Dual voltage multiple configuration battery and adapter

• US 6,548,205 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Hendrickson, Mary A., Leung, Fee Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alejandro, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US09/765,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20010002298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 429/99, 429/100, 429/149, 429/158, 429/96, 429/163, 429/176, 429/186, 429/159, 429/7, 429/160, 206/703, 439/754
• US Class Current: 429/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0445 Multimode batteries, e.g. containing auxiliary cells or electrodes switchable in parallel or series connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5016 Multimode utilisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The battery has two cells of equal voltage (expressed as Volts DC or VDC) and equal electrochemical capacity (expressed as Ampere-Hours or AH). Each cell has one or more hinged and electrically connected modules. Both cells are hinged to each other but are not electrically connected. The modules of the battery can be folded into four basic prismatic shapes and an infinite number of non-prismatic shapes. Each shape is basically two batteries because the equal voltage cells can be connected to the load equipment in electrical series or electrical parallel. An adapter can be connected to the battery to provide additional battery footprints.

Claims

1. A dual voltage, triple folding, multiple configuration battery having an adapter for matching the configuration of the battery to the design requirements of an electric device, comprising:

a first voltage cell having a first module with a first voltage and a second module with a second voltage, said first and second modules being connected for rotation relative to each other about a first axis;

a second voltage cell having a third module with a third voltage and a fourth module with a fourth voltage, said third and fourth modules being connected for rotation relative to each other about said first axis;

said first and second voltage cells being connected for rotation relative to each other about a second axis which is perpendicular to said first axis;

said first and second voltage cells as well as said first and second modules, and said third and fourth modules being foldable upon each other to form a three fold configuration; and

said adapter having a positive and negative terminal interfaces for connecting to the battery, along with sockets and contacts for connecting to the electric device.

2. The battery of claim 1 wherein the positive and negative terminal interfaces are located on a first side of the adapter and the sockets and contacts are located on a second side of the adapter.