Jump-starting arrangement for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A jump-starting arrangement is provided for a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has an engine control unit and a starter for an internal-combustion engine. The motor vehicle is equipped with at least two partial onboard power systems, which are mutually coupled by way of at least one electric separator element. Each partial onboard power system, respectively, is equipped with at least one rechargeable electric energy accumulator. The two partial onboard power systems each have a jump-starting base, and the respective jump-starting bases are galvanically separated from one another.

Claims

1. A jump-starting arrangement for a motor vehicle equipped with an engine control unit and a starter for an internal-combustion engine, the jump-starting arrangement comprising: first and second partial onboard power systems, each of the first and second partial onboard power systems being equipped with at least one rechargeable electric energy accumulator; an electric separator element by way of which the first and second partial onboard power systems are mutually coupled; and an external current source, wherein the first partial onboard power system has a first jump-starting base and the second partial onboard power system has a second jump-starting base, the first and second jump-starting bases being galvanically separated from one another, wherein the first jump-starting base is physically accessible externally from the motor vehicle so as to be coupleable directly to a terminal of a first jump-starting cable during a jump start of the internal-combustion engine of the motor vehicle, wherein the second jump-starting base is physically accessible externally from the motor vehicle so as to be coupleable directly to a terminal of a second jump-starting cable during the jump start of the internal-combustion engine of the motor vehicle, wherein the first partial onboard power system and second partial onboard power system are configured to couple in parallel with the external current source by virtue of a parallel junction of the first jump-starting cable and the second jump-starting cable such that the external current source charges each of the respective accumulators, wherein each of the first and second jump-starting bases are distinct from respective terminals of each of the at least one rechargeable electric energy accumulators.

2. The jump-starting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the electric separating element is a DC converter.

3. The jump-starting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the electric separating element is a relay.

4. The jump-starting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the electric separating element is a switch.

5. The jump-starting arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising: a first cable connection formed by the first jump-starting cable between the first jump-starting base and the external current source; and a second cable connection formed by the second jump-starting cable between the second jump-starting base and the external current source, wherein the first and second jump-starting bases are configured to simultaneously couple with the external current source via the respective first and second cable connections between each base and the external current source.

6. The jump-starting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first and second partial onboard power systems are electrically connected via the first and second jump-starting bases with the external current source, whereby the jump-start of the internal-combustion engine of the motor vehicle is carried out.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a jump-starting arrangement for a motor vehicle having two partial onboard power systems; and

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a jump-starting arrangement for a motor vehicle having three partial onboard power systems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(3) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the topology of an onboard power system of a motor vehicle, having a first partial onboard power systemhere the basic onboard power system 1having a voltage level of 14V. The basic onboard power system has a generator 4 driven by an internal-combustion engine, which generator 4 supplies electric consuming devices 6 and particularly control devices, such as the engine control unit 7, with electric power and charges a first electric energy accumulator 5 in the driving operation. The first electric energy accumulator 5 is called an onboard power system battery. The motor vehicle has a second partial onboard power systemhere the additional-start onboard power system 2having a second electric energy accumulator 9, which is called an additional-start battery. The additional-start battery 9 supplies the starter 8 of the vehicle with electric power in order to start the internal-combustion engine. The additional-start battery 9 is charged by the basic onboard power system 1. For this purpose, a unidirectional DC converter 3 in the power class of approximately 150 W is used, which is supplied by the basic onboard power system 1. As a result, at a charging voltage of approximately 14V, the additional-start battery 9 is charged with approximately 10 ampere. The onboard power network and the additional-start battery 9 may be implemented using lead-acid technology.

(4) FIG. 2 illustrates the 14V onboard power system of a motor vehicle according to FIG. 1 with an additional third partial onboard power system 30. The same reference numbers apply as in FIG. 1. The third onboard power system 30 is a high-voltage onboard power system of the motor vehicle, such as a hybrid or plug-in vehicle. The high-voltage onboard power system has a high-voltage accumulator 19, for example, in the lithium-ion technology, an electric driving machine 18 and a high-voltage consuming device 20. The high-voltage onboard power system is electrically coupled by way of a high-voltage direct DC converter 17 with the basic onboard power system.

(5) In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the onboard power system battery 5 has a first jump-starting base 10 at its positive polarity, and the additional-start battery 9 has a second jump-starting base 11 at its positive polarity, which jump-starting bases 10,11 are galvanically separated from one another. When one of the two, or both, batteries 5,9 have to be recharged, for example, during the production of the vehicle, during a stay in the shop or after a vehicle was parked for a long time, an external current source 12 will act as the supplier of electric power. The external current source 12 may, for example, be a charging device or a third battery. By use of a charging cable 14, which is called a positive line, a jump-starting base 10,11 is electrically contacted with the output of the charging device with the positive potential or with the positive pole of the third battery. The charging cable 14 has a parallel junction, so that the first jump-starting base 10 can be contacted by way of a first terminal 15 or a first clip, and the second jump-starting base 11 can be contacted by way of a second terminal 16 or a second clip. A ground line 13 connects the output of the charging device with the negative potential or the negative pole of the third battery with the ground of the vehicle to which the onboard power system battery and the additional-start battery are also connected.

(6) By way of this jump-starting arrangement, the onboard power system battery 5 and the additional-start battery 9 can simultaneously be charged via a charging device. Optionally, only the first terminal or only the second terminal can be connected. If only the first terminal 15 is connected with the first jump-starting base 10, the onboard power system battery 5 is charged and the engine control unit 7 and the unidirectional DC converter 3 are supplied with operating voltage. Therefore, the additional-start battery 9 is also charged by way of the DC converter 3, in which case the DC converter limits the flow of electric power. It should be appreciated that the DC converter 3 can be implemented as a relay or a switch, as noted above. A vehicle start can take place under the condition that the additional-start battery 9 has the charge level necessary for the engine start in order to supply the high starting current of up to 1 kilo ampere for an engine start. When the additional-start battery 9 has been totally discharged, the engine start can take place only after a longer charging time of the additional-start battery by way of the DC converter.

(7) The additional-start battery 9 is charged if only the second terminal 16 is connected with the second jump-starting base 11. An engine start of the vehicle can take place under the condition that the onboard power system battery 5 has a sufficient charging level for supplying the engine control unit 7 with its operating voltage, and that either the additional-start battery 9 to be charged or the external current source 12 supply the starting current required for the engine start. If the onboard power system battery 5 is in a totally discharged state, the vehicle cannot be started with only the second terminal being connected to the external source even after an extended charging time. When the first and the second terminal are connected to the respective jump-starting bases, an immediate engine started can be implemented as a jump start under the condition that the external current source can supply the starting current required for an engine start. As an alternative, the first and the second terminal are in each case mounted on two separate positive lines, so that two external current sources can be used for a jump start. Each of the two current sources will then have a ground line to the vehicle.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(8) 1. Basic onboard power system

(9) 2. Additional-start onboard power system

(10) 3. DC converter

(11) 4. Generator

(12) 5. Onboard power system battery

(13) 6. Consuming device

(14) 7. Engine control unit

(15) 8. Starter

(16) 9. Additional-start battery

(17) 10. First jump-starting base

(18) 11. Second jump-starting base

(19) 12. External current source

(20) 13. Ground line

(21) 14. Positive line

(22) 15. First terminal

(23) 16. Second terminal

(24) 17. High-voltage direct DC converter

(25) 18. Electric machine

(26) 19. High-voltage accumulator

(27) 20. High-voltage consuming device

(28) 30. High-voltage onboard power system

(29) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.