Battery charging devices and systems

• US 9,991,730 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Feuell, Christine M., Conway, Rebecca M., Mazur, Julia A., Douglass, James C., Dickmann, Kurt R., Xue, Feng, Spears, William E., Spanic, Deborah G., Guerra Garcia, Nancy I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US13/566,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320134, 320136, 320112, 320113, 320115, 320109
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient

Abstract

A charger for a starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) battery is provided. The charger includes a base unit having a pair of terminals that are adapted to engage a pair of conductive terminals coupled to a battery unit to electrically couple the base unit to the battery unit. The charger also includes charging circuitry having power conversion circuitry that is adapted to receive primary power and to convert the primary power to a battery power output compatible with a charging voltage of the battery unit.

Claims

1. A battery system, comprising:

a battery device comprising;

a battery unit comprising a pair of conductive terminals coupled to at least one electrochemical cell and being configured to discharge to provide a power output;

a base unit comprising a pair of conductive terminal posts configured to be received within an inner diameter of the pair of conductive terminals to electrically couple the base unit to the battery unit in a tool-less engagement, wherein the base unit is configured to electrically couple the battery unit to a load; and

a charging unit comprising a charger base having a pair of terminals configured to electrically couple the charging unit to the pair of conductive terminal posts of the base unit in a reversible, tool-less engagement, such that the battery unit is electrically coupled to the charging unit;

wherein the charging unit comprises charging circuitry configured to receive primary power from an external power source, to convert the primary power to a charger power output suitable for charging the battery unit, and to transfer the charger power output to the base unit and the battery unit to charge the battery unit; and

wherein the charging circuitry comprises voltage protection circuitry configured to detect a voltage level of the charger power output, compare the detected voltage level to a threshold value, and prevent the charger power output from being transferred from the charging unit to the base unit and the battery unit when the detected voltage level exceeds the threshold.

2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the battery unit comprises a starting, lighting, and ignition battery configured to provide power for the starting of an internal combustion engine.

3. The battery system of claim 2, wherein the internal combustion engine is associated with a motorcycle, a car, a truck, an aircraft, a snowmobile, an all-terrain vehicle, a tractor, a jet ski, a lawn or garden vehicle, or a combination thereof.

4. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the charging circuitry comprises power conversion circuitry configured to convert the primary power to the power output.

5. The battery system of claim 4, wherein the charging circuitry comprises control circuitry configured to monitor a charge state of the battery unit and to control the power conversion circuitry to produce the power output when the charge state of the battery unit is below a threshold.

6. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the charging unit comprises an alignment guide configured to couple with a corresponding alignment guide disposed on the base unit to facilitate the electrical and physical connection of the charging unit to the battery unit.

7. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the base unit is configured to couple to the charging unit via an interference fit.

8. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the pair of terminal posts of the base unit comprise a female arrangement configured to mate with the pair of conductive terminals coupled to the battery unit.

9. A battery system, comprising:

a first battery device comprising;

a battery unit comprising a pair of conductive terminals coupled to at least one electrochemical cell and being configured to discharge to provide a power output;

a base unit comprising a pair of conductive terminal posts configured to be received within an inner diameter of the pair of conductive terminals to electrically couple the base unit to the battery unit in a tool-less engagement, wherein the base unit is configured to couple the battery unit to a load; and

a first charging unit comprising a charger base having a pair of terminals configured to electrically couple the first charging unit to the pair of conductive terminal posts of the base unit in a reversible, tool-less engagement, such that the battery unit is electrically coupled to the first charging unit, wherein the first charging unit comprises a first charging circuitry configured to receive primary power from an external power source, to convert the primary power to a charger power output suitable for charging the battery unit, and to transfer the charger power output to the base unit and the battery unit to charge the battery unit;

wherein the first charging unit comprises indicators configured to indicate a charge state of the battery unit; and

wherein the first charging circuitry comprises voltage protection circuitry configured to detect a voltage level of the charger power output, compare the detected voltage level to a threshold value, and prevent the power output from being transferred from the first charging unit to the base unit and the battery unit when the detected voltage level exceeds the threshold.

10. The battery system of claim 9, comprising a second battery unit and a second charging unit, wherein the second battery unit and the second charging unit are configured to operate with a second charging circuitry that operates in parallel with the first charging circuitry.

11. The battery system of claim 10, wherein the second battery unit comprises a different capacity than a capacity of the battery unit.