US 12,148,908 B2
Battery module
Hirotaka Ogino, Osaka (JP); and Toshiya Gotou, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 17/262,689
Filed by Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 30, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/029816
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/027120, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-144115 (JP), filed on Jul. 31, 2018; and application No. 2018-144116 (JP), filed on Jul. 31, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0167443 A1, Jun. 3, 2021
Int. Cl. H01M 10/6556 (2014.01); H01M 10/04 (2006.01); H01M 10/613 (2014.01); H01M 10/617 (2014.01); H01M 10/647 (2014.01); H01M 10/6552 (2014.01); H01M 10/6568 (2014.01)
CPC H01M 10/6556 (2015.04) [H01M 10/0481 (2013.01); H01M 10/613 (2015.04); H01M 10/617 (2015.04); H01M 10/647 (2015.04); H01M 10/6552 (2015.04); H01M 10/6568 (2015.04)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery module, comprising:
an assembly of a plurality of batteries; and
a cooling member arranged so as to be heat exchangeable with the assembly,
wherein the cooling member is provided with a mixing portion in which refrigerant flows and the flowing refrigerant is mixed,
wherein the cooling member has a hollow portion through which refrigerant flows,
wherein the hollow portion includes a branch portion including a plurality of flow paths, and a merging portion which is the mixing portion and is a space where the plurality of flow paths are merged,
wherein at least a part of the merging portion is provided at a position that does not overlap with the battery when viewed from a direction in which the assembly and the cooling member are aligned,
wherein the assembly includes a plurality of battery groups each including a plurality of stacked batteries, a pair of end plates sandwiching the plurality of batteries, and a restraining member that engages with the pair of end plates and restrains the plurality of batteries, and
wherein the merging portion is provided at a position that overlaps with a gap between the adjacent battery groups, the end plate, or the restraining member when viewed from the direction in which the assembly and the cooling member are aligned.
 
2. A battery module, comprising:
an assembly of a plurality of batteries; and
a cooling member arranged so as to be heat exchangeable with the assembly,
wherein the cooling member is provided with a mixing portion in which refrigerant flows and the flowing refrigerant is mixed,
wherein the cooling member has a hollow portion through which refrigerant flows,
wherein the hollow portion includes a branch portion including a plurality of flow paths, and a merging portion which is the mixing portion and is a space where the plurality of flow paths are merged, and
wherein the merging portion includes at least one flow blocking portion that disturbs a flow of refrigerant.
 
10. A battery module, comprising:
an assembly of a plurality of batteries; and
a cooling member arranged so as to be heat exchangeable with the assembly,
wherein the cooling member is provided with a mixing portion in which refrigerant flows and the flowing refrigerant is mixed,
wherein the cooling member has a hollow portion through which refrigerant flows,
wherein the hollow portion includes a branch portion including a plurality of flow paths, and a merging portion which is the mixing portion and is a space where the plurality of flow paths are merged,
wherein the cooling member includes a first plate portion and a second plate portion which face each other with a predetermined gap, and
wherein the hollow portion is arranged in the gap.
 
11. A battery module, comprising:
an assembly of a plurality of batteries; and
a cooling member arranged so as to be heat exchangeable with the assembly,
wherein the cooling member is provided with a mixing portion in which refrigerant flows and the flowing refrigerant is mixed,
wherein the cooling member has a hollow portion through which refrigerant flows,
wherein the hollow portion includes a branch portion including a plurality of flow paths, and a merging portion which is the mixing portion and is a space where the plurality of flow paths are merged,
wherein the hollow portion includes a plurality of the branch portions arranged from an upstream side to a downstream side of a refrigerant flow, and
wherein the merging portion is interposed between the two adjacent branch portions.
 
12. A battery module, comprising:
an assembly of a plurality of batteries; and
a cooling member arranged so as to be heat exchangeable with the assembly,
wherein the cooling member is provided with a mixing portion in which refrigerant flows and the flowing refrigerant is mixed,
wherein the cooling member includes a flow path through which refrigerant flows, and
wherein the mixing portion is arranged in the middle of the flow path, and is structured to generate a refrigerant flow in a direction approaching or separating from the assembly in a direction in which the assembly and the cooling member are aligned.