MULTIPLE BAY BATTERY CHARGERS AND CIRCUITRY
First Claim
1. A multi-bay battery charger for recharging a plurality of rechargeable batteries, the multi-bay battery charger comprising:
- a power supply;
a flyback converter including a transformer defining a primary circuit and a secondary circuit,wherein the primary circuit includes a primary control switch having a closed state for electrically connecting the transformer to the power supply and an open state for electrically disconnecting the transformer from the power supply, andwherein the secondary circuit is operable to be electrically connected to at least one rechargeable battery for supplying a battery voltage and a battery current to each rechargeable battery;
a primary circuit controller in electrical communication with the primary control switch to apply a voltage pulse to the primary control switch for selectively closing the primary control switch; and
a secondary circuit controller in electrical communication with the secondary circuit to electrically sense the battery voltage and the battery current being supplied by the secondary circuit to each rechargeable battery connected to the secondary circuit,wherein the secondary circuit controller is in further electrical communication with the primary circuit controller to applies a regulation voltage to the primary circuit controller for modulating a duty cycle of the voltage pulses provided by the primary circuit controller to the primary control switch, andwherein the secondary circuit controller modulates an amplitude of the regulation voltage as a function of the sensed battery voltage of each rechargeable battery relative to a maximum voltage threshold of each rechargeable battery and as a function of the sensed battery current of each rechargeable battery relative to a maximum current threshold of each rechargeable battery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-bay battery charger comprises a power supply (10), a flyback converter (30) including a transformer (40) defining a primary circuit (50) and a secondary circuit (60), a primary circuit controller (70) and a secondary circuit controller (80). The primary circuit (50) includes a primary control switch (51) having a closed state for electrically connecting the transformer (40) to the power supply (10). The primary circuit controller (70) applies a voltage pulse to the primary control switch (51) for selectively closing the primary control switch (51). The secondary circuit controller (80) applies a regulation voltage to the primary circuit controller (70) for modulating a duty cycle of the voltage pulses as a function of a sensed battery voltage relative to a maximum voltage threshold of a rechargeable battery (20) connected to the secondary circuit and of a sensed battery current relative to a maximum current threshold of the rechargeable battery (20).
8 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A multi-bay battery charger for recharging a plurality of rechargeable batteries, the multi-bay battery charger comprising:
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a power supply; a flyback converter including a transformer defining a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, wherein the primary circuit includes a primary control switch having a closed state for electrically connecting the transformer to the power supply and an open state for electrically disconnecting the transformer from the power supply, and wherein the secondary circuit is operable to be electrically connected to at least one rechargeable battery for supplying a battery voltage and a battery current to each rechargeable battery; a primary circuit controller in electrical communication with the primary control switch to apply a voltage pulse to the primary control switch for selectively closing the primary control switch; and a secondary circuit controller in electrical communication with the secondary circuit to electrically sense the battery voltage and the battery current being supplied by the secondary circuit to each rechargeable battery connected to the secondary circuit, wherein the secondary circuit controller is in further electrical communication with the primary circuit controller to applies a regulation voltage to the primary circuit controller for modulating a duty cycle of the voltage pulses provided by the primary circuit controller to the primary control switch, and wherein the secondary circuit controller modulates an amplitude of the regulation voltage as a function of the sensed battery voltage of each rechargeable battery relative to a maximum voltage threshold of each rechargeable battery and as a function of the sensed battery current of each rechargeable battery relative to a maximum current threshold of each rechargeable battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A multi-bay battery charger for recharging a first rechargeable battery and a second rechargeable battery, the multi-bay battery charger comprising:
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a power supply; a flyback converter including a transformer defining a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, wherein the primary circuit includes a primary control switch having a closed state for electrically connecting the transformer to the power supply and an open state for electrically disconnecting the transformer from the power supply, wherein the secondary circuit is operable to be electrically connected to the first rechargeable battery for supplying a first battery voltage and a first battery current to the first rechargeable battery, and wherein the secondary circuit is operable to be electrically connected to the second rechargeable battery for supplying a second battery voltage and a second battery current to the first rechargeable battery; a primary circuit controller in electrical communication with the primary control switch to apply a voltage pulse to the primary control switch for selectively closing the primary control switch; and a secondary circuit controller in electrical communication with the secondary circuit to electrically sense the first battery voltage, the second battery voltage, the first battery current and the second battery current being supplied by the secondary circuit to each rechargeable battery connected to the secondary circuit, wherein the secondary circuit controller is in further electrical communication with the primary circuit controller to provide a regulation voltage to the primary circuit controller for modulating a duty cycle of the voltage pulses provided by the primary circuit controller to the primary control switch, and wherein the secondary circuit controller modulates an amplitude of the regulation voltage as a function of the sensed battery voltage of each rechargeable battery relative to a maximum voltage threshold of each rechargeable battery and as a function of the sensed battery current of each rechargeable battery relative to a maximum current threshold of each rechargeable battery. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification