Shunt connection to a PCB of an energy management system employed in an automotive vehicle

• US 20050057865A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bertness, Kevin I., Veloo, Balaguru K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,319,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/56
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/203 Resistors used for electric measuring, e.g. decade resistors standards, resistors for comparators, series resistors, shunts resistors in general H01C; microwave or radiowave terminations H01P1/26; coupling devices H01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0263 High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board H05K1/0293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10022 Non-printed resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10272 Busbars, i.e. thick metal bars mounted on the PCB as high-current conductors metal strips H05K2201/1028
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10848 Thinned leads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/222 Completing of printed circuits by adding non-printed jumper connections printed jumper connections H05K3/4685
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/308 Adaptations of leads connectors to printed circuits H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3447 Lead-in-hole components H05K3/3415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49133 with component orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49144 by metal fusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53135 Storage cell or battery

Abstract

A method of coupling a shunt to a printed circuit board (PCB) of an energy management system is provided. The method includes coupling flexible electrical connectors to the shunt and soldering the flexible electrical connectors to connection points on the PCB of the energy management system. An energy management system that includes a shunt coupled to a printed circuit board using the above method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of coupling a shunt to a printed circuit board (PCB) of an energy management system utilized in an automobile, the method comprising:

(a) coupling flexible electrical connectors to the shunt; and

(b) soldering the flexible electrical connectors to connection points on the PCB of the energy management system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an insulating member between the PCB and the shunt, and inserting the flexible electrical connectors into grooves in the insulating member prior to carrying out step (b).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the insulating member is a part of a housing that encloses the printed circuit board.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the insulating member is a base of a housing that encloses the printed circuit board.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising mounting the shunt on the insulating member.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the shunt comprises a shunt resistor and bus bars, and wherein the connecting the flexible electrical connectors to the shunt step (a) comprises connecting the plurality of flexible electrical connectors to the bus bars.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the bus bars comprise grooves, and wherein the connecting the flexible electrical connectors to the bus bars comprises inserting the flexible electrical connectors into corresponding grooves in the bus bars.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the bus bars comprise threaded grooves and wherein the connecting the flexible electrical connectors to the bus bars comprises screwing the flexible electrical connectors into corresponding threaded grooves in the bus bars.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible electrical connectors are formed of copper.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a number of flexible electrical connectors are at least two flexible electrical connectors.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a number of flexible electrical connectors are four flexible electrical connectors.

12. An apparatus for monitoring the condition of a storage battery while the storage battery is coupled in parallel to an electrical system of an operating vehicle, comprising:

a first electrical connection directly coupled to a positive terminal of the battery;

a second electrical connection directly coupled to a negative terminal of the battery, the first and second electrical connections coupled to a voltmeter to measure a time varying voltage across the battery;

a third electrical connection directly coupled to the positive terminal of the battery;

a fourth electrical connection directly coupled to a negative terminal of the battery, the third and fourth electrical connections coupled to a forcing function having a time varying component;

a printed circuit board (PCB);

a shunt current sensor electrically in series with the battery, wherein the shunt current sensor is mounted on the PCB by;

(a) coupling flexible electrical connectors to the shunt current sensor; and

(b) soldering the flexible electrical connectors to connection points on the PCB; and

a microprocessor, mounted on the PCB, configured to determine the condition of the battery as a function of a dynamic parameter of the battery based upon the measured voltage, the forcing function and a current sensed by the shunt current sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising an insulating member between the PCB and the shunt, the insulating member comprising grooves through which the flexible electrical connectors are inserted.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the insulating member is a part of a housing that encloses the printed circuit board.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the insulating member is a base of a housing that encloses the printed circuit board.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the shunt is mounted on the insulating member.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the shunt comprises a shunt resistor and bus bars, and wherein the connecting the flexible electrical connectors to the shunt comprises connecting the plurality of flexible electrical connectors to the bus bars.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the bus bars comprise grooves, and wherein connecting the flexible electrical connectors to the bus bars comprises inserting the flexible electrical connectors into corresponding grooves in the bus bars.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the bus bars comprise threaded grooves and wherein connecting the flexible electrical connectors to the bus bars comprises screwing the flexible electrical connectors into corresponding threaded grooves in the bus bars.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the flexible electrical connectors comprise copper.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a number of flexible electrical connectors are at least two flexible electrical connectors.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a number of flexible electrical connectors are four flexible electrical connectors.