Motor vehicle

• US 20050162795A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intedis GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Intedis GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Leiber, Heinz
• Application Number:
  US11/081,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162795A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/93.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/268 for dc systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle with an electrical distribution system, wherein at least one line is provided with a fuse element to protect the line against overcurrents, and wherein the fuse element consists of a measuring element for measuring the current flowing in the line, a separating element for interrupting the line, and an evaluator, and wherein the current measured by the measuring element with the fuse element functioning is evaluated in the evaluator according to an algorithm, and the separating element can be actuated to interrupt the line, depending on the evaluation result. The line branches into at least two partial lines after the fuse element with at least one consumer each, wherein the evaluator unit receives data for describing the operating state of the consumers in the partial lines, and these data are taken into account when evaluating the current measured by the measuring element.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle with an electrical distribution system, where at least one line is provided with a fuse element to protect the line against overcurrents, and wherein the fuse element consists of a measuring element for measuring the current flowing in the line, a separating element for interrupting the line, and an evaluator, and wherein the current measured by the measuring element with the fuse element functioning is evaluated in the evaluator according to an algorithm, and the separating element can be actuated to interrupt the line, depending on the evaluation result, characterized in that

the line branches into at least two partial lines after the fuse element with at least one consumer each, wherein the evaluator unit receives data for describing the operating state of the consumers in the partial lines, and these data are taken into account when evaluating the current measured by the measuring element.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the data for describing the operating state of the consumers in the partial lines are relayed to the evaluator via a bus connection.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the evaluator is designed as a kind of microcomputer or ASIC.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the line incorporates fuses, e.g., polyswitches, that can be regenerated to individual consumers.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

at least a part of the lines incorporates controllers with which individual downstream consumers can be activated and deactivated.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that

the controllers report the switching state of the individual consumers to the evaluator.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that

the connection between the evaluator and the controllers is a bus connection.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the number of lines is small, e.g., approx. 10.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the separating elements consist at least partially of relays.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, characterized in that

the relays are at least partially bistable relays.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the separating elements consist at least partially of semiconductor switches.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that

the lines with semiconductor switches are additionally protected against short circuits by regeneratable fuses.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that safety and/or antitheft systems are connected to these lines.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the individual lines are enabled as a function of the vehicle state and/or current use.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, characterized in that

only the access systems (central locking and the like) are activated when opening the door (door handle signals) and/or actuating the remote control for opening the door.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, characterized in that the opening signals are relayed directly to the evaluator.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

closed-circuit current management takes place via the evaluator circuit.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the evaluator monitors the battery charge state and the battery state.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the evaluator (microcomputer 6) sets up an allocated diagnostic memory location when a consumer branch is deactivated.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

a current measuring element is additionally provided for the current from the battery to the distributor.

22. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

the deactivated supply branch is switched back on upon deactivation after a recognized short circuit from time to time, e.g., during any restart.

23. The motor vehicle according to claim 22, characterized in that

the reactivation does not take place, e.g., after the fifth time, if the short circuit persists.

24. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that

several current distributors with evaluator units are used for the vehicle.

3. A motor vehicle with an electrical distribution system, where at least one line is provided with a fuse element to protect the line against overcurrents, and wherein the fuse element consists of a measuring element for measuring the current flowing in the line, a separating element for interrupting the line, and an evaluator, and wherein the current measured by the measuring element with the fuse element functioning is evaluated in the evaluator according to an algorithm, and the separating element can be actuated to interrupt the line, depending on the evaluation result, characterized in that,

while measuring the current flowing in the line, the chronological current progression in a specific time interval Δ

t is measured and relayed to the evaluator, wherein the measured current progression is classified as a critical load state or uncritical load state during evaluation in the evaluator, and wherein the separating element is actuated to interrupt the line given a critical load state.

25. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the evaluator is designed as a kind of microcomputer or ASIC.

26. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the line incorporates fuses, e.g., polyswitches, that can be regenerated to individual consumers.

27. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

at least a part of the lines incorporates controllers with which individual downstream consumers can be activated and deactivated.

28. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the number of lines is small, e.g., approx. 10.

29. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the separating elements consist at least partially of relays.

30. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the separating elements consist at least partially of semiconductor switches.

31. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the individual lines are enabled as a function of the vehicle state and/or current use.

32. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

closed-circuit current management takes place via the evaluator circuit.

33. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the evaluator monitors the battery charge state and the battery state.

34. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the evaluator (microcomputer 6) sets up an allocated diagnostic memory location when a consumer branch is deactivated.

35. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

a current measuring element is additionally provided for the current from the battery to the distributor.

36. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

the deactivated supply branch is switched back on upon deactivation after a recognized short circuit from time to time, e.g., during any restart.

37. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that

several current distributors with evaluator units are used for the vehicle.