Battery pack

Abstract

To obtain a battery pack capable of achieving space saving while ensuring cooling performance of a semiconductor relay.SOLUTION: A battery pack 10 includes: battery cells 14A; an electronic board 22 on which semiconductor relays 30 are mounted; and a case 12 formed in a box-like shape, capable of accommodating the battery cells 14A, having an electronic board 22 attached to its side surface, and having a fin member 44 provided on its bottom surface continuous with the side surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply device for a vehicle that includes a battery case that houses multiple batteries and an electronic component case that houses a relay that cuts off the battery current. The power supply device in Patent Document 1 is configured to transfer heat from the relay to the electronic component case by interposing an elastic heat conductive sheet between the relay and the electronic component case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-181737 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the power supply device described in Patent Document 1, the battery case that houses the battery and the electronic component case that houses the relay (semiconductor relay) are configured as separate bodies, so there is room for improvement in terms of space saving.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack that can ensure the cooling performance of a semiconductor relay while saving space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The battery pack according to claim 1 comprises a battery cell, an electronic board on which a semiconductor relay is mounted, and a case formed in a box shape capable of housing the battery cell, the electronic board being attached to a side surface of the case, and a fin member being provided on a bottom surface of the case that is continuous with the side surface. A substrate cooling portion that comes into contact with the semiconductor relay is provided on a side surface of the case, and a lattice-shaped groove is formed in the substrate cooling portion. .

[0007] In the battery pack according to claim 1, the case is formed in a box shape capable of housing the battery cells. Fin members are provided on the bottom surface of the case. This allows heat generated in the battery cells to be dissipated by being transferred from the bottom surface of the case to the fin members. In addition, an electronic board is attached to the side surface of the case, and a semiconductor relay that cuts off the output of the battery is mounted on the electronic board. By attaching the electronic board to the side surface of the case in this way, it is possible to save space compared to a configuration that includes a separate case for housing electronic components.

[0008] Here, the side surface of the case is continuous with the bottom surface of the case, so that heat generated in the semiconductor relay can be transferred from the side surface to the bottom surface of the case and dissipated through the fin members.

[0010] Also Since the surface area of ​​the substrate cooling portion is increased by the lattice-like grooves formed in the substrate cooling portion, the heat dissipation effect of the substrate cooling portion can be improved.

[0011] Claim 2 The battery pack according to claim 1 to A heat dissipation member is interposed between the semiconductor relay and the board cooling portion.

[0012] Claim 2 In the battery pack according to the present invention, heat generated in the semiconductor relay can be dissipated by the heat dissipation member while being transferred to the board cooling section.

[0013] Claim 3 The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2 In the battery charger, the electronic board is provided with a monitoring electronic component that monitors the state of the battery cell.

[0014] Claim 3 In the battery pack according to the present invention, by mounting the semiconductor relay and the monitoring electronic component on a single electronic board, it is possible to achieve space saving compared to a configuration in which a separate electronic board is provided.

[0015] Claim4 The battery pack according to the present invention comprises the following components: 3 In any one of the above, the case is formed of a metal containing aluminum as a main component.

[0016] Claim 4 In the battery pack according to the present invention, the case is made of a metal containing aluminum as a main component, which has high thermal conductivity, thereby making it possible to improve the cooling performance. Effect of the Invention

[0017] As described above, the battery pack according to the present invention can ensure the cooling performance of the semiconductor relay while saving space. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the battery pack of FIG. 1 as viewed from the right. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are plan views of an electronic substrate according to an embodiment, in which (A) shows one side and (B) shows the other side. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the essential part taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1; FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a case according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] A battery pack 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, the upward direction of the battery pack 10 is indicated by an arrow UP, the forward direction is indicated by an arrow FR, and the rightward direction is indicated by an arrow RH. The upward, forward, and rightward directions of the battery pack 10 are shown for convenience of explanation, regardless of the direction of the vehicle in which the battery pack 10 is mounted.

[0020] (Overall configuration of battery pack 10) As shown in FIG. 1, the battery pack 10 of this embodiment includes a case 12, a battery stack 14, a bus bar module 16, a cover 18, a cooling fan unit 20, an electronic board 22, and a connector module 24.

[0021] 1 and 2, the case 12 is formed in a generally box-like shape with an open upper side. In addition, the case 12 in this embodiment is formed of a metal containing aluminum as a main component, as an example. For this reason, the case 12 is designed to have a higher thermal conductivity than resin, iron, and the like. The case 12 accommodates a battery stack 14 and a bus bar module 16. In addition, the case 12 is attached to a lower cover 11. The case 12 will be described in detail later.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the battery stack 14 is a unit that stores power for driving a vehicle, and is configured to include a plurality of battery cells 14A arranged in the front-rear direction, and is formed into a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole.

[0023] The bus bar module 16 is disposed above the battery stack 14, and the bus bar module 16 electrically connects the multiple battery cells 14A that make up the battery stack 14.

[0024] The cover 18 is formed in a rectangular plate shape with the thickness direction being the up-down direction, and the outer shape of the cover 18 is formed in a shape and size that covers the upper opening of the case 12. A plurality of insertion holes 18A are formed in the outer peripheral end of the cover 18, and the cover 18 is fastened to the case 12 by inserting bolts into these insertion holes. By fastening the cover 18 to the case 12, the upper opening of the case 12 is closed.

[0025] A cooling fan unit 20 is disposed in front of the case 12, and as shown in Fig. 4, the cooling fan unit 20 includes a fan 20A. The fan 20A is driven by being energized at a predetermined timing. When the fan 20A is driven, the air inside the cooling fan unit 20 is blown upward. Accordingly, as shown by the arrow X in the figure, the cooling air flows from the rear to the front along the bottom surface of the case 12.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, an electronic board 22 is disposed on the right side surface of the case 12. As shown in Fig. 3(A), the electronic board 22 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape, and a plurality of semiconductor relays 30 are mounted on one surface of the electronic board 22. The semiconductor relays 30 are disposed in parallel and configured to be able to cut off the current output from the battery stack 14 by the semiconductor relays 30 mounted in parallel. For example, the semiconductor relays 30 cut off the output of the battery stack 14 when the power of the vehicle is switched OFF.

[0027] 3(B), a monitoring IC (Integrated Circuit) 32 serving as a monitoring electronic component for monitoring the state of the battery cell 14A is mounted on the other surface of the electronic board 22. That is, in this embodiment, the semiconductor relay 30 and the monitoring IC 32 are mounted on one electronic board 22.

[0028] 1, the electronic board 22 is attached to a connector module 24. The connector module 24 is attached to the right side surface of the case 12 together with the electronic board 22. An exhaust pipe (not shown) and the like are connected to the connector module 24.

[0029] (Case 12) Next, a detailed description will be given of the case 12 constituting the battery pack 10. As shown in Fig. 5, the case 12 is configured to include a bottom wall 40 constituting the bottom surface, and a side wall 42 constituting the side surface by extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 40. Therefore, the bottom wall 40 and the side wall 42 of the case 12 are continuous.

[0030] Here, a fin member 44 is provided on the bottom wall 40 of the case 12. The fin member 44 is configured with a plurality of ribs 44A protruding downward from the bottom wall 40, and each of the ribs 44A extends with the longitudinal direction being the front-rear direction. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, the cooling air is configured to pass between adjacent ribs 44A.

[0031] 2, a heat dissipation putty 46 serving as a heat dissipation member is provided on the underside of the battery cells 14A constituting the battery stack 14. The heat dissipation putty 46 is interposed between the lower ends of the battery cells 14A and the bottom wall 40 of the case 12, and is configured so that heat generated in the battery cells 14A is transferred to the bottom wall 40 via the heat dissipation putty 46.

[0032] 5, an opening 42A is formed in the right side wall 42 of the case 12. Four mounting holes 48 are formed around the periphery of the opening 42A, and bolts for fastening the connector module 24 are screwed into these mounting holes 48. The opening 42A is then closed by the connector module 24. In this manner, the opening of the case 12 is closed by the cover 18 and the connector module 24, so that the interior of the case 12 is sealed in a waterproof and dustproof state.

[0033] Here, the opening 42A is provided with a substrate cooling section 50. The substrate cooling section 50 is formed in a shape corresponding to the electronic substrate 22. Specifically, the substrate cooling section 50 includes a central section 50A extending in the front-rear direction and a front end connected to the front edge of the opening 42A, and an upper section 50B extending upward from the central section 50A and having a shorter length in the front-rear direction than the central section 50A. The front end and rear end of the upper section 50B extend upward and are connected to the upper edge of the opening 42A. The lower section 50C extends downward from the central section 50A, and this lower section 50C is connected to the lower edge of the opening 42A. The central section 50A, the upper section B, and the lower section 50C are integrally formed to constitute the substrate cooling section 50. Therefore, the substrate cooling section 50 is connected to the front edge and the lower edge of the opening 42A. In the present embodiment, as an example, the lower section 50C is formed to a length about half the length of the lower edge of the opening 42A.

[0034] Further, lattice-like grooves 52 are formed in the substrate cooling section 50. The lattice-like grooves 52 are composed of grooves extending in the front-rear direction and grooves extending in the up-down direction, and the grooves 52 are spaced at equal intervals both up-down and front-to-back.

[0035] The semiconductor relay 30 of the electronic board 22 is in contact with the board cooling section 50. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, a heat dissipation putty 54 serving as a heat dissipation member is interposed between the semiconductor relay 30 and the board cooling section 50, and the semiconductor relay 30 is in contact with the board cooling section 50 via the heat dissipation putty 54. Therefore, heat generated from the semiconductor relay 30 is transferred to the board cooling section 50 via the heat dissipation putty 54, and is transferred from the board cooling section 50 to the bottom wall 40 of the case 12 as indicated by the arrow Y in the figure.

[0036] (action) Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0037] 5, in the battery pack 10 according to this embodiment, fin members 44 are provided on the bottom surface of the case 12 formed in a box shape capable of accommodating the battery cells 14A. This allows heat generated in the battery cells 14A to be transferred from the bottom surface of the case 12 to the fin members 44 and dissipated.

[0038] 6, an electronic board 22 is attached to the side of the case 12, and a semiconductor relay 30 that cuts off the output of the battery stack 14 is mounted on the electronic board 22. By attaching the electronic board 22 to the side of the case 12 in this way, a dedicated case for accommodating electronic components is no longer necessary, thereby enabling space saving.

[0039] Furthermore, in the battery pack 10 of this embodiment, the side wall 42 of the case 12 is continuous with the bottom wall 40 of the case 12. This allows heat generated in the semiconductor relay 30 to be transferred from the side wall 42 to the bottom wall 40 of the case 12 and dissipated from the fin members 44. As a result, it is possible to achieve space saving while ensuring the cooling performance of the semiconductor relay 30.

[0040] 5, in the battery pack 10 of this embodiment, the surface area of ​​the substrate cooling section 50 is increased by the lattice-like grooves 52 formed in the substrate cooling section 50, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the substrate cooling section 50. In particular, by forming the substrate cooling section 50 into a plurality of blocks separated from each other by the lattice-like grooves 52 as in this embodiment, air can be caused to flow through the grooves 52 between the blocks, and the accumulation of heat in the substrate cooling section 50 can be effectively suppressed.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower portion 50C of the substrate cooling section 50 is formed to a length approximately half the length of the lower edge of the opening 42A, so that heat can be transferred more effectively from the substrate cooling section 50 to the bottom wall 40 compared to a configuration in which the lower portion 50C is short in both the front and rear directions.

[0042] 6, in the battery pack 10 of this embodiment, heat generated in the semiconductor relay 30 can be dissipated by the heat dissipation putty 54 while being transferred to the board cooling section 50. Similarly, heat generated in the battery cell 14A can be dissipated by the heat dissipation putty 46 while being transferred to the bottom wall 40 of the case 12, and can be dissipated from the fin members 44. That is, in the battery pack 10 of this embodiment, heat generated from the battery cell 14A (battery stack 14) and the semiconductor relay 30 can be effectively transferred by the fin members 44.

[0043] In particular, in this embodiment, since the substrate cooling portion 50 with which the heat dissipation putty 54 is in contact is formed in an uneven shape by the lattice-like grooves 52, it is possible to prevent the heat dissipation putty 54 from falling off.

[0044] In addition, in the battery pack 10 of this embodiment, by mounting the semiconductor relay 30 and the monitoring IC 32 on one electronic board 22, it is possible to save space compared to a configuration in which a separate electronic board is provided. Furthermore, since the heat generated from the semiconductor relay 30 and the monitoring IC 32 can be transferred collectively to the board cooling section 50, there is no need to provide a separate cooling member.

[0045] Furthermore, in the battery pack 10 of this embodiment, the case 12 is made of a metal mainly composed of aluminum, which has high thermal conductivity. Therefore, the cooling performance can be improved compared to a case made of a material such as resin or iron.

[0046] Although the battery pack 10 according to the embodiment has been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the substrate cooling section 50 is formed with the lattice-shaped grooves 52, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which grooves of other shapes are formed may be adopted.

[0047] 6, the heat dissipation putty 46 is provided between the battery cell 14A and the bottom wall 40, but this is not limited to the above. For example, another heat dissipation member may be provided between the battery cell 14A and the bottom wall 40 instead of the heat dissipation putty 46. Similarly, another heat dissipation member may be provided between the semiconductor relay 30 and the board cooling unit 50 instead of the heat dissipation putty 54. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Battery pack 12 cases 14A battery cell 22 Electronic Board 30 Semiconductor Relay 32 Monitoring IC (monitoring electronic components) 44 Fin member 50 Substrate cooling section 52 Groove 54 Heat dissipation putty (heat dissipation material)

Claims

1. A battery cell; An electronic board on which a semiconductor relay is mounted; a case formed in a box shape capable of accommodating the battery cells, with the electronic board attached to a side surface and a fin member provided on a bottom surface continuous with the side surface; having a substrate cooling portion in contact with the semiconductor relay is provided on a side surface of the case, The battery pack, wherein the substrate cooling portion has a lattice-shaped groove formed therein.

2. A battery pack as described in claim 1, wherein a heat dissipation member is interposed between the semiconductor relay and the substrate cooling section.

3. A battery pack as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the electronic board is provided with a monitoring electronic component that monitors the status of the battery cells.

4. A battery pack described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the case is formed of a metal whose main component is aluminum.

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