Multiples contactors and battery systems

Abstract

This application relates to a multi-twin contactor and a battery system. The multi-twin contactor includes: a housing; a first contactor including a first positive stationary contact and a first negative stationary contact; a second contactor including a second positive stationary contact and a second negative stationary contact; and a contact sticking detection assembly including a first sticking detection unit and a second sticking detection unit. The first sticking detection unit includes a first input, a second input, and a first output. The first input is configured to be electrically connected to the first negative stationary contact, the second input is configured to be electrically connected to the second negative stationary contact, and the first output is configured to output a first signal characterizing the contact sticking state of the first contactor. The second sticking detection unit includes a third input, a fourth input, and a second output. The third input is configured to be electrically connected to the first positive stationary contact, the fourth input is configured to be electrically connected to the second positive stationary contact, and the second output is configured to output a second signal characterizing the contact sticking state of the second contactor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of contactors, and particularly to a multiple contactor and a battery system. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, the importance of power battery technology in improving cost-effectiveness and performance has become increasingly prominent. In these electric vehicles, high-voltage contactors (or high-voltage relays), as key components for maintaining the safety of high-voltage circuits, their performance is directly related to the safety and reliability of electric vehicles. High-voltage contactors not only need to have high voltage tolerance, load tolerance, and shock resistance, but also need to have excellent arc extinguishing and breaking capabilities.

[0003] However, a major failure mode faced by high-voltage contactors is the problem of contact adhesion or contact sticking. In a high-voltage environment, the adhesion of contacts may cause the contactor to fail to disconnect normally. If this situation is not detected in time, it may lead to serious safety accidents. For example, under the operating conditions of a power battery, its output voltage may reach several hundred volts, and the contactor is used to control the on / off of the battery output. Under certain special operating or environmental conditions, the contacts of the contactor are prone to sticking, which not only poses a risk of high-voltage and high-current impact on the backend components, but may also cause the fuse to burn out, thereby triggering more serious safety hazards.

[0004] Currently, the detection of contact adhesion of high-voltage contactors mainly relies on the hardware voltage sampling technology in the battery management system. The battery management system determines its adhesion state by comparing the voltages at the front and rear ends of the contactor. Although methods and systems for detecting the adhesion of a single contactor have been proposed in the prior art, such as using a voltage sampling unit and a logic judgment unit to monitor a single contactor, in actual applications, these methods face problems of complex circuit design, non-compact structure, and increased manufacturing costs in the presence of multiple contactors. At the same time, the operating states of different contactors affect each other, and the existing detection schemes are difficult to accurately determine the true conditions of each contactor.

[0005] Therefore, those skilled in the art urgently need a reliable and efficient adhesion detection scheme for multiple contactors. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the purpose of this application is to provide a multiple contactor that can overcome at least one defect in the prior art. Thereby, beneficial technical effects can be achieved, that is, the multiple contactor integrated with the contact adhesion detection function in this application realizes the compact integration of multiple originally discrete contactors while ensuring the reliability and efficiency of detecting the contact adhesion of multiple contactors. In addition, this application also relates to a related battery system.

[0007] To achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present application provides a multi-contactor, which includes: a housing; a first contactor including a moving contact within the housing and a first positive stationary contact and a first negative stationary contact partially exposed from the housing; a second contactor including a moving contact within the housing and a second positive stationary contact and a second negative stationary contact partially exposed from the housing; and a contact sticking detection assembly including a first sticking detection unit assigned to the first contactor and a second sticking detection unit assigned to the second contactor, wherein the first sticking detection unit includes a first input, a second input, and a first output, the first input is configured to be electrically connected to the first negative stationary contact, the second input is configured to be electrically connected to the second negative stationary contact, and the first output is configured to output a first signal characterizing the contact sticking state of the first contactor; wherein the second sticking detection unit includes a third input, a fourth input, and a second output, the third input is configured to be electrically connected to the first positive stationary contact, the fourth input is configured to be electrically connected to the second positive stationary contact, and the second output is configured to output a second signal characterizing the contact sticking state of the second contactor.

[0008] In some embodiments, the contact sticking detection assembly includes a circuit board and at least one electrical connection component, wherein the first sticking detection unit and the second sticking detection unit are integrated on the circuit board, and the at least one electrical connection component is configured to establish a first electrical connection between the first input and the first negative stationary contact, a second electrical connection between the second input and the second negative stationary contact, a third electrical connection between the third input and the first positive stationary contact, and a fourth electrical connection between the fourth input and the second positive stationary contact.

[0009] In some embodiments, the multi-contactor further includes a third contactor, which includes a moving contact within the housing and a third positive stationary contact and a third negative stationary contact partially exposed from the housing.

[0010] In some embodiments, the contact sticking detection assembly further includes a third sticking detection unit assigned to the third contactor, wherein the third sticking detection unit includes a fifth input, a sixth input, and a third output, the fifth input is configured to be electrically connected to the third negative stationary contact, the sixth input is configured to be electrically connected to the second negative stationary contact, and the third output is configured to output a third signal characterizing the contact sticking state of the third contactor.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first contactor is configured to be a positive contactor in a battery feeding circuit, the second contactor is configured to be a negative contactor in a battery feeding circuit, and the third contactor is configured to be a pre-charge contactor in a battery pre-charge circuit, wherein the battery pre-charge circuit includes a pre-charge contactor and a pre-charge resistor connected in series, and the pre-charge contactor and the pre-charge resistor are connected in parallel with the positive contactor.

[0012] In some embodiments, the multiple contactors include multiple pairs of contactors, and each pair of contactors consists of a first contactor and a second contactor.

[0013] In some embodiments, the multiple contactors include: a first pair of contactors, the first pair of contactors including a positive contactor applied to a battery power supply circuit as the first contactor and a negative contactor applied to the battery power supply circuit as the second contactor; and / or a second pair of contactors, the second pair of contactors including a positive contactor applied to a DC charging circuit as the first contactor and a negative contactor applied to the DC charging circuit as the second contactor; and / or a third pair of contactors, the third pair of contactors including a positive contactor applied to an AC charging circuit as the first contactor and a negative contactor applied to the AC charging circuit as the second contactor.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first adhesion detection unit includes a first input-side circuit, a first electrical isolation module, and a first output-side circuit. Among them, the first input-side circuit is configured to adjust a first input voltage applied to a first input and a second input, and provide the adjusted first input voltage to the first electrical isolation module. The first electrical isolation module is configured to provide a first output voltage to the first output-side circuit based on the adjusted first input voltage. The first output-side circuit is configured to adjust the first output voltage and output the adjusted first output voltage as a first signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the first contactor.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second adhesion detection unit includes a second input-side circuit, a second electrical isolation module, and a second output-side circuit. Among them, the second input-side circuit is configured to adjust a second input voltage applied to a third input and a fourth input, and provide the adjusted second input voltage to the second electrical isolation module. The second electrical isolation module is configured to provide a second output voltage to the second output-side circuit based on the adjusted second input voltage. The second output-side circuit is configured to adjust the second output voltage and output the adjusted second output voltage as a second signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the second contactor.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first input-side circuit includes a first resistor network configured to adjust the first input voltage applied to the first input and the second input, and the second input-side circuit includes a second resistor network configured to adjust the second input voltage applied to the third input and the fourth input.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first electrical isolation module and the second electrical isolation module are respectively configured as an opto-isolation module, a capacitor isolation module, or an electromagnetic isolation module.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first output side circuit includes a third resistor network configured to adjust a first output voltage, and the second output side circuit includes a fourth resistor network configured to adjust a second output voltage.

[0019] In some embodiments, the at least one electrical connection component includes at least one flexible circuit board element that is at least partially mounted at a first surface of the housing, and a first positive stationary contact and a first negative stationary contact of the first contactor and a second positive stationary contact and a second negative stationary contact of the second contactor are exposed from the first surface of the housing.

[0020] In some embodiments, the circuit board is at least partially mounted at a second surface of the housing, the second surface being perpendicular to the first surface, and the at least one flexible circuit board element and the circuit board are electrically connected to each other.

[0021] In some embodiments, the at least one electrical connection component further includes a first conductive contact element that contacts and conducts with the first negative stationary contact, a second conductive contact element that contacts and conducts with the second negative stationary contact, a third conductive contact element that contacts and conducts with the first positive stationary contact, and a fourth conductive contact element that contacts and conducts with the second positive stationary contact.

[0022] In some embodiments, the at least one flexible circuit board element includes a first electrical connection portion electrically connected to the first conductive contact element, a second electrical connection portion electrically connected to the second conductive contact element, a third electrical connection portion electrically connected to the third conductive contact element, and a fourth electrical connection portion electrically connected to the fourth conductive contact element.

[0023] In some embodiments, each of the first electrical connection portion, the second electrical connection portion, the third electrical connection portion, and the fourth electrical connection portion includes an arc-shaped abutting surface, a through hole for a protrusion of a corresponding conductive contact element to pass through, and a pad provided around the through hole, wherein the protrusion of the corresponding conductive contact element is configured to be welded to the corresponding electrical connection portion at the pad.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first conductive contact element includes a first arc-shaped contact surface configured to be snapped onto an outer peripheral wall of the first negative stationary contact.

[0025] In some embodiments, the second conductive contact element includes a second arc-shaped contact surface configured to be snapped onto an outer peripheral wall of the second negative stationary contact.

[0026] In some embodiments, the third conductive contact element includes a third arc-shaped contact surface configured to be snapped onto an outer peripheral wall of the first positive stationary contact.

[0027] In some embodiments, the fourth conductive contact element includes a fourth arcuate contact surface configured to be snapped onto the outer peripheral wall of the second positive static contact.

[0028] To achieve the above object, a second aspect of the present application provides a battery system, which includes a battery, a battery power distribution unit, and a battery management system. Among them, the battery power distribution unit includes a multiple contactor according to some embodiments of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The drawings forming a part of the specification depict embodiments of the present invention and, together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 1 shows a simplified schematic block diagram of a battery system;

[0031] Figure 2 shows an exemplary perspective view of a multiple contactor according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0032] Figure 3 shows a schematic block diagram of a battery system according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a battery system according to some further extended embodiments of the present application;

[0034] Figure 5 and Figure 6 shows some schematic diagrams of a contact sticking detection assembly of a multiple contactor according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0035] Figure 7 shows a schematic block diagram of a sticking detection unit of a multiple contactor according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0036] Note that in the embodiments described below, sometimes the same reference numerals are used commonly between different drawings to denote the same parts or parts having the same functions, and their repeated descriptions are omitted. In some cases, similar reference numerals and letters are used to denote similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0037] For ease of understanding, the positions, sizes, and ranges, etc. of the various structures shown in the drawings and the like sometimes do not represent the actual positions, sizes, and ranges, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the positions, sizes, and ranges, etc. disclosed in the drawings and the like. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0038] The present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show several embodiments of the present application. However, it should be understood that the present application can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure of the present application more complete and to fully explain the scope of protection of the present application to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide more additional embodiments.

[0039] In the various embodiments described differently, the same reference numerals or the same element names are assigned to the same elements, where the disclosure contained throughout the specification can be transferred in meaning to the elements with the same reference numerals or the same element names. In addition, in each embodiment, the number, implementation manner, and / or arrangement structure of the elements are not limited to the examples shown, but other numbers, implementation manners, and / or arrangement structures can be selected according to actual needs.

[0040] In this document, spatial relationship terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "high", "low", etc. can illustrate the relationship between one feature and another feature in the drawings. It should be understood that the spatial relationship terms include not only the orientations shown in the drawings but also different orientations during the use or operation of the device. For example, when the device in the drawing is inverted, a feature originally described as "below" other features can then be described as "above" other features. The device can also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the relative spatial relationship will be correspondingly interpreted at this time.

[0041] In this document, the term "A or B" includes "A and B" as well as "A or B", and does not exclusively include only "A" or only "B" unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0042] In this document, the term "schematic" or "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration", rather than as a "model" to be precisely replicated. Any implementation manner described herein exemplarily is not necessarily to be interpreted as being preferred or advantageous over other implementation manners. Moreover, the present application is not limited by any theory expressed or implied in the above technical field, background art, summary of the invention, or detailed description.

[0043] In this document, the term "substantially" means including any slight variations caused by design or manufacturing defects, tolerances of devices or components, environmental impacts, and / or other factors.

[0044] Additionally, for reference purposes only, terms such as "first", "second", etc. may also be used in this document and are not intended to be limiting. For example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "first", "second", and other such numerical words referring to structures or elements do not imply order or sequence.

[0045] Some embodiments of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] As Figure 1 shown, a simplified schematic block diagram of a battery system 100 is shown. As Figure 1 shown, the battery system 100 may include a battery 1, a battery power distribution unit 2, and a battery management system 3. In some embodiments, the battery power distribution unit 2 and the battery management system 3 may be configured as independent modules from each other. In some embodiments, the battery power distribution unit 2 and the battery management system 3 may be configured as an integrated module.

[0047] In an electric vehicle, the battery 1 (also referred to as a power battery) may have an operating voltage of, for example, 100V to 1000V, especially 400V to 800V, and is configured to supply power to an electric drive system.

[0048] The battery power distribution unit 2 (also referred to as a battery disconnect unit) may be configured to control the on / off of the battery charging circuit and the power feeding circuit. To this end, the battery power distribution unit 2 may include contactors or relays applied to the corresponding battery charging circuit and battery power feeding circuit. It should be understood that the contactors in the present application may also be referred to as relays and may be understood without distinction in this document.

[0049] In some embodiments, the battery power distribution unit 2 may include a first pair of contactors, and the first pair of contactors includes a positive contactor and a negative contactor applied to the battery power feeding circuit. Additionally, the battery power distribution unit may further include a pre-charge contactor 23 applied to the battery pre-charge circuit. The main function of the battery pre-charge circuit is to charge the pre-charge capacitor before the power battery starts, so as to reduce the inrush current generated when the power battery starts. This process not only helps to improve the starting stability of the power battery but also effectively protects the electronic devices in the battery system 100 from being damaged by the current impact. The pre-charge contactor 23, more precisely the battery pre-charge circuit, may be, for example, connected in parallel with the positive contactor of the battery power feeding circuit. The battery pre-charge circuit generally may include a pre-charge contactor 23 and a pre-charge resistor R connected in series.

[0050] Additionally or alternatively, the battery power distribution unit 2 may include a second pair of contactors, and the second pair of contactors includes a positive contactor and a negative contactor applied to the DC charging circuit or the fast charging circuit.

[0051] Additionally or alternatively, the battery distribution unit 2 may include a third pair of contactors, the third pair of contactors including a positive contactor and a negative contactor applied to an AC charging circuit or a slow charging circuit.

[0052] One of the main failure modes faced by these contactors is the problem of contact adhesion or contact sticking. In a high-voltage environment, the sticking of contacts may cause the contactors to fail to disconnect properly. If this condition is not detected in time, it may lead to serious safety accidents. For example, under the operating conditions of a power battery, its output voltage may reach several hundred volts, and the contactors are used to control the on / off of the battery output. Under certain special operations or environmental conditions, the contacts of the contactors are prone to sticking, which not only poses a risk of high-voltage and large-current impact on the backend components, but may also cause the fuse to burn out, thereby triggering more serious safety hazards.

[0053] The present application proposes a multi-pair contactor integrated with a contact sticking detection function. While achieving a compact integration of multiple originally discrete contactors, the multi-pair contactor ensures the reliability and efficiency of detecting the contact sticking of multiple contactors. In some embodiments, the multi-pair contactor may integrate the first pair of contactors applied to the battery feeding circuit introduced above, and / or a pre-charge contactor, and / or the second pair of contactors applied to the DC charging circuit, and / or the third pair of contactors applied to the AC charging circuit. That is to say, the multi-pair contactor may be configured as a twin contactor, a triplet contactor, a quadruplet contactor, a quintuplet contactor, a sextuplet contactor, a septuplet contactor, and so on.

[0054] Figure 2 An exemplary perspective view of a multi-pair contactor 50 according to some embodiments of the present application is shown. As Figure 2 shown, the multi-pair contactor 50 may include a housing 10, a pair of contactors 21, 22 (see Figure 3 and 4 ), and a contact sticking detection assembly 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the multi-pair contactor 50 includes only a pair of contactors, so the multi-pair contactor 50 may also be referred to as a twin contactor. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the multi-pair contactor 50 may include a greater number of contactors, not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0055] The twin contactor may include a first contactor 21 and a second contactor 22. The first contactor 21 may include a moving contact within a housing 10 and a first positive stationary contact 211 and a first negative stationary contact 212 that are partially exposed from the housing 10. The switching function of the first contactor 21 may be achieved by controlling the movement of the moving contact to cause conduction and disconnection between the first positive stationary contact 211 and the first negative stationary contact 212. The second contactor 22 may include a moving contact within the housing 10 and a second positive stationary contact 221 and a second negative stationary contact 222 that are partially exposed from the housing 10. The switching function of the second contactor 22 may be achieved by controlling the movement of the moving contact to cause conduction and disconnection between the second positive stationary contact 221 and the second negative stationary contact 222. In some embodiments, the pair of contactors may be configured as the first pair of contactors applied to the battery feeding circuit mentioned above. In some embodiments, the pair of contactors may be configured as the second pair of contactors applied to the DC charging circuit mentioned above. In some embodiments, the pair of contactors may be configured as the third pair of contactors applied to the AC charging circuit mentioned above.

[0056] Figure 3 FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a battery system 100 according to some embodiments of the present application. As Figure 3 shown, the battery system 100 may include a battery, a battery distribution unit, and a battery management system. The battery distribution unit may include at least one Figure 2 multi-twin contactor 50 as shown.

[0057] The contact adhesion detection component 30 of the multi-twin contactor 50 may include a first adhesion detection unit 31 assigned to the first contactor 21 and a second adhesion detection unit 32 assigned to the second contactor 22. The first adhesion detection unit 31 may include a first input 311, a second input 312, and a first output 313. The first input 311 is configured to be electrically connected to the first negative stationary contact 212, the second input 312 is configured to be electrically connected to the second negative stationary contact 222 (the second negative stationary contact 222 may be electrically connected to the battery negative electrode), and the first output 313 is configured to output a first signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the first contactor 21. The second adhesion detection unit 32 may include a third input 321, a fourth input 322, and a second output 323. The third input 321 is configured to be electrically connected to the first positive stationary contact 211 (the first positive stationary contact 211 may be electrically connected to the battery positive electrode), the fourth input 322 is configured to be electrically connected to the second positive stationary contact 221, and the second output 323 is configured to output a second signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the second contactor 22.

[0058] The battery management system 3 can be configured to be electrically connected to the first adhesion detection unit 31 and the second adhesion detection unit 32 of the contact adhesion detection component 30, so as to receive a first signal representing the contact adhesion state of the first contactor 21 from the first adhesion detection unit 31 and a second signal representing the contact adhesion state of the second contactor 22 from the second adhesion detection unit 32. It should be understood that the electrical connection between the battery management system 3 and the contact adhesion detection component 30 can be achieved by means of wired and / or wireless connections, which will not be elaborated here.

[0059] The battery management system 3 can be configured to identify the contact adhesion state of the first contactor 21 based on the first signal and take corresponding measures accordingly; and identify the contact adhesion state of the second contactor 22 based on the second signal and take corresponding measures accordingly. It should be understood that when performing contact adhesion detection, the first contactor 21 and the second contactor 22 should be in a theoretically disconnected state. That is to say, the battery management system 3 can be configured to apply a disconnection signal to the first contactor 21 and the second contactor 22, so as to cause the moving contact of the first contactor 21 to move, resulting in the disconnection between the first positive stationary contact 211 and the first negative stationary contact 212, and cause the moving contact of the second contactor 22 to move, resulting in the disconnection between the second positive stationary contact 221 and the second negative stationary contact 222.

[0060] As can be seen, the contact sticking detection function of the multiple contactor 50 makes full use of the advantage of integrating multiple contactors together, simplifying the circuit complexity of contact sticking detection. When detecting the sticking of the first contactor 21, it is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the battery by means of the second negative static contact 222 of the second contactor 22, so that a closed loop is formed when contact sticking occurs. When contact sticking occurs, a high potential should be applied to the first input 311, and a low potential should be applied to the second input 312. When no contact sticking occurs, a low potential should be applied to the first input 311, and a low potential should be applied to the second input 312. Thus, when contact sticking occurs, the input voltage between the first input 311 and the second input 312 of the first sticking detection unit 31 should be higher than a predetermined voltage threshold. When no contact sticking occurs, the input voltage between the first input 311 and the second input 312 of the first sticking detection unit 31 should be lower than a predetermined voltage threshold. Similarly, when detecting the sticking of the second contactor 22, it is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the battery by means of the first positive static contact 211 of the first contactor 21, so that a closed loop is formed when contact sticking occurs. When contact sticking occurs, a high potential should be applied to the third input 321, and a low potential should be applied to the fourth input 322. When no contact sticking occurs, a high potential should be applied to the third input 321, and the fourth input 322 is in a floating potential state. Thus, when contact sticking occurs, the input voltage between the third input 321 and the fourth input 322 of the second sticking detection unit 32 should be higher than a predetermined voltage threshold. When no contact sticking occurs, the input voltage between the third input 321 and the fourth input 322 of the second sticking detection unit 32 should be lower than a predetermined voltage threshold. Therefore, the multiple contactor 50 of the present invention can efficiently and compactly implement the integration of multiple contactors and the contact sticking detection function for multiple contactors.

[0061] Figure 4 FIG. shows a schematic block diagram of a battery system 100 according to some further extended embodiments of the present application. As Figure 4 shown, the battery system 100 may include a battery 1, a battery power distribution unit 2, and a battery management system 3. The battery power distribution unit 2 may include a multiple contactor 50 according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0062] In some embodiments, the multi - contactor 50 may include a first pair of contactors. The first pair of contactors includes a positive contactor applied to the battery power supply circuit as the first contactor 21 and a negative contactor applied to the battery power supply circuit as the second contactor 22. Additionally or alternatively, the multi - contactor 50 may include a second pair of contactors. The second pair of contactors includes a positive contactor applied to the DC charging circuit as the first contactor 21 and a negative contactor applied to the DC charging circuit as the second contactor 22. Additionally or alternatively, the multi - contactor 50 may include a third pair of contactors. The third pair of contactors includes a positive contactor applied to the AC charging circuit as the first contactor 21 and a negative contactor applied to the AC charging circuit as the second contactor 22. It should be understood that the first contactor 21 and the second contactor 22 involved in each pair of contactors, as well as their first adhesion detection unit 31 and second adhesion detection unit 32, may refer to the content introduced in accordance with Figure 3 the embodiments and will not be elaborated herein.

[0063] In a further improved embodiment, the battery distribution unit 2 may further include a third contactor. The third contactor may be configured, for example, as a pre - charge contactor 23 applied to the battery pre - charge circuit. The contact adhesion detection assembly 30 may further include a third adhesion detection unit assigned to the third contactor. The third adhesion detection unit may include a fifth input, a sixth input, and a third output. The fifth input is configured to be electrically connected to the third negative stationary contact, the sixth input is configured to be electrically connected to the second negative stationary contact 222, and the third output is configured to be able to output a third signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the third contactor. Thus, it can be seen that the contact adhesion detection function of the multi - contactor 50 makes full use of the favorable condition of integrating multiple contactors together, simplifying the circuit complexity of contact adhesion detection. When detecting the adhesion of the third contactor, it is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the battery by means of the second negative stationary contact 222 of the second contactor 22, thereby forming a closed loop when contact adhesion occurs. When contact adhesion occurs, a high potential should be applied to the fifth input, and a low potential should be applied to the sixth input. When no contact adhesion occurs, a low potential should be applied to the fifth input, and a low potential should be applied to the sixth input. Thus, when contact adhesion occurs, the input voltage between the fifth input and the sixth input of the third adhesion detection unit should be higher than a predetermined voltage threshold. When no contact adhesion occurs, the input voltage between the fifth input and the sixth input of the third adhesion detection unit should be lower than a predetermined voltage threshold.

[0064] Referring to Figure 5 and 6 , some schematic diagrams of the contact adhesion detection assembly 30 of the multi - contactor 50 according to some embodiments of the present application are further shown. CombiningFigure 1 , 5 As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the contact adhesion detection assembly 30 may include a circuit board 34, such as a printed circuit board, and at least one electrical connection assembly 36. A first adhesion detection unit 31 and a second adhesion detection unit 32 may be integrated on the circuit board 34. When the multiple contactors 50 include multiple pairs of contactors, multiple pairs of adhesion detection units may be correspondingly integrated on the circuit board 34. In some embodiments, the at least one electrical connection assembly 36 may be configured to establish a first electrical connection between a first input 311 of the first adhesion detection unit 31 and a first negative static contact 212, a second electrical connection between a second input 312 of the first adhesion detection unit 31 and a second negative static contact 222, a third electrical connection between a third input 321 of the second adhesion detection unit 32 and a first positive static contact 211, and a fourth electrical connection between a fourth input 322 of the second adhesion detection unit 32 and a second positive static contact 221.

[0065] In some embodiments, the at least one electrical connection assembly 36 may include at least one flexible circuit board element. As Figure 1 shown, the at least one flexible circuit board element may be at least partially mounted at a first surface of the housing 10, and the first positive static contact 211 and the first negative static contact 212 of the first contactor 21 and the second positive static contact 221 and the second negative static contact 222 of the second contactor 22 protrude from the first surface of the housing 10. In some embodiments, the circuit board 34 may be at least partially mounted at a second surface of the housing 10, and the second surface may be substantially perpendicular to the first surface. Advantageously, the at least one flexible circuit board element may be integrated with the circuit board 34, thereby achieving an efficient and reliable electrical connection between the flexible circuit board element and the corresponding adhesion detection unit on the circuit board 34. Advantageously, as Figure 6 schematically shown, the first electrical connection between the first input 311 and the first negative static contact 212 may be achieved based on a first printed trace on the flexible circuit board element, the second electrical connection between the second input 312 and the second negative static contact 222 may be achieved based on a second printed trace on the flexible circuit board element, the third electrical connection between the third input 321 and the first positive static contact 211 may be achieved based on a third printed trace on the flexible circuit board element, and the fourth electrical connection between the fourth input 322 and the second positive static contact 221 may be achieved based on a fourth printed trace on the flexible circuit board element.

[0066] It should be understood that the arrangement positions and arrangement manners of the circuit board 34 and the electrical connection assembly 36 can be flexibly designed without being limited to the illustrated embodiments. For example, at least a part of the circuit board 34 and / or the electrical connection assembly 36 can be arranged inside the housing 10 or at other surfaces or other positions. In addition, it should be understood that the at least one electrical connection assembly 36 can also be configured as other forms of electrical connectors, such as cables or electrical conductor structures, and should not be construed restrictively herein.

[0067] Referring to Figure 5 and 6 , the at least one electrical connection assembly 36 may further include a first conductive contact element 361 that contacts and conducts with the first negative static contact 212, a second conductive contact element 362 that contacts and conducts with the second negative static contact 222, a third conductive contact element 363 that contacts and conducts with the first positive static contact 211, and a fourth conductive contact element 364 that contacts and conducts with the second positive static contact 221. Thus, the first electrical connection between the first input 311 and the first negative static contact 212 can be achieved based on the first printed trace on the flexible circuit board element and the first conductive contact element 361, the second electrical connection between the second input 312 and the second negative static contact 222 can be achieved based on the second printed trace on the flexible circuit board element and the second conductive contact element 362, the third electrical connection between the third input 321 and the first positive static contact 211 can be achieved based on the third printed trace on the flexible circuit board element and the third conductive contact element 363, and the fourth electrical connection between the fourth input 322 and the second positive static contact 221 can be achieved based on the fourth printed trace on the flexible circuit board element and the fourth conductive contact element 364.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first conductive contact element 361 may include a first arcuate contact surface that is configured to be snap-fitted, especially press-fitted, onto the outer peripheral wall of the first negative static contact 212. The second conductive contact element 362 includes a second arcuate contact surface that is configured to be snap-fitted, especially press-fitted, onto the outer peripheral wall of the second negative static contact 222. The third conductive contact element 363 includes a third arcuate contact surface that is configured to be snap-fitted, especially press-fitted, onto the outer peripheral wall of the first positive static contact 211. The fourth conductive contact element 364 includes a fourth arcuate contact surface that is configured to be snap-fitted, especially press-fitted, onto the outer peripheral wall of the second positive static contact 221. Advantageously, the corresponding conductive contact elements can surround 50%, 60%, 80% or more than 90% of the outer peripheral wall of the corresponding static contact to achieve a large area and good electrical contact. In some embodiments, the corresponding conductive contact elements can be configured as annular contact elements.

[0069] In order to achieve an electrical connection between a flexible circuit board component, more precisely between corresponding printed traces on a flexible circuit board component and corresponding stationary contacts, the at least one flexible circuit board component may include a first electrical connection portion 381 electrically connected to a first conductive contact element 361, a second electrical connection portion 382 electrically connected to a second conductive contact element 362, a third electrical connection portion 383 electrically connected to a third conductive contact element 363, and a fourth electrical connection portion 384 electrically connected to a fourth conductive contact element 364. In some embodiments, each of the first electrical connection portion 381, the second electrical connection portion 382, the third electrical connection portion 383, and the fourth electrical connection portion 384 may respectively include an arcuate abutting surface, a through hole through which a protrusion of the corresponding conductive contact element passes, and a pad provided around the through hole, wherein the protrusion of the corresponding conductive contact element is configured to be welded to the corresponding electrical connection portion at the pad. Advantageously, the protrusion of the corresponding conductive contact element may be configured to be press-fitted into the corresponding through hole to achieve a reliable electrical connection and a stable assembly structure. In some embodiments, the arcuate abutting surface of each electrical connection portion may abut against the outer peripheral wall of the corresponding stationary contact, thereby achieving a stable assembly structure. In some embodiments, the arcuate abutting surface of each electrical connection portion may be provided above the arcuate contact surface of the corresponding conductive contact element.

[0070] Referring to Figure 7 , a schematic block diagram of an adhesion detection unit of a multiple contactor 50 according to some embodiments of the present application is further shown.

[0071] As Figure 7 shown, the first adhesion detection unit 31 may include a first input side circuit 41, a first electrical isolation module 51, and a first output side circuit 61. The first input side circuit 41 may be configured to adjust a first input voltage applied to a first input 311 and a second input 312, and provide the adjusted first input voltage to the first electrical isolation module 51. The first electrical isolation module 51 may be configured to provide a first output voltage to the first output side circuit 61 based on the adjusted first input voltage. The first output side circuit 61 is configured to adjust the first output voltage and output the adjusted first output voltage as a first output 313 characterizing the contact adhesion state of the first contactor 21. As the first output 313 characterizing the contact adhesion state of the first contactor 21, the value output by the first output side circuit 61 may be either an analog quantity, such as a voltage value, or a digital quantity, such as a digital signal of a communication bus such as CAN or LIN.

[0072] Similarly, the second contact adhesion detection unit 32 may include a second input-side circuit 42, a second electrical isolation module 52, and a second output-side circuit 62. The second input-side circuit 42 may be configured to adjust a second input voltage applied to a third input 321 and a fourth input 322, and supply the adjusted second input voltage to the second electrical isolation module 52. The second electrical isolation module 52 may be configured to supply a second output voltage to the second output-side circuit 62 based on the adjusted second input voltage. The second output-side circuit 62 may be configured to adjust the second output voltage, and output the adjusted second output voltage as a second output 323 characterizing the contact adhesion state of the second contactor 22. As the second output 323 characterizing the contact adhesion state of the second contactor 22, the value output by the second output-side circuit 62 may be either an analog quantity, such as a voltage value, or a digital quantity, such as a digital signal on a communication bus such as CAN or LIN.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first input-side circuit 41 may include a first resistor network, which may be configured to adjust a first input voltage applied to a first input 311 and a second input 312, and the second input-side circuit 42 includes a second resistor network, which is configured to adjust a second input voltage applied to a third input 321 and a fourth input 322.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first electrical isolation module 51 and the second electrical isolation module 52 may be respectively configured as an opto-isolation module, a capacitor isolation module, or an electromagnetic isolation module.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first output-side circuit 61 includes a third resistor network, which is configured to adjust the first output voltage, and the second output-side circuit 62 includes a fourth resistor network, which is configured to adjust the second output voltage.

[0076] So far, the embodiments of the present application have been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of the present application, some details well known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0077] The features or combinations of features mentioned in the above description and specification and drawings, as long as they are meaningful within the scope of the present application and do not conflict with each other, can be arbitrarily combined with each other or used alone.

[0078] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present application, and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. All equivalent transformations made using the content of the specification and drawings of the present application under the inventive concept of the present application, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. Multiple birth contactor, characterized in that, The multi-twin contactor includes: A housing; A first contactor including a moving contact within the housing and a first positive stationary contact and a first negative stationary contact partially exposed from the housing; A second contactor including a moving contact within the housing and a second positive stationary contact and a second negative stationary contact partially exposed from the housing; and A contact adhesion detection assembly including a first adhesion detection unit assigned to the first contactor and a second adhesion detection unit assigned to the second contactor, wherein the first adhesion detection unit includes a first input, a second input, and a first output, the first input being configured to be electrically connected to the first negative stationary contact, the second input being configured to be electrically connected to the second negative stationary contact, and the first output being configured to output a first signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the first contactor; wherein the second adhesion detection unit includes a third input, a fourth input, and a second output, the third input being configured to be electrically connected to the first positive stationary contact, the fourth input being configured to be electrically connected to the second positive stationary contact, and the second output being configured to output a second signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the second contactor, wherein the first adhesion detection unit includes a first input-side circuit, a first electrical isolation module, and a first output-side circuit, wherein the first input-side circuit is configured to adjust a first input voltage applied to the first input and the second input and provide the adjusted first input voltage to the first electrical isolation module, wherein the first electrical isolation module is configured to provide a first output voltage to the first output-side circuit based on the adjusted first input voltage, and wherein the first output-side circuit is configured to adjust the first output voltage and output the adjusted first output voltage as a first signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the first contactor; and the second adhesion detection unit includes a second input-side circuit, a second electrical isolation module, and a second output-side circuit, wherein the second input-side circuit is configured to adjust a second input voltage applied to the third input and the fourth input and provide the adjusted second input voltage to the second electrical isolation module, wherein the second electrical isolation module is configured to provide a second output voltage to the second output-side circuit based on the adjusted second input voltage, and wherein the second output-side circuit is configured to adjust the second output voltage and output the adjusted second output voltage as a second signal characterizing the contact adhesion state of the second contactor.

2. The multiple contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact adhesion detection assembly includes a circuit board and at least one electrical connection component, wherein the first adhesion detection unit and the second adhesion detection unit are integrated on the circuit board, and wherein the at least one electrical connection component is configured to establish a first electrical connection between the first input and the first negative stationary contact, a second electrical connection between the second input and the second negative stationary contact, a third electrical connection between the third input and the first positive stationary contact, and a fourth electrical connection between the fourth input and the second positive stationary contact.

3. The multiple contactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-twin contactor further includes a third contactor, the third contactor including a moving contact within the housing and a third positive stationary contact and a third negative stationary contact partially exposed from the housing, Among them, the contact sticking detection component further includes a third sticking detection unit configured for the third contactor. Wherein, the third sticking detection unit includes a fifth input, a sixth input, and a third output. The fifth input is configured to be electrically connected to the third negative static contact, the sixth input is configured to be electrically connected to the second negative static contact, and the third output is configured to output a third signal representing the contact sticking state of the third contactor.

4. The multiple contactor according to claim 3, wherein the first contactor is configured to be the positive contactor in the battery feeding circuit, the second contactor is configured to be the negative contactor in the battery feeding circuit, and the third contactor is configured to be the pre-charge contactor in the battery pre-charge circuit. Wherein, the battery pre-charge circuit includes a pre-charge contactor and a pre-charge resistor connected in series, and the pre-charge contactor and the pre-charge resistor are connected in parallel with the positive contactor.

5. The multiple contactor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The multiple contactor includes multiple pairs of contactors, and each pair of contactors consists of a first contactor and a second contactor. Wherein, the multiple contactor includes: a first pair of contactors, the first pair of contactors including a positive contactor applied to the battery feeding circuit as the first contactor and a negative contactor applied to the battery feeding circuit as the second contactor; and / or a second pair of contactors, the second pair of contactors including a positive contactor applied to the DC charging circuit as the first contactor and a negative contactor applied to the DC charging circuit as the second contactor; and / or a third pair of contactors, the third pair of contactors including a positive contactor applied to the AC charging circuit as the first contactor and a negative contactor applied to the AC charging circuit as the second contactor.

6. The multiple contactor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first input side circuit includes a first resistor network configured to adjust the first input voltage applied to the first input and the second input, and the second input side circuit includes a second resistor network configured to adjust the second input voltage applied to the third input and the fourth input; the first electrical isolation module and the second electrical isolation module are respectively configured as an opto-isolation module, a capacitive isolation module, or an electromagnetic isolation module; the first output side circuit includes a third resistor network configured to adjust the first output voltage, and the second output side circuit includes a fourth resistor network configured to adjust the second output voltage.

7. The multiple contactor according to claim 2, wherein, The at least one electrical connection component includes at least one flexible circuit board element, and the at least one flexible circuit board element is at least partially mounted at the first surface of the housing. The first positive static contact and the first negative static contact of the first contactor and the second positive static contact and the second negative static contact of the second contactor are exposed from the first surface of the housing.

8. The multiple contactor according to claim 7, characterized in that, The circuit board is at least partially mounted at the second surface of the housing, and the second surface is perpendicular to the first surface. The at least one flexible circuit board element and the circuit board are electrically connected to each other.

9. The multiple contactor according to claim 7 or 8, wherein The at least one electrical connection component further includes a first conductive contact element in contact with and electrically connected to the first negative static contact, a second conductive contact element in contact with and electrically connected to the second negative static contact, a third conductive contact element in contact with and electrically connected to the first positive static contact, and a fourth conductive contact element in contact with and electrically connected to the second positive static contact, and the at least one flexible circuit board element includes a first electrical connection portion electrically connected to the first conductive contact element, a second electrical connection portion electrically connected to the second conductive contact element, a third electrical connection portion electrically connected to the third conductive contact element, and a fourth electrical connection portion electrically connected to the fourth conductive contact element.

10. The multiple contactor according to claim 9, wherein Each of the first electrical connection portion, the second electrical connection portion, the third electrical connection portion, and the fourth electrical connection portion includes an arc-shaped abutting surface, a through hole for a protrusion of the corresponding conductive contact element to pass through, and a pad provided around the through hole, wherein the protrusion of the corresponding conductive contact element is configured to be welded to the corresponding electrical connection portion at the pad.

11. The multiple contactor according to claim 10, wherein the first conductive contact element includes a first arc-shaped contact surface configured to be snapped onto the outer peripheral wall of the first negative static contact; the second conductive contact element includes a second arc-shaped contact surface configured to be snapped onto the outer peripheral wall of the second negative static contact; the third conductive contact element includes a third arc-shaped contact surface configured to be snapped onto the outer peripheral wall of the first positive static contact; the fourth conductive contact element includes a fourth arc-shaped contact surface configured to be snapped onto the outer peripheral wall of the second positive static contact.

12. Battery system, characterized in that, The battery system includes a battery, a battery power distribution unit, and a battery management system, wherein the battery power distribution unit includes the multiple contactor according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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