Battery charging and cooling apparatus

• US 10,361,577 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adam Gleason
• Original Assignee: Adam Gleason
• Inventors: Gleason, Adam, Gleason, Manti
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun C
• Application Number:
  US15/480,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20170288419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 320107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include a cooling chamber. The apparatus may include a battery slot. The battery slot may be at least partially cooled by cooling chamber. The apparatus may include a cooler. The cooler may connect to the cooling chamber. The apparatus may include a power source. The power source may be in electrical communication with the cooler. A method and system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a cooling chamber;

a plurality of battery slots at least partially cooled by the cooling chamber, the battery slots configured to receive batteries for charging and cooling the batteries, wherein the batteries are removable from the battery slots to power a device other than the apparatus;

a cooler connected to the cooling chamber;

a power source in electrical communication with the cooler; and

a power-directing circuit in electrical communication with the power source and the plurality of battery slots, wherein the power-directing circuit is configured to read battery data from the plurality of battery slots, and direct power from the power source to at least one of the battery slots based on the battery data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooler is configured to receive power from at least one of the batteries.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling chamber comprises:

a fan; and

a condenser, wherein the condenser is configured to;

receive a coolant from the cooler, and

extract heat from the cooling chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery slots comprise:

charging connectors; and

data connectors.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the power-directing circuit is configured to:

read the battery data from the data connectors; and

direct power from the power source to at least one of the charging connectors based on the battery data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the power-directing circuit being configured to read battery data from the data connectors comprises the power-directing circuit being configured to read battery temperature data from the data connectors; and

the power-directing circuit being configured to direct power from the power source to the at least one charging connector based on the battery data comprises the cooler being configured to maintain a battery at a predetermined temperature.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power-directing circuit comprises a data input/output interface configured to:

receive power-directing data; and

direct power from the power source to the at least one charging connector based on the power-directing data.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the power-directing circuit being configured to read battery data from the data connectors comprises the power-directing circuit being configured to read battery data from each of the data connectors of the plurality of battery slots; and

the power-directing circuit being configured to direct power from the power source to the at least one charging connector based on the battery data comprises the power source supplying power to charging connector of the at least one battery slot based on the battery data from the plurality of battery slots.

9. A method comprising:

providing a cooling chamber;

providing a plurality of battery slots at least partially cooled by the cooling chamber;

providing a cooler connected to the cooling chamber;

providing a power source in electrical communication with the cooler;

providing a power-directing circuit in electrical communication with the power source and the plurality of battery slots;

receiving a battery in one of the battery slots;

determining a temperature of the battery;

cooling the battery to a predetermined temperature;

using the power-directing circuit to read battery data from the plurality of battery slots;

in response to the battery reaching the predetermined temperature, charging the battery, wherein charging the battery comprises using the power-directing circuit to direct power from the power source to at least one of the battery slots based on the battery data; and

removing the battery from the battery slot to power a device separate from the cooling chamber and the battery slot.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

discharging charge from the battery; and

supplying power to a cooler with the charge.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining, from the battery, a number of times the battery has been charged since discharging charge from the battery, and wherein discharging charge from the battery comprising discharging charge from the battery based on the number of times the battery has been charged since discharging charge from the battery.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein charging the battery comprises:

supplying power to the battery above a peak battery voltage; and

in response to the battery charge reaching a predetermined charge threshold, reducing the power supplied to the battery.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising maintaining the battery at a second predetermined temperature in response to charging the battery.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a temperature of the battery comprises determining the temperature of each battery of a plurality of batteries.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein charging the battery comprises supplying charge to each of the plurality of batteries based on the temperature of each battery.

16. A system comprising:

a battery-cooling apparatus comprising

a cooling chamber,

a plurality of battery slots at least partially cooled by the cooling chamber;

a cooler connected to the cooling chamber,

a power source in electrical communication with the cooler, and

a power-directing circuit in electrical communication with the power source and the plurality of battery slots, wherein the power-directing circuit is configured to read battery data from the plurality of battery slots, and direct power from the power source to at least one of the battery slots based on the battery data; and

a battery configured to be selectively disposed in at least one of the battery slots.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the cooler is configured to receive power from the battery.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the power-directing circuit is configured to:

direct power from the power source to the battery above a peak battery voltage; and

in response to a battery charge of the battery reaching a predetermined charge threshold, reducing the power from the power source to the battery.