Yazaki Corporation

Toshifumi Maemoto

Kenichi Shimoyama

Yoichi Arai

A temperature/voltage detecting unit has a temperature detector and a voltage detector. The temperature detector has a light electric system stabilized power supply for stabilizing a light electric system power supply voltage, a temperature resistance element provided close to a corresponding battery element, for changing its resistance value based on a change in temperature, and a voltage-to-frequency converter operating based on a voltage from the light electric system stabilized power supply, for detecting a terminal voltage of the temperature resistance element to which a constant current flows from the light electric system stabilized power supply, converting this value into frequency information and outputting the frequency information. The voltage detector has a heavy electric system stabilized power supply for stabilizing a voltage supplied from the corresponding battery element, a voltage supply control section for inputting a signal to show whether or not the light electric system power supply voltage is being applied to the temperature detector, and, when this voltage is being supplied, for applying a voltage from the corresponding battery element to the heavy electric system stabilized power supply, and a voltage-to-frequency converter operating based on a voltage from the light electric system stabilized power supply, for detecting a terminal voltage of the corresponding battery element, converting this value into frequency information and outputting the frequency information.

Temperature/voltage detecting unit and battery element unit

A hydrogen detector detects a concentration of hydrogen gas in an enclosed space communicating with an accommodation space for accommodating a battery, a hydrogen gas expeller is operative for expelling hydrogen gas from the enclosed space, a controller responds to a concentration of hydrogen gas detected by the detector, as the detected concentration exceeds a lower significant concentration, to provide a control signal for driving the expeller, an alarm system is operative for providing an alarm on an abnormal concentration of hydrogen gas, and another controller responds to the concentration of hydrogen gas detected by the detector, as the detected concentration exceeds a higher significant concentration, to provide a control signal for driving the alarm system.

Growing community of inventors

Hiroshima-ken, Japan

Toshifumi Maemoto