# US 11,440,491 B2 · Vehicle cooling system and wire harness cooling structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,491 B2 - Document ID: US11440491B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/840,294 - Filed: 2020-04-03 - Published: 2020-11-12 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-07 - Assignees: Yazaki Corporation - Applicants: Yazaki Corporation - Inventors: Takashi Sakabe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440491B2 ## CPC - B60K 1/00: Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) - B60R 16/0215: {Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor} - B60K 11/02: with liquid cooling - B60K 11/04: Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds - B60L 58/26: by cooling - B60L 58/27: by heating - B60R 16/08: fluid - B60K 2001/003: {with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units} - B60K 2001/005: {the electric storage means} - B60L 2240/36: Temperature of vehicle components or parts - B60L 2240/525: Temperature of converter or components thereof - B60L 2240/545: Temperature - B60Y 2400/61: Arrangements of controllers for electric machines, e.g. inverters - B60Y 2410/115: Electric wiring; Electric connectors - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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 - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract A vehicle cooling system includes a wire harness WH electrically connected to a plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices, a J/B electrically connected to the wire harness and a high-voltage battery, electric device medium pipes routed along a routing path of the wire harness and used for circulation of a heat exchange medium through the heat-exchange target electric devices, and a path switching unit connected to the electric device medium pipes so that the heat exchange medium can be circulated, and configured to form a heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices. The path switching unit is provided in the J/B and forms the heat exchange medium path according to a heat generation state of the heat-exchange target electric devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle cooling system comprising: a plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices that are mounted on a vehicle and perform heat exchange with a heat exchange medium; a wire harness that is electrically connected to the heat-exchange target electric devices; a high-voltage battery that supplies power to heat-exchange target electric devices that drive the vehicle among the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices; a heat consuming device that consumes heat of the heat exchange medium; an electrical junction box that is electrically connected to the wire harness and the high-voltage battery; electric device medium pipes that are routed along a routing path of the wire harness and are used for circulation of the heat exchange medium through the heat-exchange target electric devices; a battery medium pipe that is used for circulation of the heat exchange medium through the high-voltage battery; and a path switching unit to which the electric device medium pipes, the battery medium pipe, and the heat consuming device are connected so that the heat exchange medium is circulatable and that forms a heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least two of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices, the high-voltage battery, and the heat consuming device, wherein the path switching unit is provided in the electrical junction box and forms the heat exchange medium path according to a heat generation state of the heat-exchange target electric devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical junction box is formed integrally with the high-voltage battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 2, wherein the heat-exchange target electric devices that drive the vehicle are inverters, and the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the inverters and the high-voltage battery at the time of a start of the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3, further comprising: a heater that heats a heat exchange medium circulated in the electric device medium pipe between the inverters and the electrical junction box, wherein the heater is driven when the heat exchange medium path is formed at the time of the start of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 4, wherein one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the heat-exchange target electric devices that drive the vehicle are inverters, and the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the inverters and the high-voltage battery at the time of a start of the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 8, further comprising: a heater that heats a heat exchange medium circulated in the electric device medium pipe between the inverters and the electrical junction box, wherein the heater is driven when the heat exchange medium path is formed at the time of the start of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 9, wherein one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of heat-exchange target electric devices is a connecter electrically connected to a charge/discharge device outside the vehicle, and the path switching unit forms the heat exchange medium path in which the heat exchange medium is circulated through at least the connecter and the high-voltage battery at the time of charging and discharging between the vehicle and the charge/discharge device. ### Claim 13 A wire harness cooling structure comprising: a wire harness that is electrically connected to heat-exchange target electric devices mounted on a vehicle and performing heat exchange with a heat exchange medium; electric device medium pipes that are routed along a routing path of the wire harness and used for circulation of a heat exchange medium through the heat-exchange target electric devices; a lower case that is formed by arranging two electric device medium pipes in parallel and connecting the two electric device medium pipes in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the electric device medium pipes extend; and an upper case that closes an opening formed between the two electric device medium pipes, wherein the wire harness passes through an internal space formed in a state in which the lower case and the upper case are assembled.