Power cut off device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701205-B2
Application number	US-201514592138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 8, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A power cut off device includes a case and an actuator disposed in the case. The actuator includes a driver movable relative to the case. Specifically, the driver can move relative to the case between a first driver position and a second driver position. The power cut off device also includes a cutter defining a conductor receiving opening. The cutter is movably disposed in the case. Consequently, the cutter can move relative to the case between a first cutter position and a second cutter position. The cutter is operatively coupled to the actuator such that the driver is configured to drive the cutter from the first cutter position to the second cutter position when the driver moves from the first driver position to the second driver position in order to cut an electrical conductor disposed in the conductor receiving opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power cut off device, comprising:
a case defining an access opening;
an actuator disposed in the case and including a driver, wherein the driver is movable relative to the case between a first driver position and a second driver position;
a cutter movably disposed in the case, wherein the cutter defines a conductor receiving opening and is movable relative to the case between a first cutter position and a second cutter position; and
an insulator block disposed inside the cutter;
wherein the cutter is operatively coupled to the actuator such that the driver is configured to drive the cutter from the first cutter position to the second cutter position when the driver moves from the first driver position to the second driver position in order to cut an electrical conductor disposed in the conductor receiving opening; and
wherein the insulator block is at least partially aligned with the access opening when the cutter is in the second cutter position.

2. The power cut off device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a cylinder, and the driver is a push rod movably coupled to the cylinder.

3. The power cut off device of claim 2 , wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic actuator.

4. The power cut off device of claim 1 , wherein the cutter has cutting edges defining the conductor receiving opening.

5. The power cut off device of claim 4 , wherein the conductor receiving opening is aligned with the access opening when the cutter is in the first cutter position.

6. The power cut off device of claim 1 , further comprising a connector configured to electrically connect the actuator to a sensing diagnostic module.

7. The power cut off device of claim 1 , wherein the case at least partially surrounds the cutter such that the cutter is slidable relative to the case.

8. The power cut off device of claim 7 , wherein the case supports the cutter such that the cutter is linearly movable relative to the case.

9. The power cut off device of claim 1 , wherein the conductor receiving opening has a substantially circular portion in order to receive the electrical conductor.

10. A power cut off system for a vehicle, comprising:
an electrical conductor;
a sensor configured to detect if an external force has been applied to the vehicle;
a sensing diagnostic module (SDM) in electronic communication with the sensor, wherein the SDM is specifically programmed to:
receive an activation signal from the sensor when the external force is applied to the vehicle; and
generate an actuation signal upon receipt of the activation signal from the sensor;

a power cut off device in electronic communication with the SDM such that the power cut off device is configured to receive the actuation signal from the SDM, wherein the power cut off device includes:
a case defining an access opening;
an actuator disposed in the case and including a driver, wherein the driver is movable relative to the case between a first driver position and a second driver position, and the actuator is in electronic communication with the SDM such that the driver is configured to move from the first driver position to the second driver position when the actuator receives the actuation signal from the SDM;
a cutter defining a conductor receiving opening, the cutter being movably disposed in the case such that the cutter is movable relative to the case between a first cutter position and a second cutter position;
an insulator block disposed inside the cutter;
wherein the cutter is operatively coupled to the actuator such that the driver is configured to drive the cutter from the first cutter position to the second cutter position when the driver moves from the first driver position to the second driver position in order to cut the electrical conductor disposed in the conductor receiving opening; and
wherein the insulator block is at least partially aligned with the access opening when the cutter is in the second cutter position.

11. The power cut off system of claim 10 , wherein the SDM is programmed to send the actuation signal to the actuator when the SDM receives the activation signal from the sensor.

12. The power cut off system of claim 10 , wherein the sensor is a deceleration sensor configured to measure a deceleration magnitude of the vehicle.

13. The power cut off system of claim 12 , wherein the SDM is programmed to send the actuation signal to the actuator when the deceleration magnitude is greater than a deceleration threshold.

14. The power cut off system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is a g-force sensor configured to measure a g-force acting on the vehicle.

15. The power cut off system of claim 14 , wherein the SDM is programmed to send the actuation signal to the actuator when the g-force acting on the vehicle is greater than a force threshold.

16. The power cut off system of claim 10 , wherein the actuator includes a cylinder, and the driver is a push rod movably coupled to the cylinder.

17. The power cut off system of claim 16 , wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic actuator, the cutter includes a cutter body, the cutter body is hollow, an entirety of the cutter is disposed inside the case to guide a liner movement of the cutter relative to the case, the cutter body includes a first cutter wall and a second cutter wall opposite the first cutter wall, the cutter body includes a third cutter wall coupled between the first cutter wall and the second cutter wall, the cutter body includes a fourth cutter wall opposite the third cutter wall, the third cutter wall is directly coupled to the first cutter wall, the third cutter wall is directly coupled to the second cutter wall, the fourth cutter wall is coupled between the first cutter wall and the second cutter wall, the fourth cutter wall is directly coupled to the first cutter wall, the fourth cutter wall is directly coupled to the second cutter wall, the cutter body includes a fifth cutter wall directly interconnecting the first cutter wall, the second cutter wall, the third cutter wall, and the fourth cutter wall, the cutter body includes a sixth cutter wall opposite the fifth cutter wall, the sixth cutter wall directly interconnects the first cutter wall, the second cutter wall, the third cutter wall, and the fourth cutter wall, the conductor receiving opening extends through the cutter body, the conductor receiving opening extends through the first cutter wall, the third cutter wall, and the fourth cutter wall, and the conductor receiving opening does not extend through the second cutter wall.

18. The power cut off system of claim 17 , wherein the case has an elongated shape, the case is hollow, the case includes a first case wall and a second case wall opposite the first case wall, the case includes a third case wall coupled between the first case wall and the second case wall, the third case wall is directly coupled to the first case wall, the third case wall is directly coupled to the second case wall, the case includes a fourth case wall opposite the third case wall, the fourth case wall is coupled between the first case wall and the second case wall, the fourth case wall is directly coupled to the first case wall, the fourth case wall is directly coupled to the second case wall, the case extends along a case axis, the access opening extends through the first case wall, the third case wall, and the fourth case wall, the access opening does not extend through the second case wall, the access opening extends along an opening axis, the opening axis is perpendicular to the case axis, the access opening includes a f

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Bosco Anthony A
• Graebner Mark C

Classifications

• B60L2240/14

  Acceleration · CPC title

• Y02T10/7005

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T10/7061

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L3/04 Primary

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

• B60L11/1864

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic