Electric power unit

• US 6,220,383 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation), DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation), DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ueda, Yasushi, Takahashi, Hideyuki, Muraki, Toshihiko, Sugi, Hikaru, Shirota, Yuichi, Kameoka, Teruhiko, Takeuchi, Tokuhisa, Takechi, Tetsuya, Yamaguchi, Mineo, Kuwayama, Kazutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/149,100
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.5, 276/24.1, 276/208, 276/37.1, 454/105, 454/112, 454/117, 416/170.R, 417/420, 417/423.8
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• 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: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electric power unit is composed of a secondary battery, a cooling fan, a fan motor and a case for the secondary battery, the cooling fan and the fan motor. The case has a partition for isolating the fan motor from the secondary battery and cooling fan. A magnetic joint is disposed between the motor and the cooling fan.

Claims

1. An electric power unit disposed in an electric car having a passenger compartment and a trunk room, said electric power unit comprising:

a secondary battery;

a pair of cooling fans for cooling said secondary battery;

a fan motor for driving said pair of cooling fans; and

a battery case having an air inlet and an air outlet for accommodating said secondary battery, said cooling fan and said fan motor, wherein

said battery case has a partition for interrupting transmission of heat from said secondary battery and of dust from said cooling fan to said fan motor, wherein

said air inlet is connected to said passenger compartment, and, wherein

said air outlet is selectively connected to said trunk room.

2. The electric power unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a magnetic joint disposed between said fan motor and said pair of cooling fans.

3. The electric power unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said magnetic joint comprises:

an input member having a plurality of permanent magnet members, said input member being connected to said fan motor, and an output member having a plurality of permanent magnets disposed opposite said plurality of permanent magnets of said input member, said output member being connected to said pair of cooling fans, and wherein

said partition is disposed between said input member and said output member.

4. The electric power unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pair of cooling fans, said magnetic joint, and said fan motor are linked in a line transverse to said electric car.

5. An electric power unit disposed in an electric car having a passenger compartment and a trunk room, said electric power unit comprising:

a secondary battery;

a cooling fan for cooling said secondary battery;

a fan motor for driving said cooling fan; and

a battery case having an air inlet and an air outlet for accommodating said secondary battery, said cooling fan and said fan motor, wherein

said battery case has a partition for interrupting transmission of heat from said secondary battery and dust from said cooling fan to said fan motor, wherein said air inlet is connected to said passenger compartment, and, wherein said air outlet is selectively connected to said trunk room.