Quick battery disconnect system for high current circuits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11677232-B2
Application number	US-202217854339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2022
Priority date	Nov 13, 2018
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A circuit protection system is provided herein that minimizes the disconnection time of a circuit while protecting other electrical components. Some configurations comprise a set of parallel circuit interruption devices, each connected in series with respective fuses. A control device sets a state of the circuit interruption device based on a current of the circuit. Under certain current loads, the circuit is interrupted without causing a fuse to blow. Under other current loads, the circuit is interrupted by having one or more fuses blow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery system comprising:
a first switch and a first fuse coupled in parallel to a second switch and a second fuse; and
a switch controller configured to:
set the first switch to an open state while maintaining the second switch in a closed state in response to detecting a load current above an amperage.

2. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the switch controller is further configured to:
maintain the first switch and the second switch in the closed state when detecting the load
current below the amperage.

3. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the first fuse and the second fuse are electrically coupled in parallel to a battery.

4. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the first switch and the second switch are electrically coupled in parallel to a load.

5. The battery system of claim 4 , wherein the load is an electric motor of an electric vehicle.

6. The battery system of claim 5 , wherein a current rating of the first fuse and the second fuse is one half a maximum operating current of the electric vehicle.

7. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first switch is coupled in series with the first fuse; and
the second switch is coupled in series with the second fuse.

8. The battery system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third switch, wherein the first fuse and the second fuse are electrically coupled in parallel to the third switch.

9. The battery system of claim 8 , wherein the third switch is electrically coupled to a charging port of an electric vehicle.

10. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the amperage is equal to the maximum disconnect current of the first switch and the second switch.

11. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the battery system is located within an electric vehicle.

12. A method for controlling a battery system comprising:
setting a first switch to an open state while maintaining a second switch in a closed state in response to detecting a load current above an amperage, wherein:
the first switch and a first fuse are coupled in parallel to the second switch and a second fuse.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising maintaining the first switch and the second switch in the closed state when detecting the load current below the amperage.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the amperage is a first amperage, the method further comprising setting the second switch to an open state in response to detecting the load current above a second amperage greater than the first amperage.

15. A vehicle comprising:
a first switch and a first fuse electrically coupled in parallel to a second switch and a second fuse;
a battery electrically coupled in parallel to the first fuse and the second fuse;
one or more electric motors electrically coupled in parallel to the first switch and the second switch; and
a switch controller configured to:
set the first switch to an open state while maintaining the second switch in a closed state in response to detecting a load current above an amperage.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein:
the first fuse is electrically coupled in series to the first switch; and
the second switch is electrically coupled in series to the second switch.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the switch controller is further configured to:
maintain the first switch and the second switch in the closed state when detecting the load current below the amperage.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the amperage is equal to the maximum disconnect current of the first switch and the second switch, and wherein a current rating of the first fuse and the second fuse is one half a maximum operating current of the one or more electric motors.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 , further comprising a third switch electrically coupled in parallel to the first fuse and the second fuse.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the third switch is electrically coupled to a charging port of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Putnam Todd
• Wynn Nathaniel C

Classifications

• H01M50/581

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M2200/103

  Fuse · CPC title

• H01H85/0241

  Structural association of a fuse and another component or apparatus (switches with built-in fuses H01H9/10, spark-gap arresters H01H85/44, transformers and inductances H01F27/402, capacitors H01G2/14, lamps H01K1/66, semiconductors H10W20/493 or H10W42/80) · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title