Rechargeable battery pack and charging stand for charging the rechargeable battery pack by electromagnetic induction

• US 6,040,680 A
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toya, Shoichi, Kokuga, Toshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/118,853
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/108, 320/110, 320/112, 336/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack having at least one rechargeable battery and a secondary coil, which is electromagnetically coupled to a primary coil contained inside of a charging stand. The battery pack also includes a control circuit which controls electric power induced in the secondary coil for charging the rechargeable batteries. The secondary coil of the battery pack is positioned close to the bottom of a battery pack case with its center axis oriented along the elongated direction of the case. The charging stand contains the primary coil, which is located so as to be close to the secondary coil when the battery pack is mounted on the charging stand.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a rectangular-shaped casing having a rectangular bottom face;

at least one rectangular rechargeable battery disposed within said casing,

wherein a width of said casing is greater than a width of said rectangular rechargeable battery such that a gap is defined between a side face of said casing and an opposing side face of said rectangular rechargeable battery;

a secondary coil disposed in said gap and in close proximity to said bottom face of said casing, said secondary coil having a central axis that is oriented in an elongated direction of said casing; and

a control circuit for controlling electric power induced in said secondary coil for charging said rectangular rechargeable battery contained in said casing.

2. A battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control circuit is disposed in the gap defined between the side face of said casing and the opposing side face of said rectangular rechargeable battery.

3. A battery pack comprising:

a rectangular-shaped casing having a bottom face;

at least one rectangular rechargeable battery disposed within said casing,

wherein a length of said casing is greater than a length of said rectangular rechargeable battery in order to define a gap between the bottom face of said casing and an opposing lower face of said rectangular rechargeable battery;

a secondary coil disposed in said gap and in close proximity to said bottom face of said casing, said secondary coil having a central axis that is oriented in an elongated direction of said casing; and

a control circuit for controlling electric power induced in said secondary coil for charging said rectangular rechargeable battery contained in said casing.

4. A battery pack as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control circuit is positioned in said gap.

5. A battery pack comprising:

a rectangular casing having a bottom face;

at least one rectangular rechargeable battery disposed within said casing, said rechargeable battery being sized so that a peripheral gap is defined between the periphery of said battery and an inner peripheral surface of said casing and a lower gap is defined between a lower surface of said battery and the bottom face of said casing;

a secondary coil disposed in said peripheral gap around a lower portion of said battery, said second coil extending below said rechargeable battery in close proximity to said bottom face of said casing, and said secondary coil having a central axis that is oriented in an elongated direction of said casing; and

a control circuit disposed in said casing for controlling electric power induced in said secondary coil for charging said rechargeable battery contained in said casing.

6. A battery pack as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control circuit is located inside of said secondary coil and in said lower gap.

7. A combination of a battery pack and a charging stand for charging said battery pack, wherein:

a) said battery pack comprises;

an elongated rectangular casing having a bottom face;

at least one rectangular rechargeable battery disposed in said casing, wherein a width of said casing is greater than a width of said rectangular rechargeable battery such that a gap is defined between a side face of said casing and an opposing side face of said rectangular rechargeable battery;

a secondary coil located in said gap in close proximity to the bottom face of said casing, said secondary coil having a central axis which is oriented in the same direction as a longitudinal direction of said casing; and

a control circuit for controlling electric power induced in said secondary coil for charging said rectangular rechargeable battery, and

b) said charging stand comprises;

a charging stand case; and

a primary coil positioned in said charging stand case so as to be close to said secondary coil when said battery pack is placed in said charging stand, wherein said primary coil is excitable by alternating current so as to induce alternating current in said secondary coil due to electromagnetic induction.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein said control circuit is disposed in said gap adjacent said secondary coil.

9. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein said casing includes locking projections for detachably connecting said battery pack to a portable electronic device.

10. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein said battery pack can be removably attached to said charging stand via a portable electrical device.

11. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein said battery pack can be directly attached to said charging stand in order to charge said rechargeable battery contained within said battery pack.

12. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein said battery pack is adapted to be removably attached to a portable electrical device includes one of a mobile telephone, an electric shaver, and an electric toothbrush.

13. A combination of a battery pack and a charging stand, wherein:

a) said battery pack comprises;

an elongated rectangular casing having a bottom face and a length;

at least one rectangular rechargeable battery disposed in said casing, wherein the length of said casing is greater than a length of said rectangular rechargeable battery such that a gap is defined between the bottom face of said casing and an opposing lower face of said rectangular rechargeable battery;

a secondary coil located in said gap in close proximity to the bottom face of said casing, said secondary coil having a central axis which is oriented in the same direction as a longitudinal direction of said casing; and

a control circuit for controlling electric power induced in said secondary coil for charging said rectangular rechargeable battery, and

b) said charging stand comprises;

a charging stand case; and

a primary coil positioned in said charging stand case so as to be close to said secondary coil when said battery pack is placed in said charging stand, wherein said primary coil is excitable by alternating current so as to induce alternating current in said secondary coil due to electromagnetic induction.

14. The combination as claimed in claim 13, wherein said control circuit is disposed in said gap adjacent to said secondary coil.

15. A combination of a battery pack and a charging stand, wherein:

a) said battery pack comprises;

an elongated rectangular casing having a bottom face and a length;

at least one rectangular rechargeable battery disposed in said casing, said battery being sized so that a peripheral gap is defined about the periphery of said battery and an inner peripheral surface of said casing, and a lower gap is defined between a lower surface of said battery and the bottom face of said casing;

a secondary coil surrounding a lower portion of said battery and being located in said peripheral gap in close proximity to the bottom face of said casing, said secondary coil having a central axis which is oriented in the same direction as a longitudinal direction of said casing; and

a control circuit for controlling electric power induced in said secondary coil for charging said rectangular rechargeable battery, and

b) said charging stand comprises;

a charging stand case; and

a primary coil positioned in said charging stand case so as to be close to said secondary coil when said battery pack is placed in said charging stand, wherein said primary coil is excitable by alternating current so as to induce alternating current in said secondary coil due to electromagnetic induction.