Manufacture of a thermoplastic heat exchanger
AssigneeSogefi Air & Cooling USA, Inc.
InventorCorey Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic heat exchanger for a battery module is provided. The method includes extruding a battery interface portion comprising a first thermoplastic composition and having a battery interface surface and a chamber surface opposite the battery interface surface; injection molding a base portion comprising a second thermoplastic composition having a channeled surface defining a plurality of channels and an outer surface opposite the channeled surface. The battery interface portion and the base portion are melt-bonded such that the chamber surface cooperates with the plurality of channels of the channeled surface to define a flow chamber for circulation of a thermal cooling fluid within the thermoplastic heat exchanger.
Claims14
A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic heat exchanger for a battery module, the method comprising:
- extruding a battery interface portion having a battery interface surface and a chamber surface opposite the battery interface surface, the battery interface portion comprising a first thermoplastic composition;
- injection molding a base portion having a channeled surface defining a plurality of channels and an outer surface opposite the channeled surface, the base portion comprising a second thermoplastic composition;
- and
- melt-bonding the battery interface portion and the base portion such that the chamber surface cooperates with the plurality of channels of the channeled surface to define a flow chamber for a thermal cooling fluid within the thermoplastic heat exchanger;
- wherein the step of melt-bonding the battery interface portion and the base portion comprises the steps of:
- contacting a first bonding portion of the chamber surface with a laser beam;
- contacting a second bonding portion of the channeled surface with another laser beam;
- and
- subsequently contacting the chamber surface and the channeled surface to weld the battery interface portion and the base portion and form the thermoplastic heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.