Discharging of batteries

• US 8,823,329 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven E. Sloop
• Original Assignee: Robert M Parker, Steven E. Sloop
• Inventors: Sloop, Steven E., Parker, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US13/042,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20110215766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 320/136, 320/135, 320/112, 324/426
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/106 PTC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed that relate to devices for discharging batteries. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a battery discharge device including a positive battery contact for forming an electrical contact with a positive battery terminal of a battery, a negative battery contact for forming an electrical contact with a negative battery terminal of the battery, and a battery discharge indicator including a resistive heating material in electrical communication with the positive battery contact and with the negative battery contact, and also including a reversible thermochromic indicator in thermal communication with the resistive heating material.

Claims

1. A battery discharge device, comprising:

one or more battery receptacles to removably retain one or more batteries during a discharge process, each battery receptacle comprising a positive battery contact for forming an electrical contact with a positive battery terminal of a battery; and

a negative battery contact for forming an electrical contact with a negative battery terminal of the battery; and

a battery discharge indicator including;

a resistive heating material in electrical communication with the positive battery contact and with the negative battery contact of each battery receptacle, and a reversible thermochromic indicator in thermal communication with the resistive heating material; and

wherein the resistive heating material comprises a positive thermal coefficient carbon-based ink printed on a surface of an insulating substrate.

2. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the battery discharge indicator further comprises a plurality of receptacles configured to hold a corresponding plurality of batteries for discharge, the plurality of receptacles each being in electrical communication with the resistive heating material.

3. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the resistive heating material is located in a plurality of gaps between a plurality of electrodes, and wherein two or more gaps have different sizes based upon batteries to be discharged by circuits including the gaps.

4. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are printed with an electrically conductive ink on a surface of an insulating substrate.

5. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the reversible thermochromic indicator is configured to be visibly transparent at a first, lower temperature and visibly colored at a second, higher temperature.

6. The battery discharge device of claim 5, wherein the reversible thermochromic indicator is printed on a surface of the resistive heating material.

7. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum-formed housing including a die-cut opening surrounding the resistive heating material.

8. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 7, wherein the resistive battery discharge device is configured to discharge a fully charged battery in three hours or less.

9. A resistive battery discharge device for discharging batteries, comprising:

a positive battery contact for forming an electrical contact with a positive battery terminal of a battery;

a negative battery contact for forming an electrical contact with a negative battery terminal of the battery;

a positive electrode in electrical communication with the positive battery contact;

a negative electrode in electrical communication with the negative battery contact;

a resistive heating material electrically bridging a portion of an electrical gap separating the positive electrode from the negative electrode, the resistive heating material having a constant cross-sectional area normal to a direction of an electrical current flow produced by the battery between the negative electrode and the positive electrode; and

a battery discharge indicator in thermal communication with the resistive heating material, the battery discharge indicator including a reversible thermochromic indicator, wherein the resistive battery discharge device is configured to discharge a fully charged battery in three hours or less;

wherein the resistive heating material is a positive thermal coefficient carbon-based ink printed on a surface of an insulating substrate.

10. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 9, wherein the resistive heating material comprises a resistance of 3 ohms or less.

11. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 9, wherein a plurality of receptacles are included to hold a corresponding plurality of batteries for discharge, the plurality of receptacles each being in electrical communication with the resistive heating material.

12. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 11, wherein the resistive heating material is located in a plurality of gaps between a plurality of electrodes, and wherein two or more gaps have different sizes based upon batteries to be discharged by circuits including the gaps.

13. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 9, wherein the reversible thermochromic indicator is configured to be visibly transparent at a first, lower temperature and visibly colored at a second, higher temperature.

14. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 13, wherein the reversible thermochromic indicator is printed on a surface of the resistive heating material.

15. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 9, further comprising a vacuum-formed housing including a die-cut opening surrounding the resistive heating material.

16. The resistive battery discharge device of claim 9, further comprising a contrast layer located between the resistive heating material and the reversible thermochromic indicator.

17. A method of discharging a battery with a resistive battery discharge device, the method comprising:

inserting a plurality of batteries into a corresponding plurality of battery receptacles of the resistive battery discharge device;

discharging the batteries via the resistive battery discharge device to heat a reversible thermochromic material in the battery discharge device to thereby produce a color indicating a current flow produced by the batteries; and

removing the batteries from the battery receptacles after color indicating current flow has changed to indicate a lesser current flow from the batteries, and further comprising marking the batteries as discharged after removing the batteries from the resistive battery discharge device.