Patent ID: 6777915
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: H02J

Abstract:
A battery pack to be charged by a battery charging apparatus including:an AC/DC converter for converting commercial rower supply to DC; a charge output terminal for Supplying the battery pack with an output from the AC/DC converter; a GND terminal corresponding to the charge output terminal; voltage/current detection means provided on a charge path; over voltage protection means provided on the charge path; a voltage detection terminal for detecting a voltage of the battery pack; a temperature detection terminal for detecting a temperature of the battery pack; charge control means conducting different types of charge control based on signals received from the voltage/current detection means, the voltage detection terminal, and the temperature detection terminal; and an output control switch for conducting output control based on a signal received from the charge control means, the output control switch being provided in the charge path, wherein the charge control means conducts protection control by transmitting a signal to the output control switch for turning off an output when a rise rate of the battery pack temperature is equal to or more than a predetermined value, the battery pack comprising: a lithium rechargeable battery to be charged including an overcharge-inhibition additive which produces a temperature rise rate increase over that without the overcharge-inhibition additive at about 120% overcharge due to gas generation or film formation on electrodes; a positive terminal and a negative terminal for electrically connecting the lithium rechargeable battery with the battery charging apparatus for charging the lithium rechargeable battery; a thermistor for detecting a surface temperature of the lithium rechargeable battery; and a battery-pack-side temperature detection terminal for supplying the battery charging apparatus with temperature information detected by the thermistor, wherein charging of the battery pack is controlled by the battery charging apparatus by turning off an output supplied for the battery pack when a rise rate of the battery pack temperature detected based on the information from the battery-pack-side temperature detection terminal is equal to or more than a predetermined value corresponding to the 120% overcharge and the battery pack is devoid of a controller and controller controlled charge path switch.