Battery pack

• US 20080231232A1
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Young-Jo, Kim, Beom-Gyu, Seo, Se-Wook, Lim, Gye-Jong, Yun, Han-Seok, Tae, Yong-Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,013,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack is constructed with a plurality of secondary batteries or a plurality of battery assemblies, each having a plurality of unit batteries, and at least one safety switch, which can facilitate precise measurement of the voltages of the plurality of secondary batteries or battery assemblies. The battery pack is constructed with a plurality of secondary batteries, at least one safety switch electrically connected between two adjacent batteries among the plurality of secondary batteries, and a plurality of sensing lines for measuring voltages of the plurality of secondary batteries. The quantity of the sensing lines is equals to a sum of the number of the secondary batteries, and the number of the safety switches, and plus one.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of secondary batteries;

at least one safety switch electrically connected between electrically opposite poles of neighboring adjacent batteries among the plurality of secondary batteries; and

a plurality of sensing lines electrically connected to electrically distinct ends of the plurality of secondary batteries to measure voltages of the plurality of secondary batteries, with the quantity of the sensing lines equaling a sum of the number of the secondary batteries, and the number of the safety switches, and plus one.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, comprised of the plurality of secondary batteries being electrically connected in series.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, comprised of the plurality of sensing lines being electrically connected to the nodes that are located between the plurality of secondary batteries, and that nodes that are located between the safety switch and the secondary batteries that are directly connected to the safety switch.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, comprised of battery separators disposed between the plurality of secondary batteries.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4, comprised of the battery separators being made from an insulating material.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, comprised of the plurality of sensing lines being electrically connected to a battery management system which measures voltages of the plurality of secondary batteries and controls charging and discharging operations of the plurality of secondary batteries.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, comprised of the battery management system comprising at least one battery voltage measuring unit electrically connected to the sensing lines to measure the voltages of the plurality of secondary batteries, and a control unit controlling charging and discharging operations of the plurality of secondary batteries in dependence upon the measured voltages.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, comprised of the control unit comprising a control signal generation unit generating a control signal in response to the measured voltages, and a switching unit blocking an external terminal from the plurality of secondary batteries in response to the control signal.

9. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of battery assemblies, each battery assembly comprising a plurality of unit batteries;

at least one safety switch electrically connected between electrically opposite poles of neighboring battery assemblies among the plurality of battery assemblies; and

a plurality of sensing lines connected to electrically distinct ends of each of the plurality of battery assemblies to measure voltages of the plurality of battery assemblies, with the quantity of the sensing lines equaling a sum of the number of the battery assemblies, and the number of the safety switches, and plus one.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprised of the plurality of battery assemblies being electrically connected in series.

11. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprised of the plurality of sensing lines being electrically connected to the nodes between the plurality of battery assemblies and the nodes located between the safe switch and the battery assemblies that are directly connected to the safe switch.

12. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprised of the plurality of sensing lines being electrically connected to a battery management system which measures the voltages of the plurality of battery assemblies and controls charging and discharging operations of the plurality of battery assemblies.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12, comprised of the battery management system comprising at least one battery voltage measuring unit electrically connected to the sensing lines to measure voltages of the plurality of battery assemblies, and a control unit controlling charging and discharging operations of the plurality of battery assemblies in dependence upon the measured voltages.

14. The battery pack according to claim 13, comprised of the control unit comprising a control signal generation unit generating a control signal in response to the measured voltage, and a switching unit blocking an external terminal from the plurality of battery assemblies in response to the control signal.

15. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprised of the plurality of battery assemblies output the same voltage.

16. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprised of battery separators disposed between the plurality of unit batteries.

17. The battery pack according to claim 16, comprised of the battery separators being made from an insulating material.

18. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprised of the plurality of unit batteries being electrically connected in series, and the plurality of battery assemblies being electrically connected in parallel.

19. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of secondary batteries;

at least one safety switch electrically connected between electrically opposite poles of neighboring batteries among the plurality of secondary batteries; and

a first sensing line electrically connected to one end of the safety switch.

20. The battery pack according to claim 19, further comprising:

a plurality of second sensing lines electrically connected to the nodes located between the plurality of secondary batteries.

21. The battery pack according to claim 20, with the sum of the number of the first sensing lines and the number of the second sensing lines equaling a sum of the number of the secondary batteries, and the number of the safety switches, and plus one.

22. The battery pack according to claim 19, comprised of the plurality of secondary batteries being divided into n battery assemblies, and with the battery pack further comprising a third sensing line electrically connected to a node located between the n battery assemblies.

23. The battery pack according to claim 22, with the sum of the number of the first sensing lines and the number of the third sensing lines equaling a sum of the number of the battery assemblies, and the number of the safety switches, and plus one.

24. The battery pack according to claim 23, further comprising:

a battery management system electrically connected to the plurality of secondary batteries, and controlling charging and discharging operations of n battery assemblies by measuring the voltages of the plurality of secondary batteries.

25. The battery pack according to claim 24, comprised of the battery management system comprising at least one battery voltage measuring unit electrically connected to the first and third sensing lines to measure the voltages of the plurality of secondary batteries, and a control unit controlling charging and discharging operations of n battery assemblies in dependence upon the measured voltages.

26. The battery pack according to claim 25, comprised of the control unit comprising a control signal generation unit generating a control signal in response to the measured voltages, and a switching unit blocking an external terminal from the plurality of secondary batteries in response to the control signal.