Battery pack with short circuit protection

• US 5,477,130 A
• Filed: 06/14/1994
• Issued: 12/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tamai, Mikitaka, Hashimoto, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowers, Jr., Charles L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VISCONTI, GERALDINA
• Application Number:
  US08/261,041
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 429/96, 429/97, 429/99, 320/2, 320/13, 320/14, 320/15, 320/20, 320/21, 320/29, 320/31, 320/49
• US Class Current: 429/92
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/25 Optical coupler

Abstract

Connection between internal batteries and external terminals of the battery pack is controlled by semiconductor switching devices, rather than by switches with mechanical contacts. When the battery pack Is not connected, battery short circuits are prevented by non-conduction of the switching devices. When the battery pack is attached to electrical equipment, a control circuit turns the switching devices on to supply power to the equipment. If the electrical equipment is a battery charger, the switching devices are turned on to supply power to the battery pack.

Claims

1. A battery pack with short circuit protection comprising:

(a) a battery having electrodes;

(b) at least one semiconductor switching device, having an input control terminal, said semiconductor device being connected in series with the battery;

(c) electrode terminals, connected through the at least one semiconductor switching device to the battery electrodes; and

(d) a control circuit, connected to the input control terminal of the at least one semiconductor switching device, for detecting an attachment of the battery pack to electrical equipment and for turning said at least one semiconductor switching device on and off;

wherein the control circuit turns said at least one semiconductor switching device on when it has detected that the battery pack is attached to the electrical equipment, thereby connecting the battery to the electrical equipment electrically and wherein the control circuit turns said at least one semiconductor switching device off when it has detected that the battery pack is unattached to the electrical equipment, thereby isolating the electrode terminals from the battery to avoid accidental short circuits.

2. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one semiconductor switching comprises two series connected Field Effect Transistors (FETs).

3. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 1, further comprising an over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit for controlling said at least one semiconductor switching device in addition to said at least one semiconductor switching device being controlled by said control circuit.

4. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 3, wherein said control circuit comprises an AND logic circuit having an input side and an output side, said output side of said AND circuit being connected to said at least one semiconductor switching device and said input side connected to said over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit and to a signal terminal of the battery pack, and wherein said control circuit turns said at least one semiconductor switching device on and off by signals from said signal terminal and said over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit.

5. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 3, wherein said at least one semiconductor switching device comprises two series connected Field Effect Transistors (FETs), and said control circuit comprises two AND logic circuits which are respectively connected to said two FETs, and wherein input terminals of said two AND circuits are respectively connected to said over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit and to a signal terminal of the battery pack.

6. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuit is provided with a detection switch having a pushing stem that is pressed by attached electrical equipment, and wherein said at least one semiconductor switching device is turned on and off by said control circuit in response to the on and off signal from this detection switch.

7. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuit is provided with a detection switch and an AND logic circuit, and wherein the detection switch output turns said at least one semiconductor switching device on and off through the AND logic circuit.

8. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 7, wherein the control circuit is further provided with an over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit, an output side of both the detection switch and the over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit being connected to an input side of the AND circuit, and an output side of the AND logic circuit being connected to the semiconductor switching device, wherein the detection switch and over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit output cause the control circuit to turn said at least one semiconductor switching device on and off.

9. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuit is provided with a detection switch and a over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit which is supplied power through said detection switch, the over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit being connected to said at least one semiconductor switching device, and power being supplied to the over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit when the battery pack is attached to the electrical equipment and the detection switch is turned on, and the over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit causing the control circuit to turn said at least one semiconductor switching device on and off.

10. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuit is provided with a photo-transistor that receives light from an electrical equipment light source, and wherein the photo-transistor controls said control circuit so as to cause said at least one semiconductor switching device to be turned on and off.

11. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 10 wherein the electrical equipment light source is a Light Emitting Diode (LED).

12. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 11, wherein the electrical equipment LED is connected through the electrode terminals to the battery, and when the battery pack is attached to the electrical equipment, the LED emits light by a series connection with the battery.

13. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 10, wherein the control circuit is further provided with an AND logic circuit, and an over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit, the photo-transistor and the over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit being connected to said at least one semiconductor switching device through the AND logic circuit, and an output from the photo-transistor and the over-charge and over-discharge protection circuit causing the control circuit to turn said at least one semiconductor switching device on and off through the AND circuit.

14. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuit is provided with a microcomputer and the microcomputer controls the control circuit so as to turn said at least one semiconductor switching device on and off.

15. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 14, wherein the electrical equipment is also provided with a microcomputer, the electrical equipment microcomputer outputting a specific signal, and the control circuit microcomputer operating in response to said specified signal outputted by the electrical equipment microcomputer to cause said control circuit to turn said at least one semiconductor switching device on and off.

16. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 15 wherein the signal transmitted from the electrical equipment microcomputer to the battery pack microcomputer is transmitted by an LED and a photo-transistor.

17. A battery pack with short circuit protection as recited in claim 15, wherein the signal transmitted from the electrical equipment microcomputer to the battery pack microcomputer is transmitted through the electrode terminals of the battery pack.