Structure for air-cooling vehicle-mounted object

• US 8,602,091 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nemoto, Atsuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOULE, IAN B
• Application Number:
  US12/440,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20100193174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: 165/202, 165/271, 165/41, 165/42, 165/43, 165/44, 622/44, 622/41, 622/91, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 454/69, 454/75, 454/103, 454/104, 454/105, 454/106
• US Class Current: 165/202
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00407 for open or convertible vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/003 Component temperature regulation using an air flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/223 specially adapted for convertible cars
• 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: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

There is provided an air-cooling structure for a vehicle-mounted object is capable of taking in a sufficient amount of air. The top end of an air suction part 36 is opened extremely near an air deflector 20 behind the air deflector 20. With this, an air flow W4 prevented from flowing to a vehicle compartment space 12 by the air deflector 20 is introduced to the top end of the air suction part 36 and flows into the interior of the air suction part 36. In this manner, the air flow W4 flowing at a speed corresponding to the running speed of a vehicle 10 flows into the interior of the air suction part 36, so that even though the air flow W4 is the outside air, the air flow W4 can effectively air-cool a battery 34 installed in a battery housing part 32.

Claims

1. An air-cooling structure for cooling a battery applied to a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a removable roof portion covering a vehicle compartment space from above, and a battery housing part formed in an interior of the vehicle and located at a rear of the vehicle compartment space, the air-cooling structure comprising:

an air suction part having a first end thereof opened behind a seat disposed along a rear end of the vehicle compartment space and having a second end thereof fluidly connected to the battery housing part such that, in an open state in which the top of the vehicle compartment space is open by removing the roof portion from the vehicle compartment space, air flows from the first end to the second end through the air suction part, and the air suction part being provided with a forced air-suction unit;

an air flow introducing unit disposed in front of the first end of the air suction part and, in the open state, configured to direct an air flow, which has passed above the vehicle compartment space, to flow forward in a vehicle front and rear direction and downward in a vehicle upper and lower direction of the vehicle, to the first end of the air suction part; and

a foreign matter trapping channel provided separately from the air suction part;

wherein a second end side of the air suction part is provided to incline farther forward in the vehicle front and rear direction and farther downward in the vehicle upper and lower direction than a first end side of the air suction part, and

the foreign matter trapping channel has a top end portion branched off of the air suction part, the top end portion being open between the first end and the second end of the air suction part, and the top end portion being positioned above the forced air-suction unit, wherein a foreign matter sliding down along an inclined surface of the air suction part drops into the foreign matter trapping channel.

2. The air-cooling structure of claim 1,

wherein the air flow introducing unit is an air deflector that is disposed near the seat disposed along the rear end of the vehicle compartment space, prevents the air flow from flowing into the vehicle compartment space, and directs the air flow to the first end of the air suction part.

5. The air-cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the forced air-suction unit is disposed between the first end and the second end of the air suction part and is operated to intake air via suction at the first end side and send the air to the second end side of the air suction part.

6. The air-cooling structure of claim 5 further comprising:

a roof detecting unit that detects whether or not the roof portion covers the vehicle compartment space and the air suction part from above; and

a control unit that controls the forced air-suction unit on a basis of a signal from the roof detecting unit, and the forced air-suction unit is operated when the roof portion is mounted to cover the vehicle compartment space.

7. The air-cooling structure of claim 5, further comprising a speed detecting unit that detects a speed of the vehicle, and

a control unit that controls the forced air-suction unit on a basis of a signal from the speed detecting unit, and the forced air-suction unit is operated when the speed of the vehicle is smaller than a specified value.

8. The air-cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the top end portion of the foreign matter trapping channel is provided at the inclined surface of the air suction part and substantially at a position where the top end portion of the foreign matter trapping channel does not overlap a first end portion of the air suction part in the upper and lower direction of the vehicle.

9. The air-cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the air suction part is provided such that the first end of the air suction part is open at a portion of the vehicle compartment space covered by the roof portion when the roof portion is mounted.

10. The air-cooling structure according to claim 1, further comprising an air exhaust part having one end connected to the battery housing part and an other end open near a position where another air flow passes, wherein-the air suction part is configured to direct the air flow toward the other end of the air exhaust part.

11. The air-cooling structure of claim 8, wherein the foreign matter trapping channel is provided such that an orientation thereof is substantially opposite to an orientation of the air suction part with respect to the vehicle front and rear direction.

12. The air-cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter trapping channel is disposed below the first end of the air suction part.

14. The air-cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter trapping channel is configured to prevent the foreign matter from reaching the forced air suction unit.

16. The air-cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the battery housing part houses the battery.

3. An air-cooling structure for cooling a battery applied to a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a removable roof portion covering a vehicle compartment space from above, and a battery housing part formed in an interior of the vehicle and located at a rear of the vehicle compartment space, the air cooling structure comprising:

an air deflector disposed near a seat disposed along a rear end of the vehicle compartment space, wherein the air deflector is configured to prevent an air flow, which has passed above the vehicle compartment space, from flowing into the vehicle compartment space;

an air suction part having a first end opened behind the air deflector, and a second end fluidly connected to the battery housing part, and in an open state in which the top of the vehicle compartment space is open by removing the roof portion from the vehicle compartment space, the air flow prevented from flowing into the vehicle compartment space by the air deflector can flow from the first end to the second end in the air suction part, and the air suction part being provided with a forced air-suction unit; and

a foreign matter trapping channel provided separately from the air suction part;

wherein a second end side of the air suction part is provided to incline farther forward in the vehicle front and rear direction and farther downward in the vehicle upper and lower direction than a first end side of the air suction part, and

the foreign matter trapping channel has a top end portion branched off of the air suction part, the top end portion being open between the first end and the second end of the air suction part, and the top end portion being positioned above the forced air-suction unit, wherein a foreign matter sliding down along an inclined surface of the air suction part drops into the foreign matter trapping channel.

4. The air-cooling structure of claim 3,

wherein the seat is one of a plurality of seats, wherein the plurality of seats are disposed such that occupants may be seated side by side in a vehicle width direction along the rear end of the vehicle compartment space, and

the air deflector is disposed between a left side seating position and a right side seating position in the vehicle width direction of the seat.

13. The air-cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein the foreign matter trapping channel is disposed below the first end of the air suction part.

15. The air-cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein the foreign matter trapping channel is configured to prevent the foreign matter from reaching the forced air suction unit.

17. The air-cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein the battery housing part houses the battery.