Fuel cartridge interconnect for portable fuel cells

• US 20040253500A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Gilicinski, Andrew G., Bourilkov, Jordan T.
• Application Number:
  US10/462,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20040253500A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/003 of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04082 Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An electronic device includes electrical circuits that provide operative functionality of the device, a fuel cell to power the electrical circuits during certain periods of operation, an interconnect to connect between a battery and a fuel cartridge to delivery fuel to the fuel cell or power from the battery and a circuit to prevent charging of a fuel cell from a battery when a battery is attached to the interconnect.

Claims

1. An interconnect comprises:

an interface between a fuel cell system and a fuel cartridge or battery.

2. The interconnect of claim 1 wherein the interface includes appropriate mating fittings to allow a fuel cartridge to connect to the interconnect.

3. The interconnect of claim 2 wherein the mating fittings provide an ingress fuel interface port.

4. The interconnect of claim 2 wherein the matting fittings are a valve or ingress port device to allow secure, leak-proof mating with a complementary port on a fuel cartridge.

5. The interconnect of claim 1 wherein the interface includes appropriate mating fittings to allow a battery to connect to the interconnect.

6. The interconnect of claim 1 wherein the interface includes a pair of spring-loaded battery terminal contacts placed in at least two coplanar locations.

7. The interconnect of claim 1 wherein the interface includes a pair of spring-loaded battery terminal contacts placed in at least two non-coplanar locations.

8. An electronic device comprises:

a operable unit that operates using a fuel cell; and

a housing including a compartment for receiving a fuel cartridge when the operable unit is operated by power generated by the fuel cell and for receiving a battery when the operable unit is operated by power from a battery, the housing including

an interface between a fuel cell system and a fuel cartridge or battery.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the device is a portable electronic device.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the housing has a door to enclose the compartment, the door being pivot-able and affixed to the housing.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the housing has a door to enclose the compartment, the door being detachable from the housing.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein the interface includes appropriate mating fittings to allow a fuel cartridge to connect to the interconnect.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the mating fittings provide an ingress fuel interface port.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the matting fittings are a valve or ingress port device to allow secure, leak-proof mating with a complementary port on a fuel cartridge.

15. The device of claim 8 wherein the interface includes appropriate mating fittings to allow a battery to connect to the interconnect.

16. The device of claim 8 wherein the interface includes a pair of spring-loaded battery terminal contacts placed in at least two coplanar or non-coplanar locations.

17. The device of claim 8 wherein the interface includes a pair of spring-loaded battery terminal contacts placed in at least two non-coplanar locations.

18. An article comprises:

a generally rectangular solid shaped case having a pair of electrical terminals, housing at least one cylindrical battery having positive and negative electrodes coupled to the electrical terminals of the housing.

19. An article comprises:

a generally rectangular solid shaped case having a pair of electrical terminals and an aperture disposed between the pair of terminals to receive an ingress port.

20. The article of claim 19 wherein the case houses at least one cylindrical battery having positive and negative electrodes coupled to the electrical terminals of the housing.

21. The article of claim 19 wherein the case houses at least one prismatic battery having positive and negative electrodes coupled to the electrical terminals of the housing.

22. An interconnect comprises:

an interface between a fuel cell system and a fuel cartridge or battery; and

a circuit to prevent charging of a fuel cell from a battery when a battery is attached to the interconnect.

23. The interconnect of claim 22 wherein the circuit is a diode.

24. The interconnect of claim 22 wherein the circuit is a diode disposed in the interconnect and arranged to be coupled between a fuel cell and external battery terminals of the interconnect that can receive a battery, such that when the fuel cell is supplying the power, the diode is forward biased, and the external battery terminals are at open circuit, and when an external battery is connected to the contacts the diode is reverse biased and the battery supplies power to a load.

25. The interconnect of claim 22 wherein the circuit is a transistor-based switching circuit.

26. The interconnect of claim 22 wherein the circuit includes:

a first transistor biased through a resistor to conduct power from the fuel cell to a load; and

a second transistor arranged where if an external battery is inserted, the gate voltage of the first transistor turns the transistor off, preventing connection of the fuel cell to the battery, and the second transistor is biased through a second resistor to conduct power from the battery to the load.

27. The interconnect of claim 22 wherein the transistors are MOSFET'"'"'s.

28. The interconnect of claim 22 wherein the transistors are p-channel MOSFET'"'"'s.

29. An electronic device comprises:

electrical circuits that provide operative functionality of the device;

a fuel cell to power the electrical circuits during certain periods of operation;

an interconnect to connect between a battery and a fuel cartridge to delivery fuel to the fuel cell or power from the battery; and

a circuit to prevent charging of a fuel cell from a battery when a battery is attached to the interconnect.

30. The interconnect of claim 29 wherein the circuit is a diode.

31. The interconnect of claim 29 wherein the circuit is a diode disposed in the interconnect and arranged to be coupled between the fuel cell and external battery terminals of the interconnect that can receive a battery, such that when the fuel cell is supplying the power to the electrical circuits, the diode is forward biased, and the external battery terminals are at open circuit, and when an external battery is connected to the contacts the diode is reverse biased and the battery supplies power to the electrical circuits.

32. The interconnect of claim 29 wherein the circuit is a transistor-based switching circuit.

33. The interconnect of claim 29 wherein the circuit includes a first transistor biased through a resistor to conduct power from the fuel cell to the electrical circuits;

and

a second transistor arranged where if an external battery is inserted, the gate voltage of the first transistor turns the transistor off, preventing connection of the fuel cell to the battery, and the second transistor is biased through a second resistor to conduct power from the battery to the electrical circuits.

34. The interconnect of claim 33 wherein the transistors are MOSFET'"'"'s.

35. The interconnect of claim 33 wherein the transistors are p-channel MOSFET'"'"'s.

36. The interconnect of claim 33 wherein the circuit is incorporated within the interconnect.

37. The interconnect of claim 33 wherein the circuit is incorporated within the electrical device.