Battery charger circuit
First Claim
1. A battery charging apparatus for providing rapid charging and maintenance charging of a battery, comprising:
- power source means generating a charging voltage for the battery;
gate controlled charging means for controllably providing a first, high, charging current to the battery, said gate controlled means connected in a series connection between the power source means and the battery;
maintenance charging means for providing a second, low, charging current to the battery, said second charging current having a lower magnitude than said first charging current, said maintenance charging means connected between the power source and the battery;
voltage storing means for storing a voltage to control said gate controlled charging means;
voltage supply means for providing a first voltage level to said voltage storing means for controlling said gate controlled charging means to a blocked state;
switch means for altering the voltage stored in said voltage storing means to a second voltage level for controlling said gate controlled charging means to a conducting state for charging the battery;
temperature sensing means for detecting temperature ranges corresponding to uncharged and charged states of the battery and for assuming respective first and second states responsive thereto,said temperature sensing means operable in said first state for connecting said voltage supply means to a separate voltage level for supplying a voltage to said voltage storing means for maintaining said second voltage level provided thereto after operation of said switch means thereby controlling said gate controlled charging means to said conducting state; and
said temperature sensing means operable in said second state for disconnecting said voltage supply means from said separate voltage level and thereby to change a voltage on said voltage storing means to a value approaching said first voltage level for controlling said gate controlled charging means to said blocked state and for terminating a rapid charge operation of the charging apparatus; and
latching means for latching said gate controlled charging means to said blocked state in response to said second state of said temperature sensing means and for maintaining the voltage on said voltage storing means at said first voltage level when said temperature sensing means returns to said first state after being in said second state, thereby preventing said gate controlled charging means from providing said first charging current to the battery when said temperature sensing means is in said first state thereof after said second state thereof,whereby said maintenance charging means provides said maintenance charging current to the battery when said temperature sensing means returns to said first state thereof from said second state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A latching arrangement is provided in a high speed battery charging circuit. The latching arrangement includes a momentary switch for momentarily changing a voltage level on a gate controlling capacitor for a gate controlled high current path and an inversion circuit between the capacitor and the gate, thus permitting a voltage provided by a thermostatically controlled switch to be applied to the capacitor for controlling the gate. The thermostatically controlled switch senses battery cell temperature and permits fast charging for temperatures below a threshold. The momentary switch is momentarily activated to initiate the fast charging operation. Upon sensing a temperature rise, the thermostatically controlled switch terminates fast charging and initiates trickle charging. When the battery cell cools and the thermostatically controlled switch again closes, the latching arrangement prevents resumption of a fast charge operation.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A battery charging apparatus for providing rapid charging and maintenance charging of a battery, comprising:
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power source means generating a charging voltage for the battery; gate controlled charging means for controllably providing a first, high, charging current to the battery, said gate controlled means connected in a series connection between the power source means and the battery; maintenance charging means for providing a second, low, charging current to the battery, said second charging current having a lower magnitude than said first charging current, said maintenance charging means connected between the power source and the battery; voltage storing means for storing a voltage to control said gate controlled charging means; voltage supply means for providing a first voltage level to said voltage storing means for controlling said gate controlled charging means to a blocked state; switch means for altering the voltage stored in said voltage storing means to a second voltage level for controlling said gate controlled charging means to a conducting state for charging the battery; temperature sensing means for detecting temperature ranges corresponding to uncharged and charged states of the battery and for assuming respective first and second states responsive thereto, said temperature sensing means operable in said first state for connecting said voltage supply means to a separate voltage level for supplying a voltage to said voltage storing means for maintaining said second voltage level provided thereto after operation of said switch means thereby controlling said gate controlled charging means to said conducting state; and said temperature sensing means operable in said second state for disconnecting said voltage supply means from said separate voltage level and thereby to change a voltage on said voltage storing means to a value approaching said first voltage level for controlling said gate controlled charging means to said blocked state and for terminating a rapid charge operation of the charging apparatus; and latching means for latching said gate controlled charging means to said blocked state in response to said second state of said temperature sensing means and for maintaining the voltage on said voltage storing means at said first voltage level when said temperature sensing means returns to said first state after being in said second state, thereby preventing said gate controlled charging means from providing said first charging current to the battery when said temperature sensing means is in said first state thereof after said second state thereof, whereby said maintenance charging means provides said maintenance charging current to the battery when said temperature sensing means returns to said first state thereof from said second state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a battery charging apparatus for providing rapid charging and maintenance charging of a battery including:
- a power supply generating a charging voltage for the battery;
gate controlled charging means for controllably providing a first, high, charging current to the battery;
trickle charging means for providing a second, low, trickle charging current to the battery, the second charging current having a lower magnitude than the first charging current; and
voltage storing means for storing a voltage to control the gate controlled charging means, the improvement comprising;voltage supply means for providing a first voltage level to the voltage storing means for controlling the gate controlled charging means to a blocked state; switch means for altering the voltage stored in the voltage storing means to a second voltage level for controlling the gate controlled charging means to a conducting state for charging the battery; temperature sensing means for detecting temperature ranges corresponding to uncharged and charged states of the battery and for assuming respective first and second state responsive thereto, said temperature sensing means operable in said first state for connecting said voltage supply means to a separate voltage level for supplying a voltage to the voltage storing means for maintaining said second voltage level provided thereto after operation of said switch means thereby controlling the gate controlled charging means to said conducting state; and said temperature sensing means operable in said second state for disconnecting said voltage supply means from the separate voltage level and thereby to change a voltage on the voltage storing means to a value approching said first voltage level for controlling the gate controlled charging means to said blocked state and for terminating a rapid charge operation of the charging apparatus; and latching means for latching the gate controlled charging means to said blocked state in response to said second state of said temperature sensing means and for maintaining the voltage on the voltage storing means at said first voltage level when said temperature sensing means returns to said first state after being in said second state, thereby preventing the gate controlled charging means from providing said first charging current to the battery when said temperature sensing means is in said first state thereof after said second state thereof, whereby the trickle charging means provides the trickle charging current to the battery when said temperature sensing means returns to said first state thereof from said second state. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- a power supply generating a charging voltage for the battery;
Specification