Portable vehicle battery pack

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for a portable battery pack for recharging an on-board vehicle battery to extend its driving range. [Solution] The portable battery pack includes a case that includes a base that is joined to a lid by a hinge. A battery array is housed within the base, and electrical terminals are mounted on the lid. A charging cable is connected to the electrical terminals and can be plugged into a vehicle's charging port. The battery array includes a number of battery cells that can be coupled in parallel, in series, or in a combination of parallel and series. A battery management system is coupled with the battery array and configured to ensure that the battery array operates safely. The electrical terminals can be coupled to an external power inverter, or the power inverter can be housed within the case and incorporated into the power battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 356,246, filed on June 23, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Application titled "Portable Vehicle Battery Pack" having application number 63 / 044,908 and filed on June 26, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of electric vehicles. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a portable vehicle battery pack and method for recharging an on-vehicle vehicle battery to extend driving range.

Background Art

[0003] Electric vehicles generally solve problems associated with gasoline-powered vehicles, such as environmental pollution, noise, and depletion of crude oil reserves, due to the increasing use of gasoline-powered vehicles. Thus, electric vehicles are gaining popularity, and their use is becoming increasingly widespread. Unfortunately, electric vehicles have several drawbacks, including a limited driving range between battery recharges and the excessive time required to recharge the battery. Generally, the average driving distance between battery recharges for currently available electric vehicles is significantly less than the driving range of gasoline-powered vehicles. Further, several hours may be required to recharge the battery while the vehicle is in an inoperable state.

[0004] Increasing the driving range of electric vehicles during battery recharging downtime can significantly increase the desirability of operating electric vehicles. One method for increasing the driving range of electric vehicles is to charge the vehicle's battery with a portable battery pack that can be pre-charged and stored in the vehicle. While there have been many contributions to electric vehicle technology, significant improvements are needed to address the short driving range problem associated with such vehicles. Therefore, there remains ongoing interest in developing battery recharging systems that have the ability to extend the driving range of electric vehicles during vehicle operation. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Apparatus and method are provided for a portable battery pack for recharging an on-board vehicle battery to extend its driving range. The portable battery pack includes a case including a base that is joined to a lid by a hinge. A battery array is housed within the base, and electrical terminals are mounted on the lid. A charging cable is connected to the electrical terminals and may be plugged into a vehicle charging port. The battery array includes a number of battery cells that may be coupled in parallel, in series, or in a combination of parallel and series. A battery management system is coupled with the battery array and configured to ensure that the battery array operates safely. The electrical terminals may be coupled to an external power inverter, or a power inverter may be housed within the case and incorporated into the power battery pack.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, the portable battery pack includes: a case including a base that is joined to a lid by a hinge; a battery array housed within the base; and electrical terminals mounted on the lid. In another exemplary embodiment, the portable battery pack further includes at least a Hall effect sensor configured to measure current flowing into and out of the battery array. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the portable battery pack further includes an LCD screen configured to display measured characteristics such as current and voltage while the battery array is being charged and discharged.

[0007] In another exemplary embodiment, an LCD screen is configured to facilitate control of current and / or voltage flowing into and out of the battery array. In another exemplary embodiment, a portable battery pack is configured to recharge a battery mounted in an electric vehicle. In another exemplary embodiment, a portable battery pack is configured to be charged by electrical terminals. In another exemplary embodiment, a battery array includes a number of battery cells coupled in parallel, in series, or a combination of parallel and series. In another exemplary embodiment, the number of battery cells includes lithium-ion battery cells having a size of 18650 and a capacity of at least 3,000 mAh.

[0008] In another exemplary embodiment, the battery array includes more than 200 lithium-ion battery cells. In another exemplary embodiment, the battery array is coupled to a battery management system configured to ensure that the battery array operates within safety limits. In another exemplary embodiment, switches and wires, along with electrical terminals, are coupled to the battery management system. In another exemplary embodiment, the switches are configured to switch power to the electrical terminals on and off.

[0009] In another exemplary embodiment, the electrical terminals include a positive terminal and a negative terminal. In another exemplary embodiment, the electrical terminals are configured to provide DC electricity from a battery array. In another exemplary embodiment, the electrical terminals are configured to be coupled to an external power inverter to recharge the on-board vehicle battery via the vehicle's charging port. In another exemplary embodiment, the power inverter is housed in a case and integrated with a power battery pack. In another exemplary embodiment, the case includes a switch for selecting between supplying DC power to the electrical terminals and supplying AC power to the electrical terminals.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for recharging an on-board vehicle battery includes: coupling a charging cable to the electrical terminals of a charged portable battery pack; plugging the charging cable into a vehicle charging port; using a switch to turn on the portable battery pack; selecting the AC power to be supplied to the electrical terminals; monitoring the measured characteristics via an LCD screen constituting the portable battery pack; and disconnecting the charging cable after the on-board vehicle battery has been charged. In another exemplary embodiment, selecting the AC power includes utilizing a power inverter constituting the portable battery pack. In another exemplary embodiment, monitoring includes using a switch to turn off the power to the electrical terminals after the on-board vehicle battery has been desirablely recharged.

[0011] These and other features of the concepts provided herein can be better understood by referring to the drawings, descriptions and appended claims.

[0012] The drawings refer to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1]This figure illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a portable vehicle battery pack that may be used to recharge a battery mounted in an electric vehicle, as disclosed herein. [Figure 2] This figure illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a battery array and battery management system that can be housed within the case constituting the portable vehicle battery pack shown in Figure 1, as disclosed herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] While this disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments of this disclosure are shown as examples in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form disclosed; on the contrary, it is intended to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0015] In the following descriptions, numerous specific details are discussed to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention disclosed herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, certain numerical references, such as “first battery,” may be made. However, certain numerical references should not be interpreted as literal sequential order, but rather as “first battery” being distinct from “second battery.” Thus, the specific details discussed are merely illustrative. Certain details may be deviated from this disclosure, yet still construed to remain within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. The term “combined” is defined as being connected to a component either directly or indirectly through another component. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” with respect to any numerical value or range indicate a suitable size tolerance that allows a portion or aggregate of components to function for the intended purpose of those portions or aggregates, as described herein.

[0016] Electric vehicles generally address problems associated with gasoline-powered vehicles, such as environmental pollution, noise, and depletion of crude oil reserves, resulting from the increasing use of gasoline-powered vehicles. Therefore, electric vehicles are gaining popularity, and their use is becoming increasingly widespread. Disadvantages of electric vehicles include the limited driving range between battery recharges and the excessive time required to recharge the battery. Increasing the driving range of electric vehicles between battery recharge downtimes can significantly increase the desirability of operating electric vehicles. One method for increasing the driving range of electric vehicles is to charge the vehicle's battery with a portable battery pack that can be pre-charged and stored in the vehicle. Embodiments disclosed herein relate to portable vehicle battery packs and methods for recharging on-board vehicle batteries to extend driving range.

[0017] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a portable vehicle battery pack 100 that may be used to recharge a battery mounted in an electric vehicle. The battery pack 100 includes a battery array 104 (see Figure 2) housed in a protective case 108. The case 108 may be a case of various rigid plastics, including a base 112 and a lid 116 joined by a hinge 120. The plastic comprising the case 108 is preferably capable of withstanding extreme temperature fluctuations, such as the high temperatures encountered in a locked vehicle during the summer months and the freezing temperatures often encountered during the winter months. In some embodiments, the case 108 may be configured to provide some degree of insulation to the battery array 104 so as to protect the battery array 104 from extreme temperatures that could impair the performance of the battery pack 100.

[0018] The base 112 generally includes an internal volume suitable for housing the battery array 104 and associated circuitry. The lid 116 and hinge 120 facilitate opening the case 108 to access the battery array 104, as shown in Figure 2. A fastener 124 is configured to allow the case 108 to be held in a closed configuration, as shown in Figure 1. In some embodiments, the case 108 may be configured to be water-resistant to advantageously protect the battery array 104 from moisture such as condensation that may occur inside the vehicle during cold and stormy weather that may be encountered while charging the vehicle, and the fastener 124 may be configured to seal the case 108. Furthermore, the case 108 may include a handle 128, which allows a practitioner to easily carry the battery pack 100 by grasping the handle.

[0019] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a battery array 104 that may be housed inside a case 108 as described herein. Generally, the battery array 104 includes a number of battery cells that can be coupled in parallel, in series, or in a combination of parallel and series, depending on the voltage and amperage intended to be received from the battery pack 100. For example, in one embodiment, the battery array 104 includes at least 200 lithium-ion battery cells having an 18650 size and a capacity of at least 3,000 mAh, configured to provide the battery pack 100 with an output of about 24 VDC and about 100 amps. However, it should be understood that the battery pack 100 is not limited to 18650-size lithium-ion battery cells, but rather may include any of the various types and sizes of battery cells, as well as any of the various battery chemistry properties, as desired. Furthermore, the size and volume of case 108 are intended to be selected without limitation to accommodate any size and number of battery cells constituting the battery array 104.

[0020] In embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the battery array 104 is coupled to a battery management system (BMS) 132. The BMS 132 is typically configured to ensure that the battery array 104 operates safely within acceptable limits. For example, in some embodiments, the BMS 132 may be configured to monitor any of the following: total voltage, voltages of the individual cells constituting the battery array 104, minimum and maximum cell voltages, periodic tap voltages, average temperature, individual cell temperatures, and currents in and out of the battery array 104. In some embodiments, the BMS 132 may be configured to monitor the state of charge (SOC) or depth of discharge (DOD) to indicate the charge level of the battery array 104. In some embodiments, the BMS 132 may be configured to monitor the remaining capacity of the battery array 104, which is calculated as a percentage of the original capacity and is often referred to as the state of health (SOH) of the battery array 104. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the BMS 132 may be configured to monitor the amount of power available from the battery array 104 for a specified time interval, given at least the current power usage and temperature of the battery array 104.

[0021] As further shown in Figure 2, the battery pack 100 may include a switch 136 and wires 140 that connect the BMS 132 to positive terminals 144 and negative terminals 148, which are mounted on the cover 116 as shown in Figure 1. The positive and negative terminals 144 and 148 are configured to allow a practitioner to draw direct current (DC) electricity from the battery pack 100. The switch 136 is generally configured to allow a practitioner to switch the power to terminals 144 and 148 on and off. Thus, a practitioner may connect a suitable charging cable to terminals 144 and 148, plug the cable into the charging port of the vehicle to be charged, and then use the switch 136 to begin recharging the vehicle's onboard battery with the battery pack 100. After the vehicle battery has been recharged as desired, the switch 136 may be used to turn off the power to terminals 144 and 148 before the charging cable is disconnected from the vehicle's charging port and the terminals of the battery pack 100.

[0022] The battery pack 100 is intended to be rechargeable via positive and negative terminals 144 and 148. In some embodiments, a charging cable may be coupled to terminals 144 and 148 and plugged into a suitable charging station. Based on the switching 136 being turned ON, the battery pack 100 can be recharged in the same way as the vehicle battery. Furthermore, in some embodiments, terminals 144 and 148 may be coupled to an on-board charging cable so that the battery pack 100 is recharged by the vehicle battery when the vehicle is plugged into a charging station. In such embodiments, the on-board charging cable is intended to include a battery monitoring network capable of ensuring safe charging of the battery pack 100.

[0023] In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the Hall effect sensor 152 may be coupled to the wire 140 and coupled to an LCD screen 156 that is mounted onto the lid 116 as shown in FIG. 1. The Hall effect sensor 152 may be configured to measure at least the current going into the battery pack 100 during recharge and to measure the current going out of the battery pack 100 during charging of an in-vehicle vehicle battery. The LCD screen 156 may be configured to display measured characteristics, such as current and voltage, to a practitioner using the battery pack 100 so as to be perceived. In some embodiments, the LCD screen 156 may be configured with circuitry and switches that allow a practitioner to control the current and / or voltage going into or out of the battery pack 100 as desired.

[0024] In some embodiments, the positive and negative terminals 144, 148 may be coupled to an external power inverter configured to convert the DC output of the battery pack 100 to an alternating current (AC) suitable for recharging an in-vehicle vehicle battery by a vehicle's charging port. In some embodiments, the power inverter may be integrated with the power pack 100 and thus may be housed within the case 108. In such embodiments, a switch may be incorporated into the battery pack 100 that allows a practitioner to select between having DC power sent to the positive and negative terminals 144, 148 and having AC power sent to the positive and negative terminals 144, 148. Thus, it should be kept in mind that the battery pack 100 of the present disclosure is not limited to recharging an electric vehicle battery, but rather the battery pack 100 may be used to supply AC and DC electricity, without limitation, to a variety of electrical devices in addition to an electric vehicle battery, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0025] While the present invention has been illustrated with individual variations and illustrative diagrams, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the variations or diagrams described. Furthermore, where the methods and steps described above represent several events occurring in a predetermined order, those skilled in the art will recognize that the ordering of some steps can be modified, and that such modifications constitute variations of the present invention. In addition, some of the steps can be performed sequentially as described above, but where possible, they can also be performed simultaneously in a parallel process. To the extent that variations of the present invention exist that are in the spirit of this disclosure or equivalent to those found in the claims, this patent is intended to encompass those variations as well. Therefore, this disclosure should be understood to be limited not by any specific embodiment described herein, but solely by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A case including a base that is joined to the lid by a hinge, A battery array housed within the base, Electrical terminals that are mounted on the lid and Includes a portable battery pack.

2. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising at least a Hall effect sensor configured to measure current flowing into and out of the battery array.

3. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising an LCD screen configured to display a measured characteristic such as current and voltage while the battery array is being charged and discharged.

4. The portable battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the LCD screen is configured to facilitate the control of current and / or voltage flowing into and out of the battery array.

5. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the portable battery pack is configured to recharge a battery installed in an electric vehicle.

6. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the portable battery pack is configured to be charged by electrical terminals.

7. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery array includes a number of battery cells coupled in parallel, in series, or in a combination of parallel and series.

8. The portable battery pack according to claim 7, wherein a number of battery cells include lithium-ion battery cells having a size of 18650 and a capacity of at least 3,000 mAh.

9. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery array includes more than 200 lithium-ion battery cells.

10. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery array is coupled with a battery management system configured to ensure that the battery array operates within safety limits.

11. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a switch and wires are connected to a battery management system together with electrical terminals.

12. The portable battery pack according to claim 11, wherein the switch is configured to turn power to an electrical terminal on and off.

13. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the electrical terminals include a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

14. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the electrical terminals are configured to provide DC electricity from a battery array.

15. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the electrical terminals are configured to be coupled to an external power inverter for recharging the vehicle battery via the vehicle's charging port.

16. The portable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a power inverter is housed in a case and integrated with a power battery pack.

17. The portable battery pack according to claim 16, wherein the case includes a switch for selecting between DC power being supplied to the electrical terminals and AC power being supplied to the electrical terminals.

18. A method for recharging an on-board vehicle battery, Connect the charging cable to the electrical terminals of the charged portable battery pack, Connect the charging cable to the vehicle's charging port with a plug, Using the switch to turn the portable battery pack on, Selecting the AC power to be sent to the electrical terminals, The LCD screen that makes up the portable battery pack allows for monitoring of the measured characteristics, Disconnecting the charging cable after charging the vehicle battery and Methods that include...

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein selecting AC power includes utilizing a power inverter that constitutes a portable battery pack.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein monitoring includes using a switch to turn off power to electrical terminals after the vehicle battery has been preferably recharged.

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