Recharbeable battery pack and manufacturing method thereof

• US 20040115519A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mobypower Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mobypower Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sung Hun
• Application Number:
  US10/475,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20040115519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/61
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49114 including adhesively bonding

Abstract

Rechargeable battery pack interchangeable with ordinary commercial batteries, has a battery safety unit, at least two individual batteries that have a cathode and an anode and a circuit board that contains a battery safety unit designed to shut off the electric current to the battery cell when the current has been over-charged in the recharge electrode and to stop the discharge of the battery pack when the output voltage of the discharge electrode falls below a certain voltage. A cathode connecting conductor connects the recharge and discharge electrodes to the cathode terminals of the individual batteries, and an anode connecting conductor connects the recharge and discharge electrodes to the anode terminals of the individual batteries. A cover contains the circuit board and ties the individual batteries, the cathode connecting conductor, the anode connecting conductor and the circuit board as a single battery pack format in the individual battery'"'"'s upper and lower bodies. At least one of the cathode connecting conductor and the anode connecting conductor is electrically connected to the circuit board. The battery pack of this invention can be, for example, made of lithium ion battery and used in portable electronic devices such as a digital camera.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery pack including at least two individual batteries each having cathode and anode terminals, said rechargeable battery pack including:

a recharge electrode and a discharge electrode;

a circuit board onto which a battery safety unit to shut off the electric current to the battery cell when the current is over-charged in the recharge electrode and to stop the discharge of the battery pack when the output voltage of the discharge electrode falls below a certain voltage is built;

a cathode connecting conductor that connects the recharge and discharge electrodes to the cathode terminals of the individual batteries;

an anode connecting conductor that connects the recharge and discharge electrodes to the anode terminals of the individual batteries;

a cover that contains a circuit board and ties the individual batteries, the cathode connecting conductor, the anode connecting conductor and the circuit board as a single battery pack format in the individual batteries'"'"' upper bodies where the cathode terminals are formed and in the individual batteries'"'"' lower body where the anode terminals are formed; and

at least one of said cathode connecting conductor and said anode connecting conductor is electrically connected to the circuit board.

2. The battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the cathode connecting conductor is a cross-shaped connecting conductor cutting across the cathode and anode terminals of individual batteries,

and the anode connecting conductor includes the second anode connecting conductor that connects directly to the anode terminals of the individual batteries and the first anode connecting conductor that is a cross-shaped connecting conductor that cuts across the cathode and anode terminals.

3. The battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the cathode connecting conductor includes a first plate-shaped connecting conductor that directly connects to the cathode terminal of an individual battery and a first line-shaped sub-conductor that attaches to the first insulator plate and connects to the first plate-shaped connecting conductor before extending to the anode terminal of an individual battery, and

the anode connecting conductor includes a second plate-shaped connecting conductor that directly connects to the anode terminal of an individual battery and a second line-shaped sub-conductor that attaches to the second insulator plate and connects to the second plate-shaped connecting conductor before extending to the cathode terminal.

4. The battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein said battery safety unit includes:

a cut-off switch connected between the battery pack and the external electronic appliances or external recharging devices;

a voltage sensor for detecting an output voltage of the battery pack;

a first voltage comparator for turning on the cut-off switch when the output voltage is higher than a fixed voltage for over-charge; and

a second voltage comparator for turning on the cut-off switch when the voltage is lower than a fixed voltage for over-discharge.

5. The battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said battery safety unit includes an over-charge detector, an over-discharge detector, an over-current detector, a short-circuit detector, a recharge comparator, a discharge switch, a charge switch and a circuit controller,

the circuit controller is connected among the electrodes of the battery pack, switches and individual batteries,

the overcharge detector turns off the charge switch through a controller in case of the voltage of battery pack reaching higher than the over-charge detection voltage threshold,

the over-discharge detector turns off the discharge switch through a controller in case of the voltage of battery pack reaching below the discharge detection voltage threshold, and

the over-current detector and the short-circuit detector turn off the charge switch in case of discharge current of the battery pack exceeding a standard value.

6. The battery pack as set forth in claim 4 or 6 further includes a constant-voltage circuit for controlling an output voltage of the individual batteries.

7. A rechargeable battery pack including at least two individual batteries each having cathode and anode terminals, said rechargeable battery pack including:

a recharge electrode and a discharge electrode;

a circuit board that contains a battery safety unit shut off the electric current to the battery cell when the current has been over-charged in the recharge electrode and to stop the discharge of the battery pack when the output voltage of the discharge electrode falls below a certain voltage;

a cathode connecting conductor that electrically connects the recharge electrode to the cathode terminals of an individual battery by connecting them in a series;

an anode connecting conductor that connects the anode terminals in a series and electrically connects them to the recharge and discharge electrodes through the battery safety unit in the circuit board;

a fixing cap that holds the circuit board; and

a cover that ties the individual batteries, the fixing cap, the cathode connecting conductor, the anode connecting conductor and the circuit board as a single battery pack format in the individual battery'"'"'s upper body that has a cathode terminal and its lower body that has an anode terminal.

9. The battery pack as set forth in claim 7 or 8, wherein said battery safety unit includes:

a cut-off switch connected between the battery pack and external electronic appliances or external recharging devices;

a voltage sensor that senses the output voltage of the battery pack;

a first voltage comparator that turns on the cut-off switch when the output voltage is higher than a fixed threshold voltage for over-charge; and

a second voltage comparator that turns on the cut-off switch when the voltage is lower than a fixed threshold voltage for over-discharge.

10. The battery pack as set forth in claim 9, wherein

said cut-off switch includes both recharge and discharge switches, and the battery safety unit additionally includes over-current detector which shuts off the discharge switch when the discharge voltage becomes higher than the fixed standard value as well as a short-circuit detector.

8. A rechargeable battery pack including at least two individual batteries each having cathode and anode terminals, said rechargeable battery pack including:

a recharge electrode and a discharge electrode;

a circuit board that contains a battery safety unit shut off the electric current to the battery cell when the current has been over-charged in the recharge electrode and to stop the discharge of the battery pack when the output voltage of the discharge electrode falls below a certain voltage;

a cathode connecting conductor for electrically connecting the cathode terminal of an individual battery to the recharge and discharge electrodes which includes first plate-shaped connecting conductor that directly connects to the cathode terminal of an individual battery and the first line-shaped connecting that attaches to the first insulator plate and connects to the first plate-shaped connecting conductor before extending to the anode terminal of an individual battery;

an anode connecting conductor for electrically connecting the anode terminal to the recharge and discharge electrodes through the battery safety unit in the circuit board which includes both the second plate-shaped connecting conductor that directly connects to the anode terminal of an individual battery and the second line-shape supplement conductor that attaches to the second insulator plate and connects to the second plate-shaped connecting conductor before extending to the cathode terminal; and

a cover that ties the individual batteries, the fixing cap, the cathode connecting conductor, the anode connecting conductor and the circuit board as a single battery pack format in the individual battery'"'"'s upper body that has a cathode terminal and its lower body that has an anode terminal.

11. Method for manufacturing a rechargeable battery pack including at least two individual batteries each having cathode and anode terminals, said method including steps of:

combining individual batteries using binding materials;

preparing a circuit board that contains a battery safety unit shut off the electric current to the battery cell when electric current is over-charged in the recharge electrode and to stop the discharge of the battery pack when the output voltage of the discharge electrode falls below a certain voltage;

bonding a cathode connecting conductor and a anode connecting conductor to the circuit board, said cathode connecting conductor electrically connecting the cathode terminals of the individual batteries to the recharge electrode and said anode connecting conductor electrically connecting the anode terminals of the individual batteries to recharge electrode; and

assembling a cover that ties the individual batteries, the cathode connecting conductor, the anode connecting conductor and the circuit board as a single battery pack format in the individual battery'"'"'s upper body that has the cathode terminal and its lower body that has the anode terminal.