Power supply with bidirectional DC-DC converter

• US 7,649,336 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battery Patent Trust
• Original Assignee: Cobasys LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Kopera, John J C, Gamboa, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad; Patrick J
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/894,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/144, 320/116, 320/119, 320/120, 320/124, 320/126, 320/150, 320/153, 320/154, 429/72
• US Class Current: 320/107
• 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 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable DC power supply includes a housing including an interior, an exterior, and an integral heat sink including a heat absorbing surface formed in said interior and a heat dissipating surface formed in said exterior. The rechargeable DC power supply includes a rechargeable battery having battery terminals positioned in said interior, power supply terminals positioned at said exterior of said housing, and a first printed circuit board (PCB) assembly including a bidirectional DC-DC converter module connected between said battery terminals and said power supply terminals. The first PCB assembly is in coplanar contact with said heat absorbing surface.

Claims

1. A rechargeable DC power supply, comprising:

a housing including an interior, an exterior, and an integral heat sink including a heat absorbing surface formed in said interior and a heat dissipating surface formed in said exterior;

a rechargeable battery having battery terminals positioned in said interior;

power supply terminals positioned at said exterior of said housing; and

a first printed circuit board (PCB) assembly including a bidirectional DC-DC converter module connected between said battery terminals and said power supply terminals, said first PCB assembly being in coplanar contact with said heat absorbing surface.

2. The rechargeable DC power supply of claim 1 further comprising:

a battery tray connected to said housing and containing said rechargeable battery.

3. The rechargeable DC power supply of claim 1, wherein said rechargeable battery comprises a plurality of rechargeable cells having cell terminals, further comprising:

a second PCB assembly positioned on said cell terminals and having PCB traces connecting said cell terminals to form said battery terminals.

4. The rechargeable DC power supply of claim 1 wherein said housing nests on said rechargeable battery.

5. The rechargeable DC power supply of claim 3 further comprising:

a battery temperature sensor positioned in proximity of said rechargeable battery and connected to said second PCB assembly.

6. The rechargeable DC power supply of claim 5 wherein said battery temperature sensor is located inside of said battery.

7. The rechargeable DC power supply of claim 1 further comprising:

a control module positioned in said interior of said housing and having a data communication port; and

a connector in communication with said data communication port and accessible from said exterior of said housing.