Battery pack

Abstract

A battery pack includes a battery, a terminal unit, a first current path, a second current path, and a first voltage sensing path. The battery has first and second battery terminals. The terminal unit includes a first pack terminal, a second pack terminal, and a first sensing terminal. The first current path includes charging and discharging switches and is located between the first battery terminal and the first pack terminal. A charging current and discharging current of the battery flows on the first current path. The second current path is between the second battery terminal and the second pack terminal. The first voltage sensing path includes the first sensing terminal, and voltage between the first sensing terminal and another terminal corresponds to a voltage between the first battery terminal and the first sensing terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery pack, comprising:
 a battery including at least one battery cell, a first battery terminal, and a second battery terminal; 
 a terminal unit including a first pack terminal, a second pack terminal, and a first sensing terminal; 
 a first current path between the first battery terminal and the first pack terminal, the first current path including charging and discharging switches at least one switch to control charging and discharging a charging or discharging operation of the battery, wherein the first current path includes a first wiring pattern having a curved side; 
 a second current path between the second battery terminal and the second pack terminal; and 
 a first voltage sensing path between the first battery terminal and the first sensing terminal, wherein the first voltage sensing path includes a second wiring pattern adjacent to the first wiring pattern and being curved along the curved side of the first wiring pattern, 
 wherein the first sensing terminal and the second pack terminal output a battery terminal voltage between the first and second battery terminals to an external device even though the charging and discharging switches are at least one switch is turned off, and 
 wherein the external device is external to the battery pack and directly connected to the first pack terminal, the second pack terminal, and the first sensing terminal. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first resistor on the first voltage sensing path between the first battery terminal and the first sensing terminal. 
 
     
     
       3. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the terminal unit includes a second sensing terminal, and 
 the battery pack includes a second voltage sensing path between the second battery terminal and the second sensing terminal. 
 
     
     
       4. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first and second sensing terminals output the battery terminal voltage to the external device even though the charging and discharging switches are at least one switch is turned off. 
     
     
       5. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a second resistor on the second voltage sensing path between the second battery terminal and the second sensing terminal. 
 
     
     
       6. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a printed circuit board including a the first wiring pattern, a the second wire wiring pattern, a third wire wiring pattern, and a fourth wire wiring pattern, wherein: 
 the first wiring pattern includes at least a portion of the first current path, 
 the second wiring pattern includes at least a portion of the second current path, 
 the third wiring pattern includes at least a portion of the first voltage sensing path, and 
 the fourth wiring pattern includes at least a portion of the second voltage sensing path. 
 
     
     
       7. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first wiring pattern is on a first surface of the printed circuit board, 
 the second wiring pattern is on a second surface of the printed circuit board and overlaps the first wiring pattern, 
 the third wiring pattern is on the first surface of the printed circuit board adjacent to the first wiring pattern, and 
 the fourth wiring pattern is on the second surface of the printed circuit board adjacent to the second wiring pattern. 
 
     
     
       8. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the third wiring pattern has a width less than a width of the first wiring pattern, and the fourth wiring pattern has a width less than a width of the second wiring pattern. 
     
     
       9. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a protective circuit to sense a pack terminal voltage between the first and second pack terminals and to control the charging and discharging switches at least one switch based on the pack terminal voltage between the first and second pack terminals. 
 
     
     
       10. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fuse on the first current path and connected between the first battery terminal and the charging and discharging switches at least one switch, wherein the first sensing terminal is electrically connected to the first battery terminal through the fuse. 
 
     
     
       11. An apparatus, comprising:
 a battery pack, comprising:  a battery including a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal;   a first pack terminal connected to the first battery terminal through a first circuit path;   a second pack terminal connected to the second battery terminal through a second circuit path; and   a first sensing terminal connected to the first battery terminal through a third circuit path,; and   a protective circuit to sense a pack terminal voltage between the first and second pack terminals and to control a charging switch and a discharging switch based on the pack terminal voltage between the first and second pack terminals,    
 wherein the first circuit path includes at least one the charging switch and the discharging switch to control a charging or operation and a discharging operation, respectively,  
 wherein the first sensing terminal and the second pack terminal output an external device receives a battery terminal voltage between the first and second battery terminals to an external device through the first sensing terminal and the second pack terminal even though the at least one switch is charging switch and the discharging switch are turned off, and wherein 
 the external device is external to the apparatus and electrically connected to the apparatus through the first pack terminal, the second pack terminal, and the first sensing terminal, and wherein 
 the battery pack further comprises a fuse between the first battery terminal and the charging switch and the discharging switch, wherein the first sensing terminal is electrically connected to the first battery terminal through the fuse. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the battery pack further comprising: comprises a second sensing terminal connected to the second battery terminal through a fourth circuit path,
 wherein the fourth circuit path is connected to the second circuit path and wherein the first and second sensing terminals output the external device receives the battery terminal voltage through the first and second sensing terminals to the external device even though the at least one switch is charging switch and the discharging switch are turned off. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the external device is configured to sense the battery terminal voltage different from a voltage between the first and second pack terminals is different from voltage between the first sensing terminal and the second pack terminal due to the at least one switch. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the battery pack further comprising: comprises a protection circuit connected to the at least one charging switch and the discharging switch. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a fuse between the first battery terminal and the at least one switch, wherein the first sensing terminal is electrically connected to the first battery terminal through the fuse.   
     
     
       16. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first current path includes a first wiring pattern having a curved side, and   the first voltage sensing path includes a second wire pattern being adjacent to the first wiring pattern and being curved along the curved side of the first wiring pattern.   
     
     
       17. A An apparatus, comprising:
 a battery pack, comprising:
 a battery including a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal; 
 charging and discharging switchesa charging switch and a discharging switch to control charging and discharginga charging operation and a discharging operation, respectively, of the battery; 
 a first pack terminal electrically connected to the first battery terminal through the charging and discharging switches switch and the discharging switch; 
 a second pack terminal electrically connected to the second battery terminal; and 
 a first sensing terminal electrically connected to the first battery terminal without passing through the charging switch and discharging switches, switch; and 
 a protective circuit to sense a pack terminal voltage between the first and second pack terminals and to control the charging switch and the discharging switch based on the pack terminal voltage between the first and second pack terminals, 
 a fuse between the first battery terminal and the charging and discharging switches, wherein the first sensing terminal is electrically connected to the first battery terminal through the fuse,  
 
 wherein the first sensing terminal and the second pack terminal output a battery terminal voltage between the first and second battery terminals to an external device even though the charging and discharging switches switch and the discharging switch are turned off, and wherein 
 the external device is external to the battery pack and directly connected to the first pack terminal, the second pack terminal, and the first sensing terminal. 
 
     
     
       18. The battery pack apparatus as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the battery pack further comprising: comprises a first resistor between the first battery terminal and the first sensing terminal. 
     
     
       19. The battery pack apparatus as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the battery pack further comprising: comprises a second sensing terminal electrically connected to the second battery terminal,
 wherein the first and second sensing terminals output the battery terminal voltage to the external electric device even though the charging switch and the discharging switches switch are turned off. 
 
     
     
       20. The battery pack apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the battery pack further comprising: comprises a second resistor between the second battery terminal and the second sensing terminal. 
     
     
       21. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first battery terminal is a positive electrode terminal of the battery, and   the second battery terminal is a negative electrode terminal of the battery.   
     
     
       22. The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first battery terminal is a negative electrode terminal of the battery, and   the second battery terminal is a positive electrode terminal of the battery.   
     
     
       23. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein:
 the first battery terminal is one of a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of the battery, and   the second battery terminal is the other of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of the battery.   
     
     
       24. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the external device is configured to sense the battery terminal voltage through the first sensing terminal and the second pack terminal. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the external device is configured to sense the battery terminal voltage through the first and second sensing terminals.