Distribution system for unswitched high voltage power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12322827-B2
Application number	US-202217696064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2022
Priority date	Nov 13, 2018
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A battery enclosure is provided having unswitched positive and negative terminals that are physically separated. The unswitched positive and negative terminals may be connected to circuit protection components, such as contactors and fuses. The contactors are set to an opened or closed state via a contactor control module. The battery enclosure includes external terminals that electrically couple the battery and circuit protection devices to external components, such as charging ports and electrical loads.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a battery module comprising an unswitched terminal;
a first and a second contactor, each comprising a respective first contactor terminal and a second contactor terminal; wherein:
the unswitched terminal of the battery module is electrically coupled to the first contactor terminal of the first contactor;
the second contactor terminal of the first contactor is electrically coupled to
the first contactor terminal of the second contactor; and
the second contactor terminal of the second contactor is electrically coupled to a charging port.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery module, the first contactor, and the second contactor are located within a battery enclosure of an electric vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fuse, wherein the unswitched terminal of the battery module is electrically coupled to the first contactor terminal of the first contactor via the fuse.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unswitched terminal of the battery module is a first unswitched terminal of the battery module, and wherein the battery module further comprises a second unswitched terminal, the system further comprising:
a third contactor comprising a first contactor terminal, wherein:
the first contactor terminal of the third contactor is electrically coupled to the second unswitched terminal of the battery module.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the third contactor further comprises a second contactor terminal, and wherein the charging port comprises a first charging terminal and a second charging terminal, the system further comprising:
an additional contactor comprising a first contactor terminal and a second contactor terminal, wherein:
the first contactor terminal of the additional contactor is electrically coupled to the second contactor terminal of the third contactor;
the second contactor terminal of the additional contactor is electrically coupled to the second charging terminal of the charging port; and
the second contactor terminal of the second contactor is electrically coupled to the first charging terminal of the charging port.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first contactor and the third contactor are physically separated within a battery enclosure of an electric vehicle, wherein an extent of the physical separation is determined based on a track of the electric vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the battery module is one of a plurality of battery modules in a battery pack.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unswitched terminal of the battery module is of positive polarity.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional contactor, comprising a first contactor terminal and a second contactor terminal, wherein:
the first contactor terminal of the additional contactor is electrically coupled to the unswitched terminal of the battery module; and
the second contactor terminal of the additional contactor is electrically coupled to the first contactor terminal of the second contactor.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second contactor terminal of the first contactor is electrically coupled to the first contactor terminal of the second contactor via a busbar.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a contactor control module configured to control a state of the first contactor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the contactor control module is configured to control a state of the second contactor based on detecting an input at the charging port.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second contactor terminal of the first contactor is electrically coupled to a load.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the load comprises a motor of an electric vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of battery cells are electrically coupled in series within the battery module.

17. A system comprising:
a battery enclosure;
one or more battery modules;
a charging port;
a first and a second contactor, wherein:
the one or more battery modules are electrically coupled in series to the first contactor;
the first contactor is electrically coupled in series with the second contactor; and
the second contactor is electrically coupled in series with the charging port.

18. A method of manufacturing, the method comprising:
providing a first and a second contactor comprising a respective first contactor terminal and a second contactor terminal;
providing a battery module comprising an unswitched terminal;
providing a charging port; and
electrically coupling:
the unswitched terminal of the battery module to the first contactor terminal of the first contactor,
the second contactor terminal of the first contactor to the first contactor terminal of the second contactor; and
the second contactor terminal of the second contactor to the charging port.

19. The method of manufacturing of claim 18 , wherein the unswitched terminal of the battery module is a first unswitched terminal and wherein the battery module comprises a second unswitched terminal, the method further comprising:
providing a third contactor comprising a first contactor terminal; and
electrically coupling the first contactor terminal of the third contactor to the second unswitched terminal of the battery module.

20. The method of manufacturing of claim 19 , wherein the third contactor comprises a second contactor terminal, the method further comprising:
providing a load comprising a first load terminal and a second load terminal; and
electrically coupling:
the first load terminal to the second contactor terminal of the first contactor; and
the second load terminal to the second contactor terminal of the third second contactor.

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• O'Neil Kyle
• Baseri Ehsan
• Butterfield Kyle
• Wynn Nathaniel C
• Collins Tyler
• Putnam Todd
• Sekar Vignesh

Classifications

• H01M50/298

  characterised by the wiring of battery packs · CPC title

• H01M10/425 Primary

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title

• H01M50/242

  adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling · CPC title

• H01M50/249

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title