# US 12,113,380 B2 · Pre-charge unit for charging a dc link capacitor and battery system including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,380 B2 - Document ID: US12113380B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/381,398 - Filed: 2021-07-21 - Published: 2022-01-27 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-22 - Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Florian Maxl - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113380B2 ## CPC - H02J 7/50: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially - H02J 7/62: against overcurrent - H05K 1/0201: {Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating} - H05K 1/167: {incorporating printed resistors} - H02J 7/345: {using capacitors as storage or buffering devices} - H02J 2207/50: Charging of capacitors, supercapacitors, ultra-capacitors or double layer capacitors - H05K 2201/09263: Meander - H05K 2201/09309: Core having two or more power planes; Capacitive laminate of two power planes - H05K 2201/09672: Superposed layout, i.e. in different planes - H05K 2201/09727: Varying width along a single conductor; Conductors or pads having different widths - H05K 2201/10037: Printed or non-printed battery - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract A pre-charge unit for charging a DC link capacitor includes a printed circuit board including at least one conductive layer; a pre-charge switch on the printed circuit board; and a pre-charge resistor electrically connected in series with the pre-charge switch, wherein the pre-charge resistor is formed by a conductive trace in the at least one conductive layer of the printed circuit board. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pre-charge unit for charging a DC link capacitor, the pre-charge unit comprising: a printed circuit board including at least one conductive layer; a pre-charge switch on the printed circuit board; and a pre-charge resistor electrically connected in series with the pre-charge switch, wherein the pre-charge resistor is formed by a conductive trace in the at least one conductive layer of the printed circuit board. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive trace in the at least one conductive layer is formed to include a plurality of parallel aligned strip portions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein a width of the conductive trace in the at least one conductive layer is larger than a distance between two parallel strip portions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conductive trace in the at least one conductive layer is formed to include wound end portions electrically connecting two adjacent strip portions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the wound end portions are positioned at an edge portion of the printed circuit board. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive trace in the at least one conductive layer is thermally coupled to a cooling plate disposed on at least one side of the conductive trace. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board includes at least two conductive layers each including a respective conductive trace and being vertically disposed on each other, wherein the pre-charge resistor is formed by the respective conductive traces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the respective conductive traces of different ones of the at least two conductive layers are electrically connected in series by at least one electrically conductive vertical interconnect, which vertically penetrates through at least one insulating layer interposed between different ones of the at least two conductive layers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one vertical interconnect is positioned at end portions of two of the at least two conductive layers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least two conductive layers is two conductive layers, or the at least two conductive layers is an odd number of conductive layers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the at least two conductive layers have a first area that is occupied by the pre-charge resistor, the conductive traces in the at least two conductive layers of the pre-charge resistor occupy less than 50% of the first area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A pre-charge circuit for charging a DC link capacitor, comprising: the pre-charge unit as claimed in claim 1; and a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to the pre-charge switch of the pre-charge unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The pre-charge circuit as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a control unit configured to open the pre-charge switch of the pre-charge unit when a charging time exceeds a predetermined charging time, wherein the predetermined charging time is determined based on a voltage of the plurality of battery cells and an overall resistance of the conductive trace in the pre-charge resistor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A battery system, comprising the pre-charge circuit as claimed in claim 12. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A vehicle comprising the battery system as claimed in claim 14.