Short-circuit protection for an electric vehicle battery

• US 8,355,233 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Auto-Kabel Management GmbH (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Auto-Kabel Management GmbH (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lietz, Franz-Josef, Schumacher, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja, Ronald W
• Application Number:
  US13/318,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20120106017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 361/114
• US Class Current: 361/114
• 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: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/083 responsive to the entry or leakage of a liquid into an electrical appliance moisture alarm G08B21/20
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/18 for batteries; for accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Device for electrically protecting an electric vehicle. To protect high voltage batteries of electric vehicles in the event of floods, a disconnecting device 6 for electrically disconnecting a vehicle battery 2 from an electric distribution system 8 within the vehicle and a detection device 4 for determining wetness are provided such that the detection device 4 activates the disconnecting device 6 if wetness 12 is detected, so that the vehicle battery 2 is electrically disconnected from the electric distribution system 8.

Claims

1. Device for electrically protecting an electric vehicle comprising:

a disconnecting unit for electrically disconnecting electric lines of a vehicle battery, and

a detection unit for determining moisture, in such a way that the detection unit activates the disconnecting unit when moisture is detected, so the electric line is electrically disconnected,

wherein the electric line is a connection of battery cells within the battery, and that the detection unit is arranged on the vehicle battery, and that the detection unit activates the disconnecting unit to disconnect the connection between the battery cells, when water arrives within the battery.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle battery is a high voltage battery.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit has at least one moisture sensor.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the moisture sensor is a water sensor.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit has at least one rain sensor.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the disconnecting unit when activated by the rain sensor disconnects the battery contacts mechanically from the electric distribution system when rain is detected, and that the disconnecting unit, when activated by the water sensor disconnects the battery contacts pyrotechnically from the electric distribution system when surrounded by water.

7. Electric vehicle comprising a device according to claim 1.

8. Method for electrically protecting an electric vehicle comprising:

determining moisture within the electric vehicle, and electrically disconnecting a line of a battery of the vehicle when moisture is detected,

wherein a detection unit is arranged within the vehicle battery, and that a disconnecting unit is activated by the detection unit to disconnect the connection between cells of the battery when water arrives within the battery.