Abstract:
A method for cooling a battery after a charging phase including the steps of providing a user display, identifying a starting point at which the charging phase of the battery transitions to a cooling phase, when the starting point is identified, instructing the user display to provide a first indication for a first predetermined amount of time, and after the first predetermined amount of time has elapsed, instructing the user display to provide a second indication.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present patent application relates to post-charge battery cool-down and, more particularly, to systems and methods for monitoring and controlling post-charge battery cool-down. 
         [0002]    Batteries often are used to supply power to lift trucks that operate in a warehouse setting. A single lift truck may cycle through three different batteries in a 24 hour period. While a first one of the three batteries is connected to the lift truck (the working phase), a second one of the three batteries may be connected to a charger (the charging phase), while a third one of the three batteries may be in a post-charge battery cool-down phase (the cool-down phase). The batteries may rotate from one phase to another every 8 hours. 
         [0003]    Accordingly, a warehouse using battery powered lift trucks may have a battery room for storing the charging and cooling batteries and to provide a location for swapping exhausted working batteries with charged and cooled batteries. Such a battery room is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and may include an array of charger/batteries units  10   a,    10   b,    10   c,    10   d.  Each charger/batteries unit  10   a,    10   b,    10   c,    10   d  may include an associated charger  12 , a charging battering  14 , a charged battery  16  and a working battery  18 . 
         [0004]    The charging battery  14  may be connected to the charger  12  by a charging cable  22 . The charging cable  22  may supply the charging battery  14  with an appropriate current to raise the potential of the charging battery  14  to the desired level. The charged battery  16  may be physically connected to the charger  12  by a charging cable  24 , but the electrical connection between the charged battery  16  and the charger  12  may be disrupted such that additional current is not transferred to the charged battery  16  after the desired amount of charge has been achieved. The working battery  18  may be physically disconnected from the charger  12  and mounted on a lift truck or other appropriate battery application, as shown by the disconnected charging cable  20 . 
         [0005]    Accordingly, a user seeking a new battery may enter the battery room and may select a charged battery  16  from the array  10  and may connect the discharged battery to the charger  12  to be recharged. 
         [0006]    However, in such battery rooms, the practice of randomly selecting a charged battery  16  from the array  10  to replace a discharged battery substantially negatively impacts the life of the batteries in the array  10 . In particular, it is known that maximizing post-charge battery cool-down is critical to extending battery life and performance. Therefore, by randomly selecting a charged battery  16  from the array  10 , the user may not necessarily be selecting the charged battery  16  that has experienced the maximum post-charge battery cool down. Therefore, by randomly selecting charged batteries  16  from the array  10 , the user may be selecting a charged battery  16  that has not cooled for the longest cooling period and, therefore, may reduce the battery life and performance of the selected battery. Indeed, over time, the process of randomly selecting batteries from the array  10  may substantially decrease the battery life and performance of all the batteries within the array  10 . 
         [0007]    Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for distinguishing between charged batteries that are ready for use and charged batteries that require additional cool-down time. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    In one aspect, the disclosed method for cooling a battery after a charging phase may include the steps of providing a user display, identifying a starting point at which the charging phase of the battery transitions to a cooling phase, when the starting point is identified, instructing the user display to provide a first indication for a first predetermined amount of time, and after the first predetermined amount of time has elapsed, instructing the user display to provide a second indication. 
         [0009]    In another aspect, the disclosed method for identifying a battery or batteries with the most cool-down time after a charging phase may include the steps of providing a user display including at least a first light, a second light and a third light, identifying a starting point at which the charging phase of the battery transitions to a cooling phase, when the starting point is identified, instructing the user display to illuminate the first light for a first predetermined amount of time, after the first predetermined amount of time has elapsed, instructing the user display to illuminate the second light for a second predetermined amount of time, and after the second predetermined amount of time has elapsed, instructing the user display to illuminate the third light. 
         [0010]    Other aspects of the disclosed system and method for controlling battery cool-down will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a prior art battery room; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of one aspect of the disclosed system for controlling battery cool-down; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration of an exemplary aspect of the user display of the system of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the system of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , one aspect of the disclosed system for controlling battery cool-down, generally designated  100 , may include a battery  102 , a charging unit  104  and a control unit  106 . 
         [0016]    The battery  102  may be any rechargeable battery and may include a positive terminal  108  and a negative terminal  110 . For example, the battery  102  may be a lead-acid battery, such as a flooded lead-acid battery, such as a flooded lead-acid battery used in motive power applications. 
         [0017]    The charging unit  104  may include charger electronics  112 , a sensor  114  and charging cables  116 ,  118 . The charger electronics  112  may facilitate the transfer of charging current from the charging unit  104  to the battery  102  through the charging cables  116 ,  118 . The sensor  114  may be any sensor (e.g., a potentiometer) capable of measuring the charging voltage when the charging unit  104  is connected to a battery  102 . Charging cable  116  may be a positive charging cable and charging cable  118  may be a negative charging cable. While charging cables  116 ,  118  are shown as being separate cables, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the charging cables  116 ,  118  may be formed as a single cable having a positive component and a negative component. 
         [0018]    In the assembled configuration shown in  FIG. 2 , the charging unit  104  may be connected to the battery  102  by connecting charging cable  116  to the positive terminal  108  of the battery  102  and charging cable  118  to the negative terminal  110  of the battery  102 . When the charger electronics  112  are actuated, charging cable  116  may apply a positive potential to the positive terminal  108  of the battery  102  and charging cable  118  may apply a negative potential to the negative terminal  110  of the battery  102 , thereby transferring a charging current from the charging unit  104  to the battery  102  sufficient to raise the electrical potential of the battery  102  to the desired level. 
         [0019]    At this point, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the charging unit  104  may be any device capable of supplying a charging current to the battery  102  and may include various components and features not discussed herein. 
         [0020]    The control unit  106  may include a processor  120  and a user display  122 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the control unit  106  may be an independent unit. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the control unit  106  may be mounted on either the charging unit  104  or the battery  102 , or may be integral with the charging unit  104  or the battery  102 . 
         [0021]    The processor  120  may be any device capable generating and communicating a command signal to the user display  122  to actuate the user display  122  in accordance with the present disclosure. For example, the processor  120  may be a computer processor or the like. The processor  120  may be in communication with the user display  122 , as well as the charger electronics  112  and the sensor  114 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the communication between the processor  120  and the user display  122 , the charger electronics  112  and the sensor  114  may be configured as desired, and may be hard-wired, wireless or otherwise, and one-way, two-way or otherwise. 
         [0022]    The user display  122  may be any display capable of communicating with, or signaling, a user, whether visually, audibly or otherwise, about the status of the battery  102  connected to the charging unit  104 . In one aspect, the user display  122  may include one or more lights (e.g., an incandescent bulb, an LED or the like), wherein each light is indicative of a particular status of the system  100 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the user display  122  may include a first light  124  (e.g., a red light), a second light  126  (e.g., a yellow light) and a third light  128  (e.g., a green light). In another aspect, the user display  122  may include a graphical or textual display (i.e., a display capable of presenting text or graphics to a user). For example, the user display  122  may include an image screen or monitor. At this point, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the type, as well as the number of user displays  122 , is a matter of design choice, and may vary as necessary to achieve the desired result. 
         [0023]    When a battery  102  is connected to the charging unit  104 , the processor  120  may begin monitoring the charging voltage by way of signals received from the sensor  114 . When the detected charging voltage is less than a predetermined reference value (“RV”), the processor  120  may actuate the charger electronics  112  to supply a charging current to the battery  102 , as discussed above. Then, when the processor  120  determines that the charging voltage has reached or exceeded the reference value RV, the processor  120  may instruct the charger electronics  112  to cease supplying the battery  102  with a charging current, at which point the charging cycle may be considered complete. 
         [0024]    In one aspect, the system  100  may operate in accordance with the method  150  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The method  150  may begin at block  152  when the charging phase is complete. The charging phase may be considered complete when the charging voltage reaches or exceeds the predetermined reference value RV, as discussed above, or at any other time the charger electronics  112  are deactuated. For example, the charging phase may be considered complete when the charger electronics  112  are deactuated by user intervention. 
         [0025]    As shown at block  156 , the processor  120  may note the charging voltage at the end of the charging phase (i.e., the peak charging voltage (“PCV”)) and, as shown at block  158 , the peak charging voltage PCV may be compared to the reference value RV. If the peak charging voltage PCV is determined to be at or greater than the reference value RV, then the method  150  may proceed as discussed below. However, if the peak charging voltage PCV is determined to be less than the reference value RV, indicating that charging may not be complete or that some other error or damage may have occurred during the charging phase, then the processor  120  may instruct the user display  122  to provide an appropriate indication (e.g., a signal, a visual communication or an audible communication). For example, when the user display  122  shown in  FIG. 3  is used with the system  100 , the processor  120  may instruct the first light  124 , which may be a red light, to flash, as shown at box  160 , thereby providing the user with an appropriate warning. 
         [0026]    At block  154 , the method  150  may proceed to cool-down control. Once the cool-down phase has begun (block  154 ), the processor  120  may begin tracking elapsed time. For example, as shown at block  162 , the processor  120  may initiate a timer or like device or functionality. Furthermore, at the beginning of the cool-down phase, the processor  120  may instruct the user display  122  to provide an appropriate indication that the cool-down phase has just begun and that the battery  102  should not be used. For example, when the user display  122  shown in  FIG. 3  is used with the system  100 , the processor  120  may instruct the first light  124 , which may be a red light, to illuminate, as shown at box  164 , thereby providing the user with an appropriate warning. 
         [0027]    As shown at block  166 , after a first predetermined amount of time has elapsed (e.g., 4 hours), the processor  120  may instruct the user display  122  to provide an indication that the cool-down phase has been underway for a certain amount of time but is not yet complete (i.e., the battery  102  may be used if necessary, but has not been fully cooled). For example, when the user display  122  shown in  FIG. 3  is used with the system  100 , the processor  120  may deactuate the first light  124  and may instruct the second light  126 , which may be a yellow light, to illuminate, as shown at box  168 , thereby providing the user with an appropriate warning. 
         [0028]    As shown at block  170 , after a second predetermined amount of time has elapsed (e.g., 6 hours), the processor  120  may instruct the user display  122  to provide an indication that the cool-down phase is almost complete (i.e., the battery  102  is substantially cooled and may be used if necessary). For example, when the user display  122  shown in  FIG. 3  is used with the system  100 , the processor  120  may deactuate the second light  126  and may instruct the third light  128 , which may be a green light, to illuminate, as shown at box  172 , thereby providing the user with appropriate notice. 
         [0029]    Finally, as shown at block  174 , after a third predetermined amount of time has elapsed (e.g., 8 hours), the processor  120  may instruct the user display  122  to provide an indication that the cool-down phase is fully complete (i.e., the battery  102  is fully cooled and ready for use). For example, when the user display  122  shown in  FIG. 3  is used with the system  100 , the processor  120  may instruct the third light  128 , which may be a green light, to flash, as shown at box  176 , thereby providing the user with appropriate notice. 
         [0030]    At this point, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the number and length of the predetermined time intervals discussed above are only exemplary. Indeed, in a first alternative aspect, a single predetermined time interval may be used (e.g., a red light during the first two hours of cool-down and then a green light thereafter). In a second alternative aspect, four or more time intervals may be used to differentiate between incremental differences in battery life versus battery cool-down time. 
         [0031]    Accordingly, the disclosed systems and methods provide a user with a means for quickly and easily identifying which post-charge batteries are ready for use. The disclosed system and method may be particularly useful in a battery room where many batteries are constantly being charged and cooled and the cooling batteries are in various stages of cool-down. 
         [0032]    Although various aspects of the disclosed systems and methods for controlling battery cool-down have been shown and described, modifications may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification. The present patent application includes such modifications and is limited only by the scope of the claims.