Battery device

Abstract

To provide a battery device which can prevent a foreign object contained in cooling air from reaching a battery module.SOLUTION: A battery device has: a first air intake passage A1 which is provided between a front plate 131 and a battery 122 so as to extend downward; a second air intake passage A2 which is provided between a bottom plate 160 and the battery 122 downstream the first air intake passage A1 so as to extend from the front plate 131 to a rear plate 132; and a third air intake passage A3 which is provided between the rear plate 132 and the battery 122 downstream the second air intake passage A2 so as to extend upward. Air introduced from an air intake port In is supplied from the rear plate 132 side to the battery 122 after bypassing the first air intake passage A1, the second air intake passage A2, and the third air intake passage A3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery device mounted on a work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] There are various types of work vehicles, such as aerial work vehicles, bridge inspection vehicles, hole digging and pole construction vehicles, and rail-mounted work vehicles. Such work vehicles are generally based on a truck body that has a driver's cabin at the front and can travel on roads, and are equipped with a work device in the mounting area at the rear of the truck body. For example, an aerial work vehicle is equipped with a boom that is freely rotatable, hoisted, and extendable on the truck body, and a work platform for a worker to ride on that is provided at the tip of the boom, and is configured so that the worker on the work platform can operate the boom by operating an operating device provided on the work platform, thereby moving the work platform to any desired high position.

[0003] As a drive system for a working implement, an engine-driven system has been conventionally known in which a working vehicle's engine for traveling is driven, and engine power extracted by a PTO mechanism (power take-off mechanism) attached to the transmission is used to drive a hydraulic pump, and hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump is supplied to the working implement to drive the working implement. Meanwhile, in recent years, from the standpoint of exhaust gas and noise issues and energy saving, etc., a battery-driven system (electrically driven system) has been proposed in which a working battery device is provided on the vehicle body, and when working using the working implement, instead of stopping the engine for traveling, the hydraulic pump is driven by the power of the battery device to drive the working implement (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] A battery device generally comprises a housing formed in a hollow box shape and a battery (battery module) mounted in the housing. The housing has an intake port for taking in air (outside air) for cooling the battery from the outside, and an exhaust port for discharging the air to the outside after cooling the battery. By driving a fan (blower) mounted in the housing, an air flow from the intake port to the exhaust port is generated in the housing, and this air flow is supplied to the battery, which is a heat generating body, to cool the battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-221194 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Since such an air-cooled battery device is installed exposed on the vehicle body, the air (outside air) taken into the housing from the air intake may contain foreign matter such as rainwater and dust depending on the weather during work, the surrounding environment of the work site, etc. However, if the cooling air supplied to the battery contains a large amount of foreign matter, this can cause failure of the battery (especially the electrodes).

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a battery device that can prevent foreign matter contained in the cooling air from reaching the battery module. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the battery device according to the present invention includes a hollow box-shaped housing having an air intake port for introducing air from the outside, a battery module accommodated in the housing, and the battery module is provided with an intake passage provided within the housing through which air introduced from the intake port flows, and a fan that supplies the air introduced from the intake port to the battery module through the intake passage, the housing has a first wall portion in which the intake port is provided, a second wall portion provided opposite the first wall portion and between which the battery module is disposed, and a bottom wall portion facing a lower surface of the battery module, the intake passage comprising a first intake passage provided between the first wall portion and the battery module and extending downward, and a second wall portion provided between the bottom wall portion and the battery module on the downstream side of the first intake passage and extending from the first wall portion to the second wall portion. the housing has a first partition portion (e.g., intake duct 141 in the embodiment) that separates the battery module from the first intake passage, and a third intake passage provided downstream of the second intake passage between the second wall portion and the battery module and extending upward, and the housing has a first partition portion (e.g., intake duct 141 in the embodiment) that separates the battery module from the first intake passage, and a second partition portion (e.g., base frame portion 151 in the embodiment) that separates the battery module from the second intake passage, and is configured so that air introduced from the intake port is supplied to the battery module from the second wall portion side by bypassing the first intake passage, the second intake passage, and the third intake passage.

[0009] In addition, in the battery device of the present invention, it is preferable that the second intake passage is provided with a separating rib (e.g., upper rib 158 and lower rib 161 in the embodiment) that protrudes into the second intake passage and comes into contact with the air flowing through the second intake passage.

[0010] Furthermore, in the battery device of the present invention, it is preferable that the second partition portion has a first separation rib (e.g., upper rib 158 in the embodiment) protruding into the second intake passage, the bottom wall portion has a second separation rib (e.g., lower rib 161 in the embodiment) protruding into the second intake passage, and the first separation rib and the second separation rib are arranged offset in the extension direction of the second intake passage.

[0011] In addition, in the battery device of the present invention, it is preferable that the second partition portion includes a support portion (e.g., frame plate 152 in the embodiment) that supports the underside of the battery module, and a reinforcing member (e.g., reinforcing rib 157 in the embodiment) that is provided between the support portion and the bottom wall portion to support and reinforce the support portion from below, and that the first separation rib is formed on the reinforcing member. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the battery device of the present invention, the air introduced from the intake port is not directly supplied to the battery module, but is bypassed through the first intake passage, the second intake passage, and the third intake passage, and is supplied to the battery module from the opposite side (second wall side) of the intake port, thereby making it possible to complicate the path of the air flow from the intake port to the battery module, and thus it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as rainwater and dust contained in the air from reaching the battery module, and it is possible to prevent the failure, deterioration, and deterioration of the regeneration efficiency of the battery module. In addition, when the air flowing inside the housing changes direction from the first intake passage to the second intake passage and from the second intake passage to the third intake passage, foreign matter contained in the air flow collides with the inner wall portion (corner portion) of the intake passage, and it is possible to effectively remove the foreign matter from the air flow. In addition, since the air introduced from the intake port is bypassed through the first to third intake passages before being supplied to the battery module, the mixing of the air inside the housing is promoted, and it is possible to efficiently cool the battery module, which is a heat generating body.

[0013] In addition, in the battery device of the present invention, a separation rib protruding into the second intake passage 2 is provided, so that the separation rib acts as a barrier against foreign matter in the air flowing through the second intake passage, making it possible to effectively separate foreign matter in the air flowing through the second intake passage.

[0014] In addition, in the battery device of the present invention, the first separation rib and the second separation rib are positioned in the second intake passage so as to be offset along the extension direction of the second intake passage, so that the air flow path in the second intake passage becomes labyrinth-shaped (serpentine), thereby further promoting separation of air and foreign matter.

[0015] In addition, in the battery device of the present invention, a first separation rib is formed on a reinforcing member for reinforcing the support strength of the first partition, thereby making it possible to reduce the number of parts of the battery device and to make effective use of the limited space within the housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing the left side of an aerial work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the right side of the aerial work platform vehicle. [Diagram 3] 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration relating to operation control of the aerial work vehicle. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of a battery device mounted on the vehicle for working at high altitude. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view of the battery device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the battery device. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view of the battery device with the front and bottom plates removed. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a front view of the battery compartment with the front panel removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the battery device as viewed from the side. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is a plan view taken along the arrow XX in FIG. 5. [Figure 11] FIG. 6 is a perspective view taken along the arrows XI-XI in FIG. 5. [Figure 12] 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow of air in an intake passage in the battery device. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 show a vehicle 1 for working at height equipped with a battery device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the overall configuration of the vehicle 1 for working at height will be described first with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows the left side of the vehicle 1 for working at height as viewed from the front, and Figure 2 shows the right side of the vehicle 1 for working at height as viewed from the front.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle for working at height 1 has a driver's cabin 7 at the front of the vehicle body 2, and is based on a truck vehicle that can run on a pair of left and right tires and wheels 5 arranged at the front and rear of the vehicle body 2. The tires and wheels 5 are composed of front wheels 5F consisting of a left front wheel 5Fl and a right front wheel 5Fr, and rear wheels 5R consisting of a left rear wheel 5Rl and a right rear wheel 5Rr. The vehicle body 2 is composed of a vehicle body frame consisting of a chassis frame on which the left front wheel 5Fl, right front wheel 5Fr, left rear wheel 5Rl, and right rear wheel 5Rr are arranged, and a subframe attached to the chassis frame.

[0019] Jack devices 10 are provided on the front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle body 2 to lift and support the vehicle body 2 during high-altitude work. The jack devices 10 are configured to have a pair of left and right front jacks 10F arranged behind the front wheels 5F and a pair of left and right rear jacks 10R arranged behind the rear wheels 5R. In detail, the left front jack 10Fl is arranged behind the left front wheel 5Fl, the right front jack 10Fr is arranged behind the right front wheel 5Fr, the left rear jack 10Rl is arranged behind the left rear wheel 5Rl, and the right rear jack 10Rr is arranged behind the right rear wheel 5Rr. Each of the jacks 10F, 10R lifts and supports the vehicle body 2 by driving a jack cylinder 11 provided inside it to extend downward, thereby stabilizing the entire vehicle.

[0020] In addition, left front jack 10Fl, right front jack 10Fr, left rear jack 1 The right rear jack 10Rr and the right rear jack 10Rr are each provided with an outrigger device (not shown). An outrigger cylinder 12 (see FIG. 3) is provided inside each outrigger device, and by extending and contracting the outrigger cylinder 12, the corresponding jack device 10 is moved horizontally in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 (from the front to the back of the paper in FIG. 1 / from the back to the front of the paper). Specifically, by extending the outrigger cylinder 12, the jack device 10 is moved in a direction in which it protrudes outward from the side of the vehicle body 2. In addition, by contracting the extended outrigger cylinder 12, the jack device 10 protruding outward from the side of the vehicle body 2 is moved in a direction in which it is stored in the vehicle body 2. A lower operating device 27 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle body 2 for operating each jack device 10, the outrigger devices, and a boom 30, which will be described later, and the like.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a loading space LS1 is provided below the subframe on the left side of the vehicle body 2 between the left rear wheel 5Rl and the left rear jack 10Rl, and three battery devices (portable battery devices) 80 that can be individually attached and detached from the vehicle body 2 are installed in this loading space LS1. In front of the battery devices 80, two jack bases 13 (which are laid on the road surface to receive the tip of the jack device 10) and two wheel stops 14 (which are installed in front of and behind the tire wheel 5 to prevent the vehicle from running away) are accommodated in this loading space LS1. In addition, two tool boxes 26 for storing work tools, work equipment, etc. are provided on the left side of the vehicle body 2, stacked one on top of the other. Behind the left front jack 10Fl and below the lower tool box 26, a power unit 51 is attached that accommodates a hydraulic pump 52 (see FIG. 3) and a pump drive motor 53 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 2, a loading space LS2 is provided on the right side of the vehicle body 2 and below the subframe between the right rear wheel 5Rr and the right rear jack 10Rr, and a battery device (fixed battery device) 100 fixed to the vehicle body 2 by a fixing device Fx is installed in this loading space LS2. Two jack bases 13 and two wheel stops 14 are accommodated in front of the battery device 100 within this loading space LS2. In addition, a normal charging connector 15 for connecting to an on-board normal charger mounted on the vehicle or an external normal charger (for example, a single-phase AC power source of 100V to 200V) and a quick charging connector 16 for connecting to an external quick charger (for example, a three-phase AC power source of 200V) are provided between the battery device 100 and the right rear jack 10Rr.

[0023] A muffler 17 is provided in front of the right rear wheel 5Rr, through which exhaust gas from the engine of the vehicle for high-altitude work 1 is discharged. A loading platform space is provided above the subframe of the vehicle body 2, from behind the right front jack 10Fr to the position of the right rear wheel 5Rr, where construction tools such as safety cones and cone bars used at the work site can be loaded, and a side gate 18 is attached to the side of this loading platform space so that it can be opened and closed freely.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a swivel base 20 is provided on a subframe in a mounting area behind the driver's cab 7 of the vehicle body 2. The swivel base 20 is driven by a swivel motor 24 and configured to be horizontally swivelable around a vertical axis. A base end of a boom 30 is attached to a support 21 extending upward from the swivel base 20 via a foot pin 22 so as to be vertically swingable (raised and lowered). The boom 30 is configured by nesting a base boom 30a, an intermediate boom 30b, and a tip boom 30c in this order from the swivel base 20 side, and the boom 30 can be extended and lowered in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) by the extension and lowering drive of a telescopic cylinder 31 provided inside the boom 30. A hoisting cylinder 23 is provided between the base boom 30a and the support 21, and the entire boom 30 can be hoisted in the vertical plane (vertical plane) by driving the hoisting cylinder 23 to extend and lower.

[0025] A vertical post (not shown) is pivotally supported at the tip of the tip boom 30c so as to be swingable up and down. The boom 30 is swing-controlled (leveling-controlled) so as to be always kept in a vertical position regardless of whether the boom 30 is raised or lowered by a ring cylinder (not shown) and a lower leveling cylinder 25 provided between the base end boom 30a and the support 21. A work platform 40 for an operator to sit on is attached to this vertical post via a work platform bracket (not shown). A swivel motor 34 (see FIG. 3) is provided inside this work platform bracket, and by driving this swivel motor 34, the entire work platform 40 can be swung (horizontally rotated) around the vertical post. Here, the vertical post is always kept in a vertical position as described above, and as a result, the floor surface of the work platform 40 is always kept horizontal regardless of the angle at which the boom 30 is raised or lowered.

[0026] The work platform 40 is provided with an upper operation device 45 equipped with various operation means such as operation levers, operation switches, operation dials, etc., which are operated by a worker on the work platform 40. Therefore, by operating the upper operation device 45, a worker on the work platform 40 can perform various operations such as the rotation operation of the swivel platform 20 (rotational drive of the swivel motor 24), the raising and lowering operation of the boom 30 (extension and retraction drive of the hoisting cylinder 23), the extension and retraction operation of the boom 30 (extension and retraction drive of the telescopic cylinder 31), and the swing operation of the work platform 40 (rotational drive of the swing motor 34).

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the operating mechanism of the jack device 10 and the aerial work device (the swivel table 20, the boom 30, the work platform 40, etc.) provided on the vehicle body 2 is configured with a hydraulic unit 50 that receives operation signals from the upper operation device 45 and the lower operation device 27 and supplies hydraulic oil to operate the jack cylinder 11, the outrigger cylinder 12, the swivel motor 24, the hoisting cylinder 23, the telescopic cylinder 31, the swivel motor 34, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "hydraulic actuators"), and a controller 60 that receives operation signals from the upper operation device 45 and the lower operation device 27 and controls the operation of each hydraulic actuator.

[0028] The hydraulic unit 50 is configured to include a hydraulic pump 52 and a pump drive motor 53 housed in a power unit 51 shown in FIG. 1, and a control valve 54 that controls the supply direction and amount of hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump 52 to each hydraulic actuator.

[0029] The pump drive motor 53 is rotationally driven by power supplied from the power supply device 90, which operates the hydraulic pump 52 to discharge hydraulic oil to the control valve 54. More specifically, when a body power switch (not shown) provided on the vehicle (for example, the lower operation device 27) is turned from off to on when starting work, the body power supply is turned on by the controller 60, allowing power to be supplied from the power supply device 90 to the pump drive motor 53. The pump drive motor 53 is then rotationally driven by the power supplied from the power supply device 90, which causes hydraulic oil to be discharged from the hydraulic pump 52 to the control valve 54.

[0030] The control valve 54 includes an electromagnetic proportional control valve V1 corresponding to the jack cylinder 11, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V2 corresponding to the outrigger cylinder 12, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V3 corresponding to the swing motor 24, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V4 corresponding to the elevation / retraction cylinder 23, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V5 corresponding to the telescopic cylinder 31, and an electromagnetic proportional control valve V6 corresponding to the swing motor 34.

[0031] When an operation signal output by operating the upper operating device 45 or the lower operating device 27 is input to the controller 60, the controller 60 outputs a command signal corresponding to the operation signal to the control valve 54. Based on the command signal from the controller 60, this control valve 54 electromagnetically drives the spools of each of the electromagnetic proportional control valves V1 to V6 to control the supply direction and supply amount of hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump 52 to each hydraulic actuator, thereby controlling the operating direction and operating speed of each hydraulic actuator. As a result, the upper operating device 45 or the lower operating device 27 controls the extension and retraction operations of the jack device and the outrigger device, the rotation of the swivel table 2, and the like. 0, raising and lowering the boom 30, extending and retracting the boom 30, and swinging the work platform 40.

[0032] The power supply device 90 is electrically connected to the battery device (portable battery device) 80 and the battery device (stationary battery device) 100, and supplies power supplied from the battery devices 80, 100 to the electrically-driven devices provided in the vehicle body 2. The power supply device 90 is also connected to the normal charging connector 15 and the quick charging connector 16, and supplies power supplied from the normal charging connector 15 and the quick charging connector 16 to the battery device 80, the battery device 100, and the vehicle battery (not shown), thereby charging the battery device 80, the battery device 100, and the vehicle battery. The power supply device 90 also outputs a DC voltage to the DC-AC inverter 63, and the DC-AC inverter 63 converts the DC voltage supplied from the power supply device 90 to AC 100V and outputs it from the service outlet 19 provided in the vehicle body 2.

[0033] Next, the structure of the battery device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 12. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the directions of the illustrated front-rear, left-right, and up-down arrows will be referred to as the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions with reference to the attitude of the battery device 100 shown in Fig. 4. However, these directions do not specify the installation direction of the battery device 100. Note that in Figs. 9 to 12, hatching indicating cross sections has been omitted to make the drawings easier to see.

[0034] The battery device 100 is mainly composed of a control module 110, a battery assembly 120 including a plurality of battery modules (simply referred to as “batteries”) 122, and a housing 130 that houses the control module 110 and the battery assembly 120.

[0035] The control module 110 is a control device that controls charging and discharging of the battery 122, and includes a CMU (cell monitoring unit), a BMU (battery management unit), a fuse, a bus bar, a contactor, etc. Note that the control module 110 is not shown in FIG.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, the battery assembly 120 includes a battery assembly body 121 and a pair of end plates 125 provided on both ends of the battery assembly body 121.

[0037] The battery assembly body 121 includes a plurality of batteries 122 (six in this embodiment) arranged in parallel in a vertically placed state in the left-right direction, and a plurality of spacers 123 (seven in this embodiment) arranged on the left and right of each battery 122, and is configured in a stacked state in which the batteries 122 and the spacers 123 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction. That is, as shown in Fig. 10, the battery assembly body 121 is configured in such a way that the batteries 122 and the spacers 123 are arranged alternately in the order of spacer 123 → battery 122 → spacer 123 → ... → spacer 123 → battery 122 → spacer 123.

[0038] The batteries 122 are electrically connected in series to each other using a bus bar (not shown). Each battery 122 is configured by housing a large number of battery cells (single cells) inside a housing member having a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. Each battery 122 is, for example, a lithium ion battery, but may be another storage battery such as a nickel metal hydride battery or a nickel cadmium battery instead.

[0039] The spacer 123 is a flat plate having a predetermined thickness and formed in an approximately U-shape, and is interposed between adjacent batteries 122 or between the battery 122 and the end plate 125. As a result, a gap (hereinafter referred to as a "cooling gap") B having the thickness of the spacer 123 is formed between adjacent batteries 122 or between the battery 122 and the end plate 125. The cooling gaps B are gaps (voids) for allowing air (cooling air) to flow between adjacent batteries 122 or between the batteries 122 and the end plates 125 to cool each battery 122.

[0040] The end plates 125 are formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape and are disposed on both the left and right ends of the battery assembly body 121. A plurality of bolt insertion holes (not shown) for inserting a plurality of connecting bolts (not shown) are formed penetrating the batteries 122, the spacers 123, and the end plates 125 in the left and right direction, and the connecting bolts are inserted while the battery assembly body 121 is sandwiched between the pair of end plates 125 from both the left and right sides, and nuts (not shown) are screwed onto the inserted connecting bolts, whereby the batteries 122, the spacers 123, and the end plates 125 are fixed in a stacked state in the left and right direction. In this way, the battery assembly 120 is formed.

[0041] An exhaust duct 142 is provided in the center of the left-right direction on the front side of the battery assembly 120, through which air flows after cooling the battery 122. The exhaust duct 142 is formed in a hollow rectangular tube shape extending in the vertical direction, and is attached to the upper surface of a support frame part 154 described later via a bolt N4 (see FIG. 10). A first exhaust passage C1 is formed inside the exhaust duct 142 and extends in the vertical direction. A fan 140 is attached to the upper end of the exhaust duct 142 as an air blower. In this embodiment, the fan 140 is disposed in front of the central battery 122 that generates the most heat among the multiple batteries 122. In addition, since the terminal part of the battery 122 is most likely to generate heat, the fan 140 is disposed on the upper end side of the battery 120 (in front of the terminal part).

[0042] The fan 140 is composed of a centrifugal fan such as a blower fan. The fan 140 generates an air flow (air current) by rotating an impeller (not shown) housed in the fan case 140a. The impeller rotates by the driving force of a fan motor (not shown) mounted in the fan case 140a. The fan motor is energized and driven by power from the battery 122. The fan case 140a has a circular intake port 140b (see FIG. 8) for taking in air into the fan case 140a, which opens toward the rear (battery assy 120), and an exhaust port 140c (see FIGS. 7 and 8) for exhausting the air taken in from the intake port 140b is provided in a direction (downward) substantially perpendicular to the intake port 140b. The intake port 140b faces the front side of the battery assy 120 in the front-rear direction, and sucks in the air that has passed through the cooling gap B. The discharge port 140c is connected to the upper end of the exhaust duct 142, and communicates with a first exhaust passage C1 formed within the exhaust duct 142 in the vertical direction.

[0043] 6, the housing 130 includes front, rear, left and right side plates 131-134 arranged around the battery assy 120, a bakelite plate 137 that holds the control module 110, a top plate 139 attached to the upper ends of the front, rear, left and right side plates 131-134 with a plurality of bolts N1 (see FIG. 4, etc.), and a main frame 150 that holds the battery assy 120, and is formed into a rectangular box shape as a whole. The internal space of the housing 130 is partitioned by the bakelite plate 137 into an electronics chamber 101 that houses the control module 110 and a battery chamber 102 that houses the battery assy 120.

[0044] Each of the side plates 131 to 134 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape and is attached to the main frame 150 with a bolt N2. The front side plate 131 and the rear side plate 132 face each other in the front-rear direction, and the left side plate 133 and the right side plate 134 face each other in the left-right direction. Specifically, the front side plate 131 is attached to the front side of the main frame 150, the rear side plate 132 is attached to the rear side of the main frame 150, the left side plate 133 is attached to the left side of the main frame 150, and the right side plate 134 is attached to the right side of the main frame 150. An intake port In consisting of a set of many small holes for taking in outside air into the housing 130 (battery chamber 102) is provided in the center on the right side of the front plate 131. An intake duct 141 through which the air taken in from the intake port In flows is provided on the rear side of the intake port In. The intake duct 141 is formed in a hollow rectangular tube extending in the vertical direction, and is attached to the front plate 131 with a bolt N3. Inside the intake duct 141, a first intake passage A1 communicating with the intake port In is formed extending in the vertical direction. In addition, an exhaust port Ex consisting of a set of many small holes for discharging air in the housing 130 (battery chamber 102) to the outside is provided in the lower left side of the front plate 131. Note that in FIG. 7, the intake port In and the exhaust port Ex are shown in isolation for the sake of convenience.

[0045] 6, the main frame 150 is configured to include a base frame portion 151, a bottom plate 160 attached to the underside of the base frame portion 151 to form the bottom of the main frame 150, a pair of end plates 163 attached to the left and right ends of the base frame portion 151, a rear frame portion 165 erected on the rear end side of the base frame portion 151, and a front frame portion 168 erected on the front end side of the base frame portion 151. The battery assembly 120 is attached to the upper surface side of the base frame portion 151 in a state where it is sandwiched between the rear frame portion 165 and the front frame portion 168.

[0046] The base frame portion 151 includes a frame plate 152 on which the battery assembly 120 is mounted and fixed, and a support frame portion 154 provided on the front end side of the frame plate 152. Between the base frame portion 151 and the bottom plate 160, a second intake passage A2 is formed extending in the front-rear direction.

[0047] The frame plate 152 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape, and is configured as a base for holding the battery assembly 120 in an upright position. A rear intake communication port 153 (see FIGS. 10 and 12) that penetrates in the vertical direction is formed on the rear end side of the frame plate 152, immediately behind the rear frame portion 165.

[0048] The support frame portion 154 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular box shape extending in the left-right direction. The lower end of the intake duct 141 and the lower end of the exhaust duct 142 are respectively connected to the support frame portion 154. As shown in FIG. 10, the upper surface portion of the support frame portion 154 is formed with a front intake communication port 155 formed at a connecting portion with the lower end of the intake duct 141 and penetrating in the vertical direction, and an exhaust communication port 156 formed at a connecting portion with the lower end of the exhaust duct 142 and penetrating in the vertical direction. In addition, a reinforcing bracket 157 (see FIG. 7, etc.) for reinforcing the supporting strength of the main frame 150 against the weight of the battery assembly 120 is attached between the lower surface of the support frame portion 154 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 160. The reinforcing bracket 157 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular frame shape and is attached across the left and right end plates 163. The reinforcing bracket 157 is formed with an upper rib 158 for separating foreign matter from the air flowing inside the housing 130 (second intake passage A2).

[0049] The bottom plate 160 faces the base frame portion 151 in the up-down direction, and forms a second intake passage A2 and a second exhaust passage C2 between the base frame portion 151 and the second intake passage A2. The second intake passage A2 is composed of an intermediate intake passage A21 formed between the support frame portion 154 and the bottom plate 160, and a lower intake passage A22 formed between the frame plate 152 and the bottom plate 160, and the intermediate intake passage A21 and the lower intake passage A22 are formed as an integrated air passage connected in the front-rear direction. The intermediate intake passage A21 communicates with the intake duct 141 (first intake passage A1) via the front intake communication port 155. The width (width in the left-right direction) of the lower intake passage A22 is formed to be longer than the width (width in the left-right direction) of the intermediate intake passage A21. The second exhaust passage C2 is formed between the support frame portion 154 and the bottom plate 160, and is disposed on the right side of the intermediate intake passage A21. The second intake passage A2 and the second exhaust passage C2 are supported by a reinforcing bracket. The space is partitioned by a plurality of partition plate portions 159 (see Figs. 7 and 11) formed in the bottom plate 157. In addition, a lower rib 161 for separating foreign matter from the air flowing inside the housing 130 (second intake passage A2) is formed on the upper surface side of the bottom plate 160.

[0050] The rear frame portion 165 is formed in a rectangular frame shape having a plurality of rear openings 166 penetrating in the front-rear direction. A third intake passage A3 extending in the vertical direction is formed between the rear surface of the rear frame portion 165 and the inner surface of the rear plate 132. The third intake passage A3 communicates with the second intake passage A2 (the lower intake passage A22) via the rear intake communication port 153 of the frame plate 152. The third intake passage A3 also communicates with a plurality of cooling gaps B of the battery assembly 120 via the rear openings 166 of the rear frame portion 165.

[0051] The front frame portion 168 is formed in a rectangular frame shape having a plurality of front openings 169 penetrating therethrough in the front-rear direction. The above-mentioned fan 140 is disposed on the upper portion of the front side of the front frame portion 168. The intake port 140b of this fan 140 communicates with a plurality of cooling gaps B via the front openings 169 of the front frame portion 168. Note that the cooling gaps B do not communicate with the intake duct 141, and the air that has passed through the front openings 169 (air after cooling the battery 122) is prevented from flowing back into the intake duct 141 (first intake passage A1).

[0052] Next, the air passages (intake and exhaust passages) formed inside the battery device 100 will be described in detail. The air passages include an intake passage A (see FIG. 7) through which air supplied to the battery 122 flows, and an exhaust passage C (see FIG. 7) through which air after cooling the battery 122 flows. In this embodiment, the air passage from the intake port In to the battery 122 (cooling gap B) constitutes the intake passage A, and the air passage from the battery 122 (cooling gap B) to the exhaust port Ex constitutes the exhaust passage C. The intake passage A and the exhaust passage C are connected via a plurality of cooling gaps B formed in the battery assembly 120.

[0053] The intake passage A is composed of a first intake passage A1, a second intake passage A2, and a third intake passage A3, and air introduced through the intake port In flows through the first intake passage A1, the second intake passage A2, and the third intake passage A3 in that order.

[0054] As described above, the first intake passage A1 is formed to extend in the vertical direction inside the intake duct 141. The first intake passage A1 is separated from the battery assembly 120 by the outer wall of the intake duct 141, and is thus insulated (heat-shielded) from heat generated in each battery 122. The downstream end of this first intake passage A1 communicates with the upstream end of the second intake passage A2 via the front intake communication port 155 of the frame plate 152.

[0055] As described above, the second intake passage A2 is formed between the base frame portion 151 and the bottom plate 160, extending in the front-rear direction. The second intake passage A2 is partitioned from the battery assembly 120 by the base frame portion 151, and is thus insulated (heat-shielded) from heat generated by each battery 122. As described above, the second intake passage A2 has the middle intake passage A21 formed between the support frame portion 154 and the bottom plate 160, and the lower intake passage A22 formed between the frame plate 152 and the bottom plate 160. The middle intake passage A21 and the lower intake passage A22 are formed as an integrated air passage that is continuous in the front-rear direction. The lower intake passage A22 is provided with upper and lower ribs 158, 161 for separating and removing foreign matter such as rainwater and dust contained in the air flowing through the lower intake passage A22 by contacting (colliding) the foreign matter. The upper rib 158 and the lower rib 161 are disposed at positions offset in the front-rear direction along the lower intake passage A22. As a result, the lower intake passage A22 is formed as a continuous air passage that meanders vertically. The downstream end of the second intake passage A2 (lower intake passage A22) is connected to the rear intake port 153 of the frame plate 152 via the first intake port 153. 3 communicates with the upstream end of the intake passage A3.

[0056] As described above, the third intake passage A3 is formed to extend in the vertical direction between the rear surface of the rear frame portion 165 and the inner surface of the rear wall 132. The third intake passage A3 communicates with the multiple cooling gaps B formed in the battery assembly 120 through the rear opening 166 of the rear frame portion 165. The air supplied from the third intake passage A3 to the multiple cooling gaps B cools each battery 122 and is then sucked into the intake port 140b of the fan 140.

[0057] The exhaust passage C is configured to have a first exhaust passage C1 and a second exhaust passage C2, and the air discharged from the fan 140 flows through the first exhaust passage C1 and then the second exhaust passage C2. In this embodiment, the fan 140 is provided midway through the exhaust passage C.

[0058] As described above, the first exhaust passage C1 is formed to extend in the vertical direction within the exhaust duct 142. The upstream end of the first exhaust passage C1 communicates with the discharge port 140c of the fan 140, and air discharged from the fan 140 (air after cooling the battery 122) is introduced into the first exhaust passage C1. The downstream end of the first exhaust passage C1 communicates with the upstream end of the second exhaust passage C2 via the exhaust communication port 156 of the support frame portion 154.

[0059] The second exhaust passage C2 is formed to extend in the left-right direction within the support frame portion 154. A downstream end of the second exhaust passage C2 communicates with the exhaust port Ex of the front side plate 131, so that air flowing through the second exhaust passage C2 is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust port Ex.

[0060] Next, a description will be given of the flow of air within the housing 130 as an operation of the battery device 100 of this embodiment. In Figures 7, 9, and 12, the flow of air is indicated by arrows as appropriate.

[0061] First, when the fan 140 of the battery device 100 is driven, outside air is introduced into the housing 130 (battery chamber 102) from the intake port In of the front side panel 131. The fan 140 generates an airflow in the battery chamber 102 that flows from the intake port In to the exhaust port Ex.

[0062] The air introduced into the housing 130 from this intake port In first flows downward along the first intake passage A1, and then flows into the second intake passage A2 via the front intake communication port 155. At this time, when the air flowing through the first intake passage A1 changes direction at a substantially right angle from the first intake passage A1 to the second intake passage A2, it comes into contact with the inner wall portions (corner portions) of these passages A1 and A2, whereby foreign matter contained in the air, such as rainwater and dust, is separated.

[0063] The air that has flowed into the second intake passage A2 flows rearward along the second intake passage A2. At this time, the air flowing through the second intake passage A2 comes into contact with the upper ribs 158 and the lower ribs 161 that protrude into the lower intake passage A22, and foreign matter contained in the air is separated. In addition, since the upper ribs 158 and the lower ribs 161 are alternately present in the front-rear direction in the lower intake passage A22, the path of the air flowing through the lower intake passage A22 becomes labyrinth-shaped (serpentine), which promotes separation of the air from the foreign matter.

[0064] The air flowing through the second intake passage A2 flows into the third intake passage A3 through the rear intake communication port 153 of the frame plate 152. At this time, when the air flowing through the second intake passage A2 changes direction at a substantially right angle from the second intake passage A2 to the third intake passage A3, it comes into contact with the inner wall portions (corner portions) of these passages A2 and A3, and foreign matter contained in the air is separated.

[0065] In addition, the air introduced into the battery chamber 102 from the intake port In is directly The air is not supplied directly to the battery assy 120 from the wall 131 (it is not supplied via the shortest distance to the battery assy 120) but instead detours around the lower part of the battery assy 120, bypassing the first intake passage A1, the second intake passage A2, and the third intake passage A3, and is supplied to the battery assy 120 from the rear wall 132, which promotes separation of the air from foreign matter during the process of flowing through this detour. The foreign matter separated from the air in each of the intake passages A1 to A3 falls onto the bottom plate 160 and is retained there.

[0066] The air flowing through the third intake passage A3 passes through the rear opening 166 of the rear frame portion 165 and is supplied toward the batteries 122. At this time, the air supplied from the third intake passage A3 to each battery 122 flows along the cooling gap B formed between the adjacent batteries 122 and the cooling gap B formed between the battery 122 and the end plate 125. The air flowing through each cooling gap B absorbs heat from the battery 122 while passing through the cooling gap B, thereby cooling the battery 122. By supplying the air (cooling air) from the intake passage A to the battery 122 in this way, a rise in the temperature of the battery 122 is suppressed (the temperature of the battery 122 is prevented from deviating from the appropriate temperature range). This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the performance of the battery 122 and a shortening of the service life of the battery 122. In addition, foreign matter is separated from the air (cooling air) introduced from the intake port In as it flows through each of the intake passages A1 to A3, so that foreign matter contained in the air (cooling air) is prevented from reaching the battery 122, thereby preventing breakdown, deterioration, and a decrease in regenerative efficiency of the battery 122.

[0067] After passing through the cooling gap B to cool the battery 122, the air is sucked into the inside of the fan case 140a through the suction port 140b of the fan 140, and then discharged from the discharge port 140c of the fan 140 toward the first exhaust passage C1.

[0068] The air discharged into the first exhaust passage C1 flows downward along the first exhaust passage C1 and then flows into the second exhaust passage C2 through the exhaust communication port 156. The air that flows into the second exhaust passage C2 flows to the right along the second exhaust passage C2 and then is discharged to the outside of the housing 130 through the exhaust port Ex.

[0069] As described above, according to the battery device 100 of the present embodiment, the air introduced from the front intake port In is not directly supplied to the battery 122, but is bypassed through the first intake passage A1, the second intake passage A2, and the third intake passage A3, and is supplied to the battery 122 from the opposite side (rear side) of the intake port In, thereby making it possible to complicate the path of the air flow from the intake port In to the battery 122, and thus making it possible to prevent foreign matter such as rainwater and dust contained in the air from reaching the battery 122, and to prevent breakdown, deterioration, and deterioration of regeneration efficiency of the battery 122. In addition, when the air flowing inside the housing 130 changes direction from the first intake passage A1 to the second intake passage A2 and from the second intake passage A2 to the third intake passage A3, foreign matter contained in the air flow collides with the inner wall parts (corner parts) of the intake passages A1 to A3, and thus it becomes possible to effectively remove the foreign matter from the air flow. In addition, since the air introduced from the intake port In is made to bypass the intake passages A1 to A3 before being supplied to the battery 122, the mixing of the air inside the housing 130 is promoted, and the battery 122, which is a heat generating body, can be efficiently cooled.

[0070] In addition, in the battery device 100 of this embodiment, upper and lower ribs 158, 161 are provided which protrude into the second intake passage A2, and the ribs 158, 161 act as a barrier against foreign matter in the air flowing through the second intake passage A2, making it possible to effectively separate foreign matter in the air flowing through the second intake passage A2.

[0071] In the battery device 100 of this embodiment, the upper rib 1 is disposed in the second intake passage A2. By positioning the lower rib 161 and the lower rib 58 offset in the front-to-rear direction along the second intake passage A2, the air flow path within the second intake passage A2 becomes labyrinth-shaped (serpentine), which further promotes separation of the air and foreign matter.

[0072] In addition, in the battery device 100 of this embodiment, an upper rib 158 is formed on the reinforcing bracket 157 for reinforcing the support strength of the main frame 150, thereby making it possible to reduce the number of parts of the battery device 100 and to make effective use of the limited space within the housing 130.

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the fan 140 is disposed in the middle of the exhaust passage, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the fan 140 may be disposed in the middle of the intake passage, or may be directly attached to the intake port In or the exhaust port Ex. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, only one fan 140 is provided in the housing 130, but multiple fans 140 may be provided in the housing 130.

[0075] In addition, in the above embodiment, the intake port In and the exhaust port Ex are provided on the same surface (front wall 131) of the housing 130, but this configuration is not limited to this, and the intake port In and the exhaust port Ex may be provided on different surfaces (for example, the front wall 131, the left side wall 133).

[0076] In addition, in the above embodiment, the battery device (fixed battery device) 100 is provided on the right side of the vehicle body 2, but this configuration is not limited to this, and the battery device 100 may be provided on the left side of the vehicle body, or even the battery device 100 may be provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body.

[0077] In the above embodiment, a truck-mounted vehicle for high altitude work has been described as an example of a work vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other work vehicles such as a rail-mounted work vehicle, a bridge inspection vehicle, a crane vehicle, etc. In the above embodiment, an electrically-driven (battery-driven) vehicle for high altitude work has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a hybrid vehicle for high altitude work that uses both an engine and an electric motor to drive a hydraulic pump may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1. Aerial work platform 2. Body 20 Swivel table 30 Boom 40 Workbench 60 Controller 100 Battery device 102 Battery Room 120 Battery Assy 122 Battery (battery module) 130 Case 131 Front plate (first wall) 132 Rear side plate (second wall) 133 Left side plate 134 Right side plate 140 Fans 141 Intake duct (first partition) 142 Exhaust Duct 150 Mainframe 151 Base frame (second partition) 152 Frame plate (support part) 157 Reinforcement bracket (reinforcement member) 158 Upper rib (first separation rib) 160 Bottom plate (bottom wall) 161 Lower rib (second separation rib) A1 First intake passage A2 Second intake passage A3 3rd intake passage B Cooling gap C1 First exhaust passage C2 Second exhaust passage In Intake Ex exhaust port

Claims

1. a hollow box-shaped housing having an air intake port for introducing air from the outside; A battery module accommodated in the housing; an intake passage provided in the housing through which air introduced from the intake port flows; a fan that supplies air introduced from the intake port through the intake passage to the battery module, the housing has a first wall portion in which the air intake is provided, a second wall portion provided opposite the first wall portion and between which the battery module is disposed, and a bottom wall portion opposite a lower surface of the battery module, the intake passage includes a first intake passage provided between the first wall portion and the battery module and extending downward, a second intake passage provided between the bottom wall portion and the battery module downstream of the first intake passage and extending from the first wall portion side toward the second wall portion side, and a third intake passage provided between the second wall portion and the battery module downstream of the second intake passage and extending upward, the housing has a first partition portion that separates the battery module from the first intake passage and a second partition portion that separates the battery module from the second intake passage, A battery device characterized in that the air introduced from the intake port is configured to bypass the first intake passage, the second intake passage, and the third intake passage and be supplied to the battery module from the second wall side.

2. 2. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the second intake passage is provided with a separating rib that protrudes into the second intake passage and comes into contact with air flowing through the second intake passage.

3. the second partition portion has a first separating rib protruding into the second intake passage, the bottom wall portion has a second separation rib protruding into the second intake passage, 3. The battery device according to claim 2, wherein the first separation rib and the second separation rib are disposed offset from each other in a direction in which the second intake passage extends.

4. the second partition portion includes a support portion that supports a lower surface of the battery module, and a reinforcing member that is provided between the support portion and the bottom wall portion and that supports and reinforces the support portion from below, 4. The battery device according to claim 3, wherein the first separation rib is formed on the reinforcing member.

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