Battery module and electric breathing device with dual protection capability

Abstract

The present application discloses a battery module, which includes a plurality of battery cells, contacts for electrical connection with the outside, and a protection circuit. The protection circuit includes: a first and a second switch unit connected in series and arranged in a charge and discharge channel; a first and a second programmable protection chip, which are respectively connected to the control ends of the first and the second switch units, and are used to control the on and off of the first and the second switch units respectively, wherein the first and the second programmable protection chips are configured to have the same parameters, wherein when any one or both of the first and the second programmable protection chips detect an abnormality of at least one of current, voltage and temperature based on the parameters, a control signal is sent to the corresponding one or two of the first and the second switch units connected thereto to disconnect the charge and discharge channels of the plurality of battery cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates generally to powered respiratory devices, and more particularly to battery modules suitable for use with powered respiratory devices. Background Art

[0002] As a component of the life environment support system, electric breathing equipment is widely used in various harmful occasions to ensure that users can breathe clean air safely and reliably at sites that are harmful to human health, such as in harsh welding work sites, emergency medical diagnosis sites with risks of respiratory disease transmission, and even sites with explosion hazards.

[0003] The electric breathing device generally includes a main unit that can be worn around the waist of a person, a filter box detachably mounted on the main unit, a breathing mask, a connecting pipe between the main unit and the breathing mask, and a battery module for powering the device. Ambient air is filtered and sucked into the main unit through the filter box driven by the fan and other components in the main unit, and then supplied to the breathing mask through the connecting pipe for the user to inhale.

[0004] The environment in which the electric breathing apparatus is used is sometimes harsh, for example, it may be used in an environment with explosive gas or dust. In this case, it is necessary to take protective measures for the power supply system of the electric breathing apparatus to prevent sparks, spontaneous combustion, etc. For the electric breathing apparatus, a highly reliable power supply protection system is required. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present application proposes an improved battery module suitable for an electric breathing device, which can provide highly reliable dual protection for the battery module and other circuit parts of the electric breathing device, as well as other advantages described in detail below.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present application, a battery module with dual protection capability is provided, comprising:

[0007] a plurality of battery cells capable of storing electrical energy;

[0008] contacts for electrically connecting to components outside the battery module;

[0009] A protection circuit, the protection circuit comprising:

[0010] A first switch unit and a second switch unit, wherein the first and second switch units are connected in series and are arranged between the first end of the plurality of battery cells and the contact

[0011] In the charge and discharge channel between the first contacts in the point;

[0012] a first programmable protection chip and a second programmable protection chip, wherein the first programmable chip is connected to the control end of the first switch unit to control the on and off of the first switch unit, and the second programmable chip is connected to the control end of the second switch unit to control the on and off of the second switch unit, wherein the first and second programmable protection chips are configured to have the same parameters, and at least a part of the parameters is used to detect an abnormality of at least one of the current, voltage and temperature in the battery module, wherein when either one or both of the first and second programmable protection chips detect an abnormality of at least one of the current, voltage and temperature based on the parameters, a control signal is sent to a corresponding one or two of the first and second switch units connected thereto to disconnect the charge and discharge channels of the multiple battery cells.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present application, there is also provided an electric breathing apparatus, which includes: a host; and the battery module described herein, for supplying power to the host. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The principles and various aspects of the present application can be more fully understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings. It should be noted that the scales of the drawings may be different for the purpose of clear description, but this will not affect the understanding of the present application. In the drawings:

[0015] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an electrically powered respiratory apparatus according to one embodiment;

[0016] Figure 2 Schematically illustrates a host of an electric breathing apparatus according to one embodiment;

[0017] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a battery module according to one embodiment;

[0018] Figure 4 A programmable protection chip according to an embodiment is schematically shown; and

[0019] Figure 5 A battery module according to an embodiment is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In the various figures of the present application, features with the same structure or similar functions are represented by the same reference numerals.

[0021] Figure 1The electric breathing device 100 according to one embodiment is schematically shown. The electric breathing device 100 mainly includes an air filter device 200, a breathing mask 400, a connecting hose 300 connected between the air filter device 200 and the breathing mask 400, and a battery module 500 for powering the electric breathing device 100, especially the air filter device 200. The air filter device 200 is worn by the user, for example, worn around the waist. The breathing mask 400 is worn on the head by the user. For example, the air filter device 200 has a connection port 210 for detachably connecting to a joint 310 of the connecting hose 300. For example, the breathing mask 400 can be a medical epidemic prevention isolation mask, a gas mask, a welding mask, etc. The air filter device 200 is driven by an internal electric fan to inhale air from the environment and filter the air, and then provide it to the breathing mask 400 through the connecting hose 300 for the user to inhale.

[0022] Figure 2 The main unit 220 included in the air filter device 200 according to one embodiment is schematically shown. According to an example of the present application, the air filter device 200 includes the main unit 220 and an air filter box (not shown), which can be detachably connected to each other in alignment with each other by means of Hall sensors 250a, 250b, and 250c. The main unit 220 includes a housing 2210. For example, the connection port 210 of the air filter device 200 is located in the housing 2210. An internal space is defined in the housing 2210 to accommodate the electric blower 2220 (in Figure 2 In addition, an air intake port 2230 is formed in the housing 2210. The housing 2210 is configured so that when the fan 2220 is powered on and started, gas can be sucked into the internal space where the fan 2220 is located through the air intake port 2230 and discharged outwardly through the connection port 210. In order to power the fan, a rechargeable battery module 500 is detachably connected to the housing 2210. The battery module 500 can also be installed in the housing 2210 and is not detachable. The host 220 includes a display screen 2214 for displaying various parameters and a control button 2215 for controlling relevant components in the host 220, such as the fan 2220. For example, the wind speed of the fan 2220 can be controlled by the control button 2215.

[0023] Figure 3The battery module 500 according to one embodiment is schematically shown. The battery module 500 includes contacts PACK+ and PACK- for electrically connecting to components outside the battery module 500. For example, when the battery module 500 is properly installed in the housing 2210, the battery module 500 is electrically connected to components in the host 220 via its contacts PACK+ and PACK-, thereby powering components such as the electric blower 2220. On the other hand, when the battery module 500 is connected to an external power source, the battery module 500, more specifically the battery cell 501, is charged via the contacts PACK+ and PACK-.

[0024] The battery module 500 includes a plurality of battery cells 501, which include, for example, a plurality of lithium battery pairs 501-1 to 501-3 connected in series. One end of the plurality of battery cells 501, for example, the positive end of the lithium battery pair 501-1, is connected to a plurality of switch units 503, and is connected to a contact PACK+ via the plurality of switch units 503. A plurality of programmable protection chips 505 are respectively connected to the control ends of the plurality of switch units 503 to control the on and off of the plurality of switch units 503.

[0025] The other end of the multiple battery cells 501, such as the negative end of the lithium battery pair 501-3, is connected to the current sampling resistor 506, and is connected to the contact PACK- via the current sampling resistor 506. Multiple programmable protection chips 505 are respectively connected to the two ends of the current sampling resistor 506 to measure the current flowing through the sampling resistor 506, which represents the current of the charge and discharge channel.

[0026] Each of the plurality of programmable protection chips 505 is connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each battery cell in the plurality of battery cells 501, so that the voltage of each battery cell can be measured. According to one example, the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each battery cell can be connected to each programmable protection chip 505 through a balancing resistor 502. Figure 3 In the example shown, the positive electrode of the battery cell 501-1 is connected to the corresponding ports of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 via balancing resistors 502-1a and 502-1b, respectively; the positive electrode of the battery cell 501-2 and the negative electrode of the battery cell 501-1 are connected to the corresponding ports of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 via balancing resistors 502-2a and 502-2b, respectively; the positive electrode of the battery cell 501-3 and the negative electrode of the battery cell 501-2 are connected to the corresponding ports of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 via balancing resistors 502-3a and 502-3b, respectively; and the negative electrode of the battery cell 501-3 is connected to the corresponding ports of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2, respectively.

[0027] In addition, although Figure 3 Although not shown in the figure, each programmable protection chip 505 can be connected to a corresponding thermistor, so as to measure the temperature of multiple battery cells 501. The thermistor can be arranged close to multiple battery cells 501. When the temperature of the battery cell increases, the resistance value of the thermistor increases accordingly. Therefore, the resistance value of the thermistor measured by each programmable protection chip 505 is related to the temperature and can represent the temperature of the battery cell 501 or the battery module 500.

[0028] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the plurality of programmable protection chips 505 may also be connected to the first contact PACK+ through corresponding start-up resistors 504 , respectively, to form an auxiliary charging channel during the charging process.

[0029] In addition, the battery module 500 further includes an ultra-low power consumption control unit 507, which communicates with the plurality of programmable protection chips 505 to send information to the plurality of programmable protection chips 505 and read information from the plurality of programmable protection chips 505, and transmits the read information to the upper layer application module in the host 220, and to the indication unit 508 in the battery module 500. In addition, the battery module 500 may further include a reset unit 509, which is, for example, a reset button 509, for enabling a user to reset or restore the operating state of the battery unit by operating the reset button.

[0030] By sampling, for example Figure 3 The fully equivalent dual protection circuit shown in the figure has two programmable protection chips arranged in parallel, and their parameters are completely consistent, the two programmable protection chips are configured with their own thermistors, and two pairs of charge and discharge protection MOS tubes are connected in series. In the event that any one of the programmable protection chips is damaged or fails, or any one of the MOS tubes is damaged or fails, or any one of the thermistors is damaged or fails, or any other single component is damaged or fails, the battery module 500 can still maintain a fully functional charge and discharge protection state, thereby achieving extremely high reliability protection.

[0031] According to an example, the plurality of switch units 503 include a first switch unit 503-1 and a second switch unit 503-2 connected in series. Each of the first and second switch units 503-1 and 503-2 includes two MOS tubes, one of which is a discharge protection MOS tube, and the other is a charge protection MOS tube. The source and drain terminals of the two protection MOS tubes are connected in series and are arranged in the charge and discharge channel between the positive terminals of the plurality of battery cells 501 and the contact PACK+. By controlling the gates of the two protection MOS tubes in the switch units 503-1 and 503-2 respectively by the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2, each of the switch units 503-1 and 503-2 is controlled to be turned on and off, thereby controlling the conduction and shutoff of the charge and discharge channel.

[0032] For example, when the working state is normal, for example, when any of overcurrent, overvoltage and overtemperature does not occur during the charging process, or when any of overcurrent, undervoltage and overtemperature does not occur during the discharging process, the programmable protection chip 505 provides a high level for the discharge protection MOS tube and the charging protection MOS tube in the corresponding switch unit 503, thereby controlling the corresponding switch unit 503 to be turned on. When the working state is abnormal, for example, when any of overcurrent, overvoltage and overtemperature occurs during the charging process, the protection chip 505 provides a low level for the charging protection MOS tube in the corresponding switch unit 503, thereby controlling the corresponding switch unit 503 to be turned off; for example, when any of overcurrent, undervoltage and overtemperature occurs during the discharging process, the protection chip 505 provides a low level for the discharge protection MOS tube in the corresponding switch unit 503, thereby controlling the corresponding switch unit 503 to be turned off.

[0033] exist Figure 3 In the example shown, the first and second programmable chips 505-1 and 505-2 control the on and off of the first switch units 503-1 and 503-2, respectively. According to one embodiment, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 are configured to have the same parameters, at least a portion of which is used to detect an abnormality in at least one of the current, voltage, and temperature in the battery module 500. When either or both of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 detect an abnormality in at least one of the current, voltage, and temperature based on the configured parameters, a control signal is sent to the corresponding one or two of the first and second switch units 503-1 and 503-2 connected thereto to disconnect the charge and discharge channels of the plurality of battery cells 501.

[0034] In one embodiment, a plurality of programmable protection chips 505 configured with the same parameters and a corresponding plurality of switch units 503 constitute an essential part of the protection circuit of the battery cell 500. In other embodiments, the protection circuit may further include other components.

[0035] Figure 4 The programmable protection chip 505 according to an embodiment is schematically shown. The programmable protection chip 505 includes a signal acquisition unit 5051, a signal amplification unit 5052, an analog-to-digital conversion unit 5053, a control unit 5054 and a storage unit 5055. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the signal acquisition unit 5051, the signal amplification unit 5052, and the analog-to-digital conversion unit 5053 shown in the figure can represent multiple signal acquisition units, multiple signal amplification units, and multiple analog-to-digital conversion units, respectively, to measure each signal. The storage unit may include one or more of a register, a volatile memory, and a non-volatile memory, for storing the same parameters configured for the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2. The storage unit 5055 may also store other data, such as a program run by the control unit 5054, a work record or a status record generated during the chip operation, etc. The control unit 5054 may be a processing unit with digital processing capabilities, for controlling the operation of the programmable protection chip 505 according to the parameters stored in the storage unit 5055. The same parameters configured for the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 may also include a program run by the control unit 5054. By configuring the same parameters for the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 run according to the same program and rules, so when one of the programmable protection chips has a problem and loses the ability to protect the battery module, the other programmable protection chip can provide the same protection capability, thereby greatly improving the reliable protection of the battery module.

[0036] Back to Figure 3Whether in the discharging process or the charging process, the corresponding signal acquisition unit 5051-U1 in the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can respectively acquire the voltage U1 of the battery cell 501-1, and the acquired voltage is amplified by the signal amplification unit 5052-U1, and then converted into a digital signal U1D by the analog-to-digital conversion unit 5053-U1, and then provided to the control unit 5054. Similarly, the corresponding signal acquisition units 5051-U2 and 5051-U3 in each of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can similarly acquire the voltages U2 and U3 of the battery cells 501-2 and 501-3, and the acquired voltage is amplified by the signal amplification units 5052-U1 and 5052-U2, and then converted into digital signals U2D and U3D by the analog-to-digital conversion units 5053-U2 and 5053-U3, and then provided to the control unit 5054. The control unit 5054 determines whether a voltage abnormality occurs in the battery module 500 according to the configured voltage threshold and the corresponding duration threshold.

[0037] The configured voltage threshold may be a minimum voltage threshold of the battery cell during the discharge process, and the corresponding duration threshold may be a duration threshold for the voltage measurement value to be less than the minimum voltage threshold. During the discharge process, the control unit 5054 may compare any one of the above-mentioned measurement values ​​U1D, U2D, and U3D with the minimum voltage threshold, and determine that an undervoltage abnormality occurs when the duration of the continuous measurement values ​​U1D, U2D, or U3D being less than the minimum voltage threshold is greater than the duration threshold. In response to the abnormality, the control unit 5054 may control the corresponding programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 to output switch control signals to the corresponding switch units 503-1 and 503-2 to turn off the switch units 503-1 and 503-2.

[0038] The configured voltage threshold may be the maximum voltage threshold of the battery cell during the charging process, and the corresponding duration threshold may be the duration threshold of the voltage measurement value being greater than the maximum voltage threshold. During the charging process, the control unit 5054 may compare any one of the above-mentioned measurement values ​​U1D, U2D, and U3D with the maximum voltage threshold, and determine that an abnormal overvoltage condition occurs when the duration of the continuous measurement values ​​U1D, U2D, or U3D being greater than the maximum voltage threshold is greater than the duration threshold. In response to the abnormal condition, the control unit 5054 may control the corresponding programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 to output switch control signals to the corresponding switch units 503-1 and 503-2 to turn off the switch units 503-1 and 503-2.

[0039] Although in the above description, in the process of measuring the battery cells 501-1, 501-2 and 501-3, the voltage signals U1, U2 and U3 collected by the signal collection units 5051-U1, 5051-U2 and 5051-U3 are processed in parallel by the separate signal amplification units 5052-U1, 5052-U2 and 5052-U3 and the separate analog-to-digital conversion units 5053-U1, 5053-U2 and 5053-U3 However, the voltage signals U1, U2 and U3 collected by the signal collection units 5051-U1, 5051-U2 and 5051-U3 can also be processed by a signal amplification unit 5052 and a digital-to-analog conversion unit 5053. For example, the signal amplification unit 5052 and the digital-to-analog conversion unit 5053 process the voltage signals U1, U2 and U3 in turn under the control of the control unit 5054 to obtain digital measurement signals U1D, U2D and U3D.

[0040] In addition, whether in the discharge process or the charging process, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can respectively use the current sampling resistor 507 to measure the current of the charge and discharge channel. For example, the corresponding signal acquisition units 5051-I1 and 5051-I2 in the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can respectively acquire the voltages U1I and U2I of the current sampling resistor 507, and the acquired voltages are amplified by the signal amplification units 5052-I1 and 5052-I2, and then converted into digital signals U1I and U2I by the analog-to-digital conversion units 5053-I1 and 5053-I2, and then provided to the control unit 5054, and the control unit 5054 can use the digital voltage signals U1I and U2I and the current sampling resistor to calculate the measured currents I1D and I2D. For another example, the corresponding signal acquisition units 5051-I1 and 5051-I2 can directly measure the currents I1 and I2 flowing through the sampling resistor 507, respectively, and finally provide the digital current signals I1D and I2D to the control units 5054-1 and 5054-2 through the signal amplification units 5052-I1 and 5052-I2 and the analog-to-digital conversion units 5053-I1 and 5053-I2. For another example, the signal acquisition units 5051-I1 and 5051-I2 can directly obtain the digital currents I1D and I2D flowing through the sampling resistor 507, respectively, and provide them to the control units 5054-1 and 5054-2. In this case, the signal amplification units 5052-I1 and 5052-I2 and the analog-to-digital conversion units 5053-I1 and 5053-I2 are not required. The control unit 5054 determines whether the battery module 500 has a current abnormality according to the configured current threshold and the corresponding duration threshold.

[0041] The configured current threshold may be a maximum current threshold during the discharge process and a duration threshold for the corresponding measured value to exceed the maximum current threshold, and may be a maximum current threshold during the charging process and a duration threshold for the corresponding measured value to exceed the maximum current threshold. According to one example, the maximum current threshold during the discharge process and the corresponding duration threshold may be the same as the maximum current threshold during the charging process and the corresponding duration threshold. According to another example, the maximum current threshold during the discharge process and the corresponding duration threshold may be different from the maximum current threshold during the charging process and the corresponding duration threshold.

[0042] During the discharge or charge process, the control units 5054-1 and 5054-2 in the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can compare their respective current measurement values ​​I1D and I2D with the corresponding maximum current threshold, and determine that an abnormal overcurrent situation occurs when the duration of the continuous measurement values ​​I1D and I2D being higher than the maximum current threshold is greater than the corresponding duration threshold. In response to the abnormal situation, the control units 5054-1 and 5054-2 can control the corresponding programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 to output switch control signals to the corresponding switch units 503-1 and 503-2 to turn off the switch units 503-1 and 503-2.

[0043] In addition, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can respectively use their own thermistors to measure the temperature of the battery module 500, especially the battery cell 501. Figure 3 Although not shown in the figure, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 are respectively connected to the first thermistor and the second thermistor, so that the temperature of the plurality of battery cells 501 can be measured. The thermistor can be arranged close to the plurality of battery cells 501. When the temperature of the battery cells increases, the resistance value of the thermistor increases accordingly. Therefore, the resistance value of the thermistor measured by the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 is related to the temperature and can represent the temperature of the battery cell 501 or the battery module 500. In one example, the temperature of the thermistor can also be represented by the voltage value of the thermistor measured. Therefore, depending on the specific implementation method, the control unit 5054 can use the resistance value, voltage value or temperature value measured by the thermistor to represent the temperature of the thermistor, and the corresponding temperature threshold is also a resistance value, voltage value or temperature value related to the temperature.

[0044] The configured temperature threshold may be a maximum temperature threshold during the discharge process and a duration threshold for the corresponding measured value to exceed the maximum temperature threshold, and may be a maximum temperature threshold during the charging process and a duration threshold for the corresponding measured value to exceed the maximum temperature threshold. According to one example, the maximum temperature threshold during the discharge process and the corresponding duration threshold may be the same as the maximum temperature threshold during the charging process and the corresponding duration threshold. According to another example, the maximum temperature threshold during the discharge process and the corresponding duration threshold may be different from the maximum temperature threshold during the charging process and the corresponding duration threshold.

[0045] During the discharge or charge process, the control units 5054-1 and 5054-2 in the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can compare their respective temperature-related measurement values ​​T1D and T2D with the corresponding maximum temperature threshold, and determine that an abnormal overheating condition occurs when the duration of the continuous measurement values ​​T1D and T2D being higher than the maximum temperature threshold is greater than the corresponding duration threshold. In response to the abnormal condition, the control units 5054-1 and 5054-2 can control the corresponding programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 to output switch control signals to the corresponding switch units 503-1 and 503-2 to turn off the switch units 503-1 and 503-2.

[0046] According to one embodiment, during the discharge process, when any one of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 detects an abnormal situation such as undervoltage or overcurrent during the discharge process according to the parameters and the measured values, it continuously turns off the corresponding switch unit in the first and second switch units 503-1 and 503-2 under the control of the control units 5054-1 and 5054-2, and does not turn on the corresponding switch unit until an enable signal from the outside is received. Through such a configuration, repeated oscillations caused by half-contact short circuits in the circuit can be avoided.

[0047] When the above abnormal situation occurs, the abnormal situation can be stored in the storage unit 5055. For example, when the control unit 5054 detects an abnormal situation during the discharge process, in addition to sending a control signal to turn off the corresponding switch unit 503, the occurrence of the abnormal situation and / or the type of the abnormal situation can also be stored in the storage unit 5055. For example, the storage unit 5055 can be a register, and when an abnormal situation occurs, the register bit indicating the occurrence of the abnormal situation can be set to a specific value, such as "1". For another example, when a specific type of abnormal situation occurs, the register bit indicating the type of the specific abnormal situation can be set to a specific value, such as "1". The ultra-low power control unit 507 can communicate with the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 to read the working status recorded in the storage unit 5055, such as a normal state, the occurrence of an abnormal state, the type of an abnormal state, etc. In addition, the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can also estimate the remaining power of the battery cell 501 and store it in the storage unit 5055. Accordingly, the working status read by the ultra-low power control unit 507 from the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 may also include the remaining power. The ultra-low power control unit 507 may output the read working status to the upper application module in the host 220, so as to be finally displayed on the Figure 2 The display screen 2214 shown. Therefore, the user can learn the working status of the battery module 500 through the status information displayed on the display screen 2214, such as one or more of the remaining power, the occurrence of abnormal conditions, and the type of abnormal conditions that occurred. In addition, an indication unit 508, such as an LED indicator light, may also be provided on the battery module 500. The ultra-low power consumption control unit 507 can indicate the status information through the indication unit 508 by controlling the opening and closing of the indicator light corresponding to the output status information. Through this configuration, the user does not have to rely on the display information of the display screen 2214 of the host, but can learn the status of the battery module 500 from the information indicated by the battery module 500, further increasing the reliability of being able to handle abnormal conditions in harsh environments.

[0048] When an abnormal situation occurs during the above-mentioned discharge process, the user can be informed of the occurrence of the abnormal situation through the corresponding information displayed on the display screen 2214. At this time, for the user, if in a harsh environment, it is appropriate to manually reset the battery module after entering a safe environment. As an example, when the user connects the battery module to an external power supply, the reset of the battery module can be triggered, but this method requires an external power supply, which may be inconvenient in some cases. In another example, the battery module 500 may include a reset button 509, and the user can trigger the reset of the system by operating the reset button 509. When the user presses the reset unit 509, the ultra-low power control unit 507 can receive a reset signal representing a reset operation from the user, and send an instruction corresponding to the reset operation to each of the first and second programmable protection chips 505. Accordingly, each of the first and second programmable protection chips 505 resets the protection chip to a normal operating state based on the received instruction, and optionally sends a control signal for turning on the switch unit to the corresponding switch unit. In one example, the instruction corresponding to the reset operation may be a trigger instruction for triggering the programmable protection chip 505 to return to a normal operating state. In another example, the instruction corresponding to the reset operation may be an operating parameter loaded into the programmable protection chip by the ultra-low power consumption control unit, so that the programmable protection chip recovers to a normal operating state by reloading the parameters.

[0049] In addition, the position of the reset button 509 on the battery module 500 can be arranged so that it is invisible to the user when the battery module 500 is installed on the host 220. In other words, the user can only operate the reset button 509 when the battery module 500 is removed from the host, which can further prompt the user to reset the state of the battery module 500 when the battery module 500 is electrically disconnected from other components, thereby further increasing safety. Those skilled in the art can understand that when the battery module 500 stops discharging to the outside due to the above-mentioned abnormal situation during the discharge process, the ultra-low power control unit 507 and the programmable protection chip 505 can still work through the backup power supply, which is, for example, a backup battery with a much smaller capacity than the battery unit 501, which can be used to temporarily power the ultra-low power control unit 507 and the programmable protection chip 505 under special circumstances. For example, the operating frequency of the ultra-low power control unit 507 is on the order of tens of kHz, and the operating current is on the order of several milliamperes, which is sufficient to be driven by a very small amount of electricity.

[0050] The same parameters configured for the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 may also include parameters and programs for achieving balancing between multiple battery cells 501. As described above, during the charging process, each of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 measures the voltage of each battery cell 501. Each of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 can compare the voltage difference between the measured voltages of different battery cells 501, and when the voltage difference is greater than a threshold, turn on the switch unit corresponding to at least one battery cell, so that the at least one battery cell forms a parallel circuit with the corresponding balancing resistors respectively connected to the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2. For the clarity of the figure, Figure 3 The switch unit is not shown in the figure. According to an example, the switch unit is implemented inside the programmable protection chip 501. For example, each of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 detects that the voltage difference between the voltage U1 of the battery cell 501-1 and the voltage U2 of the battery cell 501-2 is greater than the voltage difference threshold, and then turns on the switch unit corresponding to the battery cell 501-1 with a larger voltage, thereby forming a parallel circuit between the battery cell 501-1 and the balancing resistors 502-1a and 502-1b, respectively, so as to achieve voltage and current balancing between the battery cells 501-1 and 501-2 by using the shunting effect of the balancing resistors 502-1a and 502-1b. By using the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 at the same time to achieve dual-path balancing and act simultaneously, the battery cells can have a faster balancing capability. In other cases, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 may also implement shunting for more than one battery cell at the same time to achieve balancing. For example, when the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 detect that the voltage differences between the voltages U1 and U3 of the battery cells 501-1 and 501-3 and the voltage U2 of the battery cell 501-2 are both greater than the voltage difference threshold, the switch units corresponding to the battery cells 501-1 and 501-3 with the larger voltages are turned on, thereby forming a parallel circuit between the battery cell 501-1 and the balancing resistors 502-1a and 502-1b, respectively, and a parallel circuit between the battery cell 501-3 and the balancing resistors 502-3a and 502-3b, respectively, thereby utilizing the shunting effect of the balancing resistors to achieve voltage and current balancing among the battery cells 501-1, 501-2, and 501-3.

[0051] The same parameters configured for the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 may also include parameters and programs for controlling the charging process. As described above, each of the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 measures the voltage of each battery cell 501 during the charging process. When the measured voltage is less than the first charging voltage threshold, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 send control signals to the first and second switch units 503-1 and 503-2 to turn off the main charging channel where the first and second switch units 503-1 and 503-2 are located, and turn on the auxiliary charging channel where the start-up resistors 504-1 and 504-2 are located to charge multiple battery cells 501. The auxiliary charging channel passes through the start-up resistor 504 and the programmable protection chip 505, and the programmable protection chip 505 can control the size of the charging current, for example, controlling the charging current to be relatively small, thereby protecting the battery cell 501 and the entire battery module 500 in the initial stage of the charging process. When the measured voltage is greater than the first charging voltage threshold, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 send control signals to the first and second switch units 503-1 and 503-2 to turn on the main charging channels where the first and second switch units 503-1 and 503-2 are located, and disconnect the charging channels where the start resistors 504-1 and 504-2 are located. In one embodiment, the above-mentioned control process for achieving balance between multiple battery cells 501 can be started at this stage. When the measured voltage is greater than the second charging voltage threshold, the first and second programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 send control signals to the first and second switch units 503-1 and 503-2 to disconnect the charging channels where the first and second switch units are located. The second charging voltage threshold is greater than the first charging voltage threshold. By configuring the same parameters for the programmable protection chips 505-1 and 505-2 for the control of the above-mentioned charging process, a safe charging process can be achieved more reliably. Even if one of the first and second programmable protection chips 505 - 1 and 505 - 2 fails to work normally due to various possible reasons, the other programmable protection chip 505 can reliably ensure the above-mentioned safe charging process.

[0052] As described above, the electric breathing device 100 may work in various environments, and the severity of various environments is different. The protection parameters required for different severity environments may be different. According to one embodiment, all protection parameters of the programmable protection chip 505 are all software programmable, allowing the user to adjust the protection parameters of the programmable protection chip 505 by software programming for different application environments of the electric breathing device, so as to achieve flexible adaptability to specific application environments. According to one embodiment, multiple parameter sets can be provided, and the user can select one of the parameter sets as the working parameters of the programmable protection chip 505 to be suitable for a specific application environment. In one example, the multiple parameter sets can be stored in the storage unit 5055 of the programmable protection chip 505, and the ultra-low power control unit 507 activates the selected parameter set in the first and second programmable protection chips 505 based on the received selection of one parameter set in the multiple parameter sets. In one example, the multiple parameter sets can be stored in the storage unit of the host 220, and the ultra-low power control unit 507 activates the selected parameter set in the first and second programmable protection chips 505 based on the received one parameter set selected in the multiple parameter sets. In one example, the multiple parameter sets may be stored in a device other than the electric breathing device 100 , and the ultra-low power control unit 507 activates the selected parameter set in the first and second programmable protection chips 505 based on the received parameter set selected from the multiple parameter sets.

[0053] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although in combination Figure 3 and 4 In the description, the programmable protection chip 505 includes the signal acquisition unit 5051, the signal amplification unit 5052, the analog-to-digital conversion unit 5053, the control unit 5054 and the storage unit 5055 as shown, but in the specific implementation, the measurement of certain specific signals and the judgment of the corresponding abnormal situation may not necessarily require all of the above units. For example, the judgment of the abnormal situation related to a certain specific signal can be implemented using a comparator. Therefore, in this process, the corresponding signal amplification unit 5052 and the digital-to-analog conversion unit 5053 may not be required, and only the comparison result needs to be sent by the comparator to the control unit 5055. In addition, in the specific implementation, the programmable protection chip 505 may also include other units. For the convenience of illustration, only the components related to the content of this application are shown in the figure.

[0054] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although in combination Figure 3In the description, the battery module 500 includes a battery cell 501, a balancing resistor 502, a switch unit 503, a start-up resistor 504, a programmable protection chip 505, a current sampling resistor 506, an ultra-low power control unit 507, an indication unit 508 and a reset button 509. However, in a specific implementation, the specific circuit of the battery module 500 may include more elements or components. For the convenience of illustration, only the components related to the content of this application are shown in the figure. And in a specific implementation, the battery module 500 may also include fewer components, and it is not necessary to include Figure 3 All parts shown.

[0055] Figure 5 A battery module 500 according to one embodiment is schematically illustrated. Figure 5 Zhongyu Figure 3 The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail here. Figure 5 As shown, the battery module 500 includes a plurality of battery cells, which include two parallel groups of battery cells, each of which includes three battery cells 501 connected in series. The battery cells arranged in this way can be called two-parallel three-series battery cells. Figure 3 The battery cells arranged as shown are called three-string battery cells. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other battery cell arrangements are also applicable to the technical solution of the present application, such as four-string battery cells, two-parallel four-string battery cells, etc.

[0056] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the positive terminal of each battery cell 501 is connected to the first programmable protection chip 505-1 via one balancing resistor 502 and to the second programmable protection chip 505-2 via another balancing resistor 502. Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 3 and Figure 5 The balancing resistor arrangement shown and other balancing resistor arrangements can be applied to the technical solution of the present application.

[0057] As described above, the technical solution of the present application can not only provide high-reliability protection of the power supply circuit, but also provide other advantages, such as improving the safety of user operations, achieving flexibility in adapting to specific application environments, achieving faster balancing capabilities, and providing a more convenient user experience.

[0058] Although the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail herein, they are provided only for the purpose of explanation and should not be considered to limit the scope of the present application. In addition, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the various embodiments described in this specification can be used in combination with each other. Various replacements, changes and modifications can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: a plurality of battery cells capable of storing electrical energy; contacts for electrically connecting to components outside the battery module; A protection circuit, the protection circuit comprising: A first switch unit and a second switch unit, the first and second switch units are connected in series and arranged in a charge and discharge channel between the first ends of the plurality of battery cells and a first contact among the contacts; a first programmable protection chip and a second programmable protection chip, wherein the first programmable protection chip is connected to the control end of the first switch unit to control the on and off of the first switch unit, and the second programmable protection chip is connected to the control end of the second switch unit to control the on and off of the second switch unit, wherein the first and second programmable protection chips are configured to have the same parameters, at least a part of the parameters is used to detect an abnormality of at least one of the current, voltage and temperature in the battery module, wherein when either one or both of the first and second programmable protection chips detect an abnormality of at least one of the current, voltage and temperature based on the parameters, a control signal is sent to a corresponding one or two of the first and second switch units connected thereto to disconnect the charge and discharge channels of the plurality of battery cells, in, Each of the first and second programmable protection chips is connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each battery cell in the plurality of battery cells so as to be able to measure the voltage of each battery cell; and / or Each of the first and second programmable protection chips is connected to two ends of a current sampling resistor in a charge and discharge channel arranged between the second ends of the plurality of battery cells and a second contact among the contacts, so as to measure the current of the charge and discharge channel; and / or The first and second programmable protection chips are connected to the first thermistor and the second thermistor respectively, so as to measure the temperature of the battery module.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the first and second programmable protection chips comprises: A storage unit, used for storing the parameters; A control unit is used to determine whether an abnormal situation occurs based on the parameters and the measured values ​​related to at least one of the current, voltage and temperature, and when an abnormal situation is detected, control the programmable protection chip to output a control signal for shutting down the corresponding switch unit in the first and second switch units.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein: Each of the first and second programmable protection chips comprises: A signal amplifier for amplifying a measured signal related to at least one of current, voltage and temperature; an analog-to-digital converter for converting the amplified signal into a digital measurement value; The control unit determines whether an abnormal situation occurs based on the parameter and a digital measurement value of at least one of the current, voltage and temperature.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein: The parameters include one or more of the following: A maximum current threshold during the discharge process and a duration threshold during which the corresponding measured value exceeds the maximum current threshold; A minimum voltage threshold of a battery cell during discharge and a duration threshold during which a corresponding measurement value is lower than the minimum voltage threshold; A maximum temperature threshold during the discharge process and a duration threshold during which the corresponding measured value exceeds the temperature threshold; A maximum current threshold during charging and a duration threshold during which the corresponding measured value exceeds the maximum current threshold; A maximum voltage threshold of a battery cell during charging and a duration threshold during which a corresponding measurement value exceeds the maximum voltage threshold; The maximum temperature threshold during charging and the duration threshold for which the corresponding measured value exceeds the temperature threshold.

5. The battery module according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: When any one of the first and second programmable protection chips detects an abnormal situation during the discharge process based on the parameter and the measurement value, it continuously turns off the corresponding switch unit in the first and second switch units, and no longer turns on the corresponding switch unit before receiving an enable signal from the outside.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, further comprising a reset button, wherein the reset button is used to receive a reset operation from a user. in, Each of the first and second programmable protection chips resets the protection chip to a normal operating state based on the received instruction corresponding to the reset operation.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein: A balancing resistor is arranged between each of the first and second programmable protection chips and the positive electrode and / or the negative electrode of each battery cell in the plurality of battery cells; During the charging process, each of the first and second programmable protection chips measures the voltage of each battery cell, compares the voltage difference between the measured voltages of different battery cells, and turns on the switch unit corresponding to at least one battery cell when the voltage difference is greater than a threshold value, so that the at least one battery cell forms a parallel circuit with the corresponding balancing resistor respectively connected to the first and second programmable protection chips.

8. The battery module according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein: The first and second programmable protection chips are connected to the first contact through corresponding startup resistors respectively. In which, during the charging process, each of the first and second programmable protection chips measures the voltage of each battery cell, and when the measured voltage is less than a first charging voltage threshold, sends a control signal to disconnect the charging channel where the first and second switch units are located, and turns on the charging channel where the starting resistor is located to charge the multiple battery cells, and when the measured voltage is greater than the first charging voltage threshold, sends a control signal to turn on the charging channel where the first and second switch units are located, and turns off the charging channel where the starting resistor is located.

9. The battery module according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising: An ultra-low power consumption control unit communicates with each of the first and second programmable protection chips to read status information of the battery module from the protection chip and output the status information.

10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: The status information includes one or more of remaining power of the plurality of battery cells, occurrence of an abnormal situation, and a type of the abnormal situation that occurred.

11. The battery module according to claim 10, wherein: The state information is stored in a storage unit in each of the first and second programmable protection chips, and Outputting the status information includes: outputting the status information by controlling the opening and closing of an indicator light on the battery module corresponding to the output status information, or outputting the status information by displaying on a display screen on a host connected to the battery module.

12. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein: The parameters in the first and second programmable protection chips are software programmable.

13. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: The parameter is one parameter set among a plurality of parameter sets, wherein the ultra-low power consumption control unit activates the selected parameter set in each of the first and second programmable protection chips based on the received selection of the parameter set among the plurality of parameter sets.

14. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of battery cells comprises one of the following: Multiple battery cells connected in series; or Multiple groups of battery cells are arranged in parallel, each group including multiple battery cells connected in series.

15. An electrically powered breathing apparatus comprising: Host; The battery module according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the battery module supplies power to the host.

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