Cooling device

Abstract

To provide a cooling device having high cooling efficiency.SOLUTION: The cooling device 10 includes an intermediate layer 20 having a core material 21 and a frame 22 that divides the core material 21 into a plurality of sections, a first surface layer portion 30 that is provided on the + Z side of the intermediate layer 20 and on which the battery 2 is placed, and a second surface layer portion 40 that is provided on the - Z side of the intermediate layer 20 and sandwiches the intermediate layer 20 together with the first surface layer portion 30. A first cooling path 31 for cooling the battery 2 is provided inside the first surface layer portion 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device for cooling a battery. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a known device for cooling a battery includes a support frame that supports the battery, and a cooling plate placed on the support frame, with the battery placed on the cooling plate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the cooling plate of Patent Document 1, the cooling plate is provided so as to bridge the support frames. A cooling flow path is formed in the cooling plate, and the battery placed thereon is cooled by a coolant flowing through the cooling flow path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-87250 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the cooling plate in Patent Document 1 is configured to bridge the support frames, which may cause the cooling plate to bend in a convex shape between the support frames. If the cooling plate bends, a gap will form between the battery and the cooling plate, which will reduce the cooling efficiency of the battery.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device with high cooling efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cooling device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a core material, an intermediate layer having a frame that divides the core material into a plurality of compartments, a first surface portion provided on one side of the intermediate layer and on which a battery is placed, and a second surface portion provided on the opposite side of the intermediate layer from the first surface portion and sandwiching the intermediate layer together with the first surface portion. A first cooling path for cooling the battery is provided inside the first surface portion.

[0007] In the cooling device of this aspect, the intermediate layer is sandwiched between the first and second surface layers. In this configuration, the first surface layer is supported by the core material or frame of the intermediate layer, so that even when a battery is placed on the first surface layer, deflection of the first surface layer is suppressed, and the occurrence of a gap between the battery and the first surface layer due to deflection of the first surface layer is also suppressed, thereby maintaining high cooling efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a battery module according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery module of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an intermediate layer according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first cooling path and a second cooling path of the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module taken along line BB in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module taken along line CC in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a cooling device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module taken along line DD in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module taken along line EE in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the shape of a first cooling passage according to Modification 3. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of the shape of the first cooling passage according to the third modification. [Figure 12] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a first cooling path and a second cooling path of a sixth modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing another example of the first cooling path and the second cooling path of the sixth modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a battery module according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a battery module 1 of this embodiment, and FIG. The battery module 1 of this embodiment is a device that is mounted on, for example, an electric vehicle and supplies power to each component of the electric vehicle. The battery module 1 of this embodiment includes a battery 2, a cooling device 10 (see FIG. 2) that cools the battery 2, and a battery member 3 that holds the battery 2. In the following description, the direction from the cooling device 10 toward the battery 2 is referred to as the Z direction, the direction perpendicular to the Z direction is referred to as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions is referred to as the Y direction.

[0010] The battery 2 is a secondary battery capable of charging and discharging power. Generally, such a battery 2 generates heat when discharging or charging power, and in order to maintain the efficiency of charging and discharging the battery 2, it is necessary to maintain the temperature of the battery 2 within a certain range. Therefore, in this embodiment, the battery 2 is placed on a cooling device 10, thereby cooling the battery 2 and preventing overheating. In this embodiment, a battery module 1 is provided with a plurality of batteries 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the outer peripheries of the plurality of batteries 2 are held by battery members 3 and are arranged side by side in the X and Y directions on a cooling device 10.

[0011] Next, the cooling device of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling device 10 includes an intermediate layer 20, a first surface layer portion 30, and a second surface layer portion 40, and is configured as a sandwich structure in which the intermediate layer 20 is sandwiched between the first surface layer portion 30 and the second surface layer portion 40.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the intermediate layer 20. As shown in FIG. The mid layer 20 includes a core material 21 and a frame 22 that divides the core material 21 into a plurality of sections. The core material 21 is disposed on the −Z side of the first surface layer portion 30 and supports the first surface layer portion 30 together with the frame 22 to suppress deflection of the first surface layer portion 30 . The core material 21 is preferably made of a lightweight metal with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. As shown in FIG. 3, the core material 21 is made of a honeycomb structure and has a plurality of through-holes that penetrate in the Z direction. The honeycomb structure that constitutes the core material 21 may be a structure using hexagonal cells whose cross section in the XY plane is hexagonal, or a structure using flexible honeycomb cells. The use of flexible honeycomb cells can provide greater rigidity and strength in the X, Y, and Z directions than when using typical hexagonal cells. This means that deflection due to the weight of the battery 2 can be more effectively suppressed, and distortion in the X and Y directions due to impact can also be suppressed.

[0013] The frame 22 is made of, for example, an aluminum frame, and divides the core material 21 into a plurality of compartments as described above. The frame 22 is hollow inside, and forms a second cooling path 23 through which a coolant circulates. The second cooling path 23 is connected to the first cooling path 31 provided in the first surface layer portion 30, and the coolant flows from the second cooling path 23 into the first cooling path 31, and the coolant that has absorbed heat in the first cooling path 31 is returned to the second cooling path 23. The second cooling path 23 will be described later.

[0014] The first surface layer portion 30 is a plate-like member that covers the +Z side of the intermediate layer 20, and has a first cooling path 31 formed therein that is composed of a plurality of hollow spaces. The first surface layer portion 30 is preferably made of a metal with high thermal conductivity so that heat from the battery 2 can be easily transferred to the coolant. The first cooling path 31 is formed, for example, longitudinally along the +X direction in the first surface layer portion 30. This first cooling path 31 is also formed wide in the Y direction, and the coolant introduced from the second cooling path 23 flows along the X direction. By providing a plurality of such first cooling paths 31 in the Y direction, it becomes possible to cool the battery 2 over a wide range of the first surface layer portion 30.

[0015] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the first cooling path 31 and the second cooling path 23 in the cooling device 10 of this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module 1 corresponding to line BB in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module 1 corresponding to line CC in Fig. 4. Note that Fig. 2 above is a cross-sectional view of the battery module 1 corresponding to line AA in Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, the dashed-dotted line indicates the first cooling path 31 provided in the first surface layer portion 30. In Figs. 4 to 6, the solid arrows indicate the flow direction of the coolant flowing from the inlet path 231 through the first cooling path 31, and the dashed arrows indicate the flow direction of the coolant flowing from the first cooling path 31 to the outlet path 232. Specifically, the second cooling path 23 includes an inlet 231 and a discharge path 232. The inlet 231 includes an inlet 231A through which the coolant is introduced, and the coolant introduced from the inlet 231A flows in. A wall 233 for preventing backflow is provided between the inlet 231 and the discharge path 232. The wall 233 can suppress the flow of the coolant from the inlet 231 to the discharge path 232 without passing through the first cooling path 31, and can also suppress the backflow of the coolant from the discharge path 232 to the inlet 231. The positions of the inlet 231A and the discharge port 232A are not limited to those described above. The inlet 231A may be provided in any of the inlet paths 231, and the discharge port 232A may be provided in any of the discharge paths 232. A plurality of inlets 231A and a plurality of outlets 232A may be provided. In this case, the coolant may be introduced into the inlet channel 231 from the plurality of inlets 231A, or the inlet channel 231 may be divided into a plurality of independent partial inlet channels, and each partial inlet channel may be provided with its own inlet 231A. The same applies to the outlet 232A and the outlet channel 232.

[0016] 4, in this embodiment, the inlet 231A is provided at the −X side and −Y side end of the intermediate layer 20, and the frame 22 arranged at the −Y side end constitutes the first frame 221 that forms the inlet channel 231. On the other hand, the outlet 232A is provided at the −X side and +Y side end of the intermediate layer 20, and the frame 22 arranged at the +Y side end constitutes the second frame 222 that forms the inlet channel 231.

[0017] As described above, the frames 22 are arranged in a lattice pattern so as to divide the core material 21 into a plurality of sections. Among the frames 22 arranged parallel (or approximately parallel) to the Y direction, the frame 22 (third frame 223) that is arranged at an even number in the X direction is provided with an inlet channel 231 branching off from the first frame 221. A wall 233 is provided between the third frame 223 and the second frame 222. The wall 233 prevents the coolant from flowing directly from the inlet channel 231 of the third frame 223 to the outlet channel 232 of the second frame 222.

[0018] 4 and 5, an inlet hole 241 communicating with the first cooling path 31 of the first surface layer portion 30 is provided in a part of the +Z side of the third frame 223. As a result, the coolant that has flowed in from the inlet path 231 is introduced into the first cooling path 31 from the inlet hole 241. Note that while FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an example of a configuration in which two inlet holes 241 are provided in each third frame 223 for one first cooling path 31, a configuration in which only one inlet hole 241 is provided in each third frame 223 for one first cooling path 31, or a configuration in which three or more inlet holes 241 are provided may also be used.

[0019] Of the frames 22 arranged parallel to the Y direction, the second cooling path 23 of the odd-numbered frame 22 arranged along the X direction is a fourth frame 224 in which an exhaust path 232 branching from the second frame 222 is provided. The wall portion 233 described above is provided between the fourth frame 224 and the first frame 221.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 6, a part of the +Z side of the fourth frame 224 is provided with an outlet hole 242 communicating with the first cooling path 31 of the first surface layer portion 30. As a result, the coolant that flows in from the inlet path 231 and flows in the X direction along the first cooling path 31 flows out from the outlet hole 242 to the outlet path 232 of the second cooling path 23. Note that Figs. 4 and 6 illustrate an example in which two outlet holes 242 are provided in each fourth frame 224 for one first cooling path 31, but a configuration in which only one outlet hole 242 is provided in each fourth frame 224 for one first cooling path 31, or a configuration in which three or more outlet holes 242 are provided may also be used. Furthermore, the number of inlet holes 241 and the number of outlet holes 242 may be different.

[0021] Of the frames 22 parallel to the X direction, the frames 22 other than the first frame 221 and the second frame 222 (fifth frames 225) have wall portions 233 provided between them and the third frame 223 and the fourth frame 224. In other words, the second cooling paths 23 are not provided in these fifth frames 225.

[0022] The second surface layer portion 40 of the cooling device 10 is a plate-like member that covers the -Z side of the intermediate layer 20. The material of the second surface layer portion 40 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably formed of a highly rigid material such as metal, which can suppress deformation of the intermediate layer 20.

[0023] In the cooling device 10 described above, the coolant introduced from the inlet 231A into the inlet channel 231 branches off from the first frame 221 that constitutes the inlet channel 231 of the second cooling path 23 to the inlet channels 231 of the multiple third frames 223 and flows. The coolant then flows from the inlet holes 241 provided in the inlet channels 231 of these third frames 223 into the first cooling path 31 of the first surface layer portion 30, flows along the X direction to the outlet holes 242, and flows from the outlet holes 242 into the outlet channel 232 of the fourth frame 224. The first cooling path 31 of the first surface layer portion 30 is formed to be wide in the Y direction and long in the X direction, so that a wide area of ​​the battery 2 is placed on the first cooling path 31, and the battery 2 is effectively cooled. Furthermore, since the coolant flows from the inlet hole 241 to the outlet hole 242 along the X direction, the coolant that has absorbed the heat radiated from the battery 2 flows out of the outlet hole 242 relatively quickly, compared to, for example, a configuration in which the first cooling path 31 is serpentine. Furthermore, when the cooling path is serpentine, the temperature of the coolant near the outlet hole is higher than that near the inlet hole, and the cooling efficiency is not uniform. In contrast, in the first cooling path 31 in which the path from the inlet hole 241 to the outlet hole 242 is linear as in the present embodiment, the path length from the inlet hole 241 to the outlet hole 242 is short, and therefore the difference in temperature between the coolant near the inlet hole 241 and the coolant near the outlet hole 242 is small, and the cooling efficiency can be uniform.

[0024] The cooling liquid discharged from the outlet holes 242 of each first cooling path 31 to the discharge path 232 of the fourth frame 224 merges with the discharge path 232 of the second frame 222 from the fourth frame 224 and is discharged from the discharge port 232A. Although not shown, the cooling liquid discharged from the discharge port 232A is cooled using a separately provided heat exchanger and is returned to the cooling device 10 from the inlet 231A again.

[0025] [Effects of this embodiment] The cooling device 10 of this embodiment includes an intermediate layer 20 having a core material 21 and a frame 22 that divides the core material 21 into a plurality of compartments, a first surface layer portion 30 that is provided on the +Z side of the intermediate layer 20 and on which the battery 2 is placed, and a second surface layer portion 40 that is provided on the -Z side of the intermediate layer 20 and sandwiches the intermediate layer 20 together with the first surface layer portion 30. A first cooling path 31 that cools the battery 2 is provided inside the first surface layer portion 30. In such a cooling device 10, even when a battery 2 is placed, the intermediate layer 20 composed of the core material 21 and the frame 22 is disposed on the -Z side of the first surface layer 30, thereby suppressing deflection of the first surface layer 30 due to the weight of the battery 2. This suppresses the occurrence of a gap between the first surface layer 30 and the battery 2 due to deflection of the first surface layer 30, thereby maintaining high cooling efficiency. Furthermore, since the first surface layer 30 is configured to cover the entire +Z side of the intermediate layer 20, the entire battery 2 can be cooled uniformly.

[0026] In the cooling device 10 of this embodiment, the core material 21 that constitutes the intermediate layer 20 has a honeycomb structure. This improves the rigidity and strength of the core material 21 and suppresses deflection of the intermediate layer 20. Furthermore, by using a honeycomb structure to improve the rigidity and strength of the core material 21, the thickness of the core material 21 itself can be reduced. In other words, if a core material is made of plate material, its thickness must be increased to achieve a predetermined rigidity and strength. However, by employing a honeycomb structure as in this embodiment, the required rigidity and strength can be achieved while keeping the thickness small. Furthermore, using a honeycomb-structured core material 21 can reduce the weight of the core material 21 compared to using a plate core material, thereby promoting weight reduction of the battery module 1. Furthermore, since the honeycomb-structured core material 21 has through-holes penetrating in the Z direction, the increased surface area improves heat dissipation efficiency, further improving the cooling efficiency of the battery 2.

[0027] In the cooling device 10 of this embodiment, a second cooling path 23 for cooling the battery 2 is provided inside the frame 22. As a result, the battery 2 can be cooled by the first cooling path 31 provided in the first surface layer portion 30 and the second cooling path 23 of the frame 22, and the cooling efficiency can be further improved.

[0028] In the cooling device 10 of this embodiment, the first cooling path 31 provided in the first surface layer portion 30 extends along the X direction and communicates with the second cooling path 23 at both ends in the X direction. As a result, the coolant flowing through the first cooling path 31 flows substantially along the X direction. In this case, compared to a configuration in which the first cooling path 31 is made to meander within the first surface layer portion 30, the cooling path length can be shortened and the temperature rise of the coolant can be suppressed, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the battery 2.

[0029] In the cooling device 10 of this embodiment, the core material 21 is made of metal. This improves the thermal conductivity of the core material 21, and the cooling efficiency of the cooling device 10 can be further improved.

[0030] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the core material 21 and frame 22 of the intermediate layer 20 have the same thickness (dimension in the Z direction). However, the frame 22 may be thicker than the core material 21, and the upper surface (+Z side surface) of the frame 22 and the upper surface (+Z side surface) of the first surface layer portion 30 may be flush with each other. 7 is a plan view of a cooling device 10A in the second embodiment, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module 1 corresponding to line DD in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module 1 corresponding to line EE in FIG. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components that have already been described, and their description will be omitted or simplified.

[0031] The cooling device 10A of this embodiment is configured to include an intermediate layer 20A, a first surface layer portion 30A, and a second surface layer portion 40. The intermediate layer 20A includes a core material 21 (see FIG. 9) and a frame 22A that divides the core material 21 into a plurality of sections. Here, the +Z side surface of part of frame 22A in this embodiment is located on the +Z side of core material 21. The -Z side surface of frame 22A is flush with the -Z side surface of core material 21 and is joined to second surface layer portion 40. In this embodiment, the frame (fifth frame 225) that does not function as the second cooling path 23 is formed to have the same thickness as the core material 21, similar to the first embodiment (see FIG. 9).

[0032] In this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the first surface layer portion 30A sandwiches the core material 21 of the intermediate layer 20A together with the second surface layer portion 40. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, the bending of the first surface layer portion 30A is suppressed by the core material 21. In addition, the +Z side surface of first surface layer 30A in this embodiment is configured to be flush with the +Z side surface of frame 22A. Therefore, in this embodiment, first surface layer 30A is divided into multiple sections by first frame 221, second frame 222, third frame 223, and fourth frame 224, as shown in Fig. 7. For example, in this embodiment, first surface layer 30A is divided into multiple first surface layer sections 30A in the X direction.

[0033] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a second cooling path 23 is formed in the frame 22A, as in the first embodiment, but the inlet hole 241A and outlet hole 242A connecting the second cooling path 23 to the first cooling path 31 are formed on the ±X side of the frame 22A. In other words, in the first embodiment, the cooling liquid flowing through the inlet path 231 of the second cooling path 23 flows into the first cooling path 31 toward the +Z side through the inlet hole 241 provided on the +Z side of the third frame 223, and the cooling liquid that has flowed through the first cooling path 31 flows from the first cooling path 31 to the outlet path 232 toward the -Z side through the outlet hole 242 provided on the +Z side of the fourth frame 224. In contrast, in this embodiment, the coolant branches off from inlet holes 241A provided on the ±X sides of the third frame 223 to the ±X sides and flows into first cooling paths 31 of first surface layer portions 30A provided on each of the ±X sides of the third frame 223. Also, outlet holes 242A are provided on the ±X sides of the fourth frame 224, and the coolant from first cooling paths 31 of first surface layer portions 30A provided on the ±X sides of the fourth frame 224 flows from the ±X sides into discharge paths 232 in the fourth frame 224 via the outlet holes 242A. Note that the fourth frame 224 at the +X side end is provided with outlet holes 242A only on the −X side, and the fourth frame 224 at the −X side end is provided with outlet holes 242A only on the +X side.

[0034] As for the frame 22A, the fifth frame 225 that does not contribute to the second cooling path 23 may be formed to the same thickness as the core material 21, as in the first embodiment, and configured to support the first surface layer portion 30A on the +Z side, as shown in Figure 9.

[0035] In this embodiment, a battery member 3 that holds the outer periphery of the battery 2 may be provided on the +Z side of the frame 22A, and the frame 22A and the battery member 3 may be joined by, for example, welding.

[0036] [Effects of this embodiment] In the cooling device 10A of this embodiment, the +Z side surface of the frame 22A in the intermediate layer 20A and the +Z side surface of the first surface layer portion 30A are configured to be flush with each other. This allows the battery member 3 to be directly joined to the frame 22A by welding or the like. Joining the battery member 3 to the frame 22A reduces the load on the first surface layer portion 30A, further suppressing deflection of the first surface layer portion 30A and thereby suppressing a decrease in cooling efficiency.

[0037] [Variations] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but also includes the following modifications within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

[0038] [Variation 1] For example, in the first embodiment, of the frames 22, the frame 22 arranged at the -Y side end is the first frame 221 that constitutes the inlet channel 231, and of the multiple frames 22 arranged parallel to the Y direction, the even-numbered frames 22 are the third frames 223 that constitute the inlet channel 231 branching off from the first frame 221. Furthermore, the frame 22 arranged at the +Y side end is the second frame 222 that constitutes the outlet channel 232, and of the multiple frames 22 arranged parallel to the Y direction, the odd-numbered frames 22 are the fourth frames 224 that constitute the outlet channel 232 branching off from the second frame 222. Alternatively, for example, the frame 22 arranged at the -X side end may be the first frame that forms the inlet channel, and either the even-numbered or odd-numbered frame 22 of the multiple frames 22 arranged parallel to the X direction may be the third frame 223 that forms the inlet channel 231 branching off from the first frame. In this case, for example, the frame 22 arranged at the +X side end may be the second frame that forms the outlet channel 232, and the frames 22 other than the third frame of the multiple frames 22 arranged parallel to the X direction may be the fourth frame 224 that forms the outlet channel 232 branching off from the second frame.

[0039] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, the second cooling path 23 communicates with the first cooling path 31, and the coolant flows from the second cooling path 23 to the first cooling path 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first cooling path 31 and the second cooling path 23 may be configured to be independent of each other, with inlets and outlets provided in each path for circulating the cooling liquid.

[0040] Furthermore, the second cooling path 23 provided in the frames 22, 22A does not have to be provided, and even in this case, the battery 2 can be cooled by the first cooling path 31.

[0041] [Variation 3] The first cooling path 31 extends in one direction (the X direction in the above embodiment), has an inlet hole 241 on one end side of the one direction, and an outlet hole 242 on the other end side, and the cooling liquid flows approximately along the X direction. However, this is not limited to this. 10 and 11 are diagrams showing other examples of the first cooling path according to the third modification. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the first cooling path 31 may be configured in a serpentine shape from the inlet hole 241 to the outlet hole 242. 11, the first cooling path 31 may be configured so that it branches from the inlet hole 241 into a plurality of branch paths 311, and each of the branch paths 311 joins again just before the outlet hole 242. In this case, by forming each branch path 311 along one direction (for example, the X direction), the path length can be shortened and a decrease in cooling efficiency can be suppressed compared to when the first cooling path 31 is formed in a serpentine shape as shown in FIG. 10. In addition, the amount of coolant can be reduced, which can reduce costs.

[0042] [Variation 4] In the above embodiment, a honeycomb structure is used as the core material 21 constituting the intermediate layer 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the core material 21 may be made of a plate material having a uniform density.

[0043] [Variation 5] Furthermore, the material of the core material 21 is not limited to metal, and other materials may be used. For example, when a plate material such as that shown in Modification 4 is used, the plate material may be made of a resin material containing a metal filler to increase the thermal conductivity, strength, and rigidity.

[0044] [Variation 6] In the first embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the second cooling path 23 is not provided in the fifth frame 225 has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the first cooling path and the second cooling path of the sixth modification. 12 , a configuration may be adopted in which the wall portion 233 is not provided between the fifth frame 225 and the third frame 223, and between the fifth frame 225 and the fourth frame 224. In this case, the cooling liquid flows inside the fifth frame 225 from the inlet path 231 of the third frame 223 toward the outlet path 232 of the fourth frame 224, and the fifth frame 225 can be used as the second cooling path 23.

[0045] The same applies to the second embodiment. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the first cooling path and the second cooling path of the sixth modified example. As shown in Figure 13, the fifth frame 225 may function as the second cooling path 23 by configuring the fifth frame 225 so that no wall portion 233 is provided between the fifth frame 225 and the third frame 223, and between the fifth frame 225 and the fourth frame 224. As described above, by making the fifth frame 225 function as the second cooling path 23 connecting the third frame 223 and the fourth frame 224, it is possible to effectively cool the battery 2 on the fifth frame 225. In other words, by increasing the cooling area by the cooling devices 10, 10A, it is possible to further improve the cooling efficiency of the battery 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1...battery module, 2...battery, 3...battery member, 10, 10A...cooling device, 20, 20A...intermediate layer, 21...core material, 22, 22A...frame, 23...second cooling path, 30, 30A...first surface portion, 31...first cooling path, 40...second surface portion, 231...inlet path, 231A...inlet port, 232...outlet path, 232A...outlet port, 233...wall portion, 241, 241A...inlet hole, 242, 242A...outlet hole.

Claims

1. A cooling device on which a battery that generates heat due to discharging or charging is placed, an intermediate layer having a core material and a frame dividing the core material into a plurality of compartments; a first surface portion provided on one surface side of the intermediate layer, on which the battery is placed; a second surface layer portion provided on the opposite side of the intermediate layer from the first surface layer portion and sandwiching the intermediate layer together with the first surface layer portion, a first cooling path for cooling the battery is provided inside the first surface layer portion;

2. The core material is a honeycomb structure. The cooling device of claim 1 .

3. The core material is made of metal. The cooling device according to claim 2 .

4. A second cooling path for cooling the battery is provided inside the frame. The cooling device according to claim 3 .

5. the first cooling path extends in one direction and communicates with the second cooling path at both ends in the one direction; The cooling device according to claim 4.

6. An upper surface of the frame on the battery side and an upper surface of the first surface portion on the battery side are flush with each other. The cooling device according to claim 5.

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