Battery Charger

• US 20160141900A1
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zapgo Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zapgocharger Ltd.
• Inventors: Tuck, Jonathan R., Rajendran, Marappa, Trindade, Ana, Dutta, Madhuri, Rashidi, Nazanin, Walder, Tim, Lemari, Quentin, Voller, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,774,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/04 Hybrid capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/08 Structural combinations, e.g. assembly or connection, of hybrid or EDL capacitors with other electric components, at least one hybrid or EDL capacitor being the main component
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/36 Nanostructures, e.g. nanofibres, nanotubes or fullerenes
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors

Abstract

A rechargeable battery charger is provided and is characterised by comprising a supercapacitor comprised of one or more sheets of graphene or a graphene containing material, a power module adapted to provide up to 40 amps to the supercapacitor from a source of alternating current rated at 100 volts or above, an output converter adapted to deliver direct current power from the supercapacitor to an output port for connecting to a battery-powered electrical device, and a control module adapted to control the charger'"'"'s various functions automatically and/or for managing and regulating a variable output from the supercapacitor. The charger is especially useful for recharging portable electrical devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops or similar hand-held or worn items.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery charger characterised by comprising;

supercapacitor comprised of one or more sheets of graphene or a graphene-containing material;

a power module adapted to provide up to 40 amps to the supercapacitor from a source of alternating current rated at 100 volts or above;

an output converter adapted to deliver direct current power from the supercapacitor to an output port for connecting to a battery-powered electrical device; and

a control module adapted to control the charger'"'"'s various functions automatically and/or for managing and regulating a variable output from the supercapacitor.

2. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the control module includes at least one charging circuit adapted to detect the degree to which the supercapacitor is already charged and thereafter bring it back to 100% charge.

3. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 2 characterised by the control module receiving a feedback voltage or current from the supercapacitor.

4. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that the control module includes means to prevent leakage or an unsafe electrical discharge of the supercapacitor back through the charging circuit(s).

5. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the battery charger includes voltage and heat sensors connected to or integral with the control module.

6. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the batter charger includes a user-operated means to discharge the supercapacitor other than through the device being charged.

7. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the supercapacitor is capable of delivering an output of up to 1000 mAh for at least 15 minutes.

8. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the supercapacitor includes at least two electrodes each comprising a layer of graphene-containing material on a sheet of conducting metal and a polymer membrane sandwiched therebetween which is impregnated with an ionic liquid having a melting point below 100°

C.

9. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that the ionic liquid is selected from low-melting salts of alkyl or substituted-alkyl pyridinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, imidazolium, piperidinium, pyrrolidinium, pyrazolium, thiazolium, oxazolium or triazolium cation.

10. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that the cation is selected from C₁ to C₄ alkyl substituted imidazolium, piperidimium or pyrrolidinium cations.

11. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that the counter-anion to the cation is selected from hexafluorophosphate, dicyanamide, bis(fluorosulphonyl)imide, bis(trifluoromethylsulphonyl)imide or a bis(perfluoro C₂to C₄alkylsulphonyl)imide.

12. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the battery charger is capable of charging an electrical device to which it is attached to at least 20% in 5 to 30 minutes.

13. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the power source and the output converter are permanently located in a casing which also includes a housing into which the supercapacitor(s) can be inserted or removed.

14. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the power source is adapted to receive AC power from a domestic or commercial ring main.

15. A rechargeable battery charger as claimed in claim 1 characterised by being able to operate at a voltage in the range 2.7 to 7 volts.

16. A rechargeable battery charger array characterised by comprising a plurality of rechargeable battery chargers as claimed in claim 1.

17. A portable electronic device characterised by including a void adapted to receive and connect to a rechargeable battery charger as defined in claim 1.

18. A portable electronic device as claimed in claim 17 where the control module of the rechargeable battery charger is integral with that of the device.