Charger for lithium secondary battery and electronic apparatus including charger

• US 7,248,023 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takezawa, Hideharu, Bito, Yasuhiko, Kuranuki, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Easthom; Karl
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMADAN, RAMY O
• Application Number:
  US11/108,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 320/156, 320/161, 320/162, 429/209, 429/61, 429/218.1, 429/231.1
• US Class Current: 320/156
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007188 the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A charger for a secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode including lithium-containing silicon represented by the composition formula Li_xSi, and an electrolyte. This charger includes: (1) a voltage detector that detects voltage of the secondary battery that is being charged; and (2) a charge controller that calculates the value x in Li_xSi included in the secondary battery from an output of the voltage detector and stops the charging of the secondary battery when the calculated value x reaches a predetermined threshold value. The charge controller has at least one settable threshold value including a first threshold value, and the first threshold value is 2.33 or less. The use of this charger makes it possible to charge the secondary battery such that it has a high capacity, or a higher capacity if necessary, without accelerating the deterioration of cycle life.

Claims

1. A charger for a secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode including lithium-containing silicon represented by the composition formula Li_xSi, and an electrolyte,

said charger comprising:

(1) a voltage detector that detects voltage of said secondary battery that is being charged; and

(2) a charge controller that calculates the value x in Li_xSi included in said secondary battery from an output of said voltage detector and stops the charging of said secondary battery when the calculated value x reaches a predetermined threshold value,

wherein said charge controller has at least one settable threshold value including a first threshold value, and said first threshold value is 2.33 or less.

2. The charger in accordance with claim 1, wherein said charge controller has at least two settable threshold values including a first threshold value and a second threshold value, said first threshold value and said second threshold value are freely switchable, said first threshold value is 2.33 or less, and said second threshold value is greater than 2.33 and not greater than 4.4.

3. The charger in accordance with claim 1, wherein said negative electrode further contains MeSi₂ where Me is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ni, Co and Fe.

4. The charger in accordance with claim 3, wherein said MeSi₂ comprises TiSi₂.

5. An electronic apparatus comprising a lithium secondary battery, a load and the charger of claim 1.