System and method to connect and disconnect one or more lithium-ion battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024421409-A1
Application number	US-202318210319-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2023
Priority date	Jun 15, 2023
Publication date	Dec 19, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power system includes an external-battery-power terminal configured to receive an external-battery-power connector, an external battery emergency power off (EPO) terminal, and an EPO switch coupled to the EPO terminal. The EPO switch is configured to be triggered by decoupling a mechanical latch associated with the external-battery-power connector. An EPO signal is manipulated when the EPO switch is triggered to decouple a battery from the external-battery-power terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power system, comprising:
an external-battery-power terminal configured to receive an external-battery-power connector; an external battery emergency power off (EPO) terminal; and an EPO switch coupled to the EPO terminal, the EPO switch being configured to be triggered by decoupling a mechanical latch associated with the external-battery-power connector, wherein an EPO signal is manipulated when the EPO switch is triggered to decouple a battery from the external-battery-power terminal.

2 . The power system of claim 1 , wherein the external-battery-power terminal is configured to be coupled to the battery.

3 . The power system of claim 1 , wherein the battery is a lithium-ion battery.

4 . The power system of claim 1 , further comprising a battery management system including a microprocessor configured to control the operation of a switch to decouple the battery from the external-battery-power terminal.

5 . The power system of claim 4 , wherein the microprocessor, in response to the EPO signal, is configured to control the switch to decouple the battery from the external-battery-power terminal.

6 . The power system of claim 1 , wherein the external-battery-power terminal is part of a battery-power connector and is configured to releasably mate with the external-battery-power connector.

7 . The power system of claim 6 , wherein the external-battery-power terminal includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal, which are configured to connect with terminals provided in the battery-power connector to provide power from the power system.

8 . The power system of claim 1 , wherein the external-battery-power terminal is coupled to the battery by at least one power bus.

9 . The power system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one power bus is coupled to a switch to decouple a battery from the external-battery-power terminal.

10 . The power system of claim 9 , wherein the switch is normally in an ON position thereby connecting the battery to the external-battery-power terminal.

11 . The power system of claim 1 , wherein the EPO switch is configured to be moved from an ON position to an OFF position by decoupling the mechanical latch to terminate the EPO signal to a microprocessor of a battery module.

12 . The power system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical latch includes a hand actuated fastener configured to be extended to engage the EPO switch to achieve an ON position and retracted to disengage the EPO switch to achieve an OFF position.

13 . The power system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more battery frames coupled to the power system, the one or more battery frames being configured to provide additional power to the power system.

14 . The power system of claim 13 , wherein each battery frame of the one or more battery frames is coupled to the external-battery-power terminal, each battery frame including a battery frame connector configured to mate with an external-battery-frame-power connector and a battery frame EPO switch coupled to a battery frame EPO terminal, the battery frame EPO terminal being coupled to the EPO terminal.

15 . The power system of claim 14 , wherein the battery frame EPO switch is configured to be triggered by decoupling a mechanical latch associated with the external-battery-frame-power connector.

16 . The power system of claim 15 , wherein the battery frame EPO terminal terminates a battery frame EPO signal when the battery frame EPO switch is triggered to decouple a battery of the battery frame from the external-battery-power terminal.

17 . The power system of claim 15 , wherein, in response to the battery frame EPO signal, the battery frame module is configured to decouple the battery frame from the external-battery-power terminal.

18 . The power system of claim 1 , wherein the EPO signal is discontinued when the EPO switch is triggered.

19 . The power system of claim 1 , wherein the external-battery-power terminal and the EPO terminal are part of a battery power connector.

20 . A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a controller, cause the controller it to perform a method of decoupling a battery from an external-battery power terminal, the method comprising:
coupling an external-battery-power connector to an external-battery-power terminal; coupling an emergency power off (EPO) switch to an external battery EPO terminal; and in response to a decoupling of a mechanical latch associated with the external-battery-power connector, triggering the EPO switch to decouple a battery from the external-battery-power terminal.

21 . The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , further comprising controlling an operation of a switch by a microprocessor to decouple the battery from the external-battery-power terminal.

22 . The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the switch is normally in an ON position thereby connecting the battery to the external-battery-power terminal.

23 . The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the external-battery-power terminal is part of a battery-power connector and is configured to releasably mate with the external-battery-power connector.

24 . The computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the external-battery-power terminal includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal, which are configured to connect with terminals provided in the battery-power connector to provide power from the power system.

25 . The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the EPO switch is configured to be moved from an ON position to an OFF position by decoupling the mechanical latch to terminate the EPO signal to a microprocessor of a battery module.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric It Corp

Inventors

• Petrovic Luka
• Chase Andrew
• Young Jeffrey Steven

Classifications

• H01M50/262 Primary

  with fastening means, e.g. locks · CPC title

• H02J9/062 Primary

  for AC powered loads · CPC title