SE512833C2 - Anti-theft switch device for motor vehicle battery - Google Patents

Abstract

The switch device comprises semiconductor switches such as MOSFET-switches (11) connected in parallel between the middle battery cells (7, 9). The switch or switches are generally plate-shaped and comprise each one a main part of body and have one electrical terminal located on a large bottom side and another electrical terminal located on another side of the body. The switches are mounted in a line or a row on a large side of a first electrically and thermally conducting metal plate. A second conducting plate comprises two large sides on an edge connecting the large side. The edge extends in parallel to the switches and at one side of the switches. The second plate is arranged to form a gap between the two plates which are then the electrical terminals of the switch device. Electrical connection wires extend between the terminals located at the other sides of the switches and the second plate. For providing increased heat dissipation the first plate can be prolonged by a bent cooling flange. The switches are controlled by a processor (15) which can receive signals from the exterior, such as rf signals received by a receiver (25) for allowing a high but not too high current for powering a starter motor from the battery. In other cases only small currents can be drawn from the battery for powering the charge state and can block also small currents when there is too little charge left whereby also a sufficient charge can be left for starting the motor. For an interrupt in a lead to a power supply unit the control circuit can be provided with voltage from a reduced number of battery cells. Therefore, suitably placed diodes are provided in the interior supply lines to the power supply unit.

Description

40 512 833 2 It is a further object to provide a power supply for control circuits for an anti-theft battery, which provides security even in the event of a break in the wiring connections.

It is a further object to provide a practical arrangement for routing electrical wires to control circuits in an anti-theft battery.

The mentioned objects are achieved with the invention, the more detailed features of which appear from the appended claims.

In the lid of a battery, in the preferred case a lead-acid battery, there is an anti-theft device comprising a switch device and control circuits. In order to achieve a good heat dissipation from the switch device, this is in direct contact with metal plates attached to poles in individual battery cells, ie in two series-connected cells, in the two poles which would otherwise be permanently connected. These poles can in one embodiment be located at the same long side of the battery as the outer poles, which in some cases is achieved with a connection of these battery cells and the nearest adjacent cells deviating from the conventional one. From the outer poles, pole pieces can go to longitudinal channels, which extend from there to a space for the switch device and the control circuits. In these channels there are then electrical wires to the control circuits and especially to a power supply unit. In the event of a break in such a line, the power supply unit can be supplied with voltage from a reduced number of battery cells, on the other side of the switching device, via lines connected to the cell poles to which the switching device is connected. For this, there are suitably placed diodes in supply lines to the power supply unit.

A battery with an anti-theft device comprises in a conventional way fl your cells, which are connected in series. In each cell there are positive and negative battery plates and these are connected by positive and negative plate bridges, respectively, which each then form a pole in the cell. An electrically controlled switch is connected between two series-connected, adjacent cells and is thus connected instead of the normal series connection between these cells, ie is connected to a positive pole of a cell and a negative pole of an adjacent cell. Control circuits actuate the switch to transmit it in the closed state, as no or little current can be drawn from the battery. Such a switch can, when conducting, develop a lot of energy through residual resistance in it and this energy in the form of heat can be dissipated, in that the switch is also in good thermal contact with the poles to which the switch is electrically connected. For this purpose, the switch is at least partially mounted on an electrically and thermally conductive plate and one of the electrical connections of the switch comprises a surface in contact with this plate. The connections of the switch may thus comprise conductive metal parts with lower surfaces, which form such a connection.

The plate is then in turn in electrical and intimate thermal contact with one of the mentioned poles.

The pole with which the plate is in contact can be extended by a pole piece to facilitate the placement of the switch. This pole or the pole piece with which the plate is in contact advantageously has an upper, substantially flat surface, against which the plate is arranged.

On both the mentioned poles such plates and pole pieces can be arranged.

The poles to which the switch is connected may have pole projections extending up from a plate bridge, i.e. a connecting element between plates of the same polarity in a cell, in the form of a rotationally symmetrical rod, in particular circular-cylindrical rod or in the form of a truncated circular cone with a small cone angle. At this rod, a pole piece is then attached at one end with a rotationally symmetrical, in particular circular-cylindrical or conical, hole adapted to the rod. At its other end, the pole piece is attached to and connected to the electrically controlled switch. Such an arrangement enables a rotation of the pole pieces when mounting them on the poles, so that a desired distance can be obtained between the points where the pole pieces are connected to the switch or to the conductive plates to which the switch is connected. Attachment of the pole pieces to the poles of the pole projections can be achieved by a weld at an edge of the holes which are adapted to the rods. The rods may further have a length so that their end surfaces lie substantially in the same plane as an upper surface of the pole pieces, in order to enable the pole pieces to have a substantially flat upper surface.

The battery is moreover arranged in the usual way with the plates in all cells substantially parallel to each other and it has outer poles, from which useful current can be extracted. If the cells are all substantially the same, then the battery takes the form of a substantially rectangular body with a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the plates. To enable the switch and its control circuits to be fitted with a short external connection, they should be located at the long side of the battery, which is parallel to the longitudinal direction and is adjacent to the outer poles, where this side can be called the front of the battery. Therefore, in this case, the outer poles and the said positive pole and the negative pole, to which the switch is connected, should lie at the long side or generally all lie on the same side about a line in the longitudinal direction of the battery.

All poles of the battery cell array except the poles of the cells to which the switch means is connected, and a pole of the cells closest to them may in this case be placed and interconnected in a conventional manner in a zigzag pattern, while the poles and plate bridges of the other cells may be formed. with center connections.

In conventional lead-acid batteries for 12 or 24 V, there are six and twelve cells, respectively, ie a number that is evenly divisible by six. The switch means is then preferably connected between the two middle adjacent cells, ie with its connections between a positive pole of a middle cell and a negative pole of the adjacent middle cell.

The electrical control circuit for the switch means itself requires a supply of electrical current for its operation and can therefore be electrically connected via electrical conductors to the outer poles of the battery in order to normally obtain its energy supply therefrom, from the whole battery and all cells. These conductors can then be placed in channels in the cover, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the battery perpendicular to the battery plates, and furthermore further pole pieces can be arranged on the outer poles. These should then extend substantially parallel to the battery plates into the channels, where they are electrically connected to the joints. In this way short additional pole pieces can be used, which if they are made of lead as in the case of a lead accumulator still have a considerable weight.

Often the cover is provided with inspection plugs, one placed over each battery cell, which are connected by a degassing channel, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the battery, and then the channels for the electrical conductors are advantageously adjacent to the degassing channel or at least between 15 15 25 25 30 35 40 512 833 4 along the degassing duct and the outer poles, so that no long, heavy part of the pole pieces is required for passage under the degassing duct.

With such channels for the conductors, they can be open or openable at their outer ends. The connection between the additional pole pieces and the conductors can then be made accessible.

In order to provide a secure power supply for the electrical control circuit, it can also be connected via other electrical conductors to the same poles of adjacent cells as the switch. Then there are diodes connected in the first and second conductors with such a polarity that when all the conductors are whole or there is an interruption in one of the other electrical conductors, the control circuit gets its power supply from the outer poles of the battery, ie normally, while the switch is in the blocking position the control circuit receives its power supply from the then two separate groups of battery cells and if interruptions are obtained in a first conductor to an outer pole, which are normally quite long, the control circuit receives its power supply from the battery cells, which are between the other outer pole and switch. Of course, the power supply of the control circuit could also be permanent from cells within such a group, but this would give an uneven load to the cells, given that a starter battery does not supply any current or only a low current for most of the time.

In order for the control circuits in the battery not to draw current from the battery during, for example, storage before sale, a power line to a power supply unit included in the control circuits may have an interruption, which is closed manually when using the battery. For this, the supply line can pass through an external access bridge, which is removed when the battery is to be stored.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail in connection with a non-limiting exemplary embodiment in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: - Fig. 1 shows a top view of an anti-theft battery, where the cover is partially removed over a space for switches and control circuits Fig. 2 is a section along the line II-II in fi g. 1 of the upper part of the battery, - Fig. 3 is a section along the line III-III in Fig. 1, - Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV in fi g. Fig. 5 is a top view of a conventional battery with the cover removed, - Fig. 6 is a top view of a battery with the lid removed, where the connection between battery cells is modified, - Fig. 7 shows a top view of a anti-theft battery with a different location of switches and control circuits, where a cover plate is removed, - Fig. 8 is a top view of a battery vessel with the lid removed and suitable for the embodiment according to Fig. 7, - Fig. 9 is an electrical wiring diagram for the anti-theft device.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS I fi g. 1 is a top view of a battery equipped with an anti-theft circuit. From the battery itself, a cover 1 with negative battery pole 3 and positive battery pole 5 can be seen here. According to what is visible in the sections through the upper part of the battery in fi g. 3, the rear part 7 of the upper part or lid of the battery is raised in relation to the portions where the outer poles 3 and 5 of the battery are located. In this rear upper portion 7, plugs 9 are screwed into corresponding threads in the lid above each individual battery cell and they are located above a channel 10, which runs in the longitudinal direction of the battery and connects the spaces above the battery cells to each other. The plugs 9 can be unscrewed to check the electrolyte level in the individual cells. Between the outer battery poles 3 and 5 there is in the front edge of the battery also a raised portion 11, the upper part of which lies in the same plane as the rear portion 7. In this front raised portion 11 there are electronic circuits for checking the battery. Thus, electronic circuits are encapsulated in a dense and hard plastic material, shown at 13. A switch device 15 is also arranged in this portion 11 and is connected between the series-connected middle cells in the battery, see also the wiring diagram in fi g. 9.

Since the switch device 15 is connected between two internal cells in the battery consisting of fl your series-connected cells, it is suitable to have a deviation from the normal sets between the plate sets in the battery cells. Fig. 5 shows from above a standard starting battery with six series-connected cells 17. The negative plates 19 in each cell are connected at the top by a pole bridge 21 while the positive plates 23 are connected by means of pole bridges 25. The pole bridges 21 and 25 are here alternately placed at one side of the upper edges of the plates respectively at the other and thus also alternately at one and the other side of the battery vessel 26. As a result of a placement of battery cell rows 17 next to each other with simple partitions 27 between each cell and with the plates in all cells parallel to each other and to the partitions 27 the positive pole bridge 25 in a battery cell to be close to the negative pole bridge 21 the nearest adjacent battery cell 17. With a suitable design of the pole bridges, so that they project slightly towards an adjacent pole bridge, when such a positive pole bridge 25 and negative pole bridge 21 are easily connected, for example by means of welds shown at 29. However, a pole bridge 21 'and 25 ”in the outermost battery cells 17 are not connected in this way but are provided with upwardly directed more or less cylindrical or slightly conical pole projections 31 and 33, respectively, see also the section in fi g. 4.

However, as already pointed out, this placement of the pieces 21 and 25 is not suitable when one wants to place a switch device 15 between the two innermost cells in such a battery and at the same time wants the switch device placed at one edge, the front edge, of the battery, along which the pole projections 31 and 33, respectively, for connection to the outer poles 3 and 5 are located. The connection between the negative and positive plate sets of the two middle cells, respectively, is located at the other edge or side of the battery in the simple zigzag configuration according to Fig. 5.

The pole bridges of the four middle cells of a battery can then be modified in the manner shown by the top view in Fig. 6 of a battery with the lid removed. Battery cell series are denoted here 17.1, 17.2, 17.6 starting from the most negative battery cell. The outermost battery cell series 17.1 and 17.6 are made here in the same way as in the prior art. However, the other battery cells are altered with respect to the pole bridges. In the second battery cell 17.2, its negative pole bridge 21.2 is unchanged while its positive pole bridge 25.2 has a part which connects the various positive plates 23 to each other and which corresponds to the pole bridge 25 in an ordinary battery. The pole bridge 25.2 is here extended in the direction of the center line of the battery perpendicular to the plate sets and terminates along this center line by a laterally projecting portion, in the direction of the center line, of the same type as the other simple pole pieces intended for connection to the pole piece in the adjacent battery cell. . In the next battery cell 17.3, its negative pole bridge 21.3 is designed in a corresponding manner and has exactly the same geometric shape as the described pole bridge 25 .2 in the previous cell.

Furthermore, in the case of the third cell 17.3, the positive pole bridge 25.3 is not made with a lateral projection for connection to the next battery cell but has a rising pole projection 35 of the same type, which is found on the outermost pole bridges 31 and 33 in the outer cells 17.1 and 17.6. This pole projection 35 can, as shown in the ñguren, be located on a part of the pole bridge 25.3 which projects slightly towards the approximate center line of the battery. The negative pole bridge 25.4 in the next battery cell 17.4 is designed in the same way as the positive pole bridge 25.3 just described in the previous battery cell and like this has an upwardly projecting cylindrical or slightly tapered pole projection 37. The positive pole bridge 25.4 in this battery cell and the negative pole bridge 21.5 in the next battery cell, the fifth cell 17.5 is designed in the same way as the pole bridges 25.2 and 21.3 with a series connection between the battery cells at the center line of the battery. The other pole bridges correspond to those found in a conventional battery according to fi g. 5.

The adjacent pole bridges 25.3 and 21.4 enable a simple connection of a switch device between them and in particular between their pole projections 35 and 37, see also the sections of the upper part of the battery in Figs. 2 and 3.

The same pole pieces 37 are further attached to the pole projections 35 and 37, see in particular ñg. Such a pole piece 37 connects a pole projection 35 or 37 to the switch device 15 and has for this purpose cast-in bolts 41, which lie with their head downwards and with the threads of the bolts 41 directed upwards. The pole pieces 39 have an upper flat surface and are passed through holes for receiving pole projections 35 or 37. Like the pole bridges of a lead accumulator, the pole pieces 41 are made of lead and are welded to the pole projections 35 or 37 with welds shown at 43 at the upper ends of the pole projections.

Against the upper surface of the pole pieces 39 rests a metal plate 45 of good heat-conducting and electrically conductive material such as copper or aluminum. The plates 45 are held in this position by means of nuts 47 threaded on the bolts 41, which pass through suitably received holes in the metal plates 45. The plates 45 have a rectangular shape and are positioned so as to have an inner edge or side parallel to a corresponding inner edge or side at the second plate and at a distance from it. Two other edges or sides of the tiles are aligned with each other. As a result, the plates 45 are electrically insulated from each other and one connection of the switch device, not shown, is connected to one plate, while the other connection is connected to the other plate. 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 512 853 Batteries with different capacities may have different numbers of plates in each plate set and therefore the distance between the pole projections 35 and 37 may be different for different battery types. However, the pole pieces 39 are rotatable about the pole projections before attachment and connection to the pole projections, so that the cast-in bolts 41 can be placed at the same distance for varying battery types. Furthermore, the placement of the plates 45 against the large upper surface of the pole pieces 39 provides a good heat-conducting and electrically conductive connection between them. This is particularly valuable in cases where the switch device 15 itself develops a lot of power, which in some way has to be transported away.

The space around the switch device 15 and its connections to the plates 45 is protected by a metal lid 49, which is made of hardened sheet metal and has the shape of a downwardly open rectangular box. Other parts of the lid 1 and the battery vessel 26 are consistently made of suitable plastic material. A fixed cover plate 50 forms a cover on the front raised portion and thus lies on top of the protective metal cover 49 and over the encapsulated electronics in the block 13. From this protrude metal tongues 52 for, among other things, the electronics circuits communicating with other electrical devices in a vehicle. .

The electronic circuits in the block 13 are connected by means of a line 51 to the switch device 5 for controlling its on and off. The electronic circuits in the encapsulated block 13 also require contact with various poles in the battery, in particular its external connection poles for monitoring the battery. They are also connected to the poles of the middle cells, between which the switch device 15 is connected, by means of short wires 51 soldered to the plates 45.

For connection of the electronic circuits to the outer poles 3 and 5, the poles 3 and 5 are provided with pole pieces 53, see for example the section in Fig. 4. The pole pieces 55 are provided with through holes for receiving the pole projections 31 and 33, respectively. the hole, the pole pieces 55 are designed as a bushing with an outer cylindrical or slightly tapered shape. This outer surface then constitutes the actual battery pole for connecting the battery in, for example, a motor vehicle. Welders 58 electrically connect the pole projections 31 and 33 to the upper edge of the sleeve-like portion of the pole pieces 55.

The pole pieces 55 are extended in the direction of the line of incision of the battery, ie they lie in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the cell plates. They terminate in a space 57 in the cover 1, which runs in the longitudinal direction of the battery adjacent to the channel 10 and extends to the front raised portion 11 of the battery, where the switch device 15 and the electronic circuits 13 are located. From this inner end in the space 57, loose wires 59 go to the encapsulated block 13, see also fi g. 1. These conduits 59 are connected to the pole pieces 55 by threaded holes in their innermost portions of the space 57, in which screws 61 with underlying contact plates 63 are screwed. Due to this design of the pole pieces 55 and the longitudinal space 57, the same pole pieces 55 can be used for batteries of different sizes with varying numbers of plates in the cells. The screws 61 and the plate 63 are accessible in that the channel 57 is open at its outer end. Possibly, snap caps can be arranged here.

It is of course possible to also place the switch device 15 and the electronics in the second edge, the rear edge of the battery as illustrated by fi g. 7 and 8. Here, only two pole bridges in the lowest cells 17.3 and 17.4 need to be modified compared to a conventional battery. Thus, in these central cells, the pole bridges 25'.3 and 2124 to which these cells are normally connected are designed in a manner similar to the pole bridges with pole projections 35 and 37 in the previous embodiment. Thus, these pole bridges are made of substantially normal pole bridges, which have no protrusions to the side for series connection to the next battery cell but possibly with a slightly projecting part towards the center line of the battery. On this projecting part, the pole projections 35 'and 37' can then be located and suitably made in one piece when casting the pole bridges 25 '.3 and 21'.4.

Protrusions 35 'and 37' are attached to the pole bridges 35 'and 37', as previous pole pieces 55, which can have substantially the same design as before. Electrically and thermally conductive plates 45 are then fixed to pole pieces 55 as above by means of bolts 41 and nuts 47 and on the plates the switch device 15 is in electrical and thermal contact.

To the electronic circuits, which are here cast in a block 13 'also placed in the rear raised part 7 of the cover 1, go as above loose guide rings, partly a line 51' from the switch device 15 for controlling it in on and off position, wires 53 'from the plates 45 and finally wires 59' for contact with the outer poles 3 and 5 of the battery. These wires 59 'are screwed at the other end to the inner, rear end of pole pieces 64, which like the pole pieces 55 are attached to the pole projections 31 and 33 on the outermost pole bridges but extending further towards the rear side of the battery, past its center line and into the rear raised portion.

Fig. 9 shows a wiring diagram partly in the block form of an anti-theft battery. This is in the preferred embodiment a lead battery with six series-connected battery cells 17. The output voltage of the battery between the external connections 3 and 5 is then nominally 12 V. The electronic circuits which control the switch device 15 and which are arranged in the encapsulated block 13, includes electronic control circuits 65 in the form of, for example, a suitable microprocessor. The electronic control circuits 65 further control via the line 51 the switching device 15, so that, for example, an interruption is obtained in the battery and this can not supply any voltage, in the event that an identifying control signal has not been obtained from the outside.

To operate the electronic control circuits 65, a regulated power supply is required, for example a supply voltage of SV. For this purpose, there are in the canister 13, 13 'a power supply unit 67, which at its output delivers regulated direct voltage. The power supply unit 67 in turn receives the energy necessary for its operation normally from the outer poles 3 and 5 of the battery via the lines 59, 59 ', as described above. For power supply even when the switch 15 is blocked and no current can pass through the battery and as an extra safety, the power supply can also receive a reduced voltage via the lines 53, 53 'directly from the plates 45, see fig. the wires 59, 59 'to the outer battery poles are rather long and also fastened with screws, so there may be some risk that interruptions in the voltage supply from the outer poles could occur. In the event of an interruption in either of these lines 51, the power supply unit 67 receives supply only from three battery cells, i.e. with a voltage of approx. 6V. Furthermore, if the switch 15 is in the "off position", the power supply 67 also receives a voltage of 6V but in this case parallel from the two separated groups of three cells each, 17.1, 17.2, 17.3 and 17.4, 17.5, 17.6.

For this, diodes are connected with a suitable polarity in the wires 59 and 53. Thus, a first diode 71 is connected in the connecting line 59, 59 'with the negative pole connection 3. This diode 71 has its negative electrode connected to the pole connection 3. On in the same way a diode is connected in the connecting line 59, 59 'to the positive pole connection 5 but this diode 74 has its positive electrode connected to the positive pole connection 5. In the line 53, 53 °, which connects the positive plate 45 with the electronics block 13 and 13 ', respectively, a diode 73 is connected, the negative electrode of which is connected to the plate and thus to the positive side of the switch device 15 or generally to the negative pole bridge 21.4 or 2124 in the fourth battery cell 17.4. Finally, a diode 72 is connected in the connecting line 53, 53 'with the negative plate 45 in the raised space 11. This diode has its positive electrode connected to the negative side of the switch 15, or synonymously with it to the positive pole bridge 25.3 or 25'.3 of the third battery cell 17.3.

Should a breakage occur in the line 59 and 59 ', respectively, which runs from the positive terminal 5 to the electronics block 13 or 13', the power supply 67 receives its supply voltage from the first three battery cells 17.1, 17.2 and 17.3. Correspondingly, in the event of a break in the line 59, 59 'from the negative pole connection 3, it is obtained that the power supply unit 67 receives its supply voltage from the three most positive cells in the battery, ie the cells 17.4, 17.5 and 17.6.

There is an externally accessible interruption point for the electronics' power supply, as shown in the figure with two of the contact tongues 52, see also fi g. 1 and 3, connected in a power supply line closest to the power supply unit 67. When storing the battery, there is no connection between these contact tongues, so that the electronic circuits do not draw current from the battery. The control electronics 65 and the switch device 15 are also advantageously arranged, so that in the absence of power supply the switch device 15 blocks and no current can be taken from the battery. The contact tongues 52 can be closed when using the battery by means of a suitably designed contact plate, indicated at 77.

Claims (4)

20 512 833 10 PATENT REQUIREMENTS 1. A battery comprising fl your cells, which are connected in series and which each comprises positive and negative battery plates, each provided with a pole or connection, and further comprising outer poles, a battery vessel and a lid mounted thereon, characterized in of an electrically controlled switching means connected between two adjacent cells, i.e. with its connections between a positive pole of a cell and a negative pole of an adjacent cell, an electrical control circuit for the switching means, which for its electrical power supply via electrical conductors is electrically connected to the outer poles of the battery, that these conductors are located in channels in the cover, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the battery perpendicular to the battery plates, that pole pieces are arranged on the outer poles and extend substantially parallel to the battery plates into the channels, where they are electrically connected to the conductors. 2. A battery according to claim 1, characterized in that the channels are openable at the end edges of the battery cover, so that the connection between the pole pieces and the conductors can thereby be made accessible. Battery according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the battery cover is provided with inspection plugs, one placed over each battery cell, which are connected by a degassing duct extending in the longitudinal direction of the battery, and that the ducts for the electrical conductors are located next to the degassing duct 4. A battery according to claim 3, characterized in that the channels of the electrical conductors lie between the degassing channels and the outer poles.