Ground Leakage Detector, and Method of Detecting Ground Leakage in Electric Vehicle

A method of detecting a ground leakage in an electric vehicle including a battery, and a charging connector which is electrically connectable to a terminal member formed at one end of an outside electric wire through which electric power is supplied from outside to the battery, by using a ground leakage detector including a connector connection section electrically connectable to the charging connector and a contactor configured to contact a vehicle body ground location in the electric vehicle, the method comprising:

• electrically connecting the connector connection section to the charging connector:
• bringing the contactor into contact with the vehicle body ground location;
• and
• detecting whether or not there is a ground leakage from the battery to the vehicle body ground location, based on a current flowing between the connector connection section and the contactor.

A method of detecting a ground leakage in an electric vehicle including a battery, an in-vehicle ground leakage detector for detecting a ground leakage from the battery to a vehicle body ground location maintained at a ground potential, and a charging connector which is electrically connectable to a terminal member formed at one end of an outside electric wire through which electric power is supplied from outside to the battery and communicable with the in-vehicle ground leakage detector, by using a control device including a connector connection section which is electrically connectable to the charging connector and communicable with the in-vehicle ground leakage detector, the method comprising:

• electrically connecting the connector connection section to the charging connector:
• transmitting an activation command from the control device to the in-vehicle ground leakage detector via the connector connection section and the charging connector;
• receiving by the in-vehicle ground leakage detector the activation command from the control device and detecting by the in-vehicle ground leakage detector whether or not there is a ground leakage from the battery to the vehicle body ground location;
• transmitting information indicative of a result of detection as to whether or not there is a ground leakage from the in-vehicle ground leakage detector to the control device via the charging connector and the connector connection section;
• and
• receiving by the control device the information indicative of the result of detection as to whether or not there is a ground leakage from the in-vehicle ground leakage detector via the charging connector and the connector connection section.

A ground leakage detector for detecting a ground leakage in an electric vehicle including a battery, and a charging connector which is electrically connectable to a terminal member formed at one end of an outside electric wire through which electric power is supplied from outside to the battery, the ground leakage detector comprising:

• a connector connection section electrically connectable to the charging connector;
• a contactor configured to contact a vehicle body ground location in the electric vehicle;
• and
• a detecting circuit for detecting whether or not there is a ground leakage from the battery to the vehicle body ground location, based on a current flowing between the connector connection section and the contactor;
• wherein the ground leakage detector is separate from an outside charger electrically connectable to the charging connector.