Dual secondary cell charging system

• US 4,281,277 A
• Filed: 08/10/1979
• Issued: 07/28/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Lakey, Leroy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moose, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US06/065,566
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 320/6, 320/15, 320/17, 320/18, 320/61, 322/28, 322/90
• US Class Current: 320/120
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage

Abstract

A separable series of secondary cells is connected across a charge circuit upon the application of supply potential. When the charge potential level upon a selected portion of the secondary cell series attains a predetermined magnitude, the selected portion is disconnected from the charge circuit. When the charge potential level upon the remainder of the secondary cell series subsequently attains a predetermined magnitude, all of the secondary cells are reconnected in series until the charge potential level upon all of the secondary cells of the series attains another higher predetermined potential level at which time the charge circuit is disabled.

Claims

1. A dual secondary cell charging system for charging a separable series of secondary cells that is adapted for the application of a supply potential thereto comprising:

means for producing a direct current charge potential, said means being of the type that may be selectively disabled;

means responsive to the application of said supply potential for effecting the connection of all of said separable series of secondary cells in series across said charge potential;

means responsive to the charge potential level upon a portion of said separable series of secondary cells attaining a predetermined magnitude for effecting the disconnection of only said portion of said separable series of secondary cells from said charge potential; and

means responsive to the charge potential level upon the remainder of said separable series of secondary cells attaining a first predetermined magnitude for effecting the reconnection of all of said separable series of secondary cells in series across said charge potential and to the charge potential level upon all of said separable series of seondary cells in series attaining a second higher predetermined magnitude for effecting the disabling of said means for producing said charge potential.

2. A dual secondary cell charging system for charging a separable series of secondary cells that is adapted for the application of a supply potential thereto comprising:

means for producing a direct current charge potential, said means being of the type that may be selectively disabled;

means responsive to the application of said supply potential for effecting the connection of all of said separable series of secondary cells in series across said charge potential;

means for producing a first reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon all of said separable series of secondary cells in series;

means responsive to the charge potential level upon a portion of said separable series of secondary cells attaining a predetermined magnitude for effecting the disconnection of only said portion of said separable series of secondary cells from said charge potential and for effecting the production of a second reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon the remainder of said separable series of secondary cells; and

means responsive to the charge potential level upon said remainder of said separable series of secondary cells attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said second reference potential magnitude for disabling and maintaining disabled said means responsive to the charge potential level upon said portion of said separable series of secondary cells, for effecting the reconnection of all of said separable series of secondary cells in series across said charge potential and for effecting the restoration of said first reference potential magnitude and responsive to the charge potential level upon all of said separable series of secondary cells in series attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said first reference potential magnitude for disabling said means for producing said charge potential.

3. A dual secondary cell charging system for charging a separable series of secondary cells that is adapted for the application of a supply potential thereto comprising:

means for producing a direct current charge potential, said means being of the type that may be selectively disabled;

means responsive to the application of said supply potential for effecting the connection of all of said separable series of secondary cells in series across said charge potential;

first means for producing a first reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon a portion of said separable series of secondary cells;

second means for producing a second reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon all of said separable series of secondary cells in series;

means responsive to the charge potential level upon said portion of said separable series of secondary cells attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said first reference potential magnitude for effecting the disconnection of only said portion of said separable series of secondary cells from said charge potential and for effecting the production of a third reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon the remainder of said separable series of secondary cells; and

means responsive to the charge potential level upon said remainder of said separable series of secondary cells attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said third reference potential magnitude for effecting the reconnection of all of said separable series of seondary cells in series across said charge potential and for effecting the restoration of said second reference potential magnitude and responsive to the charge potential level upon all of said separable series of secondary cells in series attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said second reference potential magnitude for disabling said means for producing said charge potential.

4. A dual secondary cell charging system for charging a separable series of secondary cells that is adapted for the application of a supply potential thereto comprising:

means for producing a direct current charge potential, said means being of the type that may be selectively disabled;

means operable in response to the application of said supply potential to effect the connection of all of said separable series of secondary cells in series across said charge potential and to connect a portion of said separable series of secondary cells to reference potential producing circuitry including separate means for producing a first reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon said portion of said separable series of secondary cells and a second reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon all of said separable series of secondary cells in series;

means responsive to the charge potential level upon said portion of said separable series of secondary cells attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said first reference potential magnitude for effecting the disconnection of only said portion of said separable series of secondary cells from said charge potential and for effecting the production of a third reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon the remainder of said separable series of secondary cells; and

means responsive to the charge potential level upon said remainder of said separable series of secondary cells attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said third reference potential magnitude for disabling said means responsive to the charge potential level upon said portion of said separable series of secondary cells, for effecting the reconnection of all of said separable series secondary cells in series across said charge potential and for effecting the restoration of said second reference potential magnitude and responsive to the charge potential level upon all of said separable series secondary cells in series attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said second reference potential magnitude for disabling said means for producing said charge potential.

5. A dual secondary cell charging system for charging a separable series of secondary cells that is adapted for the application of a supply potential thereto comprising:

means for producing a direct current charge potential, said means being of the type that may be selectively disabled;

means operative in response to the application of said supply potential to effect the connection of all of said separable series of secondary cells in series across said charge potential and to connect a portion of said separable series of secondary cells to reference potential producing circuitry including separate means for producing a first reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon said portion of said separable series of secondary cells and a second reference potential of a magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon all of said separable series of secondary cells in series;

means responsive to the charge potential level upon said portion of said separable series of secondary cells attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said first reference potential magnitude for effecting the disconnection of only said portion of said separable series of secondary cells from said charge potential and for effecting the reduction of the magnitude of said second reference potential to a lower magnitude indicative of a predetermined charge potential level upon the remainder of said separable series of secondary cells; and

means responsive to the charge potential level upon said remainder of said separable series of secondary cells attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said lower magnitude of said second reference potential for disabling said means responsive to the charge potential level upon said portion of said separable series of secondary cells, for effecting the reconnection of all of said separable series of secondary cells in series across said charge potential and for effecting the restoration of said second reference potential magnitude and responsive to the charge potential level upon all of said separable series of secondary cells in series attaining the predetermined charge potential level as indicated by said second reference potential magnitude for disabling said means for producing said charge potential.