Systems and methods for separating batteries

• US 10,343,545 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trumpet Holdings, Inc. (Standard Motor Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trumpet Holdings, Inc. (Standard Motor Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Stephen M., Hannas, James R., Maller, Dennis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isla, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Dung V
• Application Number:
  US14/997,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20170207641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 335126, 307 103
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/00 Contacts liquid contacts H01H29/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2051/2218 having at least one movable permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/045 Details particular to contactors H01H50/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/08 Indicators; Distinguishing marks
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 51/29 Relays having armature, contacts, and operating coil within a sealed casing H01H51/27 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods for a battery separator system integrating a DC contactor (solenoid) plus control electronics and all required interconnects into a single sealed enclosure for the purpose of selectively connecting and disconnecting a main and auxiliary battery under predetermined conditions. Battery monitoring and control includes programmable time delays that immunize the system from reacting to transient conditions as well as monitoring for and correcting unintended states and disabling operation when voltage conditions fall outside of prescribed limits.

Claims

1. A system for separating a main battery and an auxiliary battery of a vehicle electrical system, comprising:

a housing;

a first stud for connecting one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery to a contactor and a second stud for connecting one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery to the contactor;

the contactor retained within the housing switchably contactable with the first stud and the second stud, wherein the contactor may hold a position in at least one of an open-contactor state and a closed-contactor state;

a first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal located within the housing electrically connecting the first stud to the printed circuit board and a second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal located within the housing electrically connecting the second stud to the printed circuit board;

at least one of said first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal and said second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal having a bend, wherein said bend allows for thermal expansion without stress to a solder joint connecting at least one of said first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal and said second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal to said printed circuit board;

a pair of coil terminals located within the housing electrically connecting the contactor to the printed circuit board;

the printed circuit board providing for a microprocessor retained within the housing;

the microprocessor monitoring independent voltages of the main battery and the auxiliary battery and opening the contactor where the main battery voltage is below a first voltage limit;

the microprocessor monitoring independent voltages of the main battery and the auxiliary battery and closing the contactor where the main battery voltage is above a second voltage limit; and

the contactor, the printed circuit board, the microprocessor, a portion of the first stud, and a portion of the second stud sealed inside the housing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the contactor is a bi-stable contactor.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board, the microprocessor and the contactor are communicatively coupled to determine whether the contactor is in a correct state;

and

for pulsing the contactor when the contactor is in an incorrect state.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board, the microprocessor and the contactor are communicatively coupled to provide for pulsing the contactor until at least one of an actual state is equivalent to a calculated state.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board, the microprocessor, the first stud and the second stud are communicatively coupled to provide for continuous monitoring of independent voltages of at least one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein at least one of the first stud and the second stud provide for a location for monitoring of the independent voltages of at least one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board, the microprocessor, first stud and second stud are communicatively coupled to provide continued monitoring of the independent voltage of the main battery for a predetermined duration of time prior to changing a state of the contactor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board, the microprocessor, the first stud, the second stud and the contactor are communicatively coupled to provide for changing the state of the contactor where the independent voltage of the main battery satisfies at least one of the first voltage limit and the second voltage limit for which the state of the contactor is to be changed.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board, the microprocessor, the first stud, the second stud and the contactor are communicatively coupled to provide for the contactor remaining at the state until the main battery voltage declines below a predetermined upper limit;

and

the contactor remaining at the state until the main battery voltage raises above a predetermined lower limit.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one lead wire in electrical communication with the printed circuit board wherein the at least one lead wire is configured to relay at least one of input data and output data to and from the printed circuit board.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising an LED providing for an error condition.

12. A method for separating a main battery and an auxiliary battery of a vehicle electrical system having,

a housing;

a first stud for connecting one of a main battery and an auxiliary battery to a contactor and a second stud for connecting one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery to the contactor;

the contactor retained within the housing switchably contactable with the first stud and the second stud in a bi-stable connection, wherein the contactor may hold a position in at least one of an open-contactor state and a closed-contactor state;

a first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal located within the housing electrically connecting the first stud to the printed circuit board and a second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal located within the housing electrically connecting the second stud to the printed circuit board;

at least one of said first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal and said second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal having a bend, wherein said bend allows for thermal expansion without stress to a solder joint connecting at least one of said first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal and said second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal to said printed circuit board; and

a pair of coil terminals located within the housing electrically connecting the contactor to the printed circuit board,

the method comprising the steps of;

measuring at least one of a main battery voltage and an auxiliary battery voltage;

determining a state of a contactor;

opening the contactor where the main battery voltage is below a first voltage limit;

closing the contactor where the main battery voltage is above a second voltage limit; and

mechanically pulsing the contactor to a correct state where the contactor is in an incorrect state.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the main battery voltage and the auxiliary battery voltage are below a predetermined upper limit and above a predetermined lower limit where the contactor is in the incorrect state;

continuing to measure the voltage value of the at least one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery for a predetermined duration of time prior to pulsing the contactor; and

changing the state of the contactor if the voltage value of the at least one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery continually stays the same as or exceeds at least one of the first voltage limit and the second voltage limit throughout the predetermined duration of time.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the contactor is in an open-contactor state or a closed-contactor state (an actual state);

determining whether the contactor should be in the open-contactor state or the closed-contactor state (a calculated state);

comparing the actual state with the calculated state;

determining whether the main battery voltage and the auxiliary battery voltage are below the predetermined upper limit and above the predetermined lower limit;

pulsing the contactor until at least one of the actual state is equivalent to the calculated state;

setting an error signal where the contactor remains in the incorrect state; and

repeating pulsing where the contactor remains in the incorrect state after a predetermined time.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the state continues where at least one of the state is the correct state, and the main battery voltage and the auxiliary battery voltage require maintaining the state;

and

continuing to monitor the at least one of the state, and the main battery voltage and auxiliary battery voltage.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein determining whether at least one of the main battery voltage and the auxiliary battery voltage are at least one of above a predetermined upper limit and below a predetermined lower limit;

and

transmitting an error condition where the at least one of main battery voltage and the auxiliary battery voltage exceeds at least one of the predetermined upper limit and the predetermined lower limit.

17. A system for separating a main battery and an auxiliary battery of a vehicle electrical system, comprising:

a housing,

a first stud for connecting one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery to a contactor and a second stud for connecting one of the main battery and the auxiliary battery to the contactor;

the contactor retained within the housing switchably contactable with the first stud and the second stud in a bi-stable connection, wherein the contactor may hold a position in at least one of an open-contactor state and a closed-contactor state;

a first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal located within the housing electrically connecting the first stud to the printed circuit board and a second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal located within the housing electrically connecting the second stud to the printed circuit board;

at least one of said first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal and said second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal having a bend, wherein said bend allows for thermal expansion without stress to a solder joint connecting at least one of said first stud-to-printed circuit board terminal and said second stud-to-printed circuit board terminal to said printed circuit board;

a pair of coil terminals located within the housing electrically connecting the contactor to the printed circuit board;

the printed circuit board providing for a microprocessor retained within the housing;

the microprocessor monitoring independent voltages of the main battery and the auxiliary battery and opening the contactor where the main battery voltage is below a first voltage limit;

the microprocessor monitoring independent voltages of the main battery and the auxiliary battery and closing the contactor where the main battery voltage is above a second voltage limit; and

the contactor, the printed circuit board, the microprocessor, a portion of the first stud, and a portion of the second stud sealed inside the housing.