Vehicle

• US 9,783,037 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Muto, Kenji, Nakai, Akira, Sakai, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/636,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20150273995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/20 Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 : specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/284 : with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 : characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/509 : characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/519 : comprising printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid 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

A vehicle includes a body, a first battery set, a first accessory device, a second battery set, a second accessory device, a load device, and connecting wires. The first battery set is installed in the body and includes at least one first series unit including a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series. The first accessory device is installed in the body and connected to the first battery set. The second battery set is installed in the body and includes at least one second series unit including a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series. The second accessory device is installed in the body and connected to the second battery set. The load device is installed in the body and connected to the first battery set via the first accessory device and to the second battery set via the second accessory device.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a body;

a first battery set that is installed in the body and includes a plurality of series units that are each formed of a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series;

a first accessory device that is installed in a first housing in the body and is connected to each of the series units of the first battery set by pairs of series unit terminals that respectively correspond to each of the series units, the first accessory device including a load device terminal and a first terminal in the first housing;

a second battery set that is installed in the body and includes at least one series unit;

a second accessory device that is installed in a second housing in the body and is connected to the second battery set, the second accessory device including a second terminal in the second housing;

a load device that is installed in the body and is connected to the first battery set via the load device terminal of the first accessory device and to the second battery set via the second accessory device; and

connecting wires that connect the first accessory device and the second accessory device so as to connect the series units of the first battery set and the at least one series unit of the second battery set in parallel, one of the connecting wires connecting the first terminal of the first accessory device and the second terminal of the second accessory device, the first accessory device and the second accessory device being connected in parallel, wherein

the plurality of series units of the first battery set includes two series units each of which comprises a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series, and

the first accessory device connects the two series units of the first battery set to each other in parallel.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the number of series units in the first battery set is greater than the number of series units in the second battery set.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the first battery set is disposed below a floor panel of the vehicle, and

the second battery set is disposed behind a rear seat.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first accessory device includes a first contactor that switches between connection and disconnection between the first battery set and the load device, and

the second accessory device includes a second contactor that switches between connection and disconnection between the second battery set and the load device.

5. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the first accessory device includes a first contactor that switches between connection and disconnection between the first battery set and the load device, and

the second accessory device includes a second contactor that switches between connection and disconnection between the second battery set and the load device.

6. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the first accessory device includes a first contactor that switches between connection and disconnection between the first battery set and the load device, and

the second accessory device includes a second contactor that switches between connection and disconnection between the second battery set and the load device.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first accessory device is disposed below a floor panel of the vehicle, and

the second accessory device is disposed behind a rear seat.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the first battery set is operable to provide power or to receive power via the first accessory device when the one of the connecting wires is disconnected from the first and second terminals.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

an entirety of the batteries for providing electric power to the load device are collectively disposed in the first housing and the second housing.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a body;

a first battery set installed in the body and including a plurality of first series units each comprising a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series;

a first accessory device installed in a first housing in the body and connected to each of the plurality of first series units of the first battery set by pairs of series unit terminals that respectively correspond to each of the first series units, the first accessory device including a load device terminal and a first terminal in the first housing;

a second battery set installed in the body and including at least one second series unit comprising a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series;

a second accessory device installed in a second housing in the body and connected to the second battery set, the second accessory device including a second terminal in the second housing;

a load device installed in the body and connected to the first battery set via the load device terminal of the first accessory device and to the second battery set via the second accessory device; and

connecting wires which connect the first accessory device and the second accessory device so as to connect the first series units of the first battery set and the at least one second series unit of the second battery set in parallel, one of the connecting wires connecting the first terminal of the first accessory device and the second terminal of the second accessory device, the first accessory device and the second accessory device being connected in parallel, wherein

the first series units includes two first series units each of which comprises a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series, and

the first accessory device connects the two first series units to each other in parallel.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein a total number of the first series units in the first battery set is greater than a total number of the at least one second series unit in the second battery set.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein

the first battery set is disposed below a floor panel of the vehicle, and

the second battery set is disposed behind a rear seat of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the first accessory device includes a first contactor to be switched between connection and disconnection between the first battery set and the load device, and

the second accessory device includes a second contactor to be switched between connection and disconnection between the second battery set and the load device.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein

the first accessory device includes a first contactor to be switched between connection and disconnection between the first battery set and the load device, and

the second accessory device includes a second contactor to be switched between connection and disconnection between the second battery set and the load device.

15. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the first accessory device includes a first contactor to be switched between connection and disconnection between the first battery set and the load device, and

the second accessory device includes a second contactor to be switched between connection and disconnection between the second battery set and the load device.

16. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

the first contactor and a first one of the first series units of the first battery set are connected in series, and

the second contactor and the at least one second series unit of the second battery set are connected in series.

17. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the first accessory device is disposed below a floor panel of the vehicle, and

the second accessory device is disposed behind a rear seat.

18. The vehicle according to claim 10,

wherein the first battery set is operable to provide power or to receive power via the first accessory device when the one of the connecting wires is disconnected from the first and second terminals.

19. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

an entirety of the batteries for providing electric power to the load device are collectively disposed in the first housing and the second housing.

20. A vehicle comprising:

a body;

a first battery set installed in the body and including at least one first series unit comprising a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series;

a second battery set installed in the body and including at least one second series unit comprising a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series;

a load device installed in the body to receive electric power supplied from the first battery unit and the second battery unit;

a first accessory device installed in the body and electrically connected to the first battery set and the load device, the first accessory device comprising;

an electric supply path to connect the first battery set and the load device;

a first switch provided on the electric supply path to switch between connection and disconnection between the first battery set and the load device;

a branched path branched from the electric supply path between the first switch and the load device; and

a first terminal connected to the branched path; and

a second accessory device installed in the body and electrically connected to the second battery set and the load device, the second accessory device comprising;

a second switch to switch between connection and disconnection between the second battery set and the load device; and

a second terminal connected to the first terminal via a connecting wire, the at least one first series unit of the first battery set and the at least one second series unit of the second battery set being connected in parallel.

21. The vehicle according to claim 20, wherein

the first battery set is disposed below a floor panel of the vehicle, and

the second battery set is disposed behind the first battery in the vehicle.