IP Library › Granted Patent US 12676361

Granted Patent B2

US 12676361 · App. 17/946,475 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Vehicle, heat exchanger plate and battery pack

Inventors: Katsuji Taniguchi (Kanagawa, JP); Yoshitoshi Noda (Kanagawa, JP); Yuki Makita (Kanagawa, JP); Atsushi Sueyoshi (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.

H01M10/6568 B60K1/04 B60K11/02 B60L50/64 B60L58/26 H01M10/613 H01M10/625 H01M2220/20

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12676361
App. No.: 17/946,475
Granted: Jul 7, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

A vehicle includes a first heat exchanger plate and a second heat exchanger plate. The first heat exchanger plate includes a first coolant layer in which a coolant flows and a refrigerant layer in which a refrigerant flows, and the second heat exchanger plate includes a second coolant layer in which the coolant flows. The first coolant layer and the second coolant layer are connected to each other via a coolant layer connection passage.

Claims (85)

1 . A vehicle comprising:

a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, the refrigerant circuit being configured to circulate a refrigerant;

a coolant circuit comprising a reservoir and a pump, the coolant circuit being configured to circulate a coolant;

a first heat exchanger plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first heat exchanger plate comprising a first coolant layer in which the coolant flows between the first surface and the second surface and a refrigerant layer in which the refrigerant flows between the first surface and the second surface;

a first battery module group comprising a plurality of first battery modules, the first battery module group being disposed along the first surface of the first heat exchanger plate;

a second heat exchanger plate having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, the second heat exchanger comprising a second coolant layer in which the coolant flows between the third surface and the fourth surface;

a second battery module group comprising a plurality of second battery modules, the second battery group being disposed along the third surface of the second heat exchanger plate;

a vehicle body that houses the refrigerant circuit, the coolant circuit, the first heat exchanger plate, the first battery module group, the second heat exchanger plate, and the second battery module group;

a first wheel and a second wheel that are coupled to the vehicle body; and

an electric motor configured to drive the first wheel using electric power supplied from at least one of the first battery module group and the second battery module group,

wherein the vehicle is allowed to travel in a first direction using the first wheel and the second wheel,

wherein at least a part of the first coolant layer is disposed to overlap the refrigerant layer,

wherein the first heat exchanger plate comprises a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant enters the refrigerant layer and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant exits from the refrigerant layer, and the refrigerant circuit is connected to the refrigerant input portion and the refrigerant output portion,

wherein the first heat exchanger plate comprises a coolant input portion through which the coolant enters the first coolant layer and a coolant output portion through which the coolant exits from the first coolant layer, and the coolant circuit is connected to the coolant input portion and the coolant output portion, and

wherein the first coolant layer and the second coolant layer are connected to each other via a coolant layer connection passage.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the refrigerant layer comprises a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flows from the refrigerant input portion toward the refrigerant output portion,

wherein the refrigerant passage comprises at least a first refrigerant passage and a second refrigerant passage,

wherein the refrigerant passage further comprises a branch portion that divides into the first refrigerant passage and the second refrigerant passage, and a coupling portion that couples the first refrigerant passage and the second refrigerant passage,

wherein at least a part of the first refrigerant passage is disposed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,

wherein at least a part of the second refrigerant passage is disposed along the second direction, and

wherein the first coolant layer comprises a first coolant passage through which the coolant flows, a first portion of the first coolant passage is disposed along the first direction, a second portion of the first coolant passage is disposed along the first direction, the coolant in the first portion flows in the first direction, and the coolant in the second portion flows in a direction opposite to the first direction.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein no refrigerant layer in which the refrigerant flows is provided in the second heat exchanger plate.

4 . The vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the refrigerant input portion and the refrigerant output portion are connected to the refrigerant circuit without the second heat exchanger plate intervening therebetween.

5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein heat is exchangeable between the coolant and the refrigerant in a portion where the first coolant layer and the refrigerant layer overlap each other.

6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more third heat exchanger plates housed in the vehicle body, the one or more third heat exchanger plates comprising one or more third coolant layer, respectively, each of the one or more third coolant layer in which the coolant flows,

wherein the first coolant layer is connected to the one or more third heat exchanger plates via one or more second coolant layer connection passages, respectively.

7 . A heat exchanger plate comprising:

a first surface;

a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a first coolant layer in which a coolant flows between the first surface and the second surface; and

a refrigerant layer in which a refrigerant flows between the first surface and the second surface,

wherein the heat exchanger plate is allowed to be housed in a vehicle body comprising a first battery module group, and the first battery module group comprises a plurality of first battery modules and is disposed along the first surface,

wherein the vehicle body is allowed to further house: a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, the refrigerant circuit being configured to circulate the refrigerant; a coolant circuit comprising a reservoir and a pump, the coolant circuit being configured to circulate the coolant; a second heat exchanger plate having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, the second heat exchanger plate comprising a second coolant layer in which the coolant flows between the third surface and the fourth surface; and a second battery module group comprising a plurality of second battery modules, the second battery module group being disposed along the third surface of the second heat exchanger plate,

wherein the vehicle body is allowed to form a vehicle to which a first wheel and a second wheel are coupled, the vehicle comprises an electric motor configured to drive the first wheel using electric power supplied from at least one of the first battery module group and the second battery module group, and the vehicle is allowed to travel in a first direction using the first wheel and the second wheel,

wherein at least a part of the first coolant layer is disposed to overlap the refrigerant layer,

wherein the refrigerant layer comprises a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant enters the refrigerant layer and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant exits from the refrigerant layer, and the refrigerant input portion and the refrigerant output portion are connectable to the refrigerant circuit,

wherein the first coolant layer comprises a coolant input portion through which the coolant enters the first coolant layer and a coolant output portion through which the coolant exits from the first coolant layer, and the coolant input portion and the coolant output portion are connectable to the coolant circuit, and

wherein the first coolant layer and the second coolant layer are connectable to each other via a coolant layer connection passage.

8 . The heat exchanger plate according to claim 7 ,

wherein the refrigerant layer comprises a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flows from the refrigerant input portion toward the refrigerant output portion,

wherein the refrigerant passage comprises at least a first refrigerant passage and a second refrigerant passage,

wherein at least a part of the first refrigerant passage is disposed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,

wherein at least a part of the second refrigerant passage is disposed along the second direction, and

9 . The heat exchanger plate according to claim 7 ,

wherein no refrigerant layer in which the refrigerant flows is provided in the second heat exchanger plate.

10 . The heat exchanger plate according to claim 7 ,

wherein the refrigerant input portion and the refrigerant output portion are connectable to the refrigerant circuit without the second heat exchanger plate intervening therebetween.

11 . The heat exchanger plate according to claim 7 ,

wherein heat is exchangeable between the coolant and the refrigerant in a portion where the first coolant layer and the refrigerant layer overlap each other.

12 . The heat exchanger plate according to claim 7 ,

wherein the vehicle body is allowed to further house one or more third heat exchanger plates, the one or more third heat exchanger plates comprising one or more third coolant layer, respectively, each of the one or more third coolant layer in which the coolant flows, and

wherein the first coolant layer is connectable to the one or more third heat exchanger plates via one or more second coolant layer connection passages, respectively.

13 . A battery pack comprising:

a first heat exchanger plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first heat exchanger plate comprising a coolant layer in which a coolant flows between the first surface and the second surface and a refrigerant layer in which a refrigerant flows between the first surface and the second surface; and

a first battery module group comprising a plurality of first battery modules, the first battery module group being disposed along the first surface,

wherein the battery pack is allowed to be housed in a vehicle body,

wherein at least a part of the first coolant layer is disposed to overlap the refrigerant layer,

wherein the first heat exchanger plate comprises a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant enters the refrigerant layer and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant exits from the refrigerant layer, and the refrigerant input portion and the refrigerant output portion are connectable to the refrigerant circuit,

wherein the first heat exchanger plate comprises a coolant input portion through which the coolant enters the first coolant layer and a coolant output portion through which the coolant exits from the first coolant layer, and the coolant input portion and the coolant output portion are connectable to the coolant circuit, and

wherein the first coolant layer and the second coolant layer are connectable to each other via a coolant layer connection passage.

14 . The battery pack according to claim 13 ,

wherein the refrigerant layer comprises a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flows from the refrigerant input portion toward the refrigerant output portion,

wherein the refrigerant passage comprises at least a first refrigerant passage and a second refrigerant passage,

wherein at least a part of the first refrigerant passage is disposed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,

wherein at least a part of the second refrigerant passage is disposed along the second direction, and

15 . The battery pack according to claim 13 ,

wherein no refrigerant layer in which the refrigerant flows is provided in the second heat exchanger plate.

16 . The battery pack according to claim 13 ,

wherein the refrigerant input portion and the refrigerant output portion are connectable to the refrigerant circuit without the second heat exchanger plate intervening therebetween.

17 . The battery pack according to claim 13 ,

wherein heat is exchangeable between the coolant and the refrigerant in a portion where the first coolant layer and the refrigerant layer overlap each other.

18 . The battery pack according to claim 13 ,

wherein the first coolant layer is connectable to the one or more third heat exchanger plates via one or more second coolant layer connection passages, respectively.