Battery shut-off unit

Abstract

Improve the cooling performance of the battery shut-off unit. [Solution] The battery shut-off unit 10 comprises a case 15, a plurality of contactors 11, 12, 13, 14 arranged in a space S within the case 15, and a cooling member 20 provided in the space S and having a flow path 21 through which a refrigerant passes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery disconnect unit.

Background Art

[0002] Vehicles that obtain driving power from a battery power source, such as electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, are each provided with a battery disconnect unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The battery disconnect unit is a device including a contactor (relay), and is disposed, for example, between a battery and a load such as an inverter for a motor. The battery disconnect unit is capable of supplying or interrupting electric power from the battery, and has a function of protecting the electric power system of the vehicle when a fault current occurs.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, rapid charging of batteries has been demanded for vehicles that obtain driving power from the battery power source as described above. For this purpose, not only an increase in voltage value but also an increase in current value has been considered in the electric power systems of vehicles, and thermal countermeasures for battery disconnect units are required. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to enhance the cooling performance of a battery disconnect unit.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] A battery disconnect unit of the present invention includes: a case; a plurality of contactors arranged side by side with a space therebetween in the case; and a cooling member that is disposed in the space and has a flow path therein through which a refrigerant passes.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] The battery shut-off unit of the present invention makes it possible to improve cooling performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a power supply unit having the battery cutoff unit of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the battery cutoff unit. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cooling component. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] <Overview of Embodiments> The embodiments of the present invention are outlined below. (1) A battery shutoff unit according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a case, a plurality of contactors arranged in a row with space between them inside the case, and a cooling member provided in the space and having a flow path through which a refrigerant passes.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the contactor is actively cooled by the cooling member, resulting in a battery shut-off unit with high cooling performance. A battery shut-off unit with high cooling performance is suitable for high-current applications. The space provided between the contactors suppresses the effects of electrical leakage between the contactors. By providing a cooling member in this space, the space is effectively utilized, making it possible to miniaturize the battery shut-off unit.

[0010] (2) In the battery shut-off unit of (1), the cooling member is in contact with each of the plurality of contactors. This configuration allows multiple contactors to be integrated with a cooling element. The cooling element can function as a mounting base for the multiple contactors. The multiple contactors and the cooling element form a single subassembly, making it easier to assemble this subassembly into the case.

[0011] (3) Within the cooling member of (1) or (2) above, the flow path has a meandering shape. This configuration increases the length of the flow path for the refrigerant. Even if the contactor is installed over a wide area within the case, it becomes possible to enhance the cooling effect on that contactor.

[0012] (4) Any one of the battery disconnection units described in (1) to (3) above includes a connector mounted on the case and a busbar that passes near the cooling member to electrically connect the connector and the contactor. An insulating member is provided at a position where the cooling member and the busbar face each other. By routing the busbars near the cooling components, it becomes possible to shorten the busbars. This shortening of the busbars provides a desirable configuration for heat dissipation. Even when the busbars pass near the cooling components, the insulating components suppress the electrical influence from the busbars.

[0013] (5) Any one of the battery shut-off units described in (1) to (4) above includes an introduction pipe for flowing the refrigerant through the cooling member, an outlet pipe for flowing the refrigerant that has passed through the flow path of the cooling member to an external device, and an output pipe for flowing the refrigerant that has flowed through the external device. The inlet and outlet pipes provide a configuration that allows the refrigerant used to cool external equipment (e.g., a battery pack) to also be used to cool the battery shut-off unit. The output pipe allows the refrigerant that has flowed through the external equipment to be returned to, for example, a radiator through the battery shut-off unit. This configuration is suitable for unitizing the battery shut-off unit and the external equipment.

[0014] (6) In any one of the battery disconnection units described in (1) to (5) above, the plurality of contactors include a first contactor for the positive electrode and a second contactor for the negative electrode provided in a first power line between the load and the battery pack, and a third contactor for the positive electrode and a fourth contactor for the negative electrode provided in a second power line between the charging device and the battery pack. A first block portion, which is part of the cooling member, is provided between the first contactor for the positive electrode and the second contactor for the negative electrode. A second block portion, which is another part of the cooling member, is provided between the third contactor for the positive electrode and the fourth contactor for the negative electrode. Even if the first contactor for the positive electrode and the second contactor for the negative electrode are designed for high voltage, the first block section helps to suppress the effects of electrical leakage and also allows for cooling of these contactors. Even if the third contactor for the positive electrode and the fourth contactor for the negative electrode are designed for high voltage, the second block section suppresses the effects of electrical leakage and allows for their cooling.

[0015] (7) In the battery shut-off unit of (6) above, a third block portion, which is yet another part of the cooling member, is provided between the first contactor for the positive electrode and the third contactor for the positive electrode. A fourth block portion, which is yet another part of the cooling member, is provided between the second contactor for the negative electrode and the fourth contactor for the negative electrode. The third block section enables cooling of both the first contactor for the positive electrode and the third contactor for the positive electrode. The fourth block section enables cooling of both the second contactor for the negative electrode and the fourth contactor for the negative electrode. This can improve the cooling performance of the contactor.

[0016] (8) In the battery cutoff unit of (7), one or both of the third block portion and the fourth block portion have a plate shape that is thinner than one or both of the first block portion and the second block portion. Since the third block portion and the fourth block portion are thin, the battery disconnect unit can be downsized.

[0017] (9) In the battery disconnect unit according to the above (8), the flow path is provided in both the first block portion and the second block portion. The third block portion and the fourth block portion are solid plate-shaped blocks. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain a cooling effect while simplifying the configuration of the cooling member.

[0018] <Details of the embodiments of the present invention> [Power supply unit having battery disconnect unit] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing a power supply unit having the battery disconnect unit of the present invention. The power supply unit 6 shown in Figure 1 is mounted on a vehicle that obtains driving power from electric power of a battery pack 7, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The power supply unit 6 includes the battery pack 7 and the battery disconnect unit 10. The battery pack 7 is electrically connected to each of a load 8 and a charging device 9 through the battery disconnect unit 10. The load 8 is a device to which electric power is supplied from the battery pack 7, such as an inverter for a motor mounted on a vehicle. The charging device 9 is a device separate from the vehicle, and is a device for charging the battery pack 7 through a charging port of the vehicle.

[0019] The battery disconnect unit 10 is also referred to as a Battery Disconnect Unit (BDU). The battery disconnect unit 10 has a function of supplying or cutting off the electric power of the battery pack 7 to the load 8. Further, the battery disconnect unit 10 has a function of supplying or cutting off the electric power from the charging device 9 to the battery pack 7. The battery disconnect unit 10 protects the electric power system of the vehicle when a fault current occurs.

[0020] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the battery disconnection unit 10. The battery disconnection unit 10 of this embodiment has a case 15, four contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14, a charging connector 16, a high-voltage connector 17, a low-voltage connector 18, and a number of busbars 19. Note that the number of contactors is not limited to four; it may be two or more, one for the positive electrode and one for the negative electrode, and the number is not limited.

[0021] The charging connector 16, the high-voltage connector 17, and the low-voltage connector 18 are mounted on the case 15. Figure 2 shows these connectors 16, 17, and 18 in a simplified form. The charging connector 16 and the high-voltage connector 17 are electrically connected to the contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 by a plurality of busbars 19. Since the charging device 9 (see Figure 1) has a rapid charging function, in the power system including the battery cutoff unit 10, not only the voltage value but also the current value is high, and the amount of heat generated by the battery cutoff unit 10 may be large. Therefore, the battery cutoff unit 10 has a cooling member 20 as a heat countermeasure. The cooling member 20 will be described later.

[0022] [Configuration of the battery cutoff unit 10] As shown in Figure 1, the battery cutoff unit 10 is integrated with the battery pack 7 by a flange 151 on the case 15. For the purposes of describing the invention in this disclosure, the battery cutoff unit 10 side is defined as the "front" and the battery pack 7 side is defined as the "rear".

[0023] In Figure 2, the case 15 is made of resin and has a box shape. The case 15 has a case body 153 with an internal storage space and a flange 151. The flange 151 is located on the battery pack 7 side, i.e., the rear side, of the case body 153. The battery cutoff unit 10 and the battery pack 7 are integrated by fastening the flange 151 to the housing 71 of the battery pack 7 (see Figure 1), for example, with bolts.

[0024] The case 15 (case body 153) shown in Figure 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in one direction (the left-right direction in Figure 2). For the purposes of describing the invention of this disclosure, the aforementioned one direction (the longitudinal direction of the case 15) is defined as the "left-right direction." The direction that is perpendicular to both the left-right direction and the front-back direction is defined as the "up-down direction." Note that the left-right direction, front-back direction, and up-down direction here are directions defined for the purpose of explaining the configuration of the battery cutoff unit 10, and may differ from the directions in which the battery cutoff unit 10 is actually mounted in an automobile.

[0025] The battery disconnection unit 10 shown in Figure 2 has multiple contactors: a first contactor 11 for the positive electrode, a second contactor 12 for the negative electrode, a third contactor 13 for the positive electrode, and a fourth contactor 14 for the negative electrode. Each of the contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 is an electrically controlled switching device (relay) that repeatedly opens and closes (interrupts and connects) circuits through which large currents flow. Each of the contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 has a switch circuit section (not shown) for opening and closing the circuit, and a housing 41 that houses the switch circuit section. The housing 41 may be made of aluminum or resin.

[0026] The first contactor 11 for the positive electrode is provided in the first positive electrode power line L1 between the load 8 (see Figure 1) and the battery pack 7, and the second contactor 12 for the negative electrode is provided in the first negative electrode power line L1 between the load 8 and the battery pack 7. As shown in Figure 2, the first contactor 11 and the second contactor 12 are provided side by side in the left-right direction within the case 15. A first space S1 is provided between these two contactors 11 and 12. In other words, the two contactors 11 and 12 are provided side by side, separated in the left-right direction. As will be explained later, a part of the cooling member 20 (first block portion 31) is provided in the first space S1.

[0027] The third contactor 13 for the positive electrode is provided in the second positive electrode power line L2 between the charging device 9 (see Figure 1) and the battery pack 7, and the fourth contactor 14 for the negative electrode is provided in the second negative electrode power line L2 between the charging device 9 and the battery pack 7. As shown in Figure 2, the third contactor 13 and the fourth contactor 14 are provided side by side in the left-right direction within the case 15. A second space S2 is provided between these two contactors 13 and 14. In other words, the two contactors 13 and 14 are provided side by side, separated in the left-right direction. As will be explained later, another part of the cooling member 20 (second block section 32) is provided in the second space S2.

[0028] The first space S1 and the second space S2 are vertically continuous spaces. The first space S1 and the second space S2 together constitute a single space S that has a vertically elongated portion. A third space S3 is provided between the first contactor 11 for the positive electrode and the third contactor 13 for the positive electrode. A fourth space S4 is provided between the second contactor 12 for the negative electrode and the third contactor 14 for the negative electrode. Space S is configured to have a long left-right portion formed by the third space S3 and the fourth space S4.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first contactor 11 for the positive electrode and the second contactor 12 for the negative electrode are arranged in the upper section, while the third contactor 13 for the positive electrode and the fourth contactor 14 for the negative electrode are arranged in the lower section, resulting in a two-tiered structure in terms of contactor arrangement. As described above, the first contactor 11 and the second contactor 12 are installed side by side in the case 15 with a space S(S1) between them. The third contactor 13 and the fourth contactor 14 are installed side by side in the case 15 with a space S(S2) between them.

[0030] [Regarding the cooling component 20] The cooling member 20 is provided in the space S. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cooling member 20. In Figure 3, contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 are shown as dashed lines. The cooling member 20 shown in Figure 3 has a first block portion 31, a second block portion 32, a third block portion 33, and a fourth block portion 34. The second block portion 32 is located below the first block portion 31. The third block portion 33 and the fourth block portion 34 are plate-shaped portions that extend left and right from between the first block portion 31 and the second block portion 32. When viewed from the front, the cooling member 20 has a + shape (plus sign). The cooling member 20 may be made of an electrically insulating resin, but in this embodiment, it is made of a metal (aluminum) with high thermal conductivity to improve cooling performance.

[0031] The first block portion 31, which is part of the cooling member 20, is provided between the first contactor 11 for the positive electrode and the second contactor 12 for the negative electrode (first space S1). The first block portion 31 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the front-to-back direction. The second block portion 32, which is another part of the cooling member 20, is provided between the third contactor 13 for the positive electrode and the fourth contactor 14 for the negative electrode (second space S2). The second block portion 32 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the front-to-back direction. The left-right dimensions of the first space S1 and the left-right dimensions of the second space S2 are the same. The left-right dimensions of the first block section 31 and the second block section 32 are the same.

[0032] The third block portion 33, which is yet another part of the cooling member 20, is provided between the first contactor 11 for the positive electrode and the third contactor 13 for the positive electrode (third space S3). The third block portion 33 has a plate shape that is thin in the vertical direction and extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The fourth block section 34, which is yet another part of the cooling member 20, is provided between the second contactor 12 for the negative electrode and the fourth contactor 14 for the negative electrode (the fourth space S4). The fourth block section 34 has a plate shape that is thin in the vertical direction and extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The vertical dimensions of the third space S3 and the fourth space S4 are the same. The third block section 33 and the fourth block section 34 have the same vertical dimensions.

[0033] The cooling member 20 has a passage 21 through which a refrigerant (coolant liquid) passes. The refrigerant is supplied from a cooling device 49 (see Figure 1), such as a radiator, mounted on the automobile. The cooling member 20 is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the passage 21. The four contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 are actively cooled by this cooling member 20, and the battery cutoff unit 10 has high cooling performance. For this reason, the battery cutoff unit 10 of this embodiment is suitable for high-current applications that generate relatively large amounts of heat.

[0034] The first space S1 between the upper first contactor 11 and the second contactor 12 suppresses the effects of electrical leakage between these contactors 11 and 12. A portion of the cooling member 20 (first block portion 31) is provided in the first space S1. The second space S2 between the lower third contactor 13 and the fourth contactor 14 suppresses the effects of electrical leakage between these contactors 13 and 14. Another part of the cooling member 20 (second block section 32) is provided in the second space S2.

[0035] In this embodiment, compared to the case where the cooling member is provided in an area other than the space between the two contactors within case 15, the cooling member 20 is provided in spaces S1 and S2, thereby making effective use of those spaces S1 and S2. This makes it possible to miniaturize the battery shut-off unit 10. The cooling element 20 functions as a spacer to prevent electrical leakage. This allows the space S1 (S2) to be reduced in the left-right direction, making it possible to further miniaturize the battery cutoff unit 10.

[0036] As described above, according to the battery shut-off unit 10 of this embodiment, the upper first contactor 11 and second contactor 12 are for high voltage, but the first block section 31 suppresses the effects of electrical leakage and allows them to be cooled. The lower third contactor 13 and fourth contactor 14 are for high voltage, but the second block section 32 suppresses the effects of electrical leakage and allows them to be cooled.

[0037] The configuration of the cooling member 20 will be further explained. The first block portion 31 has a first side surface 311 facing one side in the left-right direction (to the right in the case of Figure 2). The third block 33 has a first upper surface 331 facing upwards. The first contactor 11 is provided in surface contact with the first side surface 311 and the first upper surface 331. The first block portion 31 has a second side surface 312 facing the other side in the left-right direction (to the left in the case of Figure 2). The fourth block 34 has a second upper surface 341 facing upwards. The second contactor 12 is provided in surface contact with the second side surface 312 and the second upper surface 341.

[0038] The second block section 32 has a third side surface 321 facing one side in the left-right direction (to the right in the case of Figure 2). The third block section 33 has a first bottom surface 332 facing downwards. The third contactor 13 is provided in surface contact with the third side surface 321 and the first bottom surface 332. The second block section 32 has a fourth side surface 322 facing the other side in the left-right direction (to the left in the case of Figure 2). The fourth block section 34 has a second bottom surface 342 facing downwards. The fourth contactor 14 is provided in surface contact with the fourth side surface 322 and the second bottom surface 342.

[0039] In this way, the cooling member 20 is in contact with each of the four contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14. The four contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 and the cooling member 20 are integrated. The cooling member 20 can function as a fixing base for the four contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14. The four contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 and the cooling member 20 constitute a single subassembly. This makes it easier to assemble the subassembly into the case 15.

[0040] The flow path 21 of the cooling member 20 will now be described. The cooling member 20 (particularly the first block portion 31 and the second block 32) may be hollow and have a wide internal space as a flow path 21, through which the refrigerant can freely pass. In contrast, in the configuration shown in Figure 3, the flow path 21 within the cooling member 20 has a meandering shape. The meandering flow path 21 is provided spanning both the first block section 31 and the second block section 32. The cooling member 20 is made of metal. The meandering flow path 21 can be easily formed by creating holes in the metal member.

[0041] Because the flow path 21 has a meandering shape, the length of the flow path through which the refrigerant flows is increased, and the entire cooling member 20 is cooled by the refrigerant. In the configuration shown in Figures 2 and 3, two contactors 11, 13 (12, 14) are arranged side by side, one above the other. In this way, even if the contactors 11, 13 (12, 14) are provided over a wide area vertically within the case 15, the entire cooling member 20 is cooled by the refrigerant, which enhances the cooling effect on the contactors 11, 13 (12, 14).

[0042] The battery shut-off unit 10 has an inlet pipe 26 and an outlet pipe 27 connected to the flow path 21 of the cooling member 20. The inlet pipe 26 passes through a portion of the front wall 152 of the case 15 (see Figure 2) and connects to the flow path 21 of the cooling member 20. The inlet pipe 26 allows the refrigerant flowing from a cooling device 49 such as a radiator (see Figure 1) to flow to the cooling member 20. A seal 29 is provided between the inlet pipe 26 and the front wall 152 of the case 15 to ensure watertightness (see Figure 3).

[0043] The outlet pipe 27 is connected to the flow path 21 of the cooling member 20 and passes through a portion of the flange 151 which forms the rear wall of the case 15. The outlet pipe 27 carries the refrigerant that has passed through the flow path 21 of the cooling member 20 to the battery pack 7, which is an external device. In this embodiment, the inlet pipe 26 is connected to the first block section 31, and the outlet pipe 27 is connected to the second block section 32.

[0044] Here, as shown in Figure 1, the battery pack 7 has a battery flow path 72. The multiple battery modules 73 of the battery pack 7 are cooled by a coolant flowing through the battery flow path 72. The outlet pipe 27 is connected to the battery flow path 72, and the coolant flows from the outlet pipe 27 through the battery flow path 72. The battery shut-off unit 10 has an output tube 28. The output tube 28 penetrates the case 15 and passes the refrigerant that has flowed through the battery passage 72 of the battery pack 7, which is an external device.

[0045] The refrigerant used to cool the external battery pack 7 is also used to cool the battery shut-off unit 10 via the inlet pipe 26 and outlet pipe 27. The output pipe 28 allows the refrigerant that has flowed through the battery flow path 72 to be returned to a cooling device 49 (see Figure 1), such as a radiator, through the battery shut-off unit 10. This configuration, which shares the refrigerant, is suitable for unitizing the battery shut-off unit 10 and the battery pack 7.

[0046] Let's explain the cooling member 20 further. In Figure 2, the distance between the upper first contactor 11 and the lower third contactor 13 (third space S3) is smaller than the distance between the first contactor 11 and the second contactor 12 (first space S1). Therefore, the vertical dimension (thickness dimension) of the third block portion 33 is smaller than the horizontal dimension (thickness dimension) of the first block portion 31. In other words, the third block portion 33 has a thinner plate shape than the first block portion 31. Similarly, the distance between the upper second contactor 12 and the lower fourth contactor 14 (the fourth space S4) is smaller than the distance between the first contactor 11 and the second contactor 12 (the first space S1). Therefore, the vertical dimension (thickness dimension) of the fourth block section 34 is smaller than the horizontal dimension (thickness dimension) of the first block section 31. In other words, the fourth block section 34 has a thinner plate shape than the first block section 31.

[0047] In this way, by narrowing the third space S3 and the fourth space S4, and thinning the third block section 33 and the fourth block section 34, it becomes possible to miniaturize the battery cutoff unit 10 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the third block section 33 and the fourth block section 34 have the same configuration, and both have a plate shape that is thinner than the first block section 31 and the second block section 32. Furthermore, one or both of the third block section 33 and the fourth block section 34 may have a plate shape that is thinner than one or both of the first block section 31 and the second block section 32.

[0048] As described above, the flow path 21 is provided in both the first block section 31 and the second block section 32. The flow path 21 may also be provided in the third block section 33 and the fourth block section 34. In the configuration shown in Figure 3, the thin third block section 33 and the fourth block section 34 do not have a flow path 21 and are solid plate-shaped blocks. This configuration simplifies the structure of the cooling member 20.

[0049] The third block section 33 and the fourth block section 34 do not have a passage for the refrigerant, but are cooled by heat conduction between them and the first block section 31 and the second block section 32. The third block section 33 enables cooling of the first contactor 11 and the third contactor 13, which sandwich the third block section 33 from above and below. The fourth block section 34 enables cooling of the second contactor 12 and the fourth contactor 14, which sandwich the fourth block section 34 from above and below. The third block section 33 and the fourth block section 34 function as cooling fins, increasing the contact area of ​​the cooling member 20 with respect to the contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14. This configuration enhances the cooling function of the contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14.

[0050] [Other components] In Figure 1, the battery cutoff unit 10 has busbars 19, including a first busbar 19 for the positive electrode and a second busbar 19 for the negative electrode, as well as a third busbar 19 for the positive electrode and a fourth busbar 19 for the negative electrode. The first positive busbar 19 electrically connects the positive terminal of the high-voltage connector 17 to the first positive contactor 11. The second negative busbar 19 electrically connects the negative terminal of the high-voltage connector 17 to the second negative contactor 11. The third busbar 19 for the positive terminal electrically connects the positive terminal of the charging connector 16 to the third contactor 13 for the positive terminal. The fourth busbar 19 for the negative terminal electrically connects the negative terminal of the charging connector 16 to the fourth contactor 14 for the negative terminal.

[0051] Multiple busbars 19 (though not shown in Figure 2) pass near the front surface 23 of the cooling member 20. Therefore, an insulating member 45 is provided on the front surface 23 of the cooling member 20. The insulating member 45 is a sheet (tape) with high electrical insulation performance.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, the four contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 are arranged in a two-tiered configuration, with the cooling member 20 in the center, separated into upper, lower, left, and right sections. This two-tiered structure of the contactors 11, 12, 13, and 14 in the vertical and left-right directions makes it possible to shorten the busbar 19. Furthermore, the structure that allows the busbar 19 to pass near the cooling member 20 also makes it possible to shorten the busbar 19.

[0053] Shortening the busbar 19 provides a desirable configuration for heat dissipation. Furthermore, even when the busbar 19 passes near the cooling member 20, the insulating member 45 suppresses the electrical influence from the busbar 19. The insulating member 45 only needs to be provided at a position where the cooling member 20 and the busbar 19 face each other, and the insulating member 45 may be provided on the busbar 19 side as well as the cooling member 20 side, or it may be provided only on the busbar 19 side.

[0054] 〔others〕 The arrangement of the multiple contactors may be other than the configuration shown in Figure 2. For example, although not shown, three or four contactors may be arranged in a line in one direction (e.g., left to right). In this case, a cooling member 20 having a flow path 21 through which the refrigerant passes is provided between two adjacent contactors.

[0055] The embodiments described above are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the embodiments, and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 7. Battery pack (external device) 8 loads 9 Charging device 10 Battery shut-off unit 11 First Contactor 12 Second Contactor 13 Third Contactor 14. Fourth Contactor 15 cases 16 Charging connectors 17 High-voltage connector 18 Low-voltage connectors 19 Bass Bar 20 Cooling components 21 Flow channels 26 Introductory tube 27 Outlet pipe 28 output tubes 31. First Block Section 32 Second Block Section 33 Third Block Section 34. Fourth Block Section 45 Insulating material L1 First power line L2 Second electrical line S Space S1 First Space S2 Second Space S3 The Third Space S4 The Fourth Space

Claims

1. The case and Multiple contactors are arranged in a row with space between them within the aforementioned case, A cooling member provided in the aforementioned space and having a flow path through which a refrigerant passes, Having, Battery cutoff unit.

2. The cooling member is in contact with each of the plurality of contactors. The battery shutoff unit according to claim 1.

3. Within the cooling member, the flow path has a meandering shape. A battery shut-off unit according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The connector mounted on the aforementioned case, The connector and the contactor are electrically connected and the busbar passes near the cooling member, An insulating member is provided at a position where the cooling member and the busbar face each other. A battery shut-off unit according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. The cooling member includes an introduction pipe through which the refrigerant flows, A discharge pipe for discharging the refrigerant that has passed through the flow path of the cooling member to an external device, An output tube through which the refrigerant that has flowed through the external equipment passes, Having, A battery shut-off unit according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. The aforementioned plurality of contactors are A first contactor for the positive electrode and a second contactor for the negative electrode are provided in the first power line between the load and the battery pack, A third contactor for the positive electrode and a fourth contactor for the negative electrode are provided in the second power line between the charging device and the battery pack. Includes, A first block portion, which is part of the cooling member, is provided between the first contactor for the positive electrode and the second contactor for the negative electrode. A second block section, which is another part of the cooling member, is provided between the third contactor for the positive electrode and the fourth contactor for the negative electrode. A battery shut-off unit according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. A third block portion, which is yet another part of the cooling member, is provided between the first contactor for the positive electrode and the third contactor for the positive electrode. A fourth block section, which is yet another part of the cooling member, is provided between the second contactor for the negative electrode and the fourth contactor for the negative electrode. The battery shutoff unit according to claim 6.

8. One or both of the third block portion and the fourth block portion have a plate shape that is thinner than one or both of the first block portion and the second block portion. The battery cutoff unit according to claim 7.

9. The aforementioned flow path is provided in both the first block section and the second block section, The third block section and the fourth block section are solid, plate-shaped blocks. The battery cutoff unit according to claim 8.

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