Apparatus for starting drive of load by high-voltage battery

• US 6,515,455 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2001
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hidaka, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/935,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 320/135, 307/10.1, 307/10.7, 307/20, 322/8
• US Class Current: 320/135
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery

Abstract

A combination battery includes a plurality of cells connected together in series. A switching element operates for selectively blocking and unblocking a power feed path between the combination battery and a load. The switching element is changed to its on state when receiving a drive voltage. When a starting switch is moved to its on position, a drive circuit is connected with at least one cell among the cells in the combination battery and uses the at least one cell as a power source to generate the drive voltage applied to the switching element. A power supply circuit receives an output voltage from the combination battery and starts to operate when the switching element is changed to its on state. At a later moment, a power source for setting the switching element in its on state is changed from the at least one cell to the power supply circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for starting the drive of a load by a high-voltage battery, comprising:

a combination battery including a plurality of cells connected together in series;

a power feed path between the combination battery and the load;

a switching element for selectively blocking and unblocking the power feed path, the switching element being changed to its on state when receiving a drive voltage;

a starting switch;

a drive circuit connected with at least one cell among the cells in the combination battery and using said at least one cell as a power source to generate the drive voltage when the starting switch is moved to its on position, the drive circuit applying the drive voltage to the switching element;

a power supply circuit connected with the power feed path and the switching element, and receiving an output voltage from the combination battery and starting to operate when the switching element is changed to its on state, the power supply circuit dropping the output voltage from the combination battery to generate a dropped voltage; and

means for changing a power source for setting the switching element in its on state from said at least one cell to the power supply circuit in response to the dropped voltage generated by the power supply circuit.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the changing means comprises a relay including a drive coil and a relay switch, and the relay switch changes the power source for setting the switching element in its on state from said at least one cell to the power supply circuit when the dropped voltage generated by the power supply circuit is applied to the drive coil.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the changing means comprises 1) means for setting the dropped voltage generated by the power supply circuit to a level higher than an output voltage of said at least one cell, and 2) means for connecting the drive circuit to both said at least one cell and the power supply circuit, wherein the output voltage of said at least one cell is applied to the drive circuit and the switching element is changed to its on state when the starting switch is moved to its on position, and wherein after the power supply circuit is started to operate, the dropped voltage generated by the power supply circuit is applied to the drive circuit and the switching element is kept in its on state.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, further comprising a rectifying element provided in a power feed line connected between the drive circuit and said at least one cell, the rectifying element allowing a flow of a current from said at least one cell to the drive circuit and blocking a flow of a current from the drive circuit to said at least one cell.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means provided in a power feed line between the changing means and said at least one cell for sensing a current flowing in the power feed line, and detecting a changing state of the changing means in response to the sensed current.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a rectifying circuit for converting an AC power into a DC power, and means for feeding the DC power to the load.

7. An apparatus for starting the drive of a load by a high-voltage battery, comprising:

a combination battery including a plurality of cells connected together in series, the combination battery having a tap between its hot end and its cold end;

a power feed path between the combination battery and the load;

a switching element being changed to an on state when receiving a drive voltage, and being changed to an off state when being released from the drive voltage, the switching element unblocking the power feed path when being changed to the on state, and blocking the power feed patch when being changed to the off state;

a starting switch movable to an on position;

first means for, when the starting switch moves to the on position, generating a first control voltage from a voltage at the tap of the combination battery and applying the first control voltage to the switching element as the drive voltage to change the switching element to the on state;

second means for generating a second control voltage from an output voltage of the combination battery when the switching element is changed to the on state by the first means; and

third means for applying the second control voltage to the switching element as the drive voltage instead of the first control voltage to keep the switching element in the on state.