Electric appliance capable of receiving power from a battery or an external source

• US 20030128488A1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Katzer, Uwe, Pacher, Lothar, Trawinski, Peter
• Application Number:
  US10/319,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20030128488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/92
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

An electric appliance is capable of receiving voltage from an energy source. The appliance includes a battery, a load element that is operable from the battery or the energy source, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes a variable resistance element that can be adjusted so that voltage received from the energy source does not drop below a predetermined minimum voltage.

Claims

1. An electric appliance capable of receiving voltage from an energy source, the electric appliance comprising:

a battery;

a load element that is operable from the battery or the energy source; and

a control circuit, the control circuit including a variable resistance element that can be adjusted so that voltage received from the energy source does not drop below a predetermined minimum voltage.

2. The electric appliance of claim 1, wherein the variable resistance element lies in a path of current that charges the battery.

3. The electric appliance of claim 1, wherein the variable resistance comprises a transistor.

4. The electric appliance of claim 1, wherein a resistance of the variable resistance element can vary continuously or incrementally.

5. The electric appliance of claim 1, further comprising:

a positive voltage booster circuit,

wherein the load element is supplied by the energy source via the positive voltage booster circuit.

6. The electric appliance of claim 1, wherein the load element is supplied with voltage from the battery or the energy source.

7. The electric appliance of claim 1, further comprising:

a positive voltage booster circuit;

wherein the load element is supplied by the battery via the positive booster circuit.

8. The electric appliance of claim 1, wherein the control circuit measures the voltage applied to the load element or the voltage delivered by the energy source.