Vehicle battery unit

Abstract

To provide a battery unit in which vibration of a battery module can be prevented.SOLUTION: A battery unit 20 comprises: at least one battery module 30; a junction board 52 which is electrically connected to the battery module 30; a base plate 60 on which the battery module 30 is placed; a right battery module bracket 72, extending in the vertical direction, which supports the battery module 30 and has a lower end fixed to the base plate 60; and a junction board bracket 73 which supports the junction board 52. The junction board bracket 73 has: a left central fixing part 730a which is fixed to the right battery module bracket 72; and a right front fixing part 731b which is fixed to the base plate 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery unit, and more particularly to a battery unit mounted on a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to realize a low-carbon or carbon-free society have been gaining momentum as a concrete measure against global climate change. There is also a strong demand for reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles, and the electrification of drive sources is rapidly progressing. Specifically, development is underway for vehicles such as electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles that are equipped with an electric motor as a drive source for the vehicle and a battery as a secondary battery capable of supplying power to the electric motor.

[0003] As vehicle drive sources become more electric, battery units mounted on vehicles need to be equipped with battery modules with large power storage capacities. Battery modules with large power storage capacities are large in size and weight, so if the battery module vibrates within the battery unit due to vehicle vibrations, the weight balance changes significantly, significantly worsening the ride comfort of the vehicle. For this reason, there is a strong demand for measures to suppress the vibration of the battery module within the battery unit in battery units mounted on vehicles.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a battery unit in which end plates provided at the ends of battery modules arranged in a predetermined direction are fixed to a lower case, and the battery modules are fixed to the lower case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-069657 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the battery unit of Patent Document 1, the end plates provided at the ends of the battery modules are fixed to the lower case only at their lower ends, so that when the vehicle vibrates horizontally, for example, the upper ends of the end plates are likely to vibrate. Therefore, the battery unit of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of suppressing the vibration of the battery modules within the battery unit.

[0007] The present invention provides a battery unit capable of suppressing vibration of a battery module within the battery unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to The battery cell has a plurality of battery cells stacked in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. at least one battery module; an electronic device electrically connected to the battery module; A base plate on which the battery module is mounted; A lower end portion of the battery module is fixed to the base plate. The above A first bracket extending in the vertical direction; and a second bracket for supporting the electronic device. For vehicles A battery unit comprising: The second bracket has a first fixing portion fixed to the first bracket and a second fixing portion fixed to the base plate. death, The first fixing portion of the second bracket is located above the lower end portion of the first bracket and is provided at a position overlapping the battery module and the first bracket when viewed from the first direction. . The present invention also provides a method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: at least one battery module; an electronic device electrically connected to the battery module; A base plate on which the battery module is mounted; a first bracket supporting the battery module, the first bracket having a lower end fixed to the base plate and extending in the up-down direction; A vehicle battery unit comprising: the second bracket has a first fixing portion fixed to the first bracket and a second fixing portion fixed to the base plate, The vehicle battery unit further includes a cooling device through which a cooling gas for cooling the battery module flows, The cooling device includes: A fan that sends the cooling gas to the battery module; an introduction duct connected to the suction port of the fan; the introduction duct is disposed between the second bracket and the fan in the vertical direction, The second bracket biases the introduction duct toward the inlet of the fan. The present invention also provides a method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: at least one battery module; an electronic device electrically connected to the battery module; A base plate on which the battery module is mounted; a first bracket supporting the battery module, the first bracket having a lower end fixed to the base plate and extending in the up-down direction; A vehicle battery unit comprising: the second bracket has a first fixing portion fixed to the first bracket and a second fixing portion fixed to the base plate, the electronic device is a junction board on which wiring components are mounted, the wiring components electrically connecting the battery module and an external device and through which charging power and / or discharging power of the battery module flows, The vehicle battery unit further includes a service plug capable of cutting off power flowing through the junction board, The second bracket includes a stay that supports the service plug. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the first bracket extending in the vertical direction while supporting the battery module is fixed to the base plate at its lower end and is also fixed to the base plate via the second bracket. Therefore, the first bracket supporting the battery module is fixed to the base plate at a plurality of points including the lower end and the fixing point with the second fixing portion of the second bracket. As a result, the first bracket supporting the battery module is firmly fixed to the base plate, so that the battery module supported by the first bracket can be prevented from vibrating within the battery unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of the rear seat periphery of a vehicle equipped with a battery unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above and in the front; [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the battery unit of a vehicle equipped with the battery unit of FIG. 1, viewed from the left side. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is an exploded perspective view of a main portion of a cooling device, a junction board bracket, a junction board, and a base plate in the battery unit of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is a perspective view of the vicinity of a right end portion of the base plate in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 4(a) is a perspective view of the delivery duct in FIG. 3 as viewed from the upper left front, and FIG. 4(b) is a perspective view of the delivery duct in FIG. 3 as viewed from the lower left front. [Figure 7] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the battery unit of FIG. 3 as viewed from the rear. [Figure 8] 8 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing the cooling device, the junction board bracket, the junction board, and the vicinity of the base plate in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 4 is a diagram showing the battery unit of FIG. 3 viewed from above with the battery unit cover, the battery control device, the battery control device bracket, the junction board, and the service plug removed. [Figure 10] 4 is an enlarged view of a main portion near a junction board of the battery unit of FIG. 3, seen from above with a battery unit cover, a battery control device, and a battery control device bracket removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the battery unit of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the battery unit is mounted on a vehicle. The drawings are to be viewed in the direction of the reference symbols. In this specification and the like, in order to simplify and clarify the description, the front / rear, left / right, and up / down directions are described according to the direction as seen by the driver of the vehicle, and in the drawings, the front of the vehicle is indicated as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the top as U, and the bottom as D.

[0012] <Vehicle> 1 and 2, a battery unit 20 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle V. The vehicle V is, for example, an electric vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle or a battery-powered vehicle equipped with a drive motor (not shown) capable of driving the vehicle V with electric power stored in the battery unit 20. The battery unit 20 is placed on and fixed to a floor panel 10. A rear seat RS of the vehicle V is disposed above the battery unit 20.

[0013] The floor panel 10 has a front floor panel 11 that constitutes the floor of the passenger compartment CB, and a rear floor panel 12 that constitutes the floor of the luggage compartment LG provided behind the passenger compartment CB. The front floor panel 11 and the rear floor panel 12 are connected below the rear seat RS. Both ends of the floor panel 10 in the vehicle width direction are connected to a pair of left and right skeleton frame members (not shown) that extend along the front-rear direction, and thus the floor panel 10 is fixed to the skeleton frame members.

[0014] An upwardly rising kick-up portion 11a is formed at the rear end of the front floor panel 11. A center tunnel 11b is formed along the front-rear direction at the center in the vehicle width direction of the front floor panel 11. The center tunnel 11b is bent so that the front floor panel 11 is convex upward, and a trapezoidal tunnel space 13 is formed below.

[0015] An accommodating recess 121 is recessed into the front end portion of the rear floor panel 12. The accommodating recess 121 has a rectangular bottom wall portion 121a that is elongated in the vehicle width direction, and the battery unit 20 is placed on the bottom wall portion 121a.

[0016] <Power supply> As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the battery unit 20 includes two battery modules 30, a cooling device 40 through which cooling gas flows to cool the battery modules 30, a battery control device 51 that controls the charging and discharging of the battery modules 30, a junction board 52 that electrically connects the battery modules 30 to an external device (not shown) and has wiring components mounted thereon through which the charging power and discharging power of the battery modules 30 flows, and a service plug 53 that can cut off the power flowing through the junction board 52.

[0017] The battery unit 20 includes a base plate 60 on which the two battery modules 30 are placed, and a front frame 81 and a rear frame 82 that cover the lower side of the base plate 60 and are fixed to the base plate 60. The base plate 60 is placed on a bottom wall portion 121a of an accommodating recess 121 recessed into the front end portion of the rear floor panel 12.

[0018] The battery module 30 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the vehicle width direction. The two battery modules 30 are disposed facing each other in the front-rear direction. Each battery module 30 has a plurality of battery cells 31 stacked in the vehicle width direction. The battery cell 31 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape whose shortest point is in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] The cooling device 40, the junction board 52, and the service plug 53 are disposed on the right side of the battery module 30. The cooling device 40 and the junction board 52 are provided in a position where at least a portion of them overlaps with the battery module 30 when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0020] This makes it possible to arrange the cooling device 40 and the junction board 52 in the battery unit 20 while suppressing the front-rear dimension and height dimension of the battery unit 20.

[0021] The cooling device 40 has a fan 41 that blows out cooling gas to cool the battery module 30, an inlet duct 42 that introduces the cooling gas to the fan 41, and an outlet duct 43 that sends out the cooling gas blown out from the fan 41 in a desired direction.

[0022] The fan 41 is placed on the base plate 60. The fan 41 is provided at a position where at least a part of the fan 41 overlaps with the battery module 30 when viewed from the vehicle width direction. The fan 41 has an impeller 41a that draws in cooling gas from the direction of the rotation axis and blows out the cooling gas in the centrifugal direction, and a fan case 41b that supports and houses the impeller 41a. The fan case 41b has an intake port 41c that draws in the cooling gas supplied to the impeller 41a, and an outlet port 41d that exhausts the cooling gas blown out from the impeller 41a. In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the impeller 41a extends in the vertical direction. The fan case 41b has a substantially cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction. The intake port 41c opens upward. The outlet port 41d protrudes leftward from the substantially cylindrical fan case 41b and opens leftward. Therefore, the fan 41 draws in cooling gas from above through the inlet 41c and blows the cooling gas leftward through the outlet 41d.

[0023] The introduction duct 42 is disposed above the fan 41. The introduction duct 42 is provided adjacent to the upper part of the fan 41 and covers the upper part of the fan 41. The introduction duct 42 is provided at a position where at least a part of the introduction duct 42 overlaps with the battery module 30 when viewed from the vehicle width direction. The introduction duct 42 has a flow path 42a through which the cooling gas flows. An introduction port 42b that opens in an obliquely upward forward direction is provided at one end side of the flow path 42a. An exhaust port 42c that opens in a downward direction and is connected to an intake port 41c of the fan case 41b is provided at the other end side of the flow path 42a. In the introduction duct 42, the cooling gas that cools the battery module 30 is introduced from the introduction port 42b into the flow path 42a, flows through the flow path 42a, and is sucked into the intake port 41c of the fan 41 from the exhaust port 42c.

[0024] A pair of positioning pins 42d protruding downward in a substantially cylindrical shape are provided at the front and rear of the left end of the introduction duct 42. The positioning pin 42d has a substantially cylindrical shape with a tapered tip.

[0025] The exhaust duct 43 is provided adjacent to the left side of the fan 41 and is connected to the air outlet 41d of the fan case 41b. The exhaust duct 43 exhausts the cooling gas blown out from the air outlet 41d of the fan case 41b to the left along the lower surface of the battery module 30. The details of the exhaust duct 43 will be described later.

[0026] The battery control device 51 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the vertical direction being its shortest point, and is disposed in a position facing the upper surface of the battery module 30 so as to straddle in the front-rear direction two battery modules 30 aligned in the front-rear direction.

[0027] The junction board 52 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the vertical direction being its shortest, and is disposed above the cooling device 40 at a position where at least a portion of the junction board 52 overlaps with the cooling device 40 as viewed from the vertical direction. Therefore, the inlet duct 42 of the cooling device 40 is disposed between the junction board 52 and the fan 41 in the vertical direction. Also, the junction board 52 is provided at a position where at least a portion of the junction board 52 overlaps with the battery module 30 as viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0028] The service plug 53 is provided on a wiring member that electrically connects an external device (not shown) and the junction board 52, and is a manually insertable and removable plug. When the service plug 53 is inserted, the external device (not shown) and the junction board 52 are electrically connected, and when the service plug 53 is removed, the external device (not shown) and the junction board 52 are electrically disconnected. The service plug 53 is disposed in front of the junction board 52. The service plug 53 is disposed at a position where at least a portion thereof overlaps with the junction board 52 when viewed from the front-rear direction.

[0029] 3 to 5, the base plate 60 has a bottom wall portion 61 that covers the lower portions of the two battery modules 30 and the cooling device 40 arranged on the right side of the battery modules 30, and a side wall portion 62 that bends upward from the front, rear, left and right outer edges of the bottom wall portion 61 and extends in the up-down direction while surrounding the front, rear, left and right outer edges of the bottom wall portion 61. The side wall portion 62 has a front wall portion 62a that bends upward from the front edge of the bottom wall portion 61, a rear wall portion 62b that bends upward from the rear edge of the bottom wall portion 61, a left wall portion 62c that bends upward from the left edge of the bottom wall portion 61, and a right wall portion 62d that bends upward from the right edge of the bottom wall portion 61.

[0030] The base plate 60 further includes a seal member 63 fixed to the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 61 and extending in the vehicle width direction. The seal member 63 is formed of a material that is impermeable to gas. In this embodiment, the seal member 63 is formed of a rubber foam having an adhesive layer formed on the upper surface and the lower surface. The adhesive layer formed on the lower surface of the seal member 63 adheres to the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60, so that the seal member 63 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 61 without forming a gap between the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 61 and the seal member 63. The seal member 63 includes a pair of left and right side seal members 63a extending in the front-rear direction, a front seal member 63b connecting the front ends of the pair of left and right side seal members 63a and extending in the vehicle width direction, a rear seal member 63c connecting the front ends of the pair of left and right side seal members 63a and extending in the vehicle width direction, and a center seal member 63d connecting approximately the center in the front-rear direction of the pair of left and right side seal members 63a and extending in the vehicle width direction. The pair of left and right side seal members 63a extend in the front-rear direction from approximately the same position as the front end of the battery module 30 arranged in the front to approximately the same position as the rear end of the battery module 30 arranged in the rear, at approximately the same positions in the left-right direction as the left and right ends of the battery module 30. The front seal member 63b, the rear seal member 63c, and the center seal member 63d each extend in the vehicle width direction from approximately the same position as the left end of the battery module 30 to approximately the same position as the right end of the battery module 30 in the left-right direction.

[0031] The two battery modules 30 are placed on the seal member 63. The battery module 30 disposed at the front of the two battery modules 30 is placed so that its front end is supported by the front seal member 63b of the seal member 63 and its rear end is supported by the central seal member 63d of the seal member 63. The front seal member 63b and the central seal member 63d are compressed by the weight of the battery module 30 disposed at the front, and the adhesive layers formed on the upper surfaces of the front seal member 63b and the central seal member 63d adhere to the lower surface of the battery module 30 disposed at the front, so that the battery module 30 disposed at the front is fixed to the upper surfaces of the front seal member 63b and the central seal member 63d without forming a gap between the upper surfaces of the front seal member 63b and the central seal member 63d. Of the two battery modules 30, the battery module 30 arranged at the rear is placed so that its front end is supported by the central seal member 63d of the seal member 63 and its rear end is supported by the rear seal member 63c of the seal member 63. The central seal member 63d and the rear seal member 63c are compressed by the weight of the battery module 30 arranged at the rear, and the adhesive layer formed on the upper surface of the central seal member 63d and the rear seal member 63c adheres to the lower surface of the battery module 30 arranged at the rear, so that the battery module 30 arranged at the rear is fixed to the upper surface of the central seal member 63d and the rear seal member 63c without forming a gap between the upper surface of the central seal member 63d and the rear seal member 63c. As a result, a flow path 60a through which a cooling gas for cooling the battery module 30 flows is formed between the lower surface of the battery module 30 and the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60, sandwiching the seal member 63.In this embodiment, a flow path 60a is formed which is surrounded by the underside of the battery module 30 arranged in the front, the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60, a pair of left and right side sealing members 63a, a front sealing member 63b, and a central sealing member 63d, and a flow path 60a is formed which is surrounded by the underside of the battery module 30 arranged in the rear, the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60, a pair of left and right side sealing members 63a, a central sealing member 63d, and a rear sealing member 63c. The underside of the battery module 30 located in the front and the bottom wall 61 of the base plate 60 are fixed without gaps to a gas-impermeable sealing member 63, and the underside of the battery module 30 located in the rear and the bottom wall 61 of the base plate 60 are fixed without gaps to a gas-impermeable sealing member 63, so that the gas flowing through the two flow paths 60a does not leak out from between the underside of the battery module 30 and the bottom wall 61 of the base plate 60 to the outside of the flow paths 60a.

[0032] The base plate 60 further has a plate-shaped support member 64 fixed to the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 61 and extending in the front-rear direction. The support member 64 has a main surface 64a extending in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction, a side wall portion 64b bent downward from the front edge portion, the rear edge portion, and the left edge portion of the main surface 64a and extending in the up-down direction surrounding the front edge portion, the rear edge portion, and the left edge portion of the main surface 64a, and a flange portion 64c extending in a flange-like shape from the lower end portion of the side wall portion 64b. Therefore, the side wall portion 64b and the flange portion 64c have a U-shape opening to the right when viewed from the up-down direction. The lower surface of the flange portion 64c is fixed to the bottom wall portion 61 by abutting against the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60. The support member 64 is provided so that the right side seal member 63a of the seal member 63 is disposed on the upper surface of the flange portion 64c in a portion extending leftward from the left edge portion of the main surface 64a. That is, the support member 64 is sandwiched in the vertical direction between the bottom wall 61 and the right side seal member 63a of the seal member 63 at the flange portion 64c extending leftward beyond the left edge of the main surface 64a. An adhesive layer formed on the lower surface of the right side seal member 63a adheres to the upper surface of the flange portion 64c extending leftward beyond the left edge of the main surface 64a.

[0033] Between the lower surface of the support member 64 and the bottom wall portion 61, a flow path connection space 60b surrounded by the lower surface of the support member 64 and the bottom wall portion 61 is formed. The flow path connection space 60b has a shape that bulges upward from the flange portion 64c of the support member 64 toward the main surface 64a. As described above, the support member 64 is provided so that the right side seal member 63a of the seal member 63 is disposed on the upper surface of the flange portion 64c of the portion extending leftward from the left edge portion of the main surface 64a, so that the flow path connection space 60b is continuous with the flow path 60a formed between the lower surface of the battery module 30 and the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60. In this way, the support member 64 is provided so that the flow path connection space 60b surrounded by the lower surface of the support member 64 and the bottom wall portion 61 is continuous with the flow path 60a formed between the lower surface of the battery module 30 and the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60. Furthermore, since the adhesive layer formed on the underside of the right-side side seal member 63a adheres to the upper surface of the flange portion 64c in the portion extending leftward beyond the left edge of the main surface 64a, the gas flowing through the flow path connection space 60b flows into the flow path 60a without leaking.

[0034] The front frame 81 is connected to the base plate 60, extends in the vehicle width direction, and covers the front wall portion 62a of the base plate 60. The rear frame 82 is connected to the base plate 60, extends in the vehicle width direction, and covers the rear wall portion 62b of the base plate 60. The front frame 81 is fixed to the floor panel 10 of the vehicle V, specifically, to the kick-up portion 11a of the front floor panel 11, by fastening members such as bolts. The rear frame 82 is fixed to the floor panel 10 of the vehicle V, specifically, to the front end portion of the rear floor panel 12, by fastening members such as bolts (see FIG. 2).

[0035] A protruding portion 82a that protrudes forward is formed at the right end portion of the rear frame 82. The protruding portion 82a has a flat plate shape that extends substantially horizontally forward from the right rear end portion of the rear frame 82. A substantially cylindrical male threaded pin 82b that passes through the protruding portion 82a in the up-down direction and protrudes upward is provided on the protruding portion 82a. The outer peripheral surface of the male threaded pin 82b is male threaded.

[0036] (Fixing the battery module) As shown in Figures 3 to 5, 7 and 9, the base plate 60 has a left battery module mounting portion 65 that protrudes rightward from the left wall portion 62c. A pair of approximately cylindrical male threaded pins 65a are provided on the front and rear of the left battery module mounting portion 65, which are inserted vertically and protrude upward. The outer circumferential surface of each male threaded pin 65a is male threaded. A left battery module bracket 71 is fixed to the left battery module mounting portion 65.

[0037] The left side battery module bracket 71 has a main plate 71a extending in the front-to-rear and up-down directions at a position overlapping with the left side surfaces of the two battery modules 30 arranged in a front-to-rear direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction, an upper end 71b bent to the right from the upper end of the main plate 71a, extending in the front-to-rear direction and to the right from the upper end of the main plate 71a and facing the left end portions of the upper surfaces of the two battery modules 30 arranged in a front-to-rear direction, and a lower end 71c bent to the left from the lower end of the main plate 71a, extending in the front-to-rear direction and to the left from the lower end of the main plate 71a and facing the left side battery module mounting portion 65.

[0038] A pair of front and rear insertion holes are formed in the lower end 71c of the left battery module bracket 71 at positions overlapping with the pair of front and rear male screw pins 65a provided on the left battery module mounting portion 65. The pair of front and rear male screw pins 65a of the left battery module mounting portion 65 are inserted into the pair of front and rear insertion holes formed in the lower end 71c of the left battery module bracket 71, respectively, and a fastening member such as a nut is fastened from above to each male screw pin 65a, thereby fixing the lower end 71c to the left battery module mounting portion 65. In this way, the lower end 71c of the left battery module bracket 71 is fixed to the left battery module mounting portion 65 and extends in the up and down direction.

[0039] Two generally cylindrical male screw pins 30a protruding to the left are provided on the left side surface of each of the two battery modules 30 arranged in a front-to-rear direction, one above the other. The main plate 71a of the left battery module bracket 71 has insertion holes through which the male screw pins 30a are inserted at positions overlapping with the male screw pins 30a protruding to the left from the left side surface of each of the two battery modules 30. The male screw pins 30a provided on the left side surface of each of the two battery modules 30 are inserted into the insertion holes formed in the main plate 71a of the left battery module bracket 71, and fastening members such as nuts are fastened to the male screw pins 30a from the left, so that the left battery module bracket 71 supports the left side surfaces of each of the two battery modules 30 arranged in a front-to-rear direction from the left.

[0040] A pair of substantially cylindrical male threaded pins 64d are provided on the front and rear of the main surface 64a of the support member 64. The male threaded pins 64d are threaded on the outer circumferential surface of the main surface 64a.

[0041] A right-side battery module bracket 72 is fixed to the support member 64. The right-side battery module bracket 72 has a main plate 72a extending in the front-rear and up-down directions at a position overlapping with the right side surfaces of the two battery modules 30 arranged in a front-rear direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction, an upper end portion 72b bending leftward from the upper end of the main plate 72a, extending in the front-rear direction and leftward from the upper end of the main plate 72a and facing the right end portions of the upper surfaces of the two battery modules 30 arranged in a front-rear direction, and a lower end portion 72c bending leftward from the lower end of the main plate 72a, extending in the front-rear direction and leftward from the lower end of the main plate 72a and facing the main surface 64a of the support member 64.

[0042] A pair of front and rear insertion holes through which the male screw pins 64d are inserted are formed at positions overlapping with a pair of front and rear male screw pins 64d provided on the main surface 64a of the support member 64 in the lower end portion 72c of the right battery module bracket 72. The pair of front and rear male screw pins 64d provided on the main surface 64a of the support member 64 are inserted into the pair of front and rear insertion holes formed in the lower end portion 72c of the right battery module bracket 72, and the lower end portion 72c is fixed to the main surface 64a of the support member 64 by fastening a fastening member 64e such as a nut from above to each male screw pin 64d. In this manner, the lower end portion 72c of the right battery module bracket 72 is fixed to the support member 64 and extends in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the fastening member 64e is a nut that can be screwed onto the male screw pin 64d.

[0043] Two approximately cylindrical male screw pins 30b protruding to the right are provided on the right side surface of each of the two battery modules 30 arranged in a front-to-rear direction, one above the other. The main plate 72a of the right-side battery module bracket 72 has insertion holes through which the male screw pins 30b are inserted at positions overlapping with the male screw pins 30b protruding to the right from the right side surface of each of the two battery modules 30. The male screw pins 30b provided on the right side surfaces of each of the two battery modules 30 are inserted into the insertion holes formed in the main plate 72a of the right-side battery module bracket 72, and fastening members such as nuts are fastened to the male screw pins 30b from the right, so that the right-side battery module bracket 72 supports the right side surfaces of each of the two battery modules 30 arranged in a front-to-rear direction from the right.

[0044] (Fixing the cooling device) 4 and 5, the base plate 60 has a first fan mounting portion 66 protruding leftward from the right wall portion 62d. A pair of substantially cylindrical male screw pins 66a, one at the front and one at the rear, are provided on the first fan mounting portion 66, which are inserted vertically and protrude upward. The outer circumferential surface of each male screw pin 66a is male threaded.

[0045] The base plate 60 has a second fan mounting portion 67 that protrudes forward from the rear wall portion 62b between the first fan mounting portion 66 and the support member 64 in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the second fan mounting portion 67 is provided with one substantially cylindrical male threaded pin 67a that is inserted in the up-down direction and protrudes upward. The outer circumferential surface of the male threaded pin 67a is male threaded.

[0046] Fan case 41b, which has a generally cylindrical shape extending in the up-down direction, is provided with ears 41e that protrude radially outward. In this embodiment, ears 41e are provided in a right front region of fan case 41b, a right rear region of fan case 41b, and a left rear region of fan case 41b. Thus, in this embodiment, fan case 41b is provided with a total of three ears 41e. Each ear 41e has an insertion hole formed therethrough in the up-down direction. A pair of front and rear male screw pins 66a provided on the first fan mounting portion 66 are inserted into insertion holes formed in ears 41e provided in the right front region and the right rear region of the fan case 41b, respectively, and a male screw pin 67a provided on the second fan mounting portion 67 is inserted into an insertion hole formed in the ear 41e provided in the left rear region of the fan case 41b, and fastening members such as nuts are fastened from above to the male screw pins 66a and 67a, respectively, whereby the fan case 41b is fixed to the first fan mounting portion 66 and the second fan mounting portion 67 of the base plate 60. In this manner, the fan 41 is fixed to the base plate 60.

[0047] 6, the delivery duct 43 has an upper surface 431, a front surface 432, a rear surface 433, a left surface 434, and a right surface 435. The lower portion of the delivery duct 43 is open.

[0048] The delivery duct 43 has an upper member 43a and a lower member 43b. The upper member 43a forms an upper surface 431 of the delivery duct 43, an upper region of a front surface 432, an upper region of a rear surface 433, an upper region of a left surface 434, and an upper region of a right surface 435. The lower member 43b forms a lower region of the front surface 432, a lower region of the rear surface 433, a lower region of the left surface 434, and a lower region of the right surface 435 of the delivery duct 43. The delivery duct 43 is formed by connecting the upper member 43a and the lower member 43b. In this embodiment, a plurality of locking claws protruding upward are provided at the upper end of the lower member 43b, and the locking claws are locked to the upper member 43a, thereby connecting the upper member 43a and the lower member 43b.

[0049] The delivery duct 43 has a duct portion 43c surrounded by an upper member 43a and a lower member 43b.

[0050] An inlet 43d is formed on the left surface 434 of the delivery duct 43, protruding diagonally forward to the left in a square cylindrical shape, communicating with the duct portion 43c, with an open protruding end, and connecting with the outlet 41d formed in the fan case 41b of the fan 41. As a result, the cooling gas blown out from the outlet 41d of the fan 41 is introduced into the duct portion 43c through the inlet 43d.

[0051] A lower edge 432a of the front surface 432, a lower edge 433a of the rear surface 433, and a lower edge 435a of the right surface 435 of the delivery duct 43 are shaped to conform to the shape of the bottom wall 61 of the base plate 60. The lower edge 435a of the left surface 434 of the delivery duct 43 has a curved portion 43e that is curved upward beyond the bottom wall 61. The curved portion 43e is shaped to conform to the upper surface of the support member 64.

[0052] The delivery duct 43 has an opening 43f whose outer edge is a lower edge 432a of the front surface 432, a lower edge 433a of the rear surface 433, a lower edge 434a of the left surface 434 including the curved portion 43e, and a lower edge 435a of the right surface 435. Thus, the opening 43f opens downward and to the left.

[0053] A seal member 43g is provided around the entire periphery of the opening 43f, i.e., the lower edge portion 432a of the front surface 432, the lower edge portion 433a of the rear surface 433, the lower edge portion 434a of the left surface 434 including the curved portion 43e, and the lower edge portion 435a of the right surface 435. The seal member 43g is formed of an elastic material such as rubber.

[0054] A base portion 43h against which the lower surface of the inlet duct 42 abuts is provided on an upper surface 431 of the delivery duct 43. The base portion 43h is provided on the left end portion of the upper member 43a so as to extend in the front-rear direction. The upper member 43a is provided with a pair of front and rear protrusions 43i protruding leftward from the base portion 43h.

[0055] A first engagement portion 43j is provided at the tip of each protrusion 43i, which engages with a male screw pin 64d provided on the main surface 64a of the support member 64 and a fastening member 64e fastened to the male screw pin 64d. The first engagement portion 43j protrudes in a hollow cylindrical shape from the lower surface of the tip of the protrusion 43i and has a large diameter portion 43k with an open lower end. The large diameter portion 43k has a hollow cylindrical shape with which the male screw pin 64d provided on the main surface 64a of the support member 64 and the fastening member 64e fastened to the male screw pin 64d can engage.

[0056] The first engagement portion 43j further has a small diameter portion 43m that is coaxial with the large diameter portion 43k and penetrates the tip of the protrusion 43i in the vertical direction. The small diameter portion 43m has a hole shape through which the male screw pin 64d provided on the main surface 64a of the support member 64 can be inserted, but which does not allow the fastening member 64e fastened to the male screw pin 64d to be inserted.

[0057] Furthermore, each protrusion 43i is provided with a second engagement portion 43n that engages with a positioning pin 42d provided at the left end of the introduction duct 42. In this embodiment, the second engagement portion 43n is provided on the protrusion 43i to the right of the first engagement portion 43j. The second engagement portion 43n is a through hole that passes through the protrusion 43i in the vertical direction and through which the positioning pin 42d of the introduction duct 42 can be inserted.

[0058] A locking claw 43p that locks with the air outlet 41d of the fan case 41b is provided in the delivery duct 43. In this embodiment, the locking claw 43p is provided on the upper member 43a.

[0059] As shown in Figures 4 to 9, the locking claws 43p of the exhaust duct 43 engage with the air outlet 41d of the fan case 41b, thereby connecting the exhaust duct 43 to the fan 41, and the inlet 43d of the exhaust duct 43 is connected to the air outlet 41d formed in the fan case 41b.

[0060] Further, the lower edge 432a of the front surface 432, the lower edge 433a of the rear surface 433, and the lower edge 435a of the right surface 435 of the delivery duct 43 abut against the bottom wall 61 of the base plate 60 via the seal member 43g. The lower edge 434a of the left surface 434 including the curved portion 43e of the delivery duct 43 abuts against the upper surface of the support member 64 via the seal member 43g. Therefore, the opening 43f opens downward and toward the flow path connection space 60b surrounded by the lower surface of the support member 64 and the bottom wall 61. Further, the opening 43f of the delivery duct 43 is sealed by the bottom wall 61 of the base plate 60 and the upper surface of the support member 64 of the base plate 60 via the seal member 43g.

[0061] At this time, the first engagement portion 43j of the delivery duct 43 engages with the male threaded pin 64d provided on the upper surface of the support member 64 and the fastening member 64e fastened to the male threaded pin 64d. In this manner, the male threaded pin 64d provided on the upper surface of the support member 64 and the fastening member 64e fastened to the male threaded pin 64d also function as an engaged portion with which the first engagement portion 43j of the delivery duct 43 engages.

[0062] As a result, when attaching the exhaust duct 43 to the base plate 60, the exhaust duct 43 can be easily positioned relative to the base plate 60 by engaging the first engagement portion of the exhaust duct 43 with the base plate 60, improving the assembly of the battery unit 20.

[0063] Furthermore, the male threaded pin 64d, which functions as an engaged portion with which the first engaging portion 43j of the delivery duct 43 engages, and the fastening member 64e fastened to the male threaded pin 64d are provided on the upper surface of the support member 64. This allows the delivery duct 43 to be attached to the base plate 60 from above, and also makes it easy to confirm the position of the engaged portion that engages with the first engaging portion 43j of the delivery duct 43 when attaching the delivery duct 43 to the base plate 60 from above, thereby further improving the ease of assembly of the battery unit 20.

[0064] In the fan 41 and the delivery duct 43 attached to the base plate 60, the cooling gas blown out from the outlet 41d of the fan 41 and introduced into the duct part 43c through the inlet 43d is delivered from the opening 43f of the delivery duct 43 to the flow path connection space 60b surrounded by the lower surface of the support member 64 and the bottom wall part 61. In this way, the delivery duct 43 delivers the cooling gas blown out from the outlet 41d of the fan 41 and introduced into the duct part 43c through the inlet 43d to the flow path connection space 60b surrounded by the lower surface of the support member 64 and the bottom wall part 61. Then, the cooling gas delivered from the delivery duct 43 passes through the flow path connection space 60b and is delivered to the flow path 60a connected to the flow path connection space 60b. In this way, the cooling device 40 delivers the cooling gas to the flow path 60a.

[0065] At this time, since the fan 41 is fixed to the base plate 60 on which the battery module 30 is placed, the fan 41 can be positioned relative to the battery module 30 and fixed to the base plate 60. This allows the fan 41 to be positioned relative to the battery module 30 and fixed without using a bracket or the like for fixing the fan 41, improving the ease of assembly of the battery unit 20. In addition, since the fan 41 is fixed to the base plate 60, the fan 41 can be disposed near the flow path 60a formed between the lower surface of the battery module 30 and the base plate 60. This allows the distance from the fan 41 to the flow path 60a to be shortened, allowing the battery unit 20 to be made smaller.

[0066] In addition, the opening 43f of the discharge duct 43 is sealed by the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60 and the upper surface of the support member 64 of the base plate 60 via the sealing member 43g, so that the opening 43f of the discharge duct 43 can be sealed by simply placing the discharge duct 43 from above so that it abuts against the upper surface of the support member 64 of the base plate 60 and the bottom wall portion 61 of the base plate 60, making it easier to assemble the battery unit 20.

[0067] The introduction duct 42 is placed on the upper surface of the fan 41 and on the base portion 43h of the delivery duct 43 with a pair of front and rear positioning pins 42d provided at the left end of the introduction duct 42 inserted into second engagement portions 43n provided on a pair of front and rear protrusions 43i of the delivery duct 43. Furthermore, the introduction duct 42 is placed on the upper surface of the fan 41 and on the base portion 43h of the delivery duct 43 with the exhaust port 42c fitted into the intake port 41c of the fan case 41b.

[0068] At this time, the intake port 41c of the fan 41 opens upward, and the introduction duct 42 is positioned above the fan 41, so that it is easy to assemble the introduction duct 42 to the battery unit 20 so that the exhaust port 42c of the introduction duct 42 and the intake port 41c of the fan case 41b fit together.

[0069] In addition, when attaching the inlet duct 42 to the upper surface of the fan 41 and the base portion 43h of the outlet duct 43, the inlet duct 42 can be easily positioned relative to the outlet duct 43 by inserting a pair of front and rear positioning pins 42d provided on the left end of the inlet duct 42 into the second engagement portions 43n provided on a pair of front and rear protrusions 43i of the outlet duct 43, respectively, thereby improving the assembly of the battery unit 20.

[0070] Furthermore, since the second engagement portion 43n of the exhaust duct 43 is provided on the upper surface 431 of the exhaust duct 43, the inlet duct 42 can be attached from above to the upper surface of the fan 41 and the base portion 43h of the exhaust duct 43. Also, when attaching the inlet duct 42 from above to the upper surface of the fan 41 and the base portion 43h of the exhaust duct 43, it is easy to confirm the position of the second engagement portion 43n of the exhaust duct 43, thereby further improving the assembly of the battery unit 20.

[0071] The battery unit 20 further includes a junction board bracket 73 that extends above the inlet duct 42 and supports the junction board 52. Therefore, the inlet duct 42 is disposed between the fan 41 and the junction board bracket 73. The junction board bracket 73 has a main plate 730 that extends in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction at a position that overlaps with the inlet duct 42 when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

[0072] A left central fixing portion 730a is provided at approximately the center in the front-rear direction on the left end portion of the main plate 730. A through hole penetrating in the up-down direction is formed in the left central fixing portion 730a.

[0073] The junction board bracket 73 further has a first extending portion 731 that is bent downward from the right front end portion of the main plate 730 and extends downward from the main plate 730. A lower end portion 731a of the first extending portion 731 is bent in the right front direction and extends in a substantially horizontal direction. A right front fixing portion 731b is provided at the lower end portion 731a of the first extending portion 731. A through hole is formed in the right front fixing portion 731b, which penetrates in the vertical direction and through which the front male screw pin 66a of the pair of front and rear male screw pins 66a provided in the first fan mounting portion 66 of the base plate 60 described above can be inserted.

[0074] The junction board bracket 73 further has a second extending portion 732 that protrudes rightward from the right rear end portion of the main plate 730 and extends in a substantially horizontal direction. A right rear fixing portion 732b is provided at a right end portion 732a of the second extending portion 732. A through hole is formed in the right rear fixing portion 732b, which penetrates in the vertical direction and through which the male screw pin 82b provided on the protruding portion 82a formed at the right end portion of the rear frame 82 described above can be inserted.

[0075] A flat extension portion 72d extending rightward from the main plate 72a of the right-side battery module bracket 72 is provided on the main plate 72a. The extension portion 72d is provided with an insertion hole 72e penetrating in the vertical direction, and a nut member 72f is fixed to the underside of the extension portion 72d at a position overlapping with the insertion hole when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0076] A bolt 73a is inserted from above into a through hole formed in the left central fixing portion 730a that penetrates in the up-down direction. The bolt 73a is inserted through an insertion hole 72e provided in the extension portion 72d of the right-side battery module bracket 72 and fastened to a nut member 72f. In this way, the left central fixing portion 730a is fixed to the right-side battery module bracket 72.

[0077] The front male screw pin 66a of the pair of front and rear male screw pins 66a provided on the first fan mounting portion 66 of the base plate 60 is inserted through an insertion hole formed in the ear 41e of the fan case 41b and protrudes above the ear 41e. The front male screw pin 66a of the pair of front and rear male screw pins 66a provided on the first fan mounting portion 66 of the base plate 60 is inserted from below into a through hole formed in the right front fixing portion 731b that penetrates in the up and down direction. A fastening member such as a nut is fastened from above to the front male screw pin 66a of the pair of front and rear male screw pins 66a provided on the first fan mounting portion 66 of the base plate 60, whereby the right front fixing portion 731b is fastened together with the ear 41e of the fan case 41b and fixed to the first fan mounting portion 66 of the base plate 60 together with the fan 41.

[0078] A male screw pin 82b provided on a protrusion 82a formed on the right end of the rear frame 82 is inserted from below into a through hole formed in the right rear fixing part 732b that penetrates in the up-down direction. A fastening member such as a nut is fastened from above to the male screw pin 82b provided on the protrusion 82a formed on the right end of the rear frame 82, whereby the right rear fixing part 732b is fixed to the protrusion 82a formed on the right end of the rear frame 82.

[0079] Thus, the junction board bracket 73 has a left central fixing portion 730a fixed to the right battery module bracket 72, a right front fixing portion 731b fixed to the base plate 60, and a right rear fixing portion 732b fixed to the rear frame 82. Therefore, the junction board bracket 73 is fixed to the right battery module bracket 72, the base plate 60, and the rear frame 82.

[0080] Therefore, the right-side battery module bracket 72 is fixed at the lower end 72c to the support member 64 of the base plate 60, and is fixed at the extending portion 72d to the first fan mounting portion 66 of the base plate 60 and the protruding portion 82a of the rear frame 82 via the junction board bracket 73. Therefore, the right-side battery module bracket 72 is fixed to the base plate 60 at a plurality of points including at least the lower end 72c and the extending portion 72d. As a result, the right-side battery module bracket 72 is firmly fixed to the base plate 60, and therefore it is possible to suppress vibration of the battery module 30 supported by the right-side battery module bracket 72 within the battery unit 20.

[0081] The junction board bracket 73 is fixed to the right battery module bracket 72, the base plate 60, and the rear frame 82 such that the main plate 730 abuts against the inlet duct 42 and presses the inlet duct 42 downward. In this manner, the junction board bracket 73 biases the inlet duct 42 toward the inlet 41c of the fan 41.

[0082] As a result, without using additional parts such as fastening members, the inlet duct 42 can be attached to the fan 41 while maintaining a high level of sealing between the outlet 42c of the inlet duct 42 and the inlet 41c of the fan 41. This further improves the ease of assembly of the battery unit 20.

[0083] (fixing the junction board) As shown in FIGS. 4, 8, and 10, the junction board 52 is disposed above the junction board bracket 73, placed on the upper surface of the junction board bracket 73, and supported by the junction board bracket 73.

[0084] The junction board 52 has insertion holes 52b formed at four locations, namely, the left front end, the left rear end, the right front end, and the right rear end, penetrating in the up-down direction.

[0085] The main plate 730 of the junction board bracket 73 has insertion holes 73b that penetrate in the up-down direction at positions that overlap with the insertion holes 52b formed in the junction board 52 when viewed from the up-down direction. Nuts are fixed to the lower surface of the main plate 730 at positions that overlap with the insertion holes 73b when viewed from the up-down direction.

[0086] A bolt is inserted from above into each of the insertion holes 52b at the left front end, left rear end, right front end, and right rear end of the junction board 52. The bolt inserted from above into each of the insertion holes 52b of the junction board 52 passes through the insertion holes 52b of the junction board 52 and through insertion holes 73b of the junction board bracket 73 formed at a position overlapping the insertion holes 52b, and is fastened to a nut fixed at a position overlapping the insertion hole 73b. As a result, the junction board 52 is disposed above the junction board bracket 73 and supported on the upper surface of the junction board bracket 73.

[0087] In this way, the junction board 52 is disposed above the cooling device 40 at a position where at least a portion of the junction board 52 overlaps with the cooling device 40 when viewed in the vertical direction. The inlet duct 42 of the cooling device 40 is disposed between the junction board 52 and the fan 41 in the vertical direction.

[0088] (Installation of cooling device and junction board to battery unit) As shown in Figures 4 to 10, when assembling the battery unit 20, first, the locking claws 43p of the exhaust duct 43 are engaged with the air outlet 41d of the fan case 41b to connect the exhaust duct 43 and the fan 41, a pair of front and rear male screw pins 66a provided on the first fan mounting portion 66 are inserted into insertion holes formed in ear portions 41e provided in the right front region and the right rear region of the fan case 41b, respectively, and the male screw pin 67a provided on the second fan mounting portion 67 is inserted into an insertion hole formed in the ear portion 41e provided in the left rear region of the fan case 41b, and the fan 41 and the exhaust duct 43 are placed on the base plate 60 so that the first engagement portion 43j of the exhaust duct engages with the male screw pin 64d provided on the upper surface of the support member 64 and the fastening member 64e fastened to the male screw pin 64d. Then, a fastening member such as a nut is fastened from above to the rear side male threaded pin 66a and the male threaded pin 67a provided on the first fan attachment portion 66.

[0089] Next, the exhaust port 42c of the inlet duct 42 is fitted into the intake port 41c of the fan 41, and the pair of front and rear positioning pins 42d of the inlet duct 42 are engaged with the second engagement portion 43n of the exhaust duct 43, so that the inlet duct 42 is placed on the upper surface of the fan 41 and the base portion 43h of the exhaust duct 43.

[0090] Next, the junction board bracket 73 is placed on the upper surface of the introduction duct 42 such that the front male screw pin 66a provided on the first fan mounting portion 66 of the base plate 60 is inserted through the through hole formed in the right front fixing portion 731b, and the male screw pin 82b provided on the protruding portion 82a of the rear frame 82 is inserted through the through hole formed in the right rear fixing portion 732b. Then, a fastening member such as a nut is fastened from above to the front male screw pin 66a provided on the first fan mounting portion 66 of the base plate 60 and the male screw pin 82b provided on the protruding portion 82a of the rear frame 82, and the bolt 73a is inserted from above through the through hole formed in the left central fixing portion 730a and fastened to the nut member 72f provided on the extending portion 72d of the right battery module bracket 72.

[0091] Next, the junction board 52 is placed on the upper surface of the junction board bracket 73. Then, a bolt is inserted from above through the insertion hole 52b of the junction board 52 and the insertion hole 73b of the junction board bracket 73 formed at a position overlapping with the insertion hole 52b, and fastened to a nut fixed at a position overlapping with the insertion hole 73b.

[0092] In this manner, the fan 41, the discharge duct 43, the inlet duct 42, the junction board bracket 73, and the junction board 52 can be assembled to the battery unit 20. Therefore, the fan 41, the discharge duct 43, the inlet duct 42, the junction board bracket 73, and the junction board 52 can be placed in this order and assembled to the battery unit 20 from above, which further improves the ease of assembly of the battery unit 20.

[0093] (Fixing the service plug) As shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10, the junction board bracket 73 includes a stay 73c that supports the service plug 53. The stay 73c is provided at a position at the right front end of the main plate 730, adjacent to the first extending portion 731 on the right side and adjacent to the inlet 42b of the inlet duct 42 on the left side. The stay 73c has a fixing portion 73c1 that extends to face the upper surface of the main plate 730, and a service plug support portion 73c2 that is bent from the front end of the fixing portion 73c1 and extends upward from the front end of the fixing portion 73c1 while inclining backward. The front surface of the service plug support portion 73c2 faces obliquely upward and forward. The stay 73c is fixed to the main plate 730 so that the front end of the fixing portion 73c1 is located at approximately the same position as the front end of the main plate 730 or forward of the front end of the main plate 730 in the front-rear direction. The stay 73c has a lower surface of a fixing portion 73c1 fixed to an upper surface of the main plate 730. The stay 73c is fixed to the main plate 730 by joining the lower surface of the fixing portion 73c1 and the upper surface of the main plate 730 by, for example, welding.

[0094] The service plug 53 is supported on the front surface of the service plug support portion 73c2 that faces diagonally upward and forward. In this embodiment, the service plug 53 is provided adjacent to the right side of the inlet 42b of the inlet duct 42. Therefore, since both the junction board 52 and the service plug 53 are supported by the junction board bracket 73, it is possible to prevent the wiring member that electrically connects the external device (not shown) and the junction board 52 from bending between the junction board 52 and the service plug 53 due to vibration of the junction board bracket 73. In addition, since both the junction board 52 and the service plug 53 are supported by the junction board bracket 73, it is easy to assemble the service plug 53 to the battery unit 20.

[0095] (Fixing the battery control device) 2, 3 and 7, the battery unit 20 further includes a battery control device bracket 74 that supports the battery control device 51. The battery control device bracket 74 has a main plate 74a that extends in the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction.

[0096] A pair of generally cylindrical male threaded pins 72g are provided on the front and rear of the upper end 72b of the right battery module bracket 72. The outer circumferential surface of each male threaded pin 72g is male threaded.

[0097] A pair of front and rear insertion holes are formed at the right end of the main plate 74a, which penetrate in the vertical direction and through which the male screw pins 72g can be inserted. A pair of front and rear male screw pins 72g provided at the upper end 72b of the right battery module bracket 72 are inserted into the pair of front and rear insertion holes formed at the right end of the main plate 74a, respectively, and a fastening member such as a nut is fastened from above to each male screw pin 72g, thereby fixing the battery control device bracket 74 to the upper end 72b of the right battery module bracket 72. Therefore, the main plate 74a of the battery control device bracket 74 extends in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction from the upper end 72b of the right battery module bracket 72 to the left. Furthermore, the main plate 74a of the battery control device bracket 74 extends in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction facing the upper surfaces of the two battery modules 30 at a position overlapping both of the two battery modules 30 arranged in the front-rear direction when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0098] The battery control device 51 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the vertical direction being the shortest, and is provided with ears 51a extending outward from the battery control device 51. The ears 51a are provided at the front end of the right side surface of the battery control device 51 and at the rear end of the left side surface of the battery control device 51 so as to extend outward in the vehicle width direction. Each ear 51a has an insertion hole formed therethrough in the vertical direction.

[0099] The main plate 74a of the battery control device bracket 74 is provided with substantially cylindrical male screw pins 74b that pass through the main plate 74a in the vertical direction and protrude upward at positions that overlap with the respective insertion holes formed in the ears 51a provided at the right front end and left rear end of the battery control device 51 when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The male screw pins 74b provided on the main plate 74a of the battery control device bracket 74 are inserted into the respective insertion holes formed in the ears 51a provided at the right front end and left rear end of the battery control device 51, and fastening members such as nuts are fastened from above to the male screw pins 74b, thereby fixing the battery control device 51 to the main plate 74a of the battery control device bracket 74.

[0100] (Battery unit cover)

[0101] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 7, the battery unit 20 further includes a battery unit cover 91 that straddles the center tunnel 11b of the floor panel 10 in the vehicle width direction and covers the upper part of the accommodation recess 121. The battery unit cover 91 covers the two battery modules 30, the cooling device 40, the battery control device 51, the junction board 52, the service plug 53, the base plate 60, the front frame 81, and the rear frame 82 from above. The battery unit cover 91 is fixed to the floor panel 10. The battery unit cover 91 is formed of a metal material and functions as a part of the body skeleton of the vehicle V. Therefore, the battery unit cover 91 fixed to the floor panel 10 improves the rigidity of the body skeleton of the vehicle V.

[0102] The battery unit cover 91 has an upper wall portion 911 that extends in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction and faces upward, and a side wall portion 912 that surrounds the front-rear, left-right, and right outer edges of the upper wall portion 911 and extends downward from the front-rear, left-right, and right outer edges of the upper wall portion 911. The side wall portion 912 has a front wall portion 912a that bends from the front edge of the upper wall portion 911 and extends in the vehicle width direction, inclining obliquely downward and forward, a rear wall portion 912b that bends from the rear edge of the upper wall portion 911 and extends in the vehicle width direction, inclining obliquely downward and rearward, a left wall portion 912c that bends from the left edge of the upper wall portion 911 and extends in the vehicle width direction, inclining obliquely downward and left, and a right wall portion 912d that bends from the right edge of the upper wall portion 911 and extends in the vehicle width direction, inclining obliquely downward and right.

[0103] The battery unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle V such that the battery modules 30 are arranged so that the stacking direction of the battery cells 31 is in the vehicle width direction, and the cooling device 40 and the junction board 52 are arranged on the right side of the battery modules 30 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the battery unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle V such that the longitudinal direction extends in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle V is provided with a rear seat RS so as to cover the upper wall portion 911 of the battery unit cover 91. That is, the battery unit 20 is mounted under the rear seat RS of the vehicle V.

[0104] In the battery unit 20, an accommodation space 21 is formed which is surrounded by a battery unit cover 91 and a base plate 60. In the accommodation space 21, two battery modules 30, a cooling device 40, a battery control device 51, a junction board 52, and a service plug 53 are accommodated.

[0105] A first opening 91a is formed in the front wall portion 912a of the battery unit cover 91, the first opening 91a being cut out along the shape of the inlet 42b of the inlet duct 42. The cooling gas is introduced into the storage space 21 of the battery unit 20 from the first opening 91a of the battery unit cover 91. At this time, since the first opening 91a of the battery unit cover 91 has a shape cut out along the shape of the inlet 42b of the inlet duct 42, the cooling gas introduced into the storage space 21 of the battery unit 20 from the first opening 91a of the battery unit cover 91 is introduced into the inlet 42b of the inlet duct 42.

[0106] A second opening 91b is provided on the right side of the first opening 91a in the front wall portion 912a of the battery unit cover 91. The service plug 53 of the battery unit 20 can be inserted and removed by inserting a finger or an instrument into the storage space 21 of the battery unit 20 through the second opening 91b of the battery unit cover 91.

[0107] An intake duct 92 is attached to the front wall portion 912a of the battery unit cover 91 to take in air in the vehicle compartment CB as cooling gas for the battery unit 20. The intake duct 92 has an intake port 92a that opens toward the vehicle compartment CB, an exhaust port 92b that opens so as to surround the first opening 91a of the battery unit cover 91, and a duct portion 92c that communicates the intake port 92a and the exhaust port 92b and is surrounded by the wall surface of the intake duct 92. The intake port 92a of the intake duct 92 is disposed in the approximate center in the vehicle width direction so as to straddle the center tunnel 11b in the vehicle width direction. The duct portion 92c of the intake duct 92 extends in the vehicle width direction from the intake port 92a provided in the approximate center in the vehicle width direction to the exhaust port 92b provided at a position overlapping the first opening 91a of the battery unit cover 91. The intake duct 92 is attached so that the upper end of the intake port 92a is at approximately the same position as the upper wall portion 911 of the battery unit cover 91 in the up-down direction.

[0108] An intake grille 93 having a mesh, lattice, honeycomb, or other shape is attached to the intake duct 92 so as to cover the intake port 92a. A carpet 14 is laid on the upper surface of the front floor panel 11 constituting the floor of the vehicle compartment CB. The carpet 14 is hollowed out at a position overlapping with the intake port 92a of the intake duct 92, and the intake grille 93 is attached to the intake duct 92 with the carpet 14 sandwiched between the intake grille 93 and the intake duct 92.

[0109] An exhaust port 91c is formed in the front wall portion 912a of the battery unit cover 91 to discharge the cooling gas that has flowed through the storage space of the battery unit 20 to the outside of the battery unit. The exhaust port 91c is formed below the intake port 92a of the intake duct 92, protruding forward from the front wall portion 912a of the battery unit cover 91 between the center tunnel 11b and the carpet 14, extending in the front-rear direction, and facing the upper surface of the center tunnel 11b, approximately at the center in the vehicle width direction. In this manner, the exhaust port 91c is provided on the front side of the battery unit 20. In addition, in the storage space of the battery unit 20, the battery module 30 is disposed offset to the left from approximately the center in the vehicle width direction, and the cooling device 40 and the junction board 52 are disposed to the right of the battery module 30, whereas the exhaust port 91c is formed approximately at the center in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the exhaust port 91c is provided to the right of the center of the battery module 30 in the vehicle width direction, that is, at a position closer to the junction board 52 than the center of the battery module 30 in the vehicle width direction.

[0110] The exhaust port 91c communicates with the storage space 21 of the battery unit 20, and has a wall portion 91d extending in the front-rear direction from the front wall portion 912a of the battery unit cover 91 in a U-shape that opens downward when viewed from the front-rear direction. The left and right surfaces of the wall portion 91d abut against the left and right surfaces of the center tunnel 11b, respectively. The exhaust port 91c is surrounded by the upper surface of the center tunnel 11b and the wall portion 91d, and opens toward the front. At the left front end and right front end of the upper surface of the wall portion 91d, a fixing portion 91e is formed that is recessed downward and abuts against the upper surface of the center tunnel. The fixing portion 91e is provided with a through hole that penetrates in the vertical direction, and a bolt that passes through the through hole from above is fastened to the upper surface of the center tunnel 11b, so that the exhaust port 91c is fixed to the upper surface of the center tunnel 11b.

[0111] (Flow of cooling gas) The battery unit 20 draws in air from the vehicle interior CB as cooling gas for the battery unit 20 through the intake duct 92 and takes it into the accommodation space 21 through the first opening 91a of the battery unit cover 91. The cooling gas taken into the accommodation space 21 through the first opening 91a of the battery unit cover 91 flows through the inlet 42b of the inlet duct 42 and the flow path 42a, and is sucked into the inlet 41c of the fan 41 through the outlet 42c. The cooling gas sucked into the inlet 41c of the fan 41 is blown out from the outlet 41d of the fan 41, and is sent out from the outlet duct 43 to the flow path 60a connected to the flow path connection space 60b through the flow path connection space 60b. The cooling gas sent out to the flow path 60a is introduced into the battery module 30 from the lower surface of the battery module 30, flows inside the battery module 30 from the bottom to the top, cools the battery module 30, and is discharged from the upper surface of the battery module 30.

[0112] In the storage space 21 of the battery unit 20, an exhaust space 22 surrounded by a battery unit cover 91 is formed above the battery module 30. The upper surface of the battery module 30 faces the exhaust space 22. Therefore, the cooling gas that cools the battery module 30 and is discharged from the upper surface of the battery module 30 is discharged into the exhaust space 22.

[0113] The exhaust space 22 extends in the vehicle width direction up to above the junction board 52. The upper part of the junction board 52 faces the exhaust space 22. Therefore, high-temperature air flows upward, and the air heated by heat generation of the junction board 52 is discharged from the upper part of the junction board 52 into the exhaust space 22.

[0114] The cooling gas discharged into the exhaust space 22 is discharged from an exhaust port 91c provided in the front wall portion 912a of the battery unit cover 91 to the outside of the battery unit 20, more specifically, to the space between the center tunnel 11b of the vehicle interior CB and the carpet 14. Therefore, the exhaust port 91c provided in the front wall portion 912a of the battery unit cover 91 discharges the cooling gas discharged into the exhaust space 22 to the outside of the battery unit 20.

[0115] In this way, because the upper part of the junction board 52 faces the exhaust space 22, the air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 is discharged into the exhaust space 22 and is discharged from the exhaust port 91c to the outside of the battery unit 20 together with the cooling gas that has cooled the battery module 30. This makes it possible to prevent the air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 from accumulating inside the battery unit 20, i.e., in the accommodation space 21 of the battery unit 20, and improves the cooling performance of the battery unit 20.

[0116] Furthermore, by preventing the air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 from accumulating inside the battery unit 20, i.e., in the accommodation space 21 of the battery unit 20, it is possible to prevent the heat generated in the battery unit 20 from being transmitted to the rear seat RS even if the battery unit 20 is mounted under the rear seat RS. This allows the battery unit 20 to be mounted under the rear seat RS without compromising the marketability of the rear seat RS, and allows the battery unit 20 to be efficiently arranged in the space of the vehicle V.

[0117] Furthermore, since the exhaust port 91c is provided at a position closer to the junction board 52 than the center of the battery module 30 in the vehicle width direction, the air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 is more smoothly discharged from the exhaust port 91c to the outside of the battery unit 20 together with the cooling gas that has cooled the battery module 30. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 from accumulating inside the battery unit 20, i.e., in the accommodation space 21 of the battery unit 20, and the cooling performance of the battery unit 20 is further improved.

[0118] In addition, the junction board 52 is disposed above the cooling device 40 at a position where at least a portion of the junction board 52 overlaps with the cooling device 40 when viewed from the top-bottom direction, and the air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 flows upward, so that the air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 can be prevented from coming into contact with the cooling device 40. Therefore, the heat generated by the junction board 52 can be prevented from being transferred to the cooling device 40, and therefore the cooling gas supplied from the cooling device 40 to the battery module 30 can be prevented from being heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52. As a result, a lower temperature cooling gas can be supplied to the battery module 30, and the cooling performance of the battery unit 20 is improved.

[0119] Moreover, since the introduction duct 42 is disposed between the junction board 52 and the fan 41 in the vertical direction, the junction board 52 is disposed above the introduction duct 42, and the fan 41 is disposed below the introduction duct 42. Therefore, even if the heat generated in the junction board 52 is transferred to the cooling device 40, since the introduction duct 42 is disposed between the junction board 52 and the fan 41 in the vertical direction, the transfer of the heat generated in the junction board 52 to the fan 41 can be further suppressed. Furthermore, since the fan 41 is disposed below the introduction duct 42, the cooling gas flowing through the lower part of the introduction duct 42 is sucked into the fan 41. Therefore, even if the heat generated in the junction board 52 is transferred to the introduction duct 42, among the cooling gas flowing through the introduction duct 42, the cooling gas flowing through the lower part of the introduction duct 42 to which the heat generated in the junction board 52 is less likely to be transferred is sucked into the fan 41. As a result, a lower temperature cooling gas can be supplied to the battery module 30, and the cooling performance of the battery unit 20 is further improved.

[0120] The upper wall portion 911 of the battery unit cover 91 has a bulging portion 911a that bulges upward. The bulging portion 911a is formed in a position overlapping with the exhaust port 91c and the center tunnel 11b in the vehicle width direction, approximately in the center of the battery unit 20 in the vehicle width direction. The uppermost portion of the bulging portion 911a is an uppermost portion 911b of the upper wall portion 911 of the battery unit cover 91. Therefore, the uppermost portion 22a of the exhaust space 22 is formed in a position overlapping with the exhaust port 91c and the center tunnel 11b in the vehicle width direction, approximately in the center of the battery unit 20 in the vehicle width direction.

[0121] Since the higher the temperature of the gas, the further upward it flows, the cooling gas that has been heated by cooling the battery module 30 and the air that has been heated by heat generated by the junction board 52 flow toward the vicinity of the uppermost part 22a of the exhaust space 22 the higher the temperature of the gas. Since the uppermost part 22a of the exhaust space 22 is formed at a position that overlaps with the exhaust port 91c in the vehicle width direction, the cooling gas and air that flow into the vicinity of the uppermost part 22a of the exhaust space 22 flow forward and are smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery unit 20 from the exhaust port 91c. This allows the higher temperature cooling gas that has been heated by cooling the battery module 30 and the higher temperature air that has been heated by heat generation from the junction board 52 to flow smoothly from the exhaust space 22 to the exhaust port 91c, so that the higher temperature cooling gas that has been heated by cooling the battery module 30 and the higher temperature air that has been heated by heat generation from the junction board 52 can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery unit 20, improving the cooling performance of the battery unit 20.

[0122] The upper wall portion 911 of the battery unit cover 91 has an inclined portion 911c inclined upward in a direction approaching the uppermost portion 911b at the bulging portion 911a. The inclined portion 911c extends in the vehicle width direction, and is formed so that a lower end portion 911d is located at a position overlapping the junction board 52 when viewed from the top-bottom direction. Therefore, the exhaust space 22 has an inclined portion 22b inclined upward in a direction approaching the uppermost portion 22a. The inclined portion 22b extends in the vehicle width direction, and is formed so that a lower end portion 22c is located at a position overlapping the junction board 52 when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

[0123] Therefore, the hotter air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 flows further upward, and therefore flows along the inclined portion 22b in a direction approaching the uppermost portion 911b. This allows the hotter air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 to be guided to the vicinity of the uppermost portion 911b, so that the hotter air heated by the heat generated by the junction board 52 can be more smoothly exhausted to the outside of the battery unit 20 through the exhaust port 91c.

[0124] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the components in the above embodiment may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention.

[0125] For example, in the present embodiment, the junction board 52 is disposed above the junction board bracket 73 and supported by the junction board bracket 73, but the junction board bracket 73 may be a bracket that supports the battery control device 51, and the battery control device 51 may be disposed above the bracket and supported by the bracket. Also, electronic devices other than the junction board 52 and the battery control device 51 may be disposed above a bracket extending above the inlet duct 42 and supported by the bracket.

[0126] This specification describes at least the following items. In parentheses, components corresponding to the above-described embodiment are shown as examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0127] (1) at least one battery module (battery module 30); An electronic device (junction board 52) electrically connected to the battery module; A base plate (base plate 60) on which the battery module is mounted; a first bracket (right battery module bracket 72) that supports the battery module, has a lower end portion fixed to the base plate, and extends in the up-down direction; A battery unit (battery unit 20) including a second bracket (junction board bracket 73) for supporting the electronic device, The second bracket has a first fixing portion (left central fixing portion 730a) fixed to the first bracket and a second fixing portion (right front fixing portion 731b) fixed to the base plate. A battery unit.

[0128] According to (1), the first bracket extending in the vertical direction while supporting the battery module is fixed to the base plate at its lower end and is also fixed to the base plate via the second bracket. Therefore, the first bracket supporting the battery module is fixed to the base plate at a plurality of points including the lower end and the fixing point with the second fixing portion of the second bracket. As a result, the first bracket supporting the battery module is firmly fixed to the base plate, so that the battery module supported by the first bracket can be prevented from vibrating within the battery unit.

[0129] (2) A battery unit according to (1), The battery unit further includes a cooling device (cooling device 40) through which a cooling gas for cooling the battery module flows, The cooling device includes: A fan (fan 41) that sends the cooling gas to the battery module; an introduction duct (introduction duct 42) connected to the suction port (suction port 41c) of the fan, the introduction duct is disposed between the second bracket and the fan in the vertical direction, The second bracket biases the inlet duct toward the inlet of the fan.

[0130] According to (2), since the second bracket biases the introduction duct toward the fan's intake port, the introduction duct can be attached to the fan while maintaining a high level of sealing with the fan's intake port without using additional parts such as fastening members, thereby improving the assembly of the battery unit.

[0131] (3) The battery unit according to (2), The battery module has a plurality of battery cells (battery cells 31) stacked in a first direction (vehicle width direction) perpendicular to the up-down direction, The battery unit, wherein the cooling device and the electronic device are each arranged at a position where at least a portion of the cooling device and the electronic device overlap with the battery module when viewed from the first direction.

[0132] According to (3), the cooling device and the electronic device are arranged in a position where at least a portion of each overlaps with the battery module when viewed from the first direction, so that the cooling device and the junction board can be arranged in the battery unit while reducing the height dimension of the battery unit.

[0133] (4) A battery unit according to any one of (1) to (3), the electronic device is a junction board on which wiring components are mounted, the wiring components electrically connecting the battery module and an external device and through which charging power and / or discharging power of the battery module flows, The battery unit further includes a service plug (service plug 53) capable of cutting off power flowing through the junction board, The second bracket includes a stay (stay 73c) that supports the service plug.

[0134] According to (4), since both the junction board and the service plug are supported by the second bracket, it is possible to prevent the wiring member electrically connecting the external device and the junction board from bending between the junction board and the service plug due to vibration of the second bracket. Also, since both the junction board and the service plug are supported by the second bracket, it is easy to assemble the service plug to the battery unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 20 Battery Unit 30 Battery Module 31 Battery Cell 40 Cooling device 41 Fan 41c Intake port 42 Inlet Duct 52 Junction board (electronic device) 53 Service plug 60 Base Plate 72 Right side battery module bracket (first bracket) 73 Junction board bracket (second bracket) 73c Stay 730a Left center fixed part (1st fixed part) 731b Right front fixed part (second fixed part)

Claims

1. At least one battery module having a plurality of battery cells stacked in a first direction perpendicular to a vertical direction; an electronic device electrically connected to the battery module; A base plate on which the battery module is mounted; a first bracket supporting the battery module, the first bracket having a lower end fixed to the base plate and extending in the up-down direction; A vehicle battery unit comprising: the second bracket has a first fixing portion fixed to the first bracket and a second fixing portion fixed to the base plate, A vehicle battery unit, wherein the first fixing portion of the second bracket is located above the lower end portion of the first bracket and is provided in a position overlapping with the battery module and the first bracket when viewed from the first direction.

2. At least one battery module; an electronic device electrically connected to the battery module; A base plate on which the battery module is mounted; a first bracket supporting the battery module, the first bracket having a lower end fixed to the base plate and extending in a vertical direction; A vehicle battery unit comprising: the second bracket has a first fixing portion fixed to the first bracket and a second fixing portion fixed to the base plate, The vehicle battery unit further includes a cooling device through which a cooling gas for cooling the battery module flows, The cooling device includes: A fan that sends the cooling gas to the battery module; an introduction duct connected to the suction port of the fan; the introduction duct is disposed between the second bracket and the fan in the vertical direction, The second bracket biases the inlet duct toward the inlet of the fan.

3. 3. A vehicle battery unit according to claim 2, The battery module includes a plurality of battery cells stacked in a first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, The vehicle battery unit, wherein the cooling device and the electronic device are each arranged at a position where at least a portion of the cooling device and the electronic device overlap with the battery module when viewed from the first direction.

4. At least one battery module; an electronic device electrically connected to the battery module; A base plate on which the battery module is mounted; a first bracket supporting the battery module, the first bracket having a lower end fixed to the base plate and extending in a vertical direction; A vehicle battery unit comprising: the second bracket has a first fixing portion fixed to the first bracket and a second fixing portion fixed to the base plate, the electronic device is a junction board on which wiring components are mounted, the wiring components electrically connecting the battery module and an external device and through which charging power and / or discharging power of the battery module flows, The vehicle battery unit further includes a service plug capable of cutting off power flowing through the junction board, The second bracket includes a stay that supports the service plug.

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