BATTERY PACK AND BATTERY MODULE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A BATTERY MODULE

• US 20080152993A1
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Seiler, Hartmut, Kohlrausch, Philipp
• Granted Patent: US 7,807,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/92
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• 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 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6235 Power tools
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/653 characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/659 by heat storage or buffering, e.g. heat capacity or liquid-solid phase changes or transition
• 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 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/519 comprising printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack with at least two electrochemical cells, lithium ion cells in particular, has each cell including a positive pole and a negative pole on the end face of the particular cell body, the poles of the cells being electrically connected in series and/or in parallel. A cell connector for electrically connecting the cells is provided on at least two cells, on the end face on the same side relative to their position in the battery pack, the cell connector connecting one pole of the connected cells and extending to a contact region of a circuit board; the cell bodies of the cells are positioned parallel to each other, and the end faces of the cell bodies are located in the same plane.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising at least two electrochemical cells each including a positive pole and a negative pole on an end face of a cell body, said poles of said cells being electrically connected with one another in a manner selected from the group consisting of in series, in parallel and both;

a cell connector for electrically connecting said cells and provided on at least two cells, on an end face on a same side relative to their position in the battery pack, said cell connector connecting one pole of the connected cells and extending to a contact region of a circuit board, the cell bodies of said cells being positioned parallel to each other, and the end faces of said cell bodies being located in a same plane.

2. A battery pack as defined in claim 1, wherein the cell connectors which are located on the same side relative to said cells are located in said plane.

3. A battery pack as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the cell connectors guides a positive pole of a cell and a negative pole of an adjacent cell to said contact region.

4. A battery pack as defined in claim 1, wherein said cells are packed tightly together.

5. A battery pack as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a battery bed, said cells being embedded in said battery bed.

6. A battery pack as defined in claim 5;

and further comprising a circuit board;

a temperature sensor on said circuit board, said battery bed being thermally connected to said temperature sensor.

7. A battery pack as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a circuit board which is positioned parallel to a longitudinal extension of the cell bodies.

8. A battery pack as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a circuit board which includes compensation electronics for a symmetrization of a state of charge of said cells.

9. A battery pack as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a circuit board with electronics for monitoring a voltage of said cells.

10. A battery pack as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a circuit board including compensation electronics for a symmetrization of a cell state of said cells, and a circuit for charging said cells with an external mains voltage.

11. A battery pack as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a battery bed including an element selected from the group consisting of a metallic body with good thermal conductivity, a plastic mass with good thermal conductivity, a plastic mass filled with metallic particles, and a material filled with metallic particles.

12. A battery pack as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a battery bed embedded in a material that has a phase transition below a maximum permissible working temperature, with a latent heat of which a temperature of the battery pack is holdable constant for a certain period of time.

16. A battery pack as defined in claim 1, wherein the electrochemical cells are configured as lithium ion cells.

13. A battery module, comprising a plurality of battery packs, each of said battery packs including at least two electrochemical cells each including a positive pole and a negative pole on an end face of a cell body, said poles of said cells being electrically connected with one another in a manner selected from the group consisting of in series, in parallel and both;

a cell connector for electrically connecting said cells and provided on at least two cells, on an end face on a same side relative to their position in the battery pack, said cell connector connecting one pole of the connected cells and extending to a contact region of a circuit board, the cell bodies of said cells being positioned parallel to each other, and the end faces of said cell bodies being located in a same plane, wherein said battery packs are electrically connected in a manner selected from the group consisting of in series, in parallel, and both.

14. A method for operating a battery module including a plurality of battery packs each including at least two electrochemical cells each including a positive pole and a negative pole on an end face of a cell body, said poles of said cells being electrically connected with one another in a manner selected from the group consisting of in series, in parallel and both;

a cell connector for electrically connecting said cells and provided on at least two cells, on an end face on a same side relative to their position in the battery pack, said cell connector connecting one pole of the connected cells and extending to a contact region of a circuit board, the cell bodies of said cells being positioned parallel to each other, and the end faces of said cell bodies being located in a same plane, comprising the steps of observing a drift in a starting voltage of each of said battery packs;

comparing the drifts of the battery packs with each other; and

when a specified limiting value of the drift is exceeding, outputting an alarm which prompts a user to replace the battery pack whose drift has exceeded the limiting value.

15. A power tool, comprising at least one battery pack including at least two electrochemical cells each including a positive pole and a negative pole on an end face of a cell body, said poles of said cells being electrically connected with one another in a manner selected from the group consisting of in series, in parallel and both;

a cell connector for electrically connecting said cells and provided on at least two cells, on an end face on a same side relative to their position in the battery pack, said cell connector connecting one pole of the connected cells and extending to a contact region of a circuit board, the cell bodies of said cells being positioned parallel to each other, and the end faces of said cell bodies being located in a same plane, wherein the battery pack is fixedly connected with the power tool.