Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

United Technologies Automotive Inc.

Philip Michael Gonzales

Benjamin A Tabatowski-Bush

John Sturza

Abdul Lateef

Dylan Erb

Charles Honick

William David Treharne

Jonathan Andrew Butcher

Suriyaprakash Ayyangar Janarthanam

Josephine S Lee

Debbi Callicoat

Masahiro Kimoto

Xuemei Sun

Robert John Link

Stephanie Singer

Bijal Patel

Chuck Honick

Gopichandra Surnilla

Patrick Daniel Maguire

Michael Mcquillen

Saravanan Paramasivam

Ray C Siciak

Bruce Carvell Blakemore

Joseph F Stanek

Wesley Burkman

Douglas X Zhu

Ronald C Elder

Tuyen Quoc Tran

Majed Samhan Mohammed

Viet Quoc To

Vineeth Seshadri Kallur

Bogdan Bude

Joel Ray Stanley

Enrique Rivera

Dharmendra Patel

Edward P Mcleskey

Joseph Michael Pavlik

Jeffrey Stone

David Eugene May

Kyle Anzicek

Mary Casci

This disclosure relates to an access cover detection circuit for an electrified vehicle component and a corresponding method. An exemplary component of an electrified vehicle includes an access cover configured to selectively open and close relative to the component, and a circuit configured to indicate whether the access cover is open. The circuit includes a light sensitive electronic component.

Access cover detection circuit for electrified vehicle component and corresponding method

An apparatus and method, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a battery pack having a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, a coolant source to cool the battery pack, and a proportional valve in communication with the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet, and in communication with the coolant source. A battery control module controls the proportional valve such that a direction of flow is switchable at the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet based on temperatures at the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet to provide bi-directional cooling flow through the battery pack. The battery control module directly connects the coolant outlet to the coolant inlet via the proportional valve to bypass the coolant source in response to a predetermined condition.

Bi-directional switchable cooling flow for traction battery

A busbar assembly includes a mesh busbar configured to electrically couple a first component to a second component. An electrical coupling method including securing a mesh busbar to a first component and a second component to electrical couple the first component to the second component.

Mesh busbar and electrical coupling method using same

An off-board battery charger for a vehicle may include a high-voltage connector having first, second and power supply connector ports. The first connector port connects to a vehicle controller via a first cable. The second connector port connects to a vehicle battery via a second cable. And, the power supply connector port is electrically connected with the second port and receives power via a power supply cable from a separate and external power supply.

Off-board charger for high-voltage battery charging

A vehicle charging includes a housing, a sensor system configured to detect if a vehicle is parked near the housing, and a notification system configured to communicate an alert if the vehicle is parked near the housing and charging has not been initiated within a threshold amount of time. The alert indicates improper usage of the vehicle charging station to an operator of the vehicle.

Vehicle charging stations equipped with notification systems

A battery cell includes an electrode, a terminal, and a current-interrupt device configured to electrically isolate the terminal from the electrode. The current-interrupt device includes a plate connected to the electrode and defining a hole, and a diaphragm connected to the terminal and joined to the plate forming a ceiling of the hole. A cover of the current-interrupt device is joined to the plate forming a floor of the hole. A dielectric fluid is disposed in the hole. The diaphragm and cover are configured to move toward the terminal, in response to pressure within the cell exceeding a threshold, to separate the diaphragm from the plate forming a gap therebetween and to release the fluid into the gap preventing current from arching across the gap.

Current-interrupt device for battery cell

A charging system for a high voltage battery includes a pair of contactors each electrically connected to one of positive and negative terminals of the battery and configured to enable charging of the battery when closed; and a controller programmed to generate a notification indicating that one of the contactors is welded closed based on port voltage values achieved while issuing a predetermined sequence of open and close commands to the contactors after charge completion.

High voltage battery contactor arrangement for DC fast charging

A power system is disclosed. The system may include an electrical contactor including a pair of plates arranged to scissor between open and closed positions. The plates may have magnets embedded therein such that in the closed position, a subset of the magnets having opposite polarity are aligned to encourage touching of electrical contacts of the plates, and in the open position, a subset of the magnets having same polarity are aligned to encourage separation of the electrical contacts.

Permanent magnet contactor

A system for a vehicle includes an interpack switch configured to connect portions of a traction battery when closed to transfer electric charge therebetween, and a controller configured to, responsive to a request, operate the switch to disconnect the portions and to initiate transfer of electric charge to each of the portions in parallel and at a same time.

Charging a battery using interpack switch

An integrated contactor/service disconnect assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a stationary contact, a movable contact selectively movable relative to the stationary contact and a service disconnect unit configured to block the movable contact from contacting the stationary contact.

Integrated high voltage contactor and service disconnect

An integrated cell separator/high voltage bus bar carrier assembly for a high voltage traction battery includes a cell separator having a plurality of cell separator walls and a plurality of bus bar retention walls carried by the plurality of cell separator walls. A high voltage bus bar is carried by the plurality of bus bar retention walls of the cell separator.

Integrated cell separator/high voltage bus bar carrier assembly

An energy storage device and electrical component are secured under an access cover by a lock. A handle has a key portion that operates the lock. Removal of the handle from an electrical disconnect isolates the component electrically from the energy storage device. The lock is located such that the handle is removed from the disconnect to operate the lock.

Energy storage device service interlock

An example contactor weld detection method for an electric vehicle includes detecting that a contactor is welded closed when the contactor is commanded closed.

Method and system for contactor weld detection

A battery discharge device according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a sensor configured to sense a parameter of a high voltage source, a controller in communication with the sensor and a discharge circuit that discharges energy stored on the high voltage source in response to a command signal from the controller. The discharge circuit includes a plurality of resistors connected in parallel to one another.

Battery discharge device with self-adjusting resistance

Growing community of inventors

Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Philip Michael Gonzales