Apple is studying how to use new sensing methods to detect early signs of battery swelling, and how to not only tell users that this has happened but how to prevent it. Apple has applied for two patents related to battery technology that will reduce the size of the device and allow the device to detect battery swelling.
These technologies go hand in hand to create smaller and smaller devices while ensuring the safety of users. These two patents are very important for Apple to achieve the goal of small devices that users carry or wear daily. For example, the battery case of the ill-fated Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is too small, causing these devices to eventually swell and violently destroy. If Apple seeks to reduce the size of the battery case, it also needs to consider possible battery swelling issues.
Even Apple’s iPhone cannot avoid battery swelling because this is a side effect of lithium-ion battery chemistry. Detecting and preventing battery swelling, or at least warning the user when the battery is exhausted, will greatly help the user’s safety. Apple’s first patent described a system for locating the surrounding components inside the battery.
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This new system will allow larger batteries to be installed in the device housing without damaging the components. The patent says that using a new system, placing a metal casing around the battery casing and then grounding it, will allow the components to be closer to the battery’s packaging. In some cases, the components can be in contact with the metal housing without being damaged.
The second related patent describes various solutions to detect and alleviate battery swelling. Once the expansion is detected, the processor coupled with the sensor will determine how to slow the expansion or prevent it.
This will be achieved by adjusting the charging or discharging of the battery, depending on the cause of the swelling. One detection method would use capacitors to determine the physical distance between the battery box and the device box. If this distance is reduced, the capacitance will change and an alarm will be sent to the battery processor.
Apple says that capacitance can be used to measure the distance between several different surfaces, such as internal and external battery casings. The patent also describes the use of several different sensors to determine strain, acoustic resonance, light interruption, contact or pressure. No matter which sensor is used, any change in the physical boundaries of the battery will cause the sensor to be triggered. This in turn will tell the battery processor to change charge or discharge to extend battery life and reduce swelling.
Apple files numerous patent applications every week. Although the existence of patent applications indicates areas of interest for Apple’s R&D work, they do not guarantee that these concepts will appear in future products or services.
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