Patent ID: 7924562
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: B60K,B60L,H01M,H05K,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A power supply unit, comprising: a first power supply provided to be capable of supplying electric power to a load, and having a relatively large amount of heat generated by charge or discharge associated with driving said load; a second power supply connected to said load in parallel with said first power supply for supplying electric power to said load to assist said first power supply with insufficient electric power, and having a smaller amount of heat, compared with the first power supply, generated by charge/discharge associated with driving said load; and a cooling device cooling said first power supply and said second power supply, said cooling device including: a cooling medium supply unit supplying a cooling medium to an upstream part of said second power supply, and a cooling medium flow path formed to allow said cooling medium supplied by said cooling medium supply unit to flow through said second power supply into said first power supply, wherein; said first power supply includes: a first substrate having a first main surface on which a plurality of first power supply cells are mounted; and a first casing housing said first substrate and provided with a first communication path for emitting said cooling medium flowing through said cooling medium flow path to an outside of said power supply unit, said second power supply includes: a second substrate having a first main surface on which a plurality of second power supply cells are mounted; and a second casing housing said second substrate and provided with a second communication path for introducing said cooling medium from said cooling medium supply unit into said cooling medium flow path, said first communication path and said second communication path are connected by a third communication path to allow communication therebetween, and said second casing is placed in contact with said first casing and heat transfer is conducted between a second main surface, which is an opposite side of the first main surface, of said first substrate and the second casing.