Battery pack for driving electric motor of compact engine starting device, engine starting device driven by the battery pack, and manual working machine having the engine starting device

• US 7,525,287 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Husqvarna Zenoah Co., Ltd. (HUSQVARNA)
• Original Assignee: Husqvarna Zenoah Co., Ltd. (HUSQVARNA)
• Inventors: Miyashita, Satoshi, Hokari, Hiroshi, Oniwa, Takashi, Ono, Ryou
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang; Jue
• Application Number:
  US11/244,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20060087280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/136, 320/133, 320/135, 123/179.1, 123/179.3, 123/179.4, 180 651- 654, 429/50, 429/51, 429/153
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/08 Circuits or control means specially adapted for starting of engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/2011 Control involving a delay; Control involving a waiting period before engine stop or engine start
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• 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 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

This invention provides a battery pack for driving a compact electric motor of a compact engine starting device mounted on a working machine, comprising lithium-based secondary battery comprising two cells, the entire discharge capacity of the cells being 500 to 2000 mAh, charging voltage per one cell being 3.0 to 4.2 V, various electronic circuits like driving and battery protection circuits of an electric motor, maximum discharge current of the battery having high rate of 10 to 60 A, the protection circuit including an overdischarge inhibit circuit (A) interposed in the electric motor driving circuit and automatically stopping the driving operation of the electric motor after time required for starting the engine elapsed, the volume of the battery pack being as extremely low as 2.5×10⁴ to 1.0×10⁵ mm³, the tire required until the engine is started from the actuation of the electric motor being set to an interval as short as 5 to 15 seconds, since high current can flow.

Claims

1. A battery pack for driving a compact electric motor of a compact engine starting device mounted on a working machine comprising a compact electric motor, a power accumulating portion in which power of the compact electric motor is transmitted in a power accumulating direction through a highly speed reducer mechanism, and a power transmitting portion for transmitting accumulated force of the power accumulating portion to a crankshaft of an engine, wherein

the battery pack is provided therein with a lithium-based secondary battery comprising at least two cells, a normal protection circuit comprising a self-discharge preventing circuit and an overcurrent preventing circuit, and further provided with a protection circuit comprising an electronic circuit comprising at least an overcharge preventing circuit (B), an overdischarge inhibit circuit (A) and a start switch relay circuit, which are connected to the lithium-based secondary battery, wherein

a total discharging amount of the lithium-based secondary battery in the battery pack is 500 to 2000 mAh, and charging voltage per one cell is 3.0 to 4.2 V, and wherein

a maximum discharge current of the lithium-based secondary battery in the battery pack is set to 10 to 60 A, and discharge is automatically stopped when a predetermined continuous discharge time set in accordance with set maximum discharge current elapsed.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the overdischarge inhibit circuit (A) is a time circuit, and a continuous discharge time required for driving the engine starting electric motor is set such that the continuous discharge time is automatically stopped when 5 to 15 seconds elapsed.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack has a volume of 2.5 ×

10⁴ to 1.0 ×

10⁵mm³.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the overcharge preventing circuit (B) cuts a charge when a charging voltage per one cell exceeds 4.0 to 4.4 V.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, the battery pack further comprising an overheat preventing circuit in which the protection circuit detects internal temperature of the battery pack, and at a time when a rise of the detected temperature reaches a predetermined temperature irrespective of a set discharge time region of the overdischarge inhibit circuit (A), an electronic switch is automatically opened.

6. The engine starting device of the compact engine mounted on a manual working machine wherein the engine starting device is provided therein with the compact electric motor driven by the lithium-based secondary battery of the battery pack according to claim 1, the power accumulating portion in which the power of the compact electric motor is transmitted in the power accumulating direction through the highly speed reducer mechanism, and the power transmitting portion for transmitting the accumulated force of the power accumulating portion to the crankshaft of the engine.

7. The engine starting device according to claim 6, wherein the battery pack is integrally disposed in a switch box of a steering of the manual working machine.

8. The engine starting device according to claim 6, wherein the compact electric motor has a housing volume of 4.0 ×

10³ to 8.0 ×

10⁴ mm³, breakdown current of 1 to 100 A, and breakdown torque of 10 to 500 mNm.

9. The engine starting device according to claim 6, the starting device further comprising a carburetor having an automatic choke operated by a solenoid valve which is driven by the lithium-based secondary battery, and drive current of the solenoid valve is 200 to 800 mA.

10. The manual working machine having the engine starting device according to claim 6.

11. The manual working machine according to claim 10, wherein the engine comprises a power generator for charging the lithium secondary battery,

the power generator comprises a magnet disposed on a rotation portion of the engine, and a power generating coil disposed on an opposed portion of the magnet.

12. The manual working machine according to claim 11, wherein the rotation portion of the engine is a fan fixed to the crankshaft.