Battery pack with an improved cooling structure
First Claim
1. A battery pack, comprising:
- a case containing a plurality of cells, at least one air passage formed within the case for allowing cooling air outside the case to enter the case and to pass at least one of along and between the cells, and exit from the case, and at least one radiator provided in the at least one air passage so as to be in contact with an outer surface of the cells, wherein the heat capacity of the at least one radiator increases in the downstream direction of a flow of the cooling air.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A battery pack (1) includes an outer enclosure (2) and a forked air passage (72) for introducing cooling air via the intake port (9) formed in an outer enclosure (2), sending the air between cell groups (70) and (71) which contain cells (14a-14f), and discharging it from the outer enclosure at discharge ports (11). Two metallic radiator plates (73) partially define the air passage so as to be in contact with the side cells (14a-14d), whereas a circular radiator plate (74) made of synthetic resin also partially define the air passage so as to be in contact with the center cells (14e, 14f). The contact areas of the side cells with the metallic radiator plates (73) are varied in order to achieve even cooling of the cells. The upstream portion of the synthetic resin radiator plate has a thicker wall than the downstream portion to achieve the same purpose.
-
Citations
38 Claims
-
1. A battery pack, comprising:
-
a case containing a plurality of cells, at least one air passage formed within the case for allowing cooling air outside the case to enter the case and to pass at least one of along and between the cells, and exit from the case, and at least one radiator provided in the at least one air passage so as to be in contact with an outer surface of the cells, wherein the heat capacity of the at least one radiator increases in the downstream direction of a flow of the cooling air. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A battery pack, comprising:
-
a first case containing a plurality of cells, a second case enclosing the first case, at least one air passage formed within the first case for allowing cooling air outside the first case to enter the first case at an upstream portion of the at least one air passage and to pass at least one of along and between the cells, and exit from the first case at a downstream portion of the at least one air passage, and radiator means provided in the at least one air passage so as to be in contact with an outer surface of each of the cells, the radiator means having a plurality of portions each corresponding to each of the cells, wherein the portions have different heat capacities according to a heat load of the corresponding cell. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A battery pack, comprising:
-
a case containing a plurality of cells, the cells being divided into at least one first cell group and at least one second cell group, each of said cell groups including at least one cell, and the at least one first cell group is located generally in the center of the battery pack, at least one air passage formed within the case for allowing cooling air outside the case to enter the case at an upstream portion of the at least one air passage and to pass at least one of along and between the cells, and exit from the case at a downstream portion of the at least one air passage, and wherein at least two of the second cell groups oppose the at least one first cell group along branches of the at least one air passage, and radiator means provided in the at least one air passage so as to be in contact with an outer surface of each of the cells, the radiator means having a plurality of portions each corresponding to each of the cells to form a plurality of radiator plates having different heat capacities, each radiator plate being in contact with one of the at least one first cell group and one of the at least one second cell group, wherein the portions have different heat capacities according to a heat load of the corresponding cell, wherein the heat capacity of each portion of the radiator means is determined by the area of contact of the portion with the corresponding cell. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
Specification