GB2339957A - Battery - Google Patents

Battery Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2339957A
GB2339957A GB9815827A GB9815827A GB2339957A GB 2339957 A GB2339957 A GB 2339957A GB 9815827 A GB9815827 A GB 9815827A GB 9815827 A GB9815827 A GB 9815827A GB 2339957 A GB2339957 A GB 2339957A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
battery
disconnecting device
battery according
cells
lead
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9815827A
Other versions
GB9815827D0 (en
Inventor
David John Payne
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9815827A priority Critical patent/GB2339957A/en
Publication of GB9815827D0 publication Critical patent/GB9815827D0/en
Publication of GB2339957A publication Critical patent/GB2339957A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
    • H01M50/572—Means for preventing undesired use or discharge
    • H01M50/574—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
    • H01M50/579—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current in response to shock
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
    • H01M50/572—Means for preventing undesired use or discharge
    • H01M50/574—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
    • H01M50/583—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current in response to current, e.g. fuses
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
    • H01M50/572—Means for preventing undesired use or discharge
    • H01M50/574—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
    • H01M50/572—Means for preventing undesired use or discharge
    • H01M50/574—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
    • H01M50/581—Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current in response to temperature
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H85/00—Protective devices in which the current flows through a part of fusible material and this current is interrupted by displacement of the fusible material when this current becomes excessive
    • H01H85/02—Details
    • H01H85/46—Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the protective device
    • H01H2085/466—Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the protective device with remote controlled forced fusing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H35/00—Switches operated by change of a physical condition
    • H01H35/14—Switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. by shock or vibration, inertia switch
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Secondary Cells (AREA)
  • Connection Of Batteries Or Terminals (AREA)

Description

1 2339957 BATTERY, The present invention relates to a battery and in
particular, but not exclusively, to a battery for a vehicle such as a car, van or truck. Such batteries will be referred to hereinafter as "car batteries".
It is well known that car batteries must be capable of delivering a high current in order to operate the starter motor. Conventionally, lead acid batteries are used, which are capable of delivering currents in excess of 150A.
One disadvantage of this is that if the battery is short-circuited, a very high current can flow, which can start a fire either by ohmic heating of the conductors carrying the current or by creating electrical sparks.
A particular danger arises in the event that the vehicle is involved in a collision, when damage to the bodywork of the vehicle can cause metal panels to come into contact with the battery terminals or leads, shortcircuiting the battery and leading to a danger of fire. If fuel is also spilt as a result of the collision, the consequences can be very serious. It is for this reason that one of the first actions of the emergency services upon attending the scene of an accident is to disconnect the battery.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery that mitigates at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages.
According to the present invention there is provided a battery including one or more electrical cells, a negative battery terminal connected to said cells via a first lead, a positive battery terminal connected to said cells via a second lead, a disconnecting device located in at least one of said first and second leads, a short circuit lead connected between said first and second battery terminals, and a normally-open inertia switch located in said short circuit lead, the arrangement being such that closing of said normally-open inertia switch short-circuits said cells through said disconnecting device, thereby causing said disconnecting device to disconnect the cells from at least one of said positive and negative battery terminals.
The battery is thus arranged to disconnect at least one of the battery terminals automatically in the event of a collision, thereby significantly reducing the risk of a fire being caused.
2 Said disconnecting device is advantageously sensitive to high currents, for example currents greater than 150A, and may be a fuse, for example a 150A fuse. The battery is thus able to provide the high current required by the starter motor of a vehicle without blowing the fuse. If the battery does not have to supply such a high current in normal use, a fuse with a lower current rating may be used.
The battery may include at least one auxiliary battery terminal that is connected to said cells independently of said disconnecting device. Advantageously, said at least one auxiliary battery terminal is connected to said cells via a secondary disconnecting device, which is preferably sensitive to low currents (i.e. currents greater than a low, predetermined value), for example currents greater than 15A, and may be a fuse, for example a 15A fuse. Advantageously, said at least one auxiliary battery terminal is located on the casing of said battery away from said positive and negative battery terminals (the main battery terminals).
The auxiliary battery terminal(s) may be used to supply electricity to essential electrical components, such as the hazard/waming lights and/or the window motors, to ensure that those components continue to operate normally after a collision has taken place and the main high-current battery terminal has been disconnected. The auxiliary battery terminals may themselves be protected, for example by low current fuses.
Advantageously, said normally-open inertia switch includes a pair of electrical contacts that are resiliently biased towards one another, and a non-conducting inertia element that is normally located between and separates said electrical contacts from one another and that may be displaced from between said electrical contacts in the event of a rapid acceleration or deceleration. Such an inertia switch is mechanically simple and robust and is relatively inexpensive.
The battery may be of the low voltage, high current type and may be of the lead-acid type. The battery may be a car battery.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
3 Figure I is a schematic circuit diagram of a battery.
The battery includes a set of electrical cells 2, which is connected to a negative battery terminal 4 via a first lead 6 and to a positive battery terminal 8 via a second lead 10. A 150A fuse 12 is provided in the second battery lead 10, dividing it into a cell side portion 10a and a terminal side portion 10b. Two auxiliary positive battery terminals 14 are connected to the cell side portion 10a of the second lead via low current leads 16, in each of which there is provided a 15A fuse 18.
The first lead 6, which connects the cells 2 to the negative battery terminal 4, is connected to the terminal side portion 10b of the second lead, which connects the cells 2 to the positive battery terminal 8, via a short circuit lead 20. A normally-open inertia switch 22 is provided in the short circuit lead 20, so that the positive and negative battery terminals 8,4 are not normally connected to one another.
In the embodiment, the inertia switch 22 includes two dished contact plates 24 that are biased towards one another by a spring 26. A non-conducting ball 28 is positioned between the two contact plates, keeping them apart. In the event of a collision, the ball 28 will be forced out by virtue of its inertia from between the two plates 24, allowing them to close. This short circuits the cells 2 through the first lead 6, the short circuit lead 20, the 150A fuse 2 and the cell side portion 10a of the second lead. The surge of current through the short circuit causes the 150A fuse 12 to blow, thereby disconnecting the positive battery terminal 8 from the cells 2 and thereby significantly reducing the risk of a fire being caused.
Blowing of the 150A fuse 12 does not, however, disconnect cells from the auxiliary positive battery terminals 14, which are connected to the side/hazard lights-and the electric window motors, so that these components continue to operate after the collision. The auxiliary terminals 14, are however protected by the 15A fuses 18 so that if they are also short-circuited as a result of the collision, the fuses 18 will blow, reducing the risk of a fire being caused.
All the components described above, including the fuses 12,18, the inertia switch 22 and the leads 6,10,16,20 will normally be contained within the battery casing. The 4 battery will therefore be conventional in appearance, except for the provision of the two auxiliary positive battery terminals 14, which will normally be placed on the side of the battery casing, or in any other position where they are unlikely to come into contact with the bodywork of the vehicle in the event of a collision.
Various modifications of the battery are possible, some of which are described below.
The inertia switch 22 may be replaced by any other kind of inertia switch, for example a mercury switch.
The fuses 12,18 may be replaced by contact breakers and/or have different current ratings.
More or fewer auxiliary positive battery terminals 14 may be provided, according to requirements. If none are required, they may be omitted entirely.
The cells 2 may be of the lead acid type or any other suitable type.
The leads 6,10,16,20 may be discrete electrical conductors (for example wires) or some or all of them may comprise part of a printed circuit.
The auxiliary battery terminals 14 may be connected directly to the cells 2, instead of to the cell side portion 10a of the second lead. In either case, the auxiliary terminals are connected to the cells independently of the 150A fuse 12. To summari se, according to a preferred embodiment, the battery includes a set of cells 20, a negative battery terminal 4 connected to said cells via a first lead 6, a positive 20 battery terminal 8 connected to said cells via a second lead 10, a 150A fuse 12 located in the first lead 10 and a normally-open inertia switch 22 located in a short circuit lead 20 connected between the first and second battery terminals. Closing of the inertia switch 22 short-circuits the fuse 12 and disconnects the cells 2. A pair of auxiliary battery terminals 14 are connected to the cells 2 via 15A fuses 18. 25

Claims (15)

1. A battery including one or more electrical cells, a negative battery terminal connected to said cells via a first lead, a positive battery terminal connected to said cells via a second lead, a disconnecting device located in at least one of said first and second leads, a short circuit lead connected between said first and second battery terminals, and a normally-open inertia switch located in said short circuit lead, the arrangement being such that closing of said normally-open inertia switch short-circuits said cells through disconnecting device, thereby causing said disconnecting device to disconnect the cells from at least one of said positive and negative battery terminals.
2. A battery according to claim 1, wherein said disconnecting device is sensitive to high currents.
3. A battery according to claim I or claim 2, wherein said disconnecting device is a fuse.
4. A battery according to claim 2, wherein said disconnecting device is a 150A fuse.
5. A battery according to any one of the preceding claims, including at least one auxiliary battery terminal that is connected to said cells independently of said disconnecting device.
6. A battery according to claim 5, wherein said at least one auxiliary battery terminal is connected to said cells via a secondary disconnecting device.
7. A battery according to claim 6, wherein said secondary disconnecting device is sensitive to low currents.
8. A battery according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said secondary disconnecting device is a fuse.
9. A battery according to claim 8, wherein said secondary disconnecting device is a 15A fuse.
10. A battery according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein said at least one 6 auxiliary battery terminal is located on the casing of said battery away from said positive and negative battery terminals.
11.. A battery according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said normallyopen inertia switch includes a pair of electrical contacts that are resiliently biassed towards one another and a non-conducting inertia element that is normally located between and separates said electrical contacts from one another and that may be displaced from between said electrical contacts in the event of a rapid acceleration or deceleration.
12. A battery according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said battery is of the low voltage, high current type.
13. A battery according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said battery is of the lead-acid type.
14. A battery according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said battery is a car battery.
15. A battery substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
GB9815827A 1998-07-22 1998-07-22 Battery Withdrawn GB2339957A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9815827A GB2339957A (en) 1998-07-22 1998-07-22 Battery

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9815827A GB2339957A (en) 1998-07-22 1998-07-22 Battery

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9815827D0 GB9815827D0 (en) 1998-09-16
GB2339957A true GB2339957A (en) 2000-02-09

Family

ID=10835875

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9815827A Withdrawn GB2339957A (en) 1998-07-22 1998-07-22 Battery

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2339957A (en)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2247560A (en) * 1989-12-13 1992-03-04 Robert Wallace Cameron Emergency circuit breaker for vehicle battery
EP0701918A1 (en) * 1994-07-12 1996-03-20 FIAT AUTO S.p.A. Emergency inertial system for disconnecting a vehicle electric circuit from the electricity source
GB2328785A (en) * 1997-09-01 1999-03-03 Seumas Alasdair Graeme Ascott Electrical battery for a vehicle

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2247560A (en) * 1989-12-13 1992-03-04 Robert Wallace Cameron Emergency circuit breaker for vehicle battery
EP0701918A1 (en) * 1994-07-12 1996-03-20 FIAT AUTO S.p.A. Emergency inertial system for disconnecting a vehicle electric circuit from the electricity source
GB2328785A (en) * 1997-09-01 1999-03-03 Seumas Alasdair Graeme Ascott Electrical battery for a vehicle

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9815827D0 (en) 1998-09-16

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)