105 that forms a housing space 104 that houses the rotating electric machine 190. In FIG. The housing wall portion 105 has a substantially plate-shaped lower wall portion 151 , a cylindrical side wall portion 152 , and a substantially plate-shaped upper wall portion 153 . Side wall portion 152 connects upper wall portion 153 and lower wall portion 151 . The side wall portion 152 is formed integrally with the upper wall portion 153 . The side wall portion 152 may be integrally molded with the lower wall portion 151 . In addition, although the lower wall portion 151 is located below the upper wall portion 153 in the vertical direction of the paper surface, it is not always located below the upper wall portion 153 when the housing 101 is used. In a situation where the housing 101 is used, the lower wall portion 151 may be positioned above the upper wall portion 153, and the lower wall portion 151 and the upper wall portion 153 may be horizontally aligned. Side wall portion 152 is positioned radially outward of rotating electric machine 190 . In FIG. 3A , the stator 193 is fixed to the lower wall portion 151 and is in contact with the lower wall portion 151 or in contact with a member (not shown) that contacts the lower wall portion 151 . In FIG. 3B, the stator 193 is fixed to the side wall portion 152 and is in contact with the side wall portion 152 or in contact with a member (not shown) that contacts the side wall portion 152 . In FIG. 3C, the housing wall portion 105 has an inner cylindrical portion 154 connected to the lower wall portion 151 and positioned radially inside the stator 193 . The stator 193 is fixed to the inner tubular portion 154 and is in contact with the inner tubular portion 154 or in contact with a member (not shown) that contacts the inner tubular portion 154 .

The housing wall portion 105 forms a plurality of refrigerant passages 110 . The refrigerant flowing through each refrigerant passage 110 may be gas (for example, air) or liquid. In the fourth embodiment, when the coolant is air, a fan (not shown) may be provided on the shaft 191 for sending the air outside the housing 101 to the inlet of the coolant passage 110 . The inlet and outlet of each coolant passage 110 are formed on the outer surface 106 of the housing wall portion 105 . A plurality of coolant passages 110 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis of shaft 191 . Each coolant passage 110 is formed in an upper wall portion 153 , a side wall portion 152 and a lower wall portion 151 . Each refrigerant passage 110 is composed of a refrigerant passage lower portion 110a, a refrigerant passage intermediate portion 110b, and a refrigerant passage upper portion 110c. The refrigerant passage lower portion 110 a is a portion of the refrigerant passage 110 formed in the lower wall portion 151 . The refrigerant passage intermediate portion 110 b is a portion of the refrigerant passage 110 formed in the side wall portion 152 . The coolant passage upper portion 110 c is a portion of the coolant passage 110 formed in the upper wall portion 153 . Each coolant passage 110 is provided with two lattice structure portions 20 . One of the two lattice structure portions 20 is provided on the lower wall portion 151 and the other lattice structure portion 20 is provided on the side wall portion 152 and the upper wall portion 153 . The two lattice structure portions 20 are provided over the entire area of the coolant passage 110 in the coolant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. The two lattice structure portions 20 may be provided only in a portion of the coolant passage 110 in the coolant flow direction F. Each lattice structure 20 is integrally molded.

The coolant passage 110 has a bent portion at a corner of the housing 101 or the like, where the coolant flow direction F is bent. The coolant passage 110 has bent portions at both ends of the coolant passage lower portion 110a and both ends of the coolant passage upper portion 110c. 4A is a perspective view of the side wall portion 152. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4A, the coolant flow direction F of the coolant passage intermediate portion 110b is spiral. That is, the coolant flow direction F of the coolant passage intermediate portion 110b is inclined in the circumferential direction with respect to the direction of the central axis of the shaft 191 . Since the length of the refrigerant passage middle portion 110b in the refrigerant flow direction F is longer than when the refrigerant passage middle portion 110b is parallel to the central axis of the shaft 191, the cooling performance can be improved. Since the refrigerant passage intermediate portion 110 b is formed in a spiral shape on the cylindrical side wall portion 152 , the refrigerant flow direction F of the refrigerant passage intermediate portion 110 b gently curves along the side wall portion 152 . 4B is a view of the upper wall portion 153 viewed in the direction of the central axis of the shaft 191, and a view of the lower wall portion 151 viewed in the direction of the central axis of the shaft 191. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the refrigerant passage upper portion 110c and the refrigerant passage lower portion 110a have curved portions in which the refrigerant flow direction F is substantially radial. Compared to the case where the refrigerant flow direction F of these portions is parallel to the radial direction or the straight line crossing the radial direction, the refrigerant passage upper portion 110c and the refrigerant passage lower portion 110a are longer in the refrigerant flow direction F. , can improve the cooling performance.

The coolant passage lower portion 110a in FIG. 3A is a portion of the housing wall portion 105 in contact with the stator 193, a portion in contact with a member (not shown) in contact with the stator 193, or a minute gap. It is formed so as to pass through a position close to the part facing the stator 193 with an opening. The upper portion 110c of the coolant passage in FIG. 3B is a portion of the housing wall portion 105 in contact with the stator 193, a portion in contact with a member (not shown) in contact with the stator 193, or a minute gap. It is formed so as to pass through a position close to the part facing the stator 193 with an opening. In the rotary electric machine 190 of FIG. 3C, the refrigerant passage lower portion 110a among the refrigerant passage lower portion 110a, the refrigerant passage intermediate portion 110b, and the refrigerant passage upper portion 110c is the portion where the stator 193 is in contact with the housing wall portion 105 or It is closest to the point where a member (not shown) that contacts the stator 193 is in contact. Therefore, the coolant flowing through the coolant passage 110 shown in FIGS. Since the lattice structure 20 is provided in the coolant passage 110 having high cooling performance in this manner, the cooling performance of the housing 101 can be further improved.

The refrigerant passage lower portion 110a does not have to have a bent portion. That is, the refrigerant flow direction F of the entire refrigerant passage lower portion 110a may be the same as the refrigerant flow direction F of the refrigerant passage intermediate portion 110b. The coolant passage upper portion 110c may not have a bent portion. That is, the refrigerant flow direction F of the entire refrigerant passage upper portion 110c may be the same as the refrigerant flow direction F of the refrigerant passage intermediate portion 110b. The refrigerant flow direction F of the refrigerant passage intermediate portion 110b may be linear parallel to the direction of the center axis of the shaft 191 . The side wall portion 152 may have a square tubular shape. In this case, the coolant flow direction F of the coolant passage intermediate portion 110 b may be a straight line that is inclined with respect to the direction of the central axis of the shaft 191 .

<Modification 1 of the fourth embodiment>
As Modified Example 1 of the fourth embodiment, the housing 101 may have a plurality of types of refrigerant passages 110A, as shown in FIG. FIG. 5(a) shows an example in which the housing 101 of FIG. 3(a) is changed, but the housing 101 of FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c) may be changed. The housing 101 shown in FIG. 5A will be described below. A housing wall portion 105 of the housing 101 forms a plurality of first refrigerant passages 110A1 and a plurality of second refrigerant passages 110A2. The refrigerant passage 110A is a general term for the first refrigerant passage 110A1 and the second refrigerant passage 110A2. An inlet and an outlet of each coolant passage 110A are formed on the outer surface 106 of the housing wall portion 105 . The first refrigerant passage 110A1 differs from the refrigerant passage 110 of the fourth embodiment in the shape of the refrigerant passage lower portion 110a, and otherwise has the same configuration as the refrigerant passage 110 of the fourth embodiment. The second coolant passage 110A2 is formed only in the lower wall portion 151. As shown in FIG. The second refrigerant passage 110A2 has the same shape as most of the refrigerant passage lower portion 110a of the refrigerant passage 110 of the fourth embodiment, and differs from the refrigerant passage lower portion 110a in the shape near the outlet. The first coolant passages 110A1 and the second coolant passages 110A2 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction around the central axis of the shaft 191. As shown in FIG. Two lattice structure portions 20 are provided in each first coolant passage 110A1. One of the two lattice structure portions 20 is provided on the lower wall portion 151 and the other lattice structure portion 20 is provided on the side wall portion 152 and the upper wall portion 153 . The two lattice structure portions 20 are provided over the entire area of the first coolant passage 110A1 in the coolant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. The two lattice structure portions 20 may be provided only partially in the coolant flow direction F of the first coolant passage 110A1. Each lattice structure 20 is integrally molded. One lattice structure portion 20 is provided in each second coolant passage 110A2. The lattice structure portion 20 is provided over the entire area of the second refrigerant passage 110A2 in the refrigerant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. The lattice structure portion 20 may be provided only in a portion of the second coolant passage 110A2 in the coolant flow direction F. The lattice structure 20 is integrally molded. Modification 1 of the fourth embodiment has substantially the same locations where the refrigerant passages are formed as in the fourth embodiment, but the length of each refrigerant passage in the refrigerant flow direction F can be made shorter than in the fourth embodiment. , can improve the cooling performance. Since the lattice structure 20 is provided in the coolant passage 110A having high cooling performance in this manner, the cooling performance of the housing 101 can be further improved.

<Modification 2 of the fourth embodiment>
As a modification 2 of the fourth embodiment, the housing 101 may have an internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B for circulating the air in the housing space 104, as shown in FIG. 5B, for example. FIG. 5(b) shows an example in which the housing 101 of FIG. 3(a) is changed, but the housing 101 of FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c) may be changed. In Modification 2 of the fourth embodiment, a fan (not shown) may be provided on shaft 191 or rotor 192 for sending air (refrigerant) in accommodation space 104 to internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B. The housing 101 shown in FIG. 5B will be described below. The housing wall portion 105 of the housing 101 has a plurality of internal circulation refrigerant passages 110B in addition to the plurality of first refrigerant passages 110A1 and the plurality of second refrigerant passages 110A2 of Modification 1 of the fourth embodiment. The internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B is included in the refrigerant passage of the present invention. The inlet and outlet of each internal circulation coolant passage 110B are formed on the inner surface 107 of the housing wall portion 105 . The plurality of internal circulation refrigerant passages 110B are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis of the shaft 191 . Each internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B is formed in the upper wall portion 153 and the side wall portion 152 . The internal circulation refrigerant passages 110B and the first refrigerant passages 110A1 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction around the central axis of the shaft 191. As shown in FIG. One lattice structure portion 20 is provided in each internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B. The lattice structure 20 is provided over the entire area in the refrigerant flow direction F of the internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B. The lattice structure portion 20 may be provided only in a portion of the internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B in the refrigerant flow direction F. The lattice structure 20 is integrally molded. Since the housing 101 of Modification 2 of the fourth embodiment has the internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B for circulating the air in the housing space 104, the cooling performance can be improved. Since the lattice structure 20 is provided in the internal circulation coolant passage 110B having high cooling performance in this way, the cooling performance of the housing 101 can be further improved. In addition, the refrigerant passage combined with the internal circulation refrigerant passage 110B is not limited to the first refrigerant passage 110A1 and the second refrigerant passage 110A2. For example, the coolant passage 110 of the fourth embodiment may be provided instead of the first coolant passage 110A1. The refrigerant passage 110 of the fourth embodiment may be provided instead of the second refrigerant passage 110A2. The refrigerant passage 110 of the fourth embodiment may be provided instead of the first refrigerant passage 110A1 and the second refrigerant passage 110A2.

<Fifth Embodiment>
A housing 201 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c). FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. 6(a). FIG. 6(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC shown in FIG. 6(a). A housing 201 of the fifth embodiment has the configuration of the housing 1 of the first embodiment. The housing 201 of the fifth embodiment may have the structure of the housing 1 of at least one of the second embodiment and the third embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 6( a ) and 6 ( b ), the housing 201 of the fifth embodiment accommodates a content 290 including a plurality of rechargeable power storage devices 291 . The power storage device 291 may be a cell or an assembled battery composed of a plurality of cells. The cells may be cylindrical, rectangular, or laminated. Heat is generated in the power storage device 291 when the power storage device 291 is discharged or charged. The power storage device 291 corresponds to the heat source of the present invention. The content 290 includes a heat dissipation member 292 with high thermal conductivity. Heat dissipation member 292 is arranged so as to be in contact with power storage device 291 . Both the power storage device 291 and the heat dissipation member 292 may be interpreted as corresponding to the heat source of the present invention. Contents 290 may include a battery management system (BMS: battery management system) that manages charging and discharging of power storage device 291 .

The housing 201 has a housing wall portion 205 that forms a housing space 204 that houses a content 290 including a plurality of power storage devices 291 . The housing 201 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing wall portion 205 has a substantially plate-shaped lower wall portion 251 , a rectangular tubular side wall portion 252 , a substantially plate-shaped upper wall portion 253 , and a plurality of partition wall portions 254 . Side wall portion 252 connects upper wall portion 253 and lower wall portion 251 . The side wall portion 252 is formed integrally with the lower wall portion 251 . The side wall portion 252 may be integrally formed with the upper wall portion 253 . Although the lower wall portion 251 is located below the upper wall portion 253 in the vertical direction of the plane of FIG. 6A, it is not always located below the upper wall portion 253 when the housing 201 is used. In a situation where the housing 201 is used, the lower wall portion 251 may be positioned above the upper wall portion 253, and the lower wall portion 251 and the upper wall portion 253 may be horizontally aligned. A plurality of partition wall portions 254 are connected to the lower wall portion 251 . The plurality of partition wall portions 254 may be connected to the upper wall portion 253 without being connected to the lower wall portion 251 . A plurality of partition wall portions 254 may be connected to both the lower wall portion 251 and the upper wall portion 253 . Each partition wall portion 254 is arranged between a power storage device 291 and an adjacent power storage device 291 . A plurality of heat dissipation members 292 are in contact with the housing wall portion 205 . Each heat radiating member 292 contacts the lower wall portion 251 . Furthermore, each heat dissipation member 292 contacts at least one of the partition wall portion 254 and the side wall portion 252 . Note that the portion of the heat radiating member 292 that contacts the housing wall portion 205 is not limited to this. When the heat dissipation member 292 has elasticity, the heat dissipation member 292 may function as a shock absorber.

The housing wall portion 205 forms a plurality of refrigerant passages 210 . The refrigerant flowing through each refrigerant passage 210 may be gas (for example, air) or liquid. The inlet and outlet of each coolant passage 210 are formed in the outer surface 206 of the housing wall portion 205 . The plurality of coolant passages 210 are formed at intervals in the vertical direction of the paper surface of FIG. 6(a). The plurality of refrigerant passages 210 includes a plurality of first refrigerant passages 210A and second refrigerant passages 210B. Each first coolant passage 210</b>A is formed in a side wall portion 252 and a plurality of partition wall portions 254 . The second coolant passage 210B is formed in the lower wall portion 251 . Each coolant passage 210 is provided with one lattice structure 20 . The lattice structure portion 20 is provided over the entire area of the refrigerant passage 210 in the refrigerant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. The lattice structure portion 20 may be provided only in a portion of the coolant passage 210 in the coolant flow direction F. The lattice structure 20 is integrally molded.

The first refrigerant passage 210A and the second refrigerant passage 210B have bent portions at the corners of the housing 201 or the like where the refrigerant flow direction F bends. As shown in FIG. 6B, the first refrigerant passage 210A has a branch point where the refrigerant flow branches and a confluence point where the refrigerant flows join. As shown in FIG. 6(c), the second coolant passage 210B has a shape that can be drawn with a single stroke from the inlet to the outlet. A plurality of first coolant passages 210A are formed to surround a plurality of power storage devices 291 . Therefore, the coolant flowing through the first coolant passage 210A easily receives the heat generated in the power storage device 291 . Most of the second refrigerant passage 210B is located directly below the power storage device 291 in the vertical direction of the paper surface of FIG. 6(a). Therefore, the coolant flowing through the second coolant passage 210</b>B easily receives the heat generated in the power storage device 291 . Since the lattice structure portion 20 is provided in the

coolant passages

210A and 210B having high cooling performance in this manner, the cooling performance of the housing 201 can be further improved. Note that the housing wall portion 205 having the second refrigerant passage 210B may not have the plurality of first refrigerant passages 210A. The housing wall portion 205 having the plurality of first coolant passages 210A may not have the second coolant passages 210B.

<Sixth Embodiment>
A housing 301 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b). A housing 301 of the sixth embodiment has the configuration of the housing 1 of the first embodiment. The housing 301 of the sixth embodiment may have the configuration of the housing 1 of at least one of the second embodiment and the third embodiment. A housing 301 of the sixth embodiment accommodates an electronic device 390 . The electronic device 390 has a circuit board 391, electronic components 392 mounted on the surface of the circuit board 391, and a heat dissipation member 393 with high thermal conductivity. Circuit board 391 and electronic component 392 correspond to the heat source of the present invention. The heat dissipation member 393 is in contact with the back surface of the circuit board 391 .

The housing 301 has a housing wall portion 305 that forms a housing space 304 that houses the electronic device 390 . The housing 301 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing wall portion 305 has a substantially plate-shaped lower wall portion 351 , a rectangular tubular side wall portion 352 , and a substantially plate-shaped upper wall portion 353 . The side wall portion 352 connects the upper wall portion 353 and the lower wall portion 351 . The side wall portion 352 is formed integrally with the upper wall portion 353 . The side wall portion 352 may be integrally formed with the lower wall portion 351 . Although the lower wall portion 351 is located below the upper wall portion 353 in the vertical direction of the paper surface of FIG. 7A, it is not always located below the upper wall portion 353 when the housing 301 is used. In a situation where the housing 301 is used, the lower wall portion 351 may be positioned above the upper wall portion 353, and the lower wall portion 351 and the upper wall portion 353 may be horizontally aligned. The circuit board 391 is fixed to the lower wall portion 351 . A heat dissipation member 393 is arranged between the circuit board 391 and the lower wall portion 351 . The heat dissipation member 393 is in contact with the lower wall portion 351 .

As shown in FIGS. 7( a ) and 7 ( b ), the housing wall portion 305 forms a refrigerant passage 310 . The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 310 may be gas (for example, air) or liquid. The inlet and outlet of the coolant passage 310 are formed on the outer surface 306 of the housing wall portion 305 . The coolant passage 310 is formed in the lower wall portion 351 , the side wall portion 352 and the upper wall portion 353 . Two lattice structure portions 20 are provided in the coolant passage 310 . One of the two lattice structure portions 20 is provided on the lower wall portion 351 and the other lattice structure portion 20 is provided on the side wall portion 352 and the upper wall portion 353 . The two lattice structure portions 20 are provided over the entire area of the coolant passage 310 in the coolant flow direction F. As shown in FIG. The two lattice structure portions 20 may be provided only in a portion of the coolant passage 310 in the coolant flow direction F. Each lattice structure 20 is integrally molded. The coolant passage 310 has a bent portion where the coolant flow direction F is bent, such as at a corner of the housing 301 . As shown in FIG. 7B, the refrigerant passage 310 has a branch point where the refrigerant flow branches and a confluence point where the refrigerant flow joins. A portion of the coolant passage 310 is formed in the lower wall portion 351 of the housing wall portion 305 . In other words, part of the coolant passage 310 passes through a portion of the housing wall portion 305 that is most likely to receive heat from the electronic device 390 . Therefore, the coolant flowing through coolant passage 310 easily receives heat generated by circuit board 391 and electronic component 392 . Since the lattice structure 20 is provided in the coolant passage 310 having high cooling performance in this manner, the cooling performance of the housing 301 can be further improved. Note that the coolant passage 310 may be formed only in the lower wall portion 351 .

It should be noted that the fourth embodiment and modifications 1 and 2 thereof are merely examples in which the present invention is applied to a housing that accommodates a rotating electric machine. The configuration (including the shape of the coolant passage) of the housing that accommodates the rotating electric machine to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the configuration of the fourth embodiment and its first and second modifications. For example, like the coolant passage described in Patent Literature 1, the coolant passage may be formed along the circumferential direction around the central axis of the shaft. The fifth embodiment is merely an example in which the present invention is applied to a housing that accommodates a power storage device. The configuration of the housing (including the shape of the refrigerant passage) that accommodates the power storage device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the configuration of the fifth embodiment. The sixth embodiment is merely an example in which the present invention is applied to a housing that accommodates electronic equipment. The configuration of the housing (including the shape of the coolant passage) that accommodates the electronic device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the configuration of the sixth embodiment.

1, 101, 201, 301: housing 2, 290: content 3:

heat source

4, 104, 204, 304:

housing space

5, 105, 205, 305:

housing wall

6, 106, 206, 306: outside Surfaces 7, 107: Inner surfaces 10, 110, 110A, 110A1, 110A2, 110B, 210, 210A, 210B, 310:

Coolant passages

20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D:

Lattice structures

21, 21P, 21Q, 21R, 21S: unit cell 22: cell space 191: rotating electric machine (contents)
192: Rotor (heat source)
193: Stator (heat source)
291: Power storage device (heat source)
390: Electronic equipment (contents)
391: Circuit board (heat source)
392: Electronic components (heat sources)
F: Refrigerant flow direction

Claims

A housing having a housing wall forming a housing space for housing contents including a heat source,
the housing wall forms a coolant passage through which a coolant flows between an outer surface and an inner surface of the housing wall;
The refrigerant passage is formed such that the maximum width of the refrigerant passage in a cross section that traverses the refrigerant flow direction is shorter than the length of the refrigerant passage in the refrigerant flow direction,
The housing has a cooling structure in which heat generated by the heat source is radiated to the outside through the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant passage,
The housing wall portion forming the refrigerant passage and a lattice structure portion including a plurality of unit cells are formed so as to be continuous,
The lattice structure is a portion including the plurality of unit cells of the lattice structure between a portion of the housing wall and another portion of the housing wall in a plurality of directions included in the cross section. formed to connect,
The plurality of unit cells are connected such that the length of the lattice structure in the coolant flow direction is longer than the circumferential length of the coolant passage in the cross section passing through the lattice structure,
the plurality of unit cells are respectively formed in a plurality of cell spaces of a convex polyhedron having the same number of vertices, the same number of faces, and the same number of sides;
each cell space shares a face and a plurality of sides forming the face with the adjacent cell space;
the lattice structure includes at least one type of unit cell that is periodically repeated;
each unit cell has at least one of a bar-shaped portion that is not parallel to all sides of its own cell space and a wall surface that is not parallel to all surfaces of its own cell space;
The housing, wherein the internal space of each unit cell is connected to the internal spaces of the plurality of unit cells adjacent to the unit cell so that the refrigerant can move.
In the lattice structure, the plurality of unit cells of the lattice structure are separated from one part of the housing wall and another part of the housing wall in two mutually orthogonal directions included in the cross section. 2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed so as to be connected at the containing portion.
The housing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lattice structure portion includes at least one type of unit cells that are periodically repeated at least in the refrigerant flow direction.
The housing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lattice structure portion includes at least one type of unit cells that are periodically repeated in at least a direction intersecting the coolant flow direction. .
5. The lattice structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lattice structure includes a plurality of unit cells arranged in a line in the refrigerant flow direction from one end to the other end of the lattice structure. housing.
The housing according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each unit cell has the same shape as any one of the unit cells of the lattice structure.