Battery pack including electronic power saver
First Claim
1. A battery pack comprising:
- power cell having positive and negative terminals, the positive terminal having a positive voltage with respect to the voltage at the negative terminal, such positive voltage having values subject to measurable variations over a first range during a discharge cycle of the power cell;
housing means encasing the power cell, said housing means including external positive and negative contacts; and
regulating means, coupled respectively between the positive terminal of the power cell and the positive contact of the housing means, and between the negative terminal of the power cell and the negative contact of the housing means, for regulating the voltage at the positive terminal with respect to the voltage at the negative terminal of the power cell to values within a predetermined second range, and for applying such regulated values to the positive contact with respect to the negative contact of the housing means, whereby the power cell has between such positive and negative contacts a characteristic voltage variation of the predetermined range of values over the discharge cycle of the power cell;
wherein the regulating means is a switching type voltage converter and includes switch means operable to regulate the voltage at the positive contact of the housing means with respect to the negative contact, the switch means being connected between the positive contact and the positive terminal of the power cell, and in that the regulating means includes sensing means operable throughout the discharge cycle to sense the voltage requirements of a utilization device, connected between the positive and negative contacts of the housing means, and to control the regulating means to provide the appropriate voltage required by the utilization device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A housing of a battery pack contains in addition to standard power cell elements a voltage converter. The voltage converter is interposed between the power cell elements and external output contacts of the housing. The voltage converter regulates the output voltage applied to the output contacts of the battery pack, such that the supply voltage of the battery pack remains at a predetermined value which is independent of the voltage supplied by the power cell elements to the voltage converter and does not vary over the discharge cycle of the power cell elements. Excess battery voltage available particularly during the initial portion of the discharge cycle of the power cell elements is efficiently converted to the predetermined output voltage value which reduces the overall current delivered by the power cells to extend the useful life of the battery pack between charges.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. A battery pack comprising:
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power cell having positive and negative terminals, the positive terminal having a positive voltage with respect to the voltage at the negative terminal, such positive voltage having values subject to measurable variations over a first range during a discharge cycle of the power cell; housing means encasing the power cell, said housing means including external positive and negative contacts; and regulating means, coupled respectively between the positive terminal of the power cell and the positive contact of the housing means, and between the negative terminal of the power cell and the negative contact of the housing means, for regulating the voltage at the positive terminal with respect to the voltage at the negative terminal of the power cell to values within a predetermined second range, and for applying such regulated values to the positive contact with respect to the negative contact of the housing means, whereby the power cell has between such positive and negative contacts a characteristic voltage variation of the predetermined range of values over the discharge cycle of the power cell;
wherein the regulating means is a switching type voltage converter and includes switch means operable to regulate the voltage at the positive contact of the housing means with respect to the negative contact, the switch means being connected between the positive contact and the positive terminal of the power cell, and in that the regulating means includes sensing means operable throughout the discharge cycle to sense the voltage requirements of a utilization device, connected between the positive and negative contacts of the housing means, and to control the regulating means to provide the appropriate voltage required by the utilization device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A battery utilization device battery regulation apparatus for operable connection between a battery and a battery utilization device, comprising a switching type voltage converter having
(1) a switch operable to regulate the voltage output of a battery wherein said switch regulates battery voltage output, (2) a sensor for sensing the voltage requirements of a battery utilization device and for controlling said switch such that a battery utilization device connected to said apparatus while said apparatus is connected to a battery will receive the sensed required voltage over a portion of the discharge cycle of said battery.
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28. A battery pack comprising:
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power cell having positive and negative terminals, the positive terminal having a positive voltage with respect to the voltage at the negative terminal, such positive voltage having values subject to measurable variations over a first range during a discharge cycle of the power cell; housing means encasing the power cell, said housing means including external positive and negative contacts; regulating means, coupled respectively between the positive terminal of the power cell and the positive contact of the housing means, and between the negative terminal of the power cell and the negative contact of the housing means, for regulating the voltage at the positive terminal with respect to the voltage at the negative terminal of the power cell to values within a predetermined second range, and for applying such regulated values to the positive contact with respect to the negative contact of the housing means, whereby the power cell as between such positive and negative contacts a characteristic voltage variation of the predetermined second range of values over the discharge cycle of the power cell characterized in that; the regulating means is a switching type voltage converter and includes switch means operable to regulate the voltage at the positive contact of the housing means with respect to the negative contact, the switch means being connected between the positive contact and the positive terminal of the power cell, and in that the regulating means includes sensing means operable throughout the discharge cycle to sense the voltage requirements of a utilization device, connected between the positive and negative contacts of the housing means, and to control the regulating means to provide the appropriate voltage regulation required by the utilization device. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A battery pack comprising:
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power cell having positive and negative terminals, the positive terminal having a positive voltage with respect to the voltage at the negative terminal, such positive voltage having values subject to measurable variations over a first range during a discharge cycle of the power cell; a housing encasing the power cell, said housing including external positive and negative contacts; and a regulator, coupled respectively between the positive terminal of the power cell and the positive contact of the housing, and between the negative terminal of the power cell and the negative contact of the housing, for regulating the voltage at the positive terminal with respect to the voltage at the negative terminal of the power cell to values within a predetermined second range, and for applying such regulated values to the positive contact with respect to the negative contact of the housing, whereby the power cell has between such positive and negative contacts a characteristic voltage variation of the predetermined range of values over the discharge cycle of the power cell;
wherein the regulator is a switching type voltage converter and includes a switch operable to regulate the voltage at the positive contact of the housing with respect to the negative contact, the switch being connected between the positive contact and the positive terminal of the power cell, and in that the regulator includes a sensor operable throughout the discharge cycle to sense the voltage requirements of a utilization device, connected between the positive and negative contacts of the housing, and to control the regulator to provide the appropriate voltage required by the utilization device. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification