Complete discharge device

• US 7,586,289 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ultralife Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ultralife Corporation
• Inventors: Manna, Michael, Andruk, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US11/419,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20070273333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/112, 320/113, 320/115, 320/114, 429/50, 429/99, 429/110, 429/7
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/448 End of discharge regulating measures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An apparatus and method for completely discharging a battery by use of a tab that initiates activation of a discharging circuit when the tab is pulled out of the battery case. The tab is operatively coupled with the actuator of a switch which in turn is coupled to a discharging circuit. The tab extends from the battery case and may be covered by a protective cover, or may also be attached to the protective cover. The tab is attached to an actuator of a switch and detaches from the actuator after actuation, thereby indicating actuation and preventing the switch from subsequently being moved. The switch completes the circuit, initiating the discharging process, when a movable contact engages a stationary contact and completes the discharge circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for completely discharging a battery enclosed within a battery case, comprising:

a discharging circuit operatively coupled to a first pole of the battery; and

a switch electrically coupled between the discharging circuit and a second pole of the battery;

said switch including a first contact, a second contact and an actuator, the actuator having a tab extending therefrom through an aperture in the battery case, wherein upon pulling the tab, the actuator causes relative movement between the first and second contacts to complete an electrical connection of the discharging circuit to the poles of the battery, and where the tab becomes detached from the actuator, wherein a first end of the tab is permanently affixed to a circuit board including the discharge circuit, and where the tab includes at least one perforation adjacent the first end thereof to permit the first end of the tab to be separated from the circuit board upon the application of force to an opposite end of the tab.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tab further includes:

an aperture through which the actuator extends; and

a second perforation, said second perforation permitting the tab to be separated from the actuator upon further application of force to an opposite end of the tab.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tab comprises an electrically conductive material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tab comprises an electrically insulative material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive applied between the tab and the actuator to couple the tab to the actuator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a binding tape to couple the tab to the actuator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a heat stake to couple the tab to the actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tab further comprises a perforation such that the perforation facilitates detaching of the tab from the actuator after the actuator is moved to activate the discharge circuit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a protective cover, the protective cover being removably attached to the battery case and covering at least a portion of the tab extending through the aperture, wherein removing the protective cover exposes the tab.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the protective cover is permanently attached to the tab such that removing the cover pulls the tab through the aperture.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an indicator, said indicator showing when the discharging circuit is activated.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said indicator includes a light emitting diode visible on a surface of the battery case.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said indicator includes a thermochromatic ink display with visible indicia, said display being positioned on the battery case sufficiently close to a resistor of the discharging circuit such that the battery case surface temperature generated by the resistor upon discharge causes the indicia to signify that the discharge circuit has been activated.

3. An apparatus for completely discharging a battery enclosed within a battery case, comprising:

a discharging circuit operatively coupled to a first pole of the battery; and

a switch electrically coupled between the discharging circuit and a second pole of the battery;

said switch including a first contact, a second contact and an actuator, the actuator having a tab extending therefrom through an aperture in the battery case, wherein upon pulling the tab, the actuator causes relative movement between the first and second contacts to complete an electrical connection of the discharging circuit to the poles of the battery, and where the tab becomes detached from the actuator, wherein the tab includes a shaped receiver and the tab is coupled to the actuator via a portion of the actuator located within the shaped receiver, and where the shaped receiver includes a shaped hole and where the tab is placed so that the portion of the actuator extends into the shaped hole and upon moving the tab to an operative position the tab thereby remains operatively connected to the actuator.

15. An apparatus for completely discharging a battery enclosed within a battery case, comprising:

a discharging circuit operatively coupled to a first pole of the battery; and

a switch electrically coupled between the discharging circuit and a second pole of the battery;

said switch including a first contact, a second contact and an actuator, the actuator having a tab extending therefrom through an aperture in the battery case, wherein upon pulling the tab, the actuator causes relative movement between the first and second contacts to complete an electrical connection of the discharging circuit to the poles of the battery, and where the tab becomes detached from the actuator, wherein said switch further comprises;

first contacts that are stationary contacts electrically insulated from one another;

the movable contact including a sliding contact, wherein upon movement of the actuator the sliding contact engages a stationary contact causing an electrical connection therebetween;

a spring operatively coupled to the actuator and the sliding contact, the spring controlling the activation force for the switch; and

a cover enclosing the sliding contact, the actuator and the spring.