Cooling structure and structure

Abstract

To provide a cooling structure and a structure that are lightweight and have a high degree of freedom in placement.SOLUTION: A cooling structure includes an outer packaging material having an inlet and an outlet for refrigerant, and an inner core material disposed inside the outer packaging material. The inner core material is configured to include resin, and is provided with a reinforcing member inside the outer packaging material that reinforces the inner core material in the thickness direction of the cooling structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooling structure and a structure.

Background Art

[0002] In fields such as electronic devices such as smartphones and personal computers, and battery modules mounted in electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, etc., technologies incorporating water-cooled coolers, heat pipes, etc. as heat dissipation measures are known. Also, in power semiconductor modules made of silicon carbide, etc., measures using cooling plates, heat sinks, etc. have been proposed for heat dissipation.

[0003] For example, vehicles equipped with motors such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles are equipped with driving means for driving the motors. The driving means is composed of a power module having a plurality of power semiconductors such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), electronic components such as capacitors, and busbars for electrically joining these electronic components. When driving the motor, a large current may flow through the power semiconductor, capacitor, etc., and the busbars joining these electronic components. In this case, the driving means generates heat due to switching loss, resistance loss, etc., so it is desirable to efficiently cool the driving means. Also, it is desirable to efficiently cool the heat generated from the battery module mounted in the vehicle.

[0004] Examples of the cooling structure include a structure having a structure made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as having an inner core of an aluminum cooling fin. However, because it is made of metal, it has weight, and because it is arranged on the object to be cooled by welding or the like, a certain thickness is required and it is difficult to make it thinner.

[0005] Therefore, from the viewpoint of weight reduction, a cooling structure has been proposed in which the outer casing and inner core are made of laminate material, which consists of a metal heat transfer layer laminated with a resin layer, and a refrigerant is circulated through a flow path partitioned by the inner core (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes that the heat exchanger is manufactured by heat-sealing laminate material having a heat-sealable layer, thereby achieving a sufficiently thin profile. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes that the heat exchanger can be easily modified in shape and size for the laminate material used as the outer casing and inner core, thereby increasing design flexibility and improving versatility. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-3132 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Although the cooling structure described in Patent Document 1 is lightweight and easy to handle, the water channels are made of laminate material, so external forces such as the weight of the object to be cooled placed on top of the cooling structure may deform the laminate material, crushing the water channels and reducing the cooling capacity. In view of the above circumstances, this disclosure relates to a cooling structure and a structure that can reduce weight while suppressing a significant decrease in cooling capacity in response to pressure from the object to be cooled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The means for solving the above problems include the following embodiments. <1> An outer packaging material having a refrigerant inlet and outlet, The outer packaging material comprises an inner core material disposed inside the outer packaging material, The aforementioned inner core material is composed of resin, A cooling structure comprising a reinforcing member inside the outer packaging material for reinforcing the inner core material. <2> The reinforcing members are arranged so as to be symmetrical in the width direction of the cooling structure. <1> The cooling structure described above. <3> The height of the reinforcing member is 70% or more of the distance in the thickness direction of the cooling structure inside the outer packaging material. <1> or <2> The cooling structure described above. <4> The outer packaging material comprises a metal layer and a resin layer provided on at least one surface of the metal layer. <1> ~ <3> A cooling structure as described in any one of the items. <5> The inner core material comprises a metal layer and resin layers provided on both sides of the metal layer. <1> ~ <4> A cooling structure as described in any one of the items. <6> <1> ~ <5> A structure comprising a cooling structure described in any one of the above, and a cooling object provided on the cooling structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, a cooling structure and a structure are provided that can reduce weight while suppressing a significant decrease in cooling capacity in response to pressure from the object to be cooled. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a cooling structure 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the cooling structure 100, broken down into its individual components. [Figure 3] This is a partial schematic perspective view of the inner core material 40 in one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the widthwise cooling structure in one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the widthwise cooling structure in another aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the widthwise cooling structure in another aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a schematic perspective view of the core material 40 in another aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]It is a schematic perspective view for explaining a modified example of the cooling structure, and shows the inside when the upper outer wrapping material 30B is removed.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the following embodiments. In the following embodiments, the components (including element steps, etc.) are not essential unless otherwise specified. The same applies to numerical values and their ranges, which do not limit the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] When describing embodiments in the present disclosure with reference to the drawings, the configuration of the embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings. Also, the sizes of the members in each drawing are conceptual, and the relative size relationships between the members are not limited thereto. Also, in each drawing, members having substantially the same function are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. In the present disclosure, the term "layer" includes cases where it is formed only in a part of the region in addition to cases where it is formed throughout the region when observing the region where the layer exists. In the present disclosure, the term "lamination" indicates stacking layers, and two or more layers may be joined, or two or more layers may be detachable.

[0013] <Cooling structure> The cooling structure of the present disclosure includes an outer wrapping material provided with an inlet and an outlet for a refrigerant, and a core material disposed inside the outer wrapping material. The core material is composed of a resin and includes a reinforcing member for reinforcing the core material inside the outer wrapping material.

[0014] The heat exchanger described in Patent Document 1 is composed of a core material that forms a plurality of uneven shapes by pleating a laminate material or the like and arranging these plurality of uneven shapes in the thickness direction of the cooling structure, and thus has a certain degree of strength against loads from the thickness direction of the cooling structure. However, depending on the weight of the object to be cooled, the outer packaging material and the inner core material made of the laminate material may deform, and the water channels may be crushed. As a result, the amount of refrigerant flowing through may decrease, and the cooling capacity may decrease.

[0015] As a countermeasure against such problems, strengthening the outer packaging material, etc. may be considered. However, with this method, the weight reduction of the cooling structure is inhibited, or the size of the entire cooling structure increases, and the advantages of using the laminate material are impaired.

[0016] On the other hand, in the cooling structure of the present disclosure, while aiming to reduce the weight by using an inner core material containing resin, since the reinforcing member is provided inside the outer packaging material, it is not necessary to increase the overall size of the cooling structure. Therefore, in the cooling structure of the present disclosure, it is not necessary to increase the mounting space in an automobile or the like.

[0017] The position of the reinforcing member in the cooling structure is not particularly limited as long as it is inside the outer packaging material. Since the object to be cooled is mounted by being laminated in the thickness direction of the cooling structure, the reinforcing member has a function of reinforcing the inner core material against an external force from the thickness direction of the cooling structure. The reinforcing member is preferably provided so as to extend in the thickness direction of the cooling structure inside the outer packaging material.

[0018] The number of reinforcing members in the cooling structure is not particularly limited. For example, it may be designed to arrange the reinforcing members according to the mounting position of the object to be cooled, or the reinforcing members may be provided in the cooling structure in advance, and the object to be cooled may be arranged at the position of the reinforcing members. In the latter case, when a plurality of reinforcing members are provided in the cooling structure, the cooling structure has a higher degree of freedom in the mounting position of the object to be cooled.

[0019] The reinforcing members are preferably arranged to be symmetric in the left-right direction in the width direction of the cooling structure. When the reinforcing members are arranged symmetrically in the width direction, the strength in the width direction is equalized with respect to the load from the thickness direction to the cooling structure.

[0020] The cooling structure of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a cooling structure 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The cooling structure 100 shown in Figure 1 has a coolant inlet 10 and an outlet 20, and is entirely covered by an outer covering material 30.

[0022] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the cooling structure 100 in Figure 1, broken down into its individual components. The outer packaging material 30 is composed of an upper outer packaging material 30A and a lower outer packaging material 30B. In this disclosure, these are referred to as "upper" and "lower" according to the orientation in the drawings, but the orientation may be reversed.

[0023] The upper outer packaging material 30A is provided with holes for passing through a joint pipe serving as a refrigerant inlet 10 and a joint pipe serving as a refrigerant outlet 20. For ease of assembly, it is preferable that the joint pipe for the refrigerant inlet 10 is provided as part of the header section 12, and the joint pipe for the outlet 20 is provided as part of the footer section 22. The joint pipe for the refrigerant inlet 10 may be integrally molded with the header section 12, and the joint pipe for the outlet 20 may be integrally molded with the footer section 22.

[0024] In the cooling structure 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the joint pipes extend outward in the thickness direction of the cooling structure 100, but the orientation of the joint pipes is not limited to this. For example, the joint pipes may extend outward in the surface direction of the cooling structure 100. Also, the orientation of the joint pipes at the inlet 10 and the outlet 20 may be different.

[0025] An inner core material 40 is placed inside the outer packaging material 30. The inner core material 40 divides the flow path of the refrigerant from the header section 12 to the footer section 22 into multiple sections. The outer packaging material 30A and the lower outer packaging material 30B are then closed and sealed. If the outer packaging material 30A and the outer packaging material 30B have a resin layer, the outer packaging material 30B and the outer packaging material 30B can be sealed by fusing the resin layer.

[0026] The outer packaging material 30 has a reinforcing member 50 inside that reinforces the inner core material 40. The shape of the reinforcing member 50 is not limited and may be a cylinder, a prism, a cone, a pyramid, etc.

[0027] Figure 3 is a partial schematic perspective view of the core material 40 in one aspect of the present disclosure. The core material 40 has an uneven shape that divides the refrigerant flow path into multiple sections, and has a plurality of protrusions 42 and a plurality of recesses 44.

[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the widthwise cooling structure in one embodiment of the present disclosure. The reinforcing member 50 is provided extending in the thickness direction of the cooling structure 100 from the outer packaging material 30B to the outer packaging material 30A. In the cooling structure shown in Figure 4(A), one reinforcing member 50 is positioned in the center of the cooling structure in the width direction. In the cooling structure shown in Figure 4(B), three reinforcing members 50 are positioned: one in the center of the cooling structure in the width direction, and one each on the left and right sides in the width direction. In the cooling structure shown in Figure 4(C), two reinforcing members 50 are positioned: one each on the left and right sides in the width direction of the cooling structure.

[0029] The material of the reinforcing member 50 is not particularly limited and can be at least one selected from the group consisting of organic materials such as resins, inorganic materials, and metals. Specifically, aluminum can be cited. It is preferable that the reinforcing member 50 is made of a material with higher strength than the resin used for the inner core material 40. By using a material with higher strength than the resin of the inner core material 40 to construct the reinforcing member 50, the strength can be maintained even if the width of the reinforcing member is thinner than the width of the inner core material, and the area that blocks the flow path due to the installation of the reinforcing member can be kept small.

[0030] The width W2 of the reinforcing member 50 relative to the width W1 of the core material 40 (or the thickness of the laminate material if the core material is laminate material) can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the material. Here, the width W1 of the core material 40 refers to the dimension of the core material 40 in the width direction of the cooling structure, and the width of the reinforcing member 50 refers to the dimension of the reinforcing member 50 in the width direction of the cooling structure. Furthermore, in the case where the cooling structure is divided into multiple flow paths by the inner core material 40 in the width direction, the width W1 of the inner core material 40 refers to the thickness of each wall that partitions the flow path (the dimension of the wall in the width direction of the cooling structure). In the case where multiple reinforcing members 50 exist in the width direction of the cooling structure, the width W2 of the reinforcing members 50 refers to the dimension of each reinforcing member 50 in the width direction of the cooling structure.

[0031] When the reinforcing member 50 is constructed using a resin with a strength similar to that of the resin used for the core material 40, the width W2 of the reinforcing member 50 can be made wider than the width W1 of the core material 40 to reinforce the core material 40. However, even when the reinforcing member 50 is constructed using a material with higher strength than the resin used for the core material 40, the width W2 of the reinforcing member may be made wider than the width W1 of the core material 40. For example, the width W2 of the reinforcing member 50 relative to the width W1 of the inner core material 40 may be 70% or less, 60% or less, or 50% or less.

[0032] The length of the reinforcing member 50 in the longitudinal direction of the cooling structure is not particularly limited.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the height B of the reinforcing member 50 may be 100% when the distance A from outer packaging material 30B to outer packaging material 30A in the thickness direction of the cooling structure is taken as 100%, but as shown in Figure 5, it may be less than 100%, or 95% or less. The reference "distance A" is measured when no external force is applied.

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the widthwise cooling structure in another embodiment of the present disclosure, in an example where the height B of the reinforcing member 50 is less than 100% of the distance A. If the height of the reinforcing member 50 is less than 100%, a likelihood exists in the difference between distance A and height B. Therefore, in such a cooling structure, even if at least one of the cooling structure and the object being cooled expands and contracts due to heating and cooling, it can accommodate the deformation caused by that expansion and contraction. Furthermore, even in the case of deformation other than expansion and contraction, such as deformation from external forces on the cooling structure, the reinforcing function in the thickness direction of the cooling structure can be maintained.

[0035] The height B of the reinforcing member 50 is preferably 70% or more of the distance inside the outer packaging material in the thickness direction of the cooling structure (distance A from outer packaging material 30B to outer packaging material 30A), and may be 80% or more, or 90% or more. By setting the height B of the reinforcing member 50 to 70% or more, a certain amount of refrigerant can be secured even if the water channel is crushed by pressure from the thickness direction of the cooling structure. Furthermore, the height B of the reinforcing member 50 may be 100% of the distance A, less than 100%, or 95% or less.

[0036] In Figure 5, one reinforcing member 50 having a height B of less than 100% of distance A is provided at the center of the width direction of the cooling structure 100, but two or more may be provided. In this case, the height B of each reinforcing member 50 may be the same, or the height B of the reinforcing members 50 may be changed according to the surface shape of the object to be cooled.

[0037] Furthermore, although the reinforcing member 50 is attached to the outer packaging material 30B side in Figure 5, it may also be attached to the outer packaging material 30A side.

[0038] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the widthwise cooling structure in another embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a modified example of the reinforcing member 50. In Figure 6, the reinforcing member 50 is integrated with the core material 40. In Figure 6, the reinforcing member 50 is provided inside the core material 40, but the reinforcing member 50 may also be provided on the surface of the core material 40. If the reinforcing member 50 is made of metal or the like, it is preferable to provide the reinforcing member 50 inside the core material 40 from the viewpoint of preventing corrosion.

[0039] When a reinforcing member 50 is provided as part of the core material 40, the height of the core material 40 and the height of the reinforcing member 50 may be the same or different. For example, in the configuration shown in Figure 6, the height of the reinforcing member 50 may be 100% of the height of the core material 40, less than 100%, or 95% or less. Furthermore, the height of the reinforcing member 50 is preferably 70% or more of the height of the core material 40, but may also be 80% or more, or 90% or more. When the height of the reinforcing member 50 is lower than that of the inner core material 40, if an external force is applied from the thickness direction of the cooling structure, the inner core material 40 is made up of resin, so deformation can be allowed at least up to the height of the reinforcing member 50 due to the elasticity of the resin in the inner core material 40.

[0040] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of the core material 40 in another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the core material 40 may be separated into two or more sections in the longitudinal direction. In this case, reinforcing members 50 may be provided at the separation points of the core material 40. Alternatively, reinforcing members 50 may be provided at positions other than the separation points of the core material 40.

[0041] The following describes the details of the outer packaging material 30, inner core material 40, etc. From the viewpoint of sealing the outer packaging material 30A and the outer packaging material 30B by fusion, it is preferable that the outer packaging material 30 has a resin layer, and more preferably has a metal layer and a resin layer provided on at least one side of the metal layer. Providing a resin layer on the inside of the outer packaging material 30 makes it easier to suppress corrosion caused by the refrigerant. Also, providing a resin layer on the outside of the outer packaging material 30 makes it possible to provide insulation. It is preferable that the outer packaging material 30 has resin layers on both sides of the metal layer. The materials of the lower outer packaging material 30A and the upper outer packaging material 30B may be the same or different.

[0042] Examples of metal layers include aluminum foil, stainless steel foil, nickel foil, plated copper foil, and clad metal of nickel foil and copper foil. From the viewpoint of thermal conductivity and cost, aluminum foil is preferred.

[0043] The thickness of the metal layer is preferably 4 μm or more, and more preferably 8 μm or more. Furthermore, the thickness of the metal layer is preferably 300 μm or less, and more preferably 150 μm or less.

[0044] The resin layer is preferably composed of a heat-sealable resin. Examples of such resins include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, modified resins thereof, fluororesins, polyester resins such as PET resin, and vinyl chloride resin.

[0045] The thickness of the resin layer is preferably 4 μm or more, and more preferably 8 μm or more. The thickness of the metal layer is preferably 300 μm or less, and more preferably 150 μm or less.

[0046] The metal layer and the resin layer may be laminated together to form a laminate material. Other layers may or may not be provided between the metal layer and the inner resin layer.

[0047] A coating layer may be provided on the outermost layer of the laminate material. By providing a coating layer on the outer packaging material 30, corrosion of the metal layer is prevented, and damage due to external and internal pressure tends to be prevented. Furthermore, when an insulating resin is used for the coating layer, it tends to provide effects such as preventing short circuits and leakage currents to the object being cooled. Furthermore, when a conductive resin is used for the coating layer, it tends to provide an antistatic effect to the object being cooled.

[0048] The same resin as the resin layer described above can be used for the coating layer. The coating layer may be made of the same material as the resin layer, or of a different material. From the viewpoint of heat-sealing the resin layer of the outer packaging material 30 and the inner core material 40, and not heat-sealing the coating layer, it is preferable to use a coating layer with a higher melting point than the resin layer, and it is even more preferable to use a resin with a melting point 10°C or higher. The thickness of the coating layer is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to set it to be about the same thickness as the resin layer, or thinner than the resin layer.

[0049] The thickness of the outer packaging material 30 is not particularly limited. From the viewpoint of strength and thermal conductivity, the thickness of the outer packaging material 30 is preferably 8 μm or more, more preferably 10 μm or more, and even more preferably 12 μm or more. From the viewpoint of thinning and deformability, the thickness of the outer packaging material 30 is preferably 300 μm or less, more preferably 250 μm or less, and even more preferably 200 μm or less. From this viewpoint, the thickness of the outer packaging material 30 is preferably 8 μm to 300 μm, more preferably 10 μm to 250 μm, and even more preferably 12 μm to 200 μm.

[0050] The laminate material may be manufactured by laminating a resin film onto a metal foil or metal plate. The resin film may be stretched or unstretched. Adhesive may be used for lamination.

[0051] The inner core material 40 may be a laminate material containing resin, with a metal layer and a resin layer laminated together. The inner core material 40 may have a metal layer and resin layers provided on both sides of the metal layer. If the surface of the inner core material 40 is made of resin, it can be fused to the outer packaging material 30. In addition, if the surface of the inner core material 40 is made of resin, corrosion caused by the refrigerant is more easily suppressed.

[0052] The metal layer of the inner core material 40 can preferably be the same as the metal layer of the outer packaging material 30. The metal layer of the laminate material used as the inner core material 40 may be made of the same material as the metal layer of the laminate material used as the outer packaging material 30, or it may be made of a different material.

[0053] The resin layer of the laminate material used as the inner core material 40 can preferably be the same as the resin layer of the laminate material used as the outer packaging material 30. From the viewpoint of heat-sealing the inner core material 40 to the outer packaging material 30, it is preferable that the resin layer of the laminate material used as the inner core material 40 and the resin layer of the laminate material used as the outer packaging material 30 are made of the same material.

[0054] Inside The laminate material for the core material 40 may be manufactured by attaching a resin film to a metal foil or metal plate. The resin film may be a stretched film or an unstretched film. An adhesive may be used for attachment.

[0055] The uneven shape of the inner core material 40 may be formed into a corrugated shape by pressing, pleating, or the like. In addition to a corrugated shape, it may also be an embossed shape in which recesses and protrusions are dispersed in a staggered pattern or the like.

[0056] Press working can be either discontinuous or continuous. Examples of discontinuous press working include forming methods using upper and lower dies, while examples of continuous press working include roll forming. Examples of roll forming include corrugating.

[0057] In the forming method using an upper and lower die, the upper and lower dies are formed so that recesses and protrusions are arranged alternately. Each recess in the upper die corresponds to each protrusion in the lower die, and each protrusion in the upper die corresponds to each recess in the lower die, and the upper and lower dies are configured so that their recesses and protrusions interlock. Then, the core material before processing is sandwiched between the upper and lower dies and pressed, thereby forming the core material into a corrugated sheet shape.

[0058] The corrugated processing method can be performed using a pair of corrugated rolls. Each corrugated roll has a surface on its outer circumference with alternating recesses and protrusions in the direction of rotation. Each recess on one corrugated roll corresponds to each protrusion on the other corrugated roll, and each protrusion on one corrugated roll corresponds to each recess on the other corrugated roll, so that the recesses and protrusions of the pair of corrugated rolls interlock. By rotating the core material before processing while sandwiching it between the pair of corrugated rolls, the core material can be passed between the pair of corrugated rolls and formed into a corrugated sheet shape.

[0059] In roll forming, embossing can be performed using a pair of embossing rolls. For example, an embossing roll can be used in which recesses and protrusions are arranged alternately on its outer surface along the rotational and axial directions. Furthermore, the pair of embossing rolls are positioned so that the recesses of one roll correspond to the protrusions of the other roll, and the protrusions of the other roll correspond to the recesses of the other roll, so that the recesses and protrusions of the pair of embossing rolls interlock. The core material to be processed is then sandwiched between the pair of embossing rolls and rotated, causing the core laminate material to pass between the two rolls and create the embossed surface. This makes it possible to produce an embossed core material with recesses and protrusions dispersed in a staggered pattern or similar.

[0060] In continuous press working, the core material with its embossed surface is cut to a predetermined length using a shear knife (shear cutting blade) or the like, positioned downstream of the processing device, to form the core material 40. Continuous press working can be performed continuously using a roll-to-roll method, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0061] When the core material 40 is formed of laminate material, it is preferable that the reinforcing member 50 is configured as a separate member from the core material 40, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0062] If the core material 40 is made of resin like a rib, an uneven shape may be formed by vacuum molding. If the core material 40 is made of resin, it is preferable to provide the reinforcing member 50 as part of the core material 40, as shown in Figure 6.

[0063] The reinforcing member 50 may be formed together with other parts, or it may be inserted and positioned afterward. As shown in Figure 6, if a reinforcing member 50 is provided as part of the inner core material 40, the reinforcing member 50 may be provided in the inner core material 40 by insert molding.

[0064] The cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path partitioned by the uneven shape of the inner core material 40 may be a semicircle; a semiellipse; a polygon such as a triangle, square, or pentagon; an irregular shape; or a combination thereof. Multiple protrusions and indentations may be arranged regularly or irregularly. An example of an irregular arrangement is one in which the periods of the protrusions and indentations are not uniform. In the case of a regular arrangement, the periods of the concave parts and the convex parts may be the same or different.

[0065] If the cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path is uniform, it is preferable from the viewpoint of production efficiency to process the inner core material by continuous press working; if it is not uniform, it is preferable to process the inner core material by discontinuous press working.

[0066] The refrigerant flows through the multiple channels partitioned by the uneven shape of the inner core material 40. The type of refrigerant is not particularly limited. Examples of refrigerants include liquids such as water and organic solvents, and gases such as air. The water used as a refrigerant may contain components such as antifreeze.

[0067] Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a modified cooling structure, showing the interior when the upper outer casing 30B is removed. In the cooling structure 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerant inlet 10 and outlet 20 are provided at their respective ends (front and rear ends) in the longitudinal direction. In contrast, in the cooling structure 110 shown in Figure 8, both the inlet 10 and outlet 20 are provided at one end. In the cooling structure 110 shown in Figure 8, the joint pipe for the inlet 10 and the joint pipe for the outlet 20 are provided in the header section.

[0068] In the cooling structure 110 shown in Figure 8, as indicated by the arrow F in the figure, the refrigerant flowing from the inlet 10 of the header section 12 makes a U-turn in the footer section 22, reverses direction, and returns to the outlet 20 of the header section 12.

[0069] In Figure 8, the refrigerant is shown to make one return cycle in the longitudinal direction, but it may also be made to make one and a half return cycles. In this case, an inlet 40 may be provided in the header section 12 and an outlet 20 in the footer section 22. The number of return cycles for the refrigerant may be increased even further. When the refrigerant is to be moved back and forth along its length, it is preferable to provide a partition between the forward flow path and the return flow path.

[0070] In yet another form, there may be not just one inlet 40 and multiple outlets 20.

[0071] The cooling structure of this disclosure can be widely used for cooling heat-generating elements and is effective, for example, for cooling battery modules and power semiconductor modules installed in electronic devices such as smartphones and personal computers, electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles.

[0072] <Structure> The structure of the present disclosure comprises the aforementioned cooling structure of the present disclosure and a cooling object provided on the cooling structure. Examples of objects to be cooled include heat-generating components such as electronic devices like smartphones and personal computers, battery modules and power semiconductor modules installed in electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. The object to be cooled may be provided on either the outer packaging material 30B side or the outer packaging material 30A side of the cooling structure 100, or it may be provided on both sides. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 10 Refrigerant inlet 20 Refrigerant outlet 30, 30A, 30B outer packaging material 40 Inner core material 42 Convex part 44 recess 50 Reinforcement members 100, 110 cooling structure

Claims

1. An outer packaging material having a refrigerant inlet and outlet, The outer packaging material comprises an inner core material disposed inside the outer packaging material, The aforementioned inner core material is composed of resin, The outer packaging material is provided with a reinforcing member inside to reinforce the inner core material, A cooling structure in which the height of the reinforcing member is 95% or less of the distance in the thickness direction of the cooling structure inside the outer packaging material.

2. The cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing members are arranged symmetrically in the width direction of the cooling structure.

3. The cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the height of the reinforcing member is 70% or more of the distance in the thickness direction of the cooling structure inside the outer packaging material.

4. The cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the outer packaging material comprises a metal layer and a resin layer provided on at least one surface of the metal layer.

5. The cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the inner core material comprises a metal layer and resin layers provided on both sides of the metal layer.

6. A structure comprising a cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and a cooling object provided on the cooling structure.

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