Motor vehicles – Power – With means to guide and/or control air for power plant cooling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-03
2003-12-16
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Power
With means to guide and/or control air for power plant cooling
C180S068500, C180S065100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662891
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2000-112045 filed Apr. 13, 2000 and 2000-395650 filed Dec. 26, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric power source device which is installed on a vehicle such that the power source device is cooled with air within the interior space or compartment of the vehicle.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There is known an electric power source device of a comparatively large capacity for an automotive vehicle such as an electric or hybrid vehicle, which power source device is a battery pack fixed on a floor of the vehicle and arranged to be cooled by utilizing air within the vehicle interior space. In this type of electric power source device, there are provided gaps between adjacent ones of a plurality of battery cells of the battery pack so that air introduced from the vehicle interior space flows through the gaps in one direction. An example of the electric power source device of this type for an electric vehicle is disclosed in JP-A-10-252467. In the power source device disclosed in this publication, the battery cells are accommodated within a battery casing which communicates with an air duct open downwards below the rear window of the vehicle, and the air is admitted into the air duct, at a position below the rear window, so that the air introduced into the battery casing through the air duct is circulated through the gaps between the adjacent battery cells, whereby the battery cells are cooled with the air.
In the electric power source device disclosed in the above-identified publication wherein the open end of the air duct for cooling the battery cells is located below the rear window of the vehicle, the length of the air duct and the corresponding distance of flow of the air through the air duct tend to be relatively large, causing a relatively high resistance to a flow of the air through the air duct toward the battery housing, so that the effect of cooling the battery cells tends to be insufficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electric power source device for an automotive vehicle, wherein a resistance to a flow of cooling air to a battery pack is relatively low.
The above object may be achieved according to any one of the following modes or forms of the present invention, each of which is numbered like the appended claims and depends from the other mode or modes, where appropriate, to indicate and clarify possible combinations of elements or technical features. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the technical features or any combinations thereof which will be described for illustrative purpose only. It is to be further understood that a plurality of elements or features included in any one of the following modes of the invention are not necessarily provided all together, and that the invention may be embodied without some of the elements or features described with respect to the same mode.
(1) An electric power source device including a plurality of battery cells accommodated within a battery casing installed on an automotive vehicle, such that the battery cells are cooled by air introduced from a compartment of the vehicle into the battery casing, wherein the battery casing is disposed adjacent to the compartment of the vehicle and is generally isolated from the compartment by a floor which partially defines the compartment, and the floor has an inlet of an air intake passage through which the air is introduced into the battery casing, for cooling the plurality of battery cells.
In the electric power source device constructed according to the above mode (1) of this invention, the battery casing is disposed adjacent to the vehicle compartment and is generally isolated by the floor from the vehicle compartment. The floor has the inlet of the air intake passage through which the air is introduced from the vehicle compartment into the battery casing, to cool the battery cells within the battery casing. This arrangement is effective to shorten the required length of the air intake passage between the inlet and the battery casing, permitting significant reduction of a resistance to a flow of the cooling air through the air intake passage, and thereby assuring an accordingly increased effect of cooling of the battery cells. electric power source device is available at an accordingly reduced cost.
(3) An electric power source device including a plurality of battery cells accommodated within a battery casing installed on an automotive vehicle, such that the battery cells are cooled by air introduced from a compartment of the vehicle into the battery casing through an intake air passage, wherein the battery casing is accommodated within an interior space whose upper wall is defined by a floor of the vehicle, and the upper wall has an inlet of an air intake passage through which the air is introduced into the battery casing.
In the electric power source device constructed according to the above mode (3) of this invention, the battery casing is disposed adjacent to the vehicle compartment and is generally isoalted by the vehicle floor from the vehicle compartment. Namely, the battery casing is accommodated within the interior space whose upper wall is defined by a portion of the vehicle floor. The upper wall space has the inlet of the air intake passage through which the air is introduced from the vehicle compartment into the battery casing, to cool the battery cells within the battery casing. This arrangement is effective to shorten the required length of the air intake passage between the inlet and the battery casing, permitting significant reduction of a resistance to a flow of the cooling air through the air intake passage, and thereby assuring an accordingly increased effect of cooling of the battery cells. Further, the required lengths of components which define the air intake passage, for instance, the
(2) An electric power source device including a plurality of battery cells accommodated within a battery casing installed on an automotive vehicle, such that the battery cells are cooled by air introduced from a compartment of the vehicle into the battery casing through an intake air passage, wherein the battery casing is disposed adjacent to the compartment of the vehicle and is generally isolated from the compartment by a covering member which is disposed within a body shell of the vehicle so as to cover the battery casing, and the covering member has an inlet of the air intake passage, through which the air is introduced into the battery casing.
In the electric power source device constructed according to the above mode (2) of this invention, the battery casing is disposed adjacent to the vehicle compartment and is generally isolated by the covering member from the vehicle compartment. The covering member has the inlet of the air intake passage through which the air is introduced from the vehicle compartment into the battery casing, to cool the battery cells within the battery casing. This arrangement is effective to shorten the required length of the air intake passage between the inlet and the battery casing, permitting significant reduction of a resistance to a flow of the cooling air through the air intake passage, and thereby assuring an accordingly increased effect of cooling of the battery cells. Further, the required lengths of components which define the air intake passage, for instance, the required length of an air intake duct, can be reduced, so that the components are available at accordingly reduced costs, and the required length of an air intake duct, can be reduced, so that the components are available at accordingly reduced costs, and the electric power source device is available at an accordingly reduced cost.
(4) An electric power source device according to any one of the above modes (1)-(3), wherein the inlet is provided under a seat disposed in the compartment of the vehicle.
Acc
Hatta Yurio
Minekawa Hideto
Misu Masahiro
Shukuya Keiji
Tanigawa Yuji
Johnson Brian L.
Restifo Jeffrey
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
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