CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT WITH MULTIPLE BATTERIES

• US 20090085515A1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Bourilkov, Jordan T., Klein, David N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,378,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/117
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit

Abstract

Disclosed is a circuit arrangement. The circuit arrangement includes a plurality of rechargeable batteries each having at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell, and current-carrying members connecting the plurality of batteries such that when the plurality of batteries are charging the plurality of batteries are in a series electrical circuit arrangement and when the plurality of batteries are discharging the plurality of batteries are in a parallel electrical circuit arrangement.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable batteries each having at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell; and

current-carrying members connecting the plurality of batteries such that when the plurality of batteries are charging the plurality of batteries are in a series electrical circuit arrangement and when the plurality of batteries are discharging the plurality of batteries are in a parallel electrical circuit arrangement.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the plurality of batteries is configured to achieve, when being charged, a charge level of approximately 90% of the charge capacity of the plurality of batteries in 15 minutes or less.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the current-carrying members include at least one diode connected in series between a pair of the plurality of batteries such that when the plurality of batteries are charged the at least one diode causes charging current to flow in an electrical path through the plurality of batteries such that the plurality of batteries are in a series circuit arrangement.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 wherein the at least one diode is connected between an anode of one of the plurality of batteries and a cathode of a succeeding one of the plurality of batteries.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 further comprising electrical terminals to direct power to a load, wherein the electrical terminals are electrically coupled to the plurality of batteries in respective electrical paths from the electrical terminals to the each of the plurality of batteries that do not pass through another of the plurality of the batteries.

6. The arrangement of claim 5 wherein the electrical terminals are directly connected to one or more of the plurality of batteries such that the corresponding electrical paths from the terminals to the one or more of the plurality of batteries are free of any of the current-carrying members.

7. The arrangement of claim 5 wherein at least one of the plurality of batteries is configured to provide power to one or more of the plurality of batteries when the one or more of the plurality of batteries provide power to the load.

8. A battery comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable electrochemical cells; and

current-carrying members connecting the plurality of electrochemical cells such that when the plurality of electrochemical cells are charged the plurality of electrochemical cells are in a series electrical circuit arrangement and when the plurality of electrochemical cells are being discharged the plurality of electrochemical cells are in a parallel electrical circuit arrangement.

9. The battery of claim 8 wherein the plurality of electrochemical cells is configured to achieve, when being charged, a charge level of approximately 90% of the charge capacity of the plurality of electrochemical cells in 15 minutes or less.

10. The battery of claim 8 wherein the current-carrying members include at least one diode connected in series between a pair of the plurality of electrochemical cells such that when the plurality of electrochemical cells are charged the at least one diode causes charging current to flow in an electrical path through the plurality of electrochemical cells such that the plurality of electrochemical cells are in a series circuit arrangement.

11. The battery of claim 10 wherein the at least one diode is connected between an anode of one of the plurality of electrochemical cells and a cathode of a succeeding one of the plurality of electrochemical cells.

12. The battery of claim 8 further comprising electrical terminals to direct power to a load, wherein the electrical terminals are electrically coupled to the plurality of electrochemical cells in respective electrical paths from the electrical terminals to the each of the plurality of electrochemical cells that do not pass through another of the plurality of the electrochemical cells.

13. The battery of claim 12 wherein the electrical terminals are directly connected to one or more of the plurality of electrochemical cells such that the corresponding electrical paths from the terminals to the one or more of the plurality of electrochemical cells are free of any of the current-carrying members.

14. The battery of claim 12 wherein at least one of the plurality of electrochemical cells is configured to provide power to the one or more of the plurality of electrochemical cells when the one or more of the plurality of electrochemical cells provides power to the load.

15. A charger device to charge a plurality of rechargeable batteries, the device comprising:

a power conversion module to provide output power; and

a controller configured to;

determine a current level corresponding to a particular charging rate, the current level being determined based on charge capacities of the plurality of rechargeable batteries, and

cause the output power to be directed to the plurality of rechargeable batteries at a charging current substantially equal to the determined current level.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a crossover voltage to be maintained at an arrangement comprising the plurality of rechargeable batteries and current-carrying members once the crossover voltage level has been reached, the current carrying-members coupling the plurality of rechargeable batteries in a series electrical circuit arrangement.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the controller configured to determine the crossover voltage is configured to compute the sum of respective maximum voltages of the plurality of rechargeable batteries and voltages at the current-carrying members coupling the plurality of rechargeable batteries in the series electrical circuit arrangement.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein the controller configured to determine the current level is configured to determine the current level corresponding to a fast-charge charging rate that, when applied to the plurality of rechargeable batteries, would cause the plurality of rechargeable batteries to achieve a charge level of at least 90% of a charge capacity of the plurality of rechargeable batteries in fifteen minutes or less.

19. The device of claim 15 wherein the controller is further configured to cause the output power directed to the plurality of rechargeable batteries to be terminated after a specified charging time period has elapsed.

20. A circuit arrangement comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable batteries each having at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell;

a plurality of bi-directional current-carrying members, a first one of the plurality of bi-directional current-carrying members connecting a first terminal of one of the plurality of batteries to a like terminal of a succeeding one of the plurality of batteries; and

a plurality of unidirectional current-carrying members, a first one of the plurality of unidirectional current-carrying members connecting a first terminal of a particular one of the plurality of batteries to an opposite terminal of an adjacent one of the plurality of batteries.

21. The arrangement of claim 20 wherein during charging the plurality of batteries are in an effective series arrangement.

22. The arrangement of claim 20 wherein during discharging the plurality of batteries are in an effective parallel electrical circuit arrangement.

23. The arrangement of claim 20 wherein the plurality of batteries is configured to achieve, when being charged, a charge level of approximately 90% of the charge capacity of the plurality of batteries in 15 minutes or less.

24. The arrangement of claim 20 wherein the plurality of the bi-directional current-carrying members includes at least one resistor, and wherein the plurality of the unidirectional current-carrying members includes at least one diode.

25. The arrangement of claim 20 further comprising electrical terminals to direct power to a load, wherein the electrical-terminals are electrically coupled to the plurality of batteries in respective electrical paths from the electrical terminals to the each of the plurality of batteries that do not pass through another of the plurality of the batteries.