U.S. patent number RE42,468 [Application Number 11/489,733] was granted by the patent office on 2011-06-21 for storage battery charging station.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hilti Aktiengesellschaft. Invention is credited to Bernd Heigl, Rainer Ontl, Bernd Ziegler.
United States Patent |
RE42,468 |
Heigl , et al. |
June 21, 2011 |
Storage battery charging station
Abstract
A charging station (1) for a rechargeable battery (5) that can
be electrically and physically connected to the rechargeable
battery (5). The charging station (1) has charger electronics (2)
in a charger housing (3) and an electrical and physical contact
interface (4) for the battery (5). An air blower (6) producing an
air current (L) through two air vents (7a, 7b) is arranged in the
charger housing (3). The air vent (7a) of the physical contact
interface (4) is spatially associated with the battery (5) and the
charger electronics (2) is arranged in the air current (L) to
transfer heat. In the cooling process, in a first stage, an air
volume (V) at cooling temperature CT is moved past the battery to
transfer heat into and onto the battery and, in a second stage, the
air volume (V) at an intermediate temperature IT>CT permeates
the charger housing (2) containing the charging electronics
(2.).
Inventors: |
Heigl; Bernd (Augsburg,
DE), Ziegler; Bernd (Hiltenfingen, DE),
Ontl; Rainer (Landsberg am Lech, DE) |
Assignee: |
Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
(Schaan, LI)
|
Family
ID: |
29724606 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/489,733 |
Filed: |
July 18, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
10616545 |
Jul 9, 2003 |
6967464 |
Nov 22, 2005 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Jul 12, 2002 [EP] |
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02405600 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
320/107; 320/150;
429/123; 429/120; 320/114; 429/83; 361/695; 429/71; 320/113;
429/62 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02J
7/00 (20130101); H02J 7/0042 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H02J
7/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;320/107,112,114,150 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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920105 |
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Jun 1999 |
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EP |
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951127 |
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Oct 1999 |
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EP |
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1100173 |
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May 2001 |
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EP |
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1178557 |
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Jun 2002 |
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EP |
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8185898 |
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Jul 1996 |
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JP |
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08185898 |
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Jul 1996 |
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JP |
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Other References
JPO Computer Translation of JP-08185898. cited by examiner.
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Primary Examiner: Koval; Melissa J
Assistant Examiner: Berhanu; Samuel
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Abelman, Frayne & Schwab
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A charging station for a rechargeable battery (5) that can be
physically and electrically connected to the battery (5) having
charger electronics (2) in a charger housing (3) and an electrical
contact interface (4) for the battery (5) that interfaces a vent
(7a), wherein an air blower (6) is arranged in the charger housing
(3) for producing an air current (L) through two air vents (7a,
7b), wherein one of the two air vents (7a) faces the battery (5),
and wherein the charger electronics (2) is arranged to transfer
heat in the air current (L) and wherein the air blower (6) is
arranged between the air vent (7a) on a flow inlet side and the
charger electronics (2).
2. The charging station of claim 1, .Iadd.wherein .Iaddend.the air
vent (7a) on a flow inlet side faces the battery (5).
3. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the air vent (7a) on
the flow inlet side forms a plurality of surface-distributed air
inlet points (8) each associated with cooling vents (9) of the
battery (5).
4. The charging station of claim 3, wherein a pressure chamber (10)
causing air to be distributed is arranged between the air blower
(6) and the air inlet points (8).
5. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the air vent (7a) on
the flow inlet side is arranged in an upper section (13) of the
charging station (1).
6. A cooling process for a charging station (1) for a rechargeable
battery (5) that is electrically and physically connected to the
battery (5), wherein an air volume (V) of an air current (L) is
moved by an air blower (6) arranged in the charger housing (3) of
the charging station (1), comprising, a first step, wherein the air
volume (V) at a cooling temperature CT is moved into the battery
(5) to transfer heat, and, in a second step, the air volume (V) at
an intermediate temperature IT>CT permeates the charger housing
(3) containing the charger electronics (2).
.Iadd.7. A charging station for a rechargeable battery (5) that can
be physically and electrically connected to the battery (5),
comprising a charger housing (3) having an electrical contact
interface (4) for physically and electrically connecting the
charger housing (3) with the rechargeable battery (5); charger
electronics (2) located in the charger housing (3); and an air
blower (6) for producing air flow through two air vents (7a, 7b)
and located in the charger housing (3), wherein one of the two air
vents (7a) faces the battery (5), and the charger electronics (2)
is located, in the direction of the air flow, downstream of the
battery (5) and upstream of another of the two air vents (7b),
whereby an environmental air volume having a cooling temperature
flows through the battery for cooling the same and then at an
intermediate temperature, permeates the charger housing (3),
cooling the charger electronics (2)..Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a charging station for a rechargeable
battery that is structurally and electrically compatible with the
battery, such as a storage battery module for cordless hand tool
machines. In modern rechargeable batteries, high energy densities
can be charged in a brief period using a charging station, whereby
the battery heats up significantly. In addition, the charger
electronics of the charging station also heat up significantly. An
important field of application of such high-density energy
rechargeable batteries are storage battery modules for cordless
hand tool machines such as screwing drills, combination hammers,
hand circular saws, etc.
EP 1178557 discloses a charging station for a rechargeable storage
battery module of cordless band tool machines that can be
electrically and structurally connected to the module. The charging
station has charging electronics, in a charger housing, with an
electrical and structural contact interface for the storage battery
module. A blower is arranged in the charger housing. Optimally, a
cooling and heating system is arranged between two air vents
downstream of the airflow outlet. An air vent on the airflow outlet
side is associated with the structural contact interface of the
storage battery module. There is no active cooling of the charger
electronics arranged, in the housing corners or in separate housing
sections, external to the air flow. The air can, however, be
pre-warmed by waste heat from the charger housing, which restricts
the airflow before it cools the storage battery module. The warmed
air from the storage battery module is discharged into the
environment unused.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a process and a
configuration for efficient cooling of the battery and the charging
electronics.
This object is essentially achieved, in accordance with the
invention, by a charging station for a rechargeable battery that
can be connected structurally and electronically with the battery.
The charging station has charger electronics in a charger housing
with an electrical and physical contact interface for the battery.
An air blower for producing an airflow through two air vents is
arranged in the charger housing. An air vent is spatially
associated with the physical contact interface of the battery and
the charger electronics are arranged for heat transfer in the air
current.
The arrangement of the battery and the charger electronics in
series, in a common heat-transferring air current, cools
efficiently, since the flow rate is involved in the heat
transmission along with a constant cooling surface and the
temperature difference.
It is also advantageous that the air vent spatially associated with
the physical contact interface of the battery is arranged at the
flow inlet side. As a result of this arrangement, the air warmed by
the battery initially arrives in the charger housing with the air
blower, where it cools the charger electronics and is then
discharged to the environment.
The air blower is advantageously arranged between the air vent on
the flow inlet side and the charger electronics. The charger
electronics arranged in the high-pressure path
The air vent on the flow inlet side advantageously forms multiple,
surface distributed air inlet points, which are spatially
associated with cooling vents of the battery, whereby the cooling
air mass can be distributed to individual cells within the
battery.
Advantageously, a pressure chamber with a low flow resistance is
provided between the air blower and the air inlet points. This
permits uniform distribution of the air volume between separate
cells of the battery.
The air vent on the flow inlet side is advantageously arranged in
the upper part of the charging station, wherein with expedient
set-up of the charging station, less dust is picked up in the air
current, which is particularly advantageous in polluted work
sites.
Essentially, the cooling process of the aforementioned charging
station moves a volume of air of an air current produced by an air
blower arranged in the charger housing. In an initial process step,
the air volume with a cooling temperature KT is moved past or into
the battery while transferring heat. In a second process step, the
air volume with an intermediate temperature IT>CT permeates the
charger housing.
Different cooling heat transfers form for the same air volume due
to the temporal sequence of the heat-transferring arrangement of
the battery and the charging electronics. The heat transfers depend
on the temperature difference. The permissible surface temperature
of the charger electronics lies above the temperature of the
battery. As a result, an air volume taken from this environment and
having a cooling temperature CT [KT], initially cools the battery
and then at the intermediate temperature IT [ZT] cools the charging
electronics before it is again discharged to the environment at the
waste heat temperature WT [AT]. Thus, the overall available
streaming air volumes are taken advantage of for efficient
cooling.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with
reference to the drawing, wherein FIG. 1 shows a charging station
with storage battery pack according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a charging station 1 having a charging electronics 2
in a charger housing 3 that is physically and electrically
connected to a rechargeable battery 5 (such as a storage battery
module having a plurality of cells 11) by an electrical and
physical contact interface 4. An air blower 6 is arranged in the
charger housing 3. The blower 6 produces an air current L through
two air vents 7a, 7b. The charger electronics 2 are arranged to
transfer heat in the air current L.
The air vent 7a, on the flow inlet side, arranged in the upper
section 13 of the charging station, is spatially associated with
the physical contact interface 4 of the battery. The air blower 6
is arranged between the air vent 7a, on the flow inlet side, and
the charging electronics 2. The air vent 7a on the flow inlet side
has a plurality of surface-distributed air inlet points 8. Each
surface-distributed air inlet point 8 is spatially associated with
cooling vents 9 in the module housing 12 of the battery. A pressure
chamber 10 having low flow resistance is arranged between the air
blower 6 and the air inlet points 8.
The cooling process moves a hypothetical air volume V along an air
current L produced by the air blower 6. The air volume V at a
cooling temperature CT [KT] relative to the environment U moves
past the battery 5 to transfer heat and them permeates charger
housing 3. Charger housing 3 contains charger electronic that is
arranged in air current L to transfer heat at an intermediated
temperature IT>KT, before it is released into the environment U
at a waste heat temperature WT [AT].
* * * * *