Controller Assemblies For Electric Drive Utility Vehicles

• US 20090201650A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Rousser, Donald, Butler, Josh, Hauser, Raymond, Todd, Michael, Wyatt, Christopher K., Fox, Ivan E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,207,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/736
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/66 with two or more cutters
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/78 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/68 controlling two or more dc dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/74 controlling two or more ac dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Controller assemblies and packaging for electronic control systems of electric motors utilized in utility vehicles or other power equipment. Features of the controller assemblies and packaging described herein allow for, among other things, modularity, scalability, and improved heat transfer.

Claims

1. A controller assembly for controlling a plurality of electric motors of a utility vehicle, the assembly comprising:

a housing defining an enclosed interior space and having mounting features to facilitate mounting to the vehicle; and

a plurality of controller boards disposed within the enclosed interior space of the housing and each having at least one associated connector that penetrates the housing to allow connection to a signal line in communication with one of the plurality of electric motors of the vehicle, one of the plurality of controller boards configured to control one or more of the plurality of electric motors associated with a traction drive of the vehicle, and one of the plurality of controller boards configured to control one or more of the plurality of electric motors associated with an auxiliary function of the vehicle.

2. The controller assembly of claim 1, further comprising a motherboard having a plurality of expansion slots each configured to accept one of the plurality of controller boards.

3. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controller boards comprises a master traction controller board, a slave traction controller board, a master auxiliary controller board, and a slave auxiliary controller board.

4. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of housing portions each containing at least one of the plurality of controller boards, the housing portions connectable to each other to collectively define the enclosed interior space of the housing.

5. The controller assembly of claim 4, wherein the housing portions comprise at least one end housing portion having one open side.

6. The controller assembly of claim 5, wherein the housing portions further comprise one intermediate housing portion having two open sides, each of the open sides configured to mate with either the open side of the at least one end housing or a backing plate.

7. The controller assembly of claim 5, wherein the housing portions comprise at least two intermediate housing portions each having two open sides, each of the open sides configured to mate with either the open side of the at least one end housing, one of the open sides of another of the at least two intermediate housing portions, or a backing plate.

8. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises two end housing portions and at least one intermediate housing portion, the end housing portions each having one open end configured to mate with the at least one intermediate housing portion, and the at least one intermediate housing portion having two open ends, the two open ends configured to mate with either the open end of one of the two end housing portions or one of the two open ends of another intermediate housing portion.

9. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an end housing portion, at least one intermediate housing portion, and a backing plate connectable to each other to collectively define the enclosed interior space of the housing.

10. The controller assembly of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of fasteners each configured to collectively connect the housing portions and the backing plate together.

11. A controller assembly for controlling a plurality of electric motors of a utility vehicle, the assembly comprising:

a housing defining an enclosed interior space and having mounting features to facilitate mounting to the vehicle;

a first controller board disposed within the enclosed interior space of the housing and having at least one connector that penetrates the housing to allow connection to a first signal line in communication with a first electric motor of the plurality of electric motors, the first electric motor associated with a traction drive of the vehicle; and

a second controller board disposed within the enclosed interior space of the housing and having at least one connector that penetrates the housing to allow connection to a second signal line in communication with a second electric motor of the plurality of electric motors, the second electric motor associated with an auxiliary function of the vehicle.

12. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising at least one additional controller board disposed within the enclosed interior space of the housing and having at least one connector that penetrates the housing to allow connection to at least one additional signal line in communication with at least one additional electric motor, the at least one additional electric motor associated with either the auxiliary function of the vehicle or the traction drive of the vehicle.

13. The controller assembly of claim 11, further comprising a motherboard having a plurality of expansion slots each configured to accept one of the first and second controller boards.

14. The controller assembly of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of housing modules each containing at least one of the controller boards and connectable to each other to collectively form the housing.

15. The controller assembly of claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of housing modules includes a backing plate.

16. The controller assembly of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of sealing gaskets each disposed between two of the plurality of housing modules.

17. A controller assembly for controlling a plurality of electric motors of a utility vehicle, the assembly comprising:

a plurality of housing portions connected together to collectively define an enclosed interior space, at least one of the housing portions having mounting features to facilitate mounting of the controller assembly to the vehicle; and

a plurality of controller boards each mounted within one of the housing portions and each associated with at least one connector that penetrates the housing to allow connection to a signal line in communication with at least one of the plurality of electric motors of the vehicle.

18. The controller assembly of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of controller boards controls at least one of the plurality of electric motors associated with a traction drive of the vehicle, and at least one of the plurality of controller boards controls at least one of the plurality of electric motors associated with an auxiliary function of the vehicle.

19. A controller assembly for controlling a plurality of electric motors of a utility vehicle, the assembly comprising a plurality of controller modules connected together and each having a housing portion and at least one controller board mounted therein, at least one of the housing portions having mounting features to facilitate mounting of the controller assembly to the vehicle, each of the housing portions having a connector to allow connection of the at least one controller board to a signal line in communication with at least one of the plurality of electric motors of the vehicle.

20. The controller assembly of claim 19, wherein at least one of the controller modules controls at least one of the plurality of electric motors associated with a traction drive of the vehicle, and at least one of the controller modules controls at least one of the plurality of electric motors associated with an auxiliary function of the vehicle.