IP Library Granted Patent US 9,991,570
Granted Patent B2
US 9,991,570 · App. 14/556,844 · Granted Jun 5, 2018

Battery pack temperature regulating apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,991,570
App. No.
14/556,844
Granted
Jun 5, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A battery pack temperature regulating apparatus includes an evaporator configured to cool air inside a battery casing receiving a battery used for driving a vehicle; an evaporator casing receiving the evaporator; and a heater attached to the evaporator casing and configured to heat the air inside the battery casing.

Claims (51)

1. A battery pack temperature regulating apparatus comprising:

an evaporator configured to cool air inside a battery casing accommodating a battery therein used for driving a vehicle;

an evaporator casing accommodating the evaporator therein;

an opening provided on the evaporator casing and configured to function as a passage of air passed through the evaporator;

a wall extending from the evaporator casing and surrounding the opening;

at least one nail extending from the wall toward the opening, the at least one nail having a tip protruding towards a center of the opening from an end of the at least one nail;

a support extending over the opening in a direction traversing a passage of air;

a duct extending from the evaporator casing to the battery; and

a heater placed in a space surrounded by the wall and attached to the evaporator casing, the heater being placed on the support and sandwiched between the tip and the support, the heater being configured to heat the air inside the battery casing.

2. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the opening is provided on an upper face section of the evaporator casing, and

the duct is attached to the upper face section.

3. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the heater comprises a rib-shaped guide extending therefrom in a width direction of the heater, and

the guide fits into a groove formed in the wall of the evaporator casing.

4. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the evaporator casing comprises a plurality of supports extending over the opening in a direction transversing a passage of the air.

5. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the supports are formed in a U shape comprising a lower support configured to be in contact with a lower face section of the heater, and a pair of side supports configured to be in contact with side sections of the heater.

6. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a pair of nails including the at least one nail, the pair of nails extends alongside sections of the heater, and being elastically deformable in a direction such that the nails separate from each other,

wherein, each of the pair of nails comprises an arm configured to apply an elastic force to side sections of the heater so as to clamp the heater, and the tip protrudes from the arm toward each other so as to lock the heater.

7. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

conduits configured to direct a coolant inside the evaporator casing, are received in the evaporator casing while being aligned with the evaporator in a horizontal direction,

the evaporator is configured to cool the air inside the battery casing by transferring heat between the coolant and air within the evaporator casing, and

the heater is located directly above locations where the conduits are located.

8. A battery pack temperature regulating apparatus comprising:

an evaporator configured to cool air inside a battery casing accommodating a battery therein used for driving a vehicle;

an evaporator casing accommodating the evaporator therein;

a duct extending from the evaporator casing to the battery;

an opening provided on the evaporator casing and configured to function as a passage of air passed through the evaporator, and

a wall extending from the evaporator casing, surrounding the opening, and defining a space for accommodating a heater therein at a position where the evaporator casing and the duct are attached to each other,

wherein the duct surrounds a perimeter of the heater and the wall from outside.

9. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the evaporator casing comprises a plurality of supports for placing the heater thereon, the supports extending over the opening in a direction transversing a passage of the air.

10. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein

the supports are formed in a U shape comprising a lower support configured to be in contact with a lower face section of the heater, and a pair of side supports configured to be in contact with side sections of the heater.

11. A battery pack temperature regulating apparatus comprising:

an evaporator configured to cool air inside a battery casing accommodating a battery therein used for driving a vehicle;

an evaporator casing accommodating the evaporator therein;

a heater attached to the evaporator casing and configured to heat the air inside the battery casing; and

a duct extending from the evaporator casing to the battery, is attached to an upper horizontal surface of the evaporator casing,

wherein the evaporator casing defines an opening in the upper horizontal surface thereof and has a wall that extends in a vertical direction from the upper horizontal surface of the evaporator casing and surrounds the opening,

wherein the heater is provided at a position higher than the evaporator, and

wherein the duct surrounds a perimeter of the heater and the wall from outside.

12. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the tip is provided offset from the support in a longitudinal direction of the opening.

13. The battery pack temperature regulating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the wall has a pair of opposing wall surfaces, and

one end of the support is connected to one of the pair of opposing wall surfaces, and

another end of the support is connected to the other one of the pair of opposing wall surfaces.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 1, 2021
From: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 055472/0944 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 2, 2014
From: TANAKA, NAOYA; NOMURA, EIJI; TANIGUCHI, NAOKI; AKITA, KAZUHISA; ISHII, SHIGEHARU; SUGIURA, SHO
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 034295/0081 →