BATTERY CHARGER

• US 20130229145A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Alessandro, Agatino Antonino, Demilato, Giuliana, Arcidiacono, Liliana, Adamo, Santi Carlo
• Granted Patent: US 9,160,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00043 using switches, contacts or markings, e.g. optical, magnetic or barcode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• 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 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery charger includes an input supply terminal configured to receive a supply signal, a battery terminal configured to be connected to a battery and at least one output terminal, a switch arranged in the electrical path between the battery terminal and at least one output terminal, an element configured to store an information representative of an alarm condition of the battery and to open the switch when the alarm condition occurs, with the supply signal being absent and the battery supplying the at least one output terminal, and to close the switch when the supply signal is received at the input supply terminal.

Claims

1. Battery charger comprising an input supply terminal configured to receive a supply signal, a battery terminal configured to be connected to a battery and at least one output terminal, a switch arranged in the electrical path between the battery terminal and said at least one output terminal, an element configured to memorize an information representative of an alarm condition of the battery and to open the switch when said alarm condition occurs, with the supply signal being absent and the battery supplying said at least one output terminal, and to close the switch when said supply signal is received at the input supply terminal

2. Battery charger according to claim 1, wherein said element is a latch.

3. Battery charger according to claim 1, wherein said alarm condition is an over current discharge or an over voltage discharge or a shipping mode of the battery.

4. Battery charger according to claim 3, comprising first means configured to detect the over current discharge condition and second means configured to detect the over voltage discharge condition, said first and second means being adapted to emit a first and a second output signals in response to the detections.

5. Battery charger according to claim 4, comprising a control circuit configured to receive first and a second output signals of the first and second means and an external signal representative of the shipping mode condition, said control circuit being configured to emit a set signal for the latch in response to the reception of one among the first or second output signals or the external signal when the battery supplies said at least one output terminal, said control circuit being configured to emit a reset signal for the latch in response to the reception of a further signal representative of the presence of a supply voltage at the input supply terminal.

6. Battery charger according to claim 5, comprising a device configured to emit a constant voltage, said device being connected to said at least one output terminal and being supplied by the supply signal or by the battery with the supply signal being absent, said device being configured to supply said control circuit.

7. Battery charger according to claim 1, comprising another electrical path between the input supply terminal and said at least one output terminal and a further path between the input supply terminal and said battery terminal.

8. Battery charger according to claim 2, wherein said switch is a MOS transistor having a first intrinsic diode, said electric path comprising another MOS transistor including a second intrinsic diode having the cathode in common with the first intrinsic diode and with the source terminals of the MOS transistors, said battery charger comprising an electrical to connection line between the cathode of the first and second intrinsic diodes and the latch for supplying the latch.

9. Battery pack comprising a battery and a battery charger according to claim 1.

10. A method of operating a battery charger, said battery charger comprising an input supply terminal configured to receive a supply signal, a battery terminal configured to be connected to a battery and at least one output terminal, a switch arranged in the electrical path between the battery terminal and said at least one output terminal comprising:

storing information representative of an alarm condition of the battery and opening the switch when said alarm condition occurs, with the supply signal being absent and the battery supplying said at least one output terminal, and

closing the switch when said supply signal is received at the input supply terminal.