Battery cooling structure

• US 9,163,887 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Katayama, Goichi, Yamamoto, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gafur, Razmeen
• Application Number:
  US13/672,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20130146249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 36167946-67954, 361688-723, 361676-678, 165 801- 805, 165/104.33, 165/185, 174 151- 152, 174 161- 163, 174 151- 153, 174547-548, 180 681- 686, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 257712-722, 257/E23.088, 244/53, 24458-459, 312/236
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/00 Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/264 for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery cooling structure includes a cooling plate and a heat transfer sheet. The cooling plate is to cool a battery module including a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side. The heat transfer sheet is provided between the cooling plate and a cooling surface of the battery module to transfer heat from the cooling surface to the cooling plate. The heat transfer sheet is deformable by a pressure applied to the heat transfer sheet. The heat transfer sheet includes a positioning hole through which the cooling surface of the battery module is visible when the heat transfer sheet is assembled to the battery module.

Claims

1. A battery cooling structure comprising:

a cooling plate to cool a battery module including a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side;

a heat transfer sheet provided between the cooling plate and a cooling surface of the battery module to transfer heat from the cooling surface to the cooling plate, the heat transfer sheet being deformable by a pressure applied to the heat transfer sheet, the heat transfer sheet including a positioning hole through which the cooling surface of the battery module is visible when the heat transfer sheet is assembled to the battery module; and

a holder including a positioning portion having a width smaller than a width of the positioning hole,

wherein the heat transfer sheet includes a plurality of the positioning holes provided along the positioning portion.

2. The battery cooling structure according to claim 1

wherein the holder provided between the plurality of battery cells of the battery module to oppose the positioning hole.

3. The battery cooling structure according to claim 1,

wherein the holder includes a protruding wall portion disposed in the battery module to cover at least a part of the cooling surface, the protruding wall portion protruding toward the cooling plate along the cooling surface.

4. The battery cooling structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electrically insulative sheet provided between the cooling plate and the heat transfer sheet.

5. The battery cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer sheet is made of a synthetic resin.

6. The battery cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the positioning hole opposes a portion on the cooling surface of the battery module.

7. The battery cooling structure according to claim 1,

wherein the holder includes a lower flange, and

wherein the plurality of positioning holes are configured to oppose the lower flange.

8. The battery cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer sheet is made of silicone rubber.

9. The battery cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer sheet has an adhesive property.

10. A battery cooling structure comprising:

a cooling plate to cool a battery module including a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side; and

a heat transfer sheet provided between the cooling plate and a cooling surface of the battery module to transfer heat from the cooling surface to the cooling plate, the heat transfer sheet being deformable by a pressure applied to the heat transfer sheet, the heat transfer sheet including a positioning hole through which the cooling surface of the battery module is visible when the heat transfer sheet is assembled to the battery module,

wherein the heat transfer sheet includes

a first surface in contact with the cooling surface of the battery module,

a second surface opposite to the first surface, and

a positioning groove provided on the first surface, and

wherein the positioning hole is provided on the second surface and in the positioning groove.

11. The battery cooling structure according to claim 10, further comprising:

a holder including

a holder body portion provided between the plurality of battery cells of the battery module, and

a positioning portion extending from an edge of the holder body portion along the cooling surface of the battery module,

wherein the positioning portion is provided in the positioning groove to oppose the positioning hole.

12. A battery cooling structure comprising:

a cooling plate to cool a battery module including a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side;

a heat transfer sheet provided between the cooling plate and a cooling surface of the battery module to transfer heat from the cooling surface to the cooling plate, the heat transfer sheet being deformable by a pressure applied to the heat transfer sheet, the heat transfer sheet including a positioning hole through which the cooling surface of the battery module is visible when the heat transfer sheet is assembled to the battery module; and

a holder including a positioning portion having a width smaller than a width of the positioning hole,

wherein the heat transfer sheet includes a plurality of the positioning holes provided along the positioning portion.

13. A battery cooling structure comprising:

a cooling plate to cool a battery module including a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side; and

a heat transfer sheet provided between the cooling plate and a cooling surface of the battery module to transfer heat from the cooling surface to the cooling plate, the heat transfer sheet being deformable by a pressure applied to the heat transfer sheet, the heat transfer sheet including a positioning hole through which the cooling surface of the battery module is visible when the heat transfer sheet is assembled to the battery module,

wherein the heat transfer sheet includes

a first surface in contact with the cooling surface of the battery module,

a second surface opposite to the first surface, and

a positioning groove provided on the first surface, and

wherein the positioning hole is provided on the second surface and in the positioning groove.

14. The battery cooling structure according to claim 13, further comprising:

a holder including

a holder body portion provided between the plurality of battery cells of the battery module, and

a positioning portion extending from an edge of the holder body portion along the cooling surface of the battery module,

wherein the positioning portion is provided in the positioning groove to oppose the positioning hole.