Heat exchanger for cooling

Abstract

To provide a heat exchanger for cooling having a novel structure capable of suppressing a difference in deformation amount between a cooling plate superposed on a cooling target and a synthetic resin passage member which is fixed while being superposed on the cooling plate.SOLUTION: In a heat exchanger 10 for cooling, a cooling plate 14 superposed on a cooling target 64 and a synthetic resin passage member 12 comprising a recessed groove 18 are mutually superposed and fixed and an opening of the recessed groove 18 is covered by the cooling plate 14, to from a cooling passage 16 in which a heat medium 62 flows between the cooling plate 14 and the passage member 12. The cooling plate 14 includes a metal plate 34 which is superposed on the cooling target 64, and a synthetic resin hold member 32 which holds an outer peripheral end of the metal plate 34. The metal plate 34 constitutes a wall part of the cooling passage 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling heat exchanger used for cooling an object to be cooled, such as a battery pack, in an electrically powered vehicle such as an electric automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] In electric vehicles, such as electric cars and hybrid cars, the objects to be cooled, such as battery packs and electronic devices, generate more heat due to their miniaturization and high performance, and the importance of cooling performance is increasing. Conventionally, a cooling heat exchanger has been used in which a cooling flow path is formed between overlapping metal plates. In this cooling heat exchanger, one plate is overlapped with the object to be cooled, such as a battery pack, and the object to be cooled is cooled by cooling the one plate with a refrigerant flowing through the cooling flow path.

[0003] In addition, since there is a strong demand for lightweight vehicles in electric vehicles, weight reduction of cooling heat exchangers is also being considered. For example, International Publication No. 2020 / 196878 (Patent Document 1) proposes that one plate, which is overlapped with the object to be cooled and for which thermal conductivity is important, is made of metal, and the other plate, which does not require thermal conductivity, is made of a resin member made of synthetic resin with a specific gravity smaller than that of metal. In Patent Document 1, the resin member is a box body that opens on the top surface, and a flow path forming rib is provided integrally with the box body inside the box body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 196878 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the inventors of the present invention have found that, in the structure of Patent Document 1, when the metal plate and the resin member are overlapped and fixed to each other by a means such as adhesion, bending occurs in the plate thickness direction due to the difference in linear expansion coefficient. Therefore, in an extremely high or low temperature environment, it was thought that the cooling heat exchanger would bend due to the difference in the amount of deformation due to thermal expansion between the metal plate and the resin member, causing separation between the metal plate and the resin member and a decrease in cooling performance. In particular, since the cooling heat exchanger used in an electric vehicle has a large size in the length direction and width direction perpendicular to the overlapping direction of the metal plate and the resin member, the difference in the amount of deformation due to the difference in the linear expansion coefficient between the metal plate and the resin member was likely to become a problem.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cooling heat exchanger of a novel structure that can suppress the difference in the amount of deformation due to thermal expansion between a cooling plate that is overlaid on an object to be cooled and a synthetic resin flow path member that is overlaid on and fixed to the cooling plate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The following describes preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention, but the embodiments described below are merely illustrative and may be combined with one another as appropriate, and the multiple components described in each embodiment may be recognized and used independently as far as possible, and may also be combined with any of the components described in another embodiment as appropriate. As a result, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments may be realized.

[0008] The first aspect is a heat exchanger for cooling in which a cooling plate to be placed on the object to be cooled and a flow path member made of synthetic resin and having a groove are placed on top of each other and fixed to each other, and the opening of the groove is covered by the cooling plate to form a cooling flow path through which a heat medium flows between the cooling plate and the flow path member, wherein the cooling plate is composed of a metal plate to be placed on the object to be cooled and a holding member made of synthetic resin that holds the outer peripheral end of the metal plate, and the metal plate forms the wall of the cooling flow path.

[0009] According to the cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, the cooling target is efficiently cooled by the metal plate with high thermal conductivity, while the difference in deformation amount during thermal expansion between the cooling plate and the synthetic resin flow path member is reduced compared to when the entire cooling plate is made of metal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cooling heat exchanger from being flexed and deformed due to changes in the environmental temperature while ensuring excellent cooling performance.

[0010] In a second aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger described in the first aspect, the retaining member is provided around the periphery of the metal plate and retains the outer peripheral end of the metal plate around its entire circumference.

[0011] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, the metal plate is held by the holding member all around, so that the metal plate is stably held by the holding member, preventing the metal plate from falling off unintentionally, etc.

[0012] A third aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to the first or second aspect, wherein a plurality of the metal plates are held by one of the holding members.

[0013] According to a cooling heat exchanger constructed in accordance with this embodiment, it is possible to cool multiple cooling objects with one cooling heat exchanger, or to cool multiple locations of one cooling object with one cooling heat exchanger.

[0014] In a fourth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger described in the third aspect, the cooling flow path comprises a main flow section extending between the overlapping surfaces of the flow path member and the holding member, and a plurality of branch flow sections branching off from the main flow section and extending between the overlapping surfaces of the flow path member and each of the metal plates.

[0015] According to the heat exchanger for cooling constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the main flow section constituting the cooling flow passage is formed by utilizing the overlapping surfaces between the flow passage member and the holding member, so that the degree of freedom in designing the cooling flow passage can be increased. In addition, since the flow of the supply / discharge of the heat medium to each branch section is set by the main flow section, the branch sections can be designed with a large degree of freedom, and efficient cooling of the cooling plate by the heat medium flowing through the branch sections can be achieved.

[0016] In a fifth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger described in the fourth aspect, the main flow section comprises an outward path section through which the heat medium supplied to the branch section flows, and a return path section through which the heat medium discharged from the branch section flows, one of the outward path section and the return path section is provided in an intermediate section of the flow path member, the other of the outward path section and the return path section is provided on both sides of the flow path member, and a plurality of the branch sections are provided between the outward path section and the return path section.

[0017] According to the cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, a metal plate is disposed on each side of one of the forward path section and the return path section, so that a plurality of cooling regions to be cooled can be set. Moreover, since a plurality of branch sections can be provided in the flow path length direction of the forward path section and the return path section, it becomes easy to set the number of cooling regions to be set on one cooling plate with a large degree of freedom.

[0018] A sixth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the holding member is integrally provided with an external port connected to an end of the cooling flow path.

[0019] In the cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect, the number of parts is reduced by providing the external port integrally with the holding member. Also, since the holding member is made of synthetic resin, the degree of freedom in shape is greater than that of a metal holding member, and the external port can be easily formed.

[0020] A seventh aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the flow path member and the holding member are bonded or welded to each other.

[0021] According to the cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, the flow path member and the holding member, each made of a synthetic resin, can be firmly fixed to the cooling plate and the flow path member by bonding or welding them together. For example, if the holding member is provided so as to continuously surround the entire periphery of the metal plate as in the second embodiment, the bonding or welding of the flow path member and the holding member can prevent the heat medium from leaking out of the cooling flow path between the metal plate and the flow path member.

[0022] In an eighth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the flow path member and the holding member are formed of the same resin material.

[0023] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, the flow path member and the holding member have the same thermal expansion coefficient, so that there is no difference in the amount of deformation during thermal expansion between the flow path member and the holding member. Furthermore, when the flow path member and the holding member are bonded or welded to each other as in the seventh embodiment, strong bonding strength can be easily obtained.

[0024] A ninth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the metal plate is provided with a protrusion that protrudes toward the flow path member and is inserted into the cooling flow path.

[0025] According to the heat exchanger for cooling constructed according to this embodiment, the exposed area of ​​the metal plate to the cooling flow path is increased, so that the heat exchange efficiency between the heat medium flowing through the cooling flow path and the metal plate is improved, and the cooling target can be efficiently cooled. In addition, the protrusions are expected to reinforce the metal plate. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the difference in deformation due to thermal expansion between the cooling plate that is placed on the object to be cooled and the flow path member made of synthetic resin that is placed on and fixed to the cooling plate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1, which corresponds to the cross section III-III of FIG. 4. [Figure 4] IV-IV cross section of Figure 3 [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a flow path member constituting the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holding member of a cooling plate constituting the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of a cooling heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a metal plate constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a third embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0029] Fig. 1 shows a cooling heat exchanger 10 as a first embodiment of the present invention. As also shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the cooling heat exchanger 10 has a structure in which a flow path member 12 and a cooling plate 14 are overlapped and fixed to each other, and a cooling flow path 16 through which a heat medium (described later) flows is formed between the overlapping surfaces of the flow path member 12 and the cooling plate 14. In the following description, in principle, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction in Fig. 3, which is the overlapping direction of the flow path member 12 and the cooling plate 14, the left-right direction refers to the left-right direction in Fig. 3, and the front-rear direction refers to the left-right direction in Fig. 4.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 5, the flow path member 12 is generally in the shape of a rectangular plate, and is longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction. The flow path member 12 is made of synthetic resin, and a thermoplastic synthetic resin material is preferably used. For example, polyamide, polyester, fluororesin, polyolefin, etc. can be preferably used as a material for forming the flow path member 12. The flow path member 12 can also be formed of a fiber-reinforced synthetic resin reinforced with glass fiber, carbon fiber, etc.

[0031] A recessed groove 18 that opens to the upper surface is formed in the flow path member 12. The recessed groove 18 is a groove that constitutes the cooling flow path 16 by being covered with the cooling plate 14, and includes an outward groove portion 20 and an inward groove portion 22, 22 that constitute a main flow portion 58 (described later) of the cooling flow path 16, and branch groove portions 24 that constitute a plurality of branch portions 60 (described later) of the cooling flow path 16.

[0032] The outgoing groove portion 20 extends in the front-rear direction through the central portion in the left-right direction of the flow path member 12. Both front and rear ends of the outgoing groove portion 20 are located midway in the front-rear direction without reaching both front and rear ends of the flow path member 12. The return groove portion 22 extends in the front-rear direction through both front and rear end portions of the flow path member 12 in the left-right direction. Both front and rear ends of the return groove portion 22 are located midway in the front-rear direction without reaching both front and rear ends of the flow path member 12. The return groove portions 22, 22 have front end portions extending inward in the left-right direction and are connected to each other.

[0033] The tributary grooves 24 extend in the left-right direction and are provided at four locations in the front-rear direction. Four tributary grooves 24 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the outward groove 20, and are located between the outward groove 20 and the return grooves 22, 22. The tributary grooves 24 are shaped to converge toward the front-rear center toward both left and right ends, and the left and right ends are connected to the outward groove 20 and the return groove 22 via the communicating grooves 26, 26 at the front-rear center. In this embodiment, the bottom surfaces of the outward groove 20, the return groove 22, the tributary groove 24, and the communicating groove 26 are configured as the same plane that extends perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0034] A straightening rib 28 extending in the left-right direction protrudes from each tributary groove 24. The straightening rib 28 is a protrusion that extends linearly in the left-right direction with a substantially rectangular cross section, and is formed with a length that does not reach both the left and right ends of the tributary groove 24. A plurality of straightening ribs 28 that are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction are provided in each tributary groove 24, and the left-right intermediate portion of the tributary groove 24 is divided into a plurality of rectifying ribs 28 that extend in parallel in the left-right direction by the plurality of straightening ribs 28. In this embodiment, the straightening rib 28a located at the center of the front-rear direction of the tributary groove 24 has a larger width dimension in the front-rear direction than the other straightening ribs 28b, and has a shorter length in the left-right direction than the other straightening ribs 28b. In FIG. 3, the straightening rib 28a is illustrated, and the straightening rib 28b is omitted. Note that the plurality of straightening ribs 28 may, for example, be the same size and shape as each other, may be different in size or shape from each other, and may include ribs that extend while curving or bending.

[0035] A plurality of lightening holes 30 are formed in the flow path member 12. Each lightening hole 30 has a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape with the left-right direction being the long direction, and is formed so as to penetrate the front-rear middle part of the front wall part of each tributary groove portion 24 in the up-down direction.

[0036] 1 and 2, the cooling plate 14 has a structure in which a plurality of metal plates 34 are attached to one holding member 32. In the cooling plate 14 of the present embodiment, eight metal plates 34 are attached to one holding member 32.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, the holding member 32 is generally rectangular plate-shaped and made of synthetic resin. The resin material from which the holding member 32 is formed is not particularly limited, but is preferably a thermoplastic resin material similar to the flow path member 12. For example, polyamide, polyester, fluororesin, polyolefin, etc. can be suitably used as the material from which the holding member 32 is formed. The holding member 32 may be formed of the same resin material as the flow path member 12, or may be formed of a resin material different from that of the flow path member 12, but in this embodiment, it is formed of the same resin material as the flow path member 12. The holding member 32 may also be formed of a fiber-reinforced synthetic resin similar to that of the flow path member 12.

[0038] The holding member 32 has a plurality of window portions 36 penetrating in the plate thickness direction. The window portions 36 have a rectangular hole cross section, and are arranged in four rows vertically and two rows horizontally, for a total of eight. The eight window portions 36 are formed in the inner peripheral portion of the holding member 32, and a rectangular outer peripheral frame portion 38 is formed on the outer peripheral side of the window portions 36. In addition, a rib portion 40 is formed between the eight window portions 36. The rib portion 40 is integrally provided with a main stream cover portion 42 that extends linearly in the front-rear direction in the left-right central portion, and a plurality of tributary stream cover portions 44 that extend to both left and right sides from the main stream cover portion 42. The front and rear ends of the main stream cover portion 42 and the left and right outer ends of each tributary stream cover portion 44 are integrally connected to the outer peripheral frame portion 38, and the rib portion 40 is integrally provided on the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral frame portion 38.

[0039] A positioning rib 46 is formed around each window portion 36 in the holding member 32. The positioning rib 46 protrudes from the upper surface of the holding member 32 and extends linearly along each of the four sides of the window portion 36. The four positioning ribs 46, 46, 46, 46 provided around the window portion 36 are each long enough not to reach the corners of the window portion 36 and are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the window portion 36. The positioning rib 46 is formed at a position slightly spaced away from the window portion 36 toward the outer periphery, and the periphery of the window portion 36 forms a plate holding portion 48 that protrudes more inward than the positioning rib 46.

[0040] An inlet port 50 and an outlet port 52 are integrally formed as external ports in the outer peripheral frame portion 38 of the holding member 32. The inlet port 50 is configured as a substantially cylindrical nozzle provided on the upper surface of the outer peripheral frame portion 38 and protruding forward. The inlet port 50 penetrates the outer peripheral frame portion 38 at its rear end and opens at the lower surface of the outer peripheral frame portion 38. The outlet port 52 is provided in parallel to the left of the inlet port 50 on the upper surface of the outer peripheral frame portion 38, and is a cylindrical nozzle shorter than the inlet port 50 and protrudes forward. The rear end of the outlet port 52 penetrates the outer peripheral frame portion 38 forward of the rear end of the inlet port 50 and opens downward.

[0041] The metal plate 34 is a rectangular metal plate having a size and shape corresponding to the window portion 36. More specifically, the metal plate 34 of this embodiment has an outer shape slightly larger than the window portion 36, and is sized to fit within the inner circumference of the positioning rib 46. Moreover, the metal plate 34 is desirably formed of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, copper, stainless steel, or an alloy thereof.

[0042] 3 and 4, the metal plates 34 are disposed so as to cover the window portions 36 of the holding members 32. The outer peripheral edge portions of the metal plates 34 are fixed to the holding members 32 by welding or bonding, and the outer peripheral edge portions are held all around by the holding members 32. The holding members 32 are disposed so as to surround the periphery of each of the metal plates 34. As a means for fastening the metal plates 34 to the holding members 32, for example, friction bonding, which utilizes frictional heat to weld them, is used.

[0043] In this embodiment, the outer peripheral edge of the metal plate 34 is overlapped in the vertical direction on the plate holding portion 48 of the holding member 32, and the metal plate 34 and the plate holding portion 48 are fixed to each other. The metal plate 34 is easily positioned on the opening of the window portion 36 by being inserted into the inner circumference of four positioning ribs 46 provided around the window portion 36.

[0044] The overlapping surfaces of the metal plate 34 and the plate holding portion 48 are liquid-tightly sealed by adhesion, preventing the passage of the heat transfer medium (coolant) flowing through the cooling flow passage 16 described below. When the heat transfer medium is a gas, the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate 34 and the plate holding portion 48 are air-tightly sealed.

[0045] The cooling plate 14 is superimposed on the flow path member 12 from above and fixed thereto. As shown in FIG. 3, an outer peripheral frame portion 38 of the holding member 32 constituting the cooling plate 14 is superimposed on the outer peripheral end portion of the flow path member 12, and a lattice portion 40 of the holding member 32 is superimposed between adjacent tributary groove portions 24, 24 of the flow path member 12, and the holding member 32 and the flow path member 12 are fixed to each other. The fixing means of the flow path member 12 and the holding member 32 is not particularly limited, but for example, adhesion by an adhesive, welding by melting and integrating the overlapping surfaces of the flow path member 12 and the holding member 32, etc. are preferably adopted. In this embodiment, since the flow path member 12 and the holding member 32 are formed of the same synthetic resin material, it is easy to obtain a large fixing strength by adhesion or welding, and in the case of adhesion, it is easy to select an adhesive, and in the case of welding, it is easy to set the melting temperature and solidification temperature.

[0046] By overlapping and fixing the flow path member 12 and the cooling plate 14, the upper opening of the outward groove 20 of the flow path member 12 is covered by the main lid portion 42 of the holding member 32 to form an outward path portion 54. Also, the upper opening of the return groove 22 of the flow path member 12 is covered by the outer peripheral frame portion 38 of the holding member 32 to form a return path portion 56. In this embodiment, the outward path portion 54 is formed in the left-right middle portion of the flow path member 12, and the return path portion 56 is provided at both left and right end portions of the flow path member 12, separated from the outward path portion 54 on both left and right sides, and the main flow portion 58 of this embodiment is formed by the outward path portion 54 and the two return path portions 56, 56. The left and right return path portions 56, 56 are connected to each other at the front end portions that bend and extend inwardly to the left and right, and are connected to a common outlet port 52.

[0047] Moreover, the upper openings of the tributary grooves 24 of the flow path member 12 are covered with the metal plate 34 to form tributary sections 60. The tributary sections 60 are provided on both the left and right sides of the main flow section 58, branching out laterally from the outgoing section 54. In this embodiment, the tributary sections 60 are formed on both the left and right sides of the outgoing section 54 at four locations in the front-rear direction, providing eight tributary sections 60. The tributary sections 60 are provided between the outgoing section 54 and the return sections 56, 56, with the left and right inner ends communicating with the outgoing section 54 and the left and right outer ends communicating with either one of the return sections 56.

[0048] In this manner, a cooling flow passage 16 including a main flow section 58 and a branch flow section 60 is formed between the overlapping surfaces of the flow passage member 12 and the cooling plate 14. In the cooling flow passage 16, the main flow section 58 is formed between the overlapping surfaces of the flow passage member 12 made of synthetic resin and the holding member 32 made of synthetic resin, and the branch flow section 60 is formed between the overlapping surfaces of the flow passage member 12 made of synthetic resin and the metal plate 34 made of metal. The metal plate 34 constitutes the upper wall section of the branch flow section 60 in the cooling flow passage 16. A plurality of metal plates 34 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the outgoing path section 54, and a plurality of branch flow sections 60 are provided branching off on both the left and right sides of the outgoing path section 54.

[0049] By overlapping the outer circumferential frame portion 38 with the outer circumferential end portion of the flow path member 12, the rear end opening of the inlet port 50 opens to the outward path portion 54, and the rear end opening of the outlet port 52 opens to the return path portion 56. As a result, the inlet port 50 and the outlet port 52 form both ends of the cooling flow path 16, and the cooling flow path 16 is open to the outside through the inlet port 50 and the outlet port 52.

[0050] In the cooling heat exchanger 10 thus constructed, the inlet port 50 and the outlet port 52 are connected to an external flow path (not shown), and the heat medium (cooling liquid) is supplied to and discharged from the cooling flow path 16 by a pump (not shown). The external flow path includes, for example, a heat medium pressure-feeding device such as a pump or a fan, and a refrigerator that cools the heat medium by heat exchange with the heat medium. In addition, a filter or the like for removing foreign matter mixed in the heat medium may be provided in the external flow path.

[0051] According to the cooling heat exchanger 10 having the structure according to the present embodiment, the metal plate 34 constituting the upper wall of the branch portion 60 is cooled by the low-temperature heat medium flowing through the cooling flow passage 16 of the cooling heat exchanger 10. The battery pack 64 to be cooled is placed above the metal plate 34 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the battery pack 64 is cooled by heat exchange between the metal plate 34 and the battery pack 64. The heat medium is supplied from the external flow passage to the forward path portion 54 of the main flow passage 58 through the inlet port 50, and flows from the forward path portion 54 into the branch portion 60 while flowing backward through the forward path portion 54. The heat medium that has flowed into the branch portion 60 exchanges heat with the metal plate 34, then flows out to the return path portion 56 of the main flow passage 58, flows forward through the return path portion 56, and is discharged to the external flow passage through the outlet port 52.

[0052] A heat transfer layer 66 may be provided between the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate 34 and the battery pack 64. The heat transfer layer 66 is, for example, in the form of a sheet or gel, and is fixed to the upper surface of the metal plate 34. For example, the heat transfer layer 66 may be made of a synthetic resin base material in which metal powder with high thermal conductivity is dispersed. With such a heat transfer layer 66, it is also possible to position and hold the metal plate 34 and the battery pack 64 by imparting adhesiveness to the base material.

[0053] The cooling plate 14 of the cooling heat exchanger 10 has a portion overlapping with the battery pack 64 that is made of a metal plate 34 with high thermal conductivity, and therefore efficiently cools the battery pack 64. In addition, because the cooling plate 14 is partially made of a synthetic resin retaining member 32, it is easier to achieve a reduction in weight and cost of the cooling heat exchanger 10 while maintaining the required cooling performance, compared to a cooling plate that is entirely made of metal.

[0054] Moreover, in the cooling heat exchanger 10, the flow path member 12 overlapped on the cooling plate 14 is made of synthetic resin. Therefore, the cooling heat exchanger 10 can be further lightened in weight compared to a conventional cooling heat exchanger 10 having a structure in which metal plates are overlapped, which can contribute to the driving performance and fuel efficiency of an electric vehicle equipped with the cooling heat exchanger 10.

[0055] Furthermore, since the cooling plate 14 has a composite structure combining the synthetic resin holding member 32 and the metal plate 34, even if the cooling plate 14 is overlapped and fixed to the synthetic resin flow path member 12, the distortion of the cooling heat exchanger 10 due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient (linear expansion coefficient) between the cooling plate 14 and the flow path member 12 is reduced. That is, compared to a conventional cooling plate in which the cooling plate 14 is entirely made of metal having a large difference in thermal expansion coefficient from the flow path member 12, the metal plate 34 is made partially, so that the difference in the amount of deformation caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient from the flow path member 12 is suppressed by the amount of the synthetic resin holding member 32 provided. As a result, in the cooling heat exchanger 10, unintended deformation such as bending due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the cooling plate 14 and the flow path member 12 in a high or low temperature environment is reduced. Therefore, defects such as a decrease in cooling performance due to a gap occurring between the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate 34 and the battery pack 64 and peeling occurring between the overlapping surfaces of the cooling plate 14 and the flow path member 12 are easily avoided.

[0056] 7 shows a part of a cooling heat exchanger 70 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The cooling heat exchanger 70 has a structure in which a cooling plate 72 is superimposed and fixed to a flow path member 12. In the following description, the same members and parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0057] The cooling plate 72 is composed of a holding member 74 and a plurality of metal plates 76, the metal plates 34 are inserted into the inner circumference of the window portion 36 of the holding member 74, and the outer peripheral surface of the metal plates 76 and the inner peripheral surface of the window portion 36 are overlapped and fixed. Therefore, the holding member 74 of this embodiment does not have the plate holding portion 48 provided in the holding member 32 of the first embodiment. When the flow path member 12 and the cooling plate 72 are overlapped, the opening edge of the window portion 36 and the outer peripheral edge of the metal plates 76 are located on the wall portion of the tributary groove portion 24 and are overlapped and fixed to the wall portion of the tributary groove portion 24.

[0058] According to the cooling heat exchanger 70 constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the upper and lower surfaces of the cooling plate 72 can be made flatter, which can be advantageous, for example, when storing or transporting a large number of cooling heat exchangers 70 in a stacked state.

[0059] 8 shows a metal plate 80 constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a third embodiment of the present invention. This metal plate 80 can be used in place of the metal plate 34 of the cooling heat exchanger 10 according to the first embodiment or the metal plate 76 of the cooling heat exchanger according to the second embodiment.

[0060] The metal plate 80 has heat transfer fins 82 as protrusions. The heat transfer fins 82 are elongated plates with the plate thickness direction being the front-rear direction and the length direction being the left-right direction, and protrude from the lower surface of the metal plate 80. The metal plate 80 is provided with a plurality of heat transfer fins 82 spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The plurality of heat transfer fins 82 are inserted between the front and rear of a plurality of straightening ribs protruding from the bottom surface of the branch groove portion, and are inserted into the branch portion of the cooling flow path. The heat transfer fins 82 may be provided integrally with the metal plate 80, or may be fixed by a means such as welding.

[0061] By adopting a metal plate 80 having such a structure, the heat transfer fins 82 protruding into the cooling flow path ensure a larger contact area between the heat medium flowing through the cooling flow path and the metal plate 80, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the metal plate 80 and making it possible to more efficiently cool the object to be cooled, such as a battery pack, that is overlapped with the metal plate 80.

[0062] In addition, since the heat transfer fins 82 also function as reinforcing ribs that increase the deformation rigidity of the metal plate 80, it is possible to make the metal plate 80 thinner while preventing deformation of the metal plate 80, thereby making it possible to further reduce the weight and heat capacity of the metal plate 80.

[0063] The heat transfer fins 82 may be, for example, corrugated plates that extend while meandering in the thickness direction. This agitates the heat medium in the cooling flow path, making it easier to keep the temperature of the heat medium in contact with the metal plate 80 low even in the downstream area of ​​the branch, and is expected to further improve cooling efficiency. In addition, if the metal plate is pressed so as to partially protrude downward, the contact area between the metal plate and the heat medium can be increased by utilizing the protruding portion integrally formed with the metal plate.

[0064] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the specific description. For example, the fixing means for the metal plate and the holding member may be mechanical fixing by rivets or the like, in addition to adhesion or welding. When such mechanical fixing is adopted, it is desirable to dispose a seal member such as an O-ring between the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate and the holding member in order to ensure fluid tightness to prevent leakage of the heat transfer medium between the metal plate and the holding member.

[0065] The shape, size, number, etc. of the window portion formed in the holding member are not particularly limited. The shape, size, number, etc. of the metal plate covering the window portion are also not particularly limited, and are appropriately set, for example, taking into consideration the shape, size, number of the cooling target, as well as the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the metal plate and the flow path member. The shape and size of the metal plate are desirably set according to the shape and size of the window portion of the holding member, but may be, for example, a different shape from the window portion or larger than the opening of the window portion. In addition, the holding member is not necessarily limited to one that holds the outer peripheral end of the metal plate continuously around the entire circumference, and may hold the outer peripheral end partially in the circumferential direction. Therefore, at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the cooling plate may be made of a metal plate.

[0066] The branch portion 60 in the above embodiment is wider than the main portion 58, but may be, for example, substantially the same width as or narrower than at least one of the outward path portion 54 and the return path portion 56 constituting the main portion 58. Also, since the branch portion 60 in the above embodiment is wider than the main portion 58, a plurality of straightening ribs 28 are provided to straighten the flow of the heat medium in the branch portion 60, but the straightening ribs 28 are not essential.

[0067] The cooling flow path is not limited to a structure in which a plurality of branch sections 60 are provided in parallel between the outward path section 54 and the return path section 56, and for example, only one branch section may be provided, or the return path section 56 may be omitted by directly connecting the downstream side of each branch section to an external port connected to an external flow path. Also, the outward path sections 54 may be provided on both the left and right sides of the flow path member 12, and the return path section 56 may be provided in the middle portion between the left and right.

[0068] The inlet port 50 and the outlet port 52, which are external ports, do not necessarily have to be formed integrally with the holding member 32. For example, they may be separate parts fixedly attached to the outer circumferential frame portion 38 of the holding member 32, or they may be constituted by metal fittings or the like inserted into the holding member 32. In addition, the inlet port and the outlet port which constitute the ends of the cooling flow path 16 may be provided in the flow path member 12.

[0069] The material forming the flow path member 12 and the material forming the holding member 32 may be different from each other. In this way, if the flow path member 12 and the holding member 32 are formed from different synthetic resin materials, it becomes possible to select the material forming the holding member 32 in consideration of the adhesiveness to the metal plate 34, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10 Cooling heat exchanger (first embodiment) 12 Flow path components 14 Cooling plate 16 Cooling Channel 18 Groove 20 Outward groove 22 Return groove 24 Tributary ditch 26 Communication groove 28(28a,28b) Straightening rib 30 Hole 32 Retaining member 34 Metal Plate 36 Window section 38 Outer periphery frame 40 Crosspiece 42 Mainstream lid part 44 Lid between tributaries 46 Positioning rib 48 Plate holder 50 Inlet Port 52 Exit Port 54 Outbound Section 56 Return Section 58 Main stream 60 Tributaries 64 Battery pack (cooling target) 66 Heat Transfer Layer 70 Cooling heat exchanger (second embodiment) 72 Cooling plate 74 Retaining member 76 Metal Plate 80 Metal Plate (Third embodiment) 82 Heat transfer fin

Claims

1. A heat exchanger for cooling, comprising: a cooling plate to be placed on an object to be cooled; and a flow path member made of synthetic resin and having a groove, which are placed on top of each other and fixed to each other; and an opening of the groove is covered with the cooling plate, thereby forming a cooling flow path in which a heat medium flows between the cooling plate and the flow path member, The cooling plate includes a metal plate that is placed on the cooling target, and a holding member made of synthetic resin that holds an outer peripheral end of the metal plate, The metal plates form the walls of the cooling passages.

2. 2. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is provided so as to surround a periphery of the metal plate and holds an outer peripheral edge of the metal plate over the entire periphery.

3. 3. The heat exchanger for cooling according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said metal plates are held by one of said holding members.

4. 4. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the cooling flow path comprises a main flow portion extending between the overlapping surfaces of the flow path member and the holding member, and a plurality of branch flow portions branching off from the main flow portion and extending between the overlapping surfaces of the flow path member and each of the metal plates.

5. The main flow section includes an outward flow section through which the heat medium supplied to the branch flow section flows, and a return flow section through which the heat medium discharged from the branch flow section flows, one of the forward path portion and the return path portion is provided in an intermediate portion of the flow path member, the other of the forward path portion and the return path portion is provided on both sides of the flow path member, 5. The heat exchanger for cooling according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of said branch portions are provided between said outward flow portion and said return flow portion.

6. 3. The heat exchanger for cooling according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is integrally provided with an external port connected to an end of the cooling flow passage.

7. 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the flow passage member and the holding member are bonded or welded to each other.

8. 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the flow path member and the holding member are made of the same resin material.

9. 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate is provided with a protrusion that protrudes toward the flow path member and is inserted into the cooling flow path.

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