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WO2015078049A1 - A connection device and method for vehicle - Google Patents

A connection device and method for vehicle Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2015078049A1
WO2015078049A1 PCT/CN2013/089084 CN2013089084W WO2015078049A1 WO 2015078049 A1 WO2015078049 A1 WO 2015078049A1 CN 2013089084 W CN2013089084 W CN 2013089084W WO 2015078049 A1 WO2015078049 A1 WO 2015078049A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
bus
battery
electric connector
bar
connection device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/CN2013/089084
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Peter G Diehl
Jens Berkan
Robert DINGLI
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Qoros Automotive Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Qoros Automotive Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Qoros Automotive Co Ltd filed Critical Qoros Automotive Co Ltd
Publication of WO2015078049A1 publication Critical patent/WO2015078049A1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L3/00—Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption
    • B60L3/0007—Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L3/00—Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption
    • B60L3/04—Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L58/00—Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles
    • B60L58/10—Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles for monitoring or controlling batteries
    • B60L58/12—Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles for monitoring or controlling batteries responding to state of charge [SoC]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
    • H01M50/572—Means for preventing undesired use or discharge
    • H01M50/574—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
    • H01M50/579—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current in response to shock
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2240/00—Control parameters of input or output; Target parameters
    • B60L2240/40—Drive Train control parameters
    • B60L2240/54—Drive Train control parameters related to batteries
    • B60L2240/547—Voltage
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2240/00—Control parameters of input or output; Target parameters
    • B60L2240/40—Drive Train control parameters
    • B60L2240/54—Drive Train control parameters related to batteries
    • B60L2240/549—Current
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H39/00—Switching devices actuated by an explosion produced within the device and initiated by an electric current
    • H01H2039/008—Switching devices actuated by an explosion produced within the device and initiated by an electric current using the switch for a battery cutoff
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M2220/00—Batteries for particular applications
    • H01M2220/20—Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
    • Y02T10/60—Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
    • Y02T10/70—Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Definitions

  • a connection device and method for vehicle A connection device and method for vehicle
  • the present invention generally relates to the field of vehicle electrics, and more particularly relates to a connection device between a battery and a HV bus and method for vehicle.
  • the high voltage (HV) system including battery, invertor, motor, etc. is critical with respect of safety. Especially in the emergency situations, such as an accident, it is important to fast and reliably disconnect the HV power source, such as a battery from the remaining high voltage system e.g., an inverter or motor. Further, it is important to discharge the remaining high voltage system as quickly as possible in order to prevent the electric charge from dissipating uncontrolledly, for instance, in an arcing event where the system components, such as cables, are damaged.
  • HV high voltage
  • the battery is disconnected from the high voltage vehicle bus by means of opening an electric contactor which is a mechanical switch powered by a relay and controlled by a battery management system, a vehicle control unit or an airbag control unit, upon detection of a severe vehicle crash.
  • the contactor can open and electrically disconnect the battery.
  • this disconnecting event comes with a time delay from the moment of request which depends on the physical parameters as well as the control logic of the contactor.
  • the HV system features a safety device in form of an electric circuit that discharges the rest charge of the HV system within seconds after triggering the discharge circuit to voltage levels below the safety voltage threshold.
  • a safety device in form of an electric circuit that discharges the rest charge of the HV system within seconds after triggering the discharge circuit to voltage levels below the safety voltage threshold.
  • it results in a significant time delay until the residual electric energy is sufficiently removed from the rest of HV system.
  • one of the commonly used discharging electric circuits where a MOSFET is connected to a capacitor in parallel, discharges the circuit to voltage levels below the safety voltage threshold within 2-3 seconds after triggering.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a solution for connecting between a battery and a HV bus, which obviates at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages.
  • a connection device between a battery and a HV bus in a vehicle comprising: an electric connector comprising a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a first insulating portion which is between the first and the second conductive portions; and a control module for triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash; wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first conductive portion, a negative pole of the battery and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the second conductive portion, so that an electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus; and wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to the first insulating portion, so that no electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus.
  • connection device further comprises a second insulating portion which is separated with the first insulating portion by the first conductive portion or the second conductive portion; wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion.
  • an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector, and at the second position the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit; or at the first position an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector, and at the second position the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit.
  • the electric connector is a one-piece electric connector.
  • the electric connector is a rod which moves from the first position to the second position along an axis of the rod when triggered by the control module.
  • the rod comprises a pressure plate at one end of the rod; at the first position the pressure plate is positioned against the control module, and at the second position, the pressure plate is apart from the control module.
  • connection device further comprises an insulating end stop which is separated from the control module by the rod; at the first position the rod is apart from the end stop; and at the second position, the rod is positioned against the end stop.
  • each of the poles of the battery and each of the bus-bars of the HV bus are connected to the rod through a contact bush, which includes a hollow part through which the rod passes; and the hollow part is shaped to provide friction fit to the rod so that a low-resistive electric connection is formed between the contact bushes and the first or second conductive portions of the rod.
  • connection device further comprises an insulating barrier which includes a hollow interior, the rod and the contact bushes are enclosed by the insulating barrier, and the hollow interior is shaped to fit for the rod passing through.
  • control module is a pyrotechnical device which, upon the vehicle crash, generates explosive force to move the electric connector from the first position to the second position.
  • control module is triggered by at least one of the battery management system, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control unit.
  • the at least one insulating portion is made from flame retardant material.
  • a vehicle comprising a connection device between a battery and a HV bus according to the present invention.
  • a method used in a connection device between a battery and a HV bus in a vehicle wherein the connection device comprises an electric connector comprising a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a first insulating portion which is between the first and the second conductive portions, and the method comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash; wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first conductive portion, and a negative pole of the battery and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the second conductive portion, so that an electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus; and wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to the first insulating portion, so that no electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus.
  • connection device further comprises a second insulating portion which is separated with the first insulating portion by the first conductive portion or the second conductive portion; wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion.
  • an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector at the first position; and wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash, so that the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus are connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit; or wherein an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector at the first position; and wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position, so that the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar of the HV bus are connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit.
  • the electric connector is a one-piece electric connector.
  • the electric connector is a rod
  • triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the rod to move from a first position to a second position along an axis of the rod upon the vehicle crash.
  • triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash by explosive force generated by a pyrotechnical device.
  • triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash by at least one of the battery management system, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control unit.
  • the embodiments of the present invention provide an instant, reliable and safe solution to disconnect the battery from the HV bus and actively discharge the rest charge of HV bus by engaging the rest of HV system into a short circuit.
  • the time delay between triggering the connection device and reaching the goal of disconnecting the HV bus from the battery and totally discharging the rest charge of the HV system is virtually zero.
  • the solution reliably works in the event of remaining electricity feeding sources such as a spinning electric motor in combination with an uncontrolled inverter, by using a very low resistance in combination with large conductive cross sections to pull the potential to zero.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection device at the first position according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection device at the second position according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating a rod according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating the side view of the rod according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 3C is a schematic diagram illustrating the sectional view of the rod according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the contact bushes according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS 1 and 2 are the schematic diagrams illustrating a connection device between a battery 101 and a HV bus 102 at a first position and a second position, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • the battery 101 such as a storage battery, may be a power supply to the rest of the HV system of the vehicle e.g., an inverter or motor.
  • the HV bus 102 may be used to conduct electricity from the battery 101 to the rest of the HV system of the vehicle, such as an inverter or a motor. Descriptions of the connection device will be given hereinafter with reference to both Figures 1 and 2.
  • the connection device comprises an electric connector 300 and a control module 200.
  • the electric connector 300 comprises a first conductive portion 301 , a second conductive portion 303 and a first insulating portion 304.
  • the electric connector 300 is movable from a first position to a second position when triggered by the control module 200 upon the vehicle crash.
  • a positive pole of the battery 101 and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301, and a negative pole of the battery 101 and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303.
  • Such configuration at the first position allows that an electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102.
  • the control module 200 Upon the vehicle crash, the control module 200 triggers the electric connector 300 to move from the first position to the second position. At the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery 101 is connected to the first insulating portion 304, so that no electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102.
  • the negative pole of the battery 101 is connected to the first insulating portion 304, as shown in Figure 2.
  • the positive pole of the battery 101 may connected to the first insulating portion 304.
  • both the positive and negative poles of the battery lO l may be connected to the first insulating portion 304.
  • connection device further comprises a housing 400, enclosing the control module 200, the electric connector 300, the positive and negative poles of the battery 101 and the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus 102.
  • the connection device further comprises a second insulating portion 302 which is separated with the first insulating portion 304 by the first conductive portion 301 or the second conductive portion 303.
  • the positive pole of the battery 101 and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301
  • the negative pole of the battery 101 and the negative bus-bar are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303.
  • at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302.
  • the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302 are separated by the first conductive portion 301 , as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
  • the positive pole of the battery 101 and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301
  • the negative pole of the battery 101 and the negative bus-bar are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303, so that an electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102.
  • the control module 200 triggers the electric connector 300 to move from the first position to the second position.
  • connection positions between the connector 300 and the poles of the battery 101 and the connection positions between the connector 300 and the bus-bars of the HV bus 102 are changed.
  • the positive bus-bar is connected to the second insulating portion 302
  • the positive pole of the battery 101 is connected to the first conductive portion 301
  • the negative pole of the battery 101 is connected to the first insulating portion 304
  • the negative bus-bar is connected to the second conductive portion 303. No electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102 and thus the battery 101 is disconnected.
  • the portions of the electric connector may be arranged in other manners, for example, the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302 may be separated by the second conductive portion 303 (not shown).
  • the positive and negative poles of the battery 101 and the positive and negative bus-bars may be arranged in other manners with respect to the portions 301-304.
  • the positive pole of the battery 101 is connected to the second insulating portion 302
  • the positive bus-bar is connected to the first conductive portion 301
  • the negative bus-bar is connected to the first insulating portion 304
  • the negative pole of the battery 101 is connected to the second conductive portion 303.
  • the positive pole of the battery 101 is connected to the second insulating portion 302
  • the positive bus-bar is connected to the first conductive portion 301
  • the negative bus-bar is connected to the second conductive portion 303
  • the negative pole of the battery 101 is connected to the first insulating portion 304.
  • the electric connector may be a one-piece electric connector.
  • the first conductive portion 301 , the second conductive portion 303, the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302 are integratedly formed.
  • the electric connector may be a connection assembly comprising multiple components, such as the first conductive portion 301 , the second conductive portion 303, the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302, or the combination thereof.
  • the electric connector may be a rod 310, as illustrated in Figures 3A-3C.
  • the rod 310 may move from the first position to the second position along an axis of the rod when triggered by the control module 200.
  • the rod 310 may comprise the second insulating portion 302, the first conductive portion 301, the first insulating portion 304 and the second conductive portion 303.
  • the core of the rod 310 is non-conductive, as indicated by the shadow in Figure 3C, so that the first conductive portion 301 and the second conductive portion 303 are not electrically connected to each other.
  • the electric connector may be in other forms, such as a circular disk, a circular ring, or a circular arc which may rotate around its center from the first position to the second position.
  • the rod may comprise a pressure plate 305 at one end of the rod, as illustrated in Figures 3A-3C.
  • the pressure plate 305 is positioned against the control module 200, as shown in Figure 1.
  • the control module 200 triggers the rod 310 to move from the first position to the second position along an axis of the rod by hitting on the pressure plate 305.
  • the pressure plate 305 is apart from the control module 200, as shown in Figure 2.
  • connection device may further comprise an insulating end stop 306.
  • the insulating end stop 306 which is separated from the control module 200 by the rod 310.
  • the rod 310 is apart from the end stop 306, as illustrated in Figure 1.
  • the control module 200 triggers the rod 310 to move from the first position along an axis of the rod.
  • the rod 310 stops at the second position when touching the end stop 306.
  • the rod 310 is positioned against the end stop 306, as illustrated in Figure 2.
  • each of the poles of the battery 101 and each of the bus-bars of the HV bus 102 are connected to the rod 310 through a contact bush 307, as shown in Figure 4, which includes a hollow part 308 through which the rod 310 passes.
  • the hollow part 308 is shaped to provide a tight friction fit to the rod 310. It ensures reliable low-resistive electric connection between the contact bushes 307 and the conductive portions 301 , 303 of the rod 310. Therefore, even when the electric connector 300 is moving and switching under the electric load, no electric arc can occur as no air gap is provided that would be a pre-requisite for an arc.
  • the insulating portions 302, 304 may be made of insulating materials with sufficiently high thermal capacity and thermal conductivity, so that any potential arc is quenched in built up.
  • the poles of the battery 101 and the bus-bars of the HV bus 102 may be connected to the rod 310 in other manners, such as through bayonet, clamp, push-pull connection.
  • connection device further comprises an insulating barrier 500 which includes a hollow interior.
  • the rod 310 and the contact bushes 307 are enclosed by the insulating barrier 500, and the hollow interior is shaped to fit for the rod passing through.
  • control module 200 may be a pyrotechnical device which, upon the vehicle crash, generates explosive force to move the electric connector 300 from the first position to the second position.
  • the pyrotechnical device is requested to trigger the electric connector to move.
  • control module is triggered by at least one of the battery management systems, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control units, optionally, by an electric signal sent from at least one of the battery management systems, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control units.
  • the pyrotechnical device generates the explosive force on the pressure plate 305 of the rod 310 that faces the pyrotechnical device, as shown in Figure 1. Then the rod 310 is instantly, reliably and safely moved from the first position to the second position through the hollow parts 308 of the contact bushes 307. As a result, the connection position between the connector 300 and the poles of the battery 101 as well as the connection position between the connector 300 and the bus-bars of the HV bus 102 are changed, and the battery 101 is thus disconnected from the HV bus 102, or the rest of the vehicle. Optionally, the disconnection is permanent. By this approach, the time delay between sending request to the pyrotechnical device and reaching the goal of disconnecting the HV bus from the battery and totally discharging the rest charge of the HV system to virtually zero.
  • an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300; and at the second position, the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portions 301 , 303 to form a short circuit.
  • an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300; and at the second position, the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portions 301 , 303 to form a short circuit.
  • such connection between the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar or between the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar is permanent.
  • FIG. 1 An illustrative but non-limiting embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2.
  • an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300.
  • the rod 310 When triggered by the pyrotechnical device, the rod 310 will explosively and spontaneously be moved into the second position as illustrated in Figure 2.
  • the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303, to form a short circuit.
  • the additional positive bus-bar may be arranged in other manners, so that at the second position the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301 , to form a short circuit.
  • connection between the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar is permanent.
  • the electric system of the vehicle including the HV bus 102
  • the electric system of the vehicle is electrically immobilized. It reliably works in the event of remaining electricity feeding sources, such as a spinning electric motor in combination with an uncontrolled inverter, by pulling the potential to zero.
  • the first and the second insulating portions 304, 302 are made from flame retardant material.
  • the conductive potions 301 and 303 with the non-conductive insulating portions 302 and 304 made from flame retardant materials, as well as in combination with tight tolerances provided by the contact bushes 307, high voltage arcing in the event of triggering the electric connector 300 under electric load can be reliably prevented.
  • the second aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle, comprising a connection device between a battery and a HV bus according to the present invention as described above.
  • the connection device upon the vehicle crash, the battery is disconnected from the HV bus in the vehicle; through pulling the electric system of the vehicle into a controlled short circuit, the electric system of the vehicle is electrically immobilized. It reliably works in the event of remaining electricity feeding sources, such as a spinning electric motor in combination with an uncontrolled inverter; and high voltage arcing in the event of triggering the electric connector under electric load can be reliably prevented.
  • connection device between a battery and a HV bus according to the present invention as described above, it provides a method used in a connection device between a battery and a HV bus, such as an inverter or a motor in a vehicle.
  • the connection device comprises an electric connector 300 comprising a first conductive portion 301 , a second conductive portion 303 and a first insulating portion 304.
  • the method comprises triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash; wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery 101 and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301, and a negative pole of the battery 101 and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303, so that an electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102.
  • the control module 200 Upon the vehicle crash, the control module 200 triggers the electric connector 300 to move to the second position. At the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to the first insulating portion 304, so that no electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102.
  • connection device further comprises a second insulating portion 302 which is separated with the first insulating portion 304 by the first conductive portion 301 or the second conductive portion 303.
  • the positive pole of the battery 101 and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301
  • the negative pole of the battery 101 and the negative bus-bar are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303.
  • the electric connector may be a one-piece electric connector.
  • the electric connector may be a rod 310.
  • the step of triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash may comprise triggering the rod to move from a first position to a second position along an axis of the rod upon the vehicle crash.
  • the step of triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash may comprise triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash by explosive force generated by a pyrotechnical device.
  • an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300.
  • the step of triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash, so that the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar are connected to the first or second conductive portions 301, 303 to form a short circuit.
  • an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300.
  • the step of triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash, so that the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portions 301 , 303 to form a short circuit.
  • the step of triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash by at least one of the battery management systems, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control units.
  • connection device also applies to the method used in a connection device between a battery and a HV bus in a vehicle according to the present invention, and is thus not iterated for the sake of conciseness.
  • the embodiments of the present invention provide a fast and reliable approach, upon the vehicle crash, to disconnect the battery from the HV bus in the vehicle, to electrically immobilize the electric system of the vehicle though pulling the electric system of the vehicle into a controlled short circuit, which reliably works in the event of remaining electricity feeding sources, such as a spinning electric motor in combination with an uncontrolled inverter; and to prevent high voltage arcing in the event of triggering the electric connector under electric load.

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Abstract

A connection device between a battery (101) and a HV bus (102) and method for the same in a vehicle are disclosed. The connection device comprises: an electric connector (300) comprising a first conductive portion (301), a second conductive portion (303) and a first insulating portion (304) which is between the first and the second conductive portions (301,303); and a control module (200) for triggering the electric connector (300) to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash; wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery (101) and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus (102) are electrically connected to the first conductive portion (301), a negative pole of the battery (101) and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus (102) are electrically connected to the second conductive portion (303), so that an electric current flows between the battery (101) and the HV bus (102); and wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery (101) is connected to the first insulating portion (304), so that no electric current flows between the battery (101) and the HV bus (102). The connection device provides an instant, reliable and safe solution to disconnect the battery (101) from the HV bus (102).

Description

A connection device and method for vehicle
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention generally relates to the field of vehicle electrics, and more particularly relates to a connection device between a battery and a HV bus and method for vehicle.
BACKGROUND
In an automotive, the high voltage (HV) system, including battery, invertor, motor, etc. is critical with respect of safety. Especially in the emergency situations, such as an accident, it is important to fast and reliably disconnect the HV power source, such as a battery from the remaining high voltage system e.g., an inverter or motor. Further, it is important to discharge the remaining high voltage system as quickly as possible in order to prevent the electric charge from dissipating uncontrolledly, for instance, in an arcing event where the system components, such as cables, are damaged.
Typically, the battery is disconnected from the high voltage vehicle bus by means of opening an electric contactor which is a mechanical switch powered by a relay and controlled by a battery management system, a vehicle control unit or an airbag control unit, upon detection of a severe vehicle crash. In this case, the contactor can open and electrically disconnect the battery. However, this disconnecting event comes with a time delay from the moment of request which depends on the physical parameters as well as the control logic of the contactor.
Further, besides disconnecting the battery, actively removing residual high voltage charge from the rest of the HV system is also critical. Typically, the HV system features a safety device in form of an electric circuit that discharges the rest charge of the HV system within seconds after triggering the discharge circuit to voltage levels below the safety voltage threshold. However, it results in a significant time delay until the residual electric energy is sufficiently removed from the rest of HV system. For example, one of the commonly used discharging electric circuits, where a MOSFET is connected to a capacitor in parallel, discharges the circuit to voltage levels below the safety voltage threshold within 2-3 seconds after triggering. Another discharging electric circuit commonly used, where a load resistor is connected to a capacitor in parallel, discharges the circuit within tens of seconds. Additionally, in the cases where some electric motors or power inverter units continue to feed high voltage energy into the remaining HV system, i.e. due to a freely spinning wheel after an accident or loss of control over the inverter, this residual energy discharge system would fail and render the remaining HV system electrically unsafe for a prolonged time, even though the HV bus and the HV battery have sufficiently been disconnected. In such scenarios, it is required to provide a faster and more reliable solution to disconnect or discharge the HV system when a vehicle crash occurs.
SUMMARY
An object of the present invention is to provide a solution for connecting between a battery and a HV bus, which obviates at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connection device between a battery and a HV bus in a vehicle, comprising: an electric connector comprising a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a first insulating portion which is between the first and the second conductive portions; and a control module for triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash; wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first conductive portion, a negative pole of the battery and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the second conductive portion, so that an electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus; and wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to the first insulating portion, so that no electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device further comprises a second insulating portion which is separated with the first insulating portion by the first conductive portion or the second conductive portion; wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein at the first position an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector, and at the second position the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit; or at the first position an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector, and at the second position the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connector is a one-piece electric connector.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connector is a rod which moves from the first position to the second position along an axis of the rod when triggered by the control module.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rod comprises a pressure plate at one end of the rod; at the first position the pressure plate is positioned against the control module, and at the second position, the pressure plate is apart from the control module.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device further comprises an insulating end stop which is separated from the control module by the rod; at the first position the rod is apart from the end stop; and at the second position, the rod is positioned against the end stop.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the poles of the battery and each of the bus-bars of the HV bus are connected to the rod through a contact bush, which includes a hollow part through which the rod passes; and the hollow part is shaped to provide friction fit to the rod so that a low-resistive electric connection is formed between the contact bushes and the first or second conductive portions of the rod.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device further comprises an insulating barrier which includes a hollow interior, the rod and the contact bushes are enclosed by the insulating barrier, and the hollow interior is shaped to fit for the rod passing through.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is a pyrotechnical device which, upon the vehicle crash, generates explosive force to move the electric connector from the first position to the second position.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is triggered by at least one of the battery management system, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control unit.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one insulating portion is made from flame retardant material.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle, comprising a connection device between a battery and a HV bus according to the present invention.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method used in a connection device between a battery and a HV bus in a vehicle, wherein the connection device comprises an electric connector comprising a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a first insulating portion which is between the first and the second conductive portions, and the method comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash; wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first conductive portion, and a negative pole of the battery and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the second conductive portion, so that an electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus; and wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to the first insulating portion, so that no electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device further comprises a second insulating portion which is separated with the first insulating portion by the first conductive portion or the second conductive portion; wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector at the first position; and wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash, so that the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus are connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit; or wherein an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector at the first position; and wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position, so that the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar of the HV bus are connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connector is a one-piece electric connector.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connector is a rod, and wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the rod to move from a first position to a second position along an axis of the rod upon the vehicle crash.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash by explosive force generated by a pyrotechnical device.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash by at least one of the battery management system, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control unit.
In conclusion, the embodiments of the present invention provide an instant, reliable and safe solution to disconnect the battery from the HV bus and actively discharge the rest charge of HV bus by engaging the rest of HV system into a short circuit. The time delay between triggering the connection device and reaching the goal of disconnecting the HV bus from the battery and totally discharging the rest charge of the HV system is virtually zero. Further, the solution reliably works in the event of remaining electricity feeding sources such as a spinning electric motor in combination with an uncontrolled inverter, by using a very low resistance in combination with large conductive cross sections to pull the potential to zero. Furthermore, by combining the conductive portions with the non-conductive insulating portions made from flame retardant material in combination with tight tolerances, high voltage arcing in the event of triggering the device under electric load can be reliably prevented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this description. The drawings illustrate embodiments and together with the description serve to explain principles of embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts. It should be expressly understood that the drawings are included for illustrative purposes and do not in any manner limit the scope of the present invention. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection device at the first position according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection device at the second position according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating a rod according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating the side view of the rod according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3C is a schematic diagram illustrating the sectional view of the rod according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the contact bushes according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following description, for purposes of explanation rather than limitation, specific details, such as the particular architecture, structure, techniques, etc., are set forth for illustration. However, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments that depart from these specific details would still be understood to be within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, for the purpose of clarity, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention. It is to be understood that the features of the various exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise.
Figures 1 and 2 are the schematic diagrams illustrating a connection device between a battery 101 and a HV bus 102 at a first position and a second position, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The battery 101, such as a storage battery, may be a power supply to the rest of the HV system of the vehicle e.g., an inverter or motor. The HV bus 102 may be used to conduct electricity from the battery 101 to the rest of the HV system of the vehicle, such as an inverter or a motor. Descriptions of the connection device will be given hereinafter with reference to both Figures 1 and 2.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device comprises an electric connector 300 and a control module 200. The electric connector 300 comprises a first conductive portion 301 , a second conductive portion 303 and a first insulating portion 304. The electric connector 300 is movable from a first position to a second position when triggered by the control module 200 upon the vehicle crash.
As shown in Figure 1 , at the first position, a positive pole of the battery 101 and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301, and a negative pole of the battery 101 and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303. Such configuration at the first position allows that an electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102.
Upon the vehicle crash, the control module 200 triggers the electric connector 300 to move from the first position to the second position. At the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery 101 is connected to the first insulating portion 304, so that no electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102. In an illustrative but non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the negative pole of the battery 101 is connected to the first insulating portion 304, as shown in Figure 2. Alternatively, the positive pole of the battery 101 may connected to the first insulating portion 304. Alternatively, both the positive and negative poles of the battery lO lmay be connected to the first insulating portion 304. The configuration at the second position causes that no electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102, so that the battery 101 is disconnected. Optionally, the connection device further comprises a housing 400, enclosing the control module 200, the electric connector 300, the positive and negative poles of the battery 101 and the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus 102.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device further comprises a second insulating portion 302 which is separated with the first insulating portion 304 by the first conductive portion 301 or the second conductive portion 303. At the first position, the positive pole of the battery 101 and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301, and the negative pole of the battery 101 and the negative bus-bar are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303. At the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302.
In an illustrative but non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302 are separated by the first conductive portion 301 , as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. As shown in Figure 1 , at the first position, the positive pole of the battery 101 and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301, and the negative pole of the battery 101 and the negative bus-bar are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303, so that an electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102. When a vehicle crash occurs, the control module 200 triggers the electric connector 300 to move from the first position to the second position. As a result, the connection positions between the connector 300 and the poles of the battery 101 and the connection positions between the connector 300 and the bus-bars of the HV bus 102 are changed. As shown in Figure 2, at the second position, the positive bus-bar is connected to the second insulating portion 302, the positive pole of the battery 101 is connected to the first conductive portion 301, the negative pole of the battery 101 is connected to the first insulating portion 304, and the negative bus-bar is connected to the second conductive portion 303. No electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102 and thus the battery 101 is disconnected.
Alternatively, the portions of the electric connector may be arranged in other manners, for example, the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302 may be separated by the second conductive portion 303 (not shown). Alternatively, in the second position, the positive and negative poles of the battery 101 and the positive and negative bus-bars may be arranged in other manners with respect to the portions 301-304. For example, in the second position, the positive pole of the battery 101 is connected to the second insulating portion 302, the positive bus-bar is connected to the first conductive portion 301, the negative bus-bar is connected to the first insulating portion 304, and the negative pole of the battery 101 is connected to the second conductive portion 303. Alternatively, in the second position, the positive pole of the battery 101 is connected to the second insulating portion 302, the positive bus-bar is connected to the first conductive portion 301, the negative bus-bar is connected to the second conductive portion 303, and the negative pole of the battery 101 is connected to the first insulating portion 304.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connector may be a one-piece electric connector. Optionally, the first conductive portion 301 , the second conductive portion 303, the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302 are integratedly formed. Alternatively, the electric connector may be a connection assembly comprising multiple components, such as the first conductive portion 301 , the second conductive portion 303, the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302, or the combination thereof.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connector may be a rod 310, as illustrated in Figures 3A-3C. The rod 310 may move from the first position to the second position along an axis of the rod when triggered by the control module 200. In an illustrative but non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 3A-3C, the rod 310 may comprise the second insulating portion 302, the first conductive portion 301, the first insulating portion 304 and the second conductive portion 303. Optionally, the core of the rod 310 is non-conductive, as indicated by the shadow in Figure 3C, so that the first conductive portion 301 and the second conductive portion 303 are not electrically connected to each other. Alternatively, the electric connector may be in other forms, such as a circular disk, a circular ring, or a circular arc which may rotate around its center from the first position to the second position.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rod may comprise a pressure plate 305 at one end of the rod, as illustrated in Figures 3A-3C. At the first position, the pressure plate 305 is positioned against the control module 200, as shown in Figure 1. During the vehicle crash, the control module 200 triggers the rod 310 to move from the first position to the second position along an axis of the rod by hitting on the pressure plate 305. At the second position, the pressure plate 305 is apart from the control module 200, as shown in Figure 2.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device may further comprise an insulating end stop 306. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the insulating end stop 306 which is separated from the control module 200 by the rod 310. At the first position the rod 310 is apart from the end stop 306, as illustrated in Figure 1. During the vehicle crash, the control module 200 triggers the rod 310 to move from the first position along an axis of the rod. The rod 310 stops at the second position when touching the end stop 306. At the second position, the rod 310 is positioned against the end stop 306, as illustrated in Figure 2.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the poles of the battery 101 and each of the bus-bars of the HV bus 102 are connected to the rod 310 through a contact bush 307, as shown in Figure 4, which includes a hollow part 308 through which the rod 310 passes. The hollow part 308 is shaped to provide a tight friction fit to the rod 310. It ensures reliable low-resistive electric connection between the contact bushes 307 and the conductive portions 301 , 303 of the rod 310. Therefore, even when the electric connector 300 is moving and switching under the electric load, no electric arc can occur as no air gap is provided that would be a pre-requisite for an arc. Optionally, the insulating portions 302, 304 may be made of insulating materials with sufficiently high thermal capacity and thermal conductivity, so that any potential arc is quenched in built up. Alternatively, the poles of the battery 101 and the bus-bars of the HV bus 102 may be connected to the rod 310 in other manners, such as through bayonet, clamp, push-pull connection.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, optically, the connection device further comprises an insulating barrier 500 which includes a hollow interior. The rod 310 and the contact bushes 307 are enclosed by the insulating barrier 500, and the hollow interior is shaped to fit for the rod passing through.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control module 200 may be a pyrotechnical device which, upon the vehicle crash, generates explosive force to move the electric connector 300 from the first position to the second position. When a severe vehicle crash is detected, the pyrotechnical device is requested to trigger the electric connector to move.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is triggered by at least one of the battery management systems, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control units, optionally, by an electric signal sent from at least one of the battery management systems, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control units.
The pyrotechnical device generates the explosive force on the pressure plate 305 of the rod 310 that faces the pyrotechnical device, as shown in Figure 1. Then the rod 310 is instantly, reliably and safely moved from the first position to the second position through the hollow parts 308 of the contact bushes 307. As a result, the connection position between the connector 300 and the poles of the battery 101 as well as the connection position between the connector 300 and the bus-bars of the HV bus 102 are changed, and the battery 101 is thus disconnected from the HV bus 102, or the rest of the vehicle. Optionally, the disconnection is permanent. By this approach, the time delay between sending request to the pyrotechnical device and reaching the goal of disconnecting the HV bus from the battery and totally discharging the rest charge of the HV system to virtually zero.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, at the first position an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300; and at the second position, the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portions 301 , 303 to form a short circuit. Alternatively, at the first position, an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300; and at the second position, the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portions 301 , 303 to form a short circuit. Optionally, such connection between the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar or between the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar is permanent.
An illustrative but non-limiting embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2. As illustrated in Figure 1, at the first position, an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300. When triggered by the pyrotechnical device, the rod 310 will explosively and spontaneously be moved into the second position as illustrated in Figure 2. At the second position, the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303, to form a short circuit. Alternatively, the additional positive bus-bar may be arranged in other manners, so that at the second position the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301 , to form a short circuit. Optionally such connection between the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar is permanent. By pulling the electric system of the vehicle, including the HV bus 102, into a controlled short circuit, the electric system of the vehicle is electrically immobilized. It reliably works in the event of remaining electricity feeding sources, such as a spinning electric motor in combination with an uncontrolled inverter, by pulling the potential to zero.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and the second insulating portions 304, 302 are made from flame retardant material. By combining the conductive potions 301 and 303 with the non-conductive insulating portions 302 and 304 made from flame retardant materials, as well as in combination with tight tolerances provided by the contact bushes 307, high voltage arcing in the event of triggering the electric connector 300 under electric load can be reliably prevented.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it provides a vehicle, comprising a connection device between a battery and a HV bus according to the present invention as described above. By using the connection device, upon the vehicle crash, the battery is disconnected from the HV bus in the vehicle; through pulling the electric system of the vehicle into a controlled short circuit, the electric system of the vehicle is electrically immobilized. It reliably works in the event of remaining electricity feeding sources, such as a spinning electric motor in combination with an uncontrolled inverter; and high voltage arcing in the event of triggering the electric connector under electric load can be reliably prevented.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, corresponding to the connection device between a battery and a HV bus according to the present invention as described above, it provides a method used in a connection device between a battery and a HV bus, such as an inverter or a motor in a vehicle.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device comprises an electric connector 300 comprising a first conductive portion 301 , a second conductive portion 303 and a first insulating portion 304. The method comprises triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash; wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery 101 and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301, and a negative pole of the battery 101 and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303, so that an electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102. Upon the vehicle crash, the control module 200 triggers the electric connector 300 to move to the second position. At the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to the first insulating portion 304, so that no electric current flows between the battery 101 and the HV bus 102.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection device further comprises a second insulating portion 302 which is separated with the first insulating portion 304 by the first conductive portion 301 or the second conductive portion 303. At the first position, the positive pole of the battery 101 and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 301, and the negative pole of the battery 101 and the negative bus-bar are electrically connected to the second conductive portion 303. At the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus 102 is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion 304 and the second insulating portion 302.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connector may be a one-piece electric connector.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connector may be a rod 310. The step of triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash may comprise triggering the rod to move from a first position to a second position along an axis of the rod upon the vehicle crash.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash may comprise triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash by explosive force generated by a pyrotechnical device.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, at the first position an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300. The step of triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash, so that the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar are connected to the first or second conductive portions 301, 303 to form a short circuit.
Alternatively, at the first position, an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus 102 is disengaged with the electric connector 300. The step of triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash, so that the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portions 301 , 303 to form a short circuit.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector 300 to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash by at least one of the battery management systems, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control units.
The above description for the connection device also applies to the method used in a connection device between a battery and a HV bus in a vehicle according to the present invention, and is thus not iterated for the sake of conciseness.
In conclusion, the embodiments of the present invention provide a fast and reliable approach, upon the vehicle crash, to disconnect the battery from the HV bus in the vehicle, to electrically immobilize the electric system of the vehicle though pulling the electric system of the vehicle into a controlled short circuit, which reliably works in the event of remaining electricity feeding sources, such as a spinning electric motor in combination with an uncontrolled inverter; and to prevent high voltage arcing in the event of triggering the electric connector under electric load.
It should be noted that the aforesaid embodiments are exemplary rather than limiting the present invention, substitute embodiments may be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claims enclosed. The word "include" does not exclude elements or steps which are present but not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding the elements does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. In the apparatus claims that list several components, several ones among these components can be specifically embodied in the same hardware item. The use of such words as first, second, third does not represent any order, which can be simply explained as names.

Claims

1. A connection device between a battery and a HV bus in a vehicle, comprising:
an electric connector comprising a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a first insulating portion which is between the first and the second conductive portions; and
a control module for triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash;
wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first conductive portion, a negative pole of the battery and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the second conductive portion, so that an electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus; and
wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to the first insulating portion, so that no electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus.
2. The connection device according to claim 1 , wherein further comprises a second insulating portion which is separated with the first insulating portion by the first conductive portion or the second conductive portion;
wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion.
3. The connection device according to claim 2, wherein at the first position an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector, and at the second position the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit; or
at the first position an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector, and at the second position the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit.
4. The connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the electric connector is a one-piece electric connector.
5. The connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the electric connector is a rod which moves from the first position to the second position along an axis of the rod when triggered by the control module.
6. The connection device according to claim 5, wherein the rod comprises a pressure plate at one end of the rod; at the first position the pressure plate is positioned against the control module, and at the second position, the pressure plate is apart from the control module.
7. The connection device according to claim 5, wherein the connection device further comprises an insulating end stop which is separated from the control module by the rod; at the first position the rod is apart from the end stop; and at the second position, the rod is positioned against the end stop.
8. The connection device according to claim 5, wherein each of the poles of the battery and each of the bus-bars of the HV bus are connected to the rod through a contact bush, which includes a hollow part through which the rod passes; and the hollow part is shaped to provide friction fit to the rod so that a low-resistive electric connection is formed between the contact bushes and the conductive portions of the rod.
9. The connection device according to claim 8, wherein the connection device further comprises an insulating barrier which includes a hollow interior, the rod and the contact bushes are enclosed by the insulating barrier, and the hollow interior is shaped to fit for the rod passing through.
10. The connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is a pyrotechnical device which, upon the vehicle crash, generates explosive force to move the electric connector from the first position to the second position.
1 1. The connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is triggered by at least one of the battery management systems, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control units.
12. The connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one insulating portion is made from flame retardant material.
13. A vehicle, comprising a connection device between a battery and a HV bus according to any one of claims 1- 12.
14. A method used in a connection device between a battery and a HV bus in a vehicle, wherein the connection device comprises an electric connector comprising a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a first insulating portion which is between the first and the second conductive portions, and the method comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash;
wherein at the first position, a positive pole of the battery and a positive bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the first conductive portion, and a negative pole of the battery and a negative bus-bar of the HV bus are electrically connected to the second conductive portion, so that an electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus; and
wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to the first insulating portion, so that no electric current flows between the battery and the HV bus.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the connection device further comprises a second insulating portion which is separated with the first insulating portion by the first conductive portion or the second conductive portion;
wherein at the second position, at least one of the positive and negative poles of the battery is connected to one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion, and at least one of the positive and negative bus-bars of the HV bus is connected to the other one of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion.
16. The method according to claim 15,
wherein an additional positive bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector at the first position; and wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash, so that the additional positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar of the HV bus are connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit;
or
wherein an additional negative bus-bar of the HV bus is disengaged with the electric connector at the first position; and wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position, so that the additional negative bus-bar and the positive bus-bar of the HV bus are connected to the first or second conductive portion to form a short circuit.
17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the electric connector is a one-piece electric connector.
18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the electric connector is a rod, and wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the rod to move from a first position to a second position along an axis of the rod upon the vehicle crash.
19. The method according to claim 14, wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon the vehicle crash by explosive force generated by a pyrotechnical device.
20. The method according claim 14, wherein triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash comprises triggering the electric connector to move from a first position to a second position upon a vehicle crash by at least one of the battery management systems, the vehicle control unit and the air bag control units.
PCT/CN2013/089084 2013-11-27 2013-12-11 A connection device and method for vehicle Ceased WO2015078049A1 (en)

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