Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110196632 | BATTERY PACK MONITORING APPARATUS - The battery pack monitoring apparatus is for monitoring a battery pack constituted of battery blocks connected in series and each including battery cells connected in series. The battery pack monitoring apparatus includes a cell monitoring circuits provided respectively for the battery blocks, and a control circuit. Each of the cell monitoring circuits includes a cell voltage detection circuit to detect cell voltages of the battery cells included in a corresponding one of the battery blocks, and a block voltage detection circuit to detect a block voltage of the corresponding one of the battery blocks. The control circuit is configured to detect states of the battery cells based on the cell voltages and the block voltages transmitted from the respective cell monitoring circuits. | 08-11-2011 |
20110199051 | BATTERY MONITORING DEVICE - There is disclosed a battery monitoring device including a voltage equalization circuit that equalizes cell voltages of a plurality of battery cells being connected in series and forming a battery pack, and a microcomputer that outputs an instruction signal to instruct the voltage equalization circuit to start an voltage equalizing operation for the battery cells. The microcomputer includes a first timer section that stops the voltage equalizing operation a first predetermined set time after the start of the voltage equalizing operation, and the voltage equalization circuit includes a second timer section that stops the voltage equalizing operation a second predetermined set time after the start of the voltage equalizing operation. This can enhance reliability during the voltage equalizing operation. | 08-18-2011 |
20110210700 | BATTERY VOLTAGE MONITORING APPARATUS - Each monitor IC in the apparatus obtains operation power from a block including cells that are the objects to be monitored. The monitor IC includes a consumption-current adjusting circuit that adjusts a consumption current used from the operation power to a target value. In each monitor IC, the consumption current is adjusted to have the target value by the consumption-current adjusting circuit, and thus the consumption currents of the monitor ICs can be equalized, even if a different number of cells are connected to each monitor IC. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the variation in the consumption currents among the monitor ICs. | 09-01-2011 |
20110248677 | BATTERY VOLTAGE MONITORING DEVICE - A battery voltage monitoring device for efficiently equalizing cell voltages of a plurality of battery cells connected in series through a direct charge transfer between mutually distant battery cells. The device includes a charge-transfer circuit configured to perform a direct charge transfer from a first battery cell to a second battery cell that is fifth or higher adjacent to the first battery cell. This can eliminate charge-transfer losses that would occur during sequential charge transfers between adjacent battery cells, which leads to an efficient charge transfer between mutually distant battery cells. | 10-13-2011 |
20120001639 | VOLTAGE MONITOR - A first monitor circuit | 01-05-2012 |
20120187908 | BATTERY PACK CONTROL APPARATUS - A plurality of voltage switching circuits | 07-26-2012 |
20130057294 | VOLTAGE MONITORING DEVICE - A voltage monitoring device monitors voltage of each of battery cells connected in series to one another to configure an assembled battery. The device includes a capacitor circuit, a filter circuit, an input side connection switching unit, a potential difference detection unit, and an output side connection switching unit. The capacitor circuit includes a plurality of capacitors connected in series to one another. The filter circuit includes a plurality of resistors connected to an electrode terminal of each of the battery cells. The plurality of resistors are divided into a first resistor group and a second resistor group. The first resistor group is connected to a connection end between adjacent capacitors of the plurality of capacitors. The second resistor group is connected to an independent end of the plurality of capacitors. A resistance value of the first resistor group is smaller than a resistance value of the second resistor group. | 03-07-2013 |
20130099748 | BATTERY MONITORING APPARATUS - A battery monitoring apparatus for monitoring a battery condition of an assembled battery. In the apparatus, a monitoring unit is powered by the assembled battery and transitions from a normal mode, in which power supply from the assembled battery to the monitoring unit is maintained, to a dark-current mode, in which the power supply is partially interrupted, in response to a mode-switching instruction signal from a control unit. Upon reception of a mode confirmation signal from the control unit during the normal mode, the monitoring unit transmits a response signal to the control unit. The control unit transmits the mode-switching instruction signal to the monitoring unit, and thereafter transmits the mode confirmation signal to the monitoring unit. Upon reception of the response signal to the mode confirmation signal from the monitoring unit, the control unit determines that the dark-current mode of the monitoring unit is malfunctioning. | 04-25-2013 |
20130099793 | BATTERY MONITORING APPARATUS - A battery monitoring apparatus for monitoring a battery condition of an assembled battery. In the apparatus, a control unit transmits, to a monitoring unit that is powered by the assembled battery and monitors its battery condition, a first mode-switching instruction signal for instructing the monitoring unit to transition from a normal mode to a dark-current mode. Subsequently, the control unit transmits to the monitoring unit a second mode-switching signal for instructing the monitoring unit to transition from the dark-current mode to the normal mode, and acquires an increased count value of a timer circuit in the monitoring unit for a time period from transmission of the first mode-switching instruction signal to transmission of the second mode-switching instruction signal. When it is determined that the increased count value is greater than an abnormality diagnosis criterion value, then the control unit determines that the dark-current mode of the monitoring unit is malfunctioning. | 04-25-2013 |
20130106432 | GROUND FAULT DETECTOR | 05-02-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100134975 | ELECTRIC CONNECTION BOX - In an electric connection box, a heat insulation wall is vertically extended in a case. This forms, between the heat insulation wall and the inner wall of the case, an ascending flow path where air can ascend and a descending flow path where air can descend. An upper communication opening and a lower communication opening that connect between the ascending flow path and the descending flow path are arranged at the upper end and the lower end, respectively, of the heat insulation wall. A relay is placed in the ascending flow path. Among the regions of the case, a region forming the descending flow path is provided with a heat radiation wall section for releasing heat of air in the descending flow path to the outside of the case. | 06-03-2010 |
20100163302 | ELECTRIC CONNECTION BOX - An electric connection box has a circuit board, a conductive member (a first bus bar, a second bus bar, a first connection fitting, a second connection fitting, or a lead terminal) connected to the circuit board and extending in the direction away from the circuit board, a relay provided at the end of the conductive member which is located on the opposite side of the circuit board, and a case for receiving the circuit board and having an opening provided at a position corresponding to the relay. The relay is exposed at the opening to the outside of the case. | 07-01-2010 |
20110005826 | ELECTRIC CONNECTION BOX - An electric junction box having a casing and a circuit structure accommodated in the casing. The circuit structure includes a plurality of first bus bars arranged at intervals and synthetic resin members disposed between the adjacent first bus bars and firmly attached to the first bus bars. The synthetic resin members have heat conductivity higher than that of air. Since the heat generated from the first bus bars during electrical connecting can be transmitted to the synthetic resin members, the electric junction box can be prevented from being locally heated to a high temperature. | 01-13-2011 |
20120170164 | OVERCURRENT CUTOFF DEVICE, AND OVERCURRENT DETECTING ELEMENT TO BE USED IN OVERCURRENT CUTOFF DEVICE - An overcurrent cutoff device includes a heat generating unit located in series with a path leading from a battery B for a vehicle to a motor via a wire, and a heat sensing unit with characteristics varying with the temperature supplied from the heat generating unit. The overcurrent cutoff device cuts off overcurrent by activating a switching element, based on a signal in accordance with the temperature obtained from the heat sensing unit. The overcurrent cutoff device includes an overcurrent detecting element in which the heat generating unit and the heat sensing unit are integrally covered with a molded resin section. | 07-05-2012 |