# US 11,309,599 B2 · Cooling structure of vehicle battery unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,599 B2 - Document ID: US11309599B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/875,218 - Filed: 2020-05-15 - Published: 2020-11-19 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-16 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yosuke Yamagishi; Michihisa Tsutsumi; Hiroyuki Ozawa; Satoko Ito; Ryo Shinoda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309599B2 ## CPC - B60L 50/66: {Arrangements of batteries} - H01M 10/6567: Liquids - B60L 3/0007: {Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions} - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles - B60L 58/18: of two or more battery modules - B60L 58/26: by cooling - H01M 10/425: {Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00)} - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/6556: Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552) - H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings - H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells - H01M 50/249: specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) - H01M 50/284: with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB] - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A cooling structure of a vehicle battery unit includes: at least two battery modules; a battery cooling unit; an electric connection box; a battery case; a supply pipe; and a discharge pipe. The supply pipe includes: a first supply pipe portion passing between a battery module of the at least two battery modules, which is the battery module located on one side in a vehicle width direction, and the electric connection box; and a second supply pipe portion passing between the at least two battery modules. The discharge pipe includes: a first discharge pipe portion passing between a battery module of the at least two battery modules, which is the battery module located on the other side in the vehicle width direction, and the electric connection box; and a second discharge pipe portion passing between the at least two battery modules. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooling structure of a vehicle battery unit comprising: at least two battery modules, arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction; a battery cooling unit, disposed below the at least two battery modules in a vertical direction, the battery cooling unit having a refrigerant passage through which refrigerant passes; an electric connection box, arranged on one side of the at least two battery modules in a front-rear direction; a battery case, accommodating the at least two battery modules, the battery cooling unit and the electric connection box; a supply pipe, accommodated in the battery case, the supply pipe configured to introduce refrigerant from the outside of the battery case to the battery cooling unit; and a discharge pipe, accommodated in the battery case, the discharge pipe configured to discharge the refrigerant from the battery cooling unit to the outside of the battery case, wherein: the supply pipe includes: a first supply pipe portion passing between a battery module of the at least two battery modules, which is the battery module located on one side in the vehicle width direction, and the electric connection box; and a second supply pipe portion passing between the at least two battery modules; and the discharge pipe includes: a first discharge pipe portion passing between a battery module of the at least two battery modules, which is the battery module located on the other side in the vehicle width direction, and the electric connection box; and a second discharge pipe portion passing between the at least two battery modules. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling structure of the vehicle battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are arranged at a position lower than an upper surface of the at least two battery modules and an upper surface of the electric connection box. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling structure of the vehicle battery unit according to claim 1, wherein: the battery case has a bottom portion and a side wall portion rising from an outer edge of the bottom portion; the side wall portion includes: a left wall portion and a right wall portion which face each other in the vehicle width direction; a first side wall portion located on the one side of the electric connection box in the front-rear direction; a first inclined wall portion connecting the first side wall portion and the left wall portion; and a second inclined wall portion connecting the first side wall portion and the right wall portion; the first inclined wall portion and the second inclined wall portion are arranged to face each other such that a gap in the vehicle width direction gradually increases as it goes from the first side wall portion toward the other side in the front-rear direction; one of the supply pipe and the discharge pipe is connected to the first inclined wall portion; and the other of the supply pipe and the discharge pipe is connected to the second inclined wall portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cooling structure of the vehicle battery unit according to claim 3, wherein: one of the supply pipe and the discharge pipe is connected to a first outer pipe which is disposed outside the battery case and extends along the first inclined wall portion; and the other of the supply pipe and the discharge pipe is connected to a second outer pipe which is disposed outside the battery case and extends along the second inclined wall portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cooling structure of the vehicle battery unit according to claim 4, wherein: a first flange portion is provided on the first inclined wall portion; a second flange portion is provided on the second inclined wall portion; the first outer pipe is disposed below the first flange portion and inside an outer edge portion of the first flange portion; and the second outer pipe is disposed below the second flange portion and inside an outer edge portion of the second flange portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The cooling structure of the vehicle battery unit according to claim 3, wherein: a first reinforcement member is provided between a left side sill and the first inclined wall portion; and a second reinforcement member is provided between a right side sill and the second inclined wall portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cooling structure of the vehicle battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are arranged such that the heights are substantially constant.