BATTERY DIAGNOSTIC SENSOR UNIT

• US 20170222282A1
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: CUBERO PITEL, Jose Antonio, MUNOZ, Luis Miguel, ROSET RUBIO, Josep Maria
• Application Number:
  US15/011,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20170222282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery monitoring system that may be used to measure/monitor any number of battery operating conditions, including those associated with a vehicle battery. The system may be configured to interconnect a battery post that receives energy from the battery and a cable that electrically connects the battery to a vehicle.

Claims

1. A battery monitoring system for use with a battery used to power electrical devices within a vehicle, the battery having a battery post, the system comprising:

a battery clamp including a terminal adapter at one end and a shunt adapter at another end, the terminal adapter having a compressively tightened connection to electrically connect to a battery post;

a shunt having a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion, and a resistive portion disposed between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, the first conductive portion of the shunt attached to a first end of the shunt adapter and the second conductive portion of the shunt attached to a conducting portion of a vehicle cable, the cable being used to carry energy between the battery and the vehicle;

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a battery monitoring circuit configured to measure a voltage drop between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion of the shunt; and

a housing enclosing the PCB and at least a portion of the shunt, the housing including a tab slot that receives a tab formed at a second end of the shunt adapter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first conductive portion of the shunt is attached to the first end of the shunt adapter using a soldering process.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first conductive portion of the shunt is attached to the first end of the shunt adapter using a welding process.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first conductive portion of the shunt is attached to the first end of the shunt adapter using a brazing process.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a signal connector attached to the PCB and in communication with the battery monitoring circuit, the signal connector providing an interface that sends signals to and receives signals from a network vehicle element.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tab is co-planar with the second end of the shunt adapter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the tab is angled downward from a main plane of the shunt adapter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed from an epoxy molded compound molded around the PCB and the portion of the shunt.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the shunt adapter includes a bend positioned between the first end and the second end to cause the first end and the second end of the shunt adapter to be in offset, parallel planes.

10. A battery diagnostic sensor (BDS) unit for use between a vehicle battery and a vehicle cable, the vehicle cable being used for transferring energy between the vehicle battery and one or more electrical devices included within a vehicle, the BDS unit comprising:

a shunt having a resistive portion disposed between a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion, the second conductive portion connected to an electrically conducting portion of a vehicle cable;

a printed circuit board (PCB) having first and second footprints respectively connected to the first and second conductive portions of the shunt, the PCB including a battery monitoring circuit measuring a voltage drop between the first and second footprints;

a signal connector attached to the PCB and in communication with the battery monitoring circuit, the signal connector providing an interface that sends signals to and receives signals from a network vehicle element;

a housing enclosing the PCB and at least a portion of the shunt; and

a battery clamp composed of a continuous piece of material, the battery clamp including;

(i) a terminal adapter having a cylindrically shaped, compressively tightened portion to electrically connect to a post of the battery; and

(ii) a shunt adapter extending from the terminal adapter, the shunt adapter affixing the battery clamp to a remainder of the BDS unit at a first fixation point and a second fixation point, the shunt adapter having a first end electrically connected to the first conductive portion of the shunt at the first fixation point and a second end having a tab inserted into a corresponding tab slot in the housing at the second fixation point.

11. The BDS unit of claim 10, wherein the first end of the shunt adapter is electrically connected to the first conductive portion of the shunt using one of a soldering, welding, or brazing process.

12. The BDS unit of claim 10, wherein the tab is co-planar with the second end of the shunt adapter.

13. The BDS unit of claim 10, wherein the tab is angled downward from a main plane of the second end of the shunt adapter.

14. The BDS unit of claim 10, wherein the housing is formed from an epoxy molded compound molded around the PCB and the portion of the shunt.

15. The BDS unit of claim 10, wherein the shunt adapter includes a bend between the first end and the second end to position the first end and the second end of the shunt adapter are in offset, parallel planes.

16. The BDS unit of claim 10, wherein the second conductive portion of the shunt is connected to an electrically conducting portion of the vehicle cable via a connecting element, the connecting element having a proximal end including at least a first clamping portion secured to the electrically conducting portion of the vehicle cable, the connecting element having a distal end electrically connected to the second conductive portion of the shunt.

17. A method for assembling a battery diagnostic sensor (BDS) unit comprising:

providing a PCB having at least a battery monitoring circuit;

soldering a shunt and a signal connector to the PCB;

forming a housing around the PCB and at least portions of the shunt and the signal connector using a moldable compound; and

attaching a battery clamp to the BDS unit at a first fixation point and a second fixation point, wherein only one of the first and second fixation points includes an electrical connection to the shunt.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein attaching the battery clamp to the BDS unit comprises:

inserting a tab formed in a battery clamp into a tab slot formed in the housing at the second fixation point; and

electrically connecting a shunt adapter to the shunt at the first fixation point.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the shunt adapter is electrically connected to a first conductive portion of the shunt, the method further comprising:

electrically connecting a vehicle cable to a second conductive portion of the shunt, the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion of the shunt being separated by a resistive portion of the shunt.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein electrically connecting the shunt adapter to the shunt comprises one of soldering, welding, or brazing the shunt adapter to the shunt.