Battery pack and method of charging and discharging the same

• US 7,135,839 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• 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: Saito, Hiroki, Watanabe, Kiyoto, Shibuya, Naoyoshi, Iida, Takuma, Takeshima, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/506,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20050225289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 320/149, 320/130, 320/132, 320/133, 702/63, 429/53
• US Class Current: 320/149
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed are a battery package and a method for charging and discharging secondary batteries including nickel hydrogen batteries by refreshing and suppressing inactivity of the batteries. More concretely, battery package (101) comprises a group of batteries having a plurality of connected secondary batteries, each forming a unit battery, a plurality of sensors for detecting a temperature and a voltage, a display device for displaying a condition of the group of batteries, a switch for controlling charge and discharge of the group of batteries, and an operational control circuit (4) for generating a signal based on signals input from the plurality of sensors to make the display device display the condition of the group of batteries and to activate the switch, wherein the battery package (101) is provided with refreshing demand display device (13) for displaying a need to initiate a refreshing charge and discharge, and it uses the method of carrying out the refreshing charge and discharge automatically when a recovery voltage of the secondary batteries does not exceed a predetermined voltage after a lapse of a predetermined time from a moment when the secondary batteries come to a final discharge voltage. This invention can thus carry out the refreshing charge and discharge even for secondary batteries that become inactive after having been left unused for a long time.

Claims

1. A battery package comprising:

a group of batteries having a plurality of connected batteries forming a secondary battery;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a temperature and a voltage;

a display device for displaying a condition of the secondary battery;

a switch for controlling charge and discharge of the secondary battery;

an operational control circuit for generating a signal based on signals input from the plurality of sensors to make the display device display the condition of the secondary battery and to activate the switch; and

a refreshing demand display device for displaying a need to initiate a refreshing change and discharge,

wherein the operational control circuit, which is provided with a non-detecting timer is for preventing the sensors from detecting a rapid rise of voltage of the secondary battery during a predetermined time period from beginning of the charge,

wherein the operational control circuit counts a number of times that the voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed a preset voltage within the predetermined time period, and

wherein the refreshing demand display device displays a need to initiate a refreshing charge and discharge when the counted number reaches a predetermined number.

8. The battery package according to claim 1, 2, or 5, wherein each of the batteries comprises an alkaline storage battery provided with a positive electrode mainly composed of a nickel odds, a negative electrode, a separator, and an alkaline electrolyte.

9. The battery package according to claim 8, wherein the negative electrode comprises a hydrogen storage alloy.

10. The battery package according to claim 1, 2, or 5, wherein the temperature sensor for detecting temperature detects a temperature of the secondary battery, and the operational control circuit computes a rate of temperature change according to the detected temperature, and generates and delivers a signal for terminating the charge to the switch for controlling the charge and discharge of the secondary battery, when the rate of temperature change exceeds a preset range.

2. A battery package comprising:

a group of batteries having a plurality of connected batteries forming a secondary battery;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a temperature and a voltage;

a display device for displaying a condition of the secondary battery;

a switch for controlling charge and discharge of the secondary battery;

an operational control circuit for generating a signal based on signals input from the plurality of sensors to make the display device display the condition of the secondary battery and to activate the switch; and

a refreshing demand display device for displaying a need to initiate a refreshing charge and discharge,

wherein the operational control circuit, which is provided with a non-detecting timer, is for preventing the sensors from detecting a rapid rise of voltage of the secondary battery during a predetermined time period from beginning of the charge,

wherein the operational control circuit counts a number of times that the voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed a present voltage within the predetermined time period, and

wherein the refreshing demand display device displays a need to initiate a refreshing charge and discharge in any of events that the counted number reaches a predetermined number, and a recovery voltage of the batteries does not exceed a predetermined voltage after another predetermined times has elapsed from a moment when the secondary battery comes to a final discharge voltage.

7. The battery package claim 2 or 5, wherein the refreshing demand display device displays a need to initiate the refreshing charge and discharge if the recovery voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed 1.15 volt after at least one day has elapsed from the moment when the batteries come to the final discharge voltage.

3. A method of charging and discharging a battery in a battery package, the battery package comprising:

a group of batteries having a plurality of connected batteries forming a secondary battery;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a temperature and a voltage;

a display device for displaying a condition of the secondary battery;

a switch for controlling charge and discharge of the secondary battery; and

an operational control circuit for generating a signal based on signals input from the plurality of sensors to make the display device display the condition of the secondary battery and to activate the switch,

wherein the method comprises the steps of;

preventing the sensors from detecting a rapid rise in voltage of the secondary battery with a non-detecting timer provided in the operational control circuit;

counting a number of times in which the voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed a preset voltage within a predetermined time period with the operational control circuit; and

carrying out a refreshing charge and discharge when the counted number reaches a predetermined number.

12. The method of charging and discharging a battery according to claim 3, 4, or 6 further comprising charging the battery up to 90 to 120% of an initial capacity with a current of 5.0·

It or less, and further charging up to 150 to 200% with a currant of 2.0·

It or less for a given duration controlled by the timer function provided in the operational control circuit during the refreshing charge and discharge, where “

If”

denotes a rated battery capacity.

13. The method of charging and discharging a battery according to claim 3, 4, or 6 further comprising detecting a temperature of the secondary battery with the sensor, computing a rate of temperature change according to the detected temperature with the operational control circuit, and delivering a signal for termination of the charge to the switch for controlling the charge and discharge of the secondary battery when the rate of temperature change exceeds a preset range.

14. The method of charging and discharging a battery according to claim 13, wherein the rate of temperature change is preset to a range of 0.5 and 4.0°

C./min.

15. The method of charging end discharging a battery according to claim 13, wherein the rate of temperature change is preset to a range of 1.0 and 3.0°

C./min.

16. The method of charging and discharging a battery according to claim 3, 4, or 6, comprising carrying out charge and discharge by any of a constant-current charging and discharging method, a constant-voltage charging and discharging method, and a combination of the constant-current charging and discharging method and the constant-voltage charging and discharging method.

4. A method of charging and discharging a battery in a battery package, the battery package comprising:

a group of batteries having a plurality of connected batteries forming a secondary battery;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a temperature and a voltage;

a display device for displaying a condition of the secondary battery;

a switch for controlling charge and discharge of the secondary battery; and

an operational control circuit for generating a signal based on signals input from the plurality of sensors to make the display device display the condition of the secondary battery and to activate the switch,

wherein the method comprises the steps of;

preventing the sensors from detecting a rapid rise in voltage of the secondary battery with a non-detecting timer provided in the operational control circuit;

counting a number at times in which the voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed a preset voltage within a predetermined time period with the operational control circuit; and

carrying out a refreshing charge and discharge in any of events that the counted number reaches a predetermined number, and a recovery voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed a predetermined voltage after another predetermined time has elapsed from a moment when the second battery comes to a final discharge voltage.

11. The method of charging and discharging a battery according to claim 4 or 6 comprising carrying out the refreshing charge and discharge if the recovery voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed 1.15 volt after at least one day has elapsed from a moment when the secondary battery comes to the final discharge voltage.

5. A battery package comprising:

a group of batteries having a plurality of connected batteries forming a secondary battery;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a temperature and a voltage;

a display device for displaying a condition of the secondary battery;

a switch for controlling charge and discharge of the secondary battery;

an operational control circuit for generating a signal based on signals input from the plurality of sensors to make the display device display the condition of the secondary battery and to activate the switch; and

a refreshing demand display device for displaying a need to initiate a refreshing charge and discharge,

wherein the refreshing demand display device displays a need to initiate a refreshing charge and discharge if a recovery voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed a predetermined voltage after a lapse of a predetermined time from a moment when the secondary battery comes to a final discharge voltage.

6. A method of charging and discharging a battery in a battery package, the battery package comprising:

a group of batteries having plurality of connected batteries forming a secondary battery;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a temperature and a voltage;

a display device for displaying a condition of the secondary battery;

a switch for controlling charge and discharge of the secondary battery; and

an operational control circuit for generating a signal based on signals input from the plurality of sensors to make the display device display the condition of the secondary battery and to activate the switch,

wherein the method comprises carrying out a refreshing charge and discharge if a recovery voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed a predetermined voltage after a predetermined time has elapsed from a moment when the secondary battery comes to a final discharge voltage.