Equipment system comprising a battery-operated electrical device, a rechargeable battery unit, and a battery charger

• US 20030141844A1
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Bosch, Volker, Glauning, Rainer, Baur, Hans-Joachim, Lohr, Guenther, Roepke, Stefan, Fiebig, Arnim
• Application Number:
  US10/335,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20030141844A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

An equipment system includes a battery unit (10) having a monitoring circuit (14), which detects at least one operating parameter of the battery unit (10) and furnishes a control signal, dependent on the operating parameter, for switching means (25, 31). The switching means control the charging and discharging process of the battery unit (10) and are located in the electrical device (20) and in the charger (30), respectively. From the battery unit (10), the control signal is transmitted to the switching means (25, 31) in the electrical device (20) and in the charger (30), respectively. By this provision of shifting the switching means (25, 31) out of the battery unit (10) into the electrical device (20) and into the charger (30), respectively, the heat development in the battery unit (10) and also its structure size are reduced.

Claims

1. An equipment system, comprising at least one battery-operated electrical device (20), a rechargeable battery unit (10), and a battery charger (30), in which the battery unit (10) has a monitoring circuit (14), which includes at least one operating parameter of the battery unit (10) and furnishes a control signal, dependent on the operating parameter, for switching means (25, 31) that control a charging and discharging process of the battery unit (10), characterized in that

in the electrical device (10), switching means (25) are present for controlling capacity of the electrical device as a function of a control signal output by the monitoring circuit (14) of the battery unit (10);

and

in the battery charger (30), switching means (31) are present for controlling a charging current transmitted from the battery charger (30) to the battery unit (10).

5. The equipment system of claim 1, characterized in that the monitoring circuit (14) in the battery unit (10), as the at least one operating parameter, detects a current flowing into or out of the battery unit (10) and/or a terminal voltage of the battery unit (10) and/or a temperature of the battery unit (10), or a variable that is in relation to the temperature.

2. A battery unit, which can be connected electrically with an electrical device (20) to supply energy to the battery unit and with a charger (30) to recharge the battery unit (10), in which the battery unit (10) has a monitoring circuit (14) that detects at least one operating parameter of the battery unit (10) and from said at least one operating parameter, derives a control signal for controlling a charging and discharging process, characterized in that the battery unit (10) has means (15) for transmitting the control signal to outside the battery unit (10), namely switching means (25, 31) located in the electrical device (20) and the charger (30), respectively, and the switching means (25) in the electrical device (20) are intended for controlling capacity of the electrical device as a function of the control signal of the battery unit (10), and the switching means (31) in the charger (30) are intended for controlling a charging current transmitted from the charger (30) to the battery unit (10).

6. The battery unit of claim 2, characterized in that the monitoring circuit (14) in the battery unit (10), as the at least one operating parameter, detects the current flowing into or out of the battery unit (10) and/or a terminal voltage of the battery unit, and/or a temperature of the battery unit (10), or a variable that is in relation to the temperature.

3. A charger for a battery unit (10) which has a monitoring circuit (14) that detects at least one operating parameter of the battery unit and from said at least one operating parameter, derives a control signal for controlling the charging process, characterized in that in the charger (30), switching means (31) are present for controlling a charging current, transmitted from the charger (30) to the battery unit (10), as a function of the control signal of the battery unit (10).

7. The charger of claim 3, characterized in that the control signal controlling the switching means (31) depends on a charging current flowing into the battery unit (10) and/or a terminal voltage of the battery unit (10), and/or a temperature of the battery unit (10), or a variable that is in relation to the temperature.

4. An electrical device, which can be connected to a battery unit (10) for an energy supply, which has a monitoring circuit (14) that detects at least one operating parameter of the battery unit (10), and from said at least one operating parameter, derives a control signal for controlling a discharging process, characterized in that in the electrical device (20), switching means (25) are present for controlling capacity of the electrical device as a function of the control signal of the battery unit (10).

8. The electrical device of claim 4, characterized in that the control signal controlling the switching means (31) depends on a current flowing out of the battery unit (10), and/or a terminal voltage of the battery unit (10), and/or a temperature of the battery unit (10), or a variable that is in relation to the temperature.