POWER FEEDING CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20110148355A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MORI, Shiro, MUKAI, Tatsuya, INAGAKI, Noboru, IHA, Syuichi, GAMOU, Koji, MIHARA, Haruhiko, FUKUO, Naoki, NAKAMURA, Shinichi, KAKIUCHI, Kouji, AKIOKA, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 8,421,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/0207 Mounting or assembling the different parts of the circuit breaker
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 83/04 with testing means for indicating the ability of the switch or relay to function properly
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0228 Line cord switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A power feeding control apparatus includes a housing for accommodating at least a relay unit arranged on power feeding lines to open and close the power feeding lines, a control circuit for controlling the relay unit, a leakage current detection circuit for detecting leakage current in an electric vehicle and a power supply circuit for generating a control electric power. The apparatus further includes a power source side connector removably connected to a socket of an external power source, a vehicle side connector removably connected to a power receiving connector of the electric vehicle and a first and a second board that the power supply circuit and the control circuit are mounted, respectively. A power feeding line block provided separately from the first and the second board and having metal plates constituting the power feeding lines. The metal plates are insertion-molded in the power feeding line block.

Claims

1. A power feeding control apparatus for controlling electric power supplied from an external power source to an electric vehicle provided with a battery and a charging circuit for charging the battery, comprising:

power feeding lines provided to supply the electric power from the external power source to the electric vehicle therethrough;

a relay unit arranged on the power feeding lines to open and close the power feeding lines;

a control circuit for controlling the relay unit;

a leakage current detection circuit for detecting leakage current in the electric vehicle;

a power supply circuit supplied with the electric power through the power feeding lines to generate a control electric power;

a housing for accommodating at least the power feeding lines, the relay unit, the control circuit, the leakage current detection circuit and the power supply circuit;

a power source side connector to be removably connected to a socket of the external power source;

a vehicle side connector to be removably connected to a power receiving connector of the electric vehicle;

a first board on which the power supply circuit is mounted;

a second board on which the control circuit is mounted; and

a power feeding line block provided separately from the first and the second board and having metal plates constituting the power feeding lines, wherein the metal plates are insertion-molded in the power feeding line block.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit is formed of circuit components mounted on one surface of the first board and the power feeding line block is arranged on the other surface of the first board, and electric connection between the power feeding lines and input terminals of the power supply circuit is made by lead plates.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control circuit is formed of circuit components mounted on one surface of the second board, and the power feeding line block is interposed between the first board and the second board.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the lead plates are formed by having the metal plates, which are covered by a resin molding portion, partially protrude outwards beyond the resin molding portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the leakage current detection circuit includes a zero current transformer through which the power feeding lines extend and is configured to detect leakage current based on unbalanced currents flowing through the power feeding lines,

wherein parts of the metal plates pass through a central opening of the zero current transformer, and

wherein the zero current transformer includes a positioning member molded within the central opening to fix the positions of said parts of the metal plates.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a terminal block, to which a power source side cable is removably connected, for providing electric connection between the power source side cable and the power feeding lines,

wherein the leakage current detection circuit includes a zero current transformer through which the power feeding lines extend and is configured to detect leakage current based on unbalanced currents flowing through the power feeding lines,

wherein the terminal block includes terminal plates electrically connected to the power feeding lines,

wherein parts of the terminal plates pass through a central opening of the zero current transformer, and

wherein the zero current transformer includes a positioning member molded within the central opening to fix the positions of said parts of the terminal plates.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an additional terminal block, to which a vehicle side cable is removably connected, for providing electric connection between the vehicle side cable and the power feeding lines,

wherein the relay unit is arranged on the power feeding lines in an overlapping relationship with the additional terminal block, and

wherein the additional terminal block is connected to the power feeding lines of the vehicle side, the power feeding lines being electrically connected to one end of contact portion of the relay unit.