Power circuit device for vehicles and control method thereof

• US 6,989,978 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2002
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hideki, Hiraku, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Demakis, James A.
• Application Number:
  US10/283,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 361/86
• US Class Current: 361/86
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/004 using plural redundant serial connected relay operated contacts in controlled circuit

Abstract

The power circuit device for vehicles is provided with a grounding portion for grounding portions closer to a power consumption device side than a relay of main conductive routes when the relays used for the main conductive routes extending from an accumulator of a vehicle to a fuel heating device, a catalyst heating device, an electric pump, or the like is turned OFF, so that a false power application is not executed even a short-circuit occurs in a part of a power circuit. Also, when two relays are arranged in series, the grounding portion is provided for the relay closer to the power consumption device in order to monitor a voltage level of the main conductive route and make it easy to detect a short-circuit or a disconnection occurrence.

Claims

1. A power circuit device for vehicles that controls a selective power supply to a power consumption device from an accumulator, the power circuit device comprising:

a main conductive route that includes at least one relay switched between ON and OFF, and passes a current from the accumulator to the power consumption device, the main conductive route including an end half portion that connects the power consumption device and the relay; and

a grounding portion that grounds the end half portion when the relay is turned OFF, wherein;

the relay includes a first relay and a second relay connected in series between the accumulator and the power consumption device, and

the ground portion grounds the end half portion in the main conductive route closer to the power consumption device than the second relay when the second relay is turned OFF.

2. The power circuit device for vehicles according to claim 1 further comprising:

a voltage monitoring portion that determines at least whether there is a short-circuit failure or a disconnection failure in the power circuit device for vehicles based on an ON-OFF states of the first relay and the second relay, and the voltage level of the end half portion of the main conductive route.

3. The power circuit device for vehicles according to claim 2 wherein:

the voltage monitoring portion determines that there is a disconnection failure in the grounding portion based on a fact that a voltage of the end half portion of the main conductive route is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold value, when the second relay is in OFF state, and a predetermined monitor voltage is applied to the end half portion of the main conductive route.

4. The power circuit device for vehicles according to claim 2 wherein:

the voltage monitoring portion determines that there is a grounding failure in the end half portion of the main conductive route based on a fact that a voltage of the end half portion of the main conductive route is substantially equal to zero, when the first relay is in OFF state and also the second relay is in ON state, and a predetermined monitor voltage is applied to the end half portion of the main conductive route.

5. The power circuit device for vehicles according to claim 2 wherein:

the voltage monitoring portion determines that there is a disconnection failure in at least either the end half portion of the main conductive route or the power consumption device based on a fact that a voltage of the end half portion of the main conductive route is equal to or higher than the predetermined second threshold value, when the first relay is in OFF state and also the second relay is in ON state, and a predetermined monitor voltage is applied to the end half portion of the main conductive route.

6. The power circuit device for vehicles according to claim 2 wherein:

the voltage monitoring portion determines that there is ground short-circuit in the main conductive route based on a fact that a voltage of the end half portion of the main conductive route is substantially lower than a voltage of the accumulator when the first relay and the second relay are in ON state.

7. The power circuit device for vehicles according to claim 1 wherein:

the first relay is turned ON from OFF after the second relay is turned ON from OFF, when a power supply from the accumulator to the power consumption device is started.

8. The power circuit device for vehicles according to claim 1 wherein:

the first relay is turned OFF from ON after the second relay is turned OFF from ON, when the power supply from the accumulator to the power consumption device is stopped.

9. A control method for a power circuit device for vehicles that controls a selective power supply from an accumulator to a power consumption device, the power circuit device comprising a main conductive route which includes at least one relay and passes a current from the accumulator to the power consumption device, the main conductive route including an end half portion that connects the power consumption device and the relay, the method comprising the step of:

grounding the end half portion when the relay is turned OFF,

wherein the relay comprises a first relay and a second relay on the main conductive route in series between the accumulator and the power consumption device, the second relay being closer than the first relay to the power consumption device, and the grounding step grounds the end half portion between the second relay and the power consumption device, when the second relay is turned OFF.

10. The control method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

determining at least whether there is a short-circuit failure or a disconnection failure in the power circuit device for vehicles based on an ON-OFF states of the first relay and the second relay, and the voltage level of the end half portion of the main conductive route.

11. The control method according to claim 10 wherein:

the determining step determines that there is a disconnection failure between the second relay and the power consumption device based on a fact that a voltage between the second relay and the power consumption device is equal to or higher than the predetermined first threshold value, when the second relay is in OFF state, and a predetermined monitor voltage is applied to the route between the second relay and the power consumption device.

12. The control method according to claim 10 wherein:

the determining step determines that there is a ground short-circuit between the second relay and the power consumption device based on a fact that a voltage between the second relay and the power consumption device is substantially zero, when the first relay is in OFF state and the second relay is in ON state, and a predetermined voltage is applied between the second relay and the power consumption device.

13. The control method according to claim 10 wherein:

the determining step determines that there is a disconnection failure at least either between the second relay and the power consumption device or in the power consumption device based on a fact that a voltage between the second relay and the power consumption device is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold value, when the first relay is in OFF state and the second relay is in ON state, and a predetermined voltage is applied between the second relay and the power consumption device.

14. The control method according to claim 10 wherein:

the determining step determines that there is a ground short-circuit in the main conductive route based on a fact that a voltage between the second relay and the power consumption device is substantially lower than the voltage of the accumulator, when both the first relay and the second relay are in ON state.

15. The control method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

turning the first relay ON from OFF after turning the second relay ON from OFF, when a power supply from the accumulator to the power consumption device is started.

16. The control method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

turning the first relay OFF from ON after turning the second relay OFF from ON, when the power supply from the accumulator to the power consumption device is stopped.

17. A power circuit device for vehicles that controls a selective power supply to a power consumption device from an accumulator, the power circuit device comprising:

a main conductive route that includes at least one relay switched between ON and OFF, and passes a current from the accumulator to the power consumption device, the power consumption device being a heating device or an electric pump, the main conductive route including an end half portion that connects the power consumption device and the relay; and

a grounding portion that grounds the end half portion when the relay is turned OFF.

18. A control method for a power circuit device for vehicles that controls a selective power supply from an accumulator to a power consumption device, the power circuit device comprising a main conductive route which includes at least one relay and passes a current from the accumulator to the power consumption device, the main conductive route including an end half portion that connects the power consumption device and the relay, the method comprising the step of:

grounding the end half portion when the relay is turned OFF, wherein the power consumption device is a heating device or an electric pump.