Battery charger for an electrically-driven vehicle and method of confirming earth leakage applicable thereto
First Claim
1. A battery charger for charging an electrically-driven vehicle by connecting the electrically-driven vehicle with an external power source, the battery charger comprising:
- an earth leakage detector operable to detect earth leakage of the battery charger;
an earth leakage circuit breaker operable to switch energization from the external power source;
an earth leakage confirmation relay capable of forcibly causing earth leakage in a downstream circuit of the earth leakage detector;
a resistor unit connected in series with the earth leakage confirmation relay and capable of being set to any one of a plurality of leakage current values; and
a controller operable to switch the earth leakage circuit breaker based on a detection result of the earth leakage detector while forcibly causing earth leakage in the downstream circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery charger for charging an electrically-driven vehicle by connecting the electrically-driven vehicle with an external power source, the battery charger includes an earth leakage detector operable to detect earth leakage of the battery charger; an earth leakage circuit breaker operable to switch energization from the external power source; an earth leakage confirmation relay capable of forcibly causing earth leakage in a downstream circuit of the earth leakage detector; a resistor unit connected in series with the earth leakage confirmation relay and capable of being set to any one of a plurality of leakage current values; and a controller operable to switch the earth leakage circuit breaker based on a detection result of the earth leakage detector while forcibly causing earth leakage in the downstream circuit.
11 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A battery charger for charging an electrically-driven vehicle by connecting the electrically-driven vehicle with an external power source, the battery charger comprising:
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an earth leakage detector operable to detect earth leakage of the battery charger; an earth leakage circuit breaker operable to switch energization from the external power source; an earth leakage confirmation relay capable of forcibly causing earth leakage in a downstream circuit of the earth leakage detector; a resistor unit connected in series with the earth leakage confirmation relay and capable of being set to any one of a plurality of leakage current values; and a controller operable to switch the earth leakage circuit breaker based on a detection result of the earth leakage detector while forcibly causing earth leakage in the downstream circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of confirming earth leakage applicable to a battery charger for providing an electrically-driven vehicle with electric power from an external power source by connecting the electrically-driven vehicle with the external power source, the method comprising:
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a first selection step of selecting, after detection of a voltage from the external power source, a first resistor that is determined based on a value of the detected voltage and a leakage current value set in advance; a second selection step of selecting a second resistor having a resistance value greater than that of the first resistor when earth leakage occurs in the battery charger with use of the first resistor selected in the first selection step; an informing step of informing a user of attention when earth leakage occurs in the battery charger with use of the second resistor selected in the second selection step; and a charging step of providing, after the informing step, the electrically-driven vehicle with electric power from the external power source. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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Specification