Rechargeable battery system

• US 9,077,055 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tricopian, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tricopian, LLC
• Inventors: Yau, Chi W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Ben
• Application Number:
  US13/678,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20130149566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 429/53, 429/57, 429/72, 429/82, 429/83, 429/163
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/152 for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/15, H01M50/153 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/598 Guarantee labels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable battery system can include features to facilitate determination of the charge state of a battery or a battery power unit. A rechargeable battery system can include a battery case that can hold a plurality of batteries. The batteries held by the battery case can include a tab located on a portion of the battery, such as, the terminal. The tab can include indicia of the charge state of the battery, and can be detached when the battery is at least partially discharged. The tab can facilitate determination of the charge state of the battery by allowing identification of batteries with the tab attached and batteries from which the tab has been detached.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery system, comprising:

a first battery having first and second opposing ends;

a first battery terminal at said first end of said first battery;

a removable tab applied to said first terminal of said first battery, said removable tab covering the terminal to prevent electrical contact therewith, and bearing indicia thereon indicating that said first battery is in a charged state; and

a battery case containing a plurality of rechargeable batteries including said first battery and a second battery in said case, wherein said first battery is in a substantially fully charged state, and wherein said second battery has no removable tab and is not in a substantially fully charged state.

2. The rechargeable battery system of claim 1, wherein said first battery comprises a 1.2 to 1.5V battery.

3. The rechargeable battery system of claim 1, wherein said first battery is selected from the group comprising an AAA battery, an AA battery, a C battery, a D battery, or a 9V battery.

4. The rechargeable battery system of claim 1, wherein said first battery comprises a battery power unit.

5. The rechargeable battery system of claim 1, wherein said indicia on said removable tab is selected from the group consisting of a word, a color, a pattern, an alphanumeric string, or a date.

6. The rechargeable battery system of claim 1, further comprising a second removable tab bearing indicia that said first battery is in a partially charged state.

7. The rechargeable battery system of claim 1, wherein said substantially fully charged state comprises the charge state of the battery at a time of sale.

8. A rechargeable battery system, comprising:

a first battery power unit having first and second opposing ends;

a discharge port at said first end of said first battery power unit; and

a removable tab configured for application to said discharge port of said first battery power unit, said removable tab configured to cover the discharge port to prevent electrical contact therewith, and bearing indicia thereon indicating that said first battery power unit is in a charged state;

wherein said first battery power unit is in a substantially fully charged state.

9. The rechargeable battery system of claim 8, further comprising a battery case containing a plurality of rechargeable battery power units including said first battery power unit.

10. The rechargeable battery system of claim 8, wherein the battery power unit comprises an enclosure housing a plurality of battery cells each connected to the discharge port.

11. The rechargeable battery system of claim 10, wherein the discharge port is a universal serial bus port.