| US 7,602,146 B2 | ||
| Protection methods, protection circuits and protection devices for secondary batteries, a power tool, charger and battery pack adapted to provide protection against fault conditions in the battery pack | ||
| David A. Carrier, Aberdeen, Md. (US); Steven J. Phillips, Ellicott City, Md. (US); Jeffrey J. Francis, Nottingham, Md. (US); R. Roby Bailey, New Park, Pa. (US); Danh Thanh Trinh, Parkville, Md. (US); Andrew E. Seman, Jr., White Marsh, Md. (US); Christopher R. Yahnker, Raleigh, N.C. (US); and Daniele C. Brotto, Baltimore, Md. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Black & Decker Inc., Newark, Del. (US) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 26, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/79,429. | ||
| Application 12/079429 is a division of application No. 10/959193, filed on Oct. 07, 2004. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/510128, filed on Oct. 14, 2003. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/551803, filed on Mar. 11, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0180059 A1, Jul. 31, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 320—120 [320/134; 320/137; 320/116] | 12 Claims |
| 1. A battery pack having over-charge protection, comprising:
a housing,
a plurality of serially-connected cells therein, and
wherein the cells are serially connected between power terminals of the pack and interconnected to each other via connectors,
the connectors of adjacent cells connected to each other
a current interrupt mechanism to interrupt current in the cells that is triggered upon swelling of at least one cell during
an over-charge event, and
wherein the current interrupt mechanism is embodied as at least one connector of a swelling cell being pulled apart from at
least one connector of an adjacent cell to interrupt current.
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