Vehicle power supply system

• US 8,011,467 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitamura, Yutaka, Asao, Yoshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/655,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20070114083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/68.5, 180/291
• 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 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• 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: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• 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: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In a vehicle power supply system including a battery, an inverter unit for converting DC electric power of the battery into AC electric power and supplying it to a rotating electric machine to drive it, an AC wiring line for connecting the rotating electric machine and the inverter unit, and a DC wiring line for connecting the inverter unit and the battery, the inverter unit is placed in a vicinity of the battery so that the DC wiring line becomes shorter than the AC wiring line. By this, a voltage drop due to the DC wiring line is reduced, and a torque characteristic of the rotating electric machine can be improved.

Claims

1. A vehicle power supply system of a vehicle having a main body, the power system comprising:

a battery;

an inverter unit which converts DC electric power of the battery into AC electric power and which supplies the AC electric power to a rotating electric machine to drive the rotating electric machine, the inverter unit comprising an attachment plate, an inverter unit main body, and a heat radiating fin extending outwardly from the inverter unit main body in a direction substantially orthogonal to the inverter unit main body, the inverter unit disposed along a side face of the battery such that the heat radiating fin extends outwardly from the side face of the battery in a direction substantially orthogonal to the side face of the battery, and the attachment plate integrally fixed to the inverter unit main body at an end of the inverter unit main body disposed at a top surface of the battery;

a battery fixing plate disposed along the top surface of the battery, the battery fixing plate integrally fixed to the attachment plate at a first end of the battery fixing plate;

an AC wiring line which connects the rotating electric machine and the inverter unit;

a DC wiring line which connects the inverter unit and the battery;

a battery tray fixed to the vehicle main body, in which the bottom of the battery is positioned, the battery tray fixed to the attachment plate at a side end face of the battery tray; and

a fixing means, through which a second end of the battery fixing plate, opposite the first end of the battery fixing plate, and the battery tray are fixed,

wherein the battery is held between the battery tray and the battery fixing plate through the attachment plate and the fixing means to integrally fix the battery and inverter unit to the vehicle main body through the battery tray.

2. A vehicle power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the inverter unit is fixed to a side of the battery.

3. A vehicle power supply system according to claim 1, wherein an electric connection body for electrically connecting the battery and the inverter unit is a metal plate.

4. A vehicle power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the battery tray for holding the battery is provided with a cooling function member.

5. A vehicle power supply system according to claim 4, wherein a cooling medium for cooling the battery is identical to a cooling medium for cooling the inverter unit.