Battery apparatus, vehicle, and automatic vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10710526-B2
Application number	US-201716072753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Feb 2, 2016
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

The present invention reduces the effort involved in an operation for cancelling a current cutoff device while inhibiting a capacity decline during parking. Provided is a battery device 20 that is to be mounted on a vehicle, and that is provided with: an assembled battery 30 that supplies electric power to loads 10 including an engine starting device 10 A; a current cutoff device 45 that cuts off an electric current to the loads 10 from the assembled battery 30 ; and a control unit 70 , wherein upon detecting a parked state of the vehicle, the control unit 70 operates the current breaker device 45 so as to execute a current cutoff process for cutting off the current flowing from the assembled battery 30 to the loads 10 , and following the execution of the current cutoff process, if a prior action to be performed on the vehicle by a user before starting driving is detected, the control unit 70 cancels the cutoff of current by cancelling the operation of the current breaker device 45.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery apparatus to be installed in a vehicle, comprising:
an energy storage device which supplies power to a load including an engine starter;
a current breaker which cuts off a current from the energy storage device to the load; and
a controller,
wherein the controller:
when detecting a parking state of the vehicle, performs a current cutoff processing which cuts off the current from the energy storage device to the load by causing the current breaker to operate;
after performing the current cutoff processing and when detecting a pre-motion, which a user performs for the vehicle before starting driving, releases the current cutoff by releasing the operation of the current breaker, and
after releasing the operation of the current breaker in response to the detection of the pre-motion, causes the current breaker to operate again to cutoff the current from the energy storage device to the load if the vehicle does not transition from the parking state to a driving state within a predetermined period.

2. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus further comprises a displacement detector which detects a displacement of the battery apparatus, and
when a displacement of the battery apparatus is detected during parking of the vehicle, the controller determines that the pre-motion is executed.

3. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines an execution of the pre-motion based on an output of an external switch which operates in response to the pre-motion.

4. The battery apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the external switch is a mechanical switch which is disposed on the vehicle.

5. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus further comprises a current detector which detects a current of the energy storage device, and
the controller determines that the vehicle is in the parking state if a state where a current of a predetermined value or more does not flow continues for a predetermined period.

6. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus further comprises a displacement detector which detects a displacement of the battery apparatus, and
the controller determines that the vehicle is in the parking state if a state where the battery apparatus is not displaced continues for a predetermined period.

7. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when detecting that the vehicle is in the parking state and that a capacity of the energy storage device reaches a predetermined value, the controller performs the current cutoff processing to cut off the current from the energy storage device to the load by causing the current breaker to operate.

8. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, after performing the current breaker, the controller detects the pre-motion, releases the current cutoff if the battery apparatus is normal, and does not release the current cutoff if the battery apparatus is abnormal.

9. The battery apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, in addition to a case where the parking state of the vehicle is detected, the controller performs the current cutoff processing to cut off the current from the energy storage device to the load by causing the current breaker to operate in a case where an abnormality of the battery apparatus is detected.

10. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device is a lithium-ion secondary battery.

11. A vehicle which installs a battery apparatus, wherein the battery apparatus comprises:
an energy storage device which supplies power to a load including an engine starter;
a current breaker which cuts off a current from the energy storage device to the load; and
a controller,
wherein:
the controller:
when detecting a parking state of the vehicle, performs a current cutoff processing which cuts off the current from the energy storage device to the load by causing the current breaker to operate; and
after performing the current cutoff processing and when detecting a pre-motion, which a user performs for the vehicle before starting driving, releases the current cutoff by releasing the operation of the current breaker, and

the battery apparatus is arranged in the vehicle such that the battery apparatus is not exposed to outside.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the vehicle is a motorcycle.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the pre-motion is at least one of: flipping up a side-stand or a center-stand of the motorcycle; raising an inclination of the motorcycle; or vibrating of a vehicle body caused by the user getting to a seat.

14. An automatic vehicle which installs a battery apparatus, wherein the battery apparatus comprises:
an energy storage device which supplies power to a load including an engine starter;
a current breaker which cuts off a current from the energy storage device to the load; and
a controller,
wherein:
the controller:
when detecting a parking state of the vehicle, performs a current cutoff processing which cuts off the current from the energy storage device to the load by causing the current breaker to operate; and
after performing the current cutoff processing and when detecting a pre-motion, which a user performs for the vehicle before starting driving, releases the current cutoff by releasing the operation of the current breaker, and

the battery apparatus is arranged in the vehicle such that the battery apparatus is surrounded with a seat or covers that the automatic vehicle has.

Assignees

• Gs Yuasa Int Ltd

Inventors

• Kawauchi Tomohiro

Classifications

• H02J2105/33

  exchanging power with road vehicles · CPC title

• H02J7/667

  disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running · CPC title

• H02J7/971 Primary

  the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters · CPC title

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H01M50/574

  Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current · CPC title