Mounting structure of electrical equipment

• US 7,631,712 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Ko
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/596,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20080274397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.1, 429/159, 429/149, 280/796, 280/783, 280/727
• 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: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/652 characterised by gradients for achieving a desired temperature gradient H01M10/617
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04014 Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2475 Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

A battery assy is mounted in a luggage room or beneath the rear seat. In the battery assy, a battery pack having a configuration of an approximate rectangle, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, is stored in an inclined manner in a casing formed of a battery cover and a lower case, having a configuration of an approximate parallelogram, when viewed from the side of the vehicle. A resin chamber is provided at a gap in the frontward position and the rearward position of the battery assy. A channel of cooling air is formed at a gap in the upper region and the lower region of the battery assy. The battery assy is mounted such that the bottom is protruding towards the front of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A mounting structure of electrical equipment on a vehicle, comprising:

a casing having at least six faces for storing said electrical equipment, and

a holding unit for holding a bottom of said casing on a floor panel of said vehicle,

wherein said electrical equipment has a configuration of an approximate rectangular parallelepiped,

said casing has a configuration in which a top side of said casing extends further towards the rear of said vehicle than the bottom side, at a rearward position in a longitudinal direction of said vehicle, and said casing has a configuration in which the bottom side of said casing extends further towards the front of said vehicle than the top side, at a frontward position in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle,

a cross section of said casing, when viewed from a side of said vehicle, is an approximate parallelogram with a horizontal base,

said electrical equipment is stored in said casing such that the bottom of said casing is not parallel to the bottom of said electrical equipment,

in the casing where the bottom of said casing is not parallel to the bottom of said electrical equipment, gaps where cooling air for said electrical equipment flows are formed respectively between the upper side of said approximate parallelogram and said electrical equipment and between the lower side of said approximate parallelogram and said electrical equipment, and gaps where ducts for cooling said electrical equipment are provided are formed respectively between said electrical equipment and one of two sides, opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction, of said approximate parallelogram, and between said electrical equipment and the other side of said approximate parallelogram, and

said electrical equipment has a terminal for input and output of electric current, and said terminal abuts on said duct.

2. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 1, wherein said duct is formed of resin.

3. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 1, wherein said electrical equipment is stored in said casing such that, when viewed from the side of said vehicle,

an end at a top of said electrical equipment is brought into contact with one end side of said casing at the top, and

an end of the bottom of said electrical equipment is brought into contact with another end side of said casing, differing from said one end side, at the bottom.

4. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 1, wherein said electrical equipment is stored in said casing such that, when viewed from the side of said vehicle, said electrical equipment has a cross section of an approximate rectangle, and the base of said parallelogram is not parallel to the base of said rectangle.

5. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 4, wherein a duct to cool said electrical equipment is provided at a gap between said approximate parallelogram and said approximate rectangle.

6. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 5, wherein said duct is formed of resin.

7. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 4, wherein said electrical equipment is stored in said casing such that, when viewed from a side of said vehicle,

an end of said approximate rectangle at the upper side is brought into contact with one end side of said parallelogram at the upper side, and

an end of said approximate rectangle at the lower side is brought into contact with another end side of said parallelogram, differing from said one end side, at the lower side.

8. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 1, wherein said electrical equipment includes any of a secondary battery, capacitor and fuel cell.

9. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 1, wherein said electrical equipment is mounted in a luggage room.

10. The mounting structure of electrical equipment according to claim 1, wherein said electrical equipment is mounted beneath a front seat.