High frequency battery charger and method of operating same

• US 20080185996A1
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vector Products Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vector Products Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krieger, Michael, Randolph, Bruce, Vetitoe, Rov Scott
• Application Number:
  US10/963,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20080185996A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/139
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

A high frequency charger includes a charge circuit for charging a depleted battery and a boost circuit for jump-starting a vehicle. Two separate high frequency transformers are provided for the charge and boost circuits. A selector switch selectively activates at least one of the charging circuit and the boost circuit.

Claims

1-77. -77. (canceled)

78. A high frequency charger comprising:

a high frequency transformer;

a switching configuration to switch the high frequency transformer to produce a charging current of about 2-20 amps for charging a battery and to switch the high frequency transformer to produce a boost current of about 30-300 amps; and

a controller providing a high frequency driving signal to the switching configuration.

79. The high frequency charger of claim 78 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 60-300 amps.

80. The high frequency charger of claim 78 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-15 amps.

81. The high frequency charger of claim 78 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps.

82. The high frequency charger of claim 78 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a duration of about 3-35 seconds.

83. A battery charger, comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding comprising a first winding portion and a second winding portion;

a switching arrangement coupled to the primary winding for switching a DC current through at least one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion at a frequency of at least 20,000 Hz to produce a charging current for charging a battery and for switching a DC current through at least one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion at a frequency of at least 20,000 Hz to produce a boost current relatively high compared to the charging current and sufficient to jump start a vehicle containing the battery;

an output circuit coupled to the secondary side of the transformer to provide the charging current and the boost current as a DC output; and

connectors adapted to be connected to the battery and electrically coupled to the output circuit.

84. The high frequency charger of claim 83 further comprising a polarity protection circuit to allow current to flow through the connectors and to the battery only when the connectors are coupled to the battery with a correct polarity.

85. The high frequency charger of claim 83 further comprising an alternator tester coupled to the connectors and producing an alternator fault signal as a function of voltage.

86. The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 30-300 amps.

87. The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 60-300 amps.

88. The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-20 amps.

89. The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-15 amps.

90. The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 60-300 amps.

91. The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-20 amps and the boost current has a current of about 60-300 amps.

92. The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps.

93. The high frequency charger of claim 89 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-20 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps.

94. A high frequency batter charger, comprising:

a switch circuit having an input for being coupled to a DC input and an output;

a management circuit coupled to the switch circuit to drive the switch circuit at a high frequency;

a high frequency transformer having a primary winding comprising a first and second winding portions and a secondary winding, the output of the switch circuit being coupled to at least one of the first or second primary winding portions to produce a charging current for charging a battery and coupled to at least one of the first or second winding portions to produce a boost current higher than the charging current and sufficient to jump start a vehicle including the battery;

a filter coupled to the secondary winding to produce the charging current and the boost current as DC outputs; and

battery connectors electrically coupled for supplying the DC output charging current or boost current to a battery in a vehicle.

95. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the switch circuit switches the DC input through the first winding portion to produce the charging current

96. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the switch circuit switches the DC input through the second winding portion to produce the boost current.

97. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the first wind portion and second winding portion are separate windings.

98. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the management circuit comprises a microprocessor and a pulse width modulator.

99. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 30-300 amps.

100. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 60-300 amps.

101. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-20 amps.

102. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-15 amps.

103. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 60-300 amps.

104. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-20 amps and the boost current has a current of about 60-300 amps.

105. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps.

106. The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-20 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps.

107. The high frequency charger of claim 94 further comprising measuring circuitry coupled to the battery connectors to determine at least a voltage at the battery after the vehicle is started.