Battery and electric unit assembly for vehicle

• US 7,400,111 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kokusan Denki Company Limited (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Kokusan Denki Company Limited (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Kishibata, Kazuyohsi, Endou, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US11/449,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/107, 320/118, 320/112
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/258 Modular batteries; Casings provided with means for assembling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/278 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• 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

An on-vehicle battery and electric unit assembly including: a battery mounted to a body of a vehicle driven by an engine; and an electric unit in which components of an electrical circuit connected to the battery are housed in a unit case provided with a positive DC terminal and a negative DC terminal connected to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the battery, wherein the electric unit is placed adjacent to the battery, and the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery are connected to the positive DC terminal and the negative DC terminal of the electric unit by a positive busbar and a negative busbar, respectively.

Claims

1. A battery and electric unit assembly for a vehicle driven by an engine comprising:

a battery case having a unit holder outside thereof and mounted to a body of said vehicle;

a battery housed in said battery case;

an electric unit which comprises a unit case held by said unit holder and components of an electric circuit to be connected to said battery, said unit case having a positive DC terminal and a negative DC terminal to be connected to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of said battery, and said components being housed in said unit case;

wherein said battery case is comprised so that positions of the positive terminal and the negative terminal of said battery are uniquely determined when said battery is housed in said battery case, and said unit holder is comprised so that positions of the positive DC terminal and the negative DC terminal of said electric unit are uniquely determined when said electric unit is held by said unit holder, and

the positive DC terminal of the electric unit held by said unit holder and the positive terminal of said battery are connected by a positive busbar formed of conductive plates, and the negative DC terminal of said electric unit and the negative terminal of said battery are connected by a a negative busbar formed of conductive plates.

2. A battery and electric unit assembly for a vehicle driven by an engine comprising:

a battery case mounted to a body of said vehicle, said case comprising a case body having an open upper end and a unit holder on a side surface thereof, and an insulating resin cover placed to close the open upper end of said case body;

a battery housed in said battery case;

an electric unit which comprises a unit case held by said unit holder and components of an electric circuit to be connected to said battery, said unit case having a positive DC terminal and a negative DC terminal to be connected to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of said battery, and said components being housed in said unit case;

wherein said positive DC terminal and said negative DC terminal are provided on an upper portion of the electric unit held by said unit holder,

a positive busbar and a negative busbar are molded in said cover, said positive busbar being provided so that one end and the other end thereof are placed on the positive terminal of said battery and the positive DC terminal of said electric unit, respectively, when said cover is placed on an upper end of said case body, and a negative busbar provided so that one end and the other end thereof are placed on the negative terminal of said battery and the negative DC terminal of said electric unit, respectively, when said cover is placed on the upper end of said case body, and

one end of said positive busbar and one end of said negative busbar are connected to the positive terminal of said battery and the negative terminal of said battery, respectively, by bolts, and the other end of said positive busbar and the other end of said negative busbar are connected to the positive DC terminal and the negative DC terminal of said electric unit, respectively, by bolts.

3. The battery and electric assembly for a vehicle driven by an engine according to claim 2, wherein

a metal frame secured to the body of said vehicle is provided, and said battery case is secured to said metal frame by bolts, and

said negative busbar is earthed to the body of said vehicle through said metal frame when said battery case is secured to said metal frame.

4. A battery and electric unit assembly for a vehicle driven by an engine comprising:

a battery mounted to a body of the vehicle;

an electric unit in which components of an electric circuit to be connected to said battery are housed in a unit case provided with a positive DC terminal and a negative DC terminal to be connected to a positive terminal of said battery and a negative terminal of said battery, respectively, wherein said electric unit is placed adjacent to said battery, and the positive terminal and the negative terminal of said battery are connected to the positive DC terminal and the negative DC terminal of said electric unit through a positive busbar and a negative busbar, respectively,

wherein said engine comprises a starter generator, and

an electric circuit of said electric unit constitutes;

a driver that comprises a full-wave rectifier circuit that converts an AC output supplied from armature coils of said starter generator through said AC terminal to a DC output and supplies the DC output from said positive DC terminal and said negative DC terminal to said battery, when said starter generator operates as a generator and comprises an inverter-type switch circuit that converts a DC output supplied from said battery through said positive DC terminal and said negative DC terminal to a drive current required for operating said starter generator as a motor and supplies the drive current from said AC terminal to said armature coils when said engine is started; and

a controller that controls said driver.