BATTERY CHARGER
First Claim
1. A battery charger comprising:
- a housing including a plurality of charging ports, each of the plurality of charging ports configured to receive a battery pack;
a power supply module electrically connected to a power source and configured to supply power to the battery charger,wherein the battery charger operates in a normal operational power mode and a low operational power mode;
a controller configured todetermine whether one or more of the plurality of charging ports is to receive a first charging current,determine whether one or more of the plurality of charging ports is to receive a second charging current, wherein the first charging current is greater than the second charging current, andoperate the battery charger in the normal operational power mode when one or more of the plurality of charging ports is to receive the first charging current or the second charging current;
at least one protection circuit including at least one semiconductor switch, the at least one semiconductor switch configured to prevent a charging current from being supplied to a charging port when a defect condition related to the charging port is detected; and
a battery pack detection device positioned within at least one of the plurality of charging ports and electrically connected to the controller, the battery pack detection device configured to provide an indication to the controller of a presence of the battery pack in the at least one of the plurality of charging ports,wherein the battery pack detection device provides an electrical connection between the at least one of the plurality of charging ports and the battery pack.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An energy-efficient and compact multi-port battery charger. The battery charger includes, among other things, a power supply module, a battery charger control module or controller, a power switching module, one or more power control safety modules, a plurality of battery charger switches, and a plurality of indicators. The controller, the power switching module, the power control safety modules, and the battery charger switches work in conjunction with each other to control the operation of the battery charger. The controller is configured to execute a charging control process which detects the insertion of a battery pack into a charging port, selects a charging port for charging, controls the power output from the power switching module, and controls the illumination or display of the indicators. The power switching module uses control signals from the controller to switch the power received from the power supply module such that a charging current is applied to a single charging port. Each of the power control safety modules includes a power control safety circuit that is configured to prevent the charging current and/or the charging voltage from damaging the battery charger or battery pack during a malfunction.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A battery charger comprising:
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a housing including a plurality of charging ports, each of the plurality of charging ports configured to receive a battery pack; a power supply module electrically connected to a power source and configured to supply power to the battery charger, wherein the battery charger operates in a normal operational power mode and a low operational power mode; a controller configured to determine whether one or more of the plurality of charging ports is to receive a first charging current, determine whether one or more of the plurality of charging ports is to receive a second charging current, wherein the first charging current is greater than the second charging current, and operate the battery charger in the normal operational power mode when one or more of the plurality of charging ports is to receive the first charging current or the second charging current; at least one protection circuit including at least one semiconductor switch, the at least one semiconductor switch configured to prevent a charging current from being supplied to a charging port when a defect condition related to the charging port is detected; and a battery pack detection device positioned within at least one of the plurality of charging ports and electrically connected to the controller, the battery pack detection device configured to provide an indication to the controller of a presence of the battery pack in the at least one of the plurality of charging ports, wherein the battery pack detection device provides an electrical connection between the at least one of the plurality of charging ports and the battery pack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A battery charger comprising:
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a housing including one or more charging ports, each of the one or more charging ports configured to receive a battery pack; a power supply module electrically connected to a power source and configured to supply power to the battery charger; a controller configured to receive an indication of a presence of the battery pack in one of the one or more charging ports; at least one protection circuit including at least one semiconductor switch, the at least one semiconductor switch configured to prevent a charging current from being supplied to a charging port when a defect condition related to the charging port is detected; and a battery pack detection device positioned within at least one of the one or more charging ports and electrically connected to the controller, the battery pack detection device including a first conductive part, a second conductive part, a first terminal, and a second terminal, wherein a voltage of the first terminal is a battery charger reference voltage, a voltage of the second terminal is a battery charger control voltage, and the first conductive part and the second conductive part are brought into electrical connection with one another when the battery pack is inserted into the at least one of the one or more charging ports, and wherein the voltage of the second terminal is reduced from the battery charger control voltage to the battery charger reference voltage after being brought into electrical connection with the first terminal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A battery charger comprising:
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a housing including a plurality of charging ports, each of the plurality of charging ports configured to receive a battery pack; a power supply module electrically connected to a power source and configured to supply power to the battery charger; a controller configured to select one of the plurality of charging ports that is to receive a charging current, and generate a charging signal to enable the selected one of the plurality of charging ports to receive the charging current; and at least one protection circuit configured to receive the charging signal from the controller when the at least one protection circuit is in a normal operational mode, the at least one protection circuit including a first semiconductor switch and a second semiconductor switch, wherein the first semiconductor switch allows the charging current to be supplied to the at least one of the plurality of charging ports when the at least one protection circuit is receiving the charging signal from the controller, and wherein the second semiconductor switch prevents the charging current from being supplied to the at least one of the plurality of charging ports when the at least one protection circuit is not receiving the charging signal from the controller. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A battery charger comprising:
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a housing including a plurality of charging ports, each of the plurality of charging ports configured to receive a battery pack; a power supply module electrically connected to a power source and configured to supply power to the battery charger, wherein the battery charger operates in a first operational power mode and a second operational power mode; and a controller configured to execute a charging control process, the charging control process including detecting an indication related to a presence of the battery pack in one of the plurality of charging ports, determining whether one or more of the plurality of charging ports is to receive a first charging current, determining whether one or more of the plurality of charging ports is to receive a second charging current, wherein the first charging current is greater than the second charging current, operating the battery charger in the first operational power mode when at least one of the plurality of charging ports is to receive the first charging current or the second charging current, generating a charging signal to enable one of the plurality of charging ports to receive the first charging current or the second charging current when the one of the plurality of charging ports is to receive the first charging current or the second charging current, and operating the battery charger in the second operational power mode when none of the plurality of charging ports is to receive the first charging current or the second charging current. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A battery charger comprising:
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a housing including one or more charging ports, each of the one or more charging ports configured to receive a battery pack; a power supply module electrically connected to a power source and configured to supply power to the battery charger; a controller configured to receive an indication of a presence of the battery pack in one of the one or more charging ports, select one of the one or more charging ports that is to receive a charging current, and generate a charging signal to enable the selected one of the one or more charging ports to receive the charging current; and a battery pack detection device positioned within at least one of the one or more charging ports and electrically connected to the controller, the battery pack detection device including a a first conductive part coupled to a negative terminal of the power supply module, a second conductive part coupled to the controller, and an insulating part electrically isolating the first conductive part from the second conductive part; wherein the first conductive part is bent toward the second conductive part when the battery pack is inserted into the at least one of the one or more charging ports. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A battery charger comprising:
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a housing including one or more charging ports, each of the one or more charging ports configured to receive a battery pack; a power supply module electrically connected to a power source and configured to supply power to the battery charger; a controller configured to receive an indication of a presence of the battery pack in one of the one or more charging ports, select one of the one or more charging ports that is to receive a charging current, and generate a charging signal to enable the selected one of the one or more charging ports to receive the charging current; and a battery pack detection device positioned within at least one of the one or more charging ports and electrically connected to the controller, the battery pack detection device including a a first conductive part coupled to a negative terminal of the power supply module, a second conductive part coupled to the controller, wherein the first conductive part and the second conductive part are separated from one another by a fixed distance, and an insulating part electrically insulating the first conductive part from the second conductive part; wherein the fixed distance between the first conductive part and the second conductive part is bridged by a terminal of the battery pack when the battery pack is inserted into the at least one of the one or more charging ports. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification