Apparatus for monitoring temperature of a power source

• US 6,152,597 A
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Patrick H. Potega
• Original Assignee: Patrick H. Potega
• Inventors: Potega, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, G. Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERBITSKY, GAIL KAPLAN
• Application Number:
  US09/105,489
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 374/45, 374/185, 338/35, 338/22 R, 338/13, 338/20, 338/307, 338/308, 338/309, 338/310, 338/311, 338/314, 429/90, 327/512, 324/104
• US Class Current: 374/185
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/223 characterised by the shape of the resistive element
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A thin, conformable apparatus for monitoring functions of a power source is disclosed that includes at least one dielectric layer upon which are one or more devices selected from a group consisting of a thermistor, data lines, power conductors, and connectors. This assembly, in various configurations of its parts, attaches internally or externally to power sources that may include a "smart battery." When attached to a part or to an entire power source, said apparatus may connect that power source to its host, and other external devices, for example a charger, monitor, or power supply, whereby allowing simultaneous and concurrent data or power to flow between at least two of said devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring temperature functions of a power source, said apparatus comprising:

a non-conductive stratum having a major surface;

a first conductive element affixed upon said major surface and having an electrically accessible portion;

a second conductive element affixed upon said major surface parallel to said first conductive element, said second conductive element having a dimensionally- and electrically-equivalent accessible portion facing said first conductive element so as to provide an open area between said accessible conductive element portions for uniformly-applying a thermally-resistive ink covering said entire open area of said major surface between said spaced accessible conductive element portions, and to be in electrically-equivalent contact with each of said conductive elements along each said accessible portion; and

said resistive-ink covered area, by changing its resistance value with a change in temperature, enables a determination of temperature based on the resistance value.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

at least one additional conductive element, having an accessible portion dimensionally- and electrically-equivalent to said conductive elements already in electrical contact with said thermally-resistive ink area, electrically affixed upon said ink surface parallel to said existing conductive elements, thereby partitioning said inked area to define an additional independent temperature-sensing segment coupled to one of said existing conductive elements, at least one of said conductive elements also being electrically coupled to an adjacent functional temperature-sensing segment of said ink area.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a second nonconductive medium layered over said first non-conductive medium to form a multi-layered construct with said resistive element sandwiched between said non-conductive mediums, said second medium including a protective coating material.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resistive element comprises a flexible resistive ink.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resistive element comprises a resistive ink applied to said first nonconductive medium in the shape of a parallelogram.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resistive element comprises an ink applied to said first non-conductive medium as a wide area of continuous film.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resistive element comprises a positive temperature coefficient resistive ink.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of conductive elements is a flexible conductive ink.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said resistive element has a reconfigurable resistive-element geometry; and

said monitoring includes temperature-sensing functions that can be modified by reconfiguring the resistive element'"'"'s geometry, both during and after manufacture.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a printable exterior surface for displaying indicia.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said first and second conductive elements is affixed upon said major surface by a low tack adhesive attaching means.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resistive element constitutes a second resistive element for sensing temperature within a "smart" battery, there already being a first temperature-sensing element operative in said battery.