Battery charger control circuit
First Claim
1. Apparatus for controlling the charging of a battery, comprising:
- multiple-purpose means for generating a first control signal when the rate of charging of the battery falls below a predetermined rate during a charging run and generating a second control signal;
said multiple-purpose means including selector means for activating said multiple-purpose means to initiate charging runs a predetermined time after the termination of a charging run in response to said second control signal;
said selector means including manually activatable means for including said selector means in circuit with said multiple-purpose means;
said multiple-purpose means further including measuring means for measuring the potential of a battery;
said measuring means including a first counter and means for applying pulses to said first counter;
said first counter having a plurality of output terminals;
said multiple-purpose means further including a timer;
said timer including a second counter;
said multiple-purpose means further including switch means for applying a signal to said second counter from a selected one of said plurality of output terminals of said first counter when said multiple-purpose means is measuring the time since the termination of the previous cycle;
said second counter including means for generating said first control signal and said second control signal;
said multiple-purpose means including means for terminating a charging run in response to said first control signal;
said multiple-purpose means including a timer-gated multivibrator and an OR gate;
the output of said OR gate being electrically connected to said second counter;
a battery charger;
said timer-gated multivibrator being enabled by pulses on two of its inputs;
one of said two inputs of said timer-gated multivibrator being electrically connected to another of said output terminals of said first counter and the other of said inputs to said timer-gated multivibrator being electrically connected to said battery charger, whereby said timer-gated multivibrator is energized when said battery charger is applying charge to a battery and said first counter has counted to said other of said plurality of output terminals;
said manually activatable means including a first conductor connected to one input of said OR gate and second and third inputs and a manually activatable switch means for connecting said first conductor to either of said first and second inputs, said first input being electrically connected to another of said output terminals of said first counter and said third input being connected to still another of said outputs of said first counter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To prevent reduction in the efficiency of a battery in the wintertime for batteries used on vehicles outdoors, charging runs are automatically initiated in two or three hour intervals which are timed by 10 Hertz (Hz) clock pulses that are applied to a first counter normally used to measure the potential of the battery with the output from a selected terminal of the first counter being applied through a summer-winter switch to a second counter normally used to measure the rate of change of the potential of the battery. When the number of counts have elapsed indicating a two or three hour delay, the output from the second counter initiates a charging run. The summer-winter switch may be manual or temperature-controlled and may include one or more other positions to disconnect the timing circuit or connect a different terminal of the first counter to the second counter to initiate charging runs every two and one-half days during storage of the battery for long periods of time.
24 Citations
15 Claims
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1. Apparatus for controlling the charging of a battery, comprising:
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multiple-purpose means for generating a first control signal when the rate of charging of the battery falls below a predetermined rate during a charging run and generating a second control signal; said multiple-purpose means including selector means for activating said multiple-purpose means to initiate charging runs a predetermined time after the termination of a charging run in response to said second control signal; said selector means including manually activatable means for including said selector means in circuit with said multiple-purpose means; said multiple-purpose means further including measuring means for measuring the potential of a battery; said measuring means including a first counter and means for applying pulses to said first counter; said first counter having a plurality of output terminals; said multiple-purpose means further including a timer; said timer including a second counter; said multiple-purpose means further including switch means for applying a signal to said second counter from a selected one of said plurality of output terminals of said first counter when said multiple-purpose means is measuring the time since the termination of the previous cycle; said second counter including means for generating said first control signal and said second control signal; said multiple-purpose means including means for terminating a charging run in response to said first control signal; said multiple-purpose means including a timer-gated multivibrator and an OR gate; the output of said OR gate being electrically connected to said second counter; a battery charger; said timer-gated multivibrator being enabled by pulses on two of its inputs; one of said two inputs of said timer-gated multivibrator being electrically connected to another of said output terminals of said first counter and the other of said inputs to said timer-gated multivibrator being electrically connected to said battery charger, whereby said timer-gated multivibrator is energized when said battery charger is applying charge to a battery and said first counter has counted to said other of said plurality of output terminals; said manually activatable means including a first conductor connected to one input of said OR gate and second and third inputs and a manually activatable switch means for connecting said first conductor to either of said first and second inputs, said first input being electrically connected to another of said output terminals of said first counter and said third input being connected to still another of said outputs of said first counter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14)
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8. Apparatus for controlling the charging of a battery, comprising:
- multiple-purpose means for generating a first control signal when the rate of charging of the battery falls below a predetermined rate during a charging run and generating a second control signal;
said multiple-purpose means including selector means for activating said multiple-purpose means to initiate charging runs a first predetermined time after the termination of a charging run in response to said second control signal at certain temperatures; said selector means including manually actuatable means for including said selector means in circuit with said multiple-purpose means; said multiple-purpose means further including measuring means for measuring the potential of a battery; said measuring means including a first counter and means for applying pulses to said first counter; said first counter having a plurality of output terminals; said multiple-purpose means further including a timer; said timer including a second counter; said multiple-purpose means further including switch means for applying a signal to said second counter from a selected one of said plurality of output terminals of said first counter when said multiple-purpose means is measuring the time since the termination of a previous charging cycle; said second counter including means for generating said first control signal and said second control signal; said multiple-purpose means including means for terminating a charging run in response to said first control signal; said selector means including a temperature-controlled switch for causing said multiple-purpose means to initiate a charging run said predetermined time after the termination of the previous charging run when the ambient temperature falls below said predetermined temperature. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15)
- multiple-purpose means for generating a first control signal when the rate of charging of the battery falls below a predetermined rate during a charging run and generating a second control signal;
Specification