Battery charger
First Claim
1. A battery charger for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the battery charger comprising:
- a charger body;
one or more charging channels in the charger body, each of the one or more charging channels having a positive charging plate and a negative charging plate, each of the one or more charging channels configured to receive a battery between the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate such that the positive charging plate contacts the positive terminal of the battery and the negative charging plate contacts the negative terminal of the battery; and
a charging circuit coupled to the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each of the one or more charging channels, the charging circuit configured to provide a charging current through the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each charging channel, the charging circuit further including a microcontroller configured to receive a detection signal and adjust the charging current in response to the detection signal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A battery charger for charging one or more rechargeable batteries. One or more rechargeable batteries are placed into one or more charging areas of the battery charger. Each of the one or more charging areas has a positive charging plate and a negative charging plate and is configured to receive a battery. The battery charger includes a charging circuit coupled to the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each charging area, the charging circuit configured to provide a charging current through the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each charging area, the charging circuit further including a microcontroller configured to receive a detection signal and adjust the charging current in response to the detection signal. In one embodiment, the battery charger detects the presence of an AAA size battery and adjusts the charging current.
23 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A battery charger for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the battery charger comprising:
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a charger body;
one or more charging channels in the charger body, each of the one or more charging channels having a positive charging plate and a negative charging plate, each of the one or more charging channels configured to receive a battery between the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate such that the positive charging plate contacts the positive terminal of the battery and the negative charging plate contacts the negative terminal of the battery; and
a charging circuit coupled to the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each of the one or more charging channels, the charging circuit configured to provide a charging current through the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each charging channel, the charging circuit further including a microcontroller configured to receive a detection signal and adjust the charging current in response to the detection signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A battery charger for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the battery charger comprising:
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a charger body;
two or more charging channels in the charger body, each of the two or more channels having a positive charging plate and a negative charging plate, each of the two or more channels configured to receive a battery between the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate such that the positive charging plate contacts the positive terminal of the battery and the negative charging plate contacts the negative terminal of the battery, the negative charging plate slidable between a first position, a second position, and a third position; and
a charging circuit coupled to the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each of the two or more charging channels, the charging circuit configured to provide a charging current through the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each channel, the charging circuit further including a microcontroller configured to configured to receive a detection signal and adjust the charging current in response to the detection signal, the charging circuit further including two or more detector elements corresponding one-to-one to the two or more charging channels of the charger body, each of the detector elements in separable contact with a corresponding negative charging plate, wherein the detection signal is generated when contact between at least one of the corresponding detector element and negative charging plate is separated. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A battery charger for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the battery charger comprising:
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a charger body;
one or more charging channels in the charger body, each of the one or more charging channels having a positive charging plate and a negative charging plate, wherein the negative charging plate of each charging channel is selectively slidable between a first position, a second position, and a third position; and
a charging circuit coupled to the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each of the one or more charging channels, the charging circuit configured to provide a charging current through the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each charging channel, the charging circuit further including a microcontroller configured to receive a detection signal and adjust the charging current in response to the detection signal; and
a cover coupled to the charger body, the cover pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the closed position the cover forms an enclosure with the charger body, the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each of the one or more charging channels within the enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A battery charger for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the battery charger comprising:
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a charger body having an AC plug for coupling to an electrical outlet;
one or more charging channels in the charger body, each of the one or more charging channels having a positive charging plate and a negative charging plate; and
a charging circuit coupled to the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each of the one or more charging channels, the charging circuit configured to provide a charging current through the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each charging channel, the charging circuit further including a microcontroller configured to receive a detection signal and adjust the charging current in response to the detection signal; and
one or more plug adapters configured for alternative coupling to the AC plug, wherein each of the one or more plug adapters is alternatively electrically connected to the AC plug. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A battery charger for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the battery charger comprising:
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a charger body;
two or more charging channels in the charger body, each of the two or more channels having a positive charging plate and a negative charging plate, each of the two or more channels configured to receive a battery between the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate such that the positive charging plate contacts the positive terminal of the battery and the negative charging plate contacts the negative terminal of the battery, the negative charging plate slidable between a first position, a second position, and a third position, wherein the negative charging plate of each charging channel is in the first position when no battery is located in the charging channel, in the second position when an AA size battery is located in the charging channel, and in the third position when an AAA size battery is located in the charging channel; and
a charging circuit coupled to the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each of the two or more charging channels, the charging circuit configured to provide a charging current through the positive charging plate and the negative charging plate of each channel, the charging circuit further including a microcontroller configured to detect a voltage change in the charging circuit and adjusting the charging current in response to the detection of the voltage change, the charging circuit further including two or more detector elements corresponding one-to-one to the two or more charging channels of the charger body, each of the detector elements in separable contact with a corresponding negative charging plate, wherein the voltage change in the charging circuit occurs when contact between at least one of the corresponding detector element and negative charging plate is separated, the contact being separated when the negative charging plate is in the third position, the charging circuit further including two or more circuit channels in series having a common current control switch, the two or more circuit channels corresponding one-to-one to the two or more charging channels of the charger body.
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26. A battery charger for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the battery charger comprising:
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a charger body having means for receiving one or more batteries;
means for delivering a charging current to the one or more batteries in series, the delivery means including a control means for controlling the delivery of the charging current to the two or more batteries;
means for detecting the presence of an AAA size battery in the battery charger; and
means for adjusting the charging current delivered to the one or more batteries in response to detecting the presence of an AAA size battery in the battery charger - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification