Battery with a spare battery

• US 5,154,985 A
• Filed: 12/24/1990
• Issued: 10/13/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd. (GS Yuasa Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Japan Storage Battery Company Limited (GS Yuasa Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Mark L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wright, Alan
• Application Number:
  US07/633,559
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 429/9, 429/149, 429/150, 429/158, 429/159
• US Class Current: 429/9
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0445 Multimode batteries, e.g. containing auxiliary cells or electrodes switchable in parallel or series connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A battery including a spare battery is provided in which the six cells conventionally used for the spare battery are decreased to three cells, thereby allowing the capacity of the main battery to be increased. No charger for the spare battery is required. The main battery comprises six cells connected in series, the first of the six cells having a capacity at least 10% higher than that the remaining three cells. A switch is used to connect the spare battery in parallel with the remaining three cells of the main battery.

Claims

1. A battery including a spare battery, comprising:

a main battery comprising six cells connected in series, a capacity of a first three of said six cells being at least 10% than that of the remaining three cells of said main battery;

a spare battery comprising three cells connected in series; and

a switch connecting said spare battery in parallel only with said remaining three cells of said main battery.

2. A battery including a spare battery as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a diode connected in parallel with said switch so that said spare battery is charged when said switch is turned off, and said spare battery is a power source when said switch is turned on.

3. A battery including a spare battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first three cells of said six cells of said main battery comprise six positive electrode plates and seven negative electrode plates, and said remaining three cells of said main battery comprise four positive electrode plates and five negative electrode plates.

4. A battery including a spare battery as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of first cables connected between adjacent cells of said main battery;

a second cable connected between said spare battery and said remaining three cells of said main battery through said switch and said diode; and

a third cable connected between said spare battery and said remaining three cells of said main battery;

wherein said first and second cables, said switch, and said diode are disposed on a cover of an electrolytic tank.

5. A battery including a spare battery as claimed in claim 2 wherein said diode is a Schottky diode.

6. A battery including a spare battery as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transistor connected to said switch wherein said switch is disposed between an emitter and a collector of said transistor.

7. A battery including a spare battery as claimed in claim 1, said main battery having positive and negative terminals connected to an external load, further comprising a constant voltage element connected between a positive terminal of said spare battery and said positive terminal of said main battery.