# US 2009/0260905 A1 · In-Vehicle Device Cooling Apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0260905 A1 - Document ID: US20090260905A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/992,944 - Filed: 2006-09-21 - Published: 2009-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2005-10-06 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Osamu Shinmura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260905A1 ## CPC - B60K 1/04: of the electric storage means for propulsion - B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/633: characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like - H01M 10/647: Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells - H01M 10/6556: Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552) - H01M 10/6566: Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers (H01M10/6565 takes precedence) - H01M 10/667: the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor - H01M 50/202: Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery - B60K 2001/005: {the electric storage means} - B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters - B60L 2240/525: Temperature of converter or components thereof - B60L 2260/56: Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - 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 - 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 apparatus cools a battery and a DC/DC converter. In a duct, a battery cooling fan having a great rated capacity is installed. The duct branches into a battery-side intake duct and a DC/DC converter-side intake duct on the downstream side of the battery cooling fan. In the battery-side intake duct, the battery is installed to received cooling air. In the DC/DC converter side intake duct, the DC/DC converter is installed to receive cooling air. A DC/DC converter cooling fan having a small rated capacity is installed directly upstream of the DC/DC converter. An ECU controls the two cooling fans based on the temperature of the battery and the DC/DC converter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An in-vehicle device cooling apparatus cooling a power storage mechanism and an electric device that are incorporated in a vehicle, comprising: a first supply passage supplying a medium that cools said power storage mechanism to said power storage mechanism; and a second supply passage supplying a medium that cools said electric device to said electric device, wherein one of said first and second supply passages branches from the other at a branching portion on upstream side of said power storage mechanism and said electric device, said cooling apparatus further comprising an adjustment mechanism adjusting a flow rate of the medium supplied to said first supply passage and a flow rate of the medium supplied to said second supply passage, in accordance with a cooling request of said power storage mechanism and a cooling request of said electric device, wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a medium supply mechanism that is installed upstream from said branching portion and that supplies the medium, and a medium adjustment mechanism that is installed in said second supply passage downstream from said branching portion and that adjusts the flow rate of the medium supplied to said second supply passage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said medium adjustment mechanism includes a mechanism that varies a cross-sectional area of an opening of said second supply passage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said medium supply mechanism is a first medium supply mechanism that is installed upstream from said branching portion and that supplies the medium, and said medium adjustment mechanism includes: a second medium supply mechanism that is installed in said second supply passage downstream from said branching portion and that supplies the medium; and a control unit controlling said medium supply mechanisms. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second medium supply mechanism is installed in a supply passage where one of said power storage mechanism and said electric device having a greater cooling request than the other is installed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a capacity of said second medium supply mechanism is smaller than a capacity of said first medium supply mechanism. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said medium is gas and said medium supply mechanism is a fan. ### Claim 7 An in-vehicle device cooling apparatus cooling a power storage mechanism and an electric device that are incorporated in a vehicle, comprising: a first supply passage supplying a medium that cools said power storage mechanism to said power storage mechanism; and a second supply passage supplying a medium that cools said electric device to said electric device, wherein one of said first and second supply passages merges into the other at a merging portion on downstream side of said power storage mechanism and said electric device, said cooling apparatus further comprising an adjustment mechanism adjusting a flow rate of the medium supplied to said first supply passage and a flow rate of the medium supplied to said second supply passage, in accordance with a cooling request of said power storage mechanism and a cooling request of said electric device, wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a medium supply mechanism that is installed downstream from said merging portion and that supplies the medium, and a medium adjustment mechanism that is installed in said second supply passage upstream from said merging portion and that adjusts the flow rate of the medium supplied to said second supply passage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said medium adjustment mechanism includes a mechanism that varies a cross-sectional area of an opening of said second supply passage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said medium supply mechanism is a first medium supply mechanism that is installed downstream from said merging portion and that supplies the medium, and said medium adjustment mechanism includes a second medium supply mechanism that is installed in said second supply passage upstream from said merging portion and that supplies the medium; and a control unit controlling said medium supply mechanisms. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second medium supply mechanism is installed in a supply passage where one of said power storage mechanism and said electric device having a greater cooling request than the other is installed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a capacity of said second medium supply mechanism is smaller than a capacity of said first medium supply mechanism. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said medium is gas and said medium supply mechanism is a fan. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power storage mechanism is at least one of a secondary battery and a capacitor, and said electric device is a power converting device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said power converting device is at least one of an inverter and a converter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle device cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cooling capacity by the medium in said second supply passage is smaller than a cooling capacity by the medium in said first supply passage.