Battery case

Abstract

This technology provides the ability for an operator to stop the output from the battery housing to the outside as needed. [Solution] The battery case 20 comprises a housing 21, a first connection part 22, a second connection part 23, a switch part 26, and a control unit 29. The first connection part 22 is connected to a load 43 provided outside the housing 21 by connecting a first mating connection part 41 to it. The second connection part 23 is connected to a ground 44 provided outside the housing 21 by connecting a second mating connection part 42 to it. The switch part 26 is provided between the positive terminal 10A of the battery 10 and the first connection part 22. The control unit 29 determines whether the second mating connection part 42 has been disconnected from the second connection part 23 while the switch part 26 is controlled to the ON state, and switches the switch part 26 to the OFF state if it determines that it has been disconnected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a battery case.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply system. This power supply system includes a low-voltage battery and a load. The low-voltage battery is connected to the load via a switch. The low-voltage battery is, for example, a 12V battery.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a configuration where the low-voltage battery is 12V, problems are less likely to occur. However, especially in a configuration where the low-voltage battery is 48V or more, it is desirable to stop the output from the low-voltage battery during maintenance or the like. However, Patent Document 1 does not describe a configuration for stopping the output from the low-voltage battery during maintenance or the like.

[0005] An object of this disclosure is to provide a technology that enables an operator to stop the output to the outside of the housing that houses the battery as needed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The battery case of this disclosure is a housing that houses a battery, a first connection portion that is connected to a load provided outside the housing by connecting a first mating connection portion to itself, The second connection part is connected to the ground provided outside the housing by the second mating connection part being connected to itself, A switch section is provided between the positive terminal of the battery and the first connection section, The system comprises a control unit that controls the switch unit, The control unit determines whether the second mating connector has been disconnected from the second connector while the switch unit is controlled to the ON state, and if it determines that it has been disconnected, it switches the switch unit to the OFF state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the technology disclosed herein, the operator can, as needed, stop the output from the housing containing the battery to the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a battery module equipped with a battery case according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the control unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the second mating connector, as shown in Figure 1, has been detached from the second connector. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the second mating connector, as shown in Figure 3, is connected to the second connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] [1] A housing for the battery, The first connection part is connected to a load provided outside the housing by the first mating connection part being connected to itself, The second connection part is connected to the ground provided outside the housing by the second mating connection part being connected to itself, A switch section is provided between the positive terminal of the battery and the first connection section, The system comprises a control unit that controls the switch unit, The control unit, while controlling the switch unit to the ON state, determines whether the second mating connector has been disconnected from the second connector, and if it determines that it has been disconnected, switches the switch unit to the OFF state. Battery case.

[0011] In this configuration, when the second mating connector is disconnected from the second connector, the switch turns off, interrupting the flow of current from the battery to the first connector. Therefore, the operator can stop the output to the outside of the housing by disconnecting the second mating connector from the second connector as needed.

[0012] [2] The control unit determines whether the second mating connector is connected to the second connector while the switch unit is controlled to the off state, and switches the switch unit to the on state if it determines that it is connected. The battery case described in [1].

[0013] In this configuration, the flow of current from the battery to the first connection is interrupted until the second mating connector is connected to the second connection. When the second mating connector is connected to the second connection, the switch is turned on, and the flow of current from the battery to the first connection is permitted. Therefore, after disconnecting the second mating connector from the second connection, the operator can restore the ability to output to the outside of the housing by connecting the second mating connector back to the second connection.

[0014] [3] The control unit determines whether the second mating connector has been disconnected from the second connector based on the voltage of the second conductive path or the current flowing through the second conductive path, which is provided between the negative terminal of the battery and the second connector. The battery case described in [1] or [2].

[0015] According to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not the second mating connection portion has been removed from the second connection portion with a simple configuration.

[0016] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] 1. First Embodiment 1-1. Configuration of Battery Module 1 FIG. 1 shows a battery module 1 according to the first embodiment. The battery module 1 includes a battery 10 and a battery case 20. The output voltage of the battery 10 is, for example, 48V. The battery 10 may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, or other battery. The battery case 20 houses the battery 10.

[0017] The battery case 20 includes a housing 21, a first connection portion 22, a second connection portion 23, a first conductive path 24, a second conductive path 25, a switch portion 26, a detection portion 27, a power supply circuit 28, and a control portion 29.

[0018] The housing 21 houses the battery 10, the first conductive path 24, the second conductive path 25, the switch portion 26, the detection portion 27, the power supply circuit 28, and the control portion 29.

[0019] The first connection portion 22 is provided on the housing 21 in a state of being exposed to the outside of the housing 21. When a first mating connection portion 41 is connected to the first connection portion 22 itself, it is electrically connected to a load 43 provided outside the housing 21. The first connection portion 22 and the first mating connection portion 41 are constituted by, for example, a connector. One end of the load 43 is electrically connected to the first mating connection portion 41. The other end of the load 43 is electrically connected to the ground 44. The load 43 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or the like.

[0020] The second connection portion 23 is provided on the housing 21 in a state exposed to the outside of the housing 21. The second connection portion 23 is electrically connected to a ground 44 provided outside the housing 21 by the connection of the second mating connection portion 42 to it. The second connection portion 23 and the second mating connection portion 42 are configured, for example, by connectors.

[0021] The first conductive path 24 is provided between the positive terminal 10A of the battery 10 and the first connection part 22, and is electrically connected to the positive terminal 10A and the first connection part 22.

[0022] The second conductive path 25 is provided between the negative terminal 10B of the battery 10 and the second connection part 23, and is electrically connected to the negative terminal 10B and the second connection part 23.

[0023] The switch unit 26 is provided in the first conductive path 24. In this embodiment, the switch unit 26 switches between an ON state that allows bidirectional current flow through itself and an OFF state that blocks bidirectional current flow through itself. The switch unit 26 only needs to prevent current from flowing from the battery 10 side to the first connection unit 22 side through itself when in the OFF state, and does not need to prevent current from flowing from the first connection unit 22 side to the battery 10 side through itself when in the OFF state. The switch unit 26 may be composed of a semiconductor switching element or a mechanical switch having contacts.

[0024] In this embodiment, the detection unit 27 detects the current flowing through the second conductive path 25. The detection unit 27 may be configured, for example, by a known current sensor or by a circuit using a shunt resistor. The signal indicating the detection result from the detection unit 27 is input to the control unit 29.

[0025] The power supply circuit 28 generates power to drive the control unit 29 based on the power supplied from the conductive path on the positive terminal 10A side of the switch section 26 in the first conductive path 24, and supplies power to the control unit 29.

[0026] The control unit 29 is comprised of, for example, a microcomputer. The control unit 29 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU, memory such as ROM or RAM, a drive circuit, and so on. The control unit 29 controls the switch unit 26 based on the power supplied from the power supply circuit 28.

[0027] 1-2. Example of operation of the control unit 29 The control unit 29 determines whether the second mating connector 42 has been disconnected from the second connector 23 while the switch unit 26 is controlled to the ON state, and switches the switch unit 26 to the OFF state if it determines that it has been disconnected. The control unit 29 determines whether the second mating connector 42 has been disconnected from the second connector 23 based on the current flowing through the second conductive path 25. For example, the control unit 29 determines that the second mating connector 42 has not been disconnected from the second connector 23 if it determines that the current flowing through the second conductive path 25 is below the threshold, and determines that the second mating connector 42 has been disconnected from the second connector 23 if it determines that the current flowing through the second conductive path 25 is below the threshold.

[0028] The control unit 29 determines whether the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connection unit 23 while the switch unit 26 is controlled to the off state, and switches the switch unit 26 to the on state if it determines that it is connected. The control unit 29 determines whether the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connection unit 23 based on the current flowing through the second conductive path 25. For example, the control unit 29 determines that the second mating connector 42 is not connected to the second connection unit 23 if it determines that the current flowing through the second conductive path 25 is below a threshold, and determines that the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connection unit 23 if it determines that the current flowing through the second conductive path 25 exceeds a threshold.

[0029] The control unit 29 performs the processing shown in Figure 2, for example, when the start condition is met. The start condition may be, for example, the start of the microcomputer included in the control unit 29, or it may be another condition.

[0030] The control unit 29 first controls the switch unit 26 to the OFF state (step S11), and then determines whether the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connection unit 23 (step S12). If the control unit 29 determines that the second mating connector 42 is not connected to the second connection unit 23 (No in step S12), it returns to step S12. In other words, the control unit 29 repeats the process in step S12 until it determines that the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connection unit 23 while the switch unit 26 is controlled to the OFF state.

[0031] If the control unit 29 determines that the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connection unit 23 (Yes in step S12), it switches the switch unit 26 to the ON state (step S13) and determines whether the second mating connector 42 has been disconnected from the second connection unit 23 (step S14). If the control unit 29 determines that the second mating connector 42 has not been disconnected from the second connection unit 23 (No in step S14), it returns to step S14. In other words, the control unit 29 repeats the process in step S14 until it determines that the second mating connector 42 has been disconnected from the second connection unit 23 while the switch unit 26 is controlled to the ON state.

[0032] If the control unit 29 determines that the second mating connector 42 has been disconnected from the second connector 23 (Yes in step S14), it returns to step S11 and switches the switch unit 26 to the OFF state.

[0033] 1-3. Operation and Effects of the First Embodiment In the state shown in Figure 1, the first connection part 22 is connected to the first mating connection part 41, the second connection part 23 is connected to the second mating connection part 42, and the switch part 26 is in the ON state.

[0034] In this state, if the operator performs maintenance on the vehicle, for example, they disconnect the second mating connector 42 from the second connector 23, as shown in Figure 3. As a result, the control unit 29 determines that the second mating connector 42 has been disconnected from the second connector 23 and switches the switch unit 26 to the off state. This interrupts the flow of current from the battery 10 to the first connector 22, and stops the output of the housing 21 to the outside.

[0035] For example, when vehicle maintenance is completed, the worker connects the second mating connector 42 to the second connection 23, as shown in Figure 4. As a result, the control unit 29 determines that the second mating connector 42 has been connected to the second connection 23 and switches the switch unit 26 to the ON state. This returns the housing 21 to a state where it can output to the outside, and power can be supplied from the battery 10 to the load 43.

[0036] Furthermore, with this configuration, the output to the outside of the housing 21 can be stopped without disconnecting the first mating connector 41 from the first connector 22. This prevents the occurrence of arc discharge caused by disconnecting the first mating connector 41 from the first connector 22, while also stopping the output to the outside of the housing 21.

[0037] <Other Embodiments> This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, any combination of the features of the embodiments described above or below is possible as long as it does not contradict each other. Furthermore, any feature of the embodiments described above or below may be omitted unless explicitly stated as essential. In addition, the embodiments described above may be modified as follows.

[0038] In the first embodiment described above, the control unit 29 determined whether the second mating connector 42 had been disconnected from the second connector 23 based on the current flowing through the second conductive path 25, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 29 may determine whether the second mating connector 42 had been disconnected from the second connector 23 based on the voltage of the second conductive path 25. For example, the control unit 29 may determine that the second mating connector 42 has not been disconnected from the second connector 23 when the voltage of the second conductive path 25 is below a threshold, and determine that the second mating connector 42 has been disconnected from the second connector 23 when the voltage of the second conductive path 25 exceeds a threshold. In this case, the detection unit 27 only needs to detect the voltage of the second conductive path 25.

[0039] In the first embodiment described above, the control unit 29 determined whether the second mating connector 42 was connected to the second connection unit 23 based on the current flowing through the second conductive path 25, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 29 may determine whether the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connection unit 23 based on the voltage of the second conductive path 25. For example, the control unit 29 may determine that the second mating connector 42 is not connected to the second connection unit 23 when the voltage of the second conductive path 25 exceeds a threshold, and determine that the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connection unit 23 when the voltage of the second conductive path 25 falls below the threshold. In this case, the detection unit 27 only needs to detect the voltage of the second conductive path 25.

[0040] In the first embodiment described above, an example was given in which the first mating connector 41 is not disconnected from the first connector 22. However, when the second mating connector 42 is disconnected from the second connector 23 (i.e., when the switch unit 26 is in the off state), the first mating connector 41 may be disconnected from the first connector 22, or the first mating connector 41 may be connected to the first connector 22. For example, when the battery 10 or battery module 1 is replaced, it is necessary to disconnect the first mating connector 41 from the first connector 22. When the first mating connector 41 is disconnected from the first connector 22 while the second mating connector 42 is disconnected from the second connector 23, arc discharge is suppressed compared to when the first mating connector 41 is disconnected from the first connector 22 while the second mating connector 42 is connected to the second connector 23.

[0041] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1…Battery module 10…Battery 10A... Positive terminal 10B…Negative terminal 20…Battery case 21... Cabinet 22...First connection section 23...Second connection section 24…First conductive path 25...Second conductive circuit 26…Switch section 27...Detection unit 28…Power circuit 29... Control Unit 41...First mating side connection 42...Second counterpart connection 43... Load 44... Ground

Claims

1. A casing that houses the battery, The first connection part is connected to a load provided outside the housing by the first mating connection part being connected to itself, The second connection part is connected to the ground provided outside the housing by the second mating connection part being connected to itself, A switch section is provided between the positive terminal of the battery and the first connection section, The system comprises a control unit that controls the switch unit, The control unit, while controlling the switch unit to the ON state, determines whether the second mating connector has been disconnected from the second connector, and if it determines that it has been disconnected, switches the switch unit to the OFF state. Battery case.

2. The control unit, while controlling the switch unit to the OFF state, determines whether the second mating connector is connected to the second connector, and if it determines that a connection has been made, switches the switch unit to the ON state. The battery case according to claim 1.

3. The control unit determines whether the second mating connector has been disconnected from the second connector based on the voltage of the second conductive path or the current flowing through the second conductive path, which is provided between the negative terminal of the battery and the second connector. The battery case according to claim 1 or claim 2.

Images