Continuous current supply for electrical automotive vehicle

• US 6,406,812 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oldham France SA
• Original Assignee: Oldham France SA
• Inventors: Lenain, Pierre Georges Gerard, Dreulle, Claude Maurice Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Brouillette, Gabrielle
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin, Angela J.
• Application Number:
  US09/556,665
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 429/99, 429/157, 429/100, 429/159, 429/163, 429/158, 429/176, 429/156, 429/96, 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 429/99
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

This direct current power supply for electric vehicles includes a modular set of electrical storage batteries (16) which are electrically interconnected. The batteries are disposed in battery boxes (18, 20) which can be stacked to constitute a stack of modules (12, 14).

Claims

1. A direct current power supply for electric vehicles, comprising modular stackable battery boxes, each of said boxes being structured and arranged to contain electrically interconnected electrical storage batteries, a first of said battery boxes being structured and arranged to be stacked on a second of said battery boxes and includes a lateral wall delimiting a passage for cables for connecting the batteries in said first battery box with the batteries in said second battery box.

2. The power supply of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second battery boxes includes a housing adapted to receive a battery charger for charging said batteries.

3. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the first and second battery boxes each includes ventilation openings for ventilating the batteries contained therein.

4. The power supply of claim 3, wherein each of the openings is delimited by a cutout formed in a projecting edge area of a lateral wall.

5. The power supply of claim 1, wherein a lateral wall of each battery box includes handling means adapted to cooperate with lifting equipment.

6. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said passage is an enclosure that extends from an exterior surface of said first lateral wall.

7. A battery box for an electric vehicle, the box being structure and arranged to contain electrically interconnected electrical storage batteries and comprises a first lateral wall forming a passage for cables for connecting the batteries contained in the battery box to terminals outside the battery box.

8. The battery box of claim 7, further comprising a housing adapted to receive a battery charger for charging said batteries.

9. The battery box of claim 7, further comprising a ventilation opening for ventilating the batteries contained therein.

10. The battery box of claim 9, wherein the opening is delimited by a cutout formed in a projecting edge area of a lateral wall.

11. The battery box of claim 7, further comprising handling means located on opposing lateral walls adapted to cooperate with lifting equipment.

12. The battery box of claim 7, in combination with a second battery box, the first mentioned battery box and the second battery box being structured and arranged for stacking the first mentioned battery box on the second battery box.

13. The battery box of claim 7, wherein said passage is an enclosure that extends from an exterior surface of said first lateral wall.

14. A direct current power supply, comprising:

a first battery box housing plural first batteries that are electrically connected to each other;

a second battery box housing plural second batteries that are electrically connected to each other, a bottom of said second battery box being removably carried on a top of said first battery box to form a stack of said first and second battery boxes;

an electrical connection cable connecting said plural first batteries to said plural second batteries; and

an enclosed cable conduit within a lateral wall of said second battery box, said electrical connection cable being routed through said cable conduit.

15. The power supply of claim 14, wherein said enclosed cable conduit is a bulge in an exterior surface of said lateral wall of said second battery box.