Battery charger

• US 20060208699A1
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi KOKI Company Limited (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi KOKI Company Limited (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aradachi, Takao, Ishimaru, Kenro, Funabashi, Kazuhiko, Takano, Nobuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,579,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A battery charger including a charging power supply circuit connected to an input power supply and adapted to charge a battery to be charged, a charging control circuit adapted to control charging of the battery, and a constant voltage power supply adapted to drive the charging control circuit, wherein the charging control circuit stops an output of the constant voltage power supply when the battery is detached from the charger.

Claims

1. A battery charger comprising:

charging power supply means connected to an input power supply and adapted to charge a battery;

charging control means adapted to control charging of the battery; and

constant voltage power supply adapted to drive the charging control means,

wherein the charging control means stops an output of the constant voltage power supply when the battery is detached from the charger.

2. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the constant voltage power supply is activated through a circuit operation triggering means by using a residual voltage of the battery when the battery is connected to the charger.

3. The battery charger according to claim 2, wherein the circuit operation triggering means is connected to the constant voltage power supply through a diode.

4. The battery charger according to claim 2, wherein an output operation of the circuit operation triggering means is stopped by the charging control means after the constant voltage power supply is activated.

5. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the constant voltage power supply is activated by the input power supply connected to the charging power supply means through a switch.

6. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the charging control means includes a microcomputer,

wherein a detected voltage of the battery is input to an input port of the microcomputer, and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

7. The battery charger according to claim 3, wherein an output operation of the circuit operation triggering means is stopped by the charging control means after the constant voltage power supply is activated.

8. The battery charger according to claim 2, wherein the charging control means includes a microcomputer,

wherein a detected voltage of the battery to be charged is input to an input port of the microcomputer, and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

9. The battery charger according to claim 3, wherein the charging control means includes a microcomputer,

wherein a detected voltage of the battery to be charged is input to an input port of the microcomputer, and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

10. The battery charger according to claim 4, wherein the charging control means includes a microcomputer,

wherein a detected voltage of the battery to be charged is input to an input port of the microcomputer, and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

11. The battery charger according to claim 5, wherein the charging control means includes a microcomputer,

wherein a detected voltage of the battery to be charged is input to an input port of the microcomputer, and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

12. A battery charger comprising:

an input power supply;

charging power supply means connected to the input power supply and adapted to supply a voltage and a charging current to a battery;

charging current control means electrically connected to the charging power supply means and adapted to control the charging current, which is supplied to a battery, according to a set value;

main control means adapted to supply control signals, according to which the charging power supply means and the charging current control means are controlled, from start of charging the battery to stoppage of charging the battery; and

a constant voltage power supply adapted to drive the main control means,

wherein the main control means stops supply of operating power to the main control means by stopping output of an output voltage of the constant voltage power supply when the battery is not connected to the charging power supply means.

13. The battery charger according to claim 12, wherein the constant voltage power supply is activated by a circuit operation triggering means adapted to control activation of the constant voltage power supply according to a residual voltage of the battery before charging is started.

14. The battery charger according to claim 12, wherein the constant voltage power supply is activated by the input power supply connected to the charging power supply means through a switch.

15. The battery charger according to claim 13, wherein the main control means stops an operation of the circuit operation triggering means after the constant voltage power supply is activated by an output of the circuit operation triggering means.

16. The battery charger according to claim 12, wherein the main control means comprises a microcomputer;

wherein a detected voltage of the battery is input to an input port of the micrcomputer; and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

17. The battery charger according to claim 13, wherein the main control means comprises a microcomputer;

wherein a detected voltage of the battery is input to an input port of the microcomputer; and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

18. The battery charger according to claim 14, wherein the main control means comprises a microcomputer;

wherein a detected voltage of the battery is input to an input port of the microcomputer; and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

19. The battery charger according to claim 15, wherein the main control means comprises a microcomputer;

wherein a detected voltage of the battery is input to an input port of the microcomputer; and

wherein a control signal, which causes an operation of the constant voltage power supply, is output from an output port of the microcomputer.

20. The battery charger according to claim 12, wherein input power of the input power supply is output from the AC power supply and is rectified through a rectifying circuit.

21. The battery charger according to claim 13, wherein input power of the input power supply is output from the AC power supply and is rectified through a rectifying circuit.

22. The battery charger according to claim 14, wherein input power of the input power supply is output from the AC power supply and is rectified through a rectifying circuit.

23. The battery charger according to claim 15, wherein input power of the input power supply is output from the AC power supply and is rectified through a rectifying circuit.

24. The battery charger according to claim 16, wherein input power of the input power supply is output from the AC power supply and is rectified through a rectifying circuit.

25. The battery charger according to claim 12, wherein the charging power supply means comprises a switching power supply;

and

wherein the input power supply of switching power supply includes a rectifying circuit.

26. The battery charger according to claim 13, wherein the charging power supply means comprises a switching power supply;

and

wherein the input power supply of switching power supply includes a rectifying circuit.

27. The battery charger according to claim 14, wherein the charging power supply means comprises a switching power supply;

and

wherein the input power supply of switching power supply includes a rectifying circuit.

28. The battery charger according to claim 15, wherein the charging power supply means comprises a switching power supply;

and

wherein the input power supply of switching power supply includes a rectifying circuit.

29. The battery charger according to claim 14, wherein the charging power supply means comprises a switching power supply;

and

wherein the input power supply of switching power supply includes a rectifying circuit.

30. The battery charger according to claim 15, wherein the charging power supply means comprises a switching power supply;

and

wherein the input power supply of switching power supply includes a rectifying circuit.

31. The battery charger according to claim 16, wherein the charging power supply means comprises a switching power supply;

and

wherein the input power supply of switching power supply includes a rectifying circuit.