IP Library Granted Patent US 12679213
Granted Patent B2
US 12679213 · App. 18/286,265 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Protection device for voltage-limiting elements of a low-voltage line that extends out of a vehicle high-voltage region

Inventor: Franz Pfeilschifter (Munich, DE)
Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
B60L3/04B60L3/0069H02H9/041H02H9/042B60Y2200/91
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12679213
App. No.
18/286,265
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a protection device for voltage-limiting elements of a low-voltage line that extends out of a vehicle high-voltage region. A vehicle high-voltage device having a high-voltage region (HV), which is arranged in a housing (G), and having at least one low-voltage line (NL) is described. Said low-voltage line leaves the high-voltage region (HV) through an aperture (D). The high-voltage region is provided in the housing (G). The aperture (D) is provided in an outwardly delimiting housing wall (GW) of the housing (G). The at least one low-voltage line (NL) is connected to a ground potential (M) or to a connection therefor via a voltage-limiting element (V) and a current-limiting element (SG) connected in series with said voltage-limiting element.

Claims (17)

1 . A vehicle high-voltage device having a high-voltage region, which is arranged in a housing, and having at least one low-voltage line, which passes out of the high-voltage region through an outlet, wherein the outlet is provided in an outwardly delimiting housing wall of the housing, wherein the at least one low-voltage line is connected via a voltage-limiting element and a current-limiting element, wherein the voltage-limiting element is connected in series with the current-limiting element, and the current limiting element is connected to a single ground potential or to a connection for the single ground potential.

2 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of low-voltage lines are present, which are in each case connected via a respective voltage-limiting element to a common current-limiting element, wherein the common current-limiting element is connected to the single ground potential or to the connection for the single ground potential.

3 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of low-voltage lines are present, which are in each case connected via a connecting element to a series circuit that leads to the single ground potential or to the connection for the single ground potential, wherein the series circuit has a common voltage-limiting element and a common current-limiting element that is connected in series thereto.

4 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the connecting element is a diode.

5 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the at least one voltage-limiting element and the current-limiting element are provided in a module, which is provided on an inner side of the housing wall at the outlet, or

a cable leadthrough is provided in the outlet, through which the at least one low-voltage line is led, and the at least one voltage-limiting element and the current-limiting element are provided in the cable leadthrough, or

the at least one low-voltage line leads to a plug-in connection device that is arranged in the outlet and/or on an outer side of the housing wall at the outlet and the at least one voltage-limiting element and the current-limiting element is integrated in the plug-in connection device or is arranged directly on the plug-in connection device.

6 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the current-limiting element, which is provided for limiting the current or the increase in current through the voltage-limiting element, is a resistor and/or an inductor.

7 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one low-voltage line has a low-voltage supply line, a communication line, a control line or sensor line.

8 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the voltage-limiting element comprises a varistor, a gas discharge tube, a spark gap, a protective diode, a thyristor circuit, a TVS thyristor, a DIAC, a Zener diode, a suppressor diode and/or a four-layer diode.

9 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the voltage-limiting element is set up with a voltage threshold from which the voltage-limiting element conducts, which voltage threshold is at least 40 V, 60 V, 400 V, 450 V or more than 600 V.

10 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the high-voltage region is configured for nominal voltages of at least 400 V or 800 V and the at least one low-voltage line is configured for a maximum voltage of not more than 40 V, 20 V, 14 V or 5 V in fault-free operation.

11 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the current-limiting element is configured to limit a current flowing through this element to a maximum current value, and wherein the maximum peak current configuration of the voltage-limiting element is greater than the maximum current value of the current-limiting element.

12 . The vehicle high-voltage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of low-voltage lines are present,

wherein a first number of the plurality of low voltage lines are connected to a respective anode of a diode, a corresponding cathode of which is in each case connected to a first series circuit that leads to the single ground potential or to the connection for the single ground potential, wherein the first series circuit has a first common voltage-limiting element and a first common current-limiting element that is connected in series thereto, and

wherein a second number of the plurality of low voltage lines are connected to a respective cathode of a diode, a corresponding anode of which is in each case connected to a second series circuit that leads to the single ground potential or to the connection for the single ground potential, wherein the second series circuit has a second common voltage-limiting element and a second common current-limiting element that is connected in series thereto.