Cooling heat exchanger

Abstract

To provide a new cooling heat exchanger that can prevent distortion of a metal plate due to deformation of a resin component, for example, even in a high-temperature environment, in a cooling heat exchanger that combines metal and synthetic resin components.SOLUTION: A metal plate 14 that is superimposed on an object 12 to be cooled and a resin component 18 that includes a concave groove 16 are mutually superimposed and fixed. An opening 20 of the concave groove 16 is covered by the metal plate 14 and a cooling channel 22 through which a heat transfer medium flows is formed between the metal plate 14 and the resin component 18 to constitute a cooling heat exchanger 10. The metal plate 14 is provided with a bead portion 50 that opens on a joining surface 46, which is the surface on the side of the resin component 18 and protrudes on a surface 48 opposite the joining surface 46.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling heat exchanger that is installed in, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle and cools an object to be cooled, such as a battery pack. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cooling devices have been proposed for cooling heat-generating elements such as batteries installed in electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, etc., and such a cooling device is described, for example, in JP 2020-88108 A (Patent Document 1).

[0003] The cooling device described in Patent Document 1 comprises a metal cooling panel that is overlaid on the heat generating element to be cooled, and a resin flow path for flowing a refrigerant, and the opening of a groove provided in the resin flow path is covered by the metal cooling panel to form a cooling flow path for the refrigerant to flow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-88108 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the difference in linear expansion coefficient between the metal member and the synthetic resin member is relatively large, and when heat is applied to both members, the synthetic resin member is more likely to bulge than the metal member. In particular, when the metal cooling panel is made of, for example, a thin aluminum plate for the purpose of reducing weight and costs, it is susceptible to the influence of the bulging deformation of the synthetic resin member. For example, when the heat is generated by the heating element or when the vehicle is exposed to a high-temperature environment, the metal cooling panel may become distorted together with the bulging deformation of the synthetic resin member, and the refrigerant may leak from the cooling device.

[0006] The present invention has been made against the background of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a new cooling heat exchanger that combines metal components and synthetic resin components and that can prevent distortion of the metal plate due to deformation of the resin components even in a high temperature environment, for example. [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 cooling heat exchanger in which a metal plate to be placed on an object to be cooled and a resin member having a groove are placed on top of and fixed to each other, and the opening of the groove is covered by the metal plate to form a cooling flow path through which a heat medium flows between the metal plate and the resin member, and the metal plate is provided with a bead portion that opens at the joining surface, which is the surface facing the resin member, and protrudes to the surface opposite the joining surface.

[0009] According to this aspect, since the bead portion is provided in the metal plate, the bead portion exerts a reinforcing effect on the metal plate, and the distortion of the metal plate due to the deformation of the resin member caused by the temperature change, for example, from room temperature to a high temperature environment, is prevented. In addition, since the bead portion is provided on the surface of the metal plate on which the cooling target is overlapped, the surface area of ​​the surface on which the cooling target is overlapped can be increased, and the heat exchange (cooling) efficiency can be improved. In particular, the bead portion according to this aspect can exert a special effect in addition to the reinforcing effect on the metal plate, for example, by combining it with the second or third aspect below.

[0010] In a second aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger according to the first aspect, the bead portion is provided at a position in the metal plate that does not form the cooling flow path, and an adhesive layer is provided between the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate and the resin member so that the metal plate and the resin member are joined by adhesive, and the bead portion is provided in the portion of the metal plate that is joined to the resin member.

[0011] According to this aspect, since the bead portion is provided at a position in the metal plate where no cooling flow path is formed, the bead portion does not hinder the flow of the heat medium (refrigerant) in the cooling flow path, and both the cooling effect due to the flow of the refrigerant and the reinforcing effect due to the bead portion can be achieved. In particular, since the bead portion in the metal plate is provided at the joint portion between the metal plate and the resin member by the adhesive, the amount of adhesive can be increased by filling the inside of the bead portion with adhesive, and the joining strength between the metal plate and the resin member can be improved. By improving the joining strength between the metal plate and the resin member in this way, the expansion and deformation of the resin member in a high-temperature environment can be suppressed, and thus the distortion of the metal plate can also be suppressed.

[0012] In a third aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger according to the first aspect, the bead portion is provided at a position in the metal plate that defines the cooling flow path.

[0013] According to this aspect, since the bead portion is provided at a position that forms the cooling flow path in the metal plate, the heat transfer medium (coolant) that flows through the cooling flow path is filled inside the bead portion, and the amount of coolant that can be accommodated in the cooling flow path can be increased. In addition, the bead portion increases the surface area of ​​the metal plate on which the object to be cooled is placed, so that heat transfer from the object to be cooled can be more efficiently performed. As a result, the bead portion not only prevents distortion of the metal plate, but also improves heat exchange (cooling) efficiency.

[0014] In a fourth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger according to the third aspect, the bead portion extends along an extension direction of the cooling flow passage.

[0015] According to this aspect, since the bead portion extends along the extension direction of the cooling flow path, the heat medium (refrigerant) flows more smoothly in the cooling flow path, and a decrease in heat exchange (cooling) efficiency is avoided, compared to, for example, a case where the bead portion is provided intermittently along the extension direction of the cooling flow path. Also, for example, when the bead portion is provided so as to cross the cooling flow path, the upstream side and downstream side of the cooling flow path are connected by the bead portion, which may decrease the heat exchange (cooling) efficiency, but by having the bead portion extend along the extension direction of the cooling flow path, such a problem can be avoided.

[0016] A fifth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein a thermally conductive layer capable of deforming in a thickness direction is provided on a surface of the metal plate opposite the joining surface.

[0017] According to this embodiment, the thermally conductive layer is deformable in the thickness direction, so that the thermally conductive layer can be deformed into a shape that conforms to the bead portion of the metal plate, and the bead portion and the thermally conductive layer can be brought into contact with each other with almost no gaps. In other words, if the bead portion and the object to be cooled are simply overlapped, the contact area between the bead portion and the object to be cooled is small, and there is a risk that efficient heat exchange (cooling) does not occur, but by using the thermally conductive layer as in this embodiment, the efficiency of heat exchange (cooling) can be improved.

[0018] In a sixth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the bead portion includes a first bead portion and a second bead portion having mutually different extending directions.

[0019] According to this aspect, for example, the bead portion can be configured to include a first bead portion extending along the extension direction of the cooling flow path at the position where the cooling flow path is formed, and a second bead portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first bead portion at a position where the cooling flow path is not formed. This makes it possible to not only prevent distortion of the metal plate, but also to improve the heat exchange (cooling) efficiency and the bonding strength between the metal plate and the resin member. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat exchanger for cooling that can prevent distortion of a metal plate due to deformation of a resin member even in a high-temperature environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1 along the line II-II of the cross section; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1 taken along line III-III of the cross section; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a metal plate constituting the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] In order to clarify the present invention more specifically, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0023] First, Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 show a cooling heat exchanger 10 as one embodiment of the present invention. This cooling heat exchanger 10 is provided in, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and is superimposed on a cooling target 12 (shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 2) such as a battery pack that generates heat in the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle, to cool the cooling target 12. In the following description, the vertical direction generally refers to the vertical direction in Fig. 2. In addition, in Figs. 2 and 3 showing the vertical cross section of the cooling heat exchanger 10, the thickness dimensions of each member may be exaggerated for ease of understanding.

[0024] More specifically, in the cooling heat exchanger 10, a metal plate 14 that is placed on the object to be cooled 12 and a plate-shaped resin member 18 having a groove 16 are placed on top of each other and fixed to each other, and the opening (upper opening 20) of the groove 16 is covered by the metal plate 14, thereby forming a cooling flow path 22 through which a heat transfer medium (refrigerant) flows between the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18.

[0025] The metal plate 14 is preferably made of a metal having excellent thermal conductivity, such as copper (including copper alloys) or aluminum (including aluminum alloys). In this embodiment, the metal plate 14 is made of aluminum. In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, the metal plate 14 is a substantially rectangular plate, and the four peripheral sides are composed of a pair of long sides 24, 24 and a pair of short sides 26, 26 connecting the long sides 24. The thickness of the metal plate 14 is not limited, but in this embodiment, it is made relatively thin in order to reduce weight and costs.

[0026] Furthermore, the metal plate 14 may have through holes 28 (shown by two-dot chain lines in Figs. 1, 4 and 5) penetrating the metal plate 14 in the plate thickness direction at positions corresponding to an inlet portion 40 and an outlet portion 42 (described later) in the overlapping resin member 18. Such through holes 28 may be provided, for example, at two diagonally opposing positions (for example, on both the left and right sides in Fig. 5) among the four corners of the metal plate 14 having a substantially rectangular plate shape.

[0027] The resin member 18 is made of a hard synthetic resin, and may be made of, for example, a fiber-reinforced synthetic resin. As shown in Fig. 4 and other figures, the resin member 18 has a certain thickness and is a substantially rectangular plate having a planar shape substantially corresponding to that of the metal plate 14. That is, the resin member 18 also has a pair of long sides 30, 30 and a pair of short sides 32, 32, and the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 are overlapped with each other with the longitudinal direction of the metal plate 14 and the longitudinal direction of the resin member 18 aligned.

[0028] In this embodiment, the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 are formed to be approximately the same size in a planar view, and when the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 are superimposed on each other, a pair of long sides 24, 24 of the metal plate 14 and a pair of long sides 30, 30 of the resin member 18 are superimposed on each other, and a pair of short sides 26, 26 of the metal plate 14 and a pair of short sides 32, 32 of the resin member 18 are superimposed on each other.

[0029] The resin member 18 is formed with a groove 16 that opens upward (having an upper opening 20). The groove 16 is formed with a depth dimension that does not penetrate the resin member 18 in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction), and is a groove shape with a bottom. The shape of the groove 16 is not limited, but the groove 16 of this embodiment has a plurality of passages 34 extending parallel to the long side 30 of the resin member 18 in parallel. A partition portion 36 extending parallel to the long side 30 of the resin member 18 is provided between adjacent passages 34, 34 in the parallel direction of the passages 34. The passages 34 are connected at both ends in the length direction of each passage 34 by a connection passage 38 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of each passage 34 (parallel to the short side 32 of the resin member 18).

[0030] In particular, in this embodiment, the outermost passages 34 in the parallel direction of the passages 34 extend beyond the connecting passages 38 on one side in the length direction, and the inlet portion 40 and the outlet portion 42 are formed by the portions of the outermost passages 34 in the parallel direction that extend beyond the connecting passages 38. The positions of the inlet portion 40 and the outlet portion 42 are not limited, but in this embodiment, the inlet portion 40 is formed on the left side of the groove 16 in Figure 4, and the outlet portion 42 is formed on the right side in Figure 4.

[0031] Further, the portion of the resin member 18 where the groove 16 is not formed is a frame-shaped portion 44 surrounding the groove 16 on all four sides. That is, the frame-shaped portion 44 includes a pair of portions 44a, 44a that are outer than the outermost passages 34 in the direction in which the short side 32 of the resin member 18 extends, and a pair of portions 44b, 44b that are outer than the connecting passages 38 in the direction in which the long side 30 of the resin member 18 extends.

[0032] In this embodiment, the width dimensions (dimension in the direction in which the short side 32 of the resin member 18 extends) of the pair of portions 44a, 44a outside each passage 34 are substantially equal to each other, and the width dimensions (dimension in the direction in which the long side 30 of the resin member 18 extends) of the pair of portions 44b, 44b outside each connection passage 38 are substantially equal to each other. In particular, in this embodiment, the width dimension of each portion 44b outside each connection passage 38 is larger than the width dimension of each portion 44a outside each passage 34. Note that each passage 34 and each partition portion 36 are formed with a relatively long length dimension in the direction in which the long side 30 of the resin member 18 extends. Therefore, the recessed groove 16 is formed with a shape whose longitudinal direction is the direction in which the long side 30 of the resin member 18 extends.

[0033] Here, the metal plate 14 is provided with a bead portion 50 that opens to a joining surface 46, which is the surface on the resin member 18 side (i.e., the lower surface), and protrudes to the surface opposite to the joining surface 46 (i.e., the upper surface 48). In this embodiment, a plurality of bead portions 50 are provided, and the plurality of bead portions 50 are configured to include a first bead portion 50a and a second bead portion 50b that extend in different directions. Therefore, the first bead portion 50a and the second bead portion 50b each have a lower opening portion 52 that opens downward. The cross-sectional shapes of the first bead portion 50a and the second bead portion 50b are not limited, but in this embodiment, each has a substantially semicircular cross-sectional shape.

[0034] In particular, in this embodiment, the first bead portion 50a extends parallel to the direction in which the long sides 24 of the metal plate 14 extend, and the second bead portion 50b extends parallel to the direction in which the short sides 26 of the metal plate 14 extend. The first bead portion 50a and the second bead portion 50b are formed, for example, by applying press working to the metal plate 14, and the first bead portion 50a and the second bead portion 50b are each formed with a certain degree of depth (and a certain degree of protruding height from the upper surface 48 of the metal plate 14).

[0035] A plurality of first bead portions 50a are provided, and the plurality of first bead portions 50a are provided in parallel at a distance from each other in the direction in which the short side 26 extends, in the middle portion of the direction in which the long side 24 of the metal plate 14 extends. In this embodiment, each first bead portion 50a is provided at a position equal to each passage 34 (i.e., between the opposing partition portions 36) in the recessed groove 16 when the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 are fixed to each other in a plan view. Each first bead portion 50a is formed with a length dimension that is approximately equal to each passage 34 (and the partition portion 36) in the direction in which the long side 24 of the metal plate 14 extends, and each first bead portion 50a is formed with a certain amount of internal space 54a. Furthermore, the maximum width dimension of each first bead portion 50a is approximately equal to the width dimension of each passage 34.

[0036] A plurality of second bead portions 50b are provided, and a pair of second bead portions 50b, 50b are provided in parallel and spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the long side 24 of the metal plate 14 extends. In this embodiment, each second bead portion 50b is provided at a position outside the recessed groove 16 in a plan view when the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 are fixed to each other. In particular, in this embodiment, each second bead portion 50b is provided at a portion 44b, 44b on the metal plate 14 that is outside each connection passage 38 in the frame portion 44, and at a position corresponding to a position outside the inlet portion 40 and the outlet portion 42. In other words, each second bead portion 50b is provided at both ends in the length direction of the metal plate 14. Each second bead portion 50b is formed to have a certain length dimension in the direction in which the short side 26 of the metal plate 14 extends, and each second bead portion 50b is formed with a certain size of internal space 54b.

[0037] The metal plate 14 is placed on the resin member 18 having the above-mentioned structure from above, and the resin member 18 and the metal plate 14 are fixed to each other. In this embodiment, the resin member 18 and the metal plate 14 are fixed to each other by adhesion, and an adhesive layer 56 (see Figs. 2 and 3) is formed over substantially the entire surface between the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18. By joining the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 via the adhesive layer 56, the opening (upper opening 20) of the recessed groove 16 is liquid-tightly sealed by the metal plate 14. In particular, in this embodiment, the upper surface of the frame-shaped portion 44 of the resin member 18 and the upper surfaces of the partition portions 36 are placed on the metal plate 14, and therefore the adhesive layer 56 is provided between each of these upper surfaces and the metal plate 14. That is, the adhesive layer 56 is not provided at the positions where the passages 34 and the connection passages 38 are formed in the resin member 18 and the positions where the first bead portions 50a are formed in the metal plate 14.

[0038] Here, each passage 34 in the resin member 18 and each first bead portion 50a in the metal plate 14 are formed at corresponding positions, and since no adhesive layer 56 is provided at the positions where each passage 34 and each first bead portion 50a are formed, when the resin member 18 and the metal plate 14 are fixed to each other, the internal space of each passage 34 and the internal space 54a of each first bead portion 50a are overlapped and communicated with each other in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 2. As a result, the upper opening 20 of each passage 34 is covered by each first bead portion 50a of the metal plate 14, forming a tunnel-like passage. Also, the upper opening 20 of each connection passage 38 is covered by the metal plate 14, forming a tunnel-like passage.

[0039] That is, by covering the upper openings 20 of the passages 34, a plurality of tunnel-shaped passages are formed parallel to each other in the direction of the short side 32 of the resin member 18, and each of these tunnel-shaped passages is connected to a tunnel-shaped passage formed by covering the upper openings 20 of each connecting passage 38 and extending in the direction of the short side 32. As a result, each of the tunnel-shaped passages is connected to each other to form a cooling flow passage 22 through which the refrigerant flows. Therefore, the cooling flow passage 22 extends as a whole in the direction in which the long side 24 of the metal plate 14, which is the longitudinal direction of the recessed groove 16, extends, and each of the first bead portions 50a constituting the bead portion 50 extends along the extension direction of the cooling flow passage 22.

[0040] Further, the frame-shaped portion 44 located on the outer periphery side of the recessed groove 16 in the resin member 18 is fixed to the metal plate 14 via an adhesive layer 56. Here, in the metal plate 14, second bead portions 50b are provided at positions corresponding to the pair of portions 44b, 44b on the outer side of each connecting passage 38 in the frame-shaped portion 44, and as shown in Fig. 3, the lower opening 52 of each second bead portion 50b is covered by the resin member 18 via the adhesive layer 56. As a result, the internal space 54b of each second bead portion 50b is made into a sealed space, and the internal space 54b of each second bead portion 50b is filled with the adhesive constituting the adhesive layer 56.

[0041] In short, in this embodiment, each of the first bead portions 50a constituting the bead portion 50 is provided at a position in the metal plate 14 that forms the cooling flow passage 22. On the other hand, each of the second bead portions 50b constituting the bead portion 50 is provided at a position in the metal plate 14 that does not form the cooling flow passage 22, and each of the second bead portions 50b is provided at a portion of the metal plate 14 that is joined to the resin member 18.

[0042] As described above, the adhesive layer 56 is provided over substantially the entire surface between the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18, and is formed to have a substantially rectangular area in a plan view. Before the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 are fixed to each other, the adhesive layer 56 may be provided on the lower surface (joining surface 46) of the metal plate 14 and / or the upper surface of the resin member 18. The method of providing the adhesive layer 56 on the lower surface of the metal plate 14 and / or the upper surface of the resin member 18 is not limited, and a known method may be used, such as application with a brush or spraying with a spray, or immersion in the material of the adhesive layer 56 before curing.

[0043] Here, when through holes 28 are formed in the metal plate 14 at positions corresponding to the inlet portion 40 and the outlet portion 42, respectively, the cooling flow passage 22 communicates with the external space through these through holes 28. In this case, the inlet portion 40 and the through holes 28 provided at the positions corresponding to the inlet portion 40 form an inlet port 58 for allowing the coolant to flow into the cooling flow passage 22 from the outside, and the outlet portion 42 and the through holes 28 provided at the positions corresponding to the outlet portion 42 form an outlet port 60 for allowing the coolant to flow out of the cooling flow passage 22 to the outside.

[0044] The refrigerant flowing through the cooling flow passage 22 is not limited, but may be chiller water used in a chiller (cooling water circulation system) conventionally provided in a vehicle, and specifically may be water, alcohol (methanol, ethanol, etc.), glycol, etc. In addition, the refrigerant source of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling flow passage 22 is not limited, but may be, for example, a separate chiller including a pump (not shown) or a chiller already installed in the vehicle. By employing a chiller including a pump as the refrigerant source, the refrigerant can be caused to flow through the cooling flow passage 22.

[0045] In the metal plate 14 in the cooling heat exchanger 10 configured in this manner, a heat generating body (cooling target 12) that generates heat when electricity is applied, such as a battery pack, is placed on the surface (upper surface 48) opposite to the side where the resin member 18 is overlapped in the metal plate 14. Here, in the cooling heat exchanger 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, a thermally conductive layer 62 that is deformable in the thickness direction is provided on the upper surface 48, which is the surface opposite to the joint surface 46 of the metal plate 14.

[0046] The thermally conductive layer 62 is, for example, in the form of a sheet, and is made of a synthetic resin having a thermal conductivity greater than that of air. Specifically, silicone-based resins, non-silicone acrylic resins, ceramic resins, and the like can be used, and more specifically, thermally conductive silicone rubber and the like can be used. Note that the thermally conductive layer 62 does not have to be in the form of a sheet before being disposed on the upper surface 48 of the metal plate 14, and may be in the form of, for example, a gel or grease, which is hardened into a sheet by applying heat or irradiating light (for example, ultraviolet light). That is, the thermally conductive layer 62 may be a known thermally conductive sheet, thermally conductive grease, thermally conductive gap filler, or the like.

[0047] Since the thermally conductive layer 62 is deformable in the thickness direction, the thermally conductive layer 62 is deformed along each of the first bead portions 50a protruding upward from the upper surface 48 of the metal plate 14, and is disposed in a state of contact with the upper surface 48 of the metal plate 14 with almost no gap. The area in which the thermally conductive layer 62 is disposed is not limited, and the thermally conductive layer 62 may be provided in the same shape and size as the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 in a plan view, or in the area in which each of the first bead portions 50a is formed, or in a size smaller than the area in which each of the first bead portions 50a is formed. Alternatively, the thermally conductive layer 62 may be provided in a position outside the recessed groove 16 in the resin member 18 in a plan view.

[0048] Also, for example, when the through holes 28 are provided in the metal plate 14 to form the inlet 58 and the outlet 60, an inlet tube 64 is connected to the inlet 58 on the upper surface 48 of the metal plate 14, and one end of the inlet tube 64 extends to the outside of the cooling heat exchanger 10 and is connected to a refrigerant source (not shown). Furthermore, an outlet tube 66 is connected to the outlet 60, and one end of the outlet tube 66 extends to the outside of the cooling heat exchanger 10 and is connected to a refrigerant source (not shown). That is, in this embodiment, a circulation system is configured in the cooling heat exchanger 10, in which the refrigerant that flows from the refrigerant source through the inlet tube 64 flows into the cooling flow path 22 from the inlet 58, flows through the cooling flow path 22, and then returns to the refrigerant source through the outlet 60 and the outlet tube 66. Note that these inlet and outlet tubes 64, 66 are provided, for example, at positions on the upper surface 48 of the metal plate 14 outside the cooling target 12.

[0049] In the cooling heat exchanger 10 having such a structure, when a heat generating body (subject to be cooled 12) such as a battery pack is placed on the metal plate 14, the subject to be cooled 12 generates heat, and the heat generated in the subject to be cooled 12 is transferred to the metal plate 14. The heat transferred to the metal plate 14 is cooled (heat exchanged) by the refrigerant flowing in each cooling flow passage 22, and an increase in temperature of the subject to be cooled 12 and the metal plate 14 is prevented. Meanwhile, the refrigerant that flows into the cooling flow passage 22 from each inlet 58 is heated as it flows through the cooling flow passage 22, and flows out of each outlet 60 at a higher temperature than when it flowed in from each inlet 58, and reaches a refrigerant source (not shown). In this refrigerant source, the refrigerant is cooled again and flows into the cooling flow passage 22 through each inlet 58.

[0050] That is, when the object to be cooled 12 generates heat and the coolant flows in each cooling flow passage 22, the temperature of the coolant rises, and the temperature of the resin member 18 constituting each cooling flow passage 22 also rises. Alternatively, the temperature of the cooling heat exchanger 10 rises when the vehicle is exposed to a high-temperature environment. In such a temperature change, the difference in linear expansion coefficient between the metal plate 14, which is a metal member, and the resin member 18, which is a synthetic resin member, is relatively large, and the resin member 18 expands more than the metal plate 14. As a result, in a cooling heat exchanger of a conventional structure, there was a risk that the metal plate would be distorted due to the expansion and deformation of the resin member. In particular, when the metal plate is made into a thin plate shape for the purpose of reducing weight and cost, the metal plate is more likely to be distorted in a high-temperature environment.

[0051] In contrast, in the cooling heat exchanger 10 of the present embodiment, the metal plate 14 is provided with a bead portion 50 that opens to the resin member 18 side and protrudes to the opposite (upper) surface (upper surface 48). By providing the bead portion 50 in the metal plate 14, the reinforcing effect of the bead portion 50 can prevent distortion of the metal plate 14.

[0052] Particularly, in this embodiment, the bead portion 50 includes a plurality of first bead portions 50a provided at positions in the metal plate 14 that form the cooling flow passages 22, and a plurality of second bead portions 50b provided at positions that do not form the cooling flow passages 22. The internal space 54a of each of the first bead portions 50a communicates with the internal space of each of the passages 34 that form the recessed groove 16, and this allows the volume of the cooling flow passage 22 to be increased by the amount of each of the first bead portions 50a. As a result, not only the amount of refrigerant flowing through the cooling flow passage 22 can be increased, but also the surface area of ​​the inner surface of the cooling flow passage 22 can be increased, thereby improving the cooling (heat exchange) efficiency associated with the flow of the refrigerant.

[0053] Furthermore, since each of the first bead portions 50a extends parallel to the direction in which the long side 24 of the metal plate 14 extends, which is the extension direction of the cooling flow passage 22, the provision of each of the first bead portions 50a can prevent the flow of the refrigerant within the cooling flow passage 22 from being impeded.

[0054] In addition, a thermally conductive layer 62 is provided on the upper surface 48 of the metal plate 14. The thermally conductive layer 62 is deformable in the thickness direction, and deforms to match the shapes of the first bead portions 50a protruding upward from the upper surface 48 of the metal plate 14 and the object to be cooled 12. This makes it possible to ensure a large contact area between the thermally conductive layer 62 and the metal plate 14 and a large contact area between the object to be cooled 12 and the thermally conductive layer 62. As a result, heat generated in the object to be cooled 12 can be efficiently transferred to the metal plate 14 via the thermally conductive layer 62, thereby further improving the cooling (heat exchange) efficiency.

[0055] On the other hand, since each second bead portion 50b is provided at a portion where the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 are joined, the adhesive constituting the adhesive layer 56 is filled up to the internal space 54b of the second bead portion 50b, and the amount of adhesive can be increased by the amount of each second bead portion 50b. In particular, by providing the second bead portion 50b, the surface area of ​​the inner surface of the metal plate 14 (i.e., the joining surface 46) can be increased, and the adhesive layer 56 improves the adhesive strength between the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18. Then, by improving the adhesive strength between the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 in this manner, the distortion of the metal plate 14 due to the expansion and deformation of the resin member 18 can be suppressed. In particular, in this embodiment, since each second bead portion 50b is provided at both ends of the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 in the length direction (the direction in which each long side 24, 30 extends), the resin member 18 is effectively prevented from deforming so as to extend in the length direction, and thus the distortion of the metal plate 14 can also be suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, by arranging the first bead portion 50a and the second bead portion 50b to extend in different directions, in addition to the effects of improving the cooling (heat exchange) efficiency and improving the adhesive strength described above, a good reinforcing effect is exerted, for example when the metal plate 14 extends in multiple directions rather than just one direction, and distortion of the metal plate 14 due to the expansion and deformation of the resin member 18 in a high temperature environment can be more efficiently avoided.

[0057] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is in no way limited by the specific description of the embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms with various changes, modifications, improvements, etc. based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and it goes without saying that all such embodiments are included within the scope of the present invention as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention.

[0058] For example, in the above embodiment, the lower surface of the metal plate 14 and the upper surface of the resin member 18 are substantially entirely overlapping and adhesive surfaces, but the metal plate and the resin member only need to be adhesively bonded to at least the entire periphery of the groove so that the refrigerant does not leak from the cooling flow path. For example, a non-adhesive region (a region where the metal plate and the resin member are not bonded) may be provided on the outer periphery of the adhesive region between the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate and the resin member. In addition to the bead portion provided at the position where the cooling flow path is formed and / or in the adhesive region as in the above embodiment, a bead portion may be provided in the position where the cooling flow path is not formed and in the non-adhesive region, and the provision of such a bead portion reinforces the metal plate and improves the distortion prevention effect. However, the method of fixing the metal plate and the resin member is not limited to adhesion, and may be, for example, welding. Even when the metal plate and the resin member are fixed by welding, the bead portion may be provided in the bonding region, and the adhesive strength between the metal plate and the resin member may be improved by, for example, the overlapping surface (upper surface) of the resin member entering into the bead portion.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the bead portion 50 includes a plurality of first bead portions 50a and a plurality of second bead portions 50b, but is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the bead portion may be only the first bead portion, and only one first bead portion may be provided at a position where a cooling flow path is formed in the metal plate. In such a case, it is preferable that the bead portion extends along the extension direction of the cooling flow path. Also, the bead portion may be only the second bead portion, and only one second bead portion may be provided at a position where a cooling flow path is not formed in the metal plate and at a portion where the metal plate and the resin member are joined. In such a case, the extension direction of the bead portion is not limited, and may be, for example, the extension direction of the cooling flow path or a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the cooling flow path. The first bead portion and the second bead portion are not limited to an embodiment in which they extend in a direction perpendicular to each other, and may intersect at a certain angle. Furthermore, the multiple first bead portions may be connected to each other by being folded back in the length direction, or the first bead portion and the second bead portion may be provided continuously.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of each of the first bead portions 50a and each of the second bead portions 50b is substantially semicircular, but the cross-sectional shape of the bead portions is not limited thereto and may be a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a rectangle, or may be a semi-oval or semi-elliptical shape. The shapes of these first bead portions and second bead portions may differ in the length direction, and when a plurality of first bead portions and second bead portions are provided, they may be combined to adopt different shapes.

[0061] In the above embodiment, each of the first bead portions 50a and each of the second bead portions 50b extends continuously over a certain length, but the bead portions may be formed discontinuously over a certain length. From the viewpoint of improving the flow efficiency of the refrigerant in the cooling flow passage and the adhesive strength of the adhesive, it is preferable that the bead portions are provided continuously over a certain length.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the metal plate 14 is provided with the through holes 28, and the inlet 58 and the outlet 60 open upward, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the resin member may have through holes in the bottom wall that constitutes the inlet and outlet, and the inlet and outlet may open downward, or the resin member may have through holes in the peripheral wall that constitutes the inlet and outlet, and the inlet and outlet may open to the side of the resin member.

[0063] In the above embodiment, each groove 16 includes a plurality of parallel passages 34 and a connecting passage 38 connecting each of the passages 34, but the present invention is not limited to this. The opening (upper opening) of the groove is covered with a metal plate to form a cooling flow path, and the extension direction, length, width, depth, and other aspects of the cooling flow path can be set arbitrarily. However, from the viewpoint of cooling efficiency (heat exchange efficiency), it is preferable that the cooling flow path is provided over a wide area of ​​the resin member.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the metal plate 14 and the resin member 18 are formed to have substantially the same shape and substantially the same size in a plan view, but this is not limited to this embodiment. The metal plate and the resin member may have different shapes and sizes in a plan view. Even if the metal plate and the resin member are formed to have substantially the same shape and substantially the same size in a plan view, the metal plate and the resin member may be in a state of being shifted from each other, that is, they may be partially overlapped in a plan view rather than entirely. In any of the above cases, the opening of the groove provided in the resin member is covered by the metal plate to form a cooling flow path. These overlapping parts are the overlapping surfaces of both members, and the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate and the resin member are not limited to the entire lower surface of the metal plate or the entire upper surface of the resin member.

[0065] In the above embodiment, each first bead portion 50a is formed at a position and width corresponding to each passage 34 in a plan view, but this is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the first bead portion and the passage in the groove may be arranged offset from each other so that they overlap partially, not entirely, in a plan view. In addition, the first bead portion and the passage in the groove may have different widths, for example, and one first bead portion may be provided across multiple passages, or multiple first bead portions may be provided on one passage. In the above case, it is preferable to provide the first bead portion so that the upstream side and downstream side of the cooling flow passage do not communicate with each other. This can avoid a decrease in cooling efficiency.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the cooling heat exchanger 10 is mounted on an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and the object to be cooled 12 is a battery pack, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the heat generating body to be cooled may be an in-vehicle part other than a battery pack, or may be a part used in something other than a vehicle, and the cooling heat exchanger according to the present invention may be applied to a vehicle other than an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, or to something other than a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 Cooling heat exchanger 12 Cooling target 14 Metal Plate 16 Groove 18 Resin parts 20 Upper opening (opening) 22 Cooling Channel 24 Long side 26 Short Side 28 Through hole 30 Long side 32 Short side 34 Passage 36 Partition 38 Connecting Passage 40 Inlet 42 Outflow 44 Frame-shaped part 44a Outside the aisles 44b Outside each connecting passage 46 Joint surface (surface of the metal plate facing the resin material) 48 Top surface (surface opposite to the joint surface) 50 Bead section 50a First bead section 50b Second bead section 52 Lower opening 54a,54b Internal space 56 Adhesive layer 58 Inlet 60 Outlet 62 Thermal Conduction Layer 64 Inlet tube 66 Outlet tube

Claims

1. A heat exchanger for cooling, comprising: a metal plate to be placed on an object to be cooled; and a resin member 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 metal plate, thereby forming a cooling flow path through which a heat medium flows between the metal plate and the resin member, The metal plate has a bead portion that opens onto a joining surface, which is the surface on the resin member side, and protrudes onto a surface opposite the joining surface.

2. 2. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the bead portion is provided at a position on the metal plate where the cooling flow path is not formed, and an adhesive layer is provided between the overlapping surfaces of the metal plate and the resin member so that the metal plate and the resin member are joined by the adhesive, and the bead portion is provided at a portion of the metal plate that is joined to the resin member.

3. 3. The heat exchanger for cooling according to claim 1, wherein the bead portion is provided at a position on the metal plate where the cooling flow passage is formed.

4. The heat exchanger for cooling according to claim 3 , wherein the bead portion extends along an extending direction of the cooling flow passage.

5. 3. The heat exchanger for cooling according to claim 1, wherein a heat conductive layer capable of deforming in a thickness direction is provided on a surface of the metal plate opposite to the joint surface.

6. 3. The heat exchanger for cooling according to claim 1, wherein the bead portion includes a first bead portion and a second bead portion extending in different directions.

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