Battery conditioner with power dissipater

• US 8,970,171 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Lopin, Michael, Radzelovage, James G., Xu, Hailong, Faller, Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US12/984,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20120169287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/131, 320/118, 320/134, 320/128, 320/109, 320/164, 320/136
• US Class Current: 320/127
• 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 10/4235 Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte H01M10/4242 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 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/30 Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present application is directed to a power dissipation apparatus including a conductive trace formed on a substrate and to methods of using the power dissipation apparatus. The power dissipation apparatus may be used to dissipate heat generated from electrical current passed through the conductive trace of the power dissipation apparatus. The current may be provided from, for example, a battery conditioner.

Claims

1. A battery conditioner comprising:

circuitry configured to withdraw current from a battery and direct the current into a power dissipation apparatus comprising;

a non-conductive substrate; and

a conductive trace formed at least one of in the substrate and on the substrate, the conductive trace having a first end coupled to the battery and a second end;

wherein the conductive trace converts substantially all of the current from the battery into heat between the first end and the second end.

2. The battery conditioner of claim 1, wherein the non-conductive substrate is formed into the shape of an open ended conduit.

3. The battery conditioner of claim 2, further comprising a fan configured to direct air through the open ended conduit formed from the non-conductive substrate.

4. The battery conditioner of claim 3, wherein the electrical resistance of the conductive trace between the first end and the second end conductive trace is variable.

5. The battery conditioner of claim 4, wherein the power dissipation apparatus further comprises at least one switch, electrically connected between a first region of the conductive trace and a second region of the conductive trace and configured to create a short circuit between the first region of the conductive trace and the second region of the conductive trace.

6. The battery conditioner of claim 5, further comprising a sense resistor, wherein the switch comprises a transistor configured to short out a section of the conductive trace that interconnects the first region and the second region responsive to a signal from the sense resistor indicative of a current through the conductive trace being outside of a defined range.

7. The battery conditioner of claim 6, wherein the conductive trace has a resistance of between about 1 ohm and about 100 ohms.

8. The battery conditioner of claim 6, wherein the conductive trace has a resistance of between about 2 ohms and about 40 ohms.

9. The battery conditioner of claim 4, wherein the conductive trace is dimensioned to self-limit a temperature of the conductive trace to within ±

5°

Celsius of a defined temperature when a defined voltage is applied across the first end and the second end of the conductive trace.

10. The battery conditioner of claim 1, wherein the conductive trace is surrounded by an electrically insulating material.

11. The battery conditioner of claim 1, wherein the conductive trace has a non-uniform cross-sectional area along a length thereof.

12. The battery conditioner of claim 11, wherein the conductive trace comprises a plurality of substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material each having a width and including a first subset of substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material and a second subset of substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material, the width of each of the substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material in the first subset being greater than the width of each of the substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material in the second subset.

13. The battery conditioner of claim 1, wherein the power dissipation apparatus is mounted to an external surface of the battery conditioner and is in thermal communication with the external surface of the battery conditioner.

14. The battery conditioner of claim 1, wherein the conductive trace comprises a plurality of substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material including a first subset of substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material and a second subset of substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material, a spacing between adjacent substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material in the first subset being greater than a spacing between adjacent substantially parallel interconnected lines of conductive material in the second subset.

15. The battery conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a fan and an open ended conduit, wherein the non-conductive substrate is enclosed in the open ended conduit and the fan is configured to direct air through the open ended conduit.

16. The battery conditioner of claim 15, wherein the open ended conduit has a non-uniform cross-sectional area along a length thereof.

17. The battery conditioner of claim 15, wherein the open ended conduit includes one or more openings in a wall thereof, the one or more openings configured to provide for air flow into and out of the open ended conduit along a length thereof.

18. The battery conditioner of claim 15, wherein the non-conductive substrate is formed from epoxy impregnated fiberglass.

19. The battery conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive material enclosed within the substrate.

20. The battery conditioner of claim 1, wherein the conductive trace comprises a first conductive trace formed on a first side of the substrate, the power dissipation apparatus further comprising a second conductive trace formed on a second side of the substrate and electrically connected to the first conductive trace.

21. A method of conditioning a battery, the method comprising:

withdrawing current from the battery;

directing the current through a power dissipation apparatus comprising;

a non-conductive substrate; and

a conductive trace formed at least one of in the substrate and on the substrate; and

converting substantially all of the current into heat along a length of the conductive trace.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising adjusting an electrical resistance of the conductive trace.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising maintaining a current through the conductive trace within a defined tolerance band.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein maintaining the current through the conductive trace within the defined tolerance band comprises shorting out a section of the conductive trace responsive to a signal from a sense resistor indicative of a current through the conductive trace being outside of the defined tolerance band.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising maintaining a temperature of the power dissipation apparatus within a defined tolerance band.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein maintaining the temperature of the power dissipation apparatus within the defined tolerance band comprises shorting out a section of the conductive trace responsive to a temperature of the power dissipation apparatus being outside of the defined tolerance band.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising dissipating the heat.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein dissipating the heat comprises conducting heat into an external surface of a battery conditioner.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein dissipating the heat comprises directing air across the conductive trace.