Vehicle controller

• US 8,104,558 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Okayama, Hideo, Koji, Yoshinobu, Ueda, Kiyonobu, Adachi, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Application Number:
  US12/299,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.235, 180/65.27, 180/65.28, 180/65.285, 180/65.8, 180/65.265, 323/282, 323/351, 701/22, 701/29, 307/10.1, 307/36, 307/155, 340/438, 340/468, 340/475, 340/3.1, 340/459
• US Class Current: 180/65.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/00 Arrangement or disposition of parts; Details or accessories not otherwise provided for; Use of control gear and control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A vehicle controller is mounted in a box-shaped manner beneath the floor or on the roof of a vehicle so as to supply electric power to vehicle apparatuses. The vehicle controller is configured with a plurality of functional modules; each of the functional modules has at one side thereof an interface side in which a first interface region where signal-line terminals are arranged and a second interface region where power-line terminals are arranged are separated; in each of the interface sides, the first interface region is disposed at one and the same end and the second interface region is disposed at the other and the same end.

Claims

1. A vehicle controller comprising:

a plurality of functional modules; and

signal lines and power lines connected with the functional modules,

wherein one of the sides of the functional module is an interface side provided with signal-line terminals to which the signal lines are connected and power-line terminals to which the power lines are connected,

wherein each of the interface sides is divided into a first interface region where signal-line terminals to which the signal lines are connected are disposed and a second interface region where power-line terminals to which the power lines are connected are disposed,

wherein the plurality of functional modules is arranged in such a way that the respective interface sides thereof are adjacent to one another and oriented in the same direction; and

the first interface regions are disposed in the vicinity of one and the same end and the second interface regions are disposed in the vicinity of the other and the same end, and

wherein the signal lines and the power lines can be attached or detached from one side.

2. The vehicle electric-power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein each of the functional modules has an interface side that is divided into the upper portion in which one of the first interface region and the second interface region is situated and the lower portion in which the other of the first interface region and the second interface region is situated, and

wherein, in each of the interface sides, the first interface region is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom end or the top end thereof and the second interface region is disposed in the vicinity of the other end thereof.

3. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of functional modules is divided into a functional module having a switch circuit that performs electrical connection with and disconnection from a DC overhead line, a functional module having a charging and discharging circuit that performs charging and discharging with a DC voltage, a functional module having an inverter that converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage, and a functional module having a contactor that performs electrical connection with and disconnection from a load, and the divided functional modules are connected in order of description and utilized as an auxiliary power source apparatus.

4. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the shapes of the respective power-line connectors in the second interface regions of the plurality of functional modules are the same.

5. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the size of a bolt for the power-line connector in the second interface region of each of the functional modules is the same as that of a bolt for fixing the functional module to a case that incorporates the functional modules.

6. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, further comprising at least one functional module, as a control circuit, having an interface side that has the first interface region but no second interface region, wherein the first interface region in the interface side of said functional module is situated in the vicinity of one end the same as that in the vicinity of which the first interface regions in the interface sides of the other functional modules are situated.

7. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the first interface regions of the plurality of functional modules are situated in the vicinity of the bottom end;

signal lines that connect the signal-line terminals in the first interface regions pass in a wiring duct having a function of bundling the signal lines and are held in the wiring duct; and

the signal lines are arranged in the vicinity of the bottom end of the plurality of functional modules.

8. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, further comprising at least one functional module having an interface side that has the second interface region but no first interface region, wherein the second interface region in the interface side of said functional module is situated in the vicinity of one end the same as that in the vicinity of which the second interface regions in the interface sides of the other functional modules are situated.

9. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein, among the plurality of functional modules, the first or the second interface region is on one and the same plane

10. A vehicle controller comprising:

a plurality of functional modules; and

signal lines and power lines connected with the functional modules,

wherein one of the sides of the functional module is an interface side provided with signal-line terminals to which the signal lines are connected and power-line terminals to which the power lines are connected,

wherein each of the interface sides is divided into a first interface region where signal-line terminals to which the signal lines are connected are disposed and a second interface region where power-line terminals to which the power lines are connected are disposed,

Wherein the plurality of functional modules is divided into two groups and arranged in two rows;

the respective interface sides thereof are arranged in such a way as to be adjacent to one another and to be oriented in the same direction; and

one group of the interface sides and the other group of interface sides are arranged in such a way as to face each other,

wherein each of the interface sides of the one group and the other group are disposed in such a way that the respective first interface regions are arranged in the vicinity of one and the same end and the respective second interface regions are arranged in the vicinity of the other and the same end, and

wherein, for each of the groups, the signal lines and the power lines can be attached or detached from one side.

11. The vehicle electric-power conversion apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein each of the functional modules has an interface side that is divided into the upper portion in which one of the first interface region and the second interface region is situated and the lower portion in which the other of the first interface region and the second interface region is situated, and

wherein, in each of the interface sides, the first interface region is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom end or the top end thereof and the second interface region is disposed in the vicinity of the other end thereof.

12. The vehicle controller according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of functional modules is divided into a functional module having a switch circuit that performs electrical connection with and disconnection from a DC overhead line, a functional module having a charging and discharging circuit that performs charging and discharging with a DC voltage, a functional module having an inverter that converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage, and a functional module having a contactor that performs electrical connection with and disconnection from a load, and the divided functional modules are connected in order of description and utilized as an auxiliary power source apparatus.

13. The vehicle controller according claim 10, wherein the shapes of the respective power-line connectors in the second interface regions of the plurality of functional modules are the same.

14. The vehicle controller according to claim 10, wherein the size of a bolt for the power-line connector in the second interface region of each of the functional modules is the same as that of a bolt for fixing the functional module to a case that incorporates the functional modules.

15. The vehicle controller according to claim 10, further comprising at least one functional module, as a control circuit, having an interface side that has the first interface region but no second interface region, wherein the first interface region in the interface side of said functional module is situated in the vicinity of one end the same as that in the vicinity of which the first interface regions in the interface sides of the other functional modules are situated.

16. The vehicle controller according to claim 10, wherein the first interface regions of the plurality of functional modules are situated in the vicinity of the bottom end;

signal lines that connect the signal-line terminals in the first interface regions pass in a wiring duct having a function of bundling the signal lines and are held in the wiring duct; and

the signal lines are arranged in the vicinity of the bottom end of the plurality of functional modules.

17. The vehicle controller according to claim 10, further comprising at least one functional module having an interface side that has the second interface region but no first interface region, wherein the second interface region in the interface side of said functional module is situated in the vicinity of one end the same as that in the vicinity of which the second interface regions in the interface sides of the other functional modules are situated.

18. The vehicle controller according to claim 10, wherein, among the plurality of functional modules, the first or the second interface region is on one and the same plane.

19. A vehicle controller comprising:

a plurality of functional modules; and

signal lines and power lines connected with the functional modules,

wherein one of the sides of the functional module is an interface side provided with signal-line terminals to which the signal lines are connected and power-line terminals to which the power lines are connected,

wherein each of the interface sides is divided into a first interface region where signal-line terminals to which the signal lines are connected are disposed and a second interface region where power-line terminals to which the power lines are connected are disposed,

wherein the plurality of functional modules is divided into two groups and arranged in two rows;

the respective interface sides thereof are arranged in such a way as to be adjacent to one another and to be oriented in the same direction; and

one group of the interface sides and the other group of interface sides are arranged in such a way as to be oriented in the same direction,

wherein, in each of the respective interface sides of the one group and the other group, one of the interface regions is disposed proximally from the middle of the rows and the other interface region is disposed distally from the middle of the rows, and

wherein, for each of the groups, the signal lines and the power lines can be attached or detached from one side.

20. The vehicle controller according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of functional modules are arranged in such a way that, in each of the respective interface sides of the one group and the other group, the first interface region is disposed proximally from the middle of the rows and the second interface region is disposed distally from the middle of the rows.

21. The vehicle controller according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of functional modules is divided into a functional module having a switch circuit that performs electrical connection with and disconnection from a DC overhead line, a functional module having a charging and discharging circuit that performs charging and discharging with a DC voltage, a functional module having an inverter that converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage, and a functional module having a contactor that performs electrical connection with and disconnection from a load, and the divided functional modules are connected in order of description and utilized as an auxiliary power source apparatus.

22. The vehicle controller according claim 21, wherein, in each of the functional modules, the respective numbers or the respective pair numbers of input power lines and output power lines other than power lines whose electric potentials are equal to the electric potential of the overhead line or the ground are only one.

23. The vehicle controller according to claim 19, wherein the shapes of the respective power-line connectors in the second interface regions of the plurality of functional modules are the same.

24. The vehicle controller according to claim 19, wherein the size of a bolt for the power-line connector in the second interface region of each of the functional modules is the same as that of a bolt for fixing the functional module to a case that incorporates the functional modules.

25. The vehicle controller according to claim 19, further comprising at least one functional module, as a control circuit, having an interface side that has the first interface region but no second interface region, wherein the first interface region in the interface side of said functional module is situated in the vicinity of one end the same as that in the vicinity of which the first interface regions in the interface sides of the other functional modules are situated.

26. The vehicle controller according to claim 19, wherein the first interface regions of the plurality of functional modules are situated in the vicinity of the bottom end;

signal lines that connect the signal-line terminals in the first interface regions pass in a wiring duct having a function of bundling the signal lines and are held in the wiring duct; and

the signal lines are arranged in the vicinity of the bottom end of the plurality of functional modules.

27. The vehicle controller according to claim 19, further comprising at least one functional module having an interface side that has the second interface region but no first interface region, wherein the second interface region in the interface side of said functional module is situated in the vicinity of one end the same as that in the vicinity of which the second interface regions in the interface sides of the other functional modules are situated.