High frequency battery charger

• US 4,260,943 A
• Filed: 01/30/1979
• Issued: 04/07/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unitron NV
• Original Assignee: Unitron NV
• Inventors: Zaderej, George, Zaderej, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Application Number:
  US06/008,181
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 320/21, 320/30, 320/32, 320/33, 320/35, 320/36, 320/43, 320/53, 320/59, 320/60, 323/4, 323/23, 323/25, 363/18-21, 363/86, 363/97
• US Class Current: 320/140
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/25 Optical coupler

Abstract

A high frequency battery charger operable from a 120 volt AC line power source which is rectified and converted by a blocking oscillator into 20-200 Khz rectified output for battery charging. A sensor for determining full battery charge serves as a power cut off to the battery with provision, if desired, for continued trickle charge of the battery.

Claims

1. A high frequency charger for a battery comprising means for rectifying an AC voltage power input into a DC voltage and including negative and positive output lines, means for converting said DC voltage into a high frequency AC voltage, said converting means constituting a blocking oscillator including

a filtering capacitor connected between said output lines, a high voltage and high frequency NPN transistor having its emitter connected to said negative output line, resistance means connected between said positive output line and the base of said transistor for starting oscillation of the transistor, a main transformer winding connected between the collector of said transistor and said positive output line, a return transformer winding connected between said negative output line and through an impedence to the base of said transistor, an emf transistor winding in series with a fast recovery rectifier connected between said output lines, the anode of said rectifier facing said negative output line, said emf and main transformer windings being wound bifilar and of opposite polarity, said main and return transformer windings being of the same polarity, and a secondary transformer winding,

means for rectifying said high frequency AC voltage into a DC charging voltage for said battery, means for sensing the voltage of said battery during charging and in response to a selected sensed voltage reducing the charging current into said battery, said voltage sensing and current reducing means including control means for reducing said charging current upon actuation thereof, lambda diode means to sense the voltage of said battery and to turn off at said selected sensed voltage, a second NPN transistor means responsive to turn off of said lambda diode for actuating said control means, and said control means including an emitter device and an operatively coupled receiver device, SCR means for terminating said charging current upon switch off thereof, said receiver device associated with the gate of said SCR means and serving as means for switching said SCR means on during emitter device turn on and off during emitter device turn off, said second transistor means associated wth said emitter device for turning the emitter device on when said lambda diode is on and for turning the emitter device off when said lambda diode is off.

2. Battery charger of claim 1 wherein said emitter device is an LED and said receiving device is LDR photocoupled to said LED.

3. A high frequency charger for a battery comprising means for rectifying an AC voltage power input into a DC voltage and including negative and positive output lines, means for converting said DC voltage into a high frequency AC voltage, said converting means constituting a blocking oscillator including

a filtering capacitor connected between said output lines, a high voltage and high frequency NPN transistor having its emitter connected to said negative output line, resistance means connected between said positive output line and the base of said transistor for starting oscillation of the transistor, a main transformer winding connected between the collector of said transistor and said positive output line, a return transformer winding connected between said negative output line and through an impedence to the base of said transistor, an emf transistor winding in series with a fast recovery rectifier connected between said output lines, the anode of said rectifier facing said negative output line, said emf and main transformer windings being wound bifilar and of opposite polarity, said main and return transformer windings being of the same polarity, and a secondary transformer winding,

means for rectifying said high frequency AC voltage into a DC charging voltage for said battery, means for sensing the voltage of said battery during charging and in response to a selected sensed voltage reducing the charging current into said battery, said voltage sensing and current reducing means including control means for reducing said charging current upon actuation thereof, lambda diode means to sense the voltage of said battery and to turn off at said selected sensed voltage, a second NPN transistor means responsive to turn off of said lambda diode for actuating said control means, said control means including switching means responsive to the turn on of an SCR for reducing said charging current, said second transistor means providing a non-actuating bypass of said SCR when turned on by said lambda diode, means for turning said SCR on when said second transistor is turned off in response to said lambda diode.

4. Battery charger of claim 3 wherein said switching means constitutes a relay associated with resistor means for varying the line resistance to said battery.

5. The battery charger of claim 3 wherein said switching means is also for varying the bias to said first mentioned transistor to compensate for said reduced charging current.

6. The battery charger of claim 3 wherein said switching means includes a second SCR serving as means for terminating said charging current connected between said rectifying means for the AC power input and said blocking oscillator, means responsive to said second mentioned transistor turn on for switching said second SCR on to provide said charging current, said second mentioned transistor responsive means for switching said SCR off to initially terminate said charging current upon said first SCR turn on, and means associated with said second SCR and responsive to said blocking oscillator upon discharge thereof at charging current termination to cause oscillatory switching of said second SCR to provide a pulsating charging current to said battery.

7. A high frequency charger for a battery comprising means for rectifying an AC voltage power input into a DC voltage and including negative and positive output lines, means for converting said DC voltage into a high frequency AC voltage, said converting means constituting a blocking oscillator including

a filtering capacitor connected between said output lines, a high voltage and high frequency NPN transistor having its emitter connected to said negative output line, resistance means connected between said positive output line and the base of said transistor for starting oscillation of the transistor, a main transformer winding connected between the collector of said transistor and said positive output line, a return transformer winding connected between said negative output line and through an impedence to the base of said transistor, an emf transistor winding in series with a fast recovery rectifier connected between said output lines, the anode of said rectifier facing said negative output line, said emf and main transformer windings being wound bifilar and of opposite polarity, said main and return transformer windings being of the same polarity, and a secondary transformer winding,

means for rectifying said high frequency AC voltage into a DC charging voltage for said battery, means for sensing the voltage of said battery during charging and in response to a selected sensed voltage reducing the charging current into said battery, said sensing and current reducing means including control means for reducing said charging current upon actuation thereof, a zener diode means to sense the voltage of said battery and to turn on at said selected sensed voltage for actuating said control means, and said control means including switching means responsive to the turn on of an SCR for reducing said charging current, said zener diode means for turning on said SCR at said selected sensed voltage.

8. The battery charger of claim 7 wherein said switching means constitutes a relay associated with resistor means for varying the line resistance to said battery.

9. The battery charger of claim 8 wherein said switching means is also for varying the bias to said first mentioned transistor to compensate for said reduced charging current.