Method for manufacturing a cooling device, cooling device

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing technique for a cooling device capable of manufacturing easily and also capable of achieving device thinning.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method for a cooling device comprises: a process of shaping one substrate 140 in which an inflow recess 21, an outflow recess 22 and a circulation recess 23, all being a coolant flow channel, an inflow through-hole 31 and an outflow through-hole 32 are formed; a bending process of bending the substrate 140 so as to close the openings of the inflow recess 21, the outflow recess 22 and the circulation recess 23; and a welding process of applying a laser weld to the area which is different from a bending part 143 formed by bending and surrounds the inflow recess 21, the outflow recess 22 and the circulation recess 23 together with the bending part 143.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a cooling device and a cooling device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, it has been proposed to join members formed of aluminum materials such as aluminum or aluminum alloys by laser welding in a state where the members are butted against each other. For example, the liquid-cooled cooling device described in Patent Document 1 includes a device body through which a coolant circulates inside, and a changing member that changes the flow direction of the coolant flowing through the device body. Then, the changing member is joined by laser welding being performed on the butted portion in a state where the end face on the device body side and the end face in the longitudinal direction of the changing member are butted against each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It is desired to make the cooling device thinner. Also, when making the cooling device thinner, it is desired to be easily manufacturable. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a cooling device and the like that can be easily manufactured and can achieve thinning.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present invention completed for such an object is a method for manufacturing a cooling device, comprising: a step of forming a single substrate in which a plurality of recesses serving as flow paths for a coolant and a plurality of through holes are formed; a bending step of bending the substrate so as to close the openings of the plurality of recesses; and a welding step of performing laser welding on a portion different from the bent portion formed by bending and surrounding the plurality of recesses together with the bent portion. Here, the plurality of recesses include an inflow recess into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess from which the coolant flows out, and a flow-through recess through which the coolant passes between the inflow recess and the outflow recess. The bending step may bend the substrate so as to stack a first plate which is a plate in which the inflow recess and the outflow recess are formed on the substrate, and a second plate which is a plate in which the flow-through recess is formed. Further, the bending step may bend the substrate so as to stack a first plate which is a plate in which the plurality of through holes are formed on the substrate, and a second plate which is a plate in which the plurality of recesses are formed. Further, in the welding step, laser light may be irradiated along the end shape of the overlapped portion in a state where the first plate and the second plate overlapped with each other are restrained by a jig disposed above the bent portion. Further, a step of joining an inflow member for allowing the coolant to flow into a portion corresponding to a first through hole among the plurality of through holes, and a step of joining an outflow member for allowing the coolant to flow out from a portion corresponding to a second through hole among the plurality of through holes may be provided. From another perspective, the present invention is a cooling device comprising: a bent portion where a single substrate in which a plurality of recesses serving as flow paths for a coolant and a plurality of through holes are formed is bent; and a welded portion where laser welding is performed on a portion overlapped by bending the substrate and surrounding the plurality of recesses together with the bent portion. Here, the plurality of recesses include an inflow recess into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess from which the coolant flows out, and a circulation recess that extends in a direction parallel to the bent portion and has one end communicating with the inflow recess and the other end communicating with the outflow recess. The welded portion may be a portion where laser welding is performed on a portion where a first plate, which is a plate on the substrate where the inflow recess and the outflow recess are formed, and a second plate, which is a plate where the circulation recess is formed, are overlapped. Further, the plurality of recesses include an inflow recess into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess from which the coolant flows out, a plurality of circulation recesses that extend in a direction parallel to the bent portion and have one end communicating with the inflow recess or the outflow recess, and a communication recess that communicates the other ends of the plurality of circulation recesses. The welded portion may be a portion where laser welding is performed on a portion where a first plate, which is a plate on the substrate where the inflow recess, the outflow recess, and the communication recess are formed, and a second plate, which is a plate where the plurality of circulation recesses are formed, are overlapped. Further, the welded portion may be a portion where laser welding is performed on a portion where a first plate, which is a plate on the substrate where the plurality of through holes are formed, and a second plate, which is a plate where the plurality of recesses are formed, are overlapped. Further, the plurality of recesses include two sets of sets each including an inflow recess into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess from which the coolant flows out, and a circulation recess that extends in a direction parallel to the bent portion and has one end communicating with the inflow recess and the other end communicating with the outflow recess. The welded portion may be a portion where laser welding is performed on a portion where a first plate, which is a plate on the substrate where the two sets of inflow recesses and outflow recesses are formed, and a second plate, which is a plate where the circulation recesses of one set of the two sets are formed, are overlapped, and a portion where the first plate and a third plate, which is a plate where the circulation recesses of the other set of the two sets are formed, are overlapped. Furthermore, it may further include an inflow member joined to a portion corresponding to a first through hole among the plurality of through holes and allowing the coolant to flow into the interior, and an outflow member joined to a portion corresponding to a second through hole among the plurality of through holes and allowing the coolant to flow out from the interior.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, a cooling device can be easily manufactured and thinned.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment seen from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment seen from below. FIG. 3 is a figure which shows an example of the cross section of the III - III part of FIG. 1. The cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a device main body 10 in which a flow path through which a coolant flows is formed, an inflow member 60 for allowing the coolant to flow from the outside to the inside of the device main body 10, and an outflow member 70 for allowing the coolant to flow out from the inside to the outside of the device main body 10.

[0009] (Device Main Body 10) The apparatus main body 10 is formed by laser welding a portion surrounding the plurality of recesses 20 after folding a single substrate 140 (see FIG. 4) in which a plurality of recesses 20 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 30 are formed. In other words, the apparatus main body 10 includes a bent portion 143 formed by folding a single substrate 140 in which a plurality of recesses 20 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 30 are formed, and a welded portion 144 formed by laser welding a portion that is overlapped by folding the substrate 140 and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 20 together with the bent portion 143. Therefore, the apparatus main body 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped member, and is thinned such that the size in the vertical direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the short-side direction, is smaller than the sizes in the longitudinal direction and the short-side direction.

[0010] In the following description, the longitudinal direction and the short-side direction of the apparatus main body 10 are respectively referred to as the left-right direction and the front-rear direction of the cooling device 1. Also, the vertical direction in FIG. 3 is referred to as the vertical direction of the cooling device 1. Then, the left side, the right side, the lower side, and the upper side in FIG. 3 are respectively the "left side", the "right side", the "lower side", and the "upper side" of the cooling device 1. Also, in the front-rear direction, the lower side and the upper side in FIG. 1 are respectively the "front side" and the "rear side" of the cooling device 1.

[0011] The plurality of recesses 20 are composed of an inflow recess 21 into which coolant flows, an outflow recess 22 from which coolant flows out, and a plurality (six in the first embodiment) of flow-through recesses 23 through which the coolant passes from the inflow recess 21 to the outflow recess 22.

[0012] The inflow recess 21 and the outflow recess 22 are recessed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from the plate surface of the substrate 140. Either one of the inflow recess 21 and the outflow recess 22 is provided at one end in the left-right direction of the apparatus main body 10, and the other is provided at the other end in the left-right direction of the apparatus main body 10. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the inflow recess 21 is provided at the right end, and the outflow recess 22 is provided at the left end.

[0013] The flow-through recess 23 is formed to extend in the left-right direction. The shape of the flow-through recess 23 cut by a plane orthogonal to the left-right direction is a semi-circle. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality (six in the example shown in FIG. 2) of the flow-through recesses 23 are provided so as to be arranged in the front-back direction. The right end portion of the flow-through recess 23 communicates with the inflow recess 21, and the left end portion of the flow-through recess 23 communicates with the outflow recess 22.

[0014] The plurality of through-holes 30 are composed of an inflow through-hole 31 that communicates the inside and the outside of the inflow recess 21, and an outflow through-hole 32 that communicates the inside and the outside of the outflow recess 22.

[0015] (Inflow member 60) The inflow member 60 has an inflow pipe 61 that is cylindrical and arranged such that the center line direction is the up-down direction, and a holding member 62 that holds the inflow pipe 61. It can be exemplified that the inflow member 60 is formed of an aluminum material such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The lower end portion of the inflow pipe 61 is joined to the holding member 62 in a state of being inserted into a through-hole 621 formed in the holding member 62. Examples of the method of joining the inflow pipe 61 and the holding member 62 include brazing and laser welding. Note that, for the inflow member 60, the inflow pipe 61 and the holding member 62 may be integrally formed by, for example, drawing.

[0016] (Outflow member 70) The outflow member 70 is a member similar to the inflow member 60, and has an outflow pipe 71 that is cylindrical and arranged such that the center line direction is the up-down direction, and a holding member 72 that holds the outflow pipe 71. It can be exemplified that the outflow member 70 is formed of an aluminum material. The lower end portion of the outflow pipe 71 is joined to the holding member 72 in a state of being inserted into a through-hole 721 formed in the holding member 72. Examples of the method of joining the outflow pipe 71 and the holding member 72 include brazing and laser welding. Note that the outflow member 70 may be integrally formed by, for example, drawing, with the outflow pipe 71 and the holding member 72.

[0017] (Operation of the cooling device 1) In the cooling device 1 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 1, on the upper surface of the device main body 10, in the left - right direction, between the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70, an object to be cooled by this cooling device 1 is placed. The object to be cooled can be exemplified by a battery pack 100 composed of a plurality of rectangular parallelepiped - shaped single cells 101.

[0018] And in the cooling device 1, the coolant that has flowed into the inflow recess 21 of the device main body 10 from the inflow pipe 61 of the inflow member 60 reaches the outflow recess 22 through the plurality of flow - through recesses 23. The coolant that has reached the outflow recess 22 then flows out from the outflow pipe 71 of the outflow member 70. In this way, while the coolant flows through the plurality of flow - through recesses 23 of the device main body 10, the object to be cooled placed on the upper surface of the device main body 10 is cooled.

[0019] (Manufacturing method of the cooling device 1) FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are diagrams showing an example of the manufacturing method of the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 4(a), a rectangular plate - shaped material formed using an aluminum material is subjected to, for example, pressing to form a substrate 140 in which an inflow recess 21, an outflow recess 22, a plurality of flow - through recesses 23, an inflow through - hole 31, and an outflow through - hole 32 are formed.

[0020] Next, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the substrate 140 is bent along a center line connecting the central portions of two sides orthogonal to the direction in which the flow - through recesses 23 extend. Then, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the substrate 140 is bent 180 degrees, and the first plate 141, which is the plate of the substrate 140 on which the inflow recess 21 and the outflow recess 22 are formed, and the second plate 142, which is the plate of the substrate 140 on which the plurality of flow - through recesses 23 are formed, are overlapped. As a result, the inflow recess 21 faces the right - hand end portions of the plurality of flow - through recesses 23, and the outflow recess 22 faces the left - hand end portions of the plurality of flow - through recesses 23.

[0021] Next, the first plate 141 and the second plate 142 that are overlapped are joined by laser welding. When joining the first plate 141 and the second plate 142, first, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the second plate 142 side is pressed by the jig 145 to restrain the first plate 141 and the second plate 142. At this time, the jig 145 is arranged so as to be located above the bent portion 143 of the substrate 140 and not located above other portions.

[0022] Thereafter, the second plate 142 is irradiated with the laser beam L from the laser head 151 of the laser device 150. The laser device 150 can be exemplified by irradiating the laser beam L in an oblique direction with respect to the plate surface of the second plate 142. Then, by moving the laser head 151 along the end shape of the second plate 142, the laser beam L is continuously irradiated. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the laser head 151 is moved along the three sides other than the bent portion 143 in the rectangle where the first plate 141 and the second plate 142 are overlapped, so that the laser beam L is continuously irradiated. Thereby, the first plate 141 and the second plate 142 are joined so that the peripheries of the inflow recess 21, the outflow recess 22, and the plurality of flow-through recesses 23 in the rectangle where the first plate 141 and the second plate 142 are overlapped are sealed.

[0023] Thereafter, the restraint by the jig 145 is stopped, and as shown in FIG. 5(c), between one flow-through recess 23 and another flow-through recess 23 adjacent to the one flow-through recess 23 in the plurality of flow-through recesses 23, the first plate 141 and the second plate 142 are joined by laser welding. At this time, between the inflow recess 21 and the outflow recess 22, between one flow-through recess 23 and another flow-through recess 23, the laser head 151 is moved along the shape of the flow-through recess 23 to continuously irradiate the laser beam L. Thereby, the first plate 141 and the second plate 142 between one flow-through recess 23 and another flow-through recess 23 are joined.

[0024] The above is the method for manufacturing the apparatus main body 10. Note that it is not necessary to join adjacent flow recesses 23. However, by joining adjacent flow recesses 23, it becomes possible to firmly join the first plate 141 and the second plate 142. Further, when continuously irradiating the laser light L along the rectangular end shape in which the first plate 141 and the second plate 142 are overlapped to join the periphery of the inflow recess 21, the outflow recess 22, and the plurality of flow recesses 23, the laser light L may be irradiated to the first plate 141.

[0025] After manufacturing the apparatus main body 10, as shown in FIG. 6, the inflow member 60 is joined to the apparatus main body 10 by laser welding. More specifically, the lower end portion of the inflow pipe 61 of the inflow member 60 is inserted into the inflow through hole 31 (see FIG. 3) of the apparatus main body 10, and the laser light L is irradiated to the holding member 62 with the lower surface of the holding member 62 placed on the first plate 141 (the state in which the holding member 62 and the apparatus main body 10 are overlapped). At that time, the laser light L is continuously irradiated by moving the laser head 151 along the periphery of the inflow pipe 61. Thereby, the apparatus main body 10 and the inflow member 60 are joined.

[0026] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the outflow member 70 is joined to the apparatus main body 10 by laser welding. More specifically, the lower end portion of the outflow pipe 71 is inserted into the outflow through hole 32 (see FIG. 3) of the apparatus main body 10, and the laser light L is irradiated to the holding member 72 with the lower end surface of the holding member 72 placed on the first plate 141 (the state in which the holding member 72 and the apparatus main body 10 are overlapped). At that time, the laser light L is continuously irradiated by moving the laser head 151 along the periphery of the outflow pipe 71. Thereby, the apparatus main body 10 and the outflow member 70 are joined. Note that the order of joining the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70 to the apparatus main body 10 is not particularly limited. The outflow member 70 may be joined to the apparatus main body 10 prior to the inflow member 60.

[0027] As described above, the manufacturing method of the cooling device 1 includes a step of molding a single substrate 140 in which a plurality of recesses 20 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 30 are formed, a bending step of bending the substrate 140 so as to close the openings of the plurality of recesses 20, and a welding step of performing laser welding on a portion different from the bent portion 143 formed by bending and surrounding the plurality of recesses 20 together with the bent portion 143.

[0028] According to this manufacturing method, by bending the substrate 140 and performing laser welding, a plurality of recesses 20 serving as coolant flow paths can be sealed, so that the cooling device 1 can be easily manufactured. In addition, since the thickness of the device body 10 of the cooling device 1 can be set to the thickness of approximately one bent substrate 140, thinning can be achieved.

[0029] In the welding step, with the jig 145 disposed above the bent portion 143 restraining the first plate 141 and the second plate 142 that are overlapped, as shown in FIG. 5(b), laser light L is irradiated along the end shape of the overlapped portion. Thereby, laser welding can be performed on the portion surrounding the plurality of recesses 20 together with the bent portion 143 while suppressing warping due to thermal distortion. That is, in a state of being restrained by the jig 145, laser light L can be irradiated to all locations necessary for sealing the plurality of recesses 20, and the device body 10 can be easily manufactured because the laser light L can be continuously irradiated without moving the laser head 151 in the vertical direction.

[0030] For example, consider a method of irradiating laser light L to all four sides of a rectangle after overlapping two rectangular plates. In this method, first, with the jig 145 disposed above one of the sides, the two plates are restrained and the laser light L is irradiated to the remaining three sides. After that, it is necessary to move the jig 145 to open the area above the one side and then irradiate the laser light L to that one side. Therefore, when irradiating the laser light L to all four sides of the rectangle, it takes a great deal of time and effort. On the other hand, if the two overlapped plates are not restrained when irradiating the laser light L, there is a risk of warping due to thermal distortion. In contrast, according to the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, it can be easily manufactured while maintaining stable quality.

[0031] Note that in the cooling device 1, the shape of the device main body 10 when viewed in the vertical direction is rectangular, but it is not limited to a rectangle. The device main body 10 may have a shape such as a triangle, another quadrilateral such as a square, or a polygon with five or more sides when viewed in the vertical direction. Further, the device main body 10 may have a shape such as a substantially circular shape or an elliptical shape when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0032] <Second Embodiment> FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cooling device 2 according to the second embodiment as viewed from above. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cooling device 2 according to the second embodiment as viewed from below. FIG. 9 is a view showing an example of a cross section of the IX-IX portion of FIG. 7. The cooling device 2 according to the second embodiment is different from the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment in that an inflow member 60 and an outflow member 70 are provided so that the coolant makes a U-turn. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be described. The same components in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0033] The cooling device 2 includes a device body 210 corresponding to the device body 10, an inflow member 60 for allowing a coolant to flow into the device body 210 from the outside, and an outflow member 70 for allowing the coolant to flow out of the device body 210 to the outside.

[0034] (device body 210) The device body 210 is formed by bending a single substrate 240 (see FIG. 10) in which a plurality of recesses 220 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 230 (see FIG. 10) are formed, and then performing laser welding on the portion surrounding the plurality of recesses 220. In other words, the device body 210 includes a bent portion 243 where a single substrate 240 in which a plurality of recesses 220 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 230 are formed is bent, and a welded portion 244 where laser welding is performed on the portion that is overlapped when the substrate 240 is bent and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 220 together with the bent portion 243. Therefore, the device body 210 is thinned so that its size in the vertical direction is smaller than its sizes in the left - right direction and the front - rear direction.

[0035] The plurality of recesses 220 are composed of an inflow recess 221 into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess 222 from which the coolant flows out, a plurality (four in the second embodiment) of flow - through recesses 223 through which the coolant passes, and a communication recess 224 that communicates with the right - hand end of the plurality of flow - through recesses 223.

[0036] The inflow recess 221 and the outflow recess 222 are recessed in a rectangular - parallelepiped shape from the plate surface of the substrate 240. The inflow recess 221 and the outflow recess 222 are both provided at one end of the device body 210 in the left - right direction. And either one of the inflow recess 221 and the outflow recess 222 is provided on the front side of the device body 210 in the front - rear direction, and the other is provided on the rear side. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the inflow recess 221 and the outflow recess 222 are provided at the left - hand end, with the inflow recess 221 provided on the front side and the outflow recess 222 provided on the rear side.

[0037] The flow concave portion 223 is formed to extend in the left - right direction. The shape of the flow concave portion 223 cut by a plane orthogonal to the left - right direction is a semi - circle. A plurality (four in the example shown in FIG. 8) of the flow concave portions 223 are provided so as to be arranged in the front - rear direction. Among the plurality of flow concave portions 223, the left - hand end of the flow concave portion 223 provided on the front side of the center communicates with the inflow concave portion 221, and the left - hand end of the flow concave portion 223 provided on the rear side of the center communicates with the outflow concave portion 222. The communication concave portion 224 is recessed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from the plate surface of the substrate 240. The communication concave portion 224 communicates with the right - hand ends of all of the plurality of flow concave portions 223.

[0038] The plurality of through - holes 230 are composed of an inflow through - hole 231 that communicates the inside and the outside of the inflow concave portion 221, and an outflow through - hole 232 (see FIG. 10) that communicates the inside and the outside of the outflow concave portion 222.

[0039] (Operation of the cooling device 2) In the cooling device 2 configured as described above, on the upper surface of the device main body 210, in the left - right direction, between the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70 and the communication concave portion 224, an object to be cooled that is cooled by this cooling device 2 is placed. The object to be cooled can be exemplified by the assembled battery 100 (see FIG. 1).

[0040] In the cooling device 2 configured as described above, the coolant that has flowed into the inflow concave portion 221 of the device main body 210 from the inflow pipe 61 of the inflow member 60 reaches the communication concave portion 224 through the two front - side flow concave portions 223. The coolant that has reached the communication concave portion 224 then reaches the outflow concave portion 222 through the two rear - side flow concave portions 223 and flows out from the outflow pipe 71 of the outflow member 70. In this way, while the coolant flows through the plurality of flow concave portions 223 of the device main body 210, the object to be cooled placed on the upper surface of the device main body 210 is cooled.

[0041] (Manufacturing method of the cooling device 2) FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are diagrams showing an example of the manufacturing method of the cooling device 2 according to the second embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 10(a), for a rectangular plate-shaped material formed using an aluminum material, by performing, for example, pressing, a substrate 240 is formed with an inflow recess 221, an outflow recess 222, a plurality of flow-through recesses 223, a communication recess 224, an inflow through-hole 231, and an outflow through-hole 232.

[0042] Next, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the substrate 240 is bent along a center line connecting the central portions of two sides orthogonal to the direction in which the flow-through recesses 223 extend in the substrate 240. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(c), the substrate 240 is bent 180 degrees, and a first plate 241, which is the plate on the side of the substrate 240 where the inflow recess 221, the outflow recess 222, and the communication recess 224 are formed, and a second plate 242, which is the plate on the side where the plurality of flow-through recesses 223 are formed, are overlapped. Thereby, the inflow recess 221 and the outflow recess 222 face the left ends of the plurality of flow-through recesses 223, and the communication recess 224 faces the right ends of the plurality of flow-through recesses 223.

[0043] Next, the overlapped first plate 241 and second plate 242 are joined by laser welding. When joining the first plate 241 and the second plate 242, first, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the second plate 242 side is pressed with a jig 145 to restrain the first plate 241 and the second plate 242. At this time, the jig 145 is arranged so as to be positioned above the bent portion 243 of the substrate 240 and not above other portions.

[0044] Thereafter, the second plate 242 is irradiated with laser light L from the laser head 151 of the laser device 150. The laser device 150 can be exemplified as irradiating the laser light L in an oblique direction with respect to the plate surface of the second plate 242. Then, by moving the laser head 151 along the end shape of the second plate 242, the laser light L is continuously irradiated. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the laser head 151 is moved along the three sides other than the bent portion 243 in the rectangle where the first plate 241 and the second plate 242 are overlapped, so that the laser light L is continuously irradiated. Thereby, the first plate 241 and the second plate 242 are joined so that the peripheries of the inflow recess 221, the outflow recess 222, the communication recess 224, and the plurality of flow-through recesses 223 in the rectangle where the first plate 241 and the second plate 242 are overlapped are sealed.

[0045] Thereafter, the restraint by the jig 145 is released, and as shown in FIG. 11(c), the laser head 151 is moved along the center line connecting the central portions of the two sides orthogonal to the direction in which the flow-through recess 223 extends, and the laser light L is continuously irradiated. Thereby, the first plate 241 and the second plate 242 are joined between the front flow-through recess 223 and the rear flow-through recess 223 among the plurality of flow-through recesses 223.

[0046] The above is the method for manufacturing the apparatus main body 210. In addition, the first plate 241 and the second plate 242 may be joined by irradiating the laser light L between other adjacent flow-through recesses 223. Thereby, it becomes possible to firmly join the first plate 241 and the second plate 242. Further, when continuously irradiating the laser light L along the end shape of the rectangle where the first plate 241 and the second plate 242 are overlapped to join the peripheries of the inflow recess 221, the outflow recess 222, the communication recess 224, and the plurality of flow-through recesses 223, the first plate 241 may be irradiated with the laser light L.

[0047] After manufacturing the apparatus main body 210, in the same manner as the manufacturing method of the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment, the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70 are joined to the apparatus main body 210 by laser welding.

[0048] As described above, the manufacturing method of the cooling device 2 includes a step of forming a single substrate 240 in which a plurality of recesses 220 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 230 are formed, a bending step of bending the substrate 240 so as to close the openings of the plurality of recesses 220, and a welding step of performing laser welding on a portion that is different from the bent portion 243 formed by bending and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 220 together with the bent portion 243. According to this manufacturing method, the cooling device 2 can be easily manufactured and can be made thinner.

[0049] In the welding step, with the jig 145 disposed above the bent portion 243 restraining the first plate 241 and the second plate 242 that are stacked, as shown in FIG. 11(b), laser light L is irradiated along the end shape of the stacked portion. Thereby, laser welding can be performed on the portion that surrounds the plurality of recesses 220 together with the bent portion 243 while suppressing warping due to thermal distortion, so that it can be easily manufactured while maintaining stable quality.

[0050] <Third Embodiment> FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the cooling device 3 according to the third embodiment as viewed from above. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the cooling device 3 according to the third embodiment as viewed from below. FIGS. 14 and 15 are diagrams showing an example of the manufacturing method of the cooling device 3 according to the third embodiment. The cooling device 3 according to the third embodiment is different from the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment in that two cooling devices 1 are arranged in parallel. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be described. The same components in the first embodiment and the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0051] The cooling device 3 includes a device body 310 corresponding to the device body 10, two inflow members 60 for allowing coolant to flow from the outside to the inside of the device body 310, and two outflow members 70 for allowing coolant to flow from the inside to the outside of the device body 310.

[0052] (Device main body 310) The device main body 310 is formed by subjecting a single substrate 340 (see FIG. 14) in which a plurality of recesses 320 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 330 are formed to laser welding at a portion surrounding the plurality of recesses 320 after the substrate 340 is bent. In other words, the device main body 310 includes a first bent portion 343 and a second bent portion 344 where a single substrate 340 in which a plurality of recesses 320 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 330 are formed is bent. Further, the device main body 310 includes a first welded portion 345 where laser welding is performed on a portion that is a portion where the substrates 340 are overlapped by being bent and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 320 together with the first bent portion 343, and a second welded portion 346 where laser welding is performed on a portion that surrounds the plurality of recesses 320 together with the second bent portion 344. Therefore, the device main body 310 is thinned so that the size in the vertical direction is smaller than the sizes in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction.

[0053] As the plurality of recesses 320, two sets of an inflow recess 321 into which coolant flows, an outflow recess 322 from which coolant flows out, and a plurality (six in FIG. 13) of flow-through recesses 323 through which coolant passes between the inflow recess 321 and the outflow recess 322 are formed, respectively. As the plurality of through holes 330, two sets of an inflow through hole 331 that communicates the inside and the outside of the inflow recess 321 and an outflow through hole 332 that communicates the inside and the outside of the outflow recess 322 are formed, respectively.

[0054] The inflow recess 321, the outflow recess 322, the flow-through recess 323, the inflow through hole 331, and the outflow through hole 332 are the same as the inflow recess 21, the outflow recess 22, the flow-through recess 23, the inflow through hole 31, and the outflow through hole 32 according to the first embodiment, respectively, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0055] (Operation of the cooling device 3) In the cooling device 3 configured as described above, on the upper surface of the device body 310, in the left-right direction, between the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70, an object to be cooled that is cooled by this cooling device 1 is placed. The object to be cooled can be exemplified by the assembled battery 100 (see FIG. 1). The assembled battery 100 may be arranged in a single row or two rows between the two inflow members 60 and the two outflow members 70.

[0056] And in the cooling device 3, the cooling liquid that has flowed into the inflow recess 321 from each inflow member 60 reaches each outflow recess 322 through the plurality of flow-through recesses 323. The cooling liquid that has reached each outflow recess 322 then flows out from each outflow member 70. In this way, while the cooling liquid flows through the plurality of flow-through recesses 323 of the device body 310, the object to be cooled placed on the upper surface of the device body 310 is cooled.

[0057] (Manufacturing method of the cooling device 3) First, as shown in FIG. 14(a), for a rectangular plate-shaped material formed using an aluminum material, for example, by performing pressing, a substrate 340 in which two sets of the inflow recess 321, the outflow recess 322, the flow-through recess 323, the inflow through-hole 331, and the outflow through-hole 332 are formed is formed.

[0058] Next, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the substrate 340 is bent along a line 341 that connects portions at a length of 1 / 4 from one end of one of the two sides orthogonal to the direction in which the flow recess 323 extends in the substrate 340. Also, the substrate 340 is bent along a line 342 that connects portions at a length of 1 / 4 from the other end of one of the two sides orthogonal to the direction in which the flow recess 323 extends in the substrate 340. Then, as shown in FIG. 14(c), the substrate 340 is bent by 180 degrees each, and the first plate 351, which is the plate in which the inflow recess 321 and the outflow recess 322 are formed in the substrate 340, the second plate 352 on one side with respect to the first plate 351, and the third plate 353 on the other side with respect to the first plate 351 are overlapped. As a result, the inflow recess 321 formed in the first plate 351 faces the right ends of the plurality of flow recesses 323 formed in the second plate 352 and the third plate 353, respectively. Also, the outflow recess 322 formed in the first plate 351 faces the left ends of the plurality of flow recesses 323 formed in the second plate 352 and the third plate 353, respectively.

[0059] Next, the superposed first plate 351 and second plate 352 are joined by laser welding. When joining the first plate 351 and the second plate 352, first, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the second plate 352 side is pressed with the jig 145 to restrain the first plate 351 and the second plate 352. At this time, the jig 145 is arranged so as to be positioned above the first bending portion 343 of the substrate 340 and not positioned above other portions. Then, in the same manner as the method described with reference to FIG. 5(b), the laser head 151 is moved along the three sides other than the first bending portion 343 in the rectangle in which the first plate 351 and the second plate 352 are superposed, so that the laser light L is continuously irradiated.

[0060] Next, the overlapped first plate 351 and third plate 353 are joined by laser welding. When joining the first plate 351 and the third plate 353, first, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the third plate 353 side is pressed by the jig 145 to restrain the first plate 351 and the third plate 353. At this time, the jig 145 is arranged so as to be positioned above the second bending portion 344 of the substrate 340 and not positioned above other portions. Thereafter, the laser head 151 is moved along the three sides other than the second bending portion 344 in the rectangle where the first plate 351 and the third plate 353 are overlapped, thereby continuously irradiating the laser light L.

[0061] In addition, in FIG. 15(b), the jig 145 is being moved, but it is not particularly limited to such a mode. For example, after joining the first plate 351 and the second plate 352, the substrate 340 may be rotated 180 degrees about a line orthogonal to the plate surface of the substrate 340 as the rotation center, and then restrained by the jig 145 provided at the same position.

[0062] Alternatively, while simultaneously restraining the first plate 351, the second plate 352, and the first plate 351 and the third plate 353, the joining of the first plate 351 and the second plate 352 and the joining of the first plate 351 and the third plate 353 may be performed in the same process. That is, by moving the laser head 151 along the linear shape of the right end of the rectangle formed by overlapping the first plate 351, the second plate 352, and the third plate 353, the laser light L is continuously irradiated onto the second plate 352 and the third plate 353, and the right end portions of the second plate 352 and the third plate 353 are joined to the first plate 351. Also, by moving the laser head 151 along the linear shape of the left end of the rectangle formed by overlapping the first plate 351, the second plate 352, and the third plate 353, the laser light L is continuously irradiated onto the second plate 352 and the third plate 353, and the left end portions of the second plate 352 and the third plate 353 are joined to the first plate 351. Then, at the central portion in the front-rear direction of the rectangle formed by overlapping the first plate 351, the second plate 352, and the third plate 353, by moving the laser head 151 in the left-right direction, the laser light L is continuously irradiated onto the second plate 352, and the second plate 352 is joined to the first plate 351. At the same time, by moving the laser head 151 in the left-right direction, the laser light L is continuously irradiated onto the third plate 353, and the third plate 353 is joined to the first plate 351. Note that at the central portion in the front-rear direction of the rectangle formed by overlapping the first plate 351, the second plate 352, and the third plate 353, the irradiation position of the laser light L may be irradiated so as to alternately move to the second plate 352 arranged on one side of the boundary line between the second plate 352 and the third plate 353 and the third plate 353 arranged on the other side. At that time, it can be exemplified that the irradiation position becomes circular and the center of the circle moves in the left-right direction along the boundary line. Alternatively, the irradiation position may be in a direction linearly inclined with respect to the boundary line, and the turning points may alternate between the second plate 352 and the third plate 353, or the irradiation position may be in the shape of a figure-eight and the center of the figure-eight may move in the left-right direction along the boundary line.

[0063] After that, the restraint by the jig 145 is stopped, and as shown in FIG. 15(c), the adjacent flow recesses 323 are joined by the same method as the manufacturing method of the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment. The above is the method for manufacturing the apparatus main body 310. Note that it is not necessary to join the adjacent flow recesses 323. However, by joining the adjacent flow recesses 323, it becomes possible to firmly join the first plate 351, the second plate 352, and the third plate 353.

[0064] After manufacturing the apparatus main body 310, the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70 are joined to the apparatus main body 310 by laser welding in the same manner as the manufacturing method of the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0065] As described above, the manufacturing method of the cooling device 3 includes a step of forming a single substrate 340 in which a plurality of recesses 320 serving as flow paths for the coolant and a plurality of through holes 330 are formed, a bending step of bending the substrate 340 so as to close the openings of the plurality of recesses 320, and a welding step of performing laser welding on a portion that is different from the first bent portion 343 and the second bent portion 344 formed by the bending and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 320 together with the first bent portion 343 or the second bent portion 344. According to this manufacturing method, the cooling device 3 can be easily manufactured and thinned.

[0066] In the welding step, with the first plate 351, the second plate 352, and the third plate 353 overlapped with each other by the jig 145 disposed above the first bent portion 343 or the second bent portion 344 being restrained, as shown in FIG. 15, the laser beam L is irradiated along the end shape of the overlapped portion. Thereby, laser welding can be performed on the portion surrounding the plurality of recesses 320 together with the first bent portion 343 or the second bent portion 344 while suppressing warping due to thermal distortion, so that it can be easily manufactured while stabilizing the quality.

[0067] <Fourth Embodiment> FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the cooling device 4 according to the fourth embodiment as seen from above. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the cooling device 4 according to the fourth embodiment as seen from below. FIG. 18 is a view showing an example of a cross-section taken along the line XVIII-XVIII of FIG. 16. In the cooling device 4 according to the fourth embodiment, the positions where the inflow recess 421 and the outflow recess 422, which correspond to the inflow recess 21 and the outflow recess 22 in the cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment, are formed are different. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be described. The same components in the first embodiment and the fourth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0068] The cooling device 4 includes a device body 410 corresponding to the device body 10, an inflow member 60 for allowing a coolant to flow from the outside to the inside of the device body 410, and an outflow member 70 for allowing the coolant to flow from the inside to the outside of the device body 410.

[0069] (Device body 410) The device body 410 is formed by bending a single substrate 440 (see FIG. 19) in which a plurality of recesses 420 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 430 (see FIG. 19) are formed, and then performing laser welding on the portions surrounding the plurality of recesses 420. In other words, the device body 410 includes a bent portion 443 where a single substrate 440 in which a plurality of recesses 420 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 430 are formed is bent, and a welded portion 444 where laser welding is performed on the portion that is overlapped when the substrate 440 is bent and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 420 together with the bent portion 443. Therefore, the device body 410 is thinned so that the size in the vertical direction is smaller than the sizes in the horizontal and front-rear directions.

[0070] The plurality of recesses 420 are composed of an inflow recess 421 into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess 422 from which the coolant flows out, and a plurality (six in the fourth embodiment) of flow-through recesses 423 through which the coolant passes.

[0071] The inflow recess 421 and the outflow recess 422 are recessed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from the plate surface of the substrate 440. One of the inflow recess 421 and the outflow recess 422 is provided at one end in the left - right direction of the apparatus main body 410, and the other is provided at the other end in the left - right direction of the apparatus main body 410. In the example shown in Fig. 17, the inflow recess 421 is provided at the right - hand end, and the outflow recess 422 is provided at the left - hand end, respectively.

[0072] The flow - through recess 423 extends in the left - right direction and is formed so as to communicate the inflow recess 421 and the outflow recess 422. It can be exemplified that the shape obtained by cutting the flow - through recess 423 with a plane orthogonal to the left - right direction is a trapezoid. A plurality (six in the example shown in Fig. 17) of the flow - through recesses 423 are provided so as to be arranged in the front - rear direction.

[0073] The plurality of through - holes 430 are composed of an inflow through - hole 431 that communicates the inside and the outside of the inflow recess 421, and an outflow through - hole 432 that communicates the inside and the outside of the outflow recess 422.

[0074] (Operation of the cooling device 4) In the cooling device 4 configured as described above, on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 410, in the left - right direction, between the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70, an object to be cooled that is cooled by this cooling device 4 is placed. The object to be cooled can be exemplified as the assembled battery 100 (see Fig. 1).

[0075] And in the cooling device 4, the cooling liquid that has flowed into the inflow recess 421 of the apparatus main body 410 from the inflow pipe 61 of the inflow member 60 passes through the plurality of flow - through recesses 423 and reaches the outflow recess 422. The cooling liquid that has reached the outflow recess 422 then flows out from the outflow pipe 71 of the outflow member 70. In this way, while the cooling liquid flows through the plurality of flow - through recesses 423 of the apparatus main body 410, the object to be cooled placed on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 410 is cooled.

[0076] (Manufacturing method of the cooling device 4) Figs. 19 and 20 are diagrams showing an example of the manufacturing method of the cooling device 4 according to the fourth embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 19(a), for a rectangular plate-shaped material formed using an aluminum material, for example, by performing pressing, a substrate 440 is formed in which an inflow recess 421, an outflow recess 422, a plurality of flow-through recesses 423, an inflow through-hole 431, and an outflow through-hole 432 are formed.

[0077] Next, as shown in FIG. 19(b), the substrate 440 is bent along a center line connecting the central portions of two sides orthogonal to the direction in which the flow-through recesses 423 extend in the substrate 440. Then, as shown in FIG. 19(c), the substrate 440 is bent 180 degrees, and a first plate 441, which is the plate on the substrate 440 where the inflow through-hole 431 and the outflow through-hole 432 are formed, and a second plate 442, which is the plate on which the inflow recess 421, the outflow recess 422, and the plurality of flow-through recesses 423 are formed, are overlapped. Thereby, the inflow through-hole 431 and the inflow recess 421 face each other, and the outflow through-hole 432 and the outflow recess 422 face each other.

[0078] Next, the overlapped first plate 441 and second plate 442 are joined by laser welding. When joining the first plate 441 and the second plate 442, first, as shown in FIG. 20(a), the second plate 442 side is pressed with a jig 145 to restrain the first plate 441 and the second plate 442. At this time, the jig 145 is arranged so as to be located above the bent portion 443 of the substrate 440 and not located above other portions.

[0079] Thereafter, the second plate 442 is irradiated with laser light L from the laser head 151 of the laser device 150. The laser device 150 can be exemplified as irradiating the laser light L in an oblique direction with respect to the plate surface of the second plate 442. Then, by moving the laser head 151 along the end shape of the second plate 442, the laser light L is continuously irradiated. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 20(b), the laser head 151 is moved along the three sides other than the bent portion 443 in the rectangle where the first plate 441 and the second plate 442 are overlapped, thereby continuously irradiating the laser light L. As a result, the first plate 441 and the second plate 442 are joined so that the peripheries of the inflow recess 421, the outflow recess 422, and the plurality of flow-through recesses 423 in the rectangle where the first plate 441 and the second plate 442 are overlapped are sealed.

[0080] Thereafter, the restraint by the jig 145 is released, and as shown in FIG. 20(c), between one flow-through recess 423 and another flow-through recess 423 adjacent to the one flow-through recess 423 in the plurality of flow-through recesses 423, the first plate 441 and the second plate 442 are joined by laser welding. At that time, between the inflow recess 421 and the outflow recess 422, at the portion where the first plate 441 and the second plate 442 are in contact between one flow-through recess 423 and another flow-through recess 423, the laser head 151 is moved in the left-right direction to continuously irradiate the laser light L. As a result, the first plate 441 and the second plate 442 are joined between one flow-through recess 423 and another flow-through recess 423.

[0081] The above is the method for manufacturing the apparatus main body 410. Note that it is not necessary to join between adjacent flow-through recesses 423. However, by joining between adjacent flow-through recesses 423, it becomes possible to firmly join the first plate 441 and the second plate 442. Further, when continuously irradiating the laser light L along the end shape of the rectangle where the first plate 441 and the second plate 442 are overlapped in order to join the peripheries of the inflow recess 421, the outflow recess 422, and the plurality of flow-through recesses 423, the first plate 441 may be irradiated with the laser light L.

[0082] After manufacturing the apparatus main body 410, the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70 are joined to the apparatus main body 410 by laser welding in the same manner as the manufacturing method of the cooling apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0083] As described above, the manufacturing method of the cooling apparatus 4 includes a step of forming a single substrate 440 in which a plurality of recesses 420 and a plurality of through holes 430 serving as flow paths for the coolant are formed, and a bending step of bending the substrate 440 so as to close the openings of the plurality of recesses 420. And a welding step of performing laser welding on a portion that is different from the bent portion 443 formed by bending and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 420 together with the bent portion 443. According to this manufacturing method, the cooling apparatus 4 can be easily manufactured and can be made thinner.

[0084] In the welding step, with the jig 145 disposed above the bent portion 443, the first plate 441 and the second plate 442 that are overlapped are restrained, and as shown in FIG. 20(b), laser light L is irradiated along the end shape of the overlapped portion. As a result, laser welding can be performed on the portion surrounding the plurality of recesses 420 together with the bent portion 443 while suppressing warping due to thermal distortion, so that the quality can be stabilized and the manufacturing can be easily performed.

[0085] <Fifth Embodiment> FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the cooling apparatus 5 according to the fifth embodiment as viewed from above. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the cooling apparatus 5 according to the fifth embodiment as viewed from below. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section taken along the line XXIII-XXIII of FIG. 21. In the cooling apparatus 5 according to the fifth embodiment, the positions where the inflow recess 521, the outflow recess 522, and the communication recess 524, which respectively correspond to the inflow recess 221, the outflow recess 222, and the communication recess 224 in the cooling apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment, are formed are different. Hereinafter, the differences from the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment and the fifth embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] The cooling device 5 includes a device main body 510 corresponding to the device main body 210, an inflow member 60 for allowing a coolant to flow into the device main body 510 from the outside, and an outflow member 70 for allowing the coolant to flow out of the device main body 510 to the outside.

[0087] (device main body 510) The device main body 510 is formed by bending a single substrate 540 (see FIG. 24) in which a plurality of recesses 520 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 530 (see FIG. 24) are formed, and then performing laser welding on the portion surrounding the plurality of recesses 520. In other words, the device main body 510 includes a bent portion 543 where a single substrate 540 in which a plurality of recesses 520 serving as coolant flow paths and a plurality of through holes 530 are formed is bent, and a welded portion 544 where laser welding is performed on the portion that is overlapped when the substrate 540 is bent and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 520 together with the bent portion 543. Therefore, the device main body 510 is thinned so that the size in the vertical direction is smaller than the sizes in the left - right direction and the front - rear direction.

[0088] The plurality of recesses 520 are composed of an inflow recess 521 into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess 522 from which the coolant flows out, a plurality (six in the fifth embodiment) of flow - through recesses 523 through which the coolant passes, and a communication recess 524 that communicates with the right - hand end portions of the plurality of flow - through recesses 523.

[0089] The inflow recess 521 and the outflow recess 522 are recessed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from the plate surface of the substrate 540. The inflow recess 521 and the outflow recess 522 are both provided at one end in the left - right direction of the device main body 510. And either one of the inflow recess 521 and the outflow recess 522 is provided on the front side in the front - rear direction of the device main body 510, and the other is provided on the rear side. In the example shown in FIG. 22, the inflow recess 521 and the outflow recess 522 are provided at the left - hand end, the inflow recess 521 is provided on the front side, and the outflow recess 522 is provided on the rear side.

[0090] The flow recess 523 is formed to extend in the left - right direction. It can be exemplified that the shape obtained by cutting the flow recess 523 with a plane orthogonal to the left - right direction is a trapezoid. A plurality (six in the example shown in FIG. 22) of the flow recesses 523 are provided so as to be arranged in the front - rear direction. Among the plurality of flow recesses 523, the left - hand end of the flow recess 523 provided on the front side of the center communicates with the inflow recess 521, and the left - hand end of the flow recess 523 provided on the rear side of the center communicates with the outflow recess 522. The communication recess 524 is recessed in a rectangular - parallelepiped shape from the plate surface of the substrate 540. The communication recess 524 communicates with the right - hand ends of all of the plurality of flow recesses 523.

[0091] The plurality of through - holes 530 are composed of an inflow through - hole 531 that communicates the inside and the outside of the inflow recess 521, and an outflow through - hole 532 (see FIG. 24) that communicates the inside and the outside of the outflow recess 522.

[0092] (Operation of the cooling device 5) In the cooling device 5 configured as described above, on the upper surface of the device main body 510, in the left - right direction, between the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70 and the portion facing the communication recess 524, an object to be cooled that is cooled by this cooling device 5 is placed. The object to be cooled can be exemplified as the assembled battery 100 (see FIG. 1).

[0093] In the cooling device 5 configured as described above, the coolant that has flowed into the inflow recess 521 of the device main body 510 from the inflow pipe 61 of the inflow member 60 reaches the communication recess 524 through the three front - side flow recesses 523. The coolant that has reached the communication recess 524 then reaches the outflow recess 522 through the three rear - side flow recesses 523 and flows out from the outflow pipe 71 of the outflow member 70. In this way, while the coolant flows through the plurality of flow recesses 523 of the device main body 510, it cools the object to be cooled placed on the upper surface of the device main body 510.

[0094] (Manufacturing method of the cooling device 5) FIGS. 24 and 25 are diagrams showing an example of the manufacturing method of the cooling device 5 according to the fifth embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 24(a), for a rectangular plate-shaped material formed using an aluminum material, for example, by performing pressing, a substrate 540 is formed in which an inflow recess 521, an outflow recess 522, a plurality of flow-through recesses 523, a communication recess 524, an inflow through-hole 531, and an outflow through-hole 532 are formed.

[0095] Next, as shown in FIG. 24(b), the substrate 540 is bent along a center line connecting the central portions of two sides orthogonal to the direction in which the flow-through recesses 523 extend in the substrate 540. Then, as shown in FIG. 24(c), the substrate 540 is bent 180 degrees, and a first plate 541, which is the plate on the side of the substrate 540 where the inflow through-hole 531 and the outflow through-hole 532 are formed, and a second plate 542, which is the plate on the side of the substrate 540 where the inflow recess 521, the outflow recess 522, the plurality of flow-through recesses 523, and the communication recess 524 are formed, are overlapped. Thereby, the inflow through-hole 531 and the inflow recess 521 face each other, and the outflow through-hole 532 and the outflow recess 522 face each other.

[0096] Next, the overlapped first plate 541 and second plate 542 are joined by laser welding. When joining the first plate 541 and the second plate 542, first, as shown in FIG. 25(a), the second plate 542 side is pressed with a jig 145 to restrain the first plate 541 and the second plate 542. At this time, the jig 145 is arranged so that the jig 145 is positioned above the bent portion 543 of the substrate 540 and is not positioned above other portions.

[0097] Thereafter, the second plate 542 is irradiated with laser light L from the laser head 151 of the laser device 150. The laser device 150 can be exemplified as irradiating the laser light L in an oblique direction with respect to the plate surface of the second plate 542. Then, by moving the laser head 151 along the end shape of the second plate 542, the laser light L is continuously irradiated. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 25(b), the laser head 151 is moved along the three sides other than the bent portion 543 in the rectangle where the first plate 541 and the second plate 542 are overlapped, thereby continuously irradiating the laser light L. As a result, the first plate 541 and the second plate 542 are joined so that the peripheries of the inflow recess 521, the outflow recess 522, the communication recess 524, and the plurality of flow-through recesses 523 in the rectangle where the first plate 541 and the second plate 542 are overlapped are sealed.

[0098] Thereafter, the restraint by the jig 145 is released, and as shown in FIG. 25(c), the laser head 151 is moved in the left-right direction and the laser light L is continuously irradiated at the portions where the first plate 541 and the second plate 542 are in contact between the inflow recess 521 and the outflow recess 522, and between the front flow-through recess 523 and the rear flow-through recess 523. As a result, the first plate 541 and the second plate 542 are joined between the front flow-through recess 523 and the rear flow-through recess 523 among the plurality of flow-through recesses 523.

[0099] The above is the method for manufacturing the apparatus main body 510. In addition, the first plate 541 and the second plate 542 may be joined by irradiating the laser light L between other adjacent flow-through recesses 523. This makes it possible to firmly join the first plate 541 and the second plate 542. Further, when continuously irradiating the laser light L along the end shape of the rectangle where the first plate 541 and the second plate 542 are overlapped to join the peripheries of the inflow recess 521, the outflow recess 522, the communication recess 524, and the plurality of flow-through recesses 523, the first plate 541 may be irradiated with the laser light L.

[0100] After manufacturing the apparatus main body 510, the inflow member 60 and the outflow member 70 are joined to the apparatus main body 510 by laser welding in the same manner as the manufacturing method of the cooling apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0101] As described above, the manufacturing method of the cooling apparatus 5 includes a step of forming a single substrate 540 in which a plurality of recesses 520 and a plurality of through holes 530 serving as flow paths for the coolant are formed, and a bending step of bending the substrate 540 so as to close the openings of the plurality of recesses 520. And a welding step of performing laser welding on a portion that is different from the bent portion 543 formed by bending and that surrounds the plurality of recesses 520 together with the bent portion 543. According to this manufacturing method, the cooling apparatus 5 can be easily manufactured and can be made thinner.

[0102] In the welding step, with the first plate 541 and the second plate 542 overlapped with each other by a jig 145 disposed above the bent portion 543 being restrained, as shown in FIG. 25(b), laser light L is irradiated along the end shape of the overlapped portion. Thereby, since laser welding can be performed on the portion surrounding the plurality of recesses 520 together with the bent portion 543 while suppressing warping due to thermal distortion, it can be easily manufactured while stabilizing the quality.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0103] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… Cooling device, 10, 210, 310, 410, 510… Device body, 20, 220, 320, 420, 520… A plurality of recesses, 21, 221, 321, 421, 521… Inflow recess, 22, 222, 322, 422, 522… Outflow recess, 23, 223, 323, 423, 523… Flow-through recess, 30, 230, 330, 430, 530… A plurality of through-holes, 60… Inflow member, 70… Outflow member, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540… Substrate, 141, 241, 351, 441, 541… First plate, 142, 242, 352, 442, 542… Second plate, 143, 243, 443, 543… Bending portion, 144, 244, 444, 544… Welding portion, 145… Fixture, 150… Laser device, 151… Laser head, 343… First bending portion, 344… Second bending portion, 345… First welding portion, 346… Second welding portion, 353… Third plate

Claims

1. A step of forming a single substrate having a plurality of recesses and a plurality of through-holes serving as coolant flow paths; A bending step of bending the substrate so as to close the openings of the plurality of recesses; A welding step of performing laser welding on a portion different from the bent portion formed by bending and surrounding the plurality of recesses together with the bent portion; Comprising: In the welding step, a jig arranged so as to be located above the bent portion and not located above other portions than the bent portion restrains the portions superposed by being bent in the bending step, and along the end shape of the portion other than the bent portion in the superposed portion, A method for manufacturing a cooling device that continuously irradiates laser light.

2. The plurality of recesses include an inflow recess into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess from which the coolant flows out, and a flow-through recess through which the coolant passes between the inflow recess and the outflow recess. The bending step bends the substrate so as to overlap a first plate that is a plate on which the inflow recess and the outflow recess are formed in the substrate and a second plate that is a plate on which the flow-through recess is formed. The method for manufacturing a cooling device according to claim 1.

3. The bending step bends the substrate so as to overlap a first plate that is a plate on which the plurality of through-holes are formed in the substrate and a second plate that is a plate on which the plurality of recesses are formed. The method for manufacturing a cooling device according to claim 1.

4. A step of joining an inflow member for allowing the coolant to flow into a portion corresponding to a first through-hole among the plurality of through-holes; A step of joining an outflow member for allowing the coolant to flow out from the inside to a portion corresponding to a second through-hole among the plurality of through-holes; The method for manufacturing a cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

5. A bent portion of a single substrate having a plurality of recesses and a plurality of through-holes serving as coolant flow paths, which is bent; A welded portion where laser welding is performed on a portion superposed by bending the substrate and surrounding the plurality of recesses together with the bent portion; Comprising: The welded portion is a portion where laser welding is performed along the end shape of the portion other than the bent portion in the superposed portion. A cooling device.

6. The plurality of recesses include an inflow recess into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess from which the coolant flows out, and a circulation recess that extends in a direction parallel to the bent portion and has one end communicating with the inflow recess and the other end communicating with the outflow recess. The welded portion is a portion where laser welding is performed on a portion where a first plate, which is a plate of the substrate in which the inflow recess and the outflow recess are formed, and a second plate, which is a plate in which the circulation recess is formed, are overlapped. The cooling device according to claim 5.

7. The plurality of recesses include an inflow recess into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess from which the coolant flows out, a plurality of circulation recesses that extend in a direction parallel to the bent portion and have one end communicating with the inflow recess or the outflow recess, and a communication recess that communicates with the other ends of the plurality of circulation recesses. The welded portion is a portion where laser welding is performed on a portion where a first plate, which is a plate of the substrate in which the inflow recess, the outflow recess, and the communication recess are formed, and a second plate, which is a plate in which the plurality of circulation recesses are formed, are overlapped. The cooling device according to claim 5.

8. The welded portion is a portion where laser welding is performed on a portion where a first plate, which is a plate of the substrate in which the plurality of through-holes are formed, and a second plate, which is a plate in which the plurality of recesses are formed, are overlapped. The cooling device according to claim 5.

9. The plurality of recesses include two sets of a set composed of an inflow recess into which the coolant flows, an outflow recess from which the coolant flows out, and a circulation recess that extends in a direction parallel to the bent portion and has one end communicating with the inflow recess and the other end communicating with the outflow recess. The welded portion is a portion where laser welding is performed on a portion where a first plate, which is a plate of the substrate in which the two sets of the inflow recess and the outflow recess are formed, and a second plate, which is a plate in which the circulation recess of one of the two sets is formed, are overlapped, and a portion where the first plate and a third plate, which is a plate in which the circulation recess of the other of the two sets is formed, are overlapped. The cooling device according to claim 5.

10. An inflow member that is joined to a portion corresponding to a first through-hole among the plurality of through-holes and allows the coolant to flow into the interior. An outflow member that is joined to a portion corresponding to a second through-hole among the plurality of through-holes and allows the coolant to flow out from the interior. The cooling device according to any one of claims 5 to 9, further comprising

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