Lithium ion battery pack for outdoor power equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016233694-A1
Application number	US-201514963455-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery pack for use to provide starting power of an internal combustion engine. The battery pack includes an outer housing that encloses a plurality of individual battery cells organized into two battery groups. A charging circuit is contained within the outer housing, which allows the battery cells to be recharged without the need for a charging device other than the battery pack. The charging circuit allows the battery cells to be recharged from either a wall outlet or from the alternator of the internal combustion engine. The battery pack further includes a switching circuit that can configure the battery groups in either a parallel mode or a series mode. In the series mode, the output voltage of the battery pack is increased for starting a cold engine. In the parallel mode, the amount of current available from the battery pack is increased.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A battery pack for use in starting an internal combustion engine, the battery pack comprising:
an outer housing; a plurality of battery cells enclosed in the outer housing; and a charging circuit enclosed in the outer housing and coupled to the plurality of battery cells, wherein the charging circuit is operable to charge the battery cells from either an electrical outlet or from an alternator of the internal combustion engine.

2 . The battery pack of claim 1 wherein the charging circuit is electrically coupled to a pair of prongs configured to be received in the electrical outlet.

3 . The battery pack of claim 1 wherein the battery cells are lithium ion battery cells.

4 . The battery pack of claim 2 wherein the pair of prongs are retractable within the outer housing.

5 . The battery pack of claim 1 wherein the charging circuit includes a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, wherein the secondary side includes windings each configured to be coupled to either the electrical outlet or the alternator and the primary side is configured to be coupled to the battery cells to charge the battery cells.

6 . A battery pack for use in starting an internal combustion engine, the battery pack comprising:
an outer housing; a first battery group and a second battery group enclosed in the outer housing; a switching circuit connected to the first and second battery groups, wherein the switching circuit is operable to selectively connect the first and second battery groups in parallel or in series.

7 . The battery pack of claim 6 wherein each of the first and second battery groups each include a plurality of battery cells.

8 . The battery pack of claim 7 wherein the battery cells are lithium ion battery cells.

9 . The battery pack of claim 6 wherein the switching circuit includes a plurality of switching devices and a switching control unit, wherein the switching control unit controls the position of the switching devices.

10 . The battery pack of claim 9 wherein the switching devices are each independently moveable between an open positon and a closed position.

11 . The battery pack of claim 9 wherein the switching control unit controls the position of the switching devises based on the starting status of the internal combustion engine.

12 . A battery pack for use in starting an internal combustion engine, the battery pack comprising:
an outer housing; a first battery group and a second battery group enclosed in the outer housing; a switching circuit connected to the first and second battery groups, wherein the switching circuit is operable to selectively connect the first and second battery groups in parallel or in series; and a charging circuit enclosed in the outer housing and coupled to the first and second battery groups each including a plurality of battery cells, wherein the charging circuit is operable to charge the battery cells from a source of AC power.

13 . The battery pack of claim 12 wherein the battery cells are lithium ion battery cells.

14 . The battery pack of claim 12 wherein the charging circuit is electrically coupled to a pair of prongs configured to be received in an electrical outlet.

15 . The battery pack of claim 14 wherein the pair of prongs are retractable within the outer housing.

16 . The battery pack of claim 12 wherein the source of AC power is an alternator of the internal combustion engine or an electrical outlet.

17 . The battery pack of claim 12 wherein the switching circuit includes a plurality of switching devices and a switching control unit, wherein the switching control unit controls the position of the switching devices.

18 . The battery pack of claim 17 wherein the switching devices are each independently moveable between an open positon and a closed position.

19 . The battery pack of claim 17 wherein the switching control unit controls the position of the switching devises based on the starting status of the internal combustion engine.

Assignees

• Briggs & Stratton Corp

Inventors

• Koenen Robert John
• Hansen Jason
• Paskov Andrew

Classifications

• H02J7/575

  Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit · CPC title

• H02J7/70 Primary

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title