Power connection device

Abstract

The present invention provides a power connection device, which has a connection box. The connection box (2) is provided to connect a battery pack (3) and a generator (1), and the connection box (2) has: a first connection part connected to the battery pack (3); a second connection part connected to the generator (1); a first circuit (57) connecting a commercial power supply to the second connection part; and a second circuit connecting the first connection part to the second connection part when a power outage is detected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power connection device having a connection box. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a power generation system has been proposed in which a battery pack and a commercial power supply are connected to a generator, the generator is driven by an engine to generate power, and the output is supplemented by the battery pack or the commercial power supply as needed.

[0003] In addition, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that switches from a commercial power supply to a battery power supply during a power outage is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-39013 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] However, in the conventional configuration, when an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is used as the generator, it is difficult for a general user to install the UPS, and service personnel are required, which takes time and cost.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a power supply connection device that can easily connect a UPS and a generator.

[0010] Means for solving problems

[0011] The present invention is a power connection device, characterized in that the power connection device has a connection box that connects a battery pack to a generator, and the connection box has: a first connection part, which is connected to the battery pack; a second connection part, which is connected to the generator; a first circuit, which connects a commercial power supply to the second connection part; and a second circuit, which connects the first connection part to the second connection part when a power outage is detected.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, a connection box for connecting a battery pack and a generator is provided, and a UPS can be easily connected to a generator simply by connecting a first connection portion of the connection box to the battery pack and a second connection portion of the connection box to the generator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a power generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2It is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of a power generation device.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure between the battery pack and the connection box.

[0017] Figure 4 Yes means Figure 3 A graph of the range of IV.

[0018] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of the connection box showing the hook member.

[0019] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure between the generator and the connection box.

[0020] Description of symbols

[0021] 1: Generator;

[0022] 2: Connection box;

[0023] 2A: one side;

[0024] 2B, 2C: the other side;

[0025] 3: Battery pack;

[0026] 4: first terminal (first connecting portion);

[0027] 5: second terminal (second connecting portion);

[0028] 8. 22: Female terminal;

[0029] 13: Sealing parts;

[0030] 15: guide component;

[0031] 16: hook component;

[0032] 18: snap-fitting piece;

[0033] 25: Rubber parts;

[0034] 27: force rod;

[0035] 27A: Operation terminal;

[0036] 49: Connecting cable;

[0037] 57: First circuit;

[0038] 58: Second circuit (uninterruptible power supply device);

[0039] 67: Power failure / re-power-on detection circuit;

[0040] 90: Commercial power supply;

[0041] 100: Power generation device (power connection device). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0043] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the structure of a hybrid power generation device 100 .

[0044] The power generation device 100 corresponds to an example of a power supply connection device.

[0045] The power generation device 100 includes a generator 1, a battery pack 3, and a connection box 2 connecting them.

[0046] Figure 2 2 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of the power generating device 100 .

[0047] The generator 1 includes an engine 50, a power generation unit 69 as an AC generator, an inverter 51, an AC output socket 52, a female terminal 22 described later that functions as a relay connection socket, and a control ECU 53. The AC output socket 52 is connected to a load to be connected when a power outage occurs in the commercial power supply 90. In addition, the inverter 51 and the female terminal 22 are connected via a signal line 64.

[0048] The battery pack 3 includes a battery 54 , an inverter 55 , an AC output socket 56 , and a female terminal 8 described below that functions as a relay connection socket. The inverter 55 and the female terminal 8 are connected via a signal line 65 .

[0049] The connection box 2 includes a first connection portion (hereinafter referred to as a first terminal) 4 which is a male terminal connected to the female terminal 8 of the battery pack 3, and a second connection portion (hereinafter referred to as a second terminal) 5 which is a male terminal connected to the female terminal 22 of the generator 1. The first terminal 4 and the second terminal 5 are connected to each other via a signal line 66.

[0050] The junction box 2 includes a first circuit 57 that connects a commercial power source 90 to the second terminal 5. The first circuit 57 is connected to the commercial power source 90 via a power supply line 62 connected to a commercial input inlet 61. A voltmeter 63 measures the voltage of the first circuit 57.

[0051] The junction box 2 includes a second circuit 58 that switches the connection between the commercial power source 90 and the second terminal 5 to the connection between the first terminal 4 and the second terminal 5 during a power outage. The second circuit 58 constitutes a so-called uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

[0052] The second circuit 58 includes a switching relay 60 and a power failure / restore detection circuit 67. The power failure / restore detection circuit 67 is connected to the signal line 66 between the first terminal 4 and the second terminal 5. The power failure / restore detection circuit 67 is connected to the voltmeter 63, and detects power failure and restoration of the commercial power supply 90 by obtaining the measured value of the voltmeter 63.

[0053] When the power is restored, the switching relay 60 is in the Figure 2 The commercial power supply 90 is connected to the second terminal 5 and the AC output socket 59 through the switching relay 60. When the second circuit 58 detects a power outage, the switching relay 60 switches, and the battery pack 3 is connected to the second terminal 5 and the AC output socket 59. In addition, an appropriate load (not shown) is connected to the AC output socket 59. When the power is restored, the second circuit 58 disconnects the first terminal 4 and the second terminal 5, and connects the first circuit 57.

[0054] In the power generation device 100, the generator 1 is driven by the engine 50 to output the generated power, and output assistance by the commercial power supply 90 and output assistance by the battery pack 3 can be performed. In addition, even when the engine 50 is stopped, output assistance by the commercial power supply 90 or the battery pack 3 can be performed.

[0055] Furthermore, since the second circuit 58 is provided, output assistance by the battery pack 3 can be performed even when the commercial power source 90 is out of power.

[0056] For example, the power generation unit 69 can be driven as a starter motor of the engine 50 by the electric power supplied from the battery pack 3 via the junction box 2 , thereby starting the engine 50 .

[0057] As the operation mode of the power generation device 100, there is a parallel operation in which power can be supplied from both the generator 1 and the battery pack 3, and a load-assisted operation in which the engine 50 is basically given priority in output and the battery pack 3 assists in output when overloaded. In addition, as other operation modes of the power generation device 100, there is an extended-range operation in which three output methods are switched according to the load amount, namely, output from only the battery pack 3, output from only the generator 1, or output from both the battery pack 3 and the generator 1. In the power generation device 100, such various operation modes are automatically selected. In the present embodiment, the selection of these operations is implemented based on the communication between the generator 1 and the battery pack 3 realized via the signal lines 64, 65, and 66. That is, the connection box 2 connects the generator 1 and the battery pack 3 in a manner that allows communication.

[0058] like Figure 1As shown, the battery pack 3 includes a housing 6, and a guide member 15 extending in the lateral direction is formed on a side surface 6A of the housing 6. The guide member 15 positions the junction box 2 vertically. In addition, a groove-shaped engagement portion 6B is provided on the side surface 6A of the housing 6.

[0059] The connection box 2 is disposed between the generator 1 and the battery pack 3. The connection box 2 has a first terminal 4 connected to the battery pack 3 on one side 2A and a second terminal 5 connected to the generator 1 on the other side 2B. The other side 2B is a surface of the connection box 2 opposite to the one side 2A.

[0060] A hook member 16 that engages with the battery pack 3 is attached to the other side surface 2C of the junction box 2. The hook member 16 is freely engageable with the engaging portion 6B of the battery pack 3, so that the battery pack 3 and the junction box 2 are connected.

[0061] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure between the battery pack 3 and the connection box 2 .

[0062] Figure 4 Yes means Figure 3 A graph of the range of IV.

[0063] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , a recess 7 is formed on the side surface 6A of the housing 6 of the battery pack 3. Figure 4 As shown, a female terminal 8 serving as a dedicated socket is disposed in the recess 7 , and the female terminal 8 is fixed to the recess 7 by two screws 9 .

[0064] The connection box 2 includes a housing 10. A first terminal (male terminal) 4 connected to the female terminal 8 of the battery pack 3 is fixed to one side 2A of the housing 10. The first terminal 4 is fixed to the one side 2A by two screws 12. A rubber sealing member 13 is fitted to the outer periphery of the first terminal 4, and the sealing member 13 seals between the side portion 6A of the battery pack 3 and the one side 2A of the connection box 2.

[0065] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of the connection box 2 showing the hook member 16 .

[0066] like Figure 3 As shown, when the battery pack 3 is connected to the connection box 2, the connection box 2 is placed on the guide member 15 with the buffer member 17 interposed between the housing 6 of the battery pack 3 and the housing 10 of the connection box 2. Then, the connection box 2 is positioned vertically relative to the battery pack 3 so that the first terminal 4 is connected to the female terminal 8.

[0067] Then, if Figure 5As shown, the hook member 16 is rotated and hooked on the engaging portion 6B of the battery pack 3, thereby connecting the battery pack 3 to the junction box 2. Reference numeral 16A is a coil spring, which urges the hook member 16 toward the junction box 2 side.

[0068] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing the connection structure of the connection box 2 and the generator 1.

[0069] The generator 1 includes a housing 20 , and a recess 21 is formed in a side surface 20A of the housing 20 . A female terminal 22 serving as a dedicated socket is disposed in the recess 21 , and the female terminal 22 is fixed to the recess 21 by two screws 23 .

[0070] An opening 24 is formed on the other side surface 2B of the housing 10 of the connection box 2. A rubber member 25 that is formed in a concave shape and can be extended and retracted is mounted on the opening 24, and a fitting portion 26 is formed inside the rubber member 25. A second terminal (male terminal) 5 is fitted into the fitting portion 26. The second terminal 5 is connected to the female terminal 22 of the generator 1.

[0071] The urging rod 27 is connected to the base 25A of the rubber member 25. The urging rod 27 swings around the shaft 28 as the rotation center. The shaft 28 is supported by the housing 10 of the junction box 2. The operating end 27A of the urging rod 27 passes through the through portion 29 formed in the housing 10 of the junction box 2 and protrudes to the outside of the housing 10.

[0072] Next, the procedure for connecting the connection box 2 and the generator 1 will be described.

[0073] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , after the battery pack 3 is combined with the connection box 2, the connection box 2 integrated with the battery pack 3 is moved toward the generator 1 side. Figure 6 As shown, the axes of the female terminal 22 of the generator 1 and the second terminal 5 of the connection box 2 are aligned with each other.

[0074] In the present embodiment, a combination of the battery pack 3 and the connection box 2 is formed, and the second circuit 58 is built in the connection box 2. Therefore, the battery pack 3 can be easily combined with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

[0075] Next, the operating end 27A of the force-applying rod 27 is rotated counterclockwise around the shaft 28. Figure 6 As shown by the imaginary line shown by the single-dot chain line, the rubber member 25 is urged toward the generator 1 side, the second terminal 5 integrated with the rubber member 25 is urged toward the generator 1 side, and the second terminal 5 of the connection box 2 is connected to the female terminal 22 of the generator 1.

[0076] The operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0077] When the commercial power source 90 is not present, for example, when used outdoors, the power generation device 100 operates in two modes: driving the generator 1 with the engine 50 to output the generated power, or outputting the power charged in the battery pack 3 .

[0078] In addition, in the case where there is a commercial power supply 90, as Figure 1 As shown, in the power generating device 100 , the power supply line 62 of the connection box 2 can be connected to the commercial power source 90 for use.

[0079] At this time, the power generation device 100 operates in three modes: the engine 50 drives the generator 1 to output the generated power, the commercial power source 90 outputs the power, or the battery pack 3 outputs the power charged therein.

[0080] In the present power generation device 100 , when a power failure occurs while operating with the commercial power supply 90 , the second circuit (UPS) 58 built into the connection box 2 is activated to switch the power supply from the commercial power supply 90 to the battery pack 3 .

[0081] In this embodiment, the generator 1 can be combined with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) simply by combining the battery pack 3 with the connection box 2, so that a general user can install the UPS of the power generation device 100 without spending time.

[0082] According to the present embodiment, there is provided a connection box 2 for connecting the battery pack 3 to the generator 1. The connection box 2 includes: a first terminal 4 connected to the battery pack 3; a second terminal 5 connected to the generator 1; a first circuit 57 connecting the commercial power supply 90 to the second terminal 5; and a second circuit 58 connecting the first terminal 4 to the second terminal 5 when a power outage is detected.

[0083] Thus, in the present power generation device 100, the battery pack 3 and the second circuit 58 can be easily connected by simply connecting the first terminal 4 of the connection box 2 to the battery pack 3 and connecting the second terminal 5 to the generator 1. In addition, in the power generation device 100, the battery pack 3 and the connection box 2 can be connected without using a tool. That is, the generator 1, the battery pack 3, and the second circuit 58 can be connected through the dedicated socket of the connection box 2, so there is no need to handle wiring, and their connection becomes easy.

[0084] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the junction box 2 includes the hook member 16 .

[0085] Thus, after the first terminal 4 of the junction box 2 and the battery pack 3 are connected, the battery pack 3 and the junction box 2 can be firmly fixed by operating the hook member 16 .

[0086] In addition, in this embodiment, if Figure 3As shown, the first terminal 4 is connected to the battery pack 3 via the sealing member 13 .

[0087] Thus, seal member 13 seals between side surface 6A of battery pack 3 and one side surface 2A of junction box 2 , thereby suppressing, for example, intrusion of rainwater, and enabling power generation device 100 to withstand use outdoors.

[0088] In addition, in this embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the second terminal 5 is supported by the rubber member 25 , and by operation of the urging rod 27 , the second terminal 5 is urged integrally with the rubber member 25 toward the generator 1 side and connected to the generator 1 .

[0089] Thus, the second terminal 5 is supported by the rubber member 25 , so that adjustment of the mounting position, vibration of the generator 1 , and the like are absorbed.

[0090] Furthermore, the rubber member 25 is displaced, and the second terminal 5 can be moved up and down and left and right, so that the centering of the female terminal 22 of the generator 1 and the second terminal 5 and the connection of the female terminal 22 of the generator 1 and the second terminal 5 are facilitated.

[0091] Furthermore, an urging rod 27 is connected to a base portion 25A of the rubber member 25 , and an operating end 27A of the urging rod 27 projects out of the junction box 2 .

[0092] Thus, by rotating the operating end 27A of the urging lever 27 , the second terminal 5 is urged toward the generator 1 , so that the second terminal 5 of the junction box 2 and the female terminal 22 of the generator 1 can be easily connected.

[0093] In the present embodiment, the second circuit 58 includes a power failure / restore detection circuit 67 , and when the restoration of the commercial power source 90 is detected, the first terminal 4 and the second terminal 5 are disconnected and the first circuit 57 is connected.

[0094] Thus, when the restoration of power to the commercial power source 90 is detected, the commercial power source 90 and the second terminal 5 are automatically connected.

[0095] The above-described embodiment is an example of one mode of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified and applied without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0096] Although not shown in the figure, a plurality of other battery packs 3 may be connected in parallel or in series to the battery pack 3 connected to the connection box 2. For example, several battery packs 3 may be connected to the generator 1 according to the user's application.

[0097] Furthermore, in a high-output generator 1, when the generator 1 cannot be started alone, the generator 1 can be started by connecting several battery packs 3 in parallel. When the power generation device 100 is operating, the connection of the battery packs 3 may be switched according to the required output.

[0098] Alternatively, when the remaining battery power of one of the battery packs 3 becomes low, the battery pack 3 may be switched from the output mode to the charging mode and charged little by little using the surplus power of the generator 1 .

[0099] For example, in times of disaster, if Figure 1 The hybrid power generation device 100 can be operated continuously for a long time in the optimal operation mode by using gasoline and the power of the battery 54 separately as needed. For example, when the generator 1 is operating, when only the power below the rated value is actually used, the battery group 3 that needs to be charged can be charged with the surplus power. In this way, the battery 54 in the power generation device 100 always has a sufficient charge capacity, and it can cope with unforeseen situations.

[0100] In the power generation device 100, the battery 54 is used as a power source. Depending on the output, the engine 50 and the battery 54 are operated in parallel. 2 The amount of emissions is suppressed. The battery pack 3 is low-noise, and the load on the environment is reduced. When an auxiliary battery is provided for a high-output generator 1, the generator 1 becomes larger and heavier. By linking the generator 1 with the battery pack 3 as in the power generation device 100, the auxiliary battery is not required in the generator 1, and the generator 1 can be made smaller and lighter.

Claims

1. A power connection device, characterized in that: The power connection device includes a connection box for connecting the battery pack to the generator. The connection box includes: a first connection portion connected to the battery pack; a second connection portion connected to the generator; a first circuit connecting a commercial power source to the second connection portion; and a second circuit connecting the first connection portion to the second connection portion when a power outage is detected. The connection box is arranged between the generator and the battery pack when in use, and the connection box has the first connection portion on one side surface on the battery pack side and the second connection portion on the other side surface on the generator side, wherein the other side surface is a surface on the side opposite to the one side surface. The first connection portion is a terminal directly connected to a terminal of the battery pack, The second connection portion is a terminal directly connected to a terminal of the generator, The connection box includes a hook member that is operated to engage with the battery pack in a state where the first connection portion is connected to the terminal of the battery pack. An opening is formed on the other side surface of the connection box, a rubber component is installed on the opening, the second connection portion is supported by the rubber component, and the second connection portion is integrally urged toward the generator side and connected to the terminal of the generator by operation of a urging rod.

2. The power connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connection portion is connected to the battery pack via a sealing member.

3. The power connection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second circuit includes a power failure / power restoration detection circuit, which disconnects the first connection portion and the second connection portion and connects the first circuit when power restoration is detected.

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