Cooling structure for secondary battery

• US 7,810,596 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Takenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano; S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US11/665,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20070289789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/65.29, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.5, 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 2001/005 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 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In a cooling structure for the secondary battery, a first exhaust duct is connected to a first battery pack. The first exhaust duct includes a first center exhaust duct extending between the driver seat and the front passenger seat towards a vehicle rear side, and a first under seat exhaust duct extending under the driver seat. A second exhaust duct is connected to a second battery pack. The second exhaust duct includes a second center exhaust duct and a second under seat exhaust duct extending under the front passenger seat. By this structure, a cooling structure for a secondary battery that can ensure a favorable environment of interior comfort in the vehicle, free from any negative effect caused by the cooling air discharged from the battery pack, can be provided.

Claims

1. A cooling structure for a secondary battery adapted to cool a secondary battery in a battery pack by cooling air drawn in from a cabin of a vehicle, and discharge the air into said cabin via an exhaust duct, wherein

said battery pack is arranged between a driver seat and a front passenger seat,

said exhaust duct is disposed under said driver seat and under said front passenger seat,

said exhaust duct is led out from a front side of said battery pack, and downwards towards a floor side to extend between said driver seat and said front passenger seat towards a vehicle rear side and split into two directions,

said exhaust duct split in one direction is disposed to pass below said driver seat, and said exhaust duct split in the other direction is disposed to pass below said front passenger seat,

a center axis of said battery pack along a longitudinal direction of said vehicle is deviated in one direction of a traversing direction from a center axis of said vehicle in the longitudinal direction, and

a target apparatus to be cooled is mounted on said exhaust duct extending in a direction opposite to the direction of deviation of said battery pack.

2. The cooling structure for a secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the center axis of said battery pack along the longitudinal direction of said vehicle is located deviating to said front passenger seat side from the center axis of said vehicle in the longitudinal direction.

3. The cooling structure for a secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein

said battery pack comprises a first battery pack including a first battery assembly, and a second battery pack disposed above the first battery pack, and including a second battery assembly,

said exhaust duct extending in a direction opposite to the direction of deviation of said battery pack is connected to said first battery pack located at a lower side, and

said exhaust duct extending in the direction of deviation of said battery pack is connected to said second battery pack located at an upper side.

4. The cooling structure for a secondary battery according to claim 3, wherein a cooling fan of a same performance is attached to each of said first battery pack and said second battery pack.