Method and apparatus for slowing the discharge process of a battery

• US 20030137279A1
• Filed: 01/07/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Bosch, Volker, Glauning, Rainer, Baur, Hans-Joachim, Roepke, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 6,924,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/135
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/10 Control circuit supply, e.g. means for supplying power to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery unit including a battery (3) is equipped with a monitoring circuit (9) for detecting and evaluating operating variables related to charge state of the battery (3). So that energy is not drawn from the battery (3) by its own monitoring circuit (9) when the load (2) powered by the battery unit is shut off, the supply of electrical power to the monitoring circuit (9) is interrupted, either immediately or after a certain time delay, when the load (2) is shut off. This slows the discharge of the battery unit (1) when it is not under load (2).

Claims

1. A method of slowing the discharge of a battery (3) in an electrical energy supply device (1), when said electrical energy supply device is not operating to supply a load (2) with electrical energy from the battery (3), said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a monitoring circuit means (9) for detecting and evaluating operating variables of the battery (3) in the electrical energy supply device (1), said operating variables relating to an electrical energy supply in the battery (3);

b) supplying electrical power to the monitoring circuit means (9) in order to operate the monitoring circuit means (9) to detect and evaluate said operating variables; and

c) interrupting the electrical power supplied to said monitoring circuit means (9) if the load (2) is shut off so that the circuit means (9) is not supplied with the electrical power from the battery (3).

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said interrupting of said power supply of said monitoring circuit means (9) is delayed with respect to shutting off the load (2) after the load is shut off.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting shut off information to said monitoring circuit means (9) in said electrical energy supply device (1) when said load (2) is shut off, whereby said electrical power supplied to said monitoring circuit means (9) is immediately turned off or turned off after a predetermined time interval from a time at which said load (2) is shut off from the electrical energy in said battery (3).

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein an additional current conductor (10,12) connecting the load (2) to the monitoring circuit means (9) for the battery (3) is disconnected or interrupted immediately or with a time delay when the load (2) is shut off or disconnected from the battery (3).

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising operating said monitoring circuit means (9) with a reduced power immediately after load shut off and, after a predetermined time interval during which said monitoring circuit means (9) is operated with said reduced power, shutting off said monitoring circuit means (9).

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said load (2) consists of a hand tool machine and said hand tool machine comprises an electric motor (4) and control electronics (7) for said electric motor (4).

7. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein said load (2) comprises control electronics (7) and said control electronics (7) supply said shut off information to said monitoring circuit means (9).

8. A device for slowing discharge of a battery (3), said battery being arranged in an electrical energy supply device (1) for a load (2), when said electrical energy supply device is not operating to supply said load (2) with said electrical energy from the battery (3), said device comprising

monitoring circuit means (9) for monitoring operating variables of said battery, said operating variables relating to an electrical energy supply in said battery (3), said monitoring circuit means (9) being arranged within said electrical energy supply device (1);

means for supplying said monitoring circuit means (9) with electric power from said battery (3); and

means (11, 13, 14) for disconnecting or interrupting said electric power supplied to said monitoring circuit means (9) if said load (2) is shut off or not supplied with said electrical energy from said battery (3).

9. The device as defined in claim 8, wherein said load (2) consists of a hand tool machine, said hand tool machine comprises an electric motor (4) and control electronics (7) for said electric motor (4) and said control electronics (7) provide load shut off information to said monitoring circuit means (9).