Mobile cart and power system therefor

• US 10,367,373 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scott-Clark, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Scott-Clark, L.P.
• Inventors: Boyd, James S
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warmflash, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/205,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20170005512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• 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 10/441 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 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/256 Carrying devices, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/04 in which the distribution system is disconnected from the normal source and connected to a standby source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

A mobile cart has a battery assembly, which includes an on-board charger for selectively recharging one or more batteries to ensure constant operation of the powered equipment provided on the cart. The battery assembly possesses a removable battery configuration and is operated by a Battery Control System (BCS). The BCS is an intelligent control system for removable batteries and battery cell packs to provide an improved system of charging and discharging the individual batteries.

Claims

1. A power system for mobile cart, comprising:

a battery assembly comprising a plurality of rechargeable batteries, a battery support for supporting each respective one of said batteries wherein said battery support is mountable on a mobile cart and said respective battery is removeably engageable with and disengagable from said battery support from an exterior of said battery support, said battery assembly including a battery connector for each said battery which is engageable with said battery when said battery is installed on said respective battery support, each said battery being individually removable from said battery support independently of any other said battery supported by said battery support to supply power through said battery connector;

a battery control system for controlling discharge of said batteries, which has a control unit comprising a controller connected to said battery connector for controlling battery discharge, a power outlet receiving power under the control of said controller and supplying said power to electrical equipment on a mobile cart, wherein discharging of said battery supplies battery power to said power outlet; and

said controller having a switch that selectively controls which said battery is being discharged to supply said battery power to said power outlet, and said controller communicating with and monitoring a battery charge of each said battery, said controller switching from a first said battery to a second said battery when said battery charge is at a minimum charge or said first battery is removed from said battery support, wherein when external power is not present or has been removed, said controller determines which said battery to use, wherein said controller monitors if said battery charge of each said battery is below a minimum charge which establishes that a battery is discharged, said controller first using said battery which is above said minimum charge and has the lowest battery charge relative to each other said battery to supply said battery power to said power outlet.

2. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 1, wherein said controller determines if external power is present, wherein external power is used to supply power to said power outlet.

3. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 1, wherein when said controller determines one said battery is at or below said minimum charge, then said controller uses another said battery having a battery charge above the minimum charge to supply said battery power to said power outlet.

4. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 1, wherein when controller determines said first and second batteries are above said minimum charge, said controller using said battery with a lower battery charge to supply said battery power to said power outlet.

5. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 4, wherein said battery in use will continue to be used to supply said battery power to said power outlet until its battery charge decreases to said minimum charge, at which time said controller switches to another said battery to supply said battery power to said power outlet.

6. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 5, wherein said controller monitors a cycle count of the number of charge cycles for each said battery and determines a cycle differential between said cycle counts of said batteries, said controller determining which said battery to use based upon said battery charge, said cycle count of each said battery and said cycle differential, wherein said controller determines when said battery charge of each said battery is below said minimum charge which establishes that said battery is discharged, said controller first using said battery which is above said minimum charge and has the lowest battery charge to supply said battery power to said power outlet unless said cycle count exceeds said defined cycle differential wherein said controller first uses said battery which has a lowest said cycle count to reduce said cycle differential.

7. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 6, wherein each said battery includes internal data storage which interconnects with said controller and stores data associated with battery parameters of said batteries.

8. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 7, wherein said battery parameters stored on said internal data storage include said cycle count, wherein said cycle count is updated each time said battery is recharged.

9. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 1, wherein said controller initially receives data on a cycle count for each said battery from a data storage associated with said battery, and then compares said cycle count for each said battery, and when said cycle count of a first said battery exceeds said cycle count of a second said battery by more than a defined cycle differential, then said battery with said lower cycle count is used first to supply power to said power outlet until said battery charge is less than said minimum charge.

10. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 1, wherein said power system comprises an inverter connected to said power outlet which converts said battery power from DC power to AC power, wherein AC power is supplied from said power outlet to electrical equipment on said mobile cart.

11. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 1, wherein said controller communicates with a notification unit to notify a user of a charge status of each said battery.

12. A power system for a mobile cart, comprising:

a battery assembly comprising a plurality of rechargeable batteries, a battery support for supporting each respective one of said batteries wherein said battery support is mountable on a mobile cart and said respective battery is removeably engageable with and disengagable from said battery support, said battery assembly including a battery connector for each said battery which is engageable with said battery when said battery is installed on said respective battery support, each said battery being individually removable from said battery support independently of any other said battery supported by said battery support such that any other said battery remaining on said battery support to supply power through said battery connector;

a power supply which is removably connectable to external power and which provides power to said power system when each said battery is removed or is discharged to a battery charge below a minimum charge;

a battery control system for controlling discharge of said batteries, which has a control unit comprising a controller connected to said battery connector for controlling battery discharge, a power outlet receiving power under the control of said controller from said power supply or from one said battery and supplying outlet power to electrical equipment connected thereto, wherein discharging of said battery supplies said battery power to said power outlet; and

said controller having a switch that selectively controls which said battery is being discharged to supply said battery power to said power outlet, and said controller communicating with and monitoring said battery charge of each said battery and the presence of each said battery on said mobile cart, said controller discontinuing use of a first said battery when said battery charge drops below said minimum charge or said first battery is removed, and said controller switching to either a second said battery, or else to said power supply if each said battery is below said minimum charge or each said battery is removed from said respective battery support, said controller determining which said battery to use, wherein said controller determines when said battery charge of each said battery is below said minimum charge which establishes that said battery is discharged, further said controller first using said battery which is above said minimum charge and has the lowest battery charge to supply said battery power to said power outlet.

13. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 12, wherein said power supply is supplied by external power disposed external to said mobile cart.

14. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 12, wherein when one said battery is at or below said minimum charge, then said controller uses another said battery having said battery charge above said minimum charge to supply power to said power outlet.

15. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 14, wherein when said first and second batteries are above said minimum charge, said charge controller first using said battery with a lower battery charge to supply said battery power to said power outlet.

16. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 12, wherein said controller monitors a cycle count of the number of charge cycles for each said battery and determines a cycle differential between said cycle counts of said batteries, said controller determining which said battery to use based upon said battery charge, said cycle count of each said battery and said cycle differential, wherein said controller determines when said battery charge of each said battery is below said minimum charge which establishes that said battery is discharged, said controller first using said battery which is above said minimum charge and has the lowest battery charge to supply said battery power to said power outlet unless said cycle count exceeds a defined cycle differential wherein said controller first uses said battery which has a lowest said cycle count to reduce said cycle differential.

17. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 12, wherein said power system comprises an inverter connected to said power outlet which converts said battery power from DC power to AC power, wherein AC power is supplied from said power outlet to electrical equipment on said mobile cart.

18. The power system for a mobile cart according to claim 12, wherein when each said battery is manually removed from said battery support during discharging, said controller automatically detecting removal of said battery and switching discharging to said power supply.