Battery packs with cell module assemblies usable in multiple applications

{
  "publication_number": "US11258114B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Battery packs with cell module assemblies usable in multiple applications",
  "abstract": "A cell module assembly includes multiple lithium-ion battery cells connected in parallel and an electronic controller. The electronic controller is programmed to receive useful life data for a useful life indicator of the battery cells, save the life data to memory to create a life data history, determine a life measurement based on the life data history, compare the life measurement to a first end of life threshold, determine if the life measurement has met the first end of life threshold, provide a first end of life output indicating that the life measurement has met the first end of life threshold, compare the life measurement to a second end of life threshold, determine if the life measurement has met the second end of life threshold, and provide a second end of life output indicating that the life measurement has met the second end of life threshold.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A cell module assembly, comprising: a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells connected in parallel; and an electronic controller programmed to: receive useful life data for a useful life indicator of the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells; save useful life data to memory to create a useful life data history; determine a useful life measurement based on the useful life data history; compare the useful life measurement to a first end of life threshold, determine if the useful life measurement has met the first end of life threshold, and provide a first end of life output indicating that the useful life measurement has met the first end of life threshold; and compare the useful life measurement to a second end of life threshold, determine if the useful life measurement has met the second end of life threshold, and provide a second end of life output indicating that the useful life measurement has met the second end of life threshold.",
    "2. The cell module assembly of claim 1, wherein the useful life indicator is one of the group consisting of charge capacity of the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells, time elapsed since a commissioning date of the cell module assembly, number of cycles since the commissioning date, depth of cycle, an electrical charge tracker programmed to count the number of coulombs supplied by the cell module assembly since the commission date, a counter programmed to count instances of operation of the cell module assembly at a temperature sensed by a temperature sensor above a temperature threshold, current supplied by the cell module assembly, current received by the cell module assembly for charging the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells, voltage supplied by the cell module assembly, and the voltage applied to the cell module assembly during charging of the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells.",
    "3. The cell module assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a top plate including a top plate positive terminal; and a bottom plate including a bottom plate negative terminal.",
    "4. The cell module assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells comprises thirty-two lithium ion battery cells.",
    "5. The cell module assembly of claim 4, wherein the thirty-two lithium ion battery cells are arranged in a 1S32P arrangement.",
    "6. The cell module assembly of claim 4, wherein the thirty-two lithium ion battery cells are arranged in a 2S16P arrangement.",
    "7. A cell module assembly, comprising: a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells connected in parallel; and an electronic controller programmed to: receive useful life data for a plurality of useful life indicators of the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells; save useful life data to memory to create a useful life data histories; determine a useful life measurement based on the useful life data histories; compare the useful life measurement to a first end of life threshold, determine if the useful life measurement has met the first end of life threshold, and provide a first end of life output indicating that the useful life measurement has met the first end of life threshold; and compare the useful life measurement to a second end of life threshold, determine if the useful life measurement has met the second end of life threshold, and provide a second end of life output indicating that the useful life measurement has met the second end of life threshold.",
    "8. The cell module assembly of claim 7, wherein the plurality of useful life indicators are two or more of the group consisting of charge capacity of the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells, time elapsed since a commissioning date of the cell module assembly, number of cycles since the commissioning date, depth of cycle, an electrical charge tracker programmed to count the number of coulombs supplied by the cell module assembly since the commission date, a counter programmed to count instances of operation of the cell module assembly at a temperature sensed by a temperature sensor above a temperature threshold, current supplied by the cell module assembly, current received by the cell module assembly for charging the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells, voltage supplied by the cell module assembly, and the voltage applied to the cell module assembly during charging of the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells.",
    "9. The cell module assembly of claim 7, further comprising: a top plate including a top plate positive terminal; and a bottom plate including a bottom plate negative terminal.",
    "10. The cell module assembly of claim 7, wherein the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells comprises thirty-two lithium ion battery cells.",
    "11. The cell module assembly of claim 10, wherein the thirty-two lithium ion battery cells are arranged in a 1S32P arrangement.",
    "12. The cell module assembly of claim 10, wherein the thirty-two lithium ion battery cells are arranged in a 2S16P arrangement.",
    "13. A battery pack comprising a plurality of cell module assemblies as set forth in claims 1 - 12."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates generally to battery packs. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to reusing components of battery packs.\n\nBattery packs may be used with different types of equipment, including outdoor power equipment, vehicles, aerial man lifts, floor care devices, golf carts, lift trucks and other industrial vehicles, aerial man lifts, floor care devices, recreational utility vehicles, industrial utility vehicles, lawn and garden equipment, and energy storage or battery backup systems. Outdoor power equipment includes lawn mowers, riding tractors, snow throwers, pressure washers, portable generators, tillers, log splitters, zero-turn radius mowers, walk-behind mowers, riding mowers, and turf equipment such as spreaders, sprayers, seeders, rakes, and blowers. Outdoor power equipment may, for example, use one or more electric motors to drive an implement, such as a rotary blade of a lawn mower, a pump of a pressure washer, the auger of a snow thrower, the alternator of a generator, and/or a drivetrain of the outdoor power equipment. Vehicles include cars, trucks, automobiles, motorcycles, scooters, boats, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), personal water craft, snowmobiles, utility vehicles (UTVs), and the like.\n\nOne embodiment of an invention includes a cell module assembly including multiple lithium-ion battery cells connected in parallel and an electronic controller.",
  "cpc": [
    "H01M 10/482",
    "A01D 2101/00",
    "A01D 69/02",
    "A47L 11/4005",
    "B60R 16/033",
    "B66F 11/04",
    "B66F 9/075",
    "H01M 10/0525",
    "H01M 10/441",
    "H01M 10/486",
    "H01M 50/204",
    "H01M 50/213",
    "H01M 50/258",
    "H01M 50/296",
    "H01M 50/298",
    "H01M 50/509",
    "H01M 50/512",
    "Y02E 60/10",
    "Y02P 70/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A01D 101/00",
    "A01D 69/02",
    "A47L 11/40",
    "B60R 16/033",
    "B66F 11/04",
    "B66F 9/075",
    "H01M 10/48",
    "H01M 50/204",
    "H01M 50/213",
    "H01M 50/296",
    "H01M 50/298",
    "H01M 50/509",
    "H01M 50/512"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Briggs and Stratton LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Jeffrey Zeiler",
    "Jacob Schmalz",
    "Nick Zeidler"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-10-10",
  "publication_date": "2022-02-22",
  "grant_date": "2022-02-22",
  "priority_date": "2018-10-12",
  "application_number": "US-201917284263-A",
  "family_id": "70164441",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
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    "US20140242445A1",
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    "US9430021B2",
    "US10347954B2",
    "US20150318521A1",
    "US20180205055A1",
    "US20190075724A1"
  ]
}