Pack assembly having interconnected battery packs configured to be individually disconnected from assembly

• US 7,843,169 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quallion, LLC (EnerSys)
• Original Assignee: Quallion, LLC (EnerSys)
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Hisashi, Tan, Taison, Piao, Tiehua
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/824,816
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/112, 320/116, 320/117, 320/119, 429/96, 429/97, 429/98, 429/99, 429/100
• US Class Current: 320/117
• 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 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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

A battery pack system is disclosed. The battery pack system includes a battery pack having batteries arranged in a plurality of parallel groups that are connected in series. Each parallel group includes a plurality of the batteries connected in parallel. The electronics are configured to drop the current at which the battery pack is operating from a first current level to a second current level one or more times. The second current level is lower than the first current level. The electronics can drop the current from the first current level to the second current level during the charge and/or discharge of the battery pack. In some instances, the electronics intermittently drop the current from the first current level to the second current level during the charge and/or discharge of the battery pack.

Claims

1. A power source, comprising:

a battery pack system having a pack assembly, the pack assembly including a plurality of system parallel groups connected in series, each system parallel group including a plurality of battery packs connected in parallel;

each battery pack including

a battery assembly having a plurality of parallel groups connected in series, each parallel group including a plurality of batteries connected in parallel, and

electronics configured to disconnect the battery pack from the pack assembly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery assembly includes a plurality of series groups that each have a plurality of the batteries connected in series.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the pack assembly includes a plurality of system series groups that each have a plurality of the battery packs connected in series.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronics include a switch in series with the battery assembly.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronics include a switch configured so as to electrically connect and electrically disconnect the battery assembly from pack assembly.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery pack system includes a controller configured to electrically disconnect the pack assembly from the power source.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller includes a pack assembly switch configured so as to electrically connect and electrically disconnect the pack assembly from the power source.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronics include a battery assembly switch configured so as to electrically connect and electrically disconnect the battery assembly from the pack assembly.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the battery assembly switch has a voltage tolerance less than 1/20th of the voltage tolerance of the pack assembly switch.

10. A power source, comprising:

a battery pack system having a pack assembly, the pack assembly including a plurality of system parallel groups connected in series and a plurality of series groups connected in parallel, each system parallel group including a plurality of battery packs connected in parallel and each system series group including a plurality of the battery packs connected in series;

the battery pack system including a pack assembly switch configured so as to electrically connect and disconnect the pack assembly from the power source;

each battery pack including a battery assembly having a plurality of parallel groups connected in series and a plurality of series groups connected in parallel, each parallel group including a plurality of batteries connected in parallel, and each series group including a plurality of the batteries connected in series;

the battery pack including a battery assembly switch configured so as to electrically connect and electrically disconnect the battery assembly from the pack assembly; and

the battery assembly switch has a voltage tolerance less than 1/20th of the voltage tolerance of the pack assembly switch.