Bus bar current detecting apparatus

• US 7,538,540 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington; Jermele M
• Application Number:
  US11/248,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20060082357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/117.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/20 using galvano-magnetic devices, e.g. Hall-effect devices , i.e. measuring a magnetic field via the interaction between a current and a magnetic field, e.g. magneto resistive or Hall effect devices

Abstract

A current detecting portion A includes a magnetic shield attached to a bus bar BU, a magnetic shield attached to a bus bar BV, and a magnetic shield attached to a bus bar BW. On bus bars BV, BU and BW arranged in parallel, current sensors SU, SV and SW are arranged at alternately displaced positions along each bus bar. The magnetic shields are also arranged at alternately displaced positions along each bus bar. The arrangement of the magnetic shield and the current sensors is what is called a staggered arrangement, whereby magnetic interference from an adjacent bus bar to a current sensor can be avoided.

Claims

1. A current detecting apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of bus bars each for passing a current, at least part of said plurality of bus bars being arranged in parallel; and

a plurality of current sensors respectively arranged to said plurality of bus bars, wherein

said plurality of current sensors are arranged at alternately displaced positions along said part of plurality of bus bars being arranged in parallel.

2. The current detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

each of said plurality of current sensors senses a magnetic field near a corresponding bus bar in order to detect a current passing through the corresponding bus bar, and

said current detecting apparatus further comprises

a plurality of magnetic shields respectively arranged to said plurality of bus bars each for reducing magnetic interference to a current sensor arranged at an adjacent bus bar.

3. The current detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said plurality of magnetic shields are arranged at alternately displaced positions along said part of plurality of bus bars being arranged in parallel.

4. The current detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a processing portion receiving an output of said current sensor to sense a value of a current passing through a corresponding bus bar; and

a flexible substrate with flexibility provided with an interconnection line electrically connecting said processing portion and said current sensor.

5. The current detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said current sensor is a current sensor of a coreless type that performs current sensing without using a magnetic core.