Anti-theft battery
First Claim
1. An electrically controlled switch device, comprising:
- a) at least one semiconductor switch, wherein the one or more semiconductor switches each comprise a main body having a first switch terminal located on a bottom side, a second switch terminal located on a top side and a control terminal;
b) a first electrical terminal comprising a first electrically and thermally conducting plate-shaped member comprising a first side wherein the main bodies of the switches are mounted in a line on the first side of the first electrically and thermally conducting plate-shaped member, so that the bottom sides of the switches are in electrical and intimate thermal contact with the first side of the first electrically and thermally conducting plate-shaped member;
c) a second electrical terminal comprising a second electrically conducting plate-shaped member comprising two sides and an edge, wherein the edge is located in parallel to the line of the switches and at the switches, the second member being attached to form a gap between the first and second members having an essentially constant width; and
d) electrical connection leads coupled between the second switch terminals and the second electrically conducting plate-shaped member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a battery such as a starter battery for a motor vehicle semiconductor switches such as MOSFET-switches (11) are connected in parallel between the middle battery cells (7, 9). The switches (11) are controlled by a processor (15) which can receive signals from the exterior, such as rf-signals received by a receiver (25), for allowing a high but not too high current for powering a starter motor from the battery. In other cases only small currents can be drawn from the battery for powering a clock, illumination, etc. The processor also monitors the charge state and can block also small currents when there is too little charge left whereby also a sufficient charge can be left for starting the motor. The switches (15) are located inside the battery in a conducting contact with a metal plate, which is mounted directly on a terminal of one of the middle battery cells and which can be mounted against a bent cooling flange. On the adjacent terminal of the other one of the central cells also a conducting plate may be mounted, which is isolated from the first plate. To this second plate, at areas located adjacent to an edge next to the first plate, the switches (11) are connected electrically through connection wires. For an interrupt in a lead to a power supply unit it can be provided with voltage from a reduced number of battery cells. Therefore, suitably placed diodes are provided in the interior supply lines to the power supply unit.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An electrically controlled switch device, comprising:
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a) at least one semiconductor switch, wherein the one or more semiconductor switches each comprise a main body having a first switch terminal located on a bottom side, a second switch terminal located on a top side and a control terminal; b) a first electrical terminal comprising a first electrically and thermally conducting plate-shaped member comprising a first side wherein the main bodies of the switches are mounted in a line on the first side of the first electrically and thermally conducting plate-shaped member, so that the bottom sides of the switches are in electrical and intimate thermal contact with the first side of the first electrically and thermally conducting plate-shaped member; c) a second electrical terminal comprising a second electrically conducting plate-shaped member comprising two sides and an edge, wherein the edge is located in parallel to the line of the switches and at the switches, the second member being attached to form a gap between the first and second members having an essentially constant width; and d) electrical connection leads coupled between the second switch terminals and the second electrically conducting plate-shaped member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A battery having a built-in protection against theft comprising:
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a) an electrically controllable switch device having at least two switches which are connected in parallel; and b) two adjacent series connected battery cells wherein the electrically controllable switch device comprises wherein the switch device is connected between the battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A battery having adjacent cells and comprising a built-in anti-theft device, the anti-theft device comprising:
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a) at least one electrically controllable semiconductor switch connected between at least one pair of adjacent cells in the battery; and b) at least one diode connected in parallel to the one or more semiconductor switches, the one or more diodes having such a polarity that when the battery is charged from an exterior voltage source, the one or more diodes become forward-biased to allow current through the one or more diodes, and when the battery is in normal use for powering exterior devices, the one or more diodes become reverse-biased and impede current flow through the one or more diodes, such that current flows only through the one or more semiconductors.
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18. A battery having at least two series connected cells and a built-in anti-theft device wherein the built in anti-theft device comprises:
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a) at least one electrically controllable switch connected between the two adjacent series connected cells in the battery; b) a first temperature sensor arranged in thermal proximity to the one or more electrically controllable switches and for providing an electrical signal dependent on a temperature of the one or more electrically controllable switches; and c) a control unit arranged for controlling the one or more electrically controllable switches and for receiving a signal from the first temperature sensor, wherein the control unit compares the signal from the first temperature sensor to a first threshold value and for switching off the electrically controllable switches upon a predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A motor vehicle battery having a built-it protection device wherein the protection device comprises:
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a) an electrically controllable switch device connected in series with the motor vehicle battery; b) means for controlling the controllable switch device; c) means for measuring a magnitude of an electrical current, which passes through the motor vehicle battery, and the voltage over terminals of the battery; d) means for determining a remaining charge of the motor vehicle battery from the electrical current and voltage of the motor vehicle battery; and e) means for placing the switch device in a blocking state, when a remaining charge in the motor vehicle battery is lower than a first threshold value, the first threshold value chosen so that the motor vehicle battery has sufficient charge for starting the motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle battery is electrically connected to a starter motor of a motor vehicle and to other electrically driven apparatus permanently connected to the motor vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A battery system comprising
a) a battery; -
b) an electrically controllable switch device connected in series with the battery; and c) a control unit having; i) means for measuring a magnitude of an electrical current, which passes through the battery; ii) means for placing the switch device in a blocking state during a first predetermined time when the electrical current through the battery exceeds a first threshold value; iii) means for receiving a code signal; iv) means for placing the switch device in a conducting state at reception of the code signal even when the electrical current through the battery exceeds the first threshold value; v) means for measuring the magnitude of the electrical current passing through the battery when the switch device is placed in a conducting state after receiving the code signal; and vi) means for placing the switch device in a blocking state during a second predetermined time when the measured electrical current exceeds a second threshold value which is larger than the first threshold value, wherein the control unit is coupled to the electrically controllable switch. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification