WO2015150894A1

WO2015150894A1 - Vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2015150894A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/000355
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daisuke UEO
Original assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2014-04-01
Filing date: 2015-03-18
Publication date: 2015-10-08
Also published as: JP2015196453A

Abstract

A vehicle mounts a discharging device. The vehicle includes an inlet, a first relay, a fuse, an electric power storage device, a second relay and an electronic control unit. One end of the first relay is connected to the inlet. One end of the fuse is connected to the other end of the first relay. The electric power storage device is connected to the other end of the fuse. The second relay is configured to short-circuit the electric power storage device by a path including the fuse when the second relay is in a conductive state. The electronic control unit is configured to control the second relay into the conductive state such that the fuse blows when the first relay is in the conductive state even after the first relay is controlled to be in a disconnected state.

Description

VEHICLE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The invention relates to a circuit configuration of an electric power supply capable of exchanging electric power with an electrical appliance outside a vehicle.

2. Description of Related Art

[0002] In the related art, vehicle that discharging device is mounted thereon and capable of supplying electric power to external electrical appliances from automotive electric power storage device through the discharging device is known. In such a vehicle, a circuit in which a fuse is blown in a case where an abnormality occurs in the discharging device may be incorporated in the discharging device as in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-070577.

[0003] Also, a technique for charging an automotive electric power storage device through a charging device that is mounted on a vehicle is known. In some cases, a backflow-preventing diode is installed in the charging device, which prevents current backflow from the automotive electric power storage device to the charging device.

[0004] In some cases, a relay is installed in the automotive circuit between the discharging device and the electric power storage device or between the charging device and the electric power storage device. Such a relay is installed to make the discharging device and the automotive electric power storage device or the charging device and the automotive electric power storage device are electrically disconnected or electrically conductive between.

[0005] In the vehicle that has the charging device described above and allows discharging as well as charging, a configuration of the charging device without the backflow-preventing diode may be used as a configuration of the discharging device. In this case, currents can flow in both directions between the discharging device and the automotive electric power storage device. Accordingly, short-circuit current may flow between the discharging device and the electric power storage device in a case where an abnormality occurs in the discharging device. Therefore, the relay installed in the automotive circuit between the discharging device and the electric power storage device may be fixed in the conductive state by the short-circuit current. When the relay is fixed in the conductive state, a voltage of the electric power storage device may continue to be applied to a contact point on the vehicle side where the discharging device is connected previously even after the discharging device is removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The invention provides a vehicle that suppresses a voltage of an electric power storage device to be applied to a contact point for a discharging device when an abnormality occurs in the discharging device.

[0007] A vehicle related in the present invention, mounts a discharging device such that electric power can be supplied to an electrical appliance outside the vehicle. The vehicle includes an inlet, a first relay, a fuse, an electric power storage device, a second relay and an electronic control unit. The inlet is capable of being connected to the discharging device. One end of the first relay is connected to the inlet. One end of the fuse is connected to the other end of the first relay. The electric power storage device is connected to the other end of the fuse, and the electric power storage device is configured to output DC electric power. The second relay is configured to short-circuit the electric power storage device by a path including the fuse when the second relay is in a conductive state. The electronic control unit is configured to control the first relay and the second relay. The electronic control unit is configured to control the second relay into the conductive state such that the fuse blows when the first relay is in the conductive state even after the first relay is controlled to be in a disconnected state.

[0008] In this case, even when the first relay is in the conductive state, the fuse can be blown by putting the second relay into the conductive state, and thus between the inlet and the electric power storage device can be an electrically disconnected state. Accordingly, the present invention can provided the vehicle that suppresses a voltage of the electric power storage device to be applied to a contact point part between the discharging device and the vehicle when an abnormality occurs in the discharging device.

[0009] The vehicle may further includes a detection device. The detection device may be configured to detect a voltage applied to the inlet. The electronic control unit may be configured to control the second relay into the conductive state when the voltage is higher than a threshold, and the voltage may be detected by the detection device after the first relay is control to be in the disconnected state.

[0010] For this configuration, whether or not the first relay is in a fixed state can be determined with high accuracy.

[0011] One end of the second relay may be connected to a path between the first relay and the fuse.

[0012] For this configuration, the electric power storage device can be short-circuited by the path including the fuse by controlling the second relay into the conductive state.

[0013] Also, one end of the second relay may be connected to a path between the inlet and the first relay.

[0014] For this configuration, the electric power storage device can be short-circuited by the path including the fuse by controlling the second relay into the conductive state.

[0015] The electric power stored in the electric power storage device may be supplied to a driving source of the vehicle during traveling of the vehicle, and the electric power stored in the electric power storage device may be supplied to the electrical appliance when the discharging device is connected to the inlet.

[0016] For this configuration, in the vehicle that travels by supply of the electric power from the electric power storage device to the driving source, the application of the voltage to the contact point between the discharging device and the vehicle can be suppressed when the abnormality occurs in the discharging device in the vehicle. The voltage is the electric power that the electric power storage device supplies to the driving source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a discharging device and a configuration of a vehicle on which the discharging device is mounted;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a charging device and a configuration of the vehicle on which the charging device is mounted;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an ECU;

FIG 4 is a flowchart illustrating control processing executed by the ECU;

FIG. 5 is a diagram for showing an operation of the ECU;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first connection example of an exposure prevention relay; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second connection example of the exposure prevention relay.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings. In the following description, like reference numerals are used to refer to like parts having the same designations and functions.

Detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0019] Electric power can be supplied from a socket 152 of a discharging device

150 to an electrical appliance 160 outside a vehicle 10 when the discharging device 150 separate from the vehicle 10 is connected to the vehicle 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The electrical appliance 160 is an electrical appliance that is operated when AC electric power supply is received. In the following description, respective elements included in a circuit are electrically connected.

[0020] The vehicle 10 includes a DC inlet 70, a DC relay 20, a fuse 30, a battery

40, an exposure prevention relay 50, a voltage sensor 60, and an ECU 100. The vehicle 10 is, for example, an electric vehicle that travels by supply of electric power from the battery 40 to a driving source. The vehicle 10 may be a hybrid vehicle that uses an electric motor as the driving source and further includes an internal combustion engine mounted thereon for charging the battery 40 or driving the vehicle 10.

[0021] The DC relay 20 includes switches SW1, SW2. One end of the switch SW1 is connected to a positive voltage terminal 70a of the DC inlet 70. The other end of the switch SW1 is connected to one end of the fuse 30. One end of the switch SW2 is connected to a negative voltage terminal 70b of the DC inlet 70. The other end of the switch SW2 is connected to a negative pole of the battery 40. The switches SW1, SW2 is controlled to be in any one of a conductive state (ON state) and a disconnected state (OFF state) based on a control signal from the electronic control unit (ECU) 100.

[0022] The ECU 100 controls both of the switches SW1, SW2 to be in the conductive state when, for example, a discharge mode is selected. In the discharge mode, electric power is supplied from the battery 40 to the electrical appliance 160 through the discharging device 150. In the following description, "control both of the switches SW1, SW2 into the conductive state" and "control the DC relay 20 into the conductive state" have the same meaning. Also, "control both of the switches SW1, SW2 into the disconnected state" and "control the DC relay 20 into the disconnected state" have the same meaning.

[0023] The DC inlet 70 includes the positive voltage terminal 70a and the negative voltage terminal 70b. The positive voltage terminal 70a of the DC inlet 70 is connected to a positive pole of the battery 40 through the switch SW1 of the DC relay 20 and the fuse 30. The positive voltage terminal 70a is connected to a positive voltage terminal 158a of a connector 158 (described later) at a contact point 80a.

[0024] The negative voltage terminal 70b is connected to the negative pole of the battery 40 through the switch SW2 of the DC relay 20. The negative voltage terminal 70b is connected to a negative voltage terminal 158b of the connector 158 (described later) at a contact point 80b.

[0025] When a current exceeds a predetermined rated current, the fuse 30 blows and automotive electrical appliances and components such as the battery 40 are protected. The one end of the fuse 30 is connected to the switch SW1. The other end of the fuse 30 is connected to the positive pole of the battery 40.

[0026] The exposure prevention relay 50 includes a switch SW3. One end of the switch SW3 is connected to any position of an electric power line between the other end of the switch SW1 of the DC relay 20 and the one end of the fuse 30. The other end of the switch SW3 is connected to any position of an electric power line between the other end of the switch SW2 of the DC relay 20 and the negative pole of the battery 40. The switch SW3 is controlled to be in conductive state or the disconnected state based on the control signal from the ECU 100. An operation of the exposure prevention relay 50 will be described in detail later.

[0027] The battery 40 is an electric power storage device and is a DC electric power supply that can be recharged. A secondary battery such as a nickel hydrogen battery and a lithium-ion battery can be used as the battery 40. The battery 40is not limited to the secondary battery, and the battery 40 may be a capacitor or the like capable of generating a DC voltage. During the traveling of the vehicle 10, the battery 40 supplies the electric power to the driving source (for example, the electric motor).

[0028] The discharging device 150 includes the socket 152, an AC/DC converter 154, a fuse 156, and the connector 158.

[0029] The socket 152 has a concave shape so that two protruded connection terminals disposed at a plug of the electrical appliance 160 can be inserted thereto. When the plug of the electrical appliance 160 is connected to the socket 152, each^' of two connection terminals built in the socket 152 and the two connection terminals of the plug of the electrical appliance 160 is electrically conducted. Therefore, electric power can be supplied from the AC/DC converter 154 to the electrical appliance 160.

[0030] The AC/DC converter 154 is an electric power conversion device that converts a DC voltage of the battery 40 into an AC voltage. The AC/DC converter 154 supplies the converted AC voltage to the electrical appliance 160 that is connected to the socket 152. Known methods may be used for converting the DC voltage into the AC voltage, and detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

[0031] One end of the fuse 156 is connected to the AC/DC converter 154. The other end of the fuse 156 is connected to the positive voltage terminal 158a of the connector 158. When a current exceeds a predetermined rated current, the fuse 156 blows and components constituting the discharging device 150 are protected. The rated current of the fuse 156 is, for example, equal to the rated current of the fuse 30 on the vehicle 10 side.

[0032] The connector 158 has a shape capable of being fitted into the DC inlet 70. The connector 158 includes the positive voltage terminal 158a and the negative voltage terminal 158b. When the connector 158 is fitted into the DC inlet 70, the positive voltage terminal 158a of the connector 158 is connected to the positive voltage terminal 70a of the DC inlet 70 at the contact point 80a, and the negative voltage terminal 158b of the connector 158 is connected to the negative voltage terminal 70b of the DC inlet 70 at the contact point 80b.

[0033] The ECU 100 controls the DC relay 20 to be in the conductive state, for example, when a discharging operation is performed with the discharging device 150 connected to the vehicle 10. For example, when a user selects the discharge mode by operating the discharging device 150 or the vehicle 10, it can be regarded as the discharging operation is performed. The users operation may include an operation for connecting the discharging device 150 to the vehicle 10. The ECU 100 controls the DC relay 20 into the disconnected state, for example, when finishing the discharging operation.

[0034] When the DC relay 20 is controlled into the conductive state, the DC inlet 70 and the battery 40 are electrically conducted. Accordingly, the DC voltage of the battery 40 is converted into the AC voltage by an operation of the AC/DC converter 154, and the converted AC voltage is supplied to the electrical appliance 160. Accordingly, the electrical appliance 160 is put into an operable state.

[0035] The voltage sensor 60 detects a voltage that is applied to the DC inlet 70. Specifically, the voltage sensor 60 detects a voltage (voltage difference) V between the positive voltage terminal 70a and the negative voltage terminal 70b. The voltage sensor

60 transmits a signal that indicates the detected voltage V to the ECU 100.

[0036] In the vehicle 10 described above, the battery 40 can be charged by changing the discharging device 150 to have a configuration of a charging device 170 as illustrated in, for example, FIG. 2. A circuit configuration from the DC inlet 70 to the battery 40 is a common circuit configuration between the discharging device 150 and the charging device 170, and by using an external electric power supply. A configuration of the vehicle 10 in FIG. 2 is the same as a configuration of the vehicle 10 in FIG. 1.

Detailed description thereof will not be repeated herein.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the charging device 170 includes an AC electric power supply 172, an AC/DC converter 174, a fuse 176, a connector 178, and a backflow-preventing diode Dl .

[0038] The AC electric power supply 172 is, for example, a commercial AC electric power supply. The AC/DC converter 174 is an electric power conversion device that converts an AC voltage supplied from the AC electric power supply 172 into a DC voltage. The AC/DC converter 174 supplies the converted DC voltage to the battery 40.

Known methods may be used for converting the AC voltage into the DC voltage, and detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

[0039] One end of the fuse 176 is connected to the AC/DC converter 174. The other end of the fuse 176 is connected to the backflow-preventing diode Dl of the connector 178. When a current exceeds a predetermined rated current, the fuse 176 blows and components constituting the charging device 170 are protected. The rated current of the fuse 176 is, for example, equal to the rated currents of the fuse 30 and the fuse 156 described above. [0040] The connector 178 has a shape capable of being fitted into the DC inlet 70. The connector 178 includes a positive voltage terminal 178a, a negative voltage terminal 178b, and the backflow-preventing diode Dl . When the connector 178 is fitted into the DC inlet 70, the positive voltage terminal 178a of the connector 178 is connected to the positive voltage terminal 70a of the DC inlet 70 at the contact point 80a, and the negative voltage terminal 178b of the connector 178 is connected to the negative voltage terminal of the DC inlet 70 at the contact point 80b.

[0041] The backflow-preventing diode Dl is accommodated in the connector 178. An anode of the backflow-preventing diode Dl is connected to the other terminal of the fuse 176. A cathode of the backflow-preventing diode Dl is connected to the positive voltage terminal 178a of the connector 178. According to this configuration, the backflow-preventing diode Dl prevents a DC current backflow from the vehicle 10 to the charging device 170.

[0042] The ECU 100 controls the DC relay 20 to be in the conductive state when, for example, a charging operation is performed with the charging device 170mounted on the vehicle 10. When a user selects a charge mode by operating the charging device 170 or the vehicle 10, it can be regarded as the charging operation is performed. The users operation may include an operation for connecting the charging device 170 to the vehicle 10. The ECU controls the DC relay 20 into the disconnected state, for example, when finishing the charging operation.

[0043] When the DC relay 20 is controlled into the conductive state, the DC inlet 70 and the battery 40 are electrically conducted. Accordingly, the AC voltage supplied from the AC electric power supply 172 is converted into the DC voltage by the operation of the AC/DC converter 154, and the converted DC voltage is supplied to the battery 40. Accordingly, the battery 40 is charged.

[0044] The discharging device 150 differs from the charging device 170 by not having the backflow-preventing diode Dl . The current flows from the battery 40 to the AC/DC converter 154 through the fuse 30 and the fuse 156 in the discharging device 150, and thus in the discharging device 150 does not have the backflow-preventing diode Dl .

[0045] Next, a case where an abnormality such as a short circuit occurs in each of the discharging device 150 and the charging device 170 is explained with referring to the thick broken line frames in FIGS. 1 and 2. The discharging device 150 and the charging device 170 have the above-described configuration.

[0046] For example, when positive and negative electric power lines are shorted to one another at position between the fuse 176 and the AC/DC converter 174 of the charging device 170, the backflow-preventing diode Dl installed in the connector 178 prevents short-circuit current from flowing in a path between the battery 40 and the charging device 170.

[0047] On the other hand, the discharging device 150 does not include the backflow-preventing diode Dl . Therefore, when positive and negative electric power lines are shorted to one another at position between the fuse 1 6 and the AC/DC converter 154 of the discharging device 150, a short-circuit current flows and circulates between the battery 40 and the discharging device 150, as illustrated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 1.

[0048] When the short-circuit current flows and circulates in the path between the battery 40 and the discharging device 150, a current lager than normal current may flow in the DC relay 20. Accordingly, electrical repulsion may occur in the DC relay 20, and the opening forces may act on switches SW1 , SW2 of the DC relay 20. For this result, arc discharge may occur. In this case, each of the contact points of the switches SW1, SW2 may be welded in a conductive state. In other words, the DC relay 20 may be ON-fixed and kept in the conductive state. In addition, when the fuse 156 blows before the fuse 30 blows, the short-circuit current may cut off. However, the voltage of the battery 40 is continued to be applied to the DC inlet 70.

[0049] When a user removes the connector 158 from the DC inlet 70 in such a case, the positive voltage terminal 70a and the negative voltage terminal 70b of the DC inlet 70 may be exposed with the voltage applied to the DC inlet 70.

[0050] According to this embodiment, the ECU 100 is configured to control the exposure prevention relay 50 into the conductive state so that the fuse 30 is blown, when the DC relay 20 is in the conductive state even after the ECU 100 controlled the DC relay 20 to be in the disconnected state.

[0051] Specifically, the ECU 100 controls the exposure prevention relay 50 to be in the conductive state so that the fuse 30 is blown, when the voltage V detected by the voltage sensor 60 and applied to the DC inlet 70 is higher than a threshold V(0) after the DC relay 20 is controlled to be in the disconnected state.

[0052] For this configuration, the fuse 30 can be blown by controlling the exposure prevention relay 50 into the conductive state, even when the DC relay 20 is in the conductive state,. Accordingly, the DC inlet 70 and the battery 40 can be electrically disconnected.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the ECU 100 that is mounted on the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. The ECU 100 includes a discharging completion determination unit 102, a first relay control unit 104, a voltage determination unit 106, a second relay control unit 108, and a system control unit 110. These configurations may be realized by software such as a program and may be realized by hardware.

[0054] The discharging completion determination unit 102 determines whether or not discharging is completed. The discharging completion determination unit 102 determines that the discharging is completed, , for example, when an operation for completing the discharging is performed by the user, when a state of charge (SOC) of the battery 40 is lower than a threshold or when in a case where an abnormality occurs during the discharging operation. The discharging completion determination unit 102 , for example, calculates the SOC of the battery 40 and determines the abnormality during the discharging operation based on, at least one of the temperature of the battery 40, the voltage or the current of the battery 40 input into the ECU 100. The voltage, the current and the temperature of the battery 40 are detected by using various sensors installed on the battery 40. In a case where the discharging is determined to be completed, the discharging completion determination unit 102 may, for example, put a discharging completion determination flag into an ON state. [0055] When the discharging completion determination unit 102 determines that the discharging in completed, the first relay control unit 104 controls the DC relay 20 so that the DC relay 20 is put into the disconnected state (OFF state). When the discharging completion determination flag is in the ON state, the first relay control unit 104 may control the DC relay 20 to be in the disconnected state by outputting a first relay control command to the DC relay 20.

[0056] After the DC relay 20 is controlled to be in the disconnected state by the first relay control unit 104, the voltage determination unit 106 determines whether or not the voltage V input from the voltage sensor 60 is higher than the threshold V(0). For example, the threshold V(0) is set to a value exceeding zero in view of a detection error. The voltage determination unit 106 may put a voltage determination flag into an ON state when the detected voltage V is determined to be higher than the threshold V(0).

[0057] In a case where the voltage V detected by the voltage determination unit 106 is determined to be higher than the threshold V(0), the second relay control unit 108 outputs a second relay control command to the exposure prevention relay 50 and controls the exposure prevention relay 50 to be in the conductive state (ON state). The second relay control unit 108 may control the exposure prevention relay 50 into the conductive state in a case where the voltage determination flag is in the ON state.

[0058] After the exposure prevention relay 50 is controlled to be in the conductive state by the second relay control unit 108, the system control unit 110 outputs a system control command to a system of the vehicle 10 and stops the system of the vehicle 10. The state that the system of the vehicle 10 is stopped is called an OFF state. In the OFF state, the system control unit 110, stops the electrical appliances related to the charging and discharging of the battery 40 (for example, an automotive power control unit (PCU)). The system control unit 110 puts the system of the vehicle 10 into the OFF state after, for example, when predetermined period of time elapses after the control of the exposure prevention relay 50 is initiated. The predetermined period of time is a time that the fuse 30 is predicted to be blown.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 4, control processing that is executed by the ECU 100 which is mounted on the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0060] In Step (hereinafter, the Step will be referred to as S) 100, the ECU 100 determines whether or not the discharging is completed. In a case where the discharging is completed (YES in SI 00), the processing proceeds to SI 02. In a case where the discharging is not completed, the processing returns to S 100 otherwise (NO in S 100).

[0061] In SI 02, the ECU 100 controls the DC relay 20 controlled to be in the disconnected state. In SI 04, the ECU 100 determines whether or not the voltage V that is detected by the voltage sensor 60 is higher than the threshold V(0). In a case where the voltage V is determined to be higher than the threshold V(0) (YES in SI 02), the processing proceeds to S106. In a case where the voltage V is lower than or equal to the threshold V(0), the processing proceeds to SI 08 otherwise (NO in SI 02).

[0062] In SI 06, the ECU 100 controls the exposure prevention relay 50 to be in the ON state. In S 108, the ECU 100 puts the system of the vehicle 10 into the OFF state.

[0063] An operation of the ECU 100 that is mounted on the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment based on the structure and the flowchart described above will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 5, for example, the discharging device 150 is mounted on the vehicle 10, the plug of the electrical appliance 160 is connected to the socket 152, and the electrical appliance 160 is operated by the electric power of the battery 40. A case, for example, where the positive and negative electric power lines shorted to one another at the positions between the AC/DC converter 154 and the fuse 156 of the discharging device 150 (positions illustrated by the thick broken line in FIG. 5) as illustrated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 5 is explained.

[0065] In this case, electromagnetic repulsion occurs in the DC relay 20, opening forces may act on the switches SW1 , SW2 of the DC relay 20 and the arc discharge occurs. The switches SW1, SW2 are fixed in the conductive state due to this arc discharge. Then, the DC relay 20 is controlled to be in the disconnected state (SI 02) when the discharging is determined to be completed (YES in SI 00). For example, when the abnormality of the discharging device 150 is determined, the discharging is determined to be completed. [0066] In this case, the switches SW1, SW2 are fixed in the conductive state, and thus it is determined that the voltage V is higher than the threshold V(0) (YES in SI 04). Accordingly, the exposure prevention relay 50 is controlled to be in the conductive state (SI 06).

[0067] When the exposure prevention relay 50 is controlled to be in the conductive state, a closed circuit including the fuse 30, the battery 40, and the exposure prevention relay 50 is formed as illustrated in the dashed arrow of FIG. 5. Accordingly, the short-circuit current flows along the path illustrated in the dashed arrow of FIG. 5. The fuse 30 blows when the short-circuit current is higher than a predetermined rated current. The short-circuit current in the path illustrated in the dashed arrow of FIG. 5 is cut off by the blow of the fuse 30. As a result, voltage is suppressed to be applied to the exposed DC inlet 70 even when the discharging device 150 is removed.

[0068] According to the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the fuse 30 blows, even when the abnormality such that the DC relay 20 being in the conductive state occurs, by the exposure prevention relay 50 being controlled into the conductive state as described above. Thus the DC inlet 70 and the battery 40 can be electrically disconnected. Accordingly, this embodiment can provided the vehicle that suppresses a voltage of the electric power storage device to be applied to a contact point part between the discharging device and the vehicle when an abnormality occurs in the discharging device.

[0069] In addition, the exposure prevention relay 50 is controlled into the conductive state, when the voltage V detected after the DC relay 20 is controlled in to the disconnected state is higher than the threshold V(0) . The voltage V is detected by the voltage sensor 60, and the voltage V is a voltage that is applied to the DC inlet 70. Accordingly, it can be determined, with high accuracy, whether or not the DC relay 20 is fixed in the conductive state.

[0070] The electric power that is stored in the battery 40 may be supplied to the driving source of the vehicle 10 during the traveling of the vehicle 10, and may be supplied to the electrical appliance 160 when the discharging device 150 is connected to the DC inlet 70. For this configuration, application of the voltage of the battery 40 to the contact point of the vehicle 10 to contact with the discharging device 150 can be suppressed when the abnormality occurs in the discharging device 150.

[0071] Hereinafter, modification examples will be described. According to the description of the embodiment described above, the one end of the exposure prevention relay 50 is connected to the electric power line between the switch SWl of the DC relay 20 and the fuse 30 and the other end of the exposure prevention relay 50 is connected to the electric power line between the switch SW2 of the DC relay 20 and the negative pole of the battery 40. However, the invention is not particularly limited to this configuration.

[0072] For example, the one end of the exposure prevention relay 50 may be connected to the electric power line between the positive voltage terminal 70a of the DC inlet 70 and the switch SWl of the DC relay 20 and the other end of the exposure prevention relay 50 may be connected to the electric power line between the negative voltage terminal 70b of the DC inlet 70 and the switch SW2 of the DC relay 20 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0073] Alternatively, the one end of the exposure prevention relay 50 may be connected between the positive voltage terminal 70a of the DC inlet 70 and the switch SWl of the DC relay 20 and the other end of the exposure prevention relay 50 may be connected between the switch SW2 of the DC relay 20 and the negative pole of the battery 40 as illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0074] Configurations of the components other than the exposure prevention relay 50 that are illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 are identical in configuration and function to those in FIG. 1. Detailed description thereof will not be repeated herein.

[0075] Even in the case of the configuration illustrated in FIG. 6 or 7, the circuit including the fuse 30, the battery 40, and the exposure prevention relay 50 is formed by putting the exposure prevention relay 50 into the conductive state. Accordingly, the fuse 30 can be blown, even when the abnormality of the DC relay 20 being in the conductive state occurs, by putting the exposure prevention relay 50 into the conductive state, and thus the electrically disconnected state can be achieved between the DC inlet 70 and the battery 40. [0076] It should be noted that the embodiment disclosed herein is exemplary in every aspect and does not limit the invention. The scope of the invention is clarified by the claims, not the description above, and the invention includes any change within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A vehicle, a discharging device being mounted on the vehicle such that electric power can be supplied to an electrical appliance outside the vehicle,

the vehicle comprising:

an inlet capable of being connected to the discharging device;

a first relay with one end connected to the inlet;

a fuse with one end connected to the other end of the first relay;

an electric power storage device connected to the other end of the fuse, the electric power storage device being configured to output DC electric power;

a second relay configured to short-circuit the electric power storage device by a path including the fuse when the second relay is in a conductive state; and

an electronic control unit configured to control the first relay and the second relay, the electronic control unit being configured to control the second relay into the conductive state such that the fuse blows when the first relay is in the conductive state even after the first relay is controlled to be in a disconnected state.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection device configured to detect a voltage applied to the inlet,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the second relay into the conductive state when the voltage is higher than a threshold, and

the voltage is detected by the detection device after the first relay is controlled to be in the disconnected state.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein one end of the second relay is connected to a path between the first relay and the fuse.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one end of the second relay is connected to a path between the inlet and the first relay.

5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

wherein the electric power stored in the electric power storage device is supplied to a driving source of the vehicle during traveling of the vehicle, and the electric power stored in the electric power storage device is supplied to the electrical appliance when the discharging device is connected to the inlet.