Battery charger with adjustable charging current
First Claim
1. In a battery charger adapted by way of a source of AC voltage to provide battery charging current to a storage battery connected with a charger output, the improvement comprising:
- charging control means;
(i) connected with the source of AC voltage, (ii) receptive of magnetic flux, and (iii) operative in response to this magnetic flux to control the frequency of the AC voltage;
rectifier and current-limiting means connected with the AC voltage and operative to provide the battery charging current, the magnitude of the battery charging current being dependent on the frequency of the AC voltage; and
magnetic flux means magnetically coupled with the charging control means and adapted to provide controllable magnetic flux to this control means, thereby to permit control of the frequency of the AC voltage and thereby the magnitude of the charging current.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery charger comprises a self-oscillating inverter with saturable transformer means in its positive feedback circuit. The saturation flux density of the magnetic material used in this saturable transformer means determines the frequency of inverter oscillation. A permanent magnet is rotatably mounted adjacent the saturable transformer means and is used by way of cross-magnetization to adjustably affect the saturation flux density of the magnetic material, thereby correspondingly to adjust the frequency of oscillation: the more cross-magnetizing flux provided to the magnetic material from the permanent magnet, the smaller the saturation flux density and the higher the frequency of oscillation.
The battery charging current is attained from the inverter'"'"'s squarewave voltage output by way of a series-excited parallel-loaded tuned L-C circuit, thereby providing for a battery charging current of magnitude dependent upon the frequency of inverter oscillation. Thus, by adjusting the position of the permanent magnet, the magnitude of the battery charging current can be adjusted over a wide range. In fact, in one of its extreme positions, the permanent magnet is operative to disable the inverter'"'"'s self-oscillation, thereby entirely cutting off the charging current.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a battery charger adapted by way of a source of AC voltage to provide battery charging current to a storage battery connected with a charger output, the improvement comprising:
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charging control means;
(i) connected with the source of AC voltage, (ii) receptive of magnetic flux, and (iii) operative in response to this magnetic flux to control the frequency of the AC voltage;rectifier and current-limiting means connected with the AC voltage and operative to provide the battery charging current, the magnitude of the battery charging current being dependent on the frequency of the AC voltage; and magnetic flux means magnetically coupled with the charging control means and adapted to provide controllable magnetic flux to this control means, thereby to permit control of the frequency of the AC voltage and thereby the magnitude of the charging current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A battery charger comprising:
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a source of unidirectional voltage; inverter means connected with this source and operative to convert the unidirectional voltage to an AC voltage, the inverter means having inverter control means receptive of magnetic flux and operative in response thereto to control the frequency of this AC voltage; rectifier and current-limiting means connected with the AC voltage and operative to provide a DC current to a battery, the magnitude of the DC current being dependent on the frequency of the AC voltage; and magnetic flux means adapted to provide magnetic flux to the inverter control means, thereby to permit control of the frequency of the AC voltage and thereby of the magnitude of the DC current. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A battery charger comprising:
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inverter means adapted to connect with a source of DC voltage and to convert this DC voltage to an AC voltage, the inverter means being self-oscillating by way of positive feedback and having feedback means comprising saturable inductor means, the frequency of the AC voltage being controllable by way of a controllable amount of magnetic flux caused to penetrate the saturable inductor means; rectifier and current-limiting means connected with the AC voltage and operative to provide a DC current to a battery, the magnitude of the DC current being dependent on the frequency of the AC voltage; and magnetic flux means movably positioned near the saturable inductor means and operative to permit an adjustable amount of magnetic flux to penetrate the saturable inductor means, thereby to permit control of the magnitude of the DC current provided to the battery. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification