Vehicle power source apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656569-B2
Application number	US-201314350392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2013
Priority date	Apr 19, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle power source apparatus is provided with a driving battery mounted in a vehicle, an auxiliary apparatus battery that supplies electric power to an auxiliary apparatus of the vehicle, a DC power conversion unit that supplies electric power from the driving battery to the auxiliary apparatus battery, a control unit that controls the DC power conversion unit, a driving battery harness that connects the driving battery with the DC power conversion unit and is protected by a shield, an auxiliary apparatus battery negative-side harness that connects the DC power conversion unit with the negative side of the auxiliary apparatus battery, and a voltage sensor that detects a connection abnormality in the auxiliary apparatus battery negative-side harness.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle power source apparatus comprising:
a driving battery mounted in a vehicle;
an auxiliary apparatus battery that supplies electric power to an auxiliary apparatus of the vehicle;
a DC power conversion unit that supplies electric power from the driving battery to the auxiliary apparatus battery;
a control unit that controls the DC power conversion unit;
a first connection means that connects the driving battery with the DC power conversion unit and is protected by a shield;
a second connection means that connects the DC power conversion unit with the negative side of the auxiliary apparatus battery;
a detection means that detects a connection abnormality in the second connection means; and
a case that contains the DC power conversion unit, the control unit, and the detection means,
wherein the shield surrounds only the first connection means, and
wherein the detection means detects a connection abnormality by determining whether or not an output current from a positive side of the auxiliary apparatus battery returns to the case through the shield.

2. The vehicle power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means measures a voltage of the case so as to detect a connection abnormality.

3. The vehicle power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means measures a current flowing in the second connection means so as to detect a connection abnormality.

4. The vehicle power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means measures a current flowing in the shield of the first connection means so as to detect a connection abnormality.

5. The vehicle power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means measures a temperature of the shield of the first connection means so as to detect a connection abnormality.

6. The vehicle power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the detection means detects a connection abnormality, the control unit stops the output of the DC power conversion unit.

7. The vehicle power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the output of the DC power conversion unit so that the detection means does not detect a connection abnormality.

Assignees

• Takikita Mamoru
• MATSUDA Youhei
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Takikita Mamoru
• MATSUDA Youhei

Classifications

• H02J7/685

  using connection detecting circuits (H02J7/68 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60L2240/547

  Voltage · CPC title

• B60L3/04

  Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) · CPC title

• B60L58/20

  having different nominal voltages · CPC title

• B60L2210/10

  DC to DC converters · CPC title