Battery pack and method of monitoring removal of secondary battery in battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9634314-B2
Application number	US-201113824780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2011
Priority date	Sep 24, 2010
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A battery pack and a simple construction is provided. The battery pack includes a plurality of secondary batteries, a housing storing the plurality of secondary batteries, and an inspection circuit stored in the housing. The housing includes a main body section and a closing member to close an opening for taking the plurality of secondary batteries in and out of the main body section, and includes a plurality of fixing members for fixing the closing member on the main body section, the plurality of fixing members being made of a conductive material. An attachment state of the fixing members with respect to the closing member and the main body section is monitored by the inspection circuit, and an attachment order of the fixing members with respect to the closing member and the main body section is memorized by the inspection circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery pack, comprising:
a plurality of secondary batteries;
a housing that stores the plurality of secondary batteries; and
an inspection circuit stored in the housing and includes a memory, wherein
the housing includes a main body section and a closing member to close an opening to take the plurality of secondary batteries in and out of the main body section, and includes a plurality of fixing members to fix the closing member on the main body section, wherein the plurality of fixing members are made of a conductive material, and
an attachment state of the plurality of fixing members with respect to the closing member and the main body section is detected by the inspection circuit, and an attachment order of the plurality of fixing members with respect to the closing member and the main body section is stored in the memory of the inspection circuit.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the inspection circuit comprises a battery protection circuit configured to stop a function of the battery pack in an event an order of removal of the plurality of fixing members from the closing member and the main body section is different from a removal order based on the attachment order stored in the memory of the inspection circuit.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fixing members is a screw.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
a bush is attached to a section of the main body section to which each of the plurality of fixing members is attached, wherein the bush is made of a conductive material, connected to the inspection circuit through a first wiring, and engaged with each of the plurality of fixing members, and
the plurality of fixing members attached to the closing member are connected to the inspection circuit through a second wiring.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the battery pack is given an identification, and
the identification has a determined relation with the attachment order.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment order is encrypted.

7. A method of monitoring removal of a secondary battery in a battery pack, the battery pack including:
a plurality of secondary batteries,
a housing storing the plurality of secondary batteries, and
an inspection circuit stored in the housing,
the housing including a main body section and a closing member to close an opening for taking the plurality of secondary batteries in and out of the main body section, and including a plurality of fixing members for fixing the closing member on the main body section, the plurality of fixing members being made of a conductive material,
an attachment state of the plurality of fixing members with respect to the closing member and the main body section being monitored by the inspection circuit, and an attachment order of the plurality of fixing members with respect to the closing member and the main body section being memorized by the inspection circuit,
the method comprising: stopping a function of the battery pack in an event an order of removing the plurality of fixing members from the closing member and the main body section is different from a removal order based on the attachment order.

8. The method of monitoring removal of the secondary battery in the battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of fixing members is a screw.

9. The method of monitoring removal of the secondary battery in the battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein
a bush is attached to a section of the main body section to which each of the plurality of fixing members is attached, the bush being made of a conductive material, being connected to the inspection circuit through a first wiring, and being engaged with each of the plurality of fixing members, and
the plurality of fixing members attached to the closing member are connected to the inspection circuit through a second wiring.

10. The method of monitoring removal of the secondary battery in the battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein
the battery pack is given an identification, and
the identification has a determined relation with the attachment order.

11. The method of monitoring removal of the secondary battery in the battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein the attachment order is encrypted.

12. A battery pack, comprising:
a plurality of secondary batteries;
a housing that stores the plurality of secondary batteries; and
an inspection circuit stored in the housing, wherein
the housing includes a main body section and a closing member to close an opening to take the plurality of secondary batteries in and out of the main body section, and includes a plurality of fixing members to fix the closing member on the main body section, wherein the plurality of fixing members are made of a conductive material,
an attachment state of the plurality of fixing members with respect to the closing member and the main body section is monitored by the inspection circuit, and an attachment order of the plurality of fixing members with respect to the closing member and the main body section is memorized by the inspection circuit, and
the plurality of fixing members are connected to the inspection circuit through a wiring.

Assignees

• Marutani Kentaro
• Ozawa Atsushi
• Hotta Shin
• Uesaka Shinichi
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Marutani Kentaro
• Ozawa Atsushi
• Hotta Shin
• Uesaka Shinichi

Classifications

• H01M10/482 Primary

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/262

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

• H01M50/271

  Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings · CPC title

• H01M50/574

  Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current · CPC title

• H01M10/4285 Primary

  Testing apparatus · CPC title