Cooling module

Abstract

Provided is a cooling module capable of achieving a reduction in height and a reduction in the number of components. A cooling module (1) is provided with: a resin manifold housing (10) having accommodating parts (10A, 20A) provided with openings; rotary valves (4, 5) housed in the housing parts (10A, 20A) via the openings; and a resin cover body (30) which forms resin joint with the manifold housing (10) and covers the openings of the accommodating parts (10A, 20A).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to cooling modules. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, automobiles equipped with motors as their driving force (hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), etc.) have become increasingly common. These vehicles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "electric vehicles") have batteries to power their motors. For electric vehicles, there are many devices that require cooling, such as the motor (including internal combustion engines like engines), battery, air conditioning, and ECU. Therefore, a cooling circuit is constructed to circulate cooling water to cool these devices.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling module (referred to as "manifold" in the document) having a manifold that can be used in electric vehicles, etc. In the cooling module of Patent Document 1, the manifold is formed by connecting a cover to the housing body by bolts or the like.

[0004] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2024 / 116274

[0005] In cooling modules with manifolds, there are cases where a rotary valve is housed within the manifold's receiving section. In such a cooling module, if the cover is bolted to the receiving section of the manifold, a specific thickness must be ensured around the receiving section of the manifold on the cover to facilitate this bolting. This increases the height of the cooling manifold and the number of components. Therefore, there is room for improvement in cooling modules where the rotary valve is housed within the manifold. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, a cooling module that can reduce height and number of components is sought.

[0007] The cooling module of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a resin manifold housing having at least a portion of a receiving portion having an opening and a flow path for fluid flow; a rotary valve receiving the receiving portion via the opening; and a resin cover forming a resin bond with the manifold housing and covering the opening and portion of the flow path of the receiving portion.

[0008] According to the cooling module of this structure, the resin manifold housing has a receiving portion and at least a portion of a flow path for fluid circulation. A rotary valve is housed in the receiving portion, and the opening of the receiving portion and a portion of the flow path are covered by a resin cover that forms a resin bond with the manifold housing. Therefore, the cooling module does not require bolts or other components when joining the manifold housing to the cover. As a result, the cooling module can achieve a reduced height and a smaller number of components. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a 3D view of the cooling module.

[0010] Figure 2 This is an exploded 3D view of the cooling module.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a top view of the cooling module.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a partial side sectional view of the cooling module.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a partial side sectional view of the cooling module of the comparative example.

[0014] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0015] 1... Cooling module; 4... First rotary valve; 5... Second rotary valve; 10... Manifold housing; 10A... First receiving section; 10Aa... Opening; 15... First flow path pipe (flow path); 15A... Partially cut pipe section (flow path); 16... Fifth outflow port (flow path); 16A... Partially cut pipe section (flow path); 17... Third flow path pipe (flow path); 17A... Partially cut pipe section (flow path); 20A... Second receiving section; 20Aa... Opening; 21... Third inflow port (flow path); 21A... Partially cut pipe section (flow path); 25... Fourth flow path pipe (flow path); 25A... Partially cut pipe section (flow path); 30... Cover; E... Resin joint. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the cooling module according to the present invention will be described in detail with the aid of accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments only. Therefore, the present invention can be implemented in various ways without departing from its spirit.

[0017] [Structure of the cooling system]

[0018] like Figure 1As shown, the cooling system including the cooling module 1 according to this embodiment comprises a first water pump 2, a second water pump 3, a first rotary valve 4, a second rotary valve 5, a radiator, an inverter / motor, a DC-DC converter, a charger, a reservoir, a heater core, an electric heater, a water-cooled condenser, a battery, a cooler, an electric heater, and multiple flow paths for circulating coolant (an example of a fluid) within them. The coolant is a general term for cooling water such as antifreeze or long-life coolant, which are mainly composed of ethylene glycol, or cooling oil composed of insulating oils such as paraffin-based oils. The first water pump 2, the second water pump 3, the first rotary valve 4, and the second rotary valve 5 are installed in the cooling module 1. On the other hand, the radiator, inverter / motor, DC-DC converter, charger, reservoir, heater core, electric heater, water-cooled condenser, battery, cooler, and electric heater are separately arranged relative to the cooling module 1 and configured to allow coolant to flow between them and the cooling module 1 via multiple flow paths.

[0019] Cooling systems are used in vehicles that have a motor as a driving source, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "electric vehicles"), and circulate coolant to cool the inverter / motor, battery, etc.

[0020] [Structure of the cooling module]

[0021] As from Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the cooling module 1 includes a first water pump 2, a second water pump 3, a first rotary valve 4, a second rotary valve 5, a manifold housing 10 with flow paths for coolant to circulate therethrough, and a cover 30. The resin manifold M is formed by resin bonding the manifold housing 10 and the cover 30. Furthermore, the first water pump 2 and the second water pump 3 are respectively mounted in pump mounting sections 2A and 3A, but... Figures 1 to 3 The illustrations of water pump 2 (first pump) and water pump 3 (second pump) are omitted from the text. Furthermore, Figure 2 The illustrations of the first rotary valve 4 and the second rotary valve 5 are omitted. In this embodiment, the manifold housing 10 is made of resin and is formed from a single housing (an example of a "single component"). Furthermore, the cooling module 1 does not have an internal reservoir. The absence of a reservoir in the cooling module 1 allows for a compact design and increases the flexibility in its configuration.

[0022] The manifold housing 10 is constructed by having two receiving portions 10A and 20A and multiple flow paths formed in a cylindrical shape (inflow ports 12, 21, 22, etc., described below). In the manifold housing 10, the receiving portions 10A and 20A have a generally cylindrical shape. Hereinafter, the direction parallel to the arrangement direction of the two receiving portions 10A and 20A is defined as the X direction, the direction perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the X and Y directions is defined as the Z direction. Furthermore, the direction in the X direction from the first pump 2 towards the second pump 3 is defined as the X1 direction, and its opposite direction is defined as the X2 direction. The direction in the Y direction from the first outlet port 13 towards the first inflow port 11 is defined as the Y1 direction, and its opposite direction is defined as the Y2 direction (the first outlet port 13 and the first inflow port 11 will be described below). The direction in the Z direction from the manifold housing 10 towards the cover 30 is defined as the Z1 direction, and its opposite direction is defined as the Z2 direction. The Z2 direction is the direction of gravity. That is, relative to the cover 30, the manifold housing 10 is positioned on the lower side in the vertical direction.

[0023] like Figure 3 As shown, the first receiving portion 10A is connected to a first inflow port 11, a second inflow port 12, a first outflow port 13, and a second outflow port 14. Furthermore, the second receiving portion 20A is connected to a third inflow port 21, a fourth inflow port 22, a third outflow port 23, and a fourth outflow port 24. Specifically, one end of the first inflow port 11, the second inflow port 12, the first outflow port 13, and the second outflow port 14 is opened on the inner wall of the first receiving portion 10A, and one end of the third inflow port 21, the fourth inflow port 22, the third outflow port 23, and the fourth outflow port 24 is opened on the inner wall of the second receiving portion 20A. The inflow ports 11, 12, 22 and the outflow ports 13, 14, 23, 24 are all cylindrical. The third inlet port 21 is formed by resin bonding of a half-cut tube portion 21A provided in the manifold housing 10 and a half-cut tube portion 21B provided in the cover 30. For inlet ports 11, 12, 21, 22 and outlet ports 13, 14, 23, 24, their respective axes are arranged along the Y direction and in the X direction, and they have openings facing the Y1 direction or the Y2 direction.

[0024] The cooling module 1 has a fifth outlet port 16 (an example of a flow path) and flow path pipes 15, 17, 25, and 26 (another example of a flow path) as other ports and flow path pipes. The fifth outlet port 16 and flow path pipes 15, 17, 25, and 26 are formed by resin bonding of half-cut pipe portions 15A, 16A, 17A, 25A, and 26A (a partial example of a flow path) provided in the manifold housing 10 and half-cut pipe portions 15B, 16B, 17B, 25B, and 26B provided in the cover 30. In addition, the first inlet port 11, the second inlet port 12, the first outlet port 13, the second outlet port 14, the third inlet port 21, the fourth inlet port 22, the third outlet port 23, the fourth outlet port 24, the fifth outlet port 16, and the flow path pipes 15, 17, 25, and 26 are all exposed to the outside.

[0025] The fifth outlet port 16 is connected to the first receiving section 10A above the outlet ports 13 and 14. Furthermore, for the fifth outlet port 16, the base end portion 16B1 is located on the X1 side relative to the second outlet port 14, and the end portion 16B3 is located on the X2 side relative to the first outlet port 13.

[0026] The first flow path pipe 15 is connected to the first water pump 2 and the first housing 10A. The second flow path pipe 26 is connected to the second water pump 3 and the second housing 20A. The third flow path pipe 17 is connected to the first water pump 2 and the second housing 20A. The fourth flow path pipe 25 is connected to the second water pump 3 and the first housing 10A.

[0027] The fifth outlet port 16 and the flow paths 17 and 25 are all three-dimensional shapes that have undergone displacement in the X, Y, and Z directions. Specifically, for the fifth outlet port 16, the base ends 16A1 and 16B1 are formed in a direction that is approximately parallel to the XY plane and intersects both the X1 and Y2 directions. From the ends of the base ends 16A1 and 16B1, intermediate portions 16A2 and 16B2 extend in the X2 direction. The intermediate portions 16A2 and 16B2 are convex in the Z1 direction. From the ends of the intermediate portions 16A2 and 16B2, end portions 16A3 and 16B3 are formed in the Y2 direction. For the third flow path tube 17, the base ends 17A1 and 17B1 are formed in a direction that is approximately parallel to the XY plane and intersects both the X1 and Y1 directions. A first intermediate portion 17A2 and 17B2 are formed from the ends of the base ends 17A1 and 17B1 in the X1 direction. A second intermediate portion 17A3 and 17B3 are formed from the ends of the first intermediate portions 17A2 and 17B2 in a direction that intersects both the X1, Y2, and Z2 directions. An end portion 17A4 and 17B4 are formed from the ends of the second intermediate portions 17A3 and 17B3 in a direction that is approximately parallel to the XY plane and intersects both the X1 and Y2 directions. For the fourth flow path 25, the base ends 25A1 and 25B1 are formed in a direction that is approximately parallel to the XY plane and intersects both the X2 and Y2 directions. A first intermediate portion 25A2 and 25B2 are formed from the ends of the base ends 25A1 and 25B1 in the X2 direction. A second intermediate portion 25A3 and 25B3 are formed from the ends of the first intermediate portions 25A2 and 25B2 in a direction that intersects the X2, Y1, and Z2 directions. End portions 25A4 and 25B4 are formed from the ends of the second intermediate portions 25A3 and 25B3 in the X2 direction. Furthermore, the fifth outlet port 16 and the various portions of the flow path 17 and 25 (e.g., between the base ends 16A1 and 16B1 and the intermediate portions 16A2 and 16B2) are connected via bends that are two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally curved.

[0028] In addition to the semi-cut tube portions 15B, 16B, 17B, 21B, 25B, and 26B, the cover 30 also has a first cover portion 31 covering the opening 10Aa of the first receiving portion 10A and a second cover portion 32 covering the opening 20Aa of the second receiving portion 20A. The cover 30 is made of resin, for example, using the same resin material (first resin material) as the manifold housing 10.

[0029] like Figure 4As shown, valve rotors 41 and 51, rotor seals 42 and 52, and rod seals 43 and 53 are respectively housed in the receiving portions 10A and 20A of the manifold housing 10, thus serving as rotary valves 4 and 5. The valve rotors 41 and 51 are provided with shaft portions 41a and 51a and plate-shaped flow path partition portions 41b and 51b intersecting the shaft portions 41a and 51a. The valve rotors 41 and 51 are supported for rotation by recesses formed on the bottom surfaces of the receiving portions 10A and 20A and rotor seals 42 and 52 provided inside the cover portions 31 and 32. Furthermore, actuators 4A and 5A for rotating the valve rotors 41 and 51 are respectively disposed on the upper parts of the valve rotors 41 and 51. Both the first rotary valve 4 and the second rotary valve 5 are solenoid valves that reverse the flow path through actuators 4A and 5A. By rotating the valve rotors 41 and 51 around the axes X1 and X2 along the Z direction, the flow path is reversed, and the flow pattern of the coolant flowing in multiple flow paths is controlled.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the manifold housing 10 has pump mounting portions 2A and 3A on both sides in the X direction. A first water pump 2 is mounted at pump mounting portion 2A, and a second water pump 3 is mounted at pump mounting portion 3A. The first water pump 2 and the second water pump 3 are configured such that their respective rotation axes are both along the X direction.

[0031] like Figure 4 As shown, the cooling module 1 forms a resin bond between the resin manifold housing 10 and the resin cover 30 at the positions covering the receiving portions 10A and 20A, and has a resin bonding portion E between them. In this embodiment, the manifold housing 10 and the cover 30 are formed of a first resin material, and the resin bonding portion E is formed of a second resin material different from the first resin material. Examples of methods for forming the resin bond between the manifold housing 10 and the cover 30 include adhesive-based bonding and DSI (Die Slide Injection) based molding. As long as the resin bond is based on DSI, before the DSI process, structural components of the rotary valves 4 and 5, such as valve rotors 41 and 51, rotor seals 42 and 52, and rod seals 43 and 53, are inserted into the receiving portions 10A and 20A. Afterward, the manifold housing 10 and the cover 30 can be resin bonded by the DSI process, while covering the openings of the two receiving portions 10A and 20A. In this case, the second resin material of the resin joint E becomes the resin used in the DSI process. Additionally, Figure 4 In the diagram, the simplified resin section 18 represents the portion of the manifold housing 10 where the housing section 10A and the housing section 20A are continuous.

[0032] Figure 5 A cooling module 100 is shown as a comparative example. For example...Figure 5 As shown, the cooling module 100 comprises a lower housing 101 and an upper housing 102 forming a manifold housing 90. The lower housing 101 and the upper housing 102 are, for example, infrared-connected, and have a joint D between them. The cooling module 100 has two receiving portions 110 and 120 formed in the upper housing 102, which house valve rotors 41 and 51, rotor seals 42 and 52, and rod seals 43 and 53 as rotary valves 4 and 5. The upper opening of the receiving portion 110 is covered by a cover 131, and the upper opening of the receiving portion 120 is covered by a cover 132, which is a component different from the cover 131. Furthermore, the receiving portions 110 and 120 are connected via a connecting portion 103. Here, the covers 131 and 132, which cover the upper openings of the receiving portions 110 and 120 formed in the upper housing 102, are connected to the upper housing 102 using bolts B. Additionally, Figure 5 The bolt B used to secure the cover 131 to the upper housing 102 is omitted from the illustration.

[0033] In the comparative example cooling module 100, the covers 131 and 132 are connected to the upper housing 102 using bolts B. Therefore, when fixing bolts B around the housing portions 110 and 120, the thickness of the covers 131 and 132 and the connecting portion 103 needs to be ensured to be relatively large. Therefore, the cooling module 100 is a structure that easily increases in height in the Z direction. Furthermore, because the manifold housing 90 is composed of a lower housing 101 and an upper housing 102, dead space spaces DS1 and DS2 exist between the lower housing 101 and the upper housing 102. Moreover, since the housing portions 110 and 120 are covered by covers 131 and 132 made of different components, the number of connection points using bolts B increases, and the operation takes time.

[0034] In comparison, Figure 4 In the cooling module 1 of this embodiment shown, the cover 30 is resin-bonded to the manifold housing 10 at the resin joint E, and the openings 10Aa and 20Aa of the receiving parts 10A and 20A (see reference) Figure 2 The manifold housing 10 is covered by the cover 30. Therefore, the cooling module 1 does not require bolts or other components when joining the manifold housing 10 to the cover 30. As a result, the cooling module 1 can be reduced in height and the number of components can be reduced.

[0035] In addition, Figure 4 In the cooling module 1 of this embodiment shown, the manifold housing 10 is constructed from a single component. Therefore, the generation of dead space can be suppressed at the flow path formed inside the manifold housing 10.

[0036] [Other Implementation Methods]

[0037] (1) In the above embodiment, the cooling module 1 is exemplified by a structure in which the manifold housing 10 and the cover 30 constituting the manifold M are formed of a first resin material, and the resin joint E is made of a second resin material different from the first resin material. Alternatively, the manifold housing 10, the cover 30, and the resin joint E can all be made of the same resin material. In this case, the resin joint E can be formed by laser welding, vibration welding, ultrasonic welding, etc. In this case, no bolts or other components are required when joining the manifold housing 10 and the cover 30. As a result, the cooling module 1 can be reduced in height and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0038] (2) In the above embodiment, an example is shown where the manifold housing 10 and the cover 30 of the cooling module 1 are formed of the same resin material. Alternatively, the manifold housing 10 may be formed of a first resin material, and the cover 30 may be formed of a resin material different from the first resin material. In this case, if the manifold housing 10 is made of a resin with high rigidity and the cover 30 is made of a lightweight resin, the resin material corresponding to the part can be appropriately selected to construct the cooling module 1.

[0039] (3) In the above embodiment, an example is shown where the manifold housing 10 of the cooling module 1 is formed from a single housing (single component). However, it is also possible that the manifold housing is formed from multiple components, for example, by forming a resin bond between two components (upper housing and lower housing, etc.) in the Z direction.

[0040] (4) In the above embodiment, an example is shown where the first water pump 2, the second water pump 3, the first rotary valve 4, and the second rotary valve 5 are used as auxiliary machines installed on the cooling module 1, but this is not a limitation. The cooling module 1 may also be configured to install other auxiliary machines. Other examples of auxiliary machines include: pumps such as battery pumps and power transmission pumps, coolers, electric heaters, filters, aerators, valves, connectors, fans, radiators, etc.

[0041] (5) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the first inflow port 11, the second inflow port 12, the first outflow port 13, the second outflow port 14, the third inflow port 21, the fourth inflow port 22, the third outflow port 23, the fourth outflow port 24, the fifth outflow port 16, and the flow path pipes 15, 17, 25, and 26 of the cooling module 1 are exposed to the outside. Alternatively, the flow path formed by one or more of them may be formed inside the manifold housing 10.

[0042] (6) In the above embodiments, an example is shown in which the cooling module 1 has multiple rotary valves 4 and 5, but it is also possible that the cooling module 1 is configured with a single rotary valve.

[0043] (7) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which a single cover 30 covers the openings 10Aa, 20Aa of multiple receiving parts 10A, 20A. However, it is also possible to have a structure in which multiple covers 30 individually cover the openings of multiple receiving parts.

[0044] [Summary of the above embodiments]

[0045] In the above-described embodiments, the following structure is conceived.

[0046] <1> One embodiment of the cooling module (1) includes: a resin manifold housing (10) having a receiving portion (10A, 20A) with openings (10Aa, 20Aa) and at least a portion (15A, 16A, 17A, 21A, 25A) for fluid flow; a rotary valve (4, 5) received in the receiving portion (10A, 20Aa) via the openings (10Aa, 20Aa); and a resin cover (30) that forms a resin bond with the manifold housing (10) and covers the openings (10Aa, 20Aa) of the receiving portion (10A, 20Aa) and portions (15A, 16A, 17A, 21A, 25A) of the flow path (15A, 16A, 17A, 21A, 25A).

[0047] According to this embodiment, for the cooling module (1), the resin manifold housing (10) has a receiving portion (10A, 20A) and at least a portion (15A, 16A, 17A, 21A, 25A) of the flow path (15, 16, 17, 21, 25) for fluid flow. A rotary valve (4, 5) is housed in the receiving portion (10A, 20A). The openings (10Aa, 20Aa) of the receiving portion (10A, 20A) and portions (15A, 16A, 17A, 21A, 25A) of the flow path (15, 16, 17, 21, 25) are covered by a resin cover (30) that forms a resin bond with the manifold housing (10). As a result, the cooling module (1) does not require bolts or other components when the manifold housing (10) is joined to the cover (30). As a result, the cooling module (1) can achieve a reduced height and a reduced number of parts.

[0048] <2> Preferably, in the cooling module (1) of <1>, the manifold housing (10) and the cover (30) are formed of a first resin material, and the manifold housing (10) and the cover (30) are resin bonded by a second resin material different from the first resin material.

[0049] According to this embodiment, in the cooling module (1), the first resin material forming the manifold housing (10) and the cover (30) is different from the second resin material used to resin bond the two. Therefore, the cooling module (1) can be formed by, for example, DSI (Die Slide Injection). Furthermore, if the DSI process is used, before performing the DSI process, structural components of the rotary valve (4, 5), such as valve rotors (41, 51), rotor seals (42, 52), and rod seals (43, 53), are inserted into the receiving portions (10A, 20A). Then, the manifold housing (10) and the cover (30) are resin bonded by the DSI process, and the opening of the receiving portion (10A, 20A) can be covered by the cover (30). In addition, if the DSI process is used, even if the cooling module (1) is a hollow body with a complex internal structure, the cooling module (1) can be formed with high precision.

[0050] <3> Preferably, in the cooling module (1) of <1> or <2>, the manifold housing (10) is composed of a single component.

[0051] The manifold housing can also be formed, for example, by resin bonding of multiple components. However, in this case, a resin bonding process is required when forming the manifold housing, and in addition, dead space is easily generated in the flow path when multiple components are formed for the flow path span formed inside the manifold housing. In contrast, as in this embodiment, the manifold housing (10) is a single component, so that a resin bonding process is not required when forming the manifold housing (10), and dead space can be suppressed in the flow path formed inside the manifold housing (10).

[0052] <4> Preferably, in the cooling module (1) of <1> or <2>, the manifold housing (10) has a plurality of receiving portions (10A, 20A) and portions (15A, 16A, 17A, 21A, 25A) of a plurality of flow paths (15, 16, 17, 21, 25), and a single cover (30) is formed in resin bond with the manifold housing (10) in a manner that covers the openings (10Aa, 20Aa) of the plurality of receiving portions (10A, 20A) and portions (15A, 16A, 17A, 21A, 25A) of the plurality of flow paths (15, 16, 17, 21, 25).

[0053] According to this embodiment, a single cover (30) is resin-bonded to the manifold housing (10) in a manner that covers the openings (10Aa, 20Aa) of multiple receiving portions (10A, 20A) and portions (15A, 16A, 17A, 21A, 25A) of multiple flow paths (15, 16, 17, 21, 25). As a result, the number of components in the cooling module (1) can be easily reduced.

Claims

1. A cooling module, characterized in that, have: A resin manifold housing having at least a portion of a receiving portion with an opening and a flow path for fluid flow. A rotary valve, which is received in the receiving portion via the opening; and A resin-made cover that is bonded to the manifold housing resin and covers the opening of the receiving portion and a portion of the flow path.

2. The cooling module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The manifold housing and the cover are formed of a first resin material. The manifold housing and the cover are resin-bonded by a second resin material that is different from the first resin material.

3. The cooling module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The manifold housing is composed of a single component.

4. The cooling module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The manifold housing has multiple receiving portions and multiple flow paths in part. The single cover is resin-bonded to the manifold housing in a manner that covers the openings of the plurality of the containment portions and portions of the plurality of flow paths.

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