Vehicle and cooling structure for power source apparatus mounted on vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9966640-B2
Application number	US-201114240124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2011
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

The efficiency in layout of an exhaust space for a power source apparatus mounted in an in-car space is increased and uncomfortableness is suppressed due to air discharged from the power source apparatus into the in-car space. A vehicle on which a power source apparatus is mounted includes the power source apparatus disposed in an in-car space of the vehicle, a cooling apparatus supplying air within the in-car space to the power source apparatus, and a cooling duct which the air discharged from the power source apparatus flows. The cooling duct is connected to any one of a first cooling flow path formed by a pillar of the vehicle, a second cooling flow path formed by a frame portion of the vehicle and a stepped portion provided for the frame portion, and a third cooling flow path formed by the frame portion and a scuff plate portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle on which a battery pack is mounted, comprising:
the battery pack disposed in an in-car space of the vehicle;
a cooling apparatus supplying air within the in-car space to the battery pack;
a cooling duct in which the air discharged from the battery pack flows; and
a first cooling flow path connected to the cooling duct and formed by a pillar of the vehicle, the pillar extending from a floor panel of the vehicle to a roof portion of the vehicle, an upper end of the pillar being connected to the roof portion;
a second cooling flow path connected to the cooling duct and formed by a vehicle frame formed on each side of a lower portion of the pillar and a stepped portion provided for the vehicle frame; and
a third cooling flow path connected to the cooling duct and formed between the vehicle frame and a scuff plate portion provided for the vehicle frame, wherein the first cooling flow path, the second cooling flow path, and the third cooling flow path are coupled to each other through the pillar, and the pillar is directly connected to the cooling duct disposed under a seat mounted in the in-car space between the battery pack and the pillar,
wherein the first cooling flow path extends from the lower portion of the pillar to the roof portion of the vehicle, and the air is discharged from the roof portion to the in-car space after the air flows through the first cooling flow path,
wherein a part of the battery pack, the cooling apparatus and the cooling duct are arranged under the seat, and
wherein the cooling apparatus and the cooling duct are arranged in the in-car space of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the battery pack is arranged under both of two seats in a left-right direction of the vehicle,
the cooling apparatus is arranged under one of the two seats, and
the cooling duct includes a first cooling duct and a second cooling duct, one end of the first cooling duct being connected to the pillar on a left side of the vehicle and an opposite end of the first cooling duct, aligned with the one end of the first cooling duct in the left-right direction of the vehicle, being connected to a first side face of the battery pack on the left side of the vehicle, and one end of the second cooling duct being connected to the pillar on a right side of the vehicle and an opposite end of the second cooling duct, aligned with the one end of the second cooling duct in the left-right direction of the vehicle, being connected to a second side face of the battery pack on the right side of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first cooling flow path is formed by a pillar portion with concave shape and a pillar garnish covering a concaved opening face of the pillar portion.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the pillar is formed to have a width in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, the width being increased from top toward bottom of the vehicle, and
the cooling duct is connected to the lower portion of the pillar.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the battery pack is arranged under both of two seats in a left-right direction of the vehicle,
the cooling apparatus is arranged under one of the two seats, and
the cooling duct includes a first cooling duct and a second cooling duct, one end of the first cooling duct being connected to the pillar on a left side of the vehicle and an opposite end of the first cooling duct, aligned with the one end of the first cooling duct in the left-right direction of the vehicle, being connected to a first side face of the battery pack on the left side of the vehicle, and one end of the second cooling duct being connected to the pillar on a right side of the vehicle and an opposite end of the second cooling duct, aligned with the one end of the second cooling duct in the left-right direction of the vehicle, being connected to a second side face of the battery pack on the right side of the vehicle.

6. A cooling structure for a battery pack mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a cooling apparatus supplying air within an in-car space of the vehicle to the battery pack;
a cooling duct in which the air discharged from the battery pack flows;
a first cooling flow path connected to the cooling duct and formed by a pillar of the vehicle, the pillar extending from a floor panel of the vehicle to a roof portion of the vehicle, an upper end of the pillar being connected to the roof portion;
a second cooling flow path connected to the cooling duct and formed by a vehicle frame formed on each side of a lower portion of the pillar and a stepped portion provided for the vehicle frame; and
a third cooling flow path connected to the cooling duct and formed between the vehicle frame and a scuff plate portion provided for the vehicle frame,
wherein the first cooling flow path, the second cooling flow path, and the third cooling flow path are coupled to each other through the pillar, and the pillar is directly connected to the cooling duct disposed under a seat mounted in the in-car space between the battery pack and the pillar,
wherein the first cooling flow path extends from the lower portion of the pillar to the roof portion of the vehicle, and the air is discharged from the roof portion to the in-car space after the air flows through the first cooling flow path,
wherein a part of the battery pack, the cooling apparatus and the cooling duct are arranged under the seat, and
wherein the cooling apparatus and the cooling duct are arranged in the in-car space of the vehicle.

7. The cooling structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first cooling flow path is formed by a pillar portion with concave shape and a pillar garnish covering a concaved opening face of the pillar portion.

Assignees

• Kumagai Takanori
• Oota Noboru
• Ohdai Tetsuo
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kumagai Takanori
• Oota Noboru
• Ohdai Tetsuo

Classifications

• B60K2001/0422

  Arrangement under the front seats · CPC title

• B60L2240/34

  Cabin temperature · CPC title

• Y02T10/7061

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L11/1874

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60L11/1879

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic