Denso Corporation

Suzuki Motor Corporation

Yoshiki Adachi

Tatsuya Saito

Yuya Mizuma

Norihiko Ito

Takekazu Terui

Hiroshi Ezawa

Hirobumi Awakawa

The submergence detecting device includes a submergence detecting terminal and a submergence judging device. The submergence detecting terminal is composed of at least two conductive sections disposed within a case. The submergence detecting terminal detects a submergence state by coming into contact with water that has infiltrated a predetermined area within the case. The submergence judging device is disposed within the case. At least a signal related to submergence detection is inputted into the submergence judging device from the submergence detecting terminal. The submergence judging device then judges whether or not submergence has occurred. The submergence detecting terminal is disposed in a position away from the submergence judging device in the downward direction.

Submergence detecting device

A battery pack has battery cells and bus bars. Each of the battery cells is covered with an exterior case. All the battery cells are electrically connected in series through the bus bars. The battery cells are divided into a first stacked group and a second stacked group arranged adjacent to each other in a lateral direction of the battery pack. The battery cells in each stacked group are stacked in a thickness direction of the battery pack. The stacked groups have a different number of the battery cells in order to make a stair structure. An electrode terminal of one end terminal of the battery cells connected in series is arranged adjacent to the stair structure. A control board is arranged on a lower step part of the stair structure. Devices formed on the control board detect a state of each battery cell.

Battery pack

A battery unit is provided which includes an assembled battery module equipped with a plurality of cells, a control board on which a charging/discharging controller is mounted, a storage case in which the assembled battery module, and the control board are disposed, and a swell limiter. The assembled battery module includes a battery body in which the cells are stacked over a bottom plate The swell limiter is located on the opposite side of the assembled battery module than the bottom plate is. The swell limiter is separate from the battery body when any of the cells is not swelling and works to make physical contact with the battery body when any of the cells has swollen to suppress swelling of the cell.

Battery unit with swell limiter for cell

A battery unit has battery cells having electrode terminals, bus bars having voltage potential detection terminals, a control board having a voltage detection circuit and a discharge duct. In the battery cell, the electrode terminals of the battery cells are electrically connected to the voltage potential detection terminals of the bus bars. The voltage potential detection terminals of the bus bars are electrically connected to the voltage detection circuit formed on the control board through metal conductive members or lines. The voltage detection circuit detects a voltage potential of each of the battery cells through the metal conductive members. The metal conductive members are not dedicated components, and integrated with the discharge duct by insert molding.

Battery unit

A battery unit has a battery pack module that has a plurality of single cells, a control circuit board that has a control section that controls a charge and discharge in the battery pack module, and an accommodation case where the battery pack module and the control circuit board are accommodated. The control circuit board is disposed in a position above the battery pack module, and separated away from the base plate by a distance more than a distance from the base plate to a wall top end part of the wall section. Moreover, the submergence sensor is disposed in a position nearer to the base plate than to the wall top end part of the wall section that is in a space within the casesurrounded by the wall section.

Shafts are fixed to a base and extend in a direction parallel to a center axis of a through hole of the base. Two yoke arrangements are installed to the shafts. A lens holder frame holds a lens, which has an optical axis parallel to the central axis of the through hole of the base. The lens holder frame is axially placed in a space between the two yoke arrangements and is swingably supported by a plurality of wire springs, which are fixed to the base. Drive coils are fixed to the lens holder frame and generate a drive force to move the lens holder frame.

Lens drive apparatus

A polygon mirror of an object detector of a vehicle includes first faces for projecting a laser to a first predetermined area and a second face for projecting the laser to a second predetermined area higher than the first predetermined area. The polygon mirror is rotated to project the laser to the first and second predetermined areas through a projection window. Thus, the laser can be projected not only to an area at normal height in front of the vehicle but also to an area higher than the normal height in front of the vehicle. Thus, even if a reflection object of an obstacle is positioned at a high position, probe light can be projected to the reflection object. As a result, object detection or distance measurement can be performed correctly.

Growing community of inventors

Okazaki, Japan

Yoshiki Adachi