JPH08116604A - Battery charger for motor-driven vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To automatically control a power source for charging even when a battery to be charged is exchanged with a different type of battery by controlling the power source based on the discriminated type of the battery and a detected temperature signal. CONSTITUTION: Elements for discrimination are provided corresponding to battery types in such a way that the float switch(FS) SW1 of a sensor body 48 for open type battery is provided against open type batteries and the resistor R3 of a sensor body 49 for close type battery is provided against close type batteries and a temperature sensor 47 detects the temperature of a battery. A microcomputer 46 is housed in the case of a battery charger and the battery type is discriminated from the input signals of the switch SW1 and resistor R3 and, at the same time, the power source for charging is controlled based on the discriminated type of the battery and the temperature signal detected by teh sensor 47.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery charging device for an electric vehicle, for example, an electric three-wheeled vehicle in which an occupant can easily and comfortably drive.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, various electric vehicles are used for moving passengers and luggage. The electric vehicle is equipped with a rechargeable battery as a power source, and the battery is charged by a charger.

Conventional chargers charge a constant value without correcting the upper limit value of the charging voltage according to the battery temperature or ambient temperature, or the upper limit value of the charging voltage depending on the battery temperature or the like. There is something to correct. However, in the case of correcting the upper limit value of this charging voltage, a dedicated charger according to the type of battery is to be used.

[0004]

The above-mentioned conventional charger for an electric vehicle has the following problems. If you do not correct the charging voltage according to the battery temperature or ambient temperature,
When these temperatures are high, overcharge occurs, while when they are low, insufficient charge occurs. Repeated overcharging promotes drainage of the battery and significantly shortens battery life. Further, when the charge is insufficient, the traveling distance of the vehicle is reduced, and sufficient performance cannot be obtained. Furthermore, when the temperature is low, the charging capacity of the battery itself is reduced, which further shortens the mileage.

Further, even if the charging voltage is corrected according to the battery temperature or the ambient temperature, conventionally,
Change the type of battery when replacing the battery,
For example, when changing from an open type (liquid type battery) to a sealed type (shield type battery), the charger must be replaced or the charging voltage set value must be changed. Therefore, the battery changing work is complicated.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, in which the charging voltage is appropriately corrected according to the temperature of the battery mounted on the electric vehicle and the type of the battery is different. It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery charging device for an electric vehicle that can immediately apply an optimum charging voltage even if the battery charging device is changed to.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a device for charging a battery mounted on an electric vehicle, wherein a power source supplied from the outside of the charger is a power source for charging the battery. A charger for converting into a battery, an identification element provided corresponding to the type of the battery for identifying the type of the battery, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the battery, and connected to the identification element and the sensor. And a type of battery mounted on the vehicle is identified by an input signal from the identifying element, and the charging power source is controlled based on the identified type of battery and a temperature signal detected by the sensor. A battery charging device for an electric vehicle, comprising: a power supply control unit.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, if the identification element and the sensor have an integrated block structure, they can be easily replaced together with the battery when the battery is replaced with a different type. Further, at least one of the identification element and the sensor can be detachably connected to the charging power source control section by a connector.

Further, different types of batteries have different charging voltages and are open type (liquid type).
(V), and the sealed type can be 29.4 (v). Further, the identification element may be a liquid type liquid level sensor (for example, a float switch), and a sealed type may be a predetermined resistance. If the identification element or sensor is not connected, a buzzer or LE
It is possible to add means for issuing an unconnected alarm with D (photoelectric element).

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the identification element for identifying the type of the battery mounted on the vehicle is provided, and the sensor for detecting the temperature of the battery is provided. Then, the charging power supply control unit identifies the type of the battery mounted on the vehicle by the input signal from the identification element, and the charging power supply is based on the identified type of the battery and the detected temperature signal from the sensor. Therefore, even if the battery is changed to a different type, the operator does not need to change the control setting of the charger, and the power source for charging is automatically controlled. In addition, since the charging power source is controlled according to the temperature of the battery, neither overcharging nor undercharging occurs.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 11 are explanatory views of a battery charging device for an electric vehicle according to an embodiment, FIGS. 1 and 2 are external explanatory views of the electric vehicle, and FIG. 3 is an input / output block diagram of a power and signal transmission system. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the charger ((a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a side view), FIG. 5 is an overall block circuit diagram of the charger, and FIG. 6 is an open type. FIG. 7 is an external view of the battery sensor body, FIG. 7 is a connection circuit diagram of main parts of the sensor body and the charger of FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is an external view of the sealed battery sensor body, and FIG. 9 is the sealed battery sensor body. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of an attachment example, FIG. 10 is a connection circuit diagram of main parts of the sealed battery sensor body and a charger, and FIG.
1 shows a flowchart of an example of a control procedure of the charging device.

The charging device of the embodiment includes an open type (liquid type) battery 24 and a closed type (shield type) battery 24.
To enable mounting on an electric vehicle and to determine the type on the charger 20 side so that charging can be performed with an appropriate charging voltage corresponding to the type. The float switch SW1 and the resistor Body R3 (corresponding to identification element)
And a temperature sensor 47 and a microcomputer (corresponding to a charging power source control unit) 46. The charging voltage of the battery 24 is, for example, 31 (v) for the open type and 29.V for the closed type under the condition that the temperature around the battery is 20 °.
Different from 4 (v).

In the embodiment, the identification element is the battery 2
4 is provided corresponding to the type of the battery 24, and is the float switch SW1 of the open battery sensor body 48 in the open battery, and the closed battery in the closed battery. It is a resistor R3 of the sensor body 49 for use.

The temperature sensor 47 detects the temperature of the battery 24, and is composed of, for example, a thermistor TH1. The microcomputer 46 is housed in the case of the charger, and includes the float switch SW1 or the resistor R.
3 and the temperature sensor 47, the type of the battery 24 mounted in the vehicle is set to the float switch S.
The charging power source is identified by the input signals from W1 and the resistor R3, and the charging power source is controlled based on the identified type of the battery 24 and the detected temperature signal from the temperature sensor 47.

Further, the charging device will be described in detail in relation to the electric vehicle of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the electric vehicle has one front wheel 10a for steering and two rear wheels 10b, 10b for driving. A steering wheel 14 and a switch box 16 having various switches 16a are provided on the upper side of the. In this case, a switch box 16 is provided in the vicinity of the handle 14 so that an occupant of the electric vehicle can move the handle 14 and the switches 16a while sitting on the seat 12.

A motor 18 as a drive source for driving the rear wheels 10b, 10b is mounted slightly forward of the rear wheel 10b axis, and the charger 20 is installed above the rear wheel 10b, 10b axis.
And the main controller 22 is also the motor 1
A battery 24 is arranged in front of 8. These motor 18, charger 20, main controller 22,
The battery 24 is disposed below the seat 12 and covered with a cover 26. The vehicle is provided with a basket (a basket) 27a and a head lamp 27b below the front handle 14 and the rear seat 12 is provided.
A winker lamp 27c is provided on the lower side of the cover 26 on the side thereof.

Switches 1 of the switch box 16
The reference numeral 6a has a function of outputting a speed instruction signal of the vehicle, a battery remaining amount display, a horn, a winker switch, and a warning function when the vehicle is abnormal. Further, a power switch 28 for turning on and off a power source for controlling and driving the electric vehicle is provided integrally with or near the switch box 16.

As shown in FIG. 3, DC power is supplied to the main controller 22 from the battery 24 via the power switch 28 except when charging, and the motor 18 is It is driven by the drive circuit of the main controller 22 using the supplied DC power as a power source. Also, the motor 18
The rotation direction and the rotation speed are detected, and the detection signal is output to the men controller 22. In this case, the main controller 22 controls the motor 18 by signals from the switch box 16 (driving / speed command signal etc.) and the motor 18 (load signal etc.).

The battery charger 20 has a + (plus) battery 24 when the power switch of the vehicle is OFF.
The terminal and the + (plus) charging output 20sp are connected to form a charging circuit for the battery 24.
Further, the charging output is turned on / off by inserting / removing the AC plug 30 into / from an AC (alternating current) output outlet (such as a general household power line outlet). Of course, this is an example, and an ON-OFF switch for charging can be provided in the switch box 16 or the like.

FIG. 4 is an external view of the charger 20, and FIG. 5 is an internal input / output block diagram of the charger 20. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 31 is a cord reel type input code, 32 is an electric fan for internal cooling, 33 is a control board, 34 is an input side fuse, and 35 is an output side fuse. In addition, 36
Is a charging display LED, which indicates whether charging is in progress or charging is finished by lighting or blinking. In addition, 37 is an abnormality display LED
At the same time, the buzzer installed on the control board 33 is warned of an abnormality during charging (alarm is output).

As shown in FIG. 5, AC power (for example, AC 100 (V)) is applied to the charger 20 through a power plug 30 and a power cord 31, and the AC power passes through a filter circuit 39 and is rectified. It is converted into a DC power supply by the bridge 40. The converted DC power supply is converted into a predetermined voltage by the switching regulator drive circuit 42 according to a command from the switching regulator control circuit 41, and the charging output 2
Supplied at 0sp and 20sm. The drive circuit 42
Further, the DC output from is also supplied to the electric fan 32, the output voltage control circuit 43, the control system power supply 44, and the alarm 45. Further, the charger 20 is provided with a one-chip microcomputer 46, and the microcomputer 46 has a battery temperature signal from a temperature sensor 47 composed of a thermistor TH1 and a float switch SW1 of a battery sensor 48 body. The liquid level signal from the battery or the battery identification signal from the resistor R3 of the battery sensor 49 is input through the filter circuit 50. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 3
Reference numeral 9a is a filter circuit, 39b is a watchdog timer, and 39c is an alarm drive circuit. A trickle / charging stop signal is output from the microcomputer 46 to the switching regulator control circuit 41, and an open / closed output control signal and a charging voltage control signal are output to the output voltage control circuit 43. , The charging voltage signal is input. Further, it outputs to the LEDs 37 and 38 and the display output alarm drive circuit 39. The microcomputer 46 of the embodiment is an open / closed battery 2
A signal for controlling the charging output voltage according to the four types is output to the output voltage control circuit 43. Details of control of the charging output voltage will be described later.

In FIG. 5, the charging output 20 of the charger 20
+ (plus) charge output 2 of sp and 20 sm
0sp is connected to the + (plus) terminal of the battery 24 only when the power switch 28 (shown in FIG. 3) of the vehicle is OFF. Further, the- (minus) charge output 20sm of the charger 20 is always connected to the- (minus) terminal of the battery 24. Here, in the charger 20, when AC 100 V is applied from the power plug 30 via the AC cord, each control circuit (the output voltage control circuit 43, the microcomputer 46, etc.) operates, and the charging output 2
The battery 24 is supplied with power from 0 sp and 20 sm.

The charger 20 (for example, the microcomputer 46 and the output voltage control circuit 43) outputs an interlock to the main controller 22. The interlock is a signal that informs the main controller 22 that the charger 20 is operating. When the charger 20 is operating due to the interlock signal,
The vehicle is in a traveling-disabled state, and prevents the vehicle from traveling with the power plug 30 being inserted in the power outlet.

As shown in FIG. 6, the open type battery sensor body 48 has a float switch SW1 and a temperature sensor 47 integrated with each other. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, a resistor R is provided in the sealed battery sensor body 49.
3 and the temperature sensor 47 are integrated. Each of these sensor bodies 48 and 49 is connected to the charger 20 with a connector 4
It is removably connected at 8a and 49a. The temperature sensor 47 detects a battery temperature (including a temperature around the battery) and inputs the temperature signal to the microcomputer 46 via the filter circuit 50. The microcomputer 46 outputs the temperature signal. The charging voltage is controlled accordingly.

The battery level signal from the float switch SW1 of the battery sensor body 48 indicates whether or not the level of the stored battery liquid is above a predetermined position when the open type battery 24 is used. It is an ON-OFF signal, and this signal warns of the drop in the liquid level and is input to the charger 20 as a battery identification signal. Further, when the sealed battery 24 is used, the signal from the resistor R3 of the battery sensor body 49 is input to the charger 20 as a battery identification signal.

FIG. 6 shows the sensor body 4 for the open type battery.
8 shows an example of the external configuration of FIG. 8 and shows an example of a circuit with the sensor body 48 attached. In the circuit of FIG. 7, the charger 2
Only the part necessary for carrying out the present invention on the 0 side is shown, and the input terminals AD1 and AD of the microcomputer 46 are shown.
Resistors R1 and R2 are connected between 2 and the ground (GND).

(Connection of open type battery) When the open type battery 24 is used, the sensor body 48 is attached to the battery liquid inlet. In the embodiment, the float type sensor is used as the liquid surface sensor of the battery liquid. In the float type sensor, the float moves up and down above and below the liquid surface of the battery, and the float switch SW1 in FIG. 7 is turned on and off by the up and down of the float, and the AD input / output port (AD1) of the microcomputer 46 for controlling the charger.
V _DD (control system power supply voltage) or 0 (V) is input to. For example, when the float is lowered and the float switch SW1 is turned off, and 0 (v) is input to AD1, a buzzer or LED in the charger 20 or the switch box 16 gives a warning signal of a low battery level.

As the battery temperature signal, a value obtained by dividing the control system power supply voltage V _DD by the thermistor TH1 of the temperature sensor 47 and the resistor R2 is input to the AD input port (AD2) of the microcomputer 46. It With this input voltage, a signal is output from the microcomputer 46 to the output voltage control circuit 43 to control the upper limit value of the output voltage.

Here, when the connector of the sensor body 48 is not connected or the battery temperature signal line is disconnected, 0 (v) is input to the AD input port AD2. In this case, the temperature sensor is not connected and a buzzer or LED warns. In addition, the charging at that time is performed by the charging voltage at the maximum temperature within the operating temperature range, (the minimum charging voltage within the operating temperature range). Thereby, even when the sensor is not connected, the battery can be charged within a range that does not adversely affect the battery.

(Connection of Sealed Battery) When the sealed battery 24 is used, the battery sensor body 49 is attached as shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. The sensor body 49 is attached to the battery 2 as shown in FIG.
4 is fastened together with a band hook 53 that is fixed to the body frame 52 with a band 54, and is sandwiched between the side surface of the band hook 53 and the body frame 52. In this case, the thermistor TH1 inside the sensor body 49 is located closer to the battery 24, and the sensor body 4 is
9 The surface is covered with a hardener having high thermal conductivity. This allows
The temperature of the battery 24 can be accurately detected without being affected by heat from the main controller 22, the motor 18, and the charger 20.

According to the circuit example of FIG. 10, by inserting the resistor R3 in series at the place where the float switch SW1 is connected in the case of the open type battery, the control system is connected to the AD input port AD1 of the microcomputer. A value obtained by dividing the voltage V _{DD of the} power supply by the resistors R1 and R3 is input.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 11, the microcomputer 46 controls the charging voltage by the input voltage V _IN to the AD input port AD1 when the sensor bodies 48 and 49 are used. . That is, V
_It is determined whether or not _IN <V _DD / 4 (s1). When the determination result is positive and V _IN <V _DD / 4, it is determined that the open-type battery 24 is in the low battery level state, and charging is performed corresponding to the low level level (s2). That is, the float switch SW1 is off, the output voltage becomes zero, and almost no voltage is applied to AD1 of the microcomputer 46.

On the other hand, if the judgment result of s1 is negative,
It is determined whether or not V _IN > 3V _DD / 4 (s3). Open battery 2 if the result is positive and V _IN > 3V _DD / 4
It is determined that the normal state of No. 4 is satisfied, and charging is performed with a voltage corresponding to the normal state (s4). That is, the float switch SW1 is turned on, the output voltage becomes V _DD , and the voltage V _DD is directly applied to the AD1 of the microcomputer 46.

Further, when the judgment result of s3 is negative, it is judged whether or not V _DD / 4 ≤ V _IN ≤ 3 V _DD / 4 (s
5). When the determination result is positive and V _DD / 4 ≤ V _IN ≤ 3 V _DD / 4, it is determined that the sealed battery 24 is in a normal state, and charging is performed at a voltage corresponding to the sealed battery 24 (s6). The resistor R3 of the battery sensor 49 has substantially the same resistance value as that of the resistor R1, and the resistors R1 and R3
This is because the voltage of approximately V _DD / 2 divided by is applied to AD1 of the microcomputer 46.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the battery 24 is changed to a different type, the operation of switching and adjusting the main body of the charger 20 is unnecessary, and the setting is not mistaken. . In addition, the optimum charging voltage is set for many types of batteries. The charging voltage is set by the inevitable replacement of parts that occurs when the battery is changed. Therefore, the operator does not make a mistake in the setting at the time of replacement.

Further, since switching and voltage setting in the charger main body are not required, mechanical parts such as a changeover switch and a voltage adjusting device can be omitted, and space saving and cost reduction can be achieved. Even when the sensor is not connected, the battery is charged within a range that does not adversely affect the battery. It also displays a warning about unconnected. In addition, since the electric vehicle is equipped with a battery charger as well as a battery, the electric vehicle can be charged freely even at the destination of movement, which is extremely convenient.

In the above embodiment, two types of batteries, open type and closed type, have been described.
By changing the setting of the charging power source control unit, it is possible to support many types of batteries having different charging voltage values.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to appropriately correct the charging voltage according to the temperature of the battery mounted on the electric vehicle and immediately apply the optimum charging voltage even if the battery is changed to a different type.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway explanatory view of the electric vehicle according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an input / output block diagram of a power and signal transmission system of the charging device of the embodiment.

4A and 4B are external explanatory views of a charger provided in the charging device of FIG. 3, in which FIG. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a front view, and FIG.

5 is an overall block circuit diagram of the charger of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an external view of a sensor body for an open battery.

FIG. 7 is a connection circuit diagram of main parts of the sensor body and the charger of FIG.

FIG. 8 is an external view of a sealed battery sensor body.

9A and 9B are explanatory views of an attachment example of the sealed battery sensor body, FIG. 9A is a side view of a main part, and FIG. 9B is a partially enlarged view.

FIG. 10 is a connection circuit diagram of main parts of the sensor body and the charger of FIG.

11 is a flowchart of an example of a control procedure of the charging device in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 Charger 22 Main Controller 24 Battery 46 Microcomputer 47 Temperature Sensor 48 Sensor Body for Open Battery 49 Sensor Body for Sealed Battery SW1 Float Switch R3 Resistor

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H02J 7/04 L

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for charging a battery mounted on an electric vehicle, comprising: a charger for converting power supplied from the outside of the charger into power for charging the battery;
An identification element provided corresponding to the type of the battery for identifying the type of the battery, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the battery, and connected to the identification element and the sensor, mounted on a vehicle. And a charging power supply control unit for controlling the charging power supply based on the detected battery temperature and the detected temperature signal from the sensor. A battery charging device for an electric vehicle characterized by: