Battery housing case

Abstract

To provide a battery housing case capable of reducing pressure loss of a cooling liquid supplied to and discharged from a cooling liquid passage while suppressing deterioration of rigidity of an outer frame.SOLUTION: The battery housing case includes a bottom wall member, an outer frame, and an adapter component. The bottom wall member has a module mounting part and incorporates a cooling liquid passage. The outer frame includes an upper upright portion and an inclined block portion. The inclined block part swells so that a separation distance from the upper erected part increases from an upper part to a lower part, and a lower surface contacts the bottom wall member. The inclined blocking portion has a through hole. An adapter component is connected to the through hole. A joint component is attached to the bottom wall member. One end of the joint component is connected to the cooling liquid passage, and a connection cylinder is formed at the other end. The connection tube protrudes obliquely upward from the bottom wall member inside the through hole. The adapter component is connected to the connection cylinder of the joint component in a fitted state inside the through hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery housing case that houses a battery module. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Known battery housing cases that house battery modules (modules in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked) use a coolant to cool the heat generated by the battery cells (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The battery housing case described in Patent Document 1 houses multiple battery cells in a sealed case body, and is configured so that a coolant flows inside the case body. The case body is provided with an inlet port for introducing the coolant from the outside and a discharge port for discharging the coolant to the outside after cooling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2013-525947 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The battery housing case described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the exterior of multiple battery cells is covered in a sealed state by a case main body, and a coolant flows around the stacked battery cells. Therefore, although this battery housing case provides good cooling performance for the battery cells, the volume of the case main body is large, and the overall weight also increases.

[0006] As a countermeasure to this problem, it is being considered to configure the case body of the battery storage case with a bottom wall member on which the battery module is placed and an outer frame connected to the edge of the bottom wall member, and to provide a coolant passage inside the bottom wall member.

[0007] In this case, a coolant passage is formed inside the bottom wall member so that the coolant flows substantially horizontally. This coolant passage needs to be connected to an external coolant circulation circuit, but the supply and discharge passage connecting the coolant passage to the circulation circuit must be routed over the outer frame. In this case, the supply and discharge passage connected to the coolant passage inside the bottom wall member is bent in a crank shape, but a crank-shaped bent pipe increases the pressure loss of the coolant flowing through the passage. Currently, one approach to this problem is to connect the supply and discharge passages at an angle to the coolant passages in the bottom wall member.

[0008] However, with this measure, if an attempt is made to install the supply and discharge passage at an angle while avoiding an increase in the size of the battery case, the supply and discharge passage will have to pass through the outer frame, which is likely to reduce the rigidity of the outer frame.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a battery housing case that can reduce the pressure loss of the coolant supplied to and discharged from the coolant passage while suppressing a decrease in the rigidity of the outer frame, which in turn contributes to energy efficiency by reducing power loss and making the entire battery housing case smaller and lighter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the battery housing case according to the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, a battery housing case according to one aspect of the present invention has a module mounting portion (e.g., module mounting portion 19 in the embodiments) on which a battery module (e.g., battery module 7 in the embodiments) is mounted, and also includes a bottom wall member (e.g., bottom wall member 13 in the embodiments) incorporating a coolant passage (e.g., coolant passage 14 in the embodiments), an outer frame (e.g., outer frame 32 in the embodiments) connected to an outer edge of the bottom wall member, and an adapter part (e.g., adapter part 40 in the embodiments) connected to the coolant passage to supply and discharge coolant to the coolant passage, and the outer frame has an upper upright portion (e.g., upper upright portion 20 in the embodiments) standing upright from an upper surface of the bottom wall member, and a swell portion (e.g., upper upright portion 20 in the embodiments) connected to a side surface of the upper upright portion and expanding so that the distance from the upper upright portion increases downward from the top. and an inclined block portion (e.g., inclined block portion 21 in the embodiment) whose lower surface contacts the bottom wall member, and the inclined block portion has a through hole (e.g., through hole 22 in the embodiment) that penetrates in the vertical direction and to which the adapter part is connected on the upper side, and a joint part (e.g., joint part 33 in the embodiment) having one end connected to the coolant passage and the other end formed with a connecting tube (e.g., connecting tube 33b in the embodiment) is attached to the area where the upper upright portion of the bottom wall member and the inclined block portion are placed, and the connecting tube protrudes obliquely upward from the bottom wall member toward the upper surface of the inclined block portion inside the through hole, and the adapter part is connected to the connecting tube of the joint part inside the through hole in a fitted state.

[0011] In this battery case, coolant is supplied to and discharged from the coolant passage in the bottom wall member via a joint part and an adapter part. The outer frame has through-holes through which the adapter part and the joint part are connected. These through-holes are primarily formed in the inclined block parts connected to the upper upright part of the outer frame. Therefore, the through-holes do not significantly reduce the rigidity of the outer frame. Furthermore, the inclined block parts are connected to the upper upright part of the outer frame, and their lower surfaces contact the upper surface of the outer edge of the bottom wall member. Therefore, the inclined block parts are supported with high rigidity by the upper upright part and the bottom wall member. Therefore, with this configuration, the rigidity of the outer frame can be maintained high even when through-holes are formed in the outer frame. In addition, in the battery housing case of this aspect, the connecting tube of the joint component protrudes diagonally upward inside the through-hole, so the coolant supplied to and discharged from the coolant passage in the bottom wall member flows through a passage (connecting tube) that is inclined at an obtuse angle. This reduces the pressure loss of the coolant compared to when the coolant is supplied to and discharged from the coolant passage through a passage that is bent at a substantially right angle. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the energy loss when the coolant flows through the coolant passage can be reduced. In this battery case, a joint component having a connecting tube is attached to the bottom wall member, and an adapter component is connected to the connecting tube of the joint component within the through hole in a fitted state. Therefore, when assembling the outer frame to the bottom wall member, the adapter component is attached to the through hole of the outer frame in advance, and the adapter component can be fitted into the connecting tube of the joint component on the bottom wall member in that state, thereby positioning the outer frame to the bottom wall member. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the outer frame can be easily assembled to the bottom wall member.

[0012] The outer frame includes a first frame (e.g., the first cross member 12f in the embodiment) having the upper upright portion and the inclined block portion and extending along the vertical direction and a first direction, and a pair of second frames (e.g., the main skeleton members 11 in the embodiment) extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction and the vertical direction, with both ends of the first frame in the extension direction being connected, and the end of the first frame in the extension direction may be connected so that the upper upright portion is located at a position more inward than the end of the second frame in the extension direction.

[0013] In this case, the first frame having the inclined block portion is connected to the upper upright portion at a position more inward than the end of the second frame in the extension direction. Therefore, when an impact load is applied from the side of the second frame, the load is reliably received by the first frame at a position more inward than the end of the second frame in the extension direction. Since the first frame is connected to the second frame at the upper upright portion, the inclined block portion is positioned away from the load transmission path of the upper upright portion. This makes it difficult for the impact load to be applied to the inclined block portion. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the impact load is less likely to be transmitted around the supply and discharge portion of the coolant passage.

[0014] It is desirable that the upper standing portion extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, and that the inclined block portion be connected to only a portion of the upper standing portion in the extending direction.

[0015] In this case, the inclined block portion that bulges out from the side of the upper standing portion is connected to only a part of the extension direction of the upper standing portion, so that it is possible to supply and discharge coolant to and from the coolant passage of the bottom wall member as desired while avoiding the outer frame becoming larger and heavier.

[0016] The upper upright portion and the inclined block portion may be formed as an integrally molded part.

[0017] In this case, the upper standing portion and the inclined block portion can be easily formed, and the overall rigidity and strength can be maintained at a higher level.

[0018] The joint parts include an inlet-side joint part (e.g., inlet-side joint part 33i in the embodiments) connected to the coolant inlet of the coolant passage, and a discharge-side joint part (e.g., discharge-side joint part 33o in the embodiments) connected to the coolant outlet of the coolant passage, and the inlet-side joint part and the discharge-side joint part are attached adjacent to each other on the bottom wall member, and the through holes into which the connecting tubes of the inlet-side joint part and the discharge-side joint part are inserted may be partitioned by a reinforcing rib (e.g., reinforcing rib 23 in the embodiments) extending vertically inside the outer frame, and the lower ends of the reinforcing ribs may be in contact with the bottom wall member.

[0019] In this case, the inside of the through-hole of the outer frame is reinforced while being partitioned by the reinforcing rib, so the rigidity of the area near the through-hole of the outer frame can be efficiently increased by the reinforcing rib. Furthermore, because the reinforcing rib extends vertically inside the outer frame and its lower end is in contact with the bottom wall member, heat from the battery module transferred to the bottom wall member can be efficiently dissipated to the outside through the reinforcing rib. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, it is possible to further increase the rigidity of the area near the through-hole of the outer frame and further improve the heat dissipation of the battery module. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss of the coolant supplied to and discharged from the coolant passage while suppressing a decrease in the rigidity of the outer frame. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a lower part of a vehicle body of an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery housing case according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery housing case according to the embodiment. [Figure 4]4 is an enlarged view of a portion IV of FIG. 3 of the battery housing case according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery housing case according to the embodiment taken along line VV in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a portion of the battery housing case of the embodiment with the bottom wall member removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. At appropriate locations in the drawings, an arrow FR pointing forward of the vehicle 1, an arrow UP pointing upward of the vehicle 1, and an arrow LH pointing to the left side of the vehicle 1 are shown.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the underbody structure of a vehicle 1. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the underbody of the vehicle 1 cut in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. A pair of side sills 3, which are frame members of the vehicle body and extend substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, are disposed at lower positions on both sides of the vehicle interior 2 in the vehicle width direction. Only one of the side sills 3 is shown in FIG. 1. Floor panels 4 are mounted on the left and right side sills 3. A battery housing case 10 is disposed below the floor panel 4 so as to fit substantially along the underside of the floor panel 4. The battery housing case 10 includes a case main body 25 on the upper side on which a plurality of battery modules 7 (battery cells 6) and control devices (not shown) are mounted, and a cover member 30 that covers the upper side of the case main body 25. The case body 25 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The left and right side edges of the case body 25 are fixed to the lower surfaces of the corresponding left and right side sills 3 by fastening members (not shown).

[0024] The side sill 3 is configured by sandwiching a stiffener 3C between a hat-shaped side sill inner 3A and a side sill outer 3B. The side sill inner 3A and the side sill outer 3B have upper and lower joining flanges 3Af, 3Bf. The upper and lower joining flanges 3Af, 3Bf of the side sill inner 3A and the side sill outer 3B are arranged opposite each other. The mutually opposing joining flanges 3Af, 3Bf are connected by welding or the like with the stiffener 3C sandwiched between them. The side sill inner panel 3A has an inner bulge portion 3Ac with a U-shaped cross section that bulges inward in the vehicle width direction from the base of the upper and lower joining flanges 3Af, 3Bf. The left and right side edges of the case body 25 are connected to the underside of the inner bulge portion 3Ac of the side sill inner panel 3A.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the battery housing case 10, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the battery housing case 10. Note that the cover member 30 is omitted in Figs. The case body 25 of the battery housing case 10 includes a pair of main skeleton members 11 that extend substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The pair of main skeleton members 11 are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. The pair of main skeleton members 11 are connected by a first cross member 12f, a second cross member 12s, and a third cross member 12t that extend along the vehicle width direction. Both ends of the first cross member 12f in the extension direction are connected to the vicinity of the front ends of the left and right main skeleton members 11, and both ends of the second cross member 12s in the extension direction are connected to the vicinity of the rear ends of the left and right main skeleton members 11. Furthermore, both ends of the third cross member 12t in the extension direction are connected to approximately the center of the left and right main skeleton members 11 in the longitudinal direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, the vehicle width direction is the first direction intersecting the vertical direction, and the vehicle body longitudinal direction is the second direction intersecting the first direction and the vertical direction. The pair of main skeleton members 11 extend along the second direction (vehicle body longitudinal direction) and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction (vehicle width direction). The first, second, and third cross members 12f, 12s, and 12t extend along the first direction (vehicle width direction) and are connected at both ends in the extension direction to each main skeleton member 11. The first cross member 12f constitutes a first frame extending along the first direction, and the main skeleton member 11 constitutes a second frame extending along the second direction. In this embodiment, the pair of main skeleton members 11, the first cross member 12f, and the second cross member 12s constitute an outer frame 32.

[0027] The case body 25 further includes a bottom wall member 13 that covers the lower space between the pair of main frame members 11. The bottom wall member 13 is rectangular in plan view, and the pair of main frame members 11 and the lower ends of the first, second, and third cross members 12f, 12s, and 12t are coupled to its upper surface. A plurality (four) of battery modules 7 are mounted on the upper surface of the bottom wall member 13. Two battery modules 7 are mounted side by side in the vehicle width direction on the front upper surface of the bottom wall member 13, sandwiching the third cross member 12t therebetween, and the remaining two battery modules 7 are similarly mounted side by side in the vehicle width direction on the rear upper surface of the bottom wall member 13, sandwiching the third cross member 12t therebetween. The battery modules 7 (plurality of battery cells 6) housed in the case body 25 are surrounded on the outside by the pair of main frame members 11 and the first, second, and third cross members 12f, 12s, and 12t. Each battery module 7 housed in the case body 25 is disposed at a distance from the adjacent main skeleton members 11 so as to be out of contact with the adjacent main skeleton members 11. In other words, a space is provided between the left and right main skeleton members 11 and the adjacent battery modules 7. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the central region of the bottom wall member 13 serves as a module mounting portion 19 on which the battery modules 7 are mounted.

[0028] The bottom wall member 13 includes a base wall 8b facing the battery module 7 housing portion and a flow path forming wall 8f (see FIG. 5) joined to the lower surface of the base wall 8b. The flow path forming wall 8f forms a coolant passage 14 between itself and the lower surface of the base wall 8b for flowing coolant inside. The multiple battery modules 7 housed in the battery housing case 10 are cooled by the coolant flowing through the coolant passage 14. In this embodiment, one coolant passage 14 is provided for each of the left and right halves of the case body 25. Each coolant passage 14 is formed inside the bottom wall member 13 so that the coolant flows in a serpentine pattern in the horizontal direction. The base wall 8b and the flow path forming wall 8f below it form a multi-wall structure with a hollow portion inside. This multi-wall structure maintains the rigidity of the bottom wall member 13.

[0029] Each battery module 7 has a plurality of stacked battery cells 6 housed in a rectangular unit cover with a narrow vertical width. A predetermined number of battery cells 6 are grouped into a battery module 7 and housed in a battery housing case 10. The number of battery modules 7 housed in the battery housing case 10 is not limited to four, and any number can be selected depending on the size of the battery housing case 10, the layout of the mounted components, etc.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the main skeleton member 11 has a hollow base frame portion 15 on its inner surface in the vehicle width direction to which the extending ends of the first, second, and third cross members 12f, 12s, and 12t are connected, and a hollow mounting frame portion 16 that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the outer end of the base frame portion 15 in the vehicle width direction. The base frame portion 15 has a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the cross section being a vertically long, rectangular closed cross section that extends substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

[0031] The mounting frame portion 16 has an upper wall portion 17 whose inner end in the vehicle width direction is connected to approximately the center in the height direction of the base frame portion 15, and a lower wall portion 18 whose inner end in the vehicle width direction is connected to the lower end of the base frame portion 15. The lower wall portion 18 is disposed at a height position approximately equal to that of the bottom wall member 13. The outer ends in the vehicle width direction of the upper wall portion 17 and the lower wall portion 18 are closed by end walls 29 that stand up approximately vertically. The mounting frame portion 16 has a horizontally elongated, substantially rectangular closed cross section formed by the outer side wall of the base frame portion 15 in the vehicle width direction, the upper wall portion 17, the lower wall portion 18, and an end wall 29. This closed cross section extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body.

[0032] 4 is an enlarged view of the portion IV of the battery housing case 10 in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery housing case 10 taken along the line VV of FIG. The first cross member 12f has an upper upright portion 20 that rises upward from the upper surface of the front edge portion of the bottom wall member 13. The upper upright portion 20 is formed with a closed cross section that is a vertically long rectangle. The closed cross section of the upper upright portion 20 extends approximately along the vehicle width direction. Both ends of the upper upright portion 20 of the first cross member 12f in the extension direction are connected to the vicinity of the front ends of the left and right main frame members 11. To be precise, both ends of the upper upright portion 20 of the first cross member 12f are connected to positions rearward of the front ends of the main frame members 11 in the vicinity of the front ends (positions more inward than the ends of the second frame in the extension direction).

[0033] The first cross member 12f has a pair of inclined block portions 21 that bulge forward from the front surface (front side surface) of the upper standing portion 20. One inclined block portion 21 is disposed at approximately the center of the left half region in the extension direction of the upper standing portion 20, and the other inclined block portion 21 is disposed at approximately the center of the right half region in the extension direction of the upper standing portion 20.

[0034] The surface of each inclined block portion 21 facing upward and forward (hereinafter referred to as "upper surface 21u") is inclined downward and forward so that the distance from the upper standing portion 20 gradually increases from the top to the bottom. As shown in Fig. 5, the lower surfaces 20l, 21l of the upper standing portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21 are in contact with the upper surface of the front edge of the bottom wall member 13 (base wall 8b) and are fixed to the bottom wall member 13 in a liquid-tight state. In this embodiment, the upper standing portion 20 extending along the vehicle width direction and the inclined block portion 21 connected to the front side thereof are integrally formed by casting or the like. The upper standing portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21 are configured as an integrally molded part.

[0035] The battery housing case 10 also includes adapter parts 40 for supplying and discharging coolant to and from the coolant passages 14. There is one adapter part 40 for inlet and one for outlet for each of the left and right coolant passages 14. These adapter parts 40 are attached to the upper surfaces 21u of the inclined block portions 21 of the first cross member 12f, as will be described in detail later.

[0036] Each oblique block portion 21 of the first cross member 12f is formed with a pair of through holes 22 that penetrate the upper surface 21u of the oblique block portion 21 and the lower surfaces 21l, 20l of the oblique block portion 21 and the upper standing portion 20. The pair of through holes 22 are formed side by side in the vehicle width direction. The lower region of each through hole 22 is formed to straddle the lower surface 21l of the oblique block portion 21 and the lower surface 20l of the upper standing portion 20. A corresponding adapter part 40 is attached to the upper portion of each through hole 22.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the front edge of the battery case 10 with the bottom wall member 13 removed. As shown in Figure 6, a pair of through holes 22 formed across the inclined block portion 21 and the adjacent upper upright portion 20 are separated by a reinforcing rib 23 extending in the vertical direction within the first cross member 12f (inside the outer frame 32). The reinforcing rib 23 extends in the vertical direction from the lower surfaces 21l, 20l of the inclined block portion 21 and the upper upright portion 20 to reach the upper surface of the inclined block portion 21. The lower surface of the reinforcing rib 23 abuts against the upper surface of the front edge of the bottom wall member 13 when the inclined block portion 21 and the upper upright portion 20 are fixed to the front edge of the bottom wall member 13.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, an inlet-side joint part 33i and a discharge-side joint part 33o are attached to the front edge of the bottom wall member 13 and are connected to the two coolant passages 14 inside the bottom wall member 13. The inlet-side joint part 33i and the discharge-side joint part 33o have the same shape. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the inlet-side joint part 33i and the discharge-side joint part 33o, they will be referred to as joint parts 33.

[0039] The coolant inlets and outlets of the two coolant passages 14 are arranged adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction at the front edge of the bottom wall member 13. These inlets and outlets are formed at positions corresponding to the pairs of through holes 22 in the first cross member 12f. An inlet-side joint part 33i is liquid-tightly connected to the inlets, and a discharge-side joint part 33o is similarly liquid-tightly connected to the discharge outlets.

[0040] 5, each joint part 33 includes an annular base portion 33a connected and fixed to the corresponding inlet 14i or outlet 14o, and a connecting tube 33b protruding obliquely upward and forward from the base portion 33a. When the first cross member 12f is attached to the upper surface of the front edge portion of the bottom wall member 13, the connecting tube 33b of each joint part 33 is inserted from below into the corresponding through-hole 22 on the first cross member 12f. At this time, the tip of the connecting tube 33b protrudes obliquely upward inside the through-hole 22 toward the upper surface 21u of the inclined block portion 21.

[0041] 4 and 5, the adapter part 40 for supplying and discharging coolant to and from the coolant passage 14 includes a fixed flange 40a that is placed on the upper surface 21u of the inclined block part 21 of the first cross member 12f, a fitting cylinder 40b that protrudes from the center of the back side of the fixed flange 40a and is fitted into the through-hole 22 of the inclined block part 21 and the connecting cylinder 33b of the joint part 33, and a piping connection part 40c that protrudes from the center of the front side of the fixed flange 40a and is connected to an external coolant circulation circuit (not shown). The adapter part 40 has passage holes that communicate with the piping connection part 40c, the fixed flange 40a, and the fitting cylinder 40b.

[0042] The adapter part 40 is fixed to the inclined block part 21 by bolts 41 with the fixing flange 40a overlapping the upper surface 21u of the inclined block part 21. A first annular seal member 42 is interposed at the butting portion between the fixing flange 40a and the upper surface 21u of the inclined block part 21 to seal the gap between them.

[0043] An annular groove 43 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tube 40b at a portion that fits into the inner peripheral surface of the connecting tube 33b of the joint part 33. An annular second seal member 44 is housed in this annular groove 43. The second seal member 44 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the connecting tube 33b while housed in the annular groove 43, thereby sealing the gap between the fitting tube 40b and the connecting tube 33b of the joint part 33. Because the second seal member 44 is housed in the annular groove 43 on the outer periphery of the fitting tube 40b, it is prevented from falling off the adapter part 40 even if the adapter part 40 and the joint part 33 move relative to each other in the axial direction during assembly, etc.

[0044] The pipe connection portion 40c protrudes obliquely upward and forward from the fixing flange 40a and then bends toward the front of the vehicle, with the front end portion being in a substantially horizontal position. The pipe connection portion 40c is configured so that a connecting pipe of an external coolant circulation circuit can be connected to the front end portion in this substantially horizontal position.

[0045] Next, the procedure for assembling the battery housing case 10 described above will be described. First, as shown in Figure 3, the four joint parts 33 are attached to the front edge of the bottom wall member 13, which defines the two coolant passages 14 by the base wall 8b and the passage-forming wall 8f. In this state, the connecting tubes 33b of the four joint parts 33 protrude upward and forward from the upper surface of the front edge of the bottom wall member 13.

[0046] The outer frame 32 is assembled as a single unit in advance, and two corresponding adapter parts 40 are bolted to each of the inclined block portions 21 of the front first cross member 12f. At this time, an annular first seal member 42 is interposed between the fixing flange 40a of each adapter part 40 and the upper surface 21u of the inclined block portion 21. A second annular seal member 44 is attached to the annular groove 43 of the fitting cylinder 40b.

[0047] Next, in this state, the outer frame 32 is assembled to the top of the bottom wall member 13. At this time, the outer frame 32 is aligned with the bottom wall member 13 so that the first cross member 12f of the outer frame 32 is aligned along the front edge of the bottom wall member 13 and the left and right main skeleton members 11 are aligned along the left and right side edges of the bottom wall member 13. At this time, the adapter parts 40 attached to the through holes 22 of each inclined block portion 21 have their fitting tubes 40b fitted into the inner circumferential surfaces of the connecting tubes 33b of the corresponding joint parts 33 inside the through holes 22. As a result, the first cross member 12f is accurately positioned at the front edge of the bottom wall member 13. Thereafter, the outer frame 32 is fixed to the bottom wall member 13 by bolting or the like.

[0048] As described above, the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment includes, in a part (first cross member 12f) of the outer frame 32, the upper upright portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21 connected to the front side surface of the upper upright portion 20, and the inclined block portion 21 has a through hole 22 formed therethrough in the vertical direction. The joint part 33 and the adapter part 40, which are connected to the coolant passage 14 in the bottom wall member 13, are fitted and connected inside the through hole 22. Therefore, in this configuration, the through hole 22, in which the connection part of the joint part 33 and the adapter part 40 is located, penetrates a part of the outer frame 32 at an angle. However, because the main part of the through hole 22 is formed in the inclined block portion 21 connected to the upper upright portion 20, the through hole 22 does not significantly reduce the rigidity of the outer frame 32. In addition, in the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment, the inclined block portion 21 is connected to the upper upright portion 20 of the outer frame 32, and its lower surface is in contact with the upper surface of the outer edge portion of the bottom wall member 13. Therefore, the inclined block portion 21 is supported with high rigidity by the upper upright portion 20 and the bottom wall member 13. Therefore, even if the through-holes 22 are formed in the outer frame 32, the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment can maintain high rigidity of the outer frame 32.

[0049] In this embodiment, the connecting tube 33b of the joint part 33 on the bottom wall member 13 side protrudes obliquely upward and forward. Therefore, the coolant supplied to or discharged from the coolant passage 14 of the bottom wall member 13 flows through a passage (connecting tube 33b) that is inclined at an obtuse angle. As a result, the pressure loss of the coolant is reduced compared to when the coolant is supplied to or discharged from the coolant passage 14 through a passage that is bent at a substantially right angle. Therefore, the energy loss when the coolant flows through the coolant passage 14 can be reduced. Therefore, when the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment is used, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss of the coolant supplied to and discharged from the coolant passage 14 while suppressing a decrease in the rigidity of the outer frame 32. As a result, it is possible to reduce power loss and make the entire battery housing case smaller and lighter, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the vehicle.

[0050] Furthermore, in the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment, the joint part 33 having the connecting tube 33b is attached to the bottom wall member 13, and the adapter part 40 is connected in a fitted state to the connecting tube 33b of the joint part 33 inside the through hole 22. Therefore, when assembling the outer frame 32 to the bottom wall member 13, the adapter part 40 is attached in advance to the through hole 22 of the outer frame 32, and in this state, the adapter part 40 can be fitted into the connecting tube 33b of the joint part 33 on the bottom wall member 13, thereby positioning the outer frame 32 to the bottom wall member 13. Therefore, when the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment is used, the work of assembling the outer frame 32 to the bottom wall member 13 can be easily performed.

[0051] Furthermore, in the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment, the inclined block portion 21 is connected to the side surface (front side surface) of the upper standing portion 20 that faces away from the module mounting portion 19 of the bottom wall member 13. Therefore, the inclined block portion 21 does not compress the mounting space for the battery modules 7 on the bottom wall member 13, and it is possible to ensure the arrangement space for the supply and discharge passages of the coolant.

[0052] Furthermore, in the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment, the end in the extension direction of the first cross member 12f, which has the upper upright portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21, is connected at the upper upright portion 20 at a position more inward (rearward) than the end (front end) in the extension direction of the main skeleton member 11. Therefore, when an impact load is input to the main skeleton member 11 from the side of the vehicle, the load is reliably received by the first cross member 12f at a position more inward (rearward) than the end (front end) in the extension direction of the main skeleton member 11. At this time, because the first cross member 12f is connected to the main skeleton member 11 at the upper upright portion 20, the inclined block portion 21 is located at a position away from the load transmission axis of the upper upright portion 20 (the load transmission path in the vehicle width direction). Therefore, when the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment is used, when an impact load is input, the load is less likely to be transmitted to the areas around the supply and discharge parts of the coolant passage 14 (the adapter part 40 and the joint part 33).

[0053] Furthermore, in the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment, the upper standing portion 20 extends along the vehicle width direction (first direction), and the inclined block portion 21 to which the adapter part 40 is attached is connected to only a portion of the extending direction of the upper standing portion 20. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, it is possible to supply and discharge the coolant to and from the coolant passage 14 of the bottom wall member 13 as desired, while avoiding an increase in the size and weight of the first cross member 12f (outer frame 32).

[0054] Furthermore, in the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment, the upper standing portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21 of the first cross member 12f are configured as an integrally molded part by casting or the like. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the upper standing portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21 can be easily formed, and the overall rigidity and strength can be maintained at a higher level.

[0055] Furthermore, in the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment, the joint part 33 is made up of an introduction-side joint part 33i and a discharge-side joint part 33o, and the introduction-side joint part 33i and the discharge-side joint part 33o are attached adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction on the bottom wall member 13. The through-hole 22 into which the connecting tube 33b of the introduction-side joint part 33i is inserted and the through-hole 22 into which the connecting tube 33b of the discharge-side joint part 33o is inserted are separated by a reinforcing rib 23 extending inside the first cross member 12f (outer frame 32), and the lower end of the reinforcing rib 23 contacts the bottom wall member 13. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the rigidity of the first cross member 12f (outer frame 32) in the vicinity of the through-hole 22 can be efficiently increased by the reinforcing rib 23. Furthermore, in this configuration, the reinforcing rib 23 extends vertically inside the first cross member 12f, and its lower end is in contact with the bottom wall member 13, so that heat from the battery module 7 transferred to the bottom wall member 13 can be efficiently dissipated to the outside through the reinforcing rib 23. Therefore, when the battery housing case 10 of this embodiment is adopted, it is possible to further increase the rigidity of the area near the through hole 22 of the first cross member 12f (outer frame 32) and further improve the heat dissipation properties of the battery module 7.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the upper standing portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21 are provided on the first cross member 12f on the vehicle front side of the outer frame 32, but the upper standing portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21 may be provided on the second cross member 12s on the rear side. Furthermore, the upper standing portion 20 and the inclined block portion 21 may be provided on the main frame member 11 on the side of the vehicle.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the inclined block portion 21 is connected to only a part of the extension direction of the upper standing portion 20, but the inclined block portion 21 may also be connected to the upper standing portion 20 so as to extend over the entire area of ​​the extension direction of the upper standing portion 20.

[0058] In addition, in the above embodiment, the adapter part 40 that is fitted and connected to the introduction side joint part 33i and the adapter part 40 that is connected to the discharge side joint part 33o are each configured as separate parts, but these adapter parts 40 may also be configured as an integrated part. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 7...Battery module 10...Battery storage case 11...Main frame member (second frame) 12f...First cross member (first frame) 13...Bottom wall member 14…Cooling fluid passage 19...Module placement section 20...Upper standing part 21...Inclined block section 22...Through hole 23...Reinforcing rib 32...Outer frame 33...Joint parts 33b...Connecting tube 33i...Introducing side joint parts 33o...Discharge side joint part 40...Adapter parts

Claims

1. a bottom wall member having a module mounting portion on which the battery module is mounted and having a cooling liquid passage built therein; an outer frame connected to an outer edge portion of the bottom wall member; an adapter part connected to the coolant passage to supply and discharge coolant to and from the coolant passage, The outer frame is an upper upright portion that stands upward from the upper surface of the bottom wall member; an inclined block portion connected to a side surface of the upper standing portion, bulging downward from the top so that the distance from the upper standing portion increases, and the lower surface of the inclined block portion contacts the bottom wall member; The inclined block portion has a through hole that penetrates in the vertical direction and to which the adapter part is connected on the upper side. a joint part having one end connected to the cooling liquid passage and the other end formed with a connecting tube is attached to an area of ​​the bottom wall member where the upper upright portion and the inclined block portion are placed; the connecting tube projects obliquely upward from the bottom wall member toward the upper surface of the inclined block portion within the through hole, The battery housing case is characterized in that the adapter part is connected to the connecting tube of the joint part in a fitted state inside the through hole.

2. The outer frame is a first frame having the upper upright portion and the inclined block portion and extending along a first direction intersecting a vertical direction; a pair of second frames extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction and the vertical direction, and having both ends of the first frame in the extending direction connected to each other; 2. The battery case according to claim 1, wherein the upper upright portion is connected to an end of the first frame in the extending direction at a position more inward than an end of the second frame in the extending direction.

3. The upper upright portion extends along a direction intersecting the vertical direction, 2. The battery case according to claim 1, wherein the inclined block portion is connected to only a portion of the upper upright portion in the extending direction.

4. 2. The battery case according to claim 1, wherein the upper upright portion and the inclined block portion are formed as an integrally molded part.

5. the joint parts include an inlet-side joint part connected to a coolant inlet of the coolant passage, and a discharge-side joint part connected to a coolant outlet of the coolant passage, the inlet-side joint part and the outlet-side joint part are attached adjacent to each other to the bottom wall member, the through holes into which the connecting tubes of the introduction-side joint part and the discharge-side joint part are inserted are partitioned by a reinforcing rib extending vertically inside the outer frame, 2. The battery case according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the reinforcing rib is in contact with the bottom wall member.

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