Storage battery arrangement

• US 9,276,295 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarios Advanced Solutions GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions, LLC. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Muis, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Soohoo, Tony G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Keyworth, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/696,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20100183904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 429/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/56 Cup shaped terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A storage battery arrangement includes a plurality of battery cells each having a cell housing having at least one cell terminal protruding from an end of the cell housing. The storage battery arrangement also includes a plurality of control units each having a control unit housing and electronic circuitry provided inside the control unit housing for monitoring and controlling at least one of the plurality of battery cells. The control units each include at least one control terminal extending to the outside of the control unit housing, the control terminal being electrically connected to the electronic circuitry. The size and shape of each of the control unit housings are substantially similar to the size and shape of the cell housings so that the control units can be arranged side-by-side among the battery cells and electrically connected the same way to the battery cells.

Claims

1. A storage battery arrangement comprising:

a plurality of battery cells each comprising a cell housing having at least one cell terminal protruding from an end of the cell housing; and

a plurality of control units each comprising a control unit housing and electronic circuitry provided inside the control unit housing for monitoring and controlling at least one of the plurality of battery cells;

wherein the control units each comprise at least one control terminal extending to the outside of the control unit housing, the control terminal being electrically connected to the electronic circuitry;

wherein each of the control unit housings is substantially similar in size, shape, and volume to each of the cell housings so that the control units can be arranged side-by-side among the battery cells and electrically connected the same way to the battery cells; and

wherein a positive cell terminal and a negative cell terminal protrude from the end of each of the cell housings and wherein a positive control terminal and a negative control terminal protrude from an end of each of the control unit housings, the positive and negative control terminals being arranged a distance apart from one another similar to the distance apart from one another of the positive and negative cell terminals.

2. The storage battery arrangement of claim 1, wherein each cell housing and each control unit housing have a cylindrical shape with substantially similar diameters and axial dimensions.

3. The storage battery arrangement of claim 1, further comprising current connector bars connected to the cell terminals and control unit terminals such that the cell terminals of dedicated battery cells are electrically connected to each other with the control units being connected in between.

4. The storage battery arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a plug connector arranged on the control unit housing, the plug connector comprising terminals connected to the electronic circuitry inside the control unit housing and configured to electrically connect the control unit to a central battery control unit.

5. The storage battery arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a shunt provided between a positive control terminal and a negative control terminal of the control unit for measuring the current flow between the positive and negative control terminals.

6. The storage battery arrangement of claim 1, wherein the positive terminal of one of the control units is electrically connected to the negative terminal of a first adjacent cell and the negative terminal of the control unit is electrically connected to the positive terminal of a second adjacent cell.

7. The storage battery arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a shunt provided between the positive and negative terminals of the control unit for measuring the current flow between the positive and negative control terminals.

8. The storage battery arrangement of claim 1, wherein the positive and negative terminals of the control units are configured substantially similar to the configuration of the positive and negative terminals of the cells.

9. The storage battery arrangement of claim 1, wherein a spacing of the positive and negative terminals of the control units is similar to a spacing of the positive and negative terminals of the cells.

10. The storage battery of claim 2, wherein an axis of the control unit housing of each control unit is spaced apart from an axis of the cell housing of the at least one battery cell monitored and controlled by the control unit.

11. The storage battery of claim 10, wherein the axes of the control unit housings and the axes of the cell housings are generally parallel.

12. The storage battery of claim 5, wherein current flows through the shunt between the positive control terminal and the negative control terminal.

13. The storage battery of claim 1, wherein each battery cell is surrounded by a gap, and the gap surrounding each battery cell is continuous with the gap surrounding each other battery cell to form a continuous void.

14. A storage battery arrangement comprising:

a plurality of cells each comprising a housing and at least one terminal extending from an end thereof; and

a plurality of control units each comprising a housing and electronic circuitry provided therein for monitoring and controlling at least one of the plurality of cells, the housing of each control unit being a separate structure from the housing of each other control unit and from the housing of each cell, such that each control unit may be installed in the battery arrangement independent of each other control unit and each cell;

wherein each of the control units comprise at least one terminal extending from an end of the housing and electrically connected to the electronic circuitry inside the housing of the control unit;

wherein the plurality of cells and the plurality of control units are arranged side-by-side in an alternating fashion such that a control unit is provided in between a first one of the plurality of cells and a second one of the plurality of cells; and

wherein each of the plurality of cells comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal extending from an upper end thereof, and wherein each of the plurality of control units comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal extending from an upper end thereof.

15. The storage battery arrangement of claim 14, wherein the housing of each of the control units is substantially similar in size, shape, and volume to the housing of each of the cells.

16. The storage battery arrangement of claim 14, wherein the housing of each of the control units and the housing of each of the cells have a cylindrical shape.

17. The storage battery arrangement of claim 14, wherein current connector bars connect the terminal of one of the cells to the terminal of one of the control units.

18. The storage battery arrangement of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of control units further comprises a plug connector arranged on the housing of the control unit, the plug connector comprising terminals electrically connected to the electronic circuitry inside the housing of the control unit and configured to electrically connect the control unit to a central battery control unit.

19. The storage battery of claim 14, wherein each control unit is spaced apart from the at least one battery cell it monitors and controls.

20. The storage battery of claim 19, wherein a common plane passes through a central portion of each housing of the control units and through a central portion of each housing of the cells.

21. The storage battery of claim 14, wherein each battery cell is surrounded by a gap, and the gap surrounding each battery cell is continuous with the gap surrounding each other battery cell to form a continuous void.

22. A method of providing a storage battery comprising:

providing a plurality of cells, each of the cells comprising a housing and more than one terminal extending from an end thereof;

providing a plurality of control units, each of the control units comprising a housing and electronic circuitry provided therein, wherein each of the control units comprise more than one terminal extending from an end of the housing and electrically connected to the electronic circuitry, the housing of each control unit being a separate structure from the housing of each other control unit and from the housing of each cell; and

installing each control unit in the storage battery independent of each other control unit and each cell, and arranging the plurality of cells and the plurality of control units side-by-side in an alternating fashion such that a control unit is provided in between a first one of the plurality of cells and a second one of the plurality of cells.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the housing of each of the control units is substantially similar in size, shape, and volume to the housing of each of the cells.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising electrically connecting a first terminal of one of the plurality of control units to a positive terminal of the first one of the plurality of cells and a second terminal of the control unit to a negative terminal of the second one of the plurality of cells.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising electrically connecting each of the plurality of control units to a central control unit.