Heat exchanger and heat exchange system

Abstract

To provide a heat exchanger in which joining of a heat exchanger body and a connector is satisfactory.SOLUTION: A heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger body and a connector. The heat exchanger body includes a first surface constitution body constituting a first outer surface of the heat exchanger body, and a second surface constitution body constituting a second outer surface of the heat exchanger body facing an opposite side to the first outer surface, and is configured to form a flow passage of a heat exchange medium between the first outer surface and the second outer surface. The first surface constitution body has a first through hole. The second surface constitution body has a second through hole. The connector is arranged so as to go through the first through hole and the second through hole and penetrate the heat exchanger body. The connector is joined with the first surface constitution body in the vicinity of the first through hole. The connector is joined with the second surface constitution body in the vicinity of the second through hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to heat exchangers and heat exchange systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a cooling plate for cooling a battery of an electric vehicle is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this cooling plate, first and second metal parts are arranged opposite each other, and a refrigerant is filled in a cavity between the first and second metal parts. The cooling plate is provided with a connector for supplying the refrigerant to the cavity and removing the refrigerant from the cavity.

[0003] The connector extends from the opening of the first metal portion below the cavity so as to contact the inner surface of the second metal portion. The connector is welded to both the opening of the first metal portion and the inner surface of the second metal portion. The weld between the connector and the second metal portion is a butt weld. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-510534 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned cooling plate, the connector that contacts the inner surface of the second metal part must be welded to the second metal part by applying heat from the outside of the second metal part. However, when welding the connector, the worker cannot directly see the contact part between the connector and the inner surface of the second metal part from the outside of the second metal part.

[0006] Due to the lack of visibility, it may be difficult to perform good welding when manufacturing the above-mentioned cooling plate. Furthermore, there is room for improvement in terms of the joint strength of the butt welding between the connector and the inner surface of the metal part.

[0007] Therefore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is desirable to provide a heat exchanger in which the heat exchanger body and the connector are well joined, and a heat exchange system using this heat exchanger. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a heat exchanger for exchanging heat with an on-board battery for driving a vehicle. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger body and a connector. The heat exchanger body is configured to form a flow path for a heat exchange medium therein. The connector is configured as a cylindrical connector that is joined to the heat exchanger body.

[0009] The heat exchanger body includes a first surface structure constituting a first outer surface of the heat exchanger body, and a second surface structure constituting a second outer surface of the heat exchanger body facing opposite to the first outer surface, and is configured to form a flow path between the first outer surface and the second outer surface.

[0010] The first surface construct includes a first through hole, the second surface construct includes a second through hole, and the connector is disposed to penetrate the heat exchanger body through the first through hole and the second through hole.

[0011] The connector has an open end located outside the heat exchanger body relative to the first through hole, and a closed end located outside the heat exchanger body relative to the second through hole.

[0012] The connector includes a first joint portion joined to the first surface construct around the first through hole, a second joint portion joined to the second surface construct around the second through hole, and a communication hole between the first joint portion and the second joint portion that communicates the inside of the connector with the flow path.

[0013] According to this heat exchanger, the connector is disposed to penetrate the heat exchanger body and is joined to the heat exchanger body around the through hole, and the boundary between the through hole and the heat exchanger body is observable from the outside of the heat exchanger body.

[0014] Therefore, according to the configuration of the heat exchanger, the connector can be appropriately joined with good workability from both the first outer surface and the second outer surface of the heat exchanger body. Therefore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a heat exchanger in which the heat exchanger body and the connector are well joined.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the heat exchanger body and the connector may be made of metal. The first joint and the second joint may be joints formed by fillet welding. Fillet welding can increase the joint strength of the joints more than butt welding. Thus, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a heat exchanger having good joint strength between the heat exchanger body and the connector.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a heat exchange system may be provided that includes a heat exchanger and a case for supporting the heat exchanger. The case may include a recess configured to receive and position an end of a connector protruding from the second through hole to the outside of the heat exchanger body. The heat exchanger may be disposed in the case such that the second surface structure faces the case. The heat exchanger may be disposed in the case such that the end of the connector is received in the recess.

[0017] By using the protruding end of the connector for positioning, the heat exchanger body can be easily positioned relative to the case. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a plan view of the heat exchange system, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IB-IB of the heat exchange system. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2A is a plan view of the case, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the case taken along line IIB-IIB. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchange system taken along line III-III. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a heat exchange system in which an on-board battery is placed on a heat exchanger and a tube is connected to a connector. [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the arrangement of flow channels and connectors. [Figure 6] FIG. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view along the height direction of a heat exchanger of a first modified example, FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the height direction of a heat exchanger of a second modified example, and FIG. 6C is a schematic cross-sectional view along the height direction of a heat exchanger of a third modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view along the axial direction (ie, height direction) of a connector of a fourth modified example, and FIG. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the axial direction of a connector of a fifth modified example. [Figure 8] Figure 8A is a schematic cross-sectional view along the axial direction of a connector of a sixth modified example, Figure 8B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the axial direction of a connector of a seventh modified example, and Figure 8C is a schematic cross-sectional view along the axial direction of a connector of an eighth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. The heat exchange system 1 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle. The heat exchange system 1 is configured to control the temperature of a vehicle component by exchanging heat with the vehicle component. An example of the vehicle component includes a battery mounted on the vehicle.

[0020] For example, the heat exchange system 1 is mounted on an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle equipped with an electric motor as a power source. The heat exchange system 1 operates to cool an on-board battery 10 (see FIG. 4) that is used to drive the electric motor as a battery for driving the vehicle.

[0021] In the following, the configuration of the heat exchange system 1 will be described using as an example a heat exchange system for controlling the temperature of the in-vehicle battery 10 within an appropriate range by heat exchange with the in-vehicle battery 10.

[0022] 1A and 1B show the configuration of a heat exchange system 1 before an on-board battery 10 is installed. The heat exchange system 1 of this embodiment includes a heat exchanger 20 and a case 50. The case 50 is used to house the on-board battery 10 and the heat exchanger 20.

[0023] The case 50 is formed with a plurality of housing chambers 60 for respectively housing a plurality of heat exchangers 20. In Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, a heat exchanger 20 is housed in each of the three housing chambers 60. Fig. 1B shows a schematic cross section of the heat exchanger 20. Please refer to Fig. 3 for a detailed cross section of the heat exchanger 20.

[0024] 2A and 2B show the configuration of the case 50 before the heat exchanger 20 is placed in the accommodation chamber 60. However, in Fig. 2A, the posture of the heat exchanger 20 when it is correctly placed in the accommodation chamber 60 is shown by a dashed line in the leftmost accommodation chamber 60 of the three accommodation chambers 60. In Fig. 2A, an example of the posture of the heat exchanger 20 before it is correctly placed in the accommodation chamber 60 is shown by a dashed line in the rightmost accommodation chamber 60.

[0025] The case 50 includes a rectangular plate 51, and a frame 53 and a partition member 55 on the plate 51. The case 50 may be configured such that the plate 51, the frame 53, and the partition member 55 are integrally molded. Alternatively, the case 50 may be assembled using a plurality of parts corresponding to the plate 51, the frame 53, and the partition member 55.

[0026] The case 50 may be made of metal. The plate 51 constitutes the bottom surface of the case 50. The bottom surface functions to support the heat exchanger 20 from below. The frame 53 is provided along the outer edge of the plate 51 so as to surround the central portion of the plate 51 from all four sides. In other words, the frame 53 is provided along the four sides of the plate 51.

[0027] The partition material 55 is provided on the plate 51 so as to divide the central portion of the plate 51 surrounded by the frame 53 into a plurality of sections, specifically, into three sections. The partition material 55 is formed, for example, from the same type of material as the frame 53. The partition material 55 can be a material of the same size as the frame 53 in the height direction, which is the normal direction of the plate 51.

[0028] A plurality of storage chambers 60 are formed on the plate 51 by the frame 53 and the partition members 55. Each storage chamber 60 corresponds to the shape of a heat exchanger 20. A recess 65 for disposing the heat exchanger 20 in a predetermined position within the storage chamber 60, i.e., a positioning recess 65, is provided in a portion of the plate 51 corresponding to the bottom of the storage chamber 60. A screw hole 69 for fixing the heat exchanger 20 to the case 50 with a bolt is further provided in a portion of the plate 51 corresponding to the bottom of the storage chamber 60.

[0029] 1A, the heat exchanger 20 has fastening holes 30B for fastening the heat exchanger 20 to the case 50 with bolts. The bolts are inserted into the fastening holes 30B and further screwed into the screw holes 69, whereby the heat exchanger 20 is fixed to the case 50.

[0030] Fig. 3 shows a detailed configuration of the heat exchanger 20 disposed in the housing chamber 60 of the case 50. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of the heat exchanger 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the heat exchanger 20 includes a heat exchanger body 30 and a cylindrical connector 40.

[0031] The heat exchanger body 30 is configured to form a flow path FP for the heat exchange medium inside. The heat exchange medium is specifically a refrigerant for cooling the vehicle-mounted battery 10. The refrigerant may be liquid or gas. The refrigerant may be, for example, an antifreeze liquid.

[0032] The heat exchanger body 30 includes an upper surface constructor 31 as a first surface constructor and a lower surface constructor 35 as a second surface constructor. The upper surface constructor 31 and the lower surface constructor 35 are made of metal. That is, the heat exchanger body 30 is made of a metal material. Examples of the metal material include aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, copper, and copper alloy.

[0033] The upper surface constituent 31 is a component of the heat exchanger body 30 that constitutes the upper surface 31A as a first outer surface of the heat exchanger body 30. The lower surface constituent 35 is a component of the heat exchanger body 30 that constitutes the lower surface 35A as a second outer surface facing the opposite side to the first outer surface of the heat exchanger body 30. The flow path FP is formed between the upper surface 31A and the lower surface 35A.

[0034] The heat exchanger 20 is disposed in the accommodation chamber 60 so that the lower surface constituent body 35 faces the case 50. The lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30 is disposed at the bottom of the accommodation chamber 60 in the case 50 and is supported by the case 50. The lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30 may be disposed so as to be in contact with the bottom of the accommodation chamber 60, or may be disposed via a thermal insulating material. For example, a thermal insulating material such as a mica sheet or a silica sheet may be disposed between the heat exchanger body 30 and the accommodation chamber 60.

[0035] The vehicle-mounted battery 10 is placed on the upper surface 31A of the heat exchanger body 30. That is, the upper surface 31A of the heat exchanger body 30 functions as a heat exchange surface with the vehicle-mounted battery 10, and exchanges heat with the vehicle-mounted battery 10. The vehicle-mounted battery 10 may be arranged so as to be in contact with the upper surface 31A of the heat exchanger body 30, or may be arranged via a thermal conductor. A thermally conductive layer made of a silicone pad, silicone grease, or the like may be arranged between the heat exchanger body 30 and the vehicle-mounted battery 10.

[0036] Specifically, the upper surface constituent 31 and the lower surface constituent 35 are formed of plate members whose portions corresponding to the flow path FP of the heat exchange medium are curved convexly toward the outer surface side. The heat exchanger body 30 is formed by overlapping the upper surface constituent 31 and the lower surface constituent 35, and joining the contact surfaces of the upper surface constituent 31 and the lower surface constituent 35, which include at least the outer edges of the upper surface constituent 31 and the lower surface constituent 35. The joining may be by welding. Only the outer edges of the upper surface constituent 31 and the lower surface constituent 35 may be joined. The contact surfaces of the upper surface constituent 31 and the lower surface constituent 35 other than the outer edges may not be joined.

[0037] In the heat exchanger body 30, the convexly curved portions of the upper surface constituent 31 and the lower surface constituent 35 form a space inside the heat exchanger body 30. This space functions as a flow path FP for the heat exchange medium.

[0038] The top surface constituent 31 further includes, as a first through hole, an upper through hole 31H for arranging the connector 40 so as to penetrate the heat exchanger body 30. The bottom surface constituent 35 further includes, as a second through hole, a lower through hole 35H for arranging the connector 40 so as to penetrate the heat exchanger body 30. The upper through hole 31H and the lower through hole 35H are provided in the heat exchanger body 30 so as to be aligned in a row in the height direction.

[0039] The heat exchanger 20 is provided with two connectors 40 as the connectors 40. One of the two connectors 40 functions as a supply connector for supplying the heat exchange medium to the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 30. The other of the two connectors 40 functions as a discharge connector for discharging the heat exchange medium from the flow path FP in the heat exchanger body 30.

[0040] For this reason, two through holes are provided as the upper through holes 31H in the upper surface constituent 31. Similarly, two through holes are provided as the lower through holes 35H in the lower surface constituent 35. As a result, the heat exchanger body 30 is provided with two through portions that penetrate in the height direction from the upper surface 31A to the lower surface 35A.

[0041] One of the two connectors 40 is disposed to penetrate each of the through-holes. That is, each of the connectors 40 is provided to penetrate the heat exchanger body 30 through the corresponding upper through-hole 31H and lower through-hole 35H.

[0042] Each of the connectors 40 is a hollow tubular body, specifically a cylindrical body, having an open end 41 and a closed end 42. The connectors 40 are also made of metal, similar to the heat exchanger body 30. The connectors 40 may be made of the same metal material as the heat exchanger body 30 or a different metal material.

[0043] The connector 40 is inserted into the heat exchanger body 30 so that the closed end 42 is located below the lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30. That is, the closed end 42 of the connector 40 is located below the lower through-hole 35H of the heat exchanger body 30 and outside the heat exchanger body 30. The lower end of the connector 40 including the closed end 42 protrudes from the heat exchanger body 30 to the lower side of the heat exchanger body 30.

[0044] As described above, the lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30 is disposed at the bottom of the accommodation chamber 60 in the case 50 and is supported by the case 50. The open end 41 of the connector 40 is located above the heat exchanger body 30 and outside the heat exchanger body 30 rather than above the upper through-hole 31H.

[0045] A communication hole 47 is provided in the side wall of the connector 40. When the connector 40 is provided so as to penetrate the heat exchanger body 30, the communication hole 47 is disposed between the upper surface constituent 31 and the lower surface constituent 35 so as to allow the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 30 and the inside of the connector 40 to communicate with each other.

[0046] When the connector 40 is a supply connector, the communication hole 47 is capable of supplying the heat exchange medium from inside the connector 40 to the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 30, and when the connector 40 is an exhaust connector, the communication hole 47 is capable of exhausting the heat exchange medium from the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 30 to the inside of the connector 40.

[0047] A portion of the outer circumferential surface of the connector 40 adjacent to the upper through-hole 31H is joined to the upper surface constituent 31 of the heat exchanger body 30 by welding. Similarly, a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the connector 40 adjacent to the lower through-hole 35H is joined to the lower surface constituent 35 of the heat exchanger body 30 by welding. The welding is performed in the entire circumferential direction around the axis of the connector 40.

[0048] As a result, the heat exchanger body 30 is joined to the connector 40 around the upper through-hole 31H and the lower through-hole 35H so that the heat exchange medium does not leak out to the outside of the heat exchanger body 30. In other words, the heat exchanger body 30 is joined to the connector 40 tightly.

[0049] Thus, the connector 40 includes a first joint portion 44 along the outer periphery that is joined to the upper surface construct 31 around the upper through-hole 31H. The connector 40 includes a second joint portion 45 along the outer periphery that is joined to the lower surface construct 35 around the lower through-hole 35H.

[0050] The communication hole 47 is disposed between the first and second joints 44, 45 so that the inside of the connector 40 communicates with the flow path FP inside the heat exchanger body 30. When the heat exchanger 20 is in use, the heat exchange medium is supplied to the inside of the heat exchanger body 30 through the communication hole 47 and the connector 40 and is further discharged to the outside of the heat exchanger body 30.

[0051] Specifically, the first and second joints 44, 45 are formed by fillet welding from the outside of the heat exchanger body 30 and the connector 40 after the connector 40 is inserted into the heat exchanger body 30. The first and second joints 44, 45 are joints formed by fillet welding.

[0052] Thus, in the heat exchanger 20 of this embodiment, the connector 40 is positioned so that the blocked end 42 faces downward relative to the heat exchanger body 30 and so as to penetrate the heat exchanger body 30, and is joined to the heat exchanger body 30 by fillet welding.

[0053] A tube 70 for transporting a heat exchange medium is connected to the open end 41 of the connector 40. Fig. 4 illustrates the heat exchanger 20 connected to the tube 70. Fig. 4 further illustrates that an on-board battery 10 including a plurality of cells 15 is placed against the upper surface 31A of the heat exchanger body 30.

[0054] The heat exchange medium is supplied to the connector 40 functioning as a supply connector through the tube 70. The heat exchange medium flows into the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 30 through the inside of the connector 40 and the communication hole 47. The heat exchange medium flowing through the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 30 flows through the communication hole 47 of the connector 40 functioning as a discharge connector to the inside of the connector 40 functioning as a discharge connector, passes through the inside of the connector 40, and is discharged from the open end 41 of the connector 40 to the tube 70.

[0055] As described above, the lower end of the connector 40 protrudes downward from the lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the lower end of the connector 40 functions as a positioning protrusion that engages with the recess 65 of the case 50.

[0056] The shape of the recess 65 provided in the case 50 is the same as the circumferential shape of the connector 40. That is, the recess 65 has a circular cross section perpendicular to the axial direction to match the cylindrical connector 40. The recess 65 has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the connector 40, and is configured to be able to accommodate and position the connector 40. That is, the recess 65 is configured to be able to engage with the lower end of the connector 40 and position the lower end of the connector 40 so that the heat exchanger body 30 and the connector 40 move only slightly or not at all in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the connector 40.

[0057] The lower end of the connector 40, which engages with the recess 65, protrudes from the lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30 by a length shorter than the depth of the recess 65. As a result, the lower end of the connector 40 is accommodated in the recess 65 so that the lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30 is stably disposed on the bottom of the accommodation chamber 60.

[0058] As described above, the heat exchanger 20 is provided with two connectors 40. Each of the two connectors 40 engages with a corresponding recess 65 of the case 50. By positioning the heat exchanger 20 relative to the accommodation chamber 60 through these two points, the heat exchanger 20 is accommodated in the accommodation chamber 60 in the correct posture.

[0059] When not positioned, as shown by the dashed line in the right-end storage chamber 60 in Figure 2A, the fastening hole 30B of the heat exchanger 20 is not connected to the screw hole 69 of the case 50. However, when the lower end of the connector 40 engages with the recess 65, the fastening hole 30B of the heat exchanger 20 becomes connected to the screw hole 69 of the case 50.

[0060] Therefore, by simply fitting the lower end of the connector 40 into the recess 65, the worker can place the heat exchanger 20 in the correct position so that the fastening holes 30B thereof coincide with the screw holes 69 of the case 50.

[0061] 5A shows, as an example, a flow path FP for the heat exchange medium formed inside the heat exchanger body 30, with a thick arrow indicating the flow direction. However, the configuration of the flow path FP and the arrangement of the connector 40 in the heat exchanger body 30 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 5A.

[0062] That is, the configuration of the flow path FP in the heat exchanger body 30 is arbitrary. The connector 40 can be arranged to match the flow path FP formed in the heat exchanger body 30. Fig. 5B shows another example of the configuration of the flow path FP and the arrangement of the connector 40.

[0063] According to the heat exchanger 20 of the present embodiment described above, the connector 40 is disposed so as to penetrate the heat exchanger body 30 and is joined to the heat exchanger body 30 around the through holes 31H and 35H. The boundaries between the through holes 31H and 35H and the heat exchanger body 30 can be observed from the outside of the heat exchanger body 30.

[0064] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the connector 40 and the heat exchanger body 30 can be joined by welding with good workability. That is, compared to a conventional heat exchanger in which the heat exchanger body and the connector are butt-welded in a state in which the contact portion between the heat exchanger body and the connector cannot be seen from the outside, the connector 40 and the heat exchanger body 30 can be joined by welding appropriately with good workability.

[0065] According to this embodiment, in particular, the connector 40 penetrating the upper surface 31A and the lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30 is joined to the heat exchanger body 30. More specifically, the connector 40 and the heat exchanger body 30 are joined by fillet welding. Therefore, it is possible to improve the joining strength more than butt welding. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a heat exchanger 20 having good joining strength between the heat exchanger body 30 and the connector 40. More specifically, since the joints 44, 45 are on both the upper surface 31A and the lower surface 35A of the heat exchanger body 30, stress is dispersed and damage to the heat exchanger 20 can be suppressed.

[0066] In addition, in this embodiment, by taking advantage of the fact that the lower end of the connector 40 protrudes from the heat exchanger body 30, a recess 65 that engages with the lower end of the connector 40 is provided in the bottom of the storage chamber 60 in the case 50.

[0067] The recess 65 functions as a positioning portion that accommodates the heat exchanger 20 in the accommodation chamber 60 in a predetermined orientation by engaging with the lower end of the connector 40. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the heat exchanger 20 can be appropriately arranged in the accommodation chamber 60 of the case 50 in the correct posture, and further, the workability of the arrangement can be improved.

[0068] [Other embodiments] The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various aspects can be adopted. The modified examples described below are modified examples of the above-mentioned heat exchange system 1. Configurations not mentioned in the description of the modified examples may be understood to be the same as those of the heat exchange system 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0069] (1) First Variation FIG. 6A partially shows the configuration of a heat exchanger 120 of a first modified example in which a connector 140 is inserted into a heat exchanger body 130 in which an upper through-hole 131H and a lower through-hole 135H are formed by burring.

[0070] In this heat exchanger 120, the upper surface constituent 131, which is a component of the heat exchanger body 130, has a burring shape curved outward around the upper through-hole 131H. The lower surface constituent 135, which is also a component of the heat exchanger body 130, has a burring shape curved outward around the lower through-hole 135H.

[0071] The connector 140 is disposed so as to penetrate the heat exchanger body 130 through the upper through-hole 131H and the lower through-hole 135H. The gaps between the upper through-hole 131H and the lower through-hole 135H and the outer peripheral surface of the connector 140 are blocked by the joining of the heat exchanger body 130 and the connector 140.

[0072] That is, the connector 140 includes a first joint portion 144 that joins the connector 140 and the upper surface constituent 131 around the upper through-hole 131H. Similarly, the connector 140 includes a second joint portion 145 that joins the connector 140 and the lower surface constituent 135 around the lower through-hole 135H.

[0073] The connector 140 has an open end 141 and a closed end 142, similar to the connector 40 described above, and is joined to the heat exchanger body 130 with the closed end 142 facing downward. The joining can be achieved by fillet welding, similar to the embodiment described above. However, the joining may be a metallurgical joining such as welding, a chemical joining using an adhesive, or a mechanical joining such as crimping.

[0074] The fact that the joining is not limited to welding can also be said for the above-mentioned heat exchanger 20. The connector 140 further includes a communication hole 147 that communicates the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 130 and the inside of the connector 140.

[0075] (2) Second variant FIG. 6B shows the configuration of a heat exchanger 220 of a second modified example in which gaps between the upper through-hole 231H and the lower through-hole 235H and the outer periphery of the connector 240 are blocked with a patch 250 which is a separate member.

[0076] In this heat exchanger 220, the upper through-hole 231H and the lower through-hole 235H are formed with large diameters in order to improve the workability of inserting the connector 240 into the heat exchanger body 230. A relatively large gap resulting from this between the upper through-hole 231H and the lower through-hole 235H and the outer periphery of the connector 240 is closed by a patch 250.

[0077] The patch 250 may be, for example, a metal piece. The patch 250 may be a resin piece. The patch 250 may be a ring-shaped part having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the connector 240. The patch 250 is inserted into the connector 240 and disposed at a position where it contacts the upper surface constituent 231 and the lower surface constituent 235 of the heat exchanger body 230, and may be joined to the outer peripheral surface of the connector 240 and the upper and lower surfaces of the heat exchanger body 230 by welding or the like.

[0078] As a result, the patch 250 located on the upper side functions as a first joint that joins the connector 240 and the upper surface constituent 231 around the upper through hole 231H, and the patch 250 located on the lower side functions as a second joint that joins the connector 240 and the lower surface constituent 235 around the lower through hole 235H. In addition, joints 244 and 245 that join the patch 250 to the heat exchanger body 230 and the connector 240 may be provided separately. That is, a joint 244 that joins the connector 240 to the patch 250 located on the upper side, and the patch 250 located on the upper side and the upper surface constituent 231 may be provided. Similarly, a joint 245 that joins the connector 240 to the patch 250 located on the lower side, and the patch 250 located on the lower side and the lower surface constituent 235 may be provided.

[0079] Similar to the above-described heat exchanger 20, the connector 240 has a communication hole 247 that communicates the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 230 with the inside of the connector 240. Similar to the above-described connector 40, the connector 240 has an open end 241 and a closed end 242, and is joined to the heat exchanger body 230 with the closed end 242 facing downward.

[0080] (3) Third modified example FIG. 6C shows the configuration of a heat exchanger 320 according to a third modified example in which gaps between the upper through-hole 331H and the lower through-hole 335H and the outer periphery of the connector 340 are blocked by expanding the connector 340.

[0081] That is, in this modified example, the gaps that occur between the upper through hole 331H and the lower through hole 335H and the outer periphery of the connector 340 are blocked by processing the connector 340 so as to expand its diameter after the connector 340 is inserted into the heat exchanger body 330 through the upper through hole 331H and the lower through hole 335H.

[0082] The connector 340 includes a first joint portion 344 that is joined to the upper surface construct 331 around the upper through-hole 331H. The connector 340 includes a second joint portion 345 that is joined to the lower surface construct 335 around the lower through-hole 335H.

[0083] The connector 340 and the upper surface constituent body 331 and the lower surface constituent body 335 constituting the heat exchanger body 330 can be joined in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. The first and second joint portions 344, 345 can be formed by, for example, fillet welding from the outside of the heat exchanger body 330.

[0084] The connector 340 has a communication hole 347 that communicates between the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 330 and the inside of the connector 340. The connector 340 has an open end 341 and a closed end 342, and is joined to the heat exchanger body 330 with the closed end 342 facing downward.

[0085] (4) Fourth modified example The communication holes 47, 147, 247, 347 provided in the connectors 40, 140, 240, 340 described above may take any shape.

[0086] 7A shows a connector 440 provided with one or two large-diameter communication holes 447. The connector 440 of this modification is used in place of the connectors 40, 140, 240, 340. According to this modification, the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 30, 130, 230, 330 communicates with the inside of the connector 440 through the large-diameter communication hole 447.

[0087] (5) Fifth Variation 7B shows the configuration of a connector 540 having a plurality of slit-like communication holes 547. Connector 540 of this modification is used in place of connectors 40, 140, 240, and 340.

[0088] Each of the multiple communication holes 547 provided in the connector 540 is a long communication hole in the axial direction of the connector 540. With such multiple communication holes 547, it is possible to realize a good flow of the heat exchange medium between the flow path FP of the heat exchanger body 30, 130, 230, 330 and the connector 540.

[0089] (6) Sixth Modification The closed ends 42, 142, 242, 342 of the connectors 40, 140, 240, 340 described above may be formed in any manner.

[0090] 8A shows the configuration of a connector 640 including a closed end 642 formed using a cap 660. Connector 640 of this modification includes a cylindrical connector body 650 and a cap 660 that closes an open lower end 651 of connector body 650. Connector body 650 includes a communication hole 647 that communicates with flow path FP.

[0091] The cap 660 has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the connector body 650, and is attached to the connector body 650 so as to be fitted inside the connector body 650. The boundary between the connector body 650 and the cap 660 can be closed by, for example, welding or using an adhesive.

[0092] (7) Seventh Modification 8B shows the configuration of connector 740 including closed end 742 formed using cap 760. Connector 740 of this modification includes cylindrical connector body 750 and cap 760 that closes the lower end of connector body 750. Connector body 750 includes communication hole 747 that communicates with flow path FP.

[0093] Cap 760 is a concave member having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of connector body 750, and is attached to open lower end 751 of connector body 750 so as to cover lower end 751. Cap 760 closes open lower end 751 of connector body 750 by being attached to connector body 750 in this manner. The boundary between connector body 750 and cap 760 can be closed by, for example, welding or using an adhesive.

[0094] (8) Eighth Modification 8C shows the configuration of a connector 840 having a closed end 842 formed using a drawn part. Connector 840 of this modification includes a cylindrical connector main body 850 and a closing part 860 formed by drawing. Connector main body 850 includes a communication hole 847 that communicates with flow path FP.

[0095] The closing part 860 is a concave part having the same outer diameter as the connector body 850. The closing part 860 is formed into a concave shape by drawing. The open lower end 851 of the connector body 850 is closed by the closing part 860.

[0096] The closure part 860 is joined to the connector body 850 by welding or adhesive. By joining the closure part 860 to the connector body 850, the connector 840 of this modified example is manufactured to have a closed end 842.

[0097] (9)Other The above describes the heat exchange system 1 that cools the vehicle-mounted battery 10, but the heat exchange system 1 can be configured as a system that controls the temperature of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 within an appropriate range by heating and cooling the vehicle-mounted battery 10. That is, the heat exchange medium is not limited to a refrigerant. In addition, one or both of the heat exchanger body 30 and the connector 40 of the heat exchanger 20 do not have to be made of metal and may be made of resin. This also applies to the first to eighth modified examples.

[0098] The function of one component in the above embodiments may be distributed among multiple components. The functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. Part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be omitted. At least part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be added to or substituted for the configuration of another of the above embodiments. All aspects included in the technical idea identified from the wording of the claims are embodiments of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1...Heat exchange system, 20,120,220,320...Heat exchanger, 30,130,230,330...Heat exchanger body, 31,131,231,331...Top surface structure, 31A...Top surface, 31H,131H,231H,331H...Top Part through hole, 35,135,235,335...Bottom surface structure, 35A...Bottom surface, 35H,135H,235H,335H...Bottom through hole, 40,140,240,340,440,540,640,740,840...Connector, 41 ,141,241,341...open end, 42,142,242,342,642,742,842...closed end, 44,144,244,344...first joint, 45,145,245,345...second joint, 47,147,247,347,447,547,647,747,847...communicating hole, 50...case, 60...accommodation chamber, 65...recess, 250...patch, 650,750,850...connector body, 660,760...cap, 860...blocking part.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger for exchanging heat with an on-board battery for driving a vehicle, a heat exchanger body forming a flow path for a heat exchange medium therein; a cylindrical connector joined to the heat exchanger body; Equipped with The heat exchanger body includes a first surface construct that constitutes a first outer surface of the heat exchanger body, and a second surface construct that constitutes a second outer surface of the heat exchanger body facing the opposite side to the first outer surface, and is configured to form the flow path between the first outer surface and the second outer surface; The first surface construct has a first through hole, The second surface construct has a second through hole, The connector comprises: A heat exchanger body is disposed so as to penetrate through the first through hole and the second through hole, an opening end located outside the heat exchanger body from the first through hole; a closed end located outside the heat exchanger body from the second through hole; a first joint portion joined to the first surface construct around the first through hole; a second joint portion joined to the second surface construct around the second through hole; a communication hole between the first joint portion and the second joint portion, which communicates an inside of the connector with the flow path; A heat exchanger comprising:

2. 2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, the heat exchanger body and the connector are made of metal, The first joint and the second joint are joints formed by fillet welding.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, A case for supporting the heat exchanger is provided, the case includes a recess configured to receive and position an end of the connector protruding from the second through hole to the outside of the heat exchanger body; A heat exchange system in which the heat exchanger is disposed in the case so that the second surface construct faces the case and the end of the connector is received in the recess.

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