Battery Pack Cooling Member Structure for Uniform Restraining Pressure

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Solution Overview

Problem

In battery packs, the arrangement of frame-shaped convex parts in cooling members can prevent uneven pressure, but this often results in insufficient cooling due to the space between the cooling member and the battery, leading to inadequate heat dissipation.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack design featuring a cooling member with first and second convex parts on its surfaces, where heat conductive material layers are applied to match the height of these convex parts, ensuring effective contact and conductivity between the batteries and the cooling member, thereby enhancing cooling performance while minimizing pressure unevenness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stress or pressure

If frame-shaped convex parts are arranged in the cooling member to prevent uneven pressure, then pressure distribution is improved, but cooling performance deteriorates due to space between cooling member and battery

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure distributionVSAvoidcooling performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling member features convex parts with locally different heights: higher convex parts under battery corners provide structural support and pressure distribution, while lower convex parts in the center region maintain close contact with the battery surface for effective heat transfer. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between pressure distribution and cooling performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat cooling member to a three-dimensional structure with varying convex part heights. This dimensional change allows the cooling member to simultaneously achieve pressure distribution (through taller corner convex parts) and thermal contact (through shorter center convex parts), resolving the original contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Temperature

If cooling member is placed close to battery for effective cooling, then cooling performance is improved, but pressure unevenness worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidpressure unevenness
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling member employs convex parts with locally differentiated heights: taller convex parts positioned under battery corners provide structural support and distribute pressure, while the overall close proximity of the cooling member surfaces to the battery maintains effective thermal contact. This local quality differentiation simultaneously achieves both cooling performance and pressure distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If heat conductive material layer is applied to match convex part height, then contact efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact efficiencyVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heat conductive material is applied to the cooling member surfaces in advance, forming layers that match the convex part heights before battery assembly. This preliminary action ensures optimal contact efficiency while simplifying the overall manufacturing process by integrating the material application into the cooling member fabrication stage rather than requiring complex post-assembly adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design achieves excellent cooling performance by suppressing pressure unevenness and ensuring efficient heat transfer between batteries and the cooling member, inhibiting battery deterioration from heat generation and preventing shifting.

Implementation Method 1

a first heat conductive material layer is arranged on the first surface and a second heat conductive material layer is arranged on the second surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4404317A1Battery pack and method for producing battery pack
Publication Date: 2024.07.24 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4404317A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4404317A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4404317A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A main object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery pack with excellent cooling performance in which unevenness of restraining pressure can be suppressed. The present disclosure achieves the object by providing a battery pack including a first battery, a second battery, a cooling member arranged between the first battery and the second battery in a thickness direction, and a restraining member that restrains the first battery, the second battery and the cooling member in the thickness direction, wherein the cooling member includes a first surface, a first convex part that surrounds an outer periphery of the first surface and protrudes to the first battery side on the basis of the first surface in the thickness direction, a second surface positioned on the opposite side to the first surface, and a second convex part that surrounds an outer periphery of the second surface and protrudes to the second battery side on the basis of the second surface in the thickness direction; a first heat conductive material layer is arranged on the first surface and a second heat conductive material layer is arranged on the second surface; the first heat conductive material layer includes a first region of which height is the same as a height of the first convex part; and the second heat conductive material layer includes a second region of which height is the same as a height of the second convex part.