More readily available traction battery

• US 9,041,341 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Fink, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US13/138,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• Field of Search: 320/110, 320/112, 320/116, 320/117, 320/118, 320/120, 320/121, 320/122, 320/104, 320/134, 320/136, 429/9, 429/96, 429/99, 429/122, 429/123, 429/149, 429/150, 429/152, 429/153, 429/156, 324/426
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a first battery module, a second battery module, and a third batter module. The first battery module and the second battery module includes a first pole, a second pole, a plurality of battery cells, a charge and disconnect device, a disconnect device, and a bridging device. The third battery module includes a first pole, a second pole, a plurality of battery cells, a first disconnect device, a second disconnect device, and a bridging device. The first and second poles of the first battery module are connected in series with the first terminal and the first pole of the third battery module. The first and second poles of the second battery module are connected in series with the second terminal and the

second pole of the third batter module.

Claims

1. A battery comprising:

a first terminal;

a second terminal;

a first battery module and a second battery module each comprising;

a first pole;

a second pole;

a plurality of battery cells;

a charge and disconnect device connected between the first pole and the plurality of battery cells, the charge and disconnect device being configured to;

connect the plurality of battery cells to the first pole and limit a flow of a charging current or an equalizing current through the plurality of battery cells; and

disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the first pole;

a disconnect device connected between the plurality of battery cells and the second pole, the disconnect device configured to;

connect the plurality of battery cells from the second pole; and

disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the second pole; and

a bridging device configured to connect the first pole to the second pole in response to at least one of the charge and disconnect device disconnecting the plurality of battery cells from the first pole and the disconnect device disconnecting the plurality of battery cells from the second pole;

a third battery module comprising;

a first pole;

a second pole;

a plurality of battery cells;

a first disconnect device connected between the plurality of battery cells and the first pole, the first disconnect device configured to;

connect the plurality of battery cells to the first pole; and

disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the first pole;

a second disconnect device connected between the plurality of battery cells and the second pole, the second disconnect device configured to;

connect the plurality of battery cells to the second pole; and

disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the second pole; and

a bridging device configured to connect the first pole to the second pole in response to at least one of the first disconnect device disconnecting the plurality of battery cells from the first pole and the second disconnect device disconnecting the plurality of battery cells from the second pole;

the first and second poles of the first battery module being connected in series with the first terminal and the first pole of the third battery module; and

the first and second poles of the second battery module being connected in series with the second terminal and the second pole of the third battery module.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the battery further comprises a charging device, which is connected between at least one of:

(i) the first terminal and the first battery module, and

(ii) the second terminal and the second battery module.

3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the battery further comprises a fourth battery module, the battery module comprising:

a first pole;

a second pole;

a plurality of battery cells;

a charge and disconnect device connected between the first pole and the plurality of battery cells, the charge and disconnected device being configured to;

connect the plurality of battery cells to the first pole and limit a flow of a charging current or an equalizing current through the plurality of battery cells; and

disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the first pole;

a disconnect device connected between the plurality of battery cells and the second pole, the disconnect device configured to;

connect the plurality of battery cells from the second pole; and

disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the second pole; and

a bridging device configured to connect the first pole to the second pole in response to at least one of the charging and disconnect device disconnecting the plurality of battery cells from the first pole and the disconnect device disconnecting the plurality of battery cells from the second pole.

4. The battery according to claim 1,

a fourth battery module, the fourth battery module comprising:

a first disconnect device connected between the plurality of battery cells and the first pole, the first disconnect device configured to;

connect the plurality of battery cells to the first pole; and

disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the first pole;

a second disconnect device connected between the plurality of battery cells and the second pole, the second disconnect device configured to;

connect the plurality of battery cells to the second pole; and

disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the second pole; and

a bridging device configured to connect the first pole to the second pole in response to at least one of the first disconnect device disconnecting the plurality of battery cells from the first pole and the second disconnect device disconnecting the plurality of battery cells from the second pole.

5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the charge and disconnect device is further configured to:

charge at least one external capacitance such that a voltage between the first pole and second pole of the second battery module corresponds to a sum voltage of the battery cells.

6. The battery according to claim 5, wherein the charge and disconnect device further comprises:

a circuit breaker and a charging switch.

7. The battery according to claim 6, wherein the charge and disconnect device charges external capacitances by closing a charging switch in response to opening of a circuit breaker.

8. The battery according to claim 7, wherein the charge and disconnect device terminates charging the external capacitances in response to closing of the circuit breaker.