Vehicle cooling system and wire harness cooling structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440491-B2
Application number	US-202016840294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2020
Priority date	May 7, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle cooling system includes a wire harness WH electrically connected to a plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices, a J/B electrically connected to the wire harness and a high-voltage battery, electric device medium pipes routed along a routing path of the wire harness and used for circulation of a heat exchange medium through the heat-exchange target electric devices, and a path switching unit connected to the electric device medium pipes so that the heat exchange medium can be circulated, and configured to form a heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices. The path switching unit is provided in the J/B and forms the heat exchange medium path according to a heat generation state of the heat-exchange target electric devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle cooling system comprising:
a plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices that are mounted on a vehicle and perform heat exchange with a heat exchange medium;
a wire harness that is electrically connected to the heat-exchange target electric devices;
a high-voltage battery that supplies power to heat-exchange target electric devices that drive the vehicle among the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices;
a heat consuming device that consumes heat of the heat exchange medium;
an electrical junction box that is electrically connected to the wire harness and the high-voltage battery;
electric device medium pipes that are routed along a routing path of the wire harness and are used for circulation of the heat exchange medium through the heat-exchange target electric devices;
a battery medium pipe that is used for circulation of the heat exchange medium through the high-voltage battery; and
a path switching unit to which the electric device medium pipes, the battery medium pipe, and the heat consuming device are connected so that the heat exchange medium is circulatable and that forms a heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least two of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices, the high-voltage battery, and the heat consuming device, wherein
the path switching unit is provided in the electrical junction box and forms the heat exchange medium path according to a heat generation state of the heat-exchange target electric devices.

2. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein
the electrical junction box is formed integrally with the high-voltage battery.

3. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 2 , wherein
the heat-exchange target electric devices that drive the vehicle are inverters, and
the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the inverters and the high-voltage battery at the time of a start of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a heater that heats a heat exchange medium circulated in the electric device medium pipe between the inverters and the electrical junction box, wherein
the heater is driven when the heat exchange medium path is formed at the time of the start of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 4 , wherein
one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and
the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device.

6. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3 , wherein
one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and
the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device.

7. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 2 , wherein
one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and
the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device.

8. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein
the heat-exchange target electric devices that drive the vehicle are inverters, and
the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the inverters and the high-voltage battery at the time of a start of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a heater that heats a heat exchange medium circulated in the electric device medium pipe between the inverters and the electrical junction box, wherein
the heater is driven when the heat exchange medium path is formed at the time of the start of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 9 , wherein
one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and
the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device.

11. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 8 , wherein
one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and
the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device.

12. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein
one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and
the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device.

13. A wire harness cooling structure comprising:
a wire harness that is electrically connected to heat-exchange target electric devices mounted on a vehicle and performing heat exchange with a heat exchange medium;
electric device medium pipes that are routed along a routing path of the wire harness and used for circulation of a heat exchange medium through the heat-exchange target electric devices;
a lower case that is formed by arranging two electric device medium pipes in parallel and connecting the two electric device medium pipes in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the electric device medium pipes extend; and
an upper case that closes an opening formed between the two electric device medium pipes, wherein
the wire harness passes through an internal space formed in a state in which the lower case and the upper case are assembled.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Sakabe Takashi

Classifications

• B60K11/04 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds · CPC title

• B60K2001/005

  the electric storage means · CPC title

• B60L2240/545

  Temperature · CPC title

• B60L58/27

  by heating · CPC title

• B60K11/02

  with liquid cooling · CPC title