Abstract: A pair of end plates is a pair of members provided at both ends of a battery cell assembly in an array direction to clamp the battery cell assembly from both sides in the array direction. The pair of end plates has a plate upper surface and a recess. The plate upper surface is positioned on the same side as that of an electrode mounting surface. The recess is recessed from the plate upper surface and accommodates at least part of a coupling connector. With this configuration, a battery module and a battery monitoring unit mounting structure can prevent the battery module from increasing in size.

Abstract: A battery module includes a cell module including a plurality of battery cells, a smoke exhaust duct protruding from an electrode arrangement surface of the cell module and extending along an alignment direction of the plurality of battery cells, and a circuit board arranged so as to cover the smoke exhaust duct and the electrode arrangement surface. The circuit board is arranged in an inclined state to be non-parallel to the electrode arrangement surface.

Abstract: A pair of end plates is a pair of members provided at both ends of a battery cell assembly in an array direction to clamp the battery cell assembly from both sides in the array direction. The pair of end plates has a plate upper surface and a recess. The plate upper surface is positioned on the same side as that of an electrode mounting surface. The recess is recessed from the plate upper surface and accommodates at least part of a coupling connector. With this configuration, a battery module and a battery monitoring unit mounting structure can prevent the battery module from increasing in size.

Abstract: A battery monitoring device includes a battery information input terminal, a battery state monitoring unit, an output terminal, a circuit board, and a housing member. The battery information input terminal is electrically connected to a battery state detecting member. The battery state monitoring unit receives a battery state detection signal via the battery information input terminal. The output terminal outputs monitoring information on the battery state corresponding to the battery state detection signal to an external arithmetic processor. The circuit board is provided with the battery information input terminal, the battery state monitoring unit, and the output terminal. The housing member is integrally formed with the battery information input terminal, the battery state monitoring unit, the output terminal, and the circuit board so as to accommodate at least the whole battery state monitoring unit and the whole circuit board and expose terminal connecting portions to the outside.

Abstract: A battery monitoring device includes a battery information input terminal, a battery state monitoring unit, an output terminal, a circuit board, and a housing member. The battery information input terminal is electrically connected to a battery state detecting member. The battery state monitoring unit receives a battery state detection signal via the battery information input terminal. The output terminal outputs monitoring information on the battery state corresponding to the battery state detection signal to an external arithmetic processor. The circuit board is provided with the battery information input terminal, the battery state monitoring unit, and the output terminal. The housing member is integrally formed with the battery information input terminal, the battery state monitoring unit, the output terminal, and the circuit board so as to accommodate at least the whole battery state monitoring unit and the whole circuit board and expose terminal connecting portions to the outside.

Abstract: There is provided a voltage monitoring apparatus for monitoring an output voltage of an assembled battery. The voltage monitoring apparatus comprises: voltage monitoring sections, each section monitoring a voltage of each block of the plurality of blocks into which the plurality of unit cells are divided, wherein the voltage monitoring sections are connected one another through communication lines; and a control unit which is connected to the voltage monitoring section through the communication lines. The voltage monitoring section compares the respective detected voltages of the unit cells with the threshold voltage to determine a result of the comparison, and transmits the comparison result to the control unit. In a case where the threshold voltage is changed, the control unit transmits a registration signal indicating the changed threshold voltage, and when received the registration signal, the voltage monitoring section changes the stored threshold voltage to the changed threshold voltage.

Abstract: A voltage detection apparatus includes a plurality of voltage detection units, each of which detects cell voltages of plural cells in each of blocks in a battery module. Each of blocks includes the plural cells connected in series. The plurality of voltage detection units are respectively supplied with power via power supply lines connected to the blocks. The plurality of voltage detection units are respectively provided with a plurality of current increase units for increasing dark currents so that the dark currents flowing through the power supply lines respectively become a same target value.

Abstract: A control circuit turns on a switching element to discharge a capacitor, and after a voltage between both ends of the capacitor becomes zero, the control circuit turns off the switching element. The control circuit measures the voltage V1, V2 between both ends of the capacitor after the first predetermined time is passed and after the second predetermined time is passed, and calculate a change rate (V1/V2). If V1/V2 is equal to or less than 0.5, the disconnection is detected.

Abstract: A voltage detection apparatus includes a plurality of voltage detection units, each of which detects cell voltages of plural cells in each of blocks in a battery module. Each of blocks includes the plural cells connected in series. The plurality of voltage detection units are respectively supplied with power via power supply lines connected to the blocks. The plurality of voltage detection units are respectively provided with a plurality of current increase units for increasing dark currents so that the dark currents flowing through the power supply lines respectively become a same target value.

Abstract: A state monitoring unit monitors a state of an assembled battery in which unit cells are connected in series. The state monitoring unit includes a plurality of voltage monitoring devices and a controller. The controller transmits a common voltage measurement command to the voltage monitoring devices connected in a daisy-chain scheme. Each of the voltage monitoring devices measures the voltage of the corresponding unit cells in response to the command that is received from the controller or the adjacent voltage monitoring device at a leading end of the communication channel, and transmits the command to the adjacent voltage monitoring device at a termination of the communication channel. When received the measured voltage from the adjacent voltage monitoring device at the termination, the voltage monitoring device transmits it with the own measured voltage. The controller determines the abnormality in reception state based on the number of received, measured voltages.

Abstract: A state monitoring unit monitors a state of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series. The state monitoring unit includes: a plurality of voltage monitoring devices provided in a high voltage side and a controller provided in a low voltage side electrically isolated with the high voltage side. The controller transmits a common voltage measurement command to the respective voltage monitoring devices connected via a communication channel in a daisy-chain scheme. The controller includes a storage for storing latency time determined based on a required time for each of the voltage monitoring devices elapsing from transmission of the common voltage measurement command with respect to the communication channel to voltage measurement of the unit cells, and measures charging/discharging current of the assembled battery when the latency time has elapsed from the transmission of the common voltage measurement command with respect to the communication channel.

Abstract: A voltage monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of voltage monitoring sections corresponding to a plurality of blocks of unit cells of a multiple-set battery respectively and a main control section. Each of the voltage monitoring section includes a voltage detection section which detects voltages of the unit cells of a corresponding block, a voltage adjustment section which adjusts the voltages of the unit cells of the corresponding block so that the voltages are uniformized, an active power source which obtains power from the unit cells of the corresponding block, and supplies power to the voltage detection section and the voltage adjustment section, a power source switching section which switches a power supply mode and a power disconnect mode of the active power source, and a low consumption power source which obtains the power from the unit cells of the corresponding block, and supplies power to the power source switching section.

Abstract: A voltage measuring apparatus measures an output voltage of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series and are divided into a plurality of blocks. The apparatus includes: a block voltage detection section which detects a voltage of at least one of the plurality of blocks and provides an analog voltage signal; a reference power supply which generates a reference voltage; a sampling voltage generation section which generates a sampling voltage based on the reference voltage; a storage for storing voltage date corresponding to the sampling voltage; and an A/D conversion section of the block voltage detection section that digitizes the sampling voltage with the reference voltage for A/D conversion. A difference between the digitized sampling voltage and the voltage data is calculated and it is determined that abnormality occurs in the A/D conversion section when the difference is larger than a threshold.

Abstract: A voltage measuring device includes a current detecting section that detects a charging or discharging current of a multiple-set battery; block voltage detecting sections that detect voltages of a plurality blocks respectively; and a control section that outputs a request to the block voltage detecting sections via a first communication line to acquire voltage data. Each of the block voltage detecting sections includes an active power source and a lower-power source. The control section transmits a low-power consumption mode setting signal to the block voltage detecting sections respectively when the charging or discharging current has not been detected by the current detecting section for a first time period. Each of the block voltage detecting sections switches an operating mode from a normal mode to a low-power consumption mode when the low-power consumption mode setting signal is received.

Abstract: There is provided a voltage measuring apparatus for measuring a voltage of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series. The voltage measuring apparatus comprises: block voltage detection sections, each section measuring a voltage of each block of a plurality of blocks into which the plurality of unit cells are divided; a reference voltage output section provided in each of the voltage detection sections to output a reference voltage; a difference voltage calculating section which calculates a difference voltage between measured values of the reference voltages measured by two block voltage detection sections; a difference voltage determination section which determines whether each of the difference voltages exceeds a given threshold voltage or not; and an abnormality determination section which determines that abnormality occurs in the voltage measuring apparatus when at least one of the difference voltages is determined as greater than the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A voltage detection apparatus includes: a battery including a plurality of unit cells mutually connected in series; a plurality of blocks, each block including at least one of the plurality of unit cells; a plurality of voltage detectors, each detector connected to respective one of the blocks, and detecting a voltage between both ends of the unit cell in the one of the blocks; a plurality of reference power sources, each source connected to respective one of the voltage detectors, and at least one of the reference power sources having higher accuracy than the other reference power sources; and a correcting unit which corrects a detection result of the voltage detector which is connected to the other reference power source on the basis of a detection result of the voltage detector which is connected to the reference power source with the higher accuracy.

Abstract: A switch element is configured to decrease an impedance of a voltage-detection integrated circuit that detect voltage between both ends of unit cells of a higher-ordered battery block, for adjacently-connected pair of the higher-ordered battery block and a lower-ordered battery block. The voltage-detection integrated circuit is configured to detect disconnection of an electrical wire when voltage between both ends of a lowest-ordered unit cell that is detected with the switch element turned on is equal to or lower than a threshold.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide inexpensively a voltage detecting device for setting an address of each voltage detection IC even if a power source level of each voltage detection IC differs. A first transmitting line LT1 and a first receiving line LR1 connect a plurality of voltage detection ICs in series each other, and connect between the bottom voltage detection IC and the main microcomputer. The main microcomputer transmits an address number 0 to the bottom voltage detection IC. When the respective voltage detection ICs receive an address number through the first receiving line of a lower side from the main microcomputer, an address number adding 1 to the received address number is set as a self-address number. Furthermore, the respective voltage detection ICs transmit the address number which adds 1 to the received address number to the first transmitting line LT1 of an upper side.

Abstract: A voltage detection apparatus includes: a battery including unit cells mutually connected in series; a first block including at least one of the unit cells; a second block including at least one of the unit cells, and provided adjacent to the first block; a first voltage detector connected to the first block, which detects a voltage between both ends of the unit cell in the first block, and which includes: a current source; a current detection element connected to the current source; and a voltage measuring unit which detects a voltage between both ends of the current detection element; and a second voltage detector connected to the second block, which has a similar construction with the first voltage detector. An abnormality detector of the voltage detection apparatus detects an abnormality of the voltage detectors in accordance with the voltages between both ends of the current detection elements.

Abstract: A base of a pnp transistor Tr1 is connected to an isolation device D1, an emitter thereof is connected to a cathode of a high voltage battery BH, and a collector thereof is connected to an anode of the high voltage battery BH. Npn transistors Tr21 to Tr2n are provided respectively to blocks B1 to Bn. Bases of the npn transistors Tr21 to Tr2n are connected to the collector of the transistor Tr1, emitters thereof are connected to anodes of corresponding blocks B1 to Bn, and collectors are connected to awakening terminals of high voltage measuring circuits 11 to 1n.