Current detection apparatus

• US 8,427,133 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ito, Kohei, Uechi, Tatsuyuki, Suzuki, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): BENITEZ ROSARIO, JOSHUA
• Application Number:
  US12/654,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 324/117.R, 324/117.H, 324/127, 324/765.01
• US Class Current: 324/117.R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/207 Constructional details independent of the type of device used
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence

Abstract

A current detection apparatus where a sensor unit that detects the magnetic field in a predetermined magnetic field detection direction is disposed in a vicinity such that the magnetic field detection direction is substantially orthogonal to an extension direction of the subject bus bar at the detection portion, one of the plurality of bus bars disposed adjacent to the subject bus bar is set as an adjacent bus bar, a plane that is orthogonal to an extension direction of each portion of the adjacent bus bar is set as an extension orthogonal plane of the portion, and the extension direction of each portion of the adjacent bus bar relative to the sensor unit is set such that none of the extension orthogonal planes of the respective portions of the adjacent bus bar pass through the sensor unit in a parallel direction to the magnetic field detection direction.

Claims

1. A current detection apparatus that sets at least one of a plurality of bus bars disposed in parallel as a subject bus bar and detects a current flowing through the subject bus bar on the basis of a magnetic field generated in the vicinity of the subject bus bar, wherein

a sensor unit that detects the magnetic field in a predetermined magnetic field detection direction is disposed in the vicinity of a detection portion of the subject bus bar such that the magnetic field detection direction is substantially orthogonal to an extension direction of the subject bus bar at the detection portion,

one of the plurality of bus bars that is disposed adjacent to the subject bus bar is set as an adjacent bus bar,

a plane that is orthogonal to an extension direction of each portion of the adjacent bus bar is set as an extension orthogonal plane of the portion,

the extension direction of each portion of the adjacent bus bar relative to the sensor unit is set such that none of the extension orthogonal planes of the respective portions of the adjacent bus bar pass through the sensor unit in a parallel direction to the magnetic field detection direction,

the plurality of bus bars each include a first side parallel region that is disposed on a first side of a predetermined reference direction and has an extension direction that is parallel to the reference direction, a second side parallel region that is disposed on a second side of the reference direction relative to the first side parallel region and has an extension direction that is parallel to the reference direction, and a bent region that is disposed between the first side parallel region and the second side parallel region and has an extension direction that is different from the reference direction and is different from a direction orthogonal to the reference direction,

the detection portion is provided in the bent region of the subject bus bar,

the first side parallel region and the second side parallel region of the adjacent bus bar are disposed so as not to overlap the sensor unit in the reference direction, and

the sensor unit detects the current flowing in a direction that is different from the reference direction.

2. The current detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of bus bars include the bent regions having identical extension directions, and the bent region provided in the adjacent bus bar is disposed so as not to overlap the sensor unit in the extension direction of the bent region.

3. The current detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two of the bus bars that are adjacent to each other include the bent regions having different extension directions from each other.

4. The current detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of bus bars are constituted by identically shaped members.

5. The current detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein center lines of the plurality of bus bars are disposed to be coplanar.

6. The current detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of bus bars are constituted by three bus bars through which a three-phase alternating current for driving a rotary electric machine flows, and at least two of the three bus bars are set as the subject bus bar.

7. The current detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is constituted by a coreless magnetic field detection sensor not having a flux concentration core, and does not include a shield against an external magnetic field other than the magnetic field generated by the subject bus bar.

8. A current detection apparatus that sets at least one of a plurality of bus bars disposed in parallel as a subject bus bar and detects a current flowing through the subject bus bar on the basis of a magnetic field generated in the vicinity of the subject bus bar, wherein

a sensor unit that detects the magnetic field in a predetermined magnetic field detection direction is disposed in the vicinity of a detection portion of the subject bus bar such that the magnetic field detection direction is substantially orthogonal to an extension direction of the subject bus bar at the detection portion,

the plurality of bus bars each include a first side parallel region that is disposed on a first side of a predetermined reference direction and has an extension direction that is parallel to the reference direction, a second side parallel region that is disposed on a second side of the reference direction relative to the first side parallel region and has an extension direction that is parallel to the reference direction, and a bent region that is disposed between the first side parallel region and the second side parallel region and has an extension direction that is different from the reference direction and is different from a direction orthogonal to the reference direction,

the detection portion is provided in the bent region of the subject bus bar,

the first side parallel region and the second side parallel region of an adjacent bus bar disposed adjacent to the subject bus bar are disposed so as not to overlap the sensor unit in the reference direction, and

the sensor unit detects the current flowing in a direction that is different from the reference direction.

9. The current detection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein all of the plurality of bus bars include the bent regions having identical extension directions, and the bent region provided in one of the bus bars disposed adjacent to the subject bus bar is disposed so as not to overlap the sensor unit in the extension direction of the bent region.

10. The current detection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the subject bus bar and one of the bus bars that is disposed adjacent to the subject bus bar include the respective bent regions having the different extension directions from each other.