Motor vehicle that acquires driving power for running from high voltage power supply

• US 6,860,357 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharma, Rashmi
• Application Number:
  US10/150,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20020195290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 180/277, 180/279, 180/282
• US Class Current: 180/277
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/16 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• 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: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration

Abstract

A motor vehicle acquires driving power for running from a high voltage power supply. The vehicle has a collision detecting device that detects a vehicle collision, a deceleration detecting device that detects a deceleration of the motor vehicle, and a high voltage system shut-off control device that provides control such that a circuit of the high voltage power supply is broken in response to a collision detection signal from the collision detecting device. The circuit of the high voltage power supply is reconnected when the deceleration detected by the deceleration detecting device does not become equal to or greater than a predetermined value within a short period of time from the receipt of the collision detection signal. Therefore, if the vehicle has collided, the power supply is shut off immediately, and if the vehicle has not really collided, the power supply is not shut off so as to surely enable the vehicle to run.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle driven by a motor run by power, comprising:

a feeding circuit breaking and connecting device provided in a feeding circuit that provides a power supply to a motor, for breaking and connecting the feeding circuit;

a collision detecting device for detecting a collision of said motor vehicle;

a failure determination device that determines a failure of said collision detecting device; and

a high voltage system shut-off control device for controlling said feeding circuit breaking and connecting device to break the feeding circuit in response to said collision detecting device detecting a collision of said motor vehicle, and to restore the connection of the feeding circuit in response to said failure determination device determining that said collision detecting device failed.

2. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said collision detecting device outputs a collision signal if a deceleration of said motor vehicle has become equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

3. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said collision detecting device is a collision detecting device for an air bag provided in said motor vehicle.

4. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

if said collision detecting device has output the collision detection signal for a predetermined period or longer, said failure determination device determines that said collision detection signal failed.

5. A motor vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a failure indicating device that informs a driver of a failure of said collision detecting device upon said collision detecting device failing.

6. A motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said collision detection signal is output to said high voltage system shut-off control device if a deceleration of said motor vehicle has become equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

7. A motor vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined period is set longer than a period in which a larger deceleration of not less than said predetermined value is assumed to occur during a collision.

8. A method of controlling supply of power to a motor of a motor vehicle that is driven by the motor run by power, comprising the steps of:

detecting a collision of said motor vehicle with a collision detecting device;

breaking a feeding circuit to the motor with a feeding circuit breaking and connecting device upon detecting a collision of said motor vehicle;

determining whether a collision signal from said collision detecting device is false; and

controlling the feeding circuit breaking and connecting device to restore the connection of said feeding circuit if the collision signal from said collision detecting device is false.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein:

the collision signal is false when the collision detecting device fails, whereupon the power supply to said motor is restored.