Quick charging apparatus

• US 4,551,666 A
• Filed: 06/09/1983
• Issued: 11/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inakagata, Satoru, Wada, Sumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ault, Anita M.
• Application Number:
  US06/502,548
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 320/20, 320/22, 320/23, 320/37, 320/38, 320/39, 320/40, 320/48
• US Class Current: 320/145
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/28 Regulating transformer, e.g. high leakage, ferro-resonant

Abstract

A quick charging apparatus capable of performing, in addition to normal charging operation for a secondary battery, a quick charging in the battery only a relatively small amount of energy required for performing desired N operations of an electric appliance to which the apparatus is applied, in a very short time. The apparatus comprises means for feeding a first average charging current of a relatively high level in a relatively short time, and means for feeding a second average charging current of a relatively low level in a relatively long time, said relatively small amount of energy being quickly charged with said first high average charging current.

Claims

1. A quick charging apparatus comprising means for feeding power from a apower source to a substantially dead secondary battery, a charge controlling means associated with said power feeding means and including means for adjusting fed power energy, means associated with said charge controlling means for feeding to said secondary battery a first average charging current of a relatively high level in a relatively short time so as to charge the battery with a required amount of energy for performing a single operation of an electric appliance to which said apparatus is applied, and means associated with the charge controlling emans for feeding to the battery a second average charging current of a relatively low level in a relatively long time so as to charge the battery to a level at least 80% of a fully chargeable amount of energy;

said means for feeding said first average charging current including a first sensor for detecting said required amount of energy for said single operation in said secondary battery, and said means for feeding said second average charging current including a second sensor for detecting the amount of charge in the secondary battery.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first sensor is a timer and said second sensor is a battery voltage detector.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said timer has a set time of about 1 minute.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 which further comprises a first means for informing completion of said charge by means of said first average charging current, and a second means for informing charged state by means of said second average charging current.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said first and second informing means comprise respectively a light emitting diode, said diode forming the first informing means emitting a green light and said diode forming the second informing means emitting a red light.