Cooling structure for electric vehicle

• US 6,188,574 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1999
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Anazawa, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US09/356,726
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.8, 361/600, 361/641, 361/643, 361/676, 361/679, 361/694-695, 429/96-100
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/04 Arrangement of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A cooling structure for an electric vehicle includes a battery box provided with at least one battery, a blower fan supplying air to cool the batteries, a wind box disposed on the battery box and provided with at least one electric component to be cooled. The wind box is formed with an air passage having a substantially U-shape when viewed from the top, on which the electric component is disposed. The wind box includes an air inlet connected to the blower fan and an air outlet communicating with one end of the battery box, so that the air from the blower fan is supplied to the battery box via the wind box.

Claims

1. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a battery box provided with at least one battery;

a blower fan supplying air to cool said at least one battery;

a wind box disposed on said battery box and provided with at least one electric component to be cooled, said wind box being formed with an air passage having a substantially U-shape when viewed from the top in such a manner that said electric component is disposed thereon, said wind box including an air inlet connected to said blower fan and an air outlet communicating with one end of said battery box, so that the air from said blower fan is supplied to said battery box via said wind box.

2. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a breaker box disposed in a space at the center of said air passage forming the substantially U-shape.

3. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a breaker box attached to said battery box via a stay, said stay being assembled to a bottom plate of said battery box to be attached under a floor plate of the electric vehicle, and said breaker box is attached to said stay.

4. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said stay comprises:

fixing plates constituting a part of said at least one battery;

a breaker box supporting bracket supporting said breaker box; and

a long bolt fixing said breaker box supporting bracket together with said fixing plates to said bottom plate.

5. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said stay comprises:

leg plates fixed to said breaker box and crossing substantially at right angles with each other; and

a breaker box supporting plate attached to said leg plates and supporting said breaker box.

6. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said leg plates are formed as a single, unitary member.

7. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said battery box comprises:

a bottom plate;

a peripheral wall extending upwardly from said bottom plate, said peripheral wall having a seal flange for sealing within said battery box and a mounting flange for mounting said battery box on a floor plate of the electric vehicle; and

a reinforcement frame surrounding around said bottom plate and peripheral wall.

8. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said battery box is provided with a plurality of said batteries, and said battery box comprises:

a bottom plate; and

a rail fixed to said bottom plate for mounting said plurality of batteries in a row along the longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle,

wherein one said battery located at a front side of the electric vehicle is arranged to be higher than another said battery located at a rear side thereof via said rail.

9. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said battery box is attached under a floor plate of the electric vehicle so that said wind box is arranged below a rear seat of the electric vehicle.

10. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said air outlet is formed in a lower surface of said wind box.

11. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said wind box includes an intermediate wall partitioning a space within the wind box into an upper space and a lower space, said air passage being defined in said lower space.

12. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said wind box is disposed on an upper surface of said battery box.

13. A cooling structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said air outlet is formed in a lower surface of said wind box.