Connection device for a high-voltage direct current consumer, power supply unit and electrical drive shaft

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric drive axle. State of the art

[0002] Vehicles that are fully or at least partially electrically powered have an electric drive system that can be fed by an electrical energy storage device, such as a traction battery. Such a traction battery can, for example, provide a direct voltage of several hundred volts. This voltage can be made available to an electric drive system to power the vehicle. In addition, additional electrical consumers can also be supplied with electrical energy from the traction battery if necessary. When designing the power supply, suitable protective measures, such as overcurrent fuses and the like, must also be provided. These protective devices must be easily accessible, for example for maintenance and service purposes.

[0003] The publication DE 10 2014 014 925 A1 describes a high-voltage distributor for a hybrid or electric vehicle. The high-voltage distributor comprises a conductor arrangement for current and voltage distribution with several high-voltage outlets and a high-voltage fuse element.

[0004] Electric drive axles are also disclosed in WO 2020 / 193 466 A1 and DE 10 2017 128 310 A1. Disclosure of the invention

[0005] Accordingly, an electric drive axle having the features of claim 1 is provided. Advantages of the invention

[0006] The present invention is based on the recognition that protective devices, such as overcurrent protection, are generally required when connecting electrical consumers to a power supply network. Such protective measures are particularly important when connecting high-voltage DC consumers to a high-voltage electrical system of an electric vehicle. The present invention is further based on the recognition that such protective devices are generally provided in a separate housing and / or may be very difficult to access.

[0007] Therefore, one idea of ​​the present invention is to provide a connection for high-voltage DC loads in which electrical protective elements, such as overcurrent fuses, can be efficiently integrated into existing structures. Furthermore, the arrangement according to the invention enables easy and safe access to the required protective devices. This allows for simple and safe servicing, such as checking or replacing the fuse elements.

[0008] The connection device according to the present invention makes it possible, on the one hand, to safely integrate protective elements, such as overcurrent fuses, into an existing housing and, at the same time, to provide a high-voltage direct current connection for external consumers using this connection device. For this purpose, a fuse unit is provided on one side of a mounting plate of the connection device, on which the fuse elements, such as the overcurrent fuses, can be arranged. Furthermore, a connection element is provided on the opposite side of the mounting plate, by means of which an external high-voltage direct current consumer can be connected and thus supplied with electrical energy.The connection device according to the invention is particularly designed such that the fuse unit arranged on the fastening plate with the protective elements protrudes into the housing when the connection device is fastened to the housing. The connection element arranged on the opposite side of the fastening plate thus points away from the housing and therefore enables easy connection of an external consumer. The connection device can in particular be realized as a compact component which comprises the aforementioned elements, in particular the fastening plate, the connection element and the fuse unit. For example, the connection device can be realized as an injection-molded part or the like.

[0009] Since the fuse unit with the electrical protective elements protrudes into the housing when the connection device is attached to the housing, the electrical protective elements are also protected from contact and damage in this state. In particular, the electrical protective elements can be very easily integrated into an existing housing that may be required anyway.

[0010] By detaching the mounting plate from the housing, the connection device with the electrical protective elements can be removed very easily. The electrical protective elements are then very easily accessible and can, for example, be inspected or replaced. It is particularly advantageous that the connection device with the protective elements can be completely removed by detaching the mounting plate, as this simultaneously disconnects the electrical connection to any electrical power supply located inside the housing. This ensures that both the electrical protective elements and any electrical load that may still be connected are safely and reliably disconnected from the power supply.

[0011] This allows for particularly safe and easy maintenance, allowing, for example, the electrical protective elements to be checked and replaced if necessary.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the fuse unit is designed to accommodate an electrical protective element for each of the two terminals of the DC voltage connection, i.e., for a positive and a negative terminal of the connection element. As already mentioned above, the electrical protective elements can be, for example, overcurrent protection devices, such as fuses or similar devices. If such a protective device is provided for both the positive and negative terminals, reliable protection can be ensured even in the event of insulation faults and thus potentially high leakage currents.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the electrical protective element, or possibly both electrical protective elements, can be screwed to the fuse unit. Of course, any other options for electrically and mechanically connecting the protective elements to the fuse unit are also possible. However, screw connections enable a secure electrical and mechanical connection at the same time.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the connection device, in particular the fuse unit, comprises a holding element. The holding element can be designed to accommodate the at least one electrical protective element. For example, the holding element can be made of a non-electrically conductive material, such as a plastic or the like. The holding element can, for example, have mechanical structures suitable for accommodating the corresponding protective element and, if necessary, providing sufficient mechanical guidance or stability.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the mounting plate is designed to be mechanically coupled to the housing. For example, the mounting plate can be screwed to the housing. For this purpose, the mounting plate can, for example, have several openings suitable for screwing the mounting plate to the housing. Furthermore, any other fastening options, such as clamping devices or the like, are also possible.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the energy supply device, the contact element of the energy supply device can comprise a spring element. The spring element can in particular be electrically connected to the internal DC voltage supply. Furthermore, the spring element can be designed to exert a spring force on a terminal of the fuse unit or on a terminal of a fuse element. In particular, a separate spring element can be provided for both the positive and the negative terminals of the internal DC voltage supply, which enables contact with the fuse unit or the fuse elements by means of a suitable spring force. For example, a spiral spring or similar element can be provided in the contact element for both the positive and the negative terminals, which exerts a spring force in the direction of corresponding terminals on the fuse unit.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the internal DC voltage supply comprises a busbar connection. Such busbar connections are suitable for transmitting even large electrical currents reliably and with low power loss.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the internal DC voltage supply can be designed to be connected to an electric drive system. In this way, an electrical power supply for such an electric drive system can also additionally power one or more additional external electrical DC voltage consumers by means of the power supply device.

[0019] The above embodiments and developments can be combined with one another as desired, where appropriate. In particular, the signal processing can also be expanded to include more than one three-stage signal processing device. Further embodiments, developments, and implementations of the invention also include combinations of features of the invention not explicitly mentioned above or described below with respect to the exemplary embodiments. In particular, the person skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic forms of the invention. Short description of the drawings

[0020] Further features and advantages of the invention are explained below with reference to the figures. Fig. 1: a schematic representation of a connection device according to one embodiment; Fig. 2: a schematic representation of a power supply device with a connection device according to one embodiment; and Fig. 3: a schematic representation for the installation of a connection device in a power supply device according to one embodiment. Description of embodiments

[0021] Figure 1shows a schematic representation of a connection device 1 for a high-voltage direct voltage consumer according to one embodiment. The connection device 1 comprises a fastening plate 11. A connection element 12 is arranged on one side of the fastening plate 11. This connection element 12 can be, for example, a plug or a socket to which a consumer, in particular a high-voltage direct voltage consumer, can be connected. In principle, any solutions for connecting such a consumer are possible. The high-voltage direct voltage consumers that can be connected to the connection device can be, for example, electrical devices that require an electrical voltage of 48 volts or more, in particular several hundred volts. In particular, the high-voltage direct voltage consumers can be connected to a high-voltage electrical system of an electric vehicle.

[0022] A fuse unit 13 is provided on the opposite side of the mounting plate 11. This fuse unit 13 serves to accommodate possible electrical protective elements 20, such as overcurrent fuses. These can be, for example, suitable fuses or similar devices. The electrical protective elements 20 can be electrically and mechanically connected to the fuse unit 13, for example, using suitable screw connections. In particular, for a DC connection, an electrical protective element 20 can be provided for both the positive and the negative terminals.

[0023] The connecting device 1 with the mounting plate 11, the connecting element 12, and the securing unit 13 can, for example, be implemented as a compact component. For example, the connecting device 1 can be manufactured as an injection-molded part using an injection-molding process.

[0024] Furthermore, a holding element 14 can optionally be provided on the fuse unit 13. This holding element 14 can, for example, enable mechanical accommodation of the electrical protective elements 20. For this purpose, suitable mechanical structures can be provided in the holding element 14, for example, which correspond to an external shape or dimension of the electrical protective elements 20. The holding element 14 can, for example, consist of an electrically non-conductive material, such as a plastic or the like. Of course, the holding element 14 can also have suitable electrically conductive contact elements for connecting and electrically contacting the respective terminals of the electrical protective elements 20.

[0025] If a holding element 14 as described above is provided in the connection device 1, the electrical protective elements 20 can also be electrically and mechanically connected to the corresponding terminals of the holding element 14. Suitable screw connections can be provided for this purpose. However, any other suitable connection or contact options are also conceivable. For example, the electrical protective elements 20 can also be electrically contacted and mechanically fixed using clamping or spring elements.

[0026] In this way, the connection device 1 comprises components for electrically connecting a high-voltage DC load and, at the same time, also contains the required electrical protective elements 20. In particular, the connection device 1 can be attached to a housing, described in more detail below, by means of the mounting plate 11. The part of the connection device 1 with the fuse element 13 and the electrical protective elements 20 attached thereto is inserted into this housing. Thus, the electrical protective elements 20 are integrated into this housing and simultaneously protected from contact and external damage.

[0027] For maintenance or service purposes, the mounting plate 11 can be removed from this housing. The connection device 1 can then be removed, allowing the protective elements 20 to be freely accessible. Thus, the protective elements 20 can be easily inspected by a user and replaced if necessary.

[0028] Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a power supply device with a connection device 1 for a high-voltage DC consumer. For example, the connection device 1 can be the connection device 1 described above. Therefore, the previously described embodiments also apply in particular to the connection device 1 of the power supply device described here.

[0029] The energy supply facility in Figure 2can be powered, for example, by a DC voltage source, such as a traction battery of an electric vehicle. For this purpose, the external DC voltage source can be electrically coupled to the energy supply device by means of a DC voltage connection 4. Within the energy supply device, the provided DC voltage can be transmitted to the connection device 1, in particular to the connections of the electrical protection elements 20, by means of an internal DC voltage supply 35. For example, within the DC voltage supply 35, the electrical energy can be transmitted by means of busbars or the like.

[0030] The DC voltage provided by the internal DC voltage supply 35 can be provided, for example, by means of a suitable contact element 30 at the terminals of the electrical protective elements 20. For this purpose, a corresponding terminal can be provided on the contact element 30, for example, for the positive and negative terminals of the DC voltage. In particular, each of the two terminals of the contact element 30 can comprise a spring element 31 or the similar. When the connecting device 1 with the electrical protective elements 20 is inserted into the energy supply device, the corresponding terminals of the electrical protective elements 20 or the contacts on the holding element 14 press against the spring elements 31. In this way, safe and reliable electrical contact can be established.

[0031] If the connection device 1 is removed from the power supply unit for maintenance or service purposes, the electrical connections to the internal DC voltage supply 35 are automatically interrupted. Thus, the connection device 1 is de-energized during maintenance. Consequently, the protective elements 20 can be easily inspected and replaced without the need for additional switching or locking elements.

[0032] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the installation and removal of a connection device 1 in a power supply device according to one embodiment. This can, for example, be the previously described power supply device or the previously described connection device 1.

[0033] As in Figure 3As can be seen, the connecting device 1 can be inserted into a housing 3 in such a way that the fuse unit 13 attached to the fastening plate 11 with the electrical protective elements 20 is located within the housing 3 in the installed state. As already described above, in the installed state, the electrical contacts of the protective elements 20 or of the holding element 14 can contact the corresponding terminals of the contact element 30 and in this way establish an electrical connection.

[0034] The mounting plate 11 of the connecting device 1 can be attached to the housing 3, for example, by means of a screw connection or the like. Of course, other suitable options for attaching the connecting device 1, in particular the mounting plate 11, to the housing 3 are also possible.

[0035] When installed, the connection element 12 of the connection device 1 thus points away from the housing. Thus, external high-voltage DC loads can be connected using suitable connections that correspond to the connection element 12.

[0036] For maintenance or service purposes, the fastening of the mounting plate 11 can be released from the housing 3, and the connection device 1 can then be removed. This interrupts the electrical connection between the electrical protection elements 20 and the DC voltage supply 35 within the housing 3. Accordingly, the protection elements 20 can be safely inspected and replaced.

[0037] The previously described energy supply device can be used, for example, in an electric drive system of an electric vehicle. For example, the internal DC voltage supply 35 can be connected to an electric drive system and thus supply this electric drive system with electrical energy. Furthermore, one or more high-voltage DC electrical consumers can be additionally connected using the described connection device. The energy supply device with the described connection device 1 enables the connection of the external high-voltage DC consumers via corresponding electrical protective elements 20, without the need for an additional, external fuse box or the like for these protective elements 20.

[0038] In particular, the housing 3 of the described power supply device can be attached to an integrated electric drive axle. Such integrated electric drive axles are known, for example, under the term "E-axle" or "eAxle."

[0039] In summary, the present invention relates to a connection element for high-voltage DC loads and a power supply device for external high-voltage DC loads. One or more electrical protective elements are integrated into the connection device for the load. In particular, the protective elements are integrated into the connection device in such a way that the protective elements are arranged within an existing housing. This eliminates the need for an additional, separate housing for such protective elements.

Claims

1. Electric drive axle with an electric drive system integrated in the drive axle and an energy supply device, having the following: a housing (3) arranged on the drive axle, an internal DC power supply (35) designed to provide a high-voltage DC power within the housing (3), and a connection device (1) for a high-voltage DC load, having the following: a fastening plate (11) designed to fasten the connection device (1) to the housing (3), a connection element (12) arranged on a first side of the fastening plate (11) and designed to be coupled to the high-voltage DC load, and a safety unit (13) connected to a second side of the fastening plate (11) and designed to accommodate at least one electrical protective element (20), wherein the safety unit (13) is arranged in an interior of the housing (3) when the connection device (1) is fastened to the housing (3); wherein the energy supply device further has a contact element (30) designed to electrically couple the internal DC power supply to the safety unit (11).

2. Electric drive axle according to Claim 1, wherein the safety unit (13) is designed to accommodate an electrical protective element (20) for both a positive and a negative connection of the connection element (12).

3. Electric drive axle according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one electrical protective element (20) is able to be screwed to the safety unit (13).

4. Electric drive axle according to one of Claims 1 to 3, with a holding element (14) designed to accommodate the at least one electrical protective element (20).

5. Electric drive axle according to one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the fastening plate (11) is designed to be screwed to the housing (3).

6. Electric drive axle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact element (30) comprises a spring element (31) which is electrically connected to the internal DC power supply (35) and is designed to exert a spring force on a connection of the safety unit (13) or of the at least one safety element (20).

7. Electric drive axle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the internal DC power supply (35) comprises a busbar connection.

8. Electric drive axle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the internal DC power supply (35) is designed to be connected to an electric drive system (2).