Auxiliary battery attachment apparatus for use in a multiple battery system that reliably supplies electrical energy to an electrical system

• US 7,675,261 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reserve Power Cell LLC
• Original Assignee: Reserve Power Cell LLC
• Inventors: Bruno, Frank, Elder, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muralidar; Richard V
• Application Number:
  US12/008,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/104, 307/10.1, 307 106- 107, 307/64, 307/66, 307/116, 307/125, 307/130, 307/131, 429 34- 39, 429/51, 429 72- 73
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• 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 10/122 Multimode batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An auxiliary battery attachment apparatus, which is attachable to a first housing containing a first battery, includes a second housing, a second battery disposed within the second housing, positive and negative couplings, a one-way charging circuit, and at least one switching device. The coupling(s) are respectively coupleable to positive and negative terminal(s) of the first housing. The second housing includes positive and negative terminals, which are electrically coupleable to an electrical system. The charging circuit is electrically connected between the positive coupling(s) and a positive output of the second battery, and facilitates charging of, but prevents current flow from, the second battery when the first battery is supplying electrical energy to the electrical system. The switching device(s) is operable in at least two states to electrically connect the positive terminal(s) of the second housing to a selective one of the positive coupling(s) and the positive output of the second battery.

Claims

1. An auxiliary battery attachment apparatus for attachment to a first battery apparatus, the auxiliary battery attachment apparatus and the first battery apparatus providing electrical energy to an external electrical system on an as-needed basis when so attached, the first battery apparatus including a first battery disposed within a first battery housing, the first battery housing including at least one positive terminal and at least one negative terminal, the first battery supplying electrical energy to the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal of the first battery housing, the auxiliary battery attachment apparatus comprising:

a second battery housing including at least one positive terminal and at least one negative terminal, the at least one positive terminal of the second battery housing being electrically connectable to the at least one positive terminal of the first battery housing and the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing being electrically connectable to the at least one negative terminal of the first battery housing, the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing being electrically coupleable to the external electrical system;

a second battery disposed within the second battery housing and including a positive output and a negative output, the negative output of the second battery being electrically connected to the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing;

at least one positive coupling coupleable to the at least one positive terminal of the first battery housing;

at least one negative coupling coupleable to the at least one negative terminal of the first battery housing;

at least one switching device operable in at least two states to selectively electrically connect the at least one positive terminal of the second battery housing to one of the at least one positive coupling and the positive output of the second battery, the at least one switching device being operable in a first state to electrically connect the at least one positive terminal of the second battery housing to the at least one positive coupling, the at least one switching device being further operable in a second state independent of the first state to electrically connect the at least one positive terminal of the second battery housing to the positive output of the second battery; and

a one-way charging circuit electrically connected between the at least one positive coupling and the positive output of the second battery, the one-way charging circuit being configured to prevent current flow from the second battery and facilitate simultaneous charging of the first battery and the second battery when the at least one switching device is in the first state, the at least one positive coupling is coupled to the at least one positive terminal of the first battery housing, and the at least one negative coupling is coupled to the at least one negative terminal of the first battery housing,

wherein the first battery and the second battery do not supply electrical energy to the external electrical system simultaneously when the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing are electrically coupled to the external electrical system and when one of;

(i) the at least one switching device is in the first state, and (ii) the at least one switching device is in the second state and a voltage of the first battery is less than or equal to a voltage of the second battery.

2. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second battery housing is mounted atop the first battery housing.

4. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electrical system includes battery charging functionality and wherein, when the at least one switching device is in the first state and the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing are electrically coupled to the external electrical system, the one-way charging circuit permits charging current from the external electrical system to flow into both the first battery and the second battery, but prevents electrical energy from flowing out of the second battery.

5. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the at least one switching device is in the second state and the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing are electrically coupled to the external electrical system, the first battery is fully disconnected from the external electrical system.

6. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one positive coupling and the at least one negative coupling form part of the second battery housing.

7. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one-way charging circuit comprises at least one diode.

8. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one diode is at least one of a silicon rectifier and a high current capacity diode.

9. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one-way charging circuit further includes at least one heat sink coupled to the at least one diode.

10. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the at least one switching device, the controller controlling whether the at least one switching device is in the first state or the second state.

11. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 10, further comprising at least one sensor in communication with the controller, the at least one sensor sensing at least one operating condition of the first battery and the second battery.

12. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one operating condition of the first battery and the second battery includes at least one of a voltage of the first battery, a voltage of the second battery, a cold cranking amperage of the first battery, and a cold cranking amperage of the second battery.

13. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor further senses a state of the at least one switching device.

14. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first state of the at least one switching device is a first physical switch position and wherein the second state of the at least one switching device is a second physical switch position, and wherein the at least one sensor further senses a physical switch position of the at least one switching device.

15. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller selectively changes a state of the at least one switching device based on the at least one operating condition and a present state of the at least one switching device.

16. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller changes the state of the at least one switching device to the second state responsive to an input signal from the at least one sensor indicating that at least one of a voltage and a cold cranking amperage of the first battery is below a respective trigger point.

17. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a battery discharge system for temporarily discharging the second battery when the first battery is in a charged condition.

18. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 17, wherein the battery discharge system comprises a controller and a timer.

19. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus of claim 18, wherein the timer signals the controller to set a state of the at least one switching device to the second state so as to discharge the second battery for a predetermined period of time and, after expiration of the predetermined period of time, signals the controller to set the state of the at least one switching device to the first state.

3. The auxiliary battery attachment apparatus 1, wherein the second battery housing is mounted beside the first battery housing.

20. An auxiliary battery attachment apparatus for attachment to a first battery apparatus, the auxiliary battery attachment apparatus and the first battery apparatus providing electrical energy to an external electrical system on an as-needed basis when so attached, the first battery apparatus including a first battery disposed within a first battery housing, the first battery housing including at least one positive terminal and at least one negative terminal, the first battery supplying electrical energy to the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal of the first battery housing, the auxiliary battery attachment apparatus comprising:

a second battery housing including at least one positive terminal and at least one negative terminal, the at least one positive terminal of the second battery housing being electrically connectable to the at least one positive terminal of the first battery housing and the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing being electrically connectable to the at least one negative terminal of the first battery housing, the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing being electrically coupleable to the external electrical system,

at least a second battery disposed within the second battery housing and including a least one positive output and at least one negative output, the at least one negative output of the at least a second battery being electrically connected to the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing;

at least one positive coupling coupleable to the at least one positive terminal of the first battery housing;

at least one negative coupling coupleable to the at least one negative terminal of the first battery housing;

at least one switching device operable in at least two states to selectively electrically connect the at least one positive terminal of the second battery housing to one of the at least one positive coupling and the at least one positive output of the at least a second battery, the at least one switching device being operable in a first state to electrically connect the at least one positive terminal of the second battery housing to the at least one positive coupling, the at least one switching device being further operable in a second state independent of the first state to electrically connect the at least one positive terminal of the second battery housing to the at least one positive output of the at least a second battery; and

a one-way charging circuit electrically connected between the at least one positive coupling and the positive output of the second battery, the one-way charging circuit being configured to prevent current flow from the second battery and facilitate simultaneous charging of the first battery and the second battery when the at least one switching device is in the first state, the at least one positive coupling is coupled to the at least one positive terminal of the first battery housing, and the at least one negative coupling is coupled to the at least one negative terminal of the first battery housing,

wherein the first battery and the at least a second battery do not supply electrical energy to the external electrical system simultaneously when the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal of the second battery housing are electrically coupled to the external electrical system and when one of;

(i) the at least one switching device is in the first state, and (ii) the at least one switching device is in the second state and a voltage of the first battery is less than or equal to a voltage of the second battery.