Battery pack and inspection device therefor

• US 6,639,387 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Katsunori, Nagahisa, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US10/149,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20020190693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/128, 320/132, 320/134, 320/135, 320/136, 320/137
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 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 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/583 in response to current, e.g. fuses
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack (2) having a reduced number of an inspection terminal (18) for inspecting operations of a battery protection circuit (11) for the battery pack (2), and an inspection device (1) for inspecting the operations of the battery protection circuit (11) for the battery pack (2) are provided. A voltage difference between an output voltage of a battery voltage memory circuit (41) for storing the voltage of a rechargeable battery (12), and an output voltage of a DC voltage power supply (42) is added to a voltage between a positive electrode input/output terminal (16) and a negative electrode input/output terminal (17), and the added voltage is provided for a control circuit (13) as an inspection voltage. Since the inspection terminal (18) serving as an input terminal for the inspection voltage and a wiring line are provided at one location, the size of a circuit board for constituting the battery protection circuit (11) is reduced, and the number of wiring lines is reduced for restraining an influence of electromagnetic radiation.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a positive electrode input/output terminal connected with a positive electrode of the rechargeable battery;

a negative electrode input/output terminal connected with a negative electrode of the rechargeable battery;

switching elements serially connected with an input/output circuit extending from said rechargeable battery to said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal; and

a control circuit for monitoring a voltage between the positive and negative electrodes of said rechargeable battery, and setting said switching element to a cutoff state when an overcharge voltage in an overcharged state, or an overdischarge voltage in an overdischarged state is detected, wherein

the battery pack is provided with an inspection terminal for outward extending a positive electrode voltage input terminal of said control circuit used for receiving the positive electrode voltage of said rechargeable battery, and

a part between said inspection terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal is constituted as an input unit for an inspection voltage for inspecting an overcharge protection operation and an overdischarge protection operation by the control circuit.

2. An inspection device for a battery pack which includes a rechargeable battery, a positive electrode input/output terminal connected with a positive electrode of the rechargeable battery, a negative electrode input/output terminal connected with a negative electrode of the rechargeable battery, switching elements serially connected with an input/output circuit extending from said rechargeable battery to said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal, a control circuit for monitoring a voltage between the positive and negative electrodes of said rechargeable battery, and setting said switching element to a cutoff state when an overcharge voltage in an overcharged state, or an overdischarge voltage in an overdischarged state is detected, and an inspection terminal for outward extending a positive electrode voltage input terminal of said control circuit used for receiving the positive electrode voltage of said rechargeable battery,

the inspection device for detecting an overcharge protection operation or an overdischarge protection operation of said battery pack by an ammeter installed in a charging circuit or a discharging circuit while a charging power supply or a discharging load is connected between said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal of the battery pack, and an inspection voltage corresponding to said overcharge voltage or said overdischarge voltage is impressed on said control circuit, wherein

the inspection device is provided with an inspection circuit for generating said inspection voltage from a voltage between said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal, and impressing said inspection voltage between said inspection terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal.

3. An inspection device for a battery pack which includes a rechargeable battery, a positive electrode input/output terminal connected with a positive electrode of the rechargeable battery, a negative electrode input/output terminal connected with a negative electrode of the rechargeable battery, switching elements serially connected with an input/output circuit extending from said rechargeable battery to said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal, a control circuit for monitoring a voltage between the positive and negative electrodes of said rechargeable battery, and setting said switching element to a cutoff state when an overcharge voltage in an overcharged state, or an overdischarge voltage in an overdischarged state is detected, and an inspection terminal for outward extending a positive electrode voltage input terminal of said control circuit used for receiving the positive electrode voltage of said rechargeable battery,

the inspection device for detecting an overcharge protection operation or an overdischarge protection operation of said battery pack by an ammeter installed in a charging circuit or a discharging circuit while a charging power supply or a discharging load is connected between said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal of the battery pack, and an inspection voltage corresponding to said overcharge voltage or said overdischarge voltage is impressed on said control circuit, wherein

the inspection device is provided with a battery voltage memory circuit for storing the voltage of said rechargeable battery, a DC voltage power supply for generating voltages for inspecting the overcharge protection operation and the overdischarge protection operation, and an inspection voltage generation circuit for generating said inspection voltage from a voltage difference between an output voltage of said battery voltage memory circuit, and an output voltage of said DC voltage power supply and a voltage between said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal, and impressing said inspection voltage between said inspection terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal.

4. The inspection device for a battery pack according to claim 3, wherein connection with the positive electrode input/output terminal and the negative electrode input/output terminal is switched between the charging power supply and the discharging load, and simultaneously an operation state of the inspection voltage generation circuit is switched according to the inspection of the overcharge protection operation and the overdischarge protection operation.

5. An inspection device for a battery pack which includes a rechargeable battery, a positive electrode input/output terminal connected with a positive electrode of the rechargeable battery, a negative electrode input/output terminal connected with a negative electrode of the rechargeable battery, a switching element serially connected with an input/output circuit extending from said rechargeable battery to said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal, a control circuit for monitoring a voltage between the positive and negative electrodes of said rechargeable battery, and setting said switching element to a cutoff state when an overcharge voltage in an overcharged state is detected, and an inspection terminal for outward extending a positive electrode voltage input/output terminal of said control circuit used for receiving the positive electrode voltage of said rechargeable battery,

the inspection device for detecting an overcharge protection operation of said battery pack by an ammeter installed in a charging circuit while a charging power supply is connected between said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal of the battery pack, and an inspection voltage corresponding to said overcharge voltage is impressed on said control circuit, wherein

said charging power supply supplies a charging power having a voltage corresponding to said overcharge voltage, and the output voltage of said charging power supply is impressed between said inspection terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal in a charging state where charging voltage generation means drops the output voltage from the charging power supply to a normal charging voltage, and the charging voltage is impressed between said positive electrode input/output terminal and said negative electrode input/output terminal.

6. The inspection device for a battery pack according to claim 5, wherein the charging voltage generation means impresses the output voltage of the charging power supply between the positive electrode input/output terminal and the negative electrode input/output terminal through a diode having a predetermined forward voltage.