Low Cost Fast Charger with Internal Accumulator and Method

• US 20120256583A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Davis, Stuart M.
• Application Number:
  US13/082,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256583A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/103
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a charger device configured to charge a rechargeable battery comprising at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell includes a lead-acid battery charge accumulator device of a high discharge rate, having a discharge rate that is capable of delivering charging current to the at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell to charge the at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell within a period of about 5 to 15 minutes, a low rate 200 ma charger coupled in shunt with the lead-acid battery high discharge rate charge accumulator device and with the charger configured to re-charge the high discharge rate charge accumulator at a low charge rate, in comparison to the discharge rate of high discharge rate charge accumulator and a series resistor coupled between the accumulator and an output of the charger device.

Claims

1. A method for charging a rechargeable battery comprising at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell, the method comprising:

charging the rechargeable battery at a high rate from a charge accumulator device that has a discharge rate that is capable of delivering charging current to the rechargeable electrochemical battery to charge the rechargeable electrochemical cell within a period of about 5 to 15 minutes; and

recharging the charge accumulator using a low charge rate charger, with the charge rate to recharge the charge accumulator being low in comparison to the charging rate of the rechargeable battery.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the charge accumulator is a lead-acid battery.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the charge accumulator reaches an approximately 13% depth of discharge for a single charge of the rechargeable battery.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein low rate charger is a 200 ma. charger.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the charge accumulator is a supercapacitor.

6. A charger device configured to charge a rechargeable battery comprising at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell, the device comprising:

a charge accumulator device that has a discharge rate that is capable of delivering charging current to the at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell to charge the at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell within a period of about 5 to 15 minutes; and

a low charge rate charger configured to re-charge the charge accumulator at a low charge rate, in comparison to the charge rate of the electrochemical cell.

7. The charger device of claim 6 wherein the charge accumulator is a lead-acid battery.

8. The charger device of claim 6 wherein the charge accumulator reaches approximately 13% depth of discharge for a single charge of the rechargeable cell.

9. The charger device of claim 6 wherein the low rate charger is a 200 ma charger.

10. The charger device of claim 6 further comprising:

protection circuitry coupled to the high discharge rate accumulator.

11. The charger device of claim 10 wherein the protection circuitry comprises:

a resistor coupled in series between the accumulator and an output of the charger.

12. The charger device of claim 6 wherein the accumulator is coupled in shunt with the low rate charger and output terminals of the charger device.

13. The charger device of claim 11 wherein the accumulator is coupled in shunt with the low rate charger, and the resistor and output terminals of the charger device.

14. A charger device configured to charge a rechargeable battery comprising at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell, the device comprising:

a lead-acid battery that has a high discharge rate to provide a charge accumulator device that has a discharge rate that is capable of delivering charging current to the at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell to charge the at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell within a period of about 5 to 15 minutes; and

a low rate 200 ma charger coupled in shunt with the lead-acid battery high discharge rate charge accumulator device and with the charger configured to re-charge the high discharge rate charge accumulator at a low charge rate, in comparison to the discharge rate of high discharge rate charge accumulator; and

a series resistor coupled between the accumulator and an output of the charger device.