US 5,683,827 A · Protective device for protecting individual battery cells in a batterypack from damages and hazards caused by reverse polarity during discharge cycles

Abstract

A rechargeable battery pack which includes several battery cells. Each cell has a positive electrode and a negative electrode connected in series. Each of the battery cells further includes a reverse polarity protection device. The protection device includes a low voltage switch connected between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the battery cell. The low voltage switch is switched on to become a short circuit when a voltage difference between the positive electrode and the negative electrode for each of the battery cells is lower than a threshold switch-on voltage such that the each of the battery cells is bypassed and protected by conducting a current through the short circuit in the low voltage switch.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A rechargeable battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells each having a first terminal in electrical connection with a positive electrode and a second terminal in electrical connection with a negative electrode wherein said battery cells connected in series and each of said battery cells further comprising:

a polarity reverse protection means connected between said first terminal in electrical connection with said positive electrode and said second terminal in electrical connection with said negative electrode of said battery cell for preventing a polarity reverse of said positive and negative electrodes wherein said low voltage switching means is automatically switched on during a discharging cycle to become a short circuit when a voltage difference between said positive electrode and said negative electrode for each of said battery cells is lower than a threshold switch-on voltage whereby each of said battery cells is bypassed and protected by conducting a single-direction discharging current through said short circuit via said low voltage switching means;
and
said polarity reverse protection means further includes a low voltage indicating means for automatically providing an indication powered by said single-direction discharging current passing there-through when a voltage difference between said first terminal and second terminal is below said threshold switch-on voltage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Protective device for protecting individual battery cells in a batterypack from damages and hazards caused by reverse polarity during discharge cycles

Life of this patent

Protective device for protecting individual battery cells in a batterypack from damages and hazards caused by reverse polarity during discharge cycles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8