Dual pole high voltage disconnect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12119688-B2
Application number	US-202217893512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2022
Priority date	Aug 23, 2022
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

An example energy source for a work machine includes multiple battery cells connectable in parallel to form a battery system having a high pole and a low pole, a load bus to distribute energy from the battery system to the work machine, and a single point of connection between the battery system and the load bus. The single point of connection is a connector including a dual-pole single-throw (DPST) switch. The DPST switch includes a dual-switched circuit path to connect the high pole and the low pole to the load bus, and a single-switched circuit path to provide a switched connection of a high voltage interlock loop (HVIL) circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy source for a work machine, the energy source comprising:
multiple battery cells connectable in one or both of series and parallel to form a battery system having a high pole and a low pole;
a load bus to distribute energy from the battery system to the work machine; and
a single point of connection between the battery system and the load bus, wherein the single point of connection is a connector including:
a dual-pole single-throw (DPST) switch including:
a dual-switched circuit path to connect the high pole and the low pole to the load bus; and
a single-switched circuit path to provide a switched connection of a high voltage interlock loop (HVIL) circuit;
wherein when closing the DPST switch of the connector, the HVIL circuit is connected after the high pole and the low pole are connected to the load bus; and
wherein when opening the DPST switch, the HVIL circuit is disconnected before the high pole and the low pole are disconnected from the load bus.

2. The energy source of claim 1 , wherein an output voltage of the battery system is greater than or equal to seven hundred volts (700V) and three hundred amperes (300 A).

3. The energy source of claim 1 , wherein the connector includes:
a plug receptacle including:
a first electrical contact connected to the high pole;
a second electrical contact connected to the low pole;
third and fourth electrical contacts connected to the load bus; and
fifth and sixth electrical contacts for the single switched circuit path;
a plug including:
first, second, third, and fourth metal prongs to contact the first, second, third, and fourth electrical contacts, respectively;
first electrical interconnect between the first prong and third prong and between the second prong and fourth prong, wherein the first electrical interconnect is rated to three hundred amperes (300 A) or greater; and
fifth and sixth metal prongs to contact the fifth and sixth electrical contacts, respectively, and second electrical interconnect between the fifth and sixth metal prongs; and
wherein when inserting the plug into the plug receptacle, the first, second, third, and fourth metal prongs contact a corresponding electrical contact of the plug receptacle before the fifth and sixth metal prongs.

4. The energy source of claim 3 ,
wherein the plug receptacle of the connector includes a housing and pins extending away from the housing; and
wherein the plug of the connector includes a hinged lever that engages the pins to pull the plug toward the plug receptacle when the hinged lever is closed.

5. The energy source of claim 4 , wherein the connector includes a lockout/tagout cover for the plug receptacle that prevents electrical continuity among the contacts of the plug receptacle.

6. The energy source of claim 1 ,
wherein the DPST switch of the connector is a rotary DPST switch;
wherein turning the rotary DPST switch in a first direction connects the HVIL circuit after connecting the high pole and the low pole to the load bus; and
wherein turning the rotary DPST switch in a second direction disconnects HVIL circuit before disconnecting the high pole and the low pole from the load bus.

7. The energy source of claim 6 , wherein the rotary DPST switch includes a housing, and the housing includes:
a stationary housing portion and a turn-able housing portion movable relative to the stationary housing portion to turn the rotary DPST switch; and
wherein the turn-able housing portion and the stationary housing portion are shaped to receive a lock shackle to prevent movement of the turn-able housing portion relative to the stationary housing portion.

8. The energy source of claim 6 , wherein the housing of the rotary DPST switch is environmentally sealed.

9. The energy source of claim 6 , wherein the rotary DPST switch is rated to three hundred amperes (300 A) or greater and seven hundred volts (700V) or greater.

10. A high current electrical connector for connecting a large-capacity energy source to a work machine, the connector comprising:
a dual-pole single-throw (DPST) switch including:
first and second contacts to be connected to a first pole and a second pole of the large-capacity energy source;
third and fourth contacts to be connected to electrical circuits of the work machine, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth contacts are rated for three hundred amperes (300 A) or greater and seven hundred volts (700V) or greater; and
fifth and sixth contacts to connect a high voltage interlock loop (HVIL) circuit to the connector;
wherein when closing the DPST switch, the fifth contact is connected to the sixth contact after the first contact is connected to the third contact and the second contact is connected to the fourth contact; and
wherein when opening the DPST switch, the fifth contact is disconnected from the sixth contact before the first contact is disconnected from the third contact and the second contact is disconnected from the fourth contact.

11. The connector of claim 10 , wherein the connector includes:
a plug receptacle including the first through sixth contacts; and
a plug including:
first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth metal prongs to contact the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth contacts respectively, wherein the plug provides electrical continuity between the first and third contacts, between the second and fourth contacts, and between the fifth and sixth contacts; and
wherein when inserting the plug into the plug receptacle contact is made to the first, second, third, and fourth prongs before contact is made to the fifth and sixth prongs.

12. The connector of claim 11 ,
wherein the plug receptacle includes a housing and pins extending away from the housing; and
wherein the plug includes a hinged lever that engages the pins to pull the plug toward the plug receptacle when the hinged lever is closed.

13. The connector of claim 11 , including a lockout/tagout cover for the plug receptacle that prevents electrical continuity among the contacts of the plug receptacle.

14. The connector of claim 10 ,
wherein the DPST switch is a rotary DPST switch;
wherein turning the rotary DPST switch in a first direction connects the fifth contact to the sixth contact after connecting the first contact to the third contact and the second contact to the fourth contact; and
wherein turning the rotary DPST switch in a second direction disconnects the fifth contact from the sixth contact before disconnecting the first contact from the third contact and the second contact from the fourth contact.

15. The connector of claim 14 , including a housing covering the contacts of the rotary DPST switch, wherein the housing includes:
a stationary housing portion and a turn-able housing portion movable relative to the stationary housing portion to turn the rotary DPST switch; and
wherein the turn-able housing portion and the stationary housing portion are shaped to receive a lock shackle to prevent movement of the turn-able housing portion relative to the stationary housing portion.

16. A dual pole electrical connector, the connector comprising:
a dual-pole single-throw (DPST) switch rated to seven hundred volts (700V) or higher, the DPST switch including:
first and second contacts to be connected to a first pole and a second pole of an energy source;
third and fourth contacts to be connected to electrical circuits of the work machine; and
fifth and sixth contacts to connect a high voltage interlock loop (HVIL) circuit to the connector;
wherein when closing the DPST switch, the fifth co

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Brodbeck Jared J
• Miller Jason Lee

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

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

• H02J7/663 Primary

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/1423

  with multiple batteries · CPC title

• B60L2200/40

  Working vehicles · CPC title

• H01H9/0066

  Auxiliary contact devices (for arc transfer H01H9/38; for electromagnetic relays H01H50/541) · CPC title