Patent ID: 8710800
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: B60L,H01M,H02J,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A method of charging a vehicle battery, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a vehicle battery having a plurality of battery cells and a plurality of cell-balancing current paths, each of the cell-balancing current paths is connected in parallel with a corresponding battery cell and includes an electronic switch and a zener diode connected to one another in series; (b) enabling the cell-balancing current paths by closing the electronic switches; and (c) charging the vehicle battery with the cell-balancing current paths enabled, wherein during the charging process at least one of the battery cells is charged and at least one of the battery cells is bypassed via a cell-balancing current path that conducts current through an electronic switch and a zener diode connected to one another in series.