Controller assemblies for electric drive utility vehicles

• US 8,207,693 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Hauser, Raymond, Wyatt, Christopher K., Todd, Michael, Rousser, Donald, Fox, Ivan E., Butler, Josh
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDA, RINA I
• Application Number:
  US12/367,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 318/34, 318/625, 361/784, 361/748, 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 361/614, 361/616, 361/601, 361/606
• US Class Current: 318/34
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/66 with two or more cutters
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/78 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/68 controlling two or more dc dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/74 controlling two or more ac dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Controller assemblies and packaging for electronic control systems of electric motors utilized in utility vehicles or other power equipment. Features of the controller assemblies and packaging described herein allow for, among other things, modularity, scalability, and improved heat transfer.

Claims

1. A controller assembly for controlling first and second electric motors of a utility vehicle, the first electric motor for powering a traction drive of the utility vehicle and the second electric motor for powering an auxiliary function of the utility vehicle, the controller assembly comprising:

a plurality of controller boards each having at least one associated connector in communication with one of the first or second electric motors of the utility vehicle, at least one of the plurality of controller boards configured to control the first electric motor, and at least one of the plurality of controller boards configured to control the second electric motor; and

a housing having mounting features to facilitate mounting to the vehicle and comprising a plurality of individual housing members each containing at least one of the plurality of controller boards, the individual housing members connectable to each other to collectively define an enclosed interior space.

2. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the individual housing members comprises a motherboard having a plurality of expansion slots each configured to accept one of the plurality of controller boards.

3. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controller boards comprises a master traction controller board, a slave traction controller board, a master auxiliary controller board, and a slave auxiliary controller board.

4. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the individual housing members comprise at least one end housing member having one open side.

5. The controller assembly of claim 4, wherein the individual housing members further comprise one intermediate housing member having two open sides, each of the open sides configured to mate with either the open side of the at least one end housing member or a backing plate.

6. The controller assembly of claim 4, wherein the individual housing members comprise at least two intermediate housing members each having two open sides, each of the open sides configured to mate with either the open side of the at least one end housing member, one of the open sides of another of the at least two intermediate housing members, or a backing plate.

7. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises two end housing members and at least one intermediate housing member, the end housing members each having one open end configured to mate with the at least one intermediate housing member, and the at least one intermediate housing member having two open ends, the two open ends configured to mate with either the open end of one of the two end housing members or one of the two open ends of another intermediate housing member.

8. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an end housing member, at least one intermediate housing member, and a backing plate connectable to each other to collectively define the enclosed interior space of the housing.

9. The controller assembly of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of fasteners each configured to collectively connect the individual housing members and the backing plate together.

10. A controller assembly for controlling a plurality of electric motors of a mowing vehicle, the assembly comprising:

at least a first controller board configured to control a first electric motor of the plurality of electric motors for powering a traction drive of the mowing vehicle and having at least one connector in communication with the first electric motor; and

at least a second controller board configured to control a second electric motor for powering mower blades of the mowing vehicle and having at least one connector in communication with the second electric motor; and

a housing defining an enclosed interior space and having mounting features to facilitate mounting to the mowing vehicle, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of individual housing members connectable to each other to collectively form the housing, each individual housing member containing at least one controller board.

11. The assembly of claim 10, further comprising at least one additional controller board disposed within the enclosed interior space of the housing and configured to control a third electric motor for powering an additional traction drive of the mowing vehicle and having at least one connector that penetrates the housing to allow connection to at least one additional signal line in communication with the third electric motor.

12. The controller assembly of claim 10, wherein at least one of the individual housing members comprises a motherboard having a plurality of expansion slots each configured to accept one of the first and second controller boards.

13. The controller assembly of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of individual housing members includes a backing plate.

14. The controller assembly of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of sealing gaskets each disposed between two of the plurality of individual housing members.

15. An expandable controller assembly for controlling a plurality of electric motors of a utility vehicle, the assembly comprising:

a plurality of individual housing members connected together to collectively define an enclosed interior space, at least one of the individual housing members having mounting features to facilitate mounting of the controller assembly to the vehicle; and

a plurality of controller boards, each controller board mounted within one of the plurality of individual housing members and associated with at least one connector that penetrates the controller assembly to allow connection to a signal line in communication with at least one of the plurality of electric motors of the vehicle;

wherein individual housing members can be added to or subtracted from the expandable controller assembly to redefine the volume of the enclosed interior space.

16. The controller assembly of claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of controller boards is configured to control at least one of the plurality of electric motors powering a traction drive of the vehicle, and at least one of the plurality of controller boards is configured to control at least one of the plurality of electric motors powering an auxiliary function of the utility vehicle.

17. A modular controller assembly for controlling a plurality of electric motors of a utility vehicle, the assembly comprising:

a plurality of individual controller modules electrically connected together, each individual controller module defining a housing with at least one controller board mounted therein and having mounting features to facilitate mounting of the individual controller module to the utility vehicle, each module having a connector to allow connection of the at least one controller board to a signal line in communication with at least one of the plurality of electric motors of the vehicle;

wherein the plurality of individual controller modules are mounted at separate locations on the utility vehicle.

18. The modular controller assembly of claim 17, wherein at least one of the individual controller modules is configured to control at least one of the plurality of electric motors powering a traction drive of the utility vehicle, and at least one of the individual controller modules is configured to control at least one of the plurality of electric motors powering an auxiliary function of the utility vehicle.