Battery pack
In a battery pack, an overcharge detecting circuit compares a voltage between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a secondary battery with a threshold voltage to detect an overcharge of the secondary battery, and turns off a switching element. A series circuit including a thermistor and a resistor is arranged near the secondary battery and connected in parallel to the secondary battery. A comparator compares a voltage at a junction point of the thermistor and the resistor with a reference voltage corresponding to a predetermined temperature. In response to an output signal of the comparator, a changing unit changes the threshold voltage to a first value when a temperature of the secondary battery is below the predetermined temperature, and changes the threshold voltage to a second smaller value when the temperature of the secondary battery is above the predetermined temperature.
1. A battery pack, comprising:
an overcharge detecting circuit arranged to compare a voltage between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a secondary battery with a threshold voltage to detect an overcharge of the secondary battery, and to turn off a switching element in a wiring between a load and the secondary battery or between a charging device and the secondary battery;
a series circuit including a thermistor and a resistor connected in series, the series circuit being arranged in a vicinity of the secondary battery and connected in parallel to the secondary battery;
a first comparator arranged to compare a voltage at a junction point of the thermistor and the resistor in the series circuit with a first reference voltage corresponding to a first predetermined temperature;
a changing unit arranged to change the threshold voltage of the overcharge detecting circuit to a first value when a detected temperature of the secondary battery is below the first predetermined temperature, and to change the threshold voltage of the overcharge detecting circuit to a second value smaller than the first value when the detected temperature of the secondary battery is above the first predetermined temperature; and
a non-sensitive time setting unit arranged to receive a temperature detection signal output from the first comparator and output a high-level signal to the changing unit when a high-level period of the temperature detection signal exceeds a predetermined value,
wherein, when the high-level signal output from the non-sensitive time setting unit is received at the changing unit, the overcharge detecting circuit outputs an overcharge detection signal, thereby turning off a switching element in the wiring.
2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the overcharge detecting circuit comprises:
a voltage divider arranged to output an intermediate voltage from the voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the secondary battery; and
a second comparator arranged to compare the intermediate voltage output from the voltage divider with a fixed threshold voltage,
wherein, in response to an output signal of the non-sensitive time setting unit, the changing unit changes a division ratio of the voltage divider to a first division ratio when the detected temperature of the secondary battery is below the first predetermined temperature, and changes the division ratio of the voltage divider to a second division ratio smaller than the first division ratio when the detected temperature of the secondary battery is above the first predetermined temperature, in order to change the threshold voltage to the first value or the second value.
3. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the changing unit comprises a third comparator arranged to compare the voltage at the junction point of the thermistor and the resistor in the series circuit with a second reference voltage corresponding to a second predetermined temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature,
wherein, in response to an output signal of the third comparator, the changing unit changes the division ratio of the voltage divider to the second division ratio when the detected temperature of the secondary battery is below the second predetermined temperature, in order to change the threshold voltage to the second value.
4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the thermistor is an NTC thermistor having a negative temperature coefficient.