Positioning structure of a battery cooling duct for a vehicle

• US 6,315,069 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2000
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Suba, Masahiko, Iwamoto, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISCHMANN, BRYAN R
• Application Number:
  US09/513,221
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.3, 180/68.5, 180/65.1, 429/120
• 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 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• 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

A battery is disposed beneath a floor panel of a vehicle, and an intake duct for supplying air from within a passenger compartment extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle above one side of the floor panel, passing through the floor panel above the battery. An exhaust duct for exhausting air supplied to the battery extends in the longitudinal direction above the other side of the floor panel, passing through the floor panel above the battery. Air inside the passenger compartment is supplied to the battery via the intake duct so as to cool the battery. After cooling the battery, air of an elevated temperature is exhausted via the exhaust duct.

Claims

1. A positioning structure of a battery cooling duct for a vehicle comprising:

a floor panel defining a bottom of a passenger compartment;

a battery under the floor panel;

an intake duct with a front end and a rear internal-air intake port, the intake duct extending above one side of the floor panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and passing through the floor panel above the battery to connect the front end with the battery under the floor panel, and the internal-air intake port opening toward a rear region of the compartment, and;

an exhaust duct with a front end and a rear exhaust port, the exhaust duct extending in the longitudinal direction above the other side of the floor panel and passing through the floor panel above the battery to connect the front end with the battery under the floor panel.

2. A positioning structure according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust fan disposed within the exhaust duct beneath a rear seat.

3. A positioning structure according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust pipe disposed beneath the other side of the floor panel.

4. A positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the exhaust port of the exhaust duct comprises an external exhaust port opening to an outside of the passenger compartment.

5. A positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the exhaust port of the exhaust duct comprises an internal exhaust port opening to an inside of the passenger compartment.

6. A positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the exhaust port of the exhaust duct comprises an external exhaust port opening to an outside of the passenger compartment and an internal exhaust port opening to an inside of the passenger compartment, and

wherein the exhaust duct comprises a damper switching between the external exhaust port and the internal exhaust port.

7. A positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the internal-air intake port of the intake duct is disposed rearward of a rear seat.

8. A positioning structure according to claim 5, wherein:

the internal exhaust port of the exhaust duct is disposed rearward of the passenger compartment.

9. A positioning structure according to claim 4, further comprising:

a drafter for exhausting air from within the passenger compartment, wherein

the external exhaust port of the exhaust duct is connected to the drafter.

10. A positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the intake duct extends along an upper surface of the floor panel.

11. A positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the exhaust duct extends along an upper surface of the floor panel.

12. A positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery comprises a battery body and a case covering the battery, and wherein

the front end of the intake duct is connected to the case and opens into inside thereof.

13. A positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery comprises a battery body and a case covering the battery, and wherein the front end of the exhaust duct is connected to the case and opens into inside thereof.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a floor panel defining a bottom of a passenger compartment;

a battery under the floor panel;

an intake duct with a front end and a rear internal-air intake port, the intake duct extending above one side of the floor panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and passing through the floor panel above the battery to connect the front end with the battery under the floor panel, and the internal-air intake port opening toward a rear region of the compartment, and;

an exhaust duct with a front end and a rear exhaust port, the exhaust duct extending in the longitudinal direction above the other side of the floor panel and passing through the floor panel above the battery to connect the front end with the battery.

15. A battery cooling duct positioning structure for a vehicle comprising:

a floor panel;

a battery under the floor panel;

an intake duct for supplying air within a passenger compartment to the battery, extending above one side of the floor panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and passing through the floor panel above the battery; and

an exhaust duct for exhausting air supplied to the battery, extending above the other side of the floor panel in the longitudinal direction and passing through the floor panel above the battery.