Coolant manifold

• US 20080299446A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battery Patent Trust
• Original Assignee: Cobasys LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Kelly, Shad A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,846,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/88
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/651 characterised by parameters specified by a numeric value or mathematical formula, e.g. ratios, sizes or concentrations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery assembly may include a cooling system assembly having first and second battery modules and a coolant manifold in fluid communication therewith. The first battery module may include a first coolant flow path and the second battery module may include a second coolant flow path. The coolant manifold may include first and second ports and a main body portion to provide expansion and contraction between the first and second ports. The first port may be in communication with the first flow path and the second port may be in communication with the second flow path.

Claims

1. A coolant manifold comprising:

a first port;

a second port; and

a main body portion disposed between said first and second ports to provide expansion and contraction between said first and second ports to allow displacement of said first and second ports relative to one another.

2. The coolant manifold of claim 1, further comprising an insert disposed within said first port, said insert having a stiffness greater than a stiffness of said main body portion.

3. The coolant manifold of claim 2, wherein said insert is retained within an inner circumferential portion of said first port.

4. The coolant manifold of claim 3, wherein said first port is molded around said insert.

5. The coolant manifold of claim 2, wherein said insert includes a radially outwardly extending portion extending radially into said first port to inhibit axial displacement of said insert relative to said first port.

6. The coolant manifold of claim 5, wherein said radially outwardly extending portion extends about a circumference of said insert, said circumferential extent being less than the entire circumference of said insert to inhibit rotation of said insert relative to said first port.

7. The coolant manifold of claim 2, wherein said insert includes a radially outwardly extending portion at an end thereof, said radially outwardly extending portion abutting an end of said first port and extending radially outwardly relative to said end of said first port.

8. The coolant manifold of claim 2, wherein said insert is formed from a first material having an ultimate tensile strength greater than 24 MPa and said first port is formed from a second material having an ultimate tensile strength of less than 8.3 MPa.

9. The coolant manifold of claim 8, wherein said first material includes polypropylene and said second material includes a rubber.

10. The coolant manifold of claim 1, wherein said first port includes a generally cylindrical body extending from said main body portion, said generally cylindrical body including an integrally formed sealing ring extending about an outer circumference thereof.

11. The coolant manifold of claim 1, wherein said main body portion includes a bellows disposed between said first and second ports to provide expansion and contraction therebetween.

12. A cooling system assembly comprising:

a first battery module including a first coolant flow path;

a second battery module including a second coolant flow path; and

a coolant manifold including first and second ports and a main body portion to provide expansion and contraction between said first and second ports, said first port in communication with said first coolant flow path and said second port in communication with said second coolant flow path.

13. The cooling system assembly of claim 12, wherein said coolant manifold includes an insert disposed within said first port, said insert having a stiffness greater than a stiffness of said main body portion.

14. The cooling system assembly of claim 13, wherein said insert is retained within an inner circumferential portion of said first port.

15. The cooling system assembly of claim 13, wherein said insert is formed from a first material having an ultimate tensile strength greater than 24 MPa and said first port is formed from a second material having an ultimate tensile strength of less than 8.3 MPa.

16. The cooling system assembly of claim 15, wherein said first material includes polypropylene and said second material includes a rubber.

17. The cooling system assembly of claim 13, wherein said first port is molded around said insert.

18. The cooling system assembly of claim 12, wherein said first port includes a generally cylindrical body extending from said main body portion, said generally cylindrical body including an integrally formed sealing ring extending about an outer circumference thereof.

19. The cooling system assembly of claim 18, wherein said first battery module includes a coolant port in communication with said first coolant flow path, said first port of said coolant manifold extending into said coolant port and said sealing ring being compressed between an outer circumference of said first port of said coolant manifold and an inner circumference of said coolant port.

20. The cooling system assembly of claim 12, wherein said main body portion includes a bellows disposed between said first and second ports to provide the expansion and contraction therebetween.