Feed control device

• US 8,541,978 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuo, Naoki, Mukai, Tatsuya, Mori, Shiro, Watanabe, Hirotoshi, Nakamura, Shinichi, Kakiuchi, Kouji, Minami, Yoji, Kondou, Kazuhiro, Gotou, Kiyosi
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US12/946,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20110121780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• 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: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3278 of relays, solenoids or reed switches measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2047/003 Detecting welded contacts and applying weld break pulses to coil
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A feed control device includes a contact device, an output detector, a contact weld sensor, and an alarm device. The output detector is configured to detect the presence of power feeding into the side of an electrically-powered car from an external power supply. The contact weld sensor is configured to sense that the contact device is welded based on a detection result of the output detector if detecting the presence of power feeding from the external power supply to a feed line for the contact device when a state signal representing charge permission is not entered. The alarm device is configured, if the contact weld sensor senses that the contact device is welded, to indicate the occurrence of weld to the outside.

Claims

1. A feed control device, configured to control power feeding from an external power supply to an electrically-powered car comprising a battery and a charge circuit configured to charge the battery,

wherein the feed control device comprises:

a power connector configured to be detachably attached to a power receptacle of an external power supply;

a load connector configured to be detachably attached to a connector for receiving power, which an electrically-powered car is equipped with;

a contact device placed at a feed line for electrically connecting the power connector and the load connector;

a leak detector for detecting the occurrence of electrical leakage at the side of the electrically-powered car;

a signal input circuit for receiving, from the side of the charge circuit, a state signal representing an operating state by a voltage level;

a controller configured;

to turn the contact device off when a state signal representing charge permission is not entered into the signal input circuit;

to turn the contact device on when the state signal representing charge permission is entered into the signal input circuit; and

to turn the contact device off when said occurrence of electrical leakage is detected;

a feed detector for detecting the presence of power feeding from the external power supply by detecting zero crossing of voltage generated at the feed line between the power connector and the contact device;

an output detector configured to detect the presence of power feeding into the side of the car based on voltage generated at the feed line between the contact device and the load connector;

a contact weld sensor configured to sense that the contact device is welded based on a detection result of the output detector if the feed detector detects said presence of power feeding when the state signal representing charge permission is not entered into the signal input circuit; and

an alarm device configured, if the contact weld sensor senses that the contact device is welded, to indicate the occurrence of weld to the outside.

2. The feed control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured, if the signal input circuit receives the state signal representing charge permission:

to turn the contact device off for a predetermined time;

to subsequently sense whether or not the contact device is welded through the contact weld sensor; and

to turn the contact device on if the contact device is not welded.

3. The feed control device of claim 1,

wherein the output detector is configured to periodically detect the presence of power feeding while the controller turns the contact device on in accordance with the state signal representing charge permission,

wherein the feed control device further comprises a malfunction detector configured to detect operation malfunction of the contact device if said presence of power feeding is not detected through the output detector,

wherein the alarm device is configured, if the malfunction detector detects the operation malfunction, to indicate the occurrence of the operation malfunction of the contact device to the outside.

4. The feed control device of claim 1, further comprising:

an signal output circuit configured to supply the side of the charge circuit in the electrically-powered car with a state signal from the controller, said state signal representing an operating state by a voltage level,

a photo-MOS relay connected between the signal output circuit and the load connector; and

a relay controller configured to turn the photo-MOS relay off until the voltage level of a state signal supplied from the signal output circuit becomes stable.

5. The feed control device of claim 1, wherein the contact weld sensor is configured to sense that the contact device is welded if the output detector detects the presence of power feeding, after the controller turns the contact device off in accordance with the state signal.