Battery charger

• US 4,816,735 A
• Filed: 08/10/1987
• Issued: 03/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Thorne, Randall J., Cook, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hickey, R. J.
• Application Number:
  US07/083,328
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2-5, 320/15
• US Class Current: 320/110
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery charger is disclosed which is adapted to receive batteries of different sizes for charging. The charger comprises a separate support for each of the batteries, and different sizes of batteries are supported at different levels in the charger. A charge current is supplied to the batteries by a circuit which includes a timer for regulating the charge time. In order to insure that only batteries having known electrical characteristics are mounted in the charger, means are provided to lock out batteries not having a predetermined feature, for example, a positive terminal of a particular size. The charging time is regulated in accordance with the size of the battery, and a detector is provided to sense the size of batteries in the charger.

Claims

1. A battery charger for charging batteries of different sizes, each of said batteries having a predetermined feature indicative of the electrical characteristics of the battery, said charger comprising:

support means for receiving batteries in said charger, said support means including a plurality of supports each of which is adapted to receive a battery of a certain size;

sensing means for sensing when batteries of at least one size are inserted in said charger;

circuit means for supplying a current to said batteries, said circuit means comprising means for regulating the time that current is supplied to a battery in accordance with whether or not said one size of battery is in the charger;

contact means for connecting said batteries to said circuit means; and

means in said charger for preventing batteries not having said predetermined feature from being electrically connected to said contact means.

2. A battery charger for charging a battery having a positive terminal of a predetermined diameter which is indicative of electrical characteristics of the battery, said charger comprising:

support means for receiving said battery in the charger;

circuit means for supplying a current to said battery;

contact means for connecting said battery to said circuit means; and

means in said charger for preventing batteries not having said positive terminal from being electrically connected to said contact means, said preventing means including a keyway associated with said contact means, and said keyway being sized to receive said positive terminals and to exclude positive terminals having a diameter larger than said predetermined diameter.

3. A battery charger for charging a battery having a negative terminal of a predetermined type which is indicative of electrical characteristics of the battery, said charger comprising:

support means for receiving said battery in the charger;

circuit means for supplying a current to said battery;

contact means for connecting said battery to said circuit means, said contact means including a positive contact and a negative contact; and

means in said charger for preventing batteries not having said negative terminal from being electrically connected to said contact means, said preventing means including a pin of nonconducting material extending from said negative contact.

4. A battery charger for charging batteries of different sizes, each of said batteries having a predetermined feature indicative of the electrical characteristics of the battery, said charger comprising:

support means for receiving batteries in said charger, said support means including a plurality of supports each of which is adapted to receive a battery of a certain size;

circuit means for supplying a current to said batteries, said circuit means comprising a by-pass switch having a slidable element which functions as a negative contact of the charger;

contact means for connecting said batteries to said circuit means, said contact means including a positive contact; and

means in said charger for preventing batteries not having said predetermined feature from being electrically connected to said contact means.

5. A battery charger, as defined in claim 4, wherein said slidable element is biased toward the positive contact of the charger.

6. A battery charger for charging batteries of different sizes, each of said batteries having a predetermined feature indicative of the electrical characteristics of the battery, said charger comprising:

support means for receiving said batteries in said charger, said support means including a location which is adapted to receive batteries of different sizes;

circuit means for supplying a current to said batteries;

contact means for connecting said batteries to said circuit means, said contact means including a contact at said location;

means in said charger for preventing batteries not having said predetermined feature from being electrically connected to said contact means, said preventing means including a first means for preventing batteries of one size from being electrically connected to said contact and a second means for preventing batteries of another size from being electrically connected to said contact, and said first means including a keyway of a first size associated with said contact.

7. A battery charger, as defined in claim 6, wherein said second means includes a keyway of a second size associated with said contact.