Battery holder with cooling system

Abstract

The cooling system comprises at least one cooling wall (10) and a tube (22) for circulating a coolant fluid. The tube is held against the cooling wall by being arranged between said cooling wall and a securing plate (24) that is secured to said wall, in particular by clinching.

Description

[0001] BATTERY HOLDER WITH COOLING SYSTEM

[0002] Description

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The disclosure relates to a battery holder including a cooling system.

[0005] The battery holder may be a housing portion containing a battery or battery units or cells. For example, the battery holder may be or include a wall or portion of a wall against which a battery or battery cells are intended to rest.

[0006] It is known that a battery or battery cells need to be cooled to avoid overheating. For this purpose, it is known to attach a cooling tube to a battery support wall. For example, the cooling tube is made in the form of one or more coils through which coolant circulates. The tube is, for example, attached to the wall by welding. Attaching the tube to the wall can be a source of fragility.

[0007] It is also known to produce a cooling coil directly in a base sheet, by deformations of this sheet forming a serpentine channel overall, and to close this channel using a cover sheet fixed to the one in which the channel is formed, so that the two sheets thus fixed form a battery support wall. This, however, requires great precision in fixing the cover to the base sheet and special precautions must be taken to preserve the sealing of this fixing and the correct circulation of the cooling fluid in the channel formed between the two sheets. The fixing between these sheets is generally carried out by welding, which poses technical difficulties when producing this fixing and problems of degradation over time affecting the sealing.

[0008] It is also known, from document DE 10 2010 013 025, to attach a coil-shaped tube under a sheet metal, the latter being provided with hollow deformations on its lower face to accommodate this coil, for example by complementarity of shape. The manufacture of the sheet metal requires a certain precision. The assembly with the tube is difficult to achieve and the fixing of the tube to the wall can be fragile.

[0009] Statement of the invention

[0010] The presentation aims to remedy at least substantially the aforementioned drawbacks, while promoting good cooling of the support.

[0011] Thus, the disclosure relates to a battery holder comprising a cooling system which comprises at least one cooling wall and a tube for circulating a cooling fluid, in which the tube is retained against the cooling wall by being arranged between the cooling wall and a fixing plate fixed to said wall.

[0012] Optionally, the fixing plate is fixed to the cooling wall by clinching.

[0013] Optionally, the tube has at least one flattened face facing the cooling wall and / or the fixing plate.

[0014] Optionally, the tube has at least one contact face, in heat exchange contact with the cooling wall, said contact face optionally being a flattened face.

[0015] Optionally, at least one of the elements comprising the cooling wall and the fixing plate has a tube wedging relief.

[0016] Optionally, at least one of the elements comprising the cooling wall and the fixing plate has at least one groove for receiving the tube.

[0017] Optionally, the attachment plate is attached to the cooling wall in several attachment zones in which the attachment plate and the cooling wall are in contact, the attachment zones optionally including attachment zones located between portions of the tube.

[0018] Optionally, at least one of the elements comprising the cooling wall and the fixing plate has projecting spacer bosses on a face of said element which faces the other element.

[0019] Optionally, at least some of the spacer bosses have a fixing area.

[0020] Optionally, the cooling wall has a flat surface against which the tube is pressed by the fixing plate.

[0021] Optionally, the fixing plate covers substantially the entire tube, in particular by covering at least 80% or even 100% of the tube length.

[0022] Optionally, the at least one cooling wall is part of a bottom wall of the support.

[0023] The tube is a separate element from the cooling wall itself. It is an element such as a pipe, of closed cross-section, attached between the cooling wall and the fixing plate and held against the cooling wall by the fixing wall. The tube may be a rigid pipe made of thermally conductive material, in particular metal.

[0024] The fact that the coolant circulation tube is arranged between the cooling wall and the mounting plate to this wall has several advantages. On the one hand, this limits cooling losses due to the presence of the mounting plate opposite this wall. Indeed, the mounting plate limits the heat exchange between the tube and the ambient air. On the other hand, this facilitates the assembly and installation of the coolant circulation tube, which can be sandwiched between the cooling wall and the mounting plate. Moreover, this gives great freedom as to the mounting method used, by playing on the large surfaces available for mounting between the cooling wall and the mounting plate.For example, welding fasteners, especially spot welds, can be avoided, which promotes the durability of the cooling system and its mechanical strength.

[0025] Brief description of the drawings

[0026] The description will be clearly understood and its advantages will appear better on reading the detailed description which follows, of embodiments represented by way of non-limiting examples. The description refers to the appended drawings in which:

[0027] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 shows in perspective a battery holder according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0028] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery holder of Figure 1.

[0029] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the attachment between the cooling wall and the fixing plate of the cooling system of this battery holder.

[0030] [Fig. 4] Figure 4 shows a battery holder according to a second embodiment.

[0031] [Fig. 5] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the battery holder of Figure 4.

[0032] [Fig. 6] Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the attachment between the cooling wall and the fixing plate of the cooling system of the battery holder of Figure 5.

[0033] [Fig. 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a battery holder according to yet another embodiment.

[0034] [Fig. 8] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the battery holder of Figure 7.

[0035] Description of the embodiments

[0036] Figure 1 shows a battery holder 1, which may in particular be a housing part containing or supporting one or more battery units or cells. This holder comprises a cooling wall 10, for example a bottom wall on which the battery or battery units can rest. The battery holder 1 may be attached to an external support element, for example a chassis part of a vehicle.

[0037] In the example described here, the cooling wall 10 is considered to be a bottom wall. Figure 1 shows this wall 10, in perspective taken from above. This figure 1 shows end pieces 20A and 20B serving to ensure the circulation of a cooling fluid in a tube 22, the end pieces 20A and 20B serving respectively as inlet and outlet for the fluid. In particular, this fluid may be water or another liquid.

[0038] Considering also Figure 2, it is understood that the tube 22 extends under the bottom wall 10 and that it is held against it using a fixing plate 24, so that the tube is sandwiched between the bottom wall 10 and the fixing plate 24. The cooling tube is therefore arranged between the bottom wall 10 and the fixing plate 24. This wall and this plate have in this case fixing ears, respectively 10A and 24A, with holes in register, these ears projecting laterally relative to the tube 22. Optionally, these ears make it possible, using bolts or the like, to consolidate the fixing between the wall 10 and the plate 24. They can also be used to fix the wall 10 and / or the plate 24 to an external support, such as a part of a vehicle.

[0039] In the exploded view of Figure 2, the cooling wall 10, the tube 22 and the bottom plate 24 are seen detached from each other. The tube is shaped like a serpentine, forming loops 22A. It can be seen that the wall 10 and the plate 24 have tube wedging reliefs, respectively 10B and 24B. It is understood that these wedging reliefs are organized so as to be inserted into the loops 22A of the tube 22 when the latter is sandwiched between the wall 10 and the plate 24. In this case, the reliefs are organized in columns, their width corresponding to the internal width of the loops 22A themselves organized in adjacent columns. It could be imagined that only one of the two elements formed by the wall 10 and the plate 24 has such a relief, formed in a hollow from its external wall so as to extend into the space between the wall 10 and the plate 24.However, in this case, the wall 10 and the plate 24 each comprise such reliefs, also formed in hollows from their respective external walls, but these reliefs are present only on a portion of the wall 10 or the plate 24 corresponding substantially to half of this wall or this plate. In fact, the wall 10 and the plate 24 can thus be formed by two identical elements which can be fixed together by placing their respective reliefs 10B or 24B not opposite each other but on two separate halves. In other words, the reliefs 10B of the wall 10 are then located opposite an area of ​​the plate 24 which is devoid of reliefs 24B, and vice versa. Thus, once the wall 10 and the plate 24 are joined, the reliefs 10B and 24B form a complete set of wedging reliefs capable of effectively wedging the tube between the wall 10 and the plate 24 from one edge to the other of this wall and this plate.Reliefs 10B and 24B can be made by stamping.

[0040] Furthermore, the tube 22 may have opposite faces, 23A, 23B, which are flattened, so as to be effectively pressed against the internal faces of the cooling wall 10 and the fixing plate 24. In particular, the part of the tube which is in contact with the internal face of the cooling wall 10 forms a contact face which is in heat exchange contact with this cooling wall. The fact that this contact face is flattened maximizes the heat exchange surface between the cooling wall and the tube.

[0041] For its part, the fixing plate protects the tube on the external side of the cooling system, in particular against shocks or the risk of displacement. In addition, it tends to confine the coolness of this tube in the interstitial space between the cooling wall 10 and the fixing plate 14, further promoting the cooling of the battery in contact with the cooling wall.

[0042] The fact that the tube is flattened on its two opposite faces allows, for a given section, to maximize the width of the tube, which increases its contact surface with the internal face of the cooling wall, against which the faces of the batteries are located, for example their bottoms.

[0043] It has been mentioned that the wall 10 and the plate 24 can be fixed together by bolts passing through the holes in their respective ears 10A and 24A. This can serve as a safety fixing, on the edges of the wall and the plate. However, it is also desirable that the wall and the plate be fixed to each other even in their common portions, away from their edges. In this respect, a fixing by welding could be envisaged. It is however advantageous to carry out this fixing by clinching as shown in Figure 3.

[0044] The cooling wall 10 and the fixing plate 24 may in particular be made of metal; these may be sheet metal parts. Clinching between two parts of this type consists, in areas where they are pressed against each other, of pushing them together using a punch, in a recess of a counter-tool. This results in a flow of the material of the two parts pushed together simultaneously, so that the two parts remain closely connected. Clinching thus forms bowls in which the two parts are pushed together and in which the fixing is ensured in an extremely strong mechanical manner.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the wedging reliefs can be used to perform clinching. Indeed, clinching can, for example, be performed in the bottom of a wedging relief 10B of the cooling wall 10, as shown in the left-hand enlargement of Figure 3. In this area, the inner face of the wedging relief 10B (this inner face being the one facing the plate 24) comes substantially into contact with the inner face of the fixing plate 24. Using a punch applied from below the fixing plate, the latter can be locally pushed back, with the bottom of the wedging relief, in the direction going towards the cooling wall 10, as shown by arrow F. This creates a small clinching bowl on the outer face of the fixing plate 24, this bowl forms a boss on the outer face of the wedging relief 10B.Thus, the wedging relief 10B performs its function of wedging the tube 22 by being housed in a loop 22A of this tube, and also serves for fixing by clinching between the wall 10 and the plate 24. Similarly, in the enlarged part on the right of Figure 3, it can be seen that the clinching has been carried out in the wedging relief 24B of the fixing plate, by pushing, in the direction of the arrow G, a part of the wall 10 in contact with this wedging relief towards the fixing plate. This creates a small clinching bowl forming a boss in the external face of the cooling wall 24. It is possible to choose to carry out clinching in all the wedging reliefs or in some of them. It is not generally necessary for the clinching to be formed in extremely numerous areas, but it is desirable to distribute them over the surfaces of the wall 10 and the fixing plate 24.Thus, the clinching zones could be produced in a portion of the wedging reliefs, for example in 10% to 50% of these reliefs. In what has just been described, the clinching zones are produced in the wedging reliefs by taking advantage of the fact that, in these reliefs, the internal faces of the wall 10 and the plate 24 are naturally close to each other. However, the clinching zones could instead or in addition be produced in other zones of the wall 10 and the plate 24, these other zones not being used, moreover, for wedging the tube 22.

[0046] With reference to Figures 4 to 6, another embodiment is now described. In these figures, the elements corresponding to those of the previous figures are designated by the same references, increased by 100. The cooling plate 110, the coolant circulation tube 122 with its end pieces 120A and 120B, and the fixing plate 124 are therefore identified. As in the previous embodiment, wedging reliefs are provided. These are, on the one hand, wedging reliefs 110B, formed in a hollow from the external face of the cooling wall and, on the other hand, wedging reliefs 124B formed in a hollow from the external face of the fixing plate 124. These wedging reliefs form elongated bosses which, in the example shown, extend over a significant part of the length of the loops 122A formed by the coil of the tube 122, of the order of 80% of the length of these loops.Thus, whereas in the previous embodiment, several wedging reliefs, of reduced length (the length being measured in the direction of the length of the loop), were present in the loops 22A of the tube, the present embodiment uses fewer wedging reliefs (for example a single relief in a given loop) but of greater length. It is possible to provide that the wedging reliefs 110B and 124B extend over 20% to 90% of the length of the loops 122A, for example over 40% to 80% of this length, and one or two wedging reliefs can be provided for a loop. The reliefs 110B and 124B can be produced by stamping.

[0047] As in the previous embodiment, the cooling wall 110 and the fixing plate 124 are fixed together by clinching. The clinching zones are shown in Figures 4 and 5. It can be seen that they are distributed over the fixing reliefs. Figure 6, which is a view similar to Figure 3 for this second embodiment, thus shows a clinching cup formed in a hollow from the external face of the fixing plate 124 so as to form a boss 125A projecting on the external face (in the bottom) of the wedging relief 110B. Similarly, the enlarged right-hand part of Figure 6 shows a clinching cup 125B formed in a hollow in the external face of the cooling wall 110 so as to form a boss which extends into the bottom of the external face of the wedging relief 124B of the fixing plate 124.It can be seen here that the clinching bowls 125A and 125B, also identified in Figure 4, are made by forming angles between them. Of course, these bowls could be isometric and have general shapes of revolution. However, here it has been chosen to make them in the form of bowls elongated in one direction and it can thus be seen that certain clinching bowls 125A are elongated in a direction DI while others are elongated in a direction D2. The same applies to the clinching bowls 125B which are elongated either in a direction D3 (which in this case can be the same as the direction D2) or in the direction D4 (which in this case can be the same as the direction D1). The inventors have found that this promotes the mechanical strength of the clinching between the cooling wall and the fixing plate in different directions.

[0048] Orienting the clinching cups in different directions in this way maximizes their overall mechanical resistance to shear stresses, regardless of the direction in which these stresses are applied.

[0049] In the embodiments which have just been described, the wedging reliefs extend into the space formed in the loops 22A or 122A of the cooling tube. In practice, the wedging relief formed in one of the elements comprising the cooling wall 10 and the fixing plate 24 extends towards the other element until it comes into contact with the internal face of this other element. Thus, the wedging reliefs form in this case spacer bosses which make it possible to ensure the desired spacing between the cooling wall and the fixing plate so as to house the tube 22 or 122 between these elements by ensuring the desired contact surfaces between the tube and the cooling wall, but by ensuring that the cooling wall and the fixing plate mechanically protect the tube against impacts and the risks of crushing.

[0050] This allows in particular to produce the tube in a material less mechanically resistant than that of the cooling wall and the fixing plate. The tube can be made of metal, for example steel or aluminum. For reasons of economy, a tube with a thin wall can be used, since protection against impacts is also ensured. It is chosen to produce the tube in another material, for example a synthetic material, in particular a thermoplastic polymer of the type used in cooling circuits used to cool automobile engines. The elements 10B, 24B, HOB, 124B which have just been described therefore fulfill the dual function of wedging reliefs for the tube and of spacer bosses between the cooling wall and the fixing plate.Their function as wedging reliefs is ensured by the fact that they fit into the loops formed by the coil of the coolant circulation tube, having dimensions which allow these loops to be wedged against their edges. Their function as spacer bosses is linked to the fact that their depth or thickness, measured in the direction of the spacing between the wall and the plate, is determined so as to define the thickness of the interstitial space formed between the cooling wall and the fixing plate. It would of course be possible to dissociate these two functions, by having, on the one hand, wedging reliefs which do not necessarily come into contact with the opposite face of the wall or the plate and, on the other hand, spacer bosses.

[0051] In this case, at least some of the spacer bosses (which are also wedging reliefs in this case) have a fixing zone, allowing in this case fixing by clinching.

[0052] In the examples which have just been described, the cooling wall 10 or 110 has an internal flat surface against which the tube is pressed by the fixing plate 24 or 124. In this case, the fixing plate 24 or 124 covers substantially the entirety of the tube 22 or 122. It can be seen in this case that, apart from the end pieces 20A, 20B or 120A, 120B, the tube does not protrude from the cooling wall of the fixing plate. These two elements, cooling wall and fixing plate, are in this case formed by solid or substantially solid elements, with the exception of any slots made at the end of the fixing reliefs, as indicated by the reference 127 in FIG. 4. This makes it possible to optimize the exchange surfaces and the cooling of the cooling wall thanks to the tube. However, provision could be made for one of these elements to be perforated, in particular the fixing plate.In this case, the fixing plate 24 or 124 covers substantially the entire tube, covering at least 80%, or even 100% of its length. However, it could be provided that the fixing plate covers only a smaller portion of the length of the tube.

[0053] With reference to Figures 7 and 8, another embodiment is now described. In these figures, the elements corresponding to those of the preceding figures are designated by the same references as in Figures 1 to 3, increased by 200. The cooling system thus represented in Figures 7 and 8 comprises a cooling wall 210 and a fixing plate 224, between which is sandwiched a cooling fluid circulation tube 222, this tube having inlet and outlet ends 220A and 220B for the cooling fluid. Fixing lugs 224A may be provided on the fixing plate 224, for example to fix the assembly formed by the cooling system comprising the cooling wall 210, the tube 222 and this plate 224, to another element, such as another wall of the battery holder, or a part of the vehicle chassis.Of course, the cooling wall 210 could have fixing ears corresponding to the ears 224A, as was the case in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4. As in the previous figures, the fixing wall 224 covers practically the entire length of the tube, with the exception of the end pieces 220A and 220B.

[0054] What distinguishes this embodiment from the previous ones is the fact that the cooling wall 210 comprises a groove 228 for receiving the tube 222. This groove can in particular be produced by stamping. In this case, this groove 228 forms a coil, produced hollow on the internal face of the cooling wall 210, this coil receiving the coil of the tube 222. Thus, in these zones 229 located between the coil loops formed by the groove 228, the cooling wall 210 can be pressed against the fixing plate 224. Of course, one could provide a reverse embodiment, by forming the groove in the internal face of the fixing plate, or a mixed embodiment, by forming the groove partly (for example over half of its depth) in the cooling wall and, for its remaining part, in the fixing lacquer. In all cases, the groove or the groove parts can be produced by stamping.

[0055] The cooling wall 10 and the fixing plate can be fixed to each other in these areas, in particular by clinching bowls similar to those described in the previous figures, these bowls being able in particular to be oriented in different directions.

[0056] In the various embodiments which have just been described, the fixing plate is fixed to the cooling wall in several fixing zones in which this plate and this wall are in contact. These fixing zones can be located in the wedging reliefs or in the spacer bosses as has been described, or, generally in contact zones between the cooling wall and the fixing plate.

[0057] In the examples just described, the cooling wall and the fixing plate cover the tube over practically its entire length, and in particular over all the loops formed by its coil. Generally, these loops comprise rectilinear sections, between which the wedging reliefs may in particular be arranged when these reliefs are provided, and also rounded connecting sections, connecting the adjacent rectilinear sections together.

[0058] For reasons of simplicity of manufacture, it could possibly be provided that the cooling wall and / or the fixing plate does not cover these curved connecting sections. This may in particular be the case for the embodiment of figures 7 and 8, so as to simplify the conformation of the groove 228, in particular if the latter is formed, not in the cooling wall 210 as in the drawings, but rather in the fixing plate 224. In this case, this fixing plate could stop at the junction between the rectilinear parts and the curved parts of the cooling tube.

Claims

Claims

1. Battery holder (1) comprising a cooling system which comprises at least one cooling wall (10; 110; 210) and a tube for circulating a cooling fluid (22; 122; 222), in which the tube is retained against the cooling wall by being arranged between the cooling wall and a fixing plate (24; 124; 224) fixed to said wall.

2. Battery holder according to claim 1 wherein the fixing plate (24; 124; 224) is fixed to the cooling wall (10; 110; 210) by clinching.

3. Battery holder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tube (22; 122; 222) has at least one flattened face (23A, 23B) facing the cooling wall (10; 110; 210) and / or the fixing plate (24; 124; 224).

4. Battery holder according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which the tube (22; 122; 222) has at least one contact face (23A), in heat exchange contact with the cooling wall (10; 110; 210), said contact face optionally being a flattened face.

5. Battery holder according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the elements comprising the cooling wall (10; 110; 210) and the fixing plate (24; 124; 224) has a wedging relief (10B, 24B; 110B, 124B; 228) of the tube.

6. Support according to claim 5, in which at least one of the elements comprising the cooling wall (210) and the fixing plate (224) has at least one groove (228) for receiving the tube (222).

7. Battery holder according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fixing plate (24; 124; 224) is fixed to the cooling wall (10; 110; 210) in several fixing zones in which the fixing plate and the cooling wall are in contact, the fixing zones optionally comprising fixing zones located between portions of the tube (22; 122; 222).

8. Battery holder according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the elements comprising the cooling wall (10; 110; 210) and the fixing plate (24; 124; 224) has spacing bosses (10B, 24B; HOB, 124B) projecting on a face of said element which is turned towards the other element.

9. A battery holder according to claims 7 and 8, wherein at least some of the spacer bosses (10B, 24B; HOB, 124B) have a fixing area (25A, 25B, 125A, 125B).

10. Battery holder according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cooling wall (10; 110; 210) has a flat surface against which the tube (22; 122; 222) is pressed by the fixing plate (24; 124; 224).

11. Battery holder according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one cooling wall (10; 110; 210) is part of a bottom wall of the holder (1).

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