Power supply apparatus for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11084438-B2
Application number	US-201816613149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2018
Priority date	May 17, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A power supply apparatus for vehicles includes a first power supply circuit that converts a voltage applied to a first conductive path and applies the resulting voltage to a second conductive path, and second power supply circuits that convert a voltage applied to the first conductive path and apply the resulting voltage to third conductive paths, and switch portions are provided respectively between the second conductive path and the third conductive paths. Control units switch switch portions off when at least one of the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path is not in the predetermined abnormal state, and switch the switch portions on in the predetermined abnormal state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power supply apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a first conductive path that is a path through which power is supplied from a power storage unit for the vehicle;
a second conductive path that is a path electrically connected to one or more first loads;
one or more third conductive paths that are paths electrically connected to one or more second loads that are different from the one or more first loads;
a first power supply circuit that converts a voltage applied to the first conductive path, and applies the resulting voltage to the second conductive path;
one or more second power supply circuits that convert the voltage applied to the first conductive path and apply the resulting voltage to the one or more third conductive paths;
a first relay unit that is provided between the second conductive path and the one or more third conductive paths, the first relay unit having at least one switch and a diode, the diode having an anode and a cathode, the first relay unit switches between an off-state where power supply from the third conductive path side to the second conductive path side is shut off and an on-state where it is permitted; and
a control unit that switches the first relay unit to the off-state when at least one of the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path is not in a predetermined abnormal state, and switches the first relay unit to the on-state when the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path are in the predetermined abnormal state, and
the second conductive path is electrically connected to a second power storage unit different from the power storage unit for the vehicle,
the diode is provided in parallel with one of the at least one switch, the anode of the diode is connected to the second conductive path side and the cathode of the diode is connected to the third conductive path side, and

when the control unit maintains the first relay unit in the off-state, the anode of the diode and the second conductive path are electrically connected to each other, and the cathode and the third conductive path are electrically connected to each other.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a detection unit that detects a value of a voltage that is applied to the second conductive path or a value of a current that flows through the second conductive path,
the first power supply circuit includes:
a voltage conversion unit that converts the voltage applied to the first conductive path, and generates a voltage to be applied to the second conductive path, and
a drive unit that drives the voltage conversion unit such that the value of the voltage that is applied to the second conductive path or the value of the current that flows through the second conductive path reaches a target value, and

the control unit switches the first relay unit to the on-state, taking, as the predetermined abnormal state, a state in which a value of a voltage or current detected by the detection unit is smaller than the target value by at least a certain value.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a plurality of second power supply circuits, a plurality of third conductive paths, and a plurality of first relay units are provided,
the plurality of second power supply circuits are respectively connected to the plurality of third conductive paths,
the plurality of first relay units are provided respectively between the second conductive path and the plurality of third conductive paths, and all of the first relay units switch between the off-state where power supply from the corresponding third conductive path side to the second conductive path side is shut off and the on-state where it is permitted.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second relay unit connected to the first relay unit in series, between the second conductive path and the third conductive path,
wherein the second relay unit is configured to switch between an off-state where power supply from the second conductive path side to the third conductive path side is shut off and an on-state where it is permitted, and
the control unit switches the first relay unit to the off-state and switches the second relay unit to the on-state when at least one of the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path is in a predetermined normal state, switches the first relay unit to the on-state when the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path are in a predetermined abnormal state, and switches the second relay unit to the off-state (when the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path are) in a second abnormal state different from the predetermined normal state and the predetermined abnormal state.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the control unit switches the second relay unit to the off-state in the second abnormal state, that is when a value of a voltage that is applied to the second conductive path is larger than or equal to a predetermined voltage threshold value.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein a plurality of second power supply circuits, a plurality of third conductive paths, and a plurality of first relay units are provided,
the plurality of second power supply circuits are respectively connected to the plurality of third conductive paths,
the plurality of first relay units are provided respectively between the second conductive path and the plurality of third conductive paths, and all of the first relay units switch between the off-state where power supply from the corresponding third conductive path side to the second conductive path side is shut off and the on-state where it is permitted.

7. The power supply apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a second relay unit connected to the first relay unit in series, between the second conductive path and the third conductive path,
wherein the second relay unit is configured to switch between an off-state where power supply from the second conductive path side to the third conductive path side is shut off and an on-state where it is permitted, and
the control unit switches the first relay unit to the off-state and switches the second relay unit to the on-state when at least one of the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path is in a predetermined normal state, switches the first relay unit to the on-state when the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path are in a predetermined abnormal state, and switches the second relay unit to the off-state (when the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path are) in a second abnormal state different from the predetermined normal state and the predetermined abnormal state.

8. The power supply apparatus for according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a second relay unit connected to the first relay unit in series, between the second conductive path and the third conductive path,
wherein the second relay unit is configured to switch between an off-state where power supply from the second conductive path side to the third conductive path side is shut off and an on-state where it is permitted, and
the control unit switches the first relay unit to the off-state and switches the second relay unit to the on-state when at least one of the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path is in a predetermined normal state, switches the first relay unit to the on-state when the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path are in a predetermined abnormal state, and switches the second relay unit to the off-state (when the first power supply circuit and the second conductive path are) in a

Assignees

• Autonetworks Technologies Ltd
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Kawakami Takafumi

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J2105/33

  exchanging power with road vehicles · CPC title

• H02J1/084

  for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources · CPC title

• H02M1/32 Primary

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title