Battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018198101-A1
Application number	US-201815865878-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2017
Publication date	Jul 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery pack, a method of heating a battery cell and an electrical combination. The battery pack may include a housing; a battery cell; a heating element operable to provide heat to the battery cell; a temperature sensing device operable to sense a temperature of an interior of the battery pack; a heating switch operable to control whether power is provided to the heating element; and an electronic processor configured to receive a signal from the temperature sensing device, the signal indicating the temperature of the interior of the battery pack, determine that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than a predetermined temperature threshold, and in response to determining that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than the predetermined temperature threshold, close the heating switch to provide power to the heating element.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A battery pack comprising:
a housing; a battery cell supported in the housing and electrically connectable to an electrical device, power being transferrable between the battery cell and the electrical device; a heating element supported in the housing and operable to provide heat to the battery cell; a temperature sensing device supported in the housing and operable to sense a temperature of an interior of the battery pack; a heating switch operable to control whether power is provided to the heating element; and an electronic processor coupled to the temperature sensing device and the heating switch and configured to
receive a signal from the temperature sensing device, the signal indicating the temperature of the interior of the battery pack,
determine that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than a predetermined temperature threshold, and
in response to determining that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than the predetermined temperature threshold, close the heating switch to provide power to the heating element.

2 . The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the battery cell is operable to power the heating element.

3 . The battery pack of claim 2 , further comprising an ambient air sensor operable to determine a temperature outside the housing of the battery pack; wherein the electronic processor is coupled to the ambient air sensor and is further configured to
receive a second signal from the ambient air sensor, the second signal indicating the temperature outside the housing of the battery pack, determine that the temperature outside the housing of the battery pack is less than at least one of the predetermined temperature threshold and a second predetermined temperature threshold, and in response to determining that the temperature outside the housing of the battery pack is less than at least one of the predetermined temperature threshold and the second predetermined temperature threshold, close the heating switch to provide power to the heating element from the battery cell.

4 . The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the battery pack is electrically coupled to a charger, the charger being operable to power the heating element.

5 . The battery pack of claim 1 , further comprising a charging switch operable to control whether power is provided to the battery cell from a charger; wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
in response to determining that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than the predetermined temperature threshold, open the charging switch to prevent power from being provided to the battery cell from the charger, determine that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature threshold, and in response to determining that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature threshold, close the charging switch to provide power to the battery cell from the charger.

6 . The battery pack of claim 5 , further comprising a second charging switch in series with the charging switch, wherein the charging switch and the second charging switch are field-effect transistors (FETs) and a source of the charging switch is coupled to a source of the second charging switch such that the second charging switch has an opposite orientation of the charging switch.

7 . The battery pack of claim 5 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to, in response to determining that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature threshold, open the heating switch to prevent power from being provided to the heating element.

8 . The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
determine that the heating switch has failed, and perform at least one of
opening a charging switch to prevent power from being able to be provided to the battery cell, and
controlling an indicator to illuminate in a predetermined manner.

9 . The battery pack of claim 1 , further comprising:
a charging fuse between the battery cell and a charging switch, the charging switch being operable to control whether power is provided to the battery cell from a charger; and a heating fuse between the heating switch and the heating element.

10 . The battery pack of claim 1 , further comprising:
a case within the housing supporting the battery cell, the case including a hole allowing the temperature sensing device to monitor the temperature of the interior of the battery pack; and a printed circuit mounted on the case.

11 . The battery pack of claim 10 , wherein the heating element is in contact with a side surface of the battery cell, the heating element being on one side of a plane through the battery cell and the temperature sensing device being on an opposite side of the plane.

12 . The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the heating element includes at least one of a resistor, a carbon fiber, a resistive heating coil, a rubber jacket holding the battery cell, a heating pad underneath or between a row of battery cells, an embedded heating element within a case that holds the battery cell, or a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistor.

13 . The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the heating element provides heat to a reservoir of at least one of wax, mineral oil, or water contacting an outer surface of the battery cell.

14 . A method of heating a battery cell, the battery cell being supported in a housing of a battery pack and electrically connectable to an electrical device, power being transferrable between the battery cell and the electrical device, the method comprising:
monitoring, with a temperature sensing device supported in the housing, a temperature of an interior of the battery pack; receiving, with an electronic processor, a signal from the temperature sensing device, the signal indicating the temperature of the interior of the battery pack; determining, with the electronic processor, that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than a predetermined temperature threshold; and controlling, with the electronic processor and in response to determining that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than the predetermined temperature threshold, a heating switch to close to provide power to a heating element supported in the housing, the heating element being operable to heat the battery cell.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving, with the electronic processor, a second signal from an ambient air sensor, the second signal indicating a temperature outside the housing of the battery pack; determining, with the electronic processor, that the temperature outside the housing of the battery pack is less than at least one of the predetermined temperature threshold and a second predetermined temperature threshold; and controlling, with the electronic processor and in response to determining that the temperature outside the housing of the battery pack is less than at least one of the predetermined temperature threshold and the second predetermined temperature threshold, the heating switch to close to provide power to the heating element from the battery cell.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
controlling, with the electronic processor and in response to determining that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than the predetermined temperature th

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Sheeks Samuel
• Brozek Jeffrey M
• Mergener Matthew J
• Jipp Ryan B

Classifications

• H02J7/65

  against overtemperature · CPC title

• H02J7/61

  against overcharge · CPC title

• H02J7/977

  of the battery · CPC title

• H02J7/975

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title