Method and system for battery protection

• US 9,660,293 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Johnson, Todd W., Meyer, Gary D., Zeiler, Jeffrey M., Glasgow, Kevin L., Rosenbecker, Jay J., Zick, Jonathan A., Scheucher, Karl F., Brozek, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boateng, Alexis A
• Application Number:
  US14/799,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20150318581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 320119, 320125, 320124, 320128, 320116, 320132, 320113, 320114, 320115, 320134, 320145, 320121, 320122, 324427, 324428, 324431, 324433, 324426, 324429, 324434, 324435, 324436
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/008 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/505 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 : Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 : using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 : Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 : Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 : Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 : Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 : using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 : using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 : concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 : with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 : with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 : Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrical combination. The combination comprises a hand held power tool, a battery pack and a controller. The battery pack includes a battery pack housing connectable to and supportable by the hand held power tool, a plurality of battery cells supported by the battery pack housing, each of the plurality of battery cells having a lithium-based chemistry, being individually tapped and having an individual state of charge. A communication path is provided by a battery pack sense terminal and a power tool sense terminal. The controller is operable to monitor a state of charge of a number of battery cells less than the plurality of battery cells and to generate a signal based on the monitored state of charge of the number of battery cells less than the plurality of battery cells, the signal being operable to control the operation of the hand held power tool.

Claims

1. A battery pack operable to provide power to a hand-held power tool, the battery pack comprising:

a housing connectable to and supportable by the hand-held power tool;

a terminal for electrically connecting the battery pack to the hand-held power tool;

a cylindrical first battery cell within the housing and defining a first axis;

a cylindrical second battery cell within the housing and defining a second axis;

a cylindrical third battery cell within the housing and defining a third axis;

a cylindrical fourth battery cell within the housing and defining a fourth axis; and

a cylindrical fifth battery cell within the housing and defining a fifth axis,

wherein the first battery cell and the second battery cell are arranged with the first axis and the second axis in a common plane, the third axis, the fourth axis, and the fifth axis are each substantially perpendicular to the first battery cell and the second battery cell, the third battery cell is adjacent to the fourth battery cell, the fourth battery cell is adjacent to the fifth battery cell, and the fifth battery cell is adjacent to the third battery cell, the third axis and the fourth axis form a first plane, the fourth axis and the fifth axis form a second plane, and the fifth axis and the third axis form a third plane, and

wherein the first plane is not parallel and not perpendicular to the second plane or the third plane, the second plane is not parallel and not perpendicular to the first plane or the third plane, the third plane is not parallel and not perpendicular to the first plane or the second plane, and the first axis and the second axis are not parallel to any of the first plane, the second plane, or the third plane.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a locking member configured to secure the battery pack to the power tool.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the first battery cell has a lithium-based chemistry.

4. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein the lithium-based chemistry is a lithium-ion chemistry.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack has a nominal voltage of at least approximately 12V.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the second battery cell has a cell length between approximately 60 millimeters and approximately 70 millimeters.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the third battery cell has a cell length between approximately 60 millimeters and approximately 70 millimeters.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the first battery cell has a cell length between approximately 60 millimeters and approximately 70 millimeters.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board.

10. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the printed circuit board includes a battery pack control device.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the control device includes a switch.