DEVICE FOR CHARGING STORAGE BATTERY

• US 3,719,881 A
• Filed: 12/10/1970
• Issued: 03/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ryoji Kasama, Shin Maii, Shotaro Naito, Takanori Shibata
• Original Assignee: Ryoji Kasama, Shin Maii, Shotaro Naito, Takanori Shibata
• Inventors: Kasama, Ryoji, Naito, Shotaro, Shibata, Takanori, Maii, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, J. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hickey, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/096,935
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 320/64,68,62,61 318/139 290/10,14,17,50 180/6.5 322/10,11
• US Class Current: 322/11
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1476 by mechanical action on the generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

Battery charger comprising means for detecting the specific gravity of the electrolyte of the battery and for closing the ignition and starter circuits of the internal combustion engine when the detected specific gravity is below a prescribed value, and thus starting said internal combustion engine which drives the generator for charging the battery; a switch for disabling said starter when the internal combustion engine rotates at a speed higher than its starting rotation speed; a device for automatically controlling the throttle valve of said internal combustion engine for the purpose of keeping the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine at a predetermined value; and a switch for detecting the load of the internal combustion engine and for disabling the ignition when the detected load falls below a predetermined value; thus, the battery charger makes it possible to maintain the internal combustion engine to be operated under an intermediate load condition and to reduce the amount of harmful contents in the exhaust gas.

Claims

1. A battery charger comprising a generator for charging said battery, an internal combustion engine for driving said generator, energy detecting means for detecting the level of charge of said battery, an ignition circuIt, an auxiliary battery, a starter motor associated with said internal combustion engine, and switching control means for automatically connecting said ignition circuit and said starter motor to said auxiliary battery in response to said energy detecting means detecting a minimum level of charge of said battery to thereby operate said internal combustion engine, said switching control means including means for automatically de-energizing said ignition circuit in response to reduction of the load of said internal combustion engine below a prescribed level, means for automatically de-energizing said starter motor in response to operation of said internal combustion engine and speed control means connected to said internal combustion engine to maintain the speed thereof at a constant level.

2. A battery charger as defined in claim 1, wherein said speed control means includes speed detector means connected to said engine for generating a speed signal indicative of the speed of rotation of said engine and servo control means for controlling the speed of said engine in response to the relative value of said speed signal with respect to a fixed reference voltage, said servo control means including means to adjust the throttle valve of said engine.

3. A battery charger as defined in claim 3, wherein said switching control means includes load detecting means responsive to operation of the throttle valve of the engine by said speed control means for de-energizing said ignition circuit in response to closure of said throttle valve below a predetermined value.

4. A battery charger as defined in claim 3, wherein said switching control means includes a first normally open switch operable by said energy detecting means for connecting said auxiliary battery to said ignition circuit and said energy detecting means includes a detector electrode immersed in an electrolyte of said battery for detecting the energy level thereof.

5. A battery charger as defined in claim 4, wherein said switching control means includes a second normally open switch operable by said load detecting means upon opening of said throttle valve above said predetermined value for connecting said auxiliary battery to said ignition circuit.

6. A battery charger as defined in claim 5, wherein said switching control means includes third and fourth switches connected in series between said auxiliary battery and said starter motor, said third switch being normally open and operable by said energy detecting means, and fourth switch being normally closed and operable by said speed detector means to de-energize said starter motor when said engine reaches a speed above its starting speed.

7. A battery charger as defined in claim 1, further comprising an electric motor selectively connectable to said battery for operation, said electric motor being in driving connection with the wheels of a vehicle.

8. A battery charger as defined in claim 1, wherein said switching control means includes load detecting means responsive to operation of the throttle valve of the engine by said speed control means for de-energizing said ignition circuit in response to closure of said throttle valve below a predetermined value.

9. A battery charger as defined in claim 1, wherein said switching control means includes a first normally open switch operable in response to said energy detecting means for connecting said auxiliary battery to said ignition circuit and said energy detecting means includes a detector electrode immersed in an electrolyte of said battery for detecting the energy level thereof.

10. A battery charger comprising a generator for charging said battery, an internal combustion engine for driving said generator, throttle valve control means for regulating the speed of said engine to a given speed by adjustment of the position of the throttle valve thereof, an ignition circuit and a starter motor associated with said internal combustion engine, energy detecting means for detecting the charging level of said battery inclUding a detector electrode immersed in the electrolyte of said battery, first switching means for automatically energizing said ignition circuit, said starter motor and said throttle valve control means in response to said energy detecting means when the charging level of said battery falls below a prescribed minimum level, and second switching means for de-energizing said ignition circuit and said throttle valve control means independently of said first switching means when the load of the internal combustion engine is below a certain specific value.

11. A battery charger as defined in claim 11, further including third switching means for disabling said starter motor independently of said first and second switching means when the engine is operated at a speed higher than its starting speed.

12. A battery charger as defined in claim 10, wherein said throttle valve control means includes speed control means connected to said internal combustion engine to maintain the speed thereof at a constant level.

13. A battery charger as defined in claim 12, wherein said speed control means includes speed detector means connected to said engine for generating a speed signal indicative of the speed of rotation of said engine and servo control means for controlling the speed of said engine in response to the relative value of said speed signal with respect to a fixed reference voltage, said servo control means including means to adjust the throttle valve of said engine.

14. A battery charger as defined in claim 12, wherein said second switching means includes load detecting means responsive to operation of the engine throttle valve by said speed control means for de-energizing said ignition circuit in response to closure of said throttle valve below a predetermined value.

15. A battery charger as defined in claim 10, wherein said first switching means is operable by said energy detecting means.

16. A battery charger as defined in claim 15, further including an auxiliary battery, said first switching means including a normally open switch operable by said energy detecting means to connect said auxiliary battery to said ignition circuit.