VOLTAGE MONITOR CIRCUIT
First Claim
1. A voltage monitoring circuit for a storage unit including:
- N electric storage cells connected in series, each including a given number of electric storage elements; and
a current breaking switch interposed between at least a pair of adjacent electric storage cells of the N electric storage cells, the voltage monitoring circuit comprising;
a monitor circuit comprising (N+1) wires connected to terminals of the N electric storage cells for detecting a voltage of each of the N electric storage cells; and
N switching elements provided to the N wires out of the (N+1) wires, each of the N switching elements switching between electrically connecting and disconnecting a one of the N wires in response to a signal from a one of the (N+1) wires which is adjacent to the one of the N wires, in which the N wires exclude a one of the (N+1) wires which is connected to a maximum or a minimum potential of the storage unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A voltage monitor circuit, wherein a high voltage is not applied to a monitor circuit even if a series circuit of plural batteries connecting a battery pack is cut off, is provided. When a current breaking switch is turned off, a high series voltage with reversed polarity of plural batteries is generated across the current breaking switch. Subsequently, a solid state switch with a negative voltage is turned off. Further, as a wire on the side of a battery pack monitor circuit also has a negative voltage, another solid state switch biased by a voltage of the wire is turned off likewise. Consequently, a high voltage is not generated between the wires on the side of the battery pack monitor circuit even if the current breaking switch is turned off.
29 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A voltage monitoring circuit for a storage unit including:
- N electric storage cells connected in series, each including a given number of electric storage elements; and
a current breaking switch interposed between at least a pair of adjacent electric storage cells of the N electric storage cells, the voltage monitoring circuit comprising;a monitor circuit comprising (N+1) wires connected to terminals of the N electric storage cells for detecting a voltage of each of the N electric storage cells; and N switching elements provided to the N wires out of the (N+1) wires, each of the N switching elements switching between electrically connecting and disconnecting a one of the N wires in response to a signal from a one of the (N+1) wires which is adjacent to the one of the N wires, in which the N wires exclude a one of the (N+1) wires which is connected to a maximum or a minimum potential of the storage unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- N electric storage cells connected in series, each including a given number of electric storage elements; and
Specification