Battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in vehicle which includes an air passage to the battery from a rear air-conditioning unit

A battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle, the battery temperature control device comprising:

• an air passage, which includes an outside air intake opening and an inside air intake opening and receives the battery therein;
• an air cooling means for cooling air, wherein the air cooling means is located in the air passage on an upstream side of the battery;
• and
• a mode setting means for selecting one of:
• an outside air aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by outside air, which is taken from outside the passenger compartment through the outside air intake opening of the air passage;
• an inside air aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by inside air, which is taken from outside the passenger compartment through the inside air intake opening of the air passage;
• and
• a cooling means aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by air, which is cooled by the air cooling means;
• wherein
• the mode setting means selects one of the modes by sequentially determining whether each mode is appropriate in the following order:
• the outside air aided cooling mode, the inside air aided cooling mode and the cooling means aided cooling mode.

A battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle, the battery temperature control device comprising:

• an air passage, which includes an outside air intake opening and an inside air intake opening and receives the batten, therein;
• an air cooling means for cooling air, wherein the air cooling means is located in the air passage on an upstream side of the battery;
• and
• a mode setting means for selecting one of:
• an outside air aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by outside air, which is taken from outside the passenger compartment through the outside air intake opening of the air passage;
• an inside air aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by inside air, which is taken from inside the passenger compartment through the inside air intake opening of the air passage;
• and
• a cooling means aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by air, which is cooled by the air cooling means;
• wherein
• the mode setting means includes:
• a first determining means for determining whether the outside air aided cooling mode needs to be carried out by comparing the temperature of the outside air with the temperature of the battery;
• and
• a second determining means for determining whether the inside air aided cooling mode needs to be carried out by comparing the temperature of the inside air and the temperature of the battery, wherein the mode setting means executes the first determining means prior to execution of the second determining means.

A battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle, the battery temperature control device comprising:

• an air passage, which includes an outside air intake opening and an inside air intake opening and receives the battery therein;
• an air cooling means for cooling air, wherein the air cooling means is located in the air passage on an upstream side of the battery;
• and
• a mode setting means for selecting one of:
• an outside air aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by outside air, which is taken from outside the passenger compartment through the outside air intake opening of the air passage;
• an inside air aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by inside air, which is taken from inside the passenger compartment through the inside air intake opening of the air passage;
• and
• a cooling means aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by air, which is cooled by the air cooling means;
• wherein
• the mode setting means increases an amount of flow of the air supplied to the battery through the air passage before proceeding from a current cooling mode, which is selected from the outside air aided cooling mode, the inside air aided cooling mode and the cooling means aided cooling mode, to a next cooling mode, which is selected fro the outside air aided cooling mode, the inside air aided cooling mode and the cooling means aided cooling mode.

A battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle, the battery temperature control device comprising:

• an air passage, which includes an outside air intake opening and an inside air intake opening and receives the battery therein;
• an air cooling means for cooling air, wherein the air cooling means is located in the air passage on an upstream side of the battery;
• and
• a mode setting means for selecting one of:
• an outside air aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by outside air, which is taken from outside the passenger compartment through the outside air intake opening of the air passage;
• an inside air aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by inside air, which is taken from inside the passenger compartment through the inside air intake opening of the air passage;
• a cooling means aided cooling mode for cooling the battery by air, which is cooled by the air cooling means;
• and
• a cooling air temperature sensor which is arranged in the air passage and measures the temperature of the air supplied to the battery.

A battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle, the battery temperature control device comprising:

• an air-conditioning unit, wherein the air-conditioning unit includes:
• an air cooling means for cooling air to be discharged from the air-conditioning unit into a passenger compartment of the vehicle;
• and
• an air heating means for heating air to be discharged from the air-conditioning unit into the passenger compartment, wherein the air heating means is arranged on a downstream side of the air cooling means;
• an air passage, which conducts air from the air-conditioning unit to the battery, wherein the air passage is connected to the air-conditioning unit at a point, which is located on a downstream side of the air cooling means and also on an upstream side of the air heating means;
• and
• a forceful air-conditioning aided cooling means for operating the air-conditioning unit to cool the battery while limiting a substantial change in the state of the air in the passenger compartment when the air-conditioning unit is stopped, and the temperature of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature.