# US 12,113,188 B2 · Vehicle battery pack > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,188 B2 - Document ID: US12113188B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/823,602 - Filed: 2020-03-19 - Published: 2020-12-10 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-05 - Assignees: Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. - Applicants: Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. - Inventors: Hiroshi Takeuchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113188B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - B62J 43/16: on motorcycles or the like - B62K 11/04: characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/6551: Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings - H01M 10/6562: with free flow by convection only - H01M 50/213: adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) - H01M 50/227: Organic material - H01M 50/242: adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling - H01M 50/244: Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method - 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 50/271: Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings - H01M 50/284: with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB] - H01M 50/291: characterised by their shape - H01M 50/296: characterised by terminals of battery packs (terminals of batteries H01M50/543) - H01M 50/298: characterised by the wiring of battery packs - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - B62J: CYCLE SADDLES OR SEATS; AUXILIARY DEVICES OR ACCESSORIES SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CYCLES AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. ARTICLE CARRIERS OR CYCLE PROTECTORS - B62K: CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDECARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A vehicle battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells each including a terminal and a casing accommodating the plurality of battery cells. The casing includes: a casing body made of resin, the casing body including an opening through which the plurality of battery cells is inserted and removed and at least one exposure hole through which the terminals are exposed outside the casing body; a cover closing the opening; and at least one radiating fin member made of metal and secured to the casing body, the radiating fin member covering the exposure hole of the casing body and facing the terminals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A straddle vehicle comprising: a rear wheel; a seat; a vehicle body frame including a seat support frame that supports the seat; a rear fender facing the rear wheel; and a battery pack comprising: an electric power source assembly including a plurality of battery cells each comprising a terminal; an electronic component assembly coupled to the electric power source assembly; and a casing accommodating the electric power source assembly and the electronic component assembly, wherein the casing comprises: a casing body comprising a pair of exposure holes through which the terminals are exposed outside the casing body, the exposure holes being at both side surfaces of the casing body in a leftward/rightward direction of the vehicle; and a pair of radiating fin members made of metal and secured to the casing body, the radiating fin members covering the exposure holes of the casing body respectively and facing the terminals, the casing body comprises frame-shaped wall portions formed around the exposure holes respectively, the radiating fin members are coupled to the frame-shaped wall portions as side surfaces of the casing, the radiating fin members are attached to the casing body in the leftward/rightward direction, the electronic component assembly is disposed on a rear face of the electric power source assembly in a forward/rearward direction of the vehicle, the battery pack is disposed vertically under the seat of the vehicle in such a manner that the radiating fin members face out in the leftward/rightward direction of the vehicle and are subjected to air stream flowing around the vehicle during travel, the battery pack is located inward of the seat support frame in the leftward/rightward direction of the vehicle, a rear lower edge of the battery pack faces towards the rear wheel, the rear lower edge of the battery pack being chamfered as a chamfered portion, the seat support frame overlaps each of the pair of radiating fin members of the battery pack as viewed from the leftward/rightward direction of the vehicle, and the battery pack is covered from below by the rear fender, and the chamfered portion of the battery pack directly faces the rear fender. ### Claim 2 A straddle vehicle comprising: a rear wheel; a seat; a vehicle body frame including a seat support frame that supports the seat; a rear fender facing the rear wheel; and a battery pack comprising: an electric power source assembly including a plurality of battery cells each comprising a terminal; an electronic component assembly coupled to the electric power source assembly; and a casing accommodating the electric power source assembly and the electronic component assembly, wherein the casing comprises: a casing body; and a pair of radiating fin members made of metal and located at both side surfaces of the casing body, the pair of radiating fin members facing the terminals of the battery cells respectively, the electronic component assembly is disposed on a rear face of the electric power source assembly in a forward/rearward direction of the vehicle, the battery pack is disposed vertically under the seat of the vehicle in such a manner that each of the pair of radiating fin members faces out in a leftward/rightward direction of the vehicle and is subjected to air stream flowing around the vehicle during travel, a rear lower edge of the battery pack faces towards the rear wheel, the rear lower edge of the battery pack being chamfered as a chamfered portion, the vehicle body frame overlaps each of the pair of radiating fin members of the battery pack as viewed from the leftward/rightward direction of the vehicle, and the battery pack is covered from below by the rear fender, and the chamfered portion of the battery pack directly faces the rear fender. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the casing body comprises: at least one exposure hole through which the terminals are exposed outside the casing body, the exposure hole being at a side surface of the casing body in the leftward/rightward direction of the vehicle; and a frame-shaped wall portion formed around the exposure hole, and each of the pair of radiating fin members comprises: a fitting portion fitted in the exposure hole of the casing body and provided with a plurality of fins, and a flange portion projecting from the fitting portion, the flange portion being placed on and secured to the frame-shaped wall portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The straddle vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the fitting portion of each of the pair of radiating fin members is pressed toward the terminals of the plurality of battery cells, and a heat transfer member having electrical insulating properties is interposed between the fitting portion and the terminals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The straddle vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the casing is approximately in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, the at least one exposure hole comprises a pair of exposure holes formed respectively in a pair of opposed side wall portions of the casing body, the terminals of the plurality of battery cells are exposed outside the casing body through the pair of exposure holes, and the pair of radiating fin members closes the pair of exposure holes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery pack further comprises: a holder holding the plurality of battery cells; and a damper interposed between the holder and the casing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery pack further comprises: a pair of electric wires electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; and a pair of connectors provided respectively at tips of the pair of electric wires, wherein the casing body further comprises an opening through which the plurality of battery cells is inserted and removed, the casing further comprises a cover closing the opening, the cover comprises a pair of insertion holes, and the connectors are attached to the cover, with the electric wires inserted respectively in the insertion holes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The straddle vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the electronic component assembly is disposed outside the casing body and accommodated in the cover. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The straddle vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the connectors are mounted on a first end portion of the cover in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the opening, and when the thickness of the cover in the axial direction is observed, the thickness of a second end portion of the cover is smaller than the thickness of the first end portion of the cover, the second end portion being opposite to the first end portion in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery pack is mounted on the straddle vehicle in such a manner that a side surface of the battery pack is exposed outside the straddle vehicle, the casing body further comprises an opening through which the plurality of battery cells is inserted and removed, the casing further comprises a cover closing the opening, the opening is provided at an end surface of the casing body in the forward/rearward direction of the vehicle, and the cover is attached to the casing body in the forward/rearward direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery pack further comprises a conductive plate arranged between the terminals of the battery cells and each of the pair of radiating fin members. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery pack further comprises a heat transfer member arranged between the terminals of the battery cells and each of the pair of radiating fin members. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery pack further comprises: a holder holding the plurality of battery cells; a conductive plate arranged between the terminals of the battery cells and each of the pair of radiating fin members; and a heat transfer member arranged between the terminals of the battery cells and the conductive plate, and an opening of the holder and an outer end surface of the conductive plate define a recess, and the heat transfer member is fitted in the recess. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The straddle vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the at least one exposure hole comprises a pair of exposure holes arranged respectively at both sides of the casing body, and the pair of radiating fin members closes the pair of exposure holes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The straddle vehicle according to claim 3, wherein each of the pair of radiating fin members is a separate piece from the casing body, and the flange portion of each of the pair of radiating fin members is placed on and secured to the frame-shaped wall portion of the casing body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery cells are arranged in two rows in the leftward/rightward direction, and the pair of radiating fin members sandwiches the two rows of the battery cells in the leftward/rightward direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the pair of radiating fin members comprise a plurality of fins, each of the plurality of fins being elongated along the forward/rearward direction. ### Claim 18 A straddle vehicle comprising: a rear wheel; a seat; a vehicle body frame including a seat support frame that supports the seat; a rear fender facing the rear wheel; and a battery pack comprising: an electric power source assembly including a plurality of battery cells each comprising a terminal; an electronic component assembly coupled to the electric power source assembly; and a casing accommodating the electric power source assembly and the electronic component assembly, wherein the battery pack is located vertically below the seat, a rear lower edge of the battery pack faces towards the rear wheel, the rear lower edge of the battery pack being chamfered as a chamfered portion, the vehicle body frame overlaps each of both side surfaces of the battery pack as viewed from a leftward/rightward direction of the vehicle, and the battery pack is covered from below by the rear fender, and the chamfered portion of the battery pack directly faces the rear fender. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The straddle vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the electronic component assembly includes at least one of a battery management system, a relay, a fuse, and a current sensor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The straddle vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the electronic component assembly includes at least one of a battery management system, a relay, a fuse, and a current sensor.