Battery charger with a planar bus

• US 7,795,840 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: McInnis, Christopher D., Schwartz, Brian A., Vogel, Bernard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US11/854,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/110, 320/128, 320/132, 320/138, 320/139, 320/141
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

A battery charging system which includes an input circuit configured to receive an input power and provide an output power on a first output terminal and a second output terminal. An output circuit has a first input terminal connected to the first output terminal and a second input terminal connected to the second output terminal to receive the output power and configured to condition the output power for a battery charging process. A first conductive plate with a first bus surface extends between the first input terminal and the first output terminal. An insulator plate has a first insulator surface disposed in an abutting relationship with the first bus surface and a second insulator surface. A second conductive plate has a second bus surface which extend between the second input terminal and the second output terminal and is disposed in an abutting relationship with the second insulator surface.

Claims

1. A battery charging system comprising:

an input circuit configured to receive an input power and provide an output power on a first output terminal and a second output terminal;

an output circuit having a first input terminal connected to the first output terminal and a second input terminal connected to the second output terminal to receive the output power and configured to condition the output power for a battery charging process;

a first conductive plate having a first bus surface extending between the first input terminal and the first output terminal;

an insulator plate having a first insulator surface disposed in an abutting relationship with the first bus surface and having a second insulator surface; and

a second conductive plate having a second bus surface extending between the second input terminal and the second output terminal and disposed in an abutting relationship with the second insulator surface.

2. The battery charging system of claim 1, further comprising a capacitor having a first terminal electrically connected to the first conductive plate and a second terminal electrically connected to the second conductive plate.

3. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the output circuit includes an inductor connected to receive the output power from the first output terminal and the second output terminal to condition the output power for the battery charging process.

4. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the input circuit includes a rectifier configured to process the input power and to deliver the input power to the first input terminal and the second input terminal.

5. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the insulator plate has a thickness extending between the first insulator surface and the second insulator surface, wherein the first insulator surface has a surface area, and wherein a ratio of the surface area in inches² to the thickness in inches is at least 200:

1.

6. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the first conductive plate has a first conductive thickness extending perpendicular to the first surface, wherein the first surface has a first conductive surface area, and wherein a ratio of the first conductive surface area in inches² to the first conductive thickness in inches is at least 200:

1.

7. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the second conductive plate has a second conductive thickness extending perpendicular to second surface, wherein the second surface has a second conductive surface area, and wherein a ratio of the second conductive surface area in inches² to the second conductive thickness in inches is at least 200:

1.

8. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the insulator plate has a thickness extending between the first insulator surface and the second insulator surface, wherein the first insulator surface has a surface area, and wherein a ratio of the surface area in inches² to the thickness in inches is at least 400:

1.

9. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the first conductive plate has a first conductive thickness extending perpendicular to the first surface, wherein the first surface has a first conductive surface area, and wherein a ratio of the first conductive surface area in inches² to the first conductive thickness in inches is at least 400:

1.

10. The battery charring system of claim 1, wherein the second conductive plate has a second conductive thickness extending perpendicular to second surface, wherein the second surface has a second conductive surface area, and wherein a ratio of the second conductive surface area in inches² to the second conductive thickness in inches is at least 400:

1.

11. The battery charging system of claim 1, further comprising a battery charger housing having no forced liquid flow therethrough.

12. A battery charging system, comprising:

an input circuit including a rectifier for receiving and rectifying an input electrical power thereby producing a rectified electrical power, the input circuit having a first output terminal and a second output terminal for outputting the rectified electrical power;

a switched circuit having a first input terminal and a second input terminal for receiving the rectified electrical power, the switched circuit including at least one switch for transforming the rectified electrical power to a switched power;

an output circuit connected to the switched circuit to receive the switched power and produce a battery charging power;

battery charging cables connected to the output circuit to receive the battery charging power; and

a bus assembly connecting the input circuit to the switched circuit, the bus assembly including a first bus plate extending along a first plane and configured to carry a positive charge and a second bus plate extending along a second plane and configured to carry a negative charge.

13. The battery charging system of claim 12 further comprising an insulator plate co-extending with at least one of the first bus plate and the second bus plate to electrically isolate the first bus plate from the second bus plate.

14. The battery charging system of claim 12, wherein the first plane is substantially parallel with the second plane.

15. The battery charging system of claim 14, further including an insulating layer between the first bus plate and the second bus plate to electrically isolate the first bus plate from the second bus plate.

16. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein the insulating layer has an insulating thickness extending between the first bus plate and the second bus plate, and the insulating layer has a insulating planar surface area, and wherein a ratio of the insulating planar surface in inches² to the insulating thickness in inches is at least 200:

1.

17. The battery charging system of claim 12, further including at least one capacitor electrically connected between the input circuit and the switched circuit, each said at least one capacitor including a positive capacitor terminal and a negative capacitor terminal, the first bus plate being connected to each positive capacitor terminal, and the second bus plate being connected to each negative capacitor terminal.

18. The battery charging system of claim 12, wherein the first bus plate has a first conductive thickness extending perpendicular to a planar surface of the first bus plate, and the planar surface has a planar surface area, wherein a ratio of the planar surface area in inches² to the first conductive thickness in inches is at least 200:

1.

19. The battery charging system of claim 12, wherein the battery charging system is a fast charging system.

20. A method of manufacturing a bus assembly in a battery charger, the bus assembly connecting an input circuit having a first output terminal and a second output terminal, and a switched circuit having a first input terminal and a second input terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a bus including a first conductive plane and a second conductive plane separated by an insulating layer;

connecting the first conductive plane to the first output terminal and the first input terminal;

connecting the second conductive layer to the second output terminal and the second input terminal; and

isolating the first conductive plane from the second conductive plane by arranging a substantially planar electrical isolator to abut the first conductive plane along a first side and the second conductive plane along a second side.

21. The method of claim 20, further including at least one capacitor electrically connected between the input circuit and the switched circuit, each said at least one capacitor including a positive capacitor terminal and a negative capacitor terminal, the method further including the steps of coupling each positive capacitor terminal to the first conductive plane, and conjoining each negative capacitor terminal to the second conductive plane.