Battery pack for portable electronic equipment

• US RE42,592 E1
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Jong-Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruddock; Ula C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuo; Tony
• Application Number:
  US12/886,849
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/623 Portable devices, e.g. mobile telephones, cameras or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A rechargeable battery pack for portable electronic equipment is includes a battery coupled to a charge/discharge circuit and includes a a first substrate for mounting parts positioned on a high-current path and a second substrate for mounting peripheral circuits for controlling a charge/discharge of the battery. Accordingly, heat sensitive parts on low current paths may be thermally isolated from heat generating parts on high current paths.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a battery having a positive (+) battery terminal and a negative (−

) battery terminal, wherein the battery is chargeable using an external power source;

a positive (+) battery pack terminal and a negative (−

) battery pack terminal for coupling to the external power source, for charging the battery, and for supplying the power of the battery to an external load;

a first substrate for mounting parts positioned on a high-current path between the positive (+) battery terminal and the positive (+) battery pack terminal or between the negative (−

) battery terminal and the negative (−

) battery pack terminal; and

a second substrate for mounting low current flow peripheral circuits for controlling a charge/discharge of the battery spaced a distance from the first substrate, wherein the parts on the first substrate are controlled by parts on the second substrate.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the first substrate includes an external terminal having the positive (+) battery pack terminals and the negative (−

) battery pack terminals.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one connector formed between the first and second substrates, for electrical signal connection between the two substrates.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the parts mounted on the first substrate include a charge/discharge transistor, a coil, a fuse positioned between the positive (+) terminal of the battery pack and the positive (+) terminal of the battery, and a sensor resistor positioned between the negative (−

) terminal of the battery pack and the negative (−

) terminal of the battery.

5. The battery pack of claim 4, wherein the parts mounted on the second substrate include an overcharge protection circuit for determining from the potential of a predefined cell of the battery whether or not the battery is overcharged, a gauging circuit and a communication line for measuring the state of charge of the battery and sending the result to an exterior, and a charge/discharge control and protection circuit for controlling the on/off state of the transistor according to the potential of the predefined cell of the battery and the output of the sensor resistor.

6. A battery pack, comprising:

a battery; and

a charge/discharge circuit in electrical communication with the battery, wherein the charge/discharge circuit comprises;

a first substrate for mounting parts positioned on a high-current path;

a second substrate for mounting low current flow parts, wherein the second substrate is spaced a distance from the first substrate; and

an interlayer connector between the first substrate and the second substrate for providing electrical signal communication between the parts mounted on the first substrate and the parts mounted on the second substrate so that the parts mounted on the first substrate are controlled by the parts mounted on the second substrate.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the low current flow parts include peripheral circuits for controlling a charge/discharge of the battery.

8. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the charge/discharge circuit includes a positive (+) terminal and a negative (−

) terminal for coupling the battery pack to the external power source, for charging the battery, and for supplying the power of the battery to an external load.

9. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the battery is selected from the group consisting of a Ni—

Cd battery, a lead battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a lithium metal battery, and an air zinc battery.

10. A charge/discharge circuit for a rechargeable battery, comprising:

a first substrate for mounting parts positioned on a high-current path;

a second substrate for mounting low current flow parts, wherein the second substrate is spaced a distance from the first substrate; and

an interlayer connector between the first substrate and the second substrate for providing electrical signal connection between the parts mounted on the first substrate and the parts mounted on the second substrate so that the parts mounted on the first substrate are controlled by the parts mounted on the second substrate.

11. The charge/discharge circuit of claim 10, wherein the first substrate further comprises a positive (+) battery pack terminal and a negative (−

) battery pack terminal for coupling to an external power source, for charging the battery, and for supplying power of the battery to an external load.

12. The charge/discharge circuit of claim 10, wherein the first substrate further comprises a positive (+) battery pack terminal and a negative (−

) battery pack terminal, and wherein the first substrate further comprises parts positioned on the high-current path between the positive (+) battery pack terminal and a positive (+) battery terminal.

13. The charge/discharge circuit of claim 10, wherein the first substrate further comprises a positive (+) battery pack terminal and a negative (−

) battery pack terminal, and wherein the first substrate further comprises parts positioned on the high-current path between the negative (−

) battery terminal and the negative (−

) battery pack terminal.