BATTERY MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20100019733A1
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Rubio, Josep Maria Roset
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/136
• 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 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/287 Intermediate parts between battery post and cable end piece
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery monitoring system (BMS) configured for use in measuring operating conditions of a battery or other source of electric current. The BMS may include a housing configured to include a dampening element between a shunt and connection arm in order to limit the likelihood of vibrations and other forces acting on the BMS shorting or otherwise disrupting electrical connections used to measure current through the shunt.

Claims

1. A battery monitoring system (BMS) for use in determining an amount of current drawn from a battery to power a load within a vehicle, the BMS comprising:

a terminal having a connection element and an arm, the connection element being coupled to a post of the battery and the arm having first and second sides that are generally parallel to the post;

a shunt having a first end and a second end, the first end being welded to a cable connected to the load and the second end having first and second sides where the first side of the second end is welded to a welded portion of the second side of the arm, the first and second sides of the second end being generally parallel to the first and second sides of the arm;

a housing comprised of a non-conducting material, the housing being shaped such that the non-conducting material covers at least part of the first side of the arm and at least part of the second side of the second end, and wherein the housing is further shaped such that an isolating portion of the non-conducting material fills a gap between the second side of the arm and the first side of the second end proximate to the welded portion of the second side of the arm; and

a current monitoring device within the housing, the current monitoring device being configured to determine the amount of current drawn from the battery as a function of a voltage drop across a measurement portion of the shunt.

2. The BMS of claim 1 wherein the isolating portion covers an entire portion of the measurement portion facing the second side of the arm with the non-conducting material.

3. The BMS of claim 1 wherein the second end of the shunt has a substantially uniform cross-sectional dimension except at the measurement portion where the cross-sectional dimension is reduced to form a recess relative to a plane defined by the first side of the second end.

4. The BMS of claim 3 wherein the isolating portion fills the entire recess with the non-conducting material.

5. The BMS of claim 1 wherein the arm has a substantial uniform cross-sectional dimension except above the welded portion where the cross-section dimension is angled to define at least part of the gap.

6. The BMS of claim 1 wherein the measurement portion of the shunt is comprised of a material that is different from the rest of the shunt.

7. The BMS of claim 1 further comprising first and second shunt pins welded proximate opposite sides of the measurement portion, wherein the current monitoring device measures the voltage drop across the first and second shunt pins.

8. The BMS of claim 7 further comprising a third pin weld to one of the opposite sides of the measurement portion, the third pin electrically grounding the current monitoring device to one side of the of the measurement portion.

9. The BMS of claim 8 further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) attached to the current monitoring device, the PCB being grounded to the third pin.

10. The BMS of claim 7 further comprising a temperature measurement device connected to the third pin, the temperature measurement device configured to measure a temperature of the shunt.

11. The BMS of claim 1 wherein the connection element is includes a pair of clamps configured to compressively tighten around the post.

12. The BMS of claim 10 wherein the connection element is on a side opposite of the arm.

13. The BMS of claim 1 wherein the housing is approximately 23.5 mm in height with an outer edge at approximately 45 mm from a center of the pole measured in a direction along the arm.

15. The BMS of claim 13 further comprising a cross-sectional dimension of the shunt corresponding with the second material being less than a cross-sectional dimension of the shunt corresponding with the first material.

17. The BMS of claim 13 further comprising first and second shunt pins connected proximate opposite sides of the second material, wherein the current monitoring device measures the voltage drop across the first and second shunt pins.

18. The BMS of claim 17 further comprising a third pin connected to the shunt, the third pin electrically grounding the current monitoring device to the shunt.

19. The BMS of claim 17 further comprising a third pin connected to the shunt and a temperature measurement device configured to measure a temperature of the third pin.

14. A battery monitoring system (BMS) comprising:

a terminal having a connection element and an arm, the connection element being coupled to a battery and the arm extending away from the connection element;

a shunt having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to a load and the second end being attached to the arm, the shunt being composed of a first material and a second material, the first material being disposed on opposite first and second sides of the second material, the arm being attached to only the first material on the second side;

a housing shaped to fill a gap between the arm and the second material with a non-conducting material; and

a current monitoring device configured to determine current flow between the battery and load as a function of a voltage drop across the second material.

16. The BMS of claim 14 wherein the non-conducting material extends across an entire side of the second material that faces toward the arm.

20. A battery monitoring system (BMS) for use in determining an amount of current drawn from a battery to power a load within a vehicle, the BMS comprising:

a terminal having a connection element and an arm, the connection element being coupled to a post of the battery and the arm having first and second sides;

a shunt having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to a cable connected to the load and the second end having first and second sides where the first side of the second end is connected to a connected portion of the second side of the arm;

a housing comprised of a non-conducting material shaped such that an isolating portion of non-conducting material fills a gap between the second side of the arm and the first side of the second end proximate to the connected portion of the second side of the arm;

first, second, and third pins connected to the shunt; and

a current monitoring device within the housing, the current monitoring device being configured to determine the amount of current drawn from the battery as a function of a voltage drop between the first and second pin, the current monitoring device being ground to the third pin top form a ground connection.