Power control unit

• US 9,623,756 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yuuichi, Suzuki, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukhari, Aqeel
• Application Number:
  US14/358,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20140319909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

This power control unit, which stores a power conversion module and a rapid charging device used when charging a battery, is provided with a power conversion chamber, which houses the power conversion module, and a charging device chamber, which houses the charging device, the power conversion chamber and the charging device chamber have a bottom surface in common with each other, the power conversion module and the charging device are affixed to the bottom surface in the respectively corresponding chambers, and an ECU that controls the power conversion module is disposed at a position that is above the charging device and enclosed by a peripheral wall that includes the partition wall that partitions the charging device chamber and the power conversion chamber.

Claims

1. A power control unit mounted on a vehicle, the power control unit comprising therein an electric power converter module and a charging device configured to be used when a battery mounted on the vehicle is charged from an external source, the power control unit further comprising:

a case;

an electric power converter chamber disposed in the case and comprising the electric power converter module therein; and

a charging device chamber disposed in the case and comprising the charging device therein,

wherein the case comprises a metal partition wall partitioning the charging device chamber from the electric power converter chamber such that the charging device chamber is separated from the electric power converter chamber,

wherein the electric power converter chamber and the charging device chamber have a common bottom surface, and the electric power converter module and the charging device are fixed to the bottom surface respectively in the corresponding chambers,

the case includes a space above the charging device and the case includes a peripheral wall surrounding the space, the peripheral wall including the partition wall,

the power control unit further comprising a controller configured to control the electric power converter module, the controller being disposed in the space above the charging device,

wherein the charging device does not operate while the controller is in operation and the controller does not operate while the charging device is in operation.

2. The power control unit according to claim 1, wherein the electric power converter chamber and the charging device chamber have respective openings.

3. The power control unit according to claim 1, wherein the controller is mounted on the peripheral wall.

4. The power control unit according to claim 1, wherein the charging device chamber is higher than the electric power converter chamber, and the controller is mounted on the partition wall of the charging device chamber which is disposed in a position higher than the electric power converter chamber.

5. The power control unit according to claim 1, wherein the charging device comprises a quick charging device and has quick charging contactors.