Lead acid battery rejuvenator and charger

• US 5,063,341 A
• Filed: 10/16/1990
• Issued: 11/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1990
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Motor Products International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Carl E. Gali
• Inventors: Gali, Carl E.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US07/598,133
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/21, 320/61, 323/906
• US Class Current: 320/160
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/906 Solar cell systems

Abstract

An electrical power source, either AC or DC, lead acid battery rejuvenator and charger circuit switchable between rejuvenator and charger modes of operation. For the rejuvenator mode of operation a rejuvenator pulse signal generating circuit supplies voltage in the form of fast rise voltage pulses peaking at a voltage necessary to cause battery plate saturation that is 1:1 to 1:3 times the theoretical battery cell voltage. This is accomplished by use of very short duration pulses in the order of 5 micro seconds or less time width wise with extremely fast rise time in the order of 5 mega volts per second rise time with these pulses occurring in approximately the 2,000 to 10,000 times per second frequency range. The transfer of electrons between metal electrode and ions in battery lead acid solution is not instantaneous, and that therefore with the fast rise time pulses rising to 1:1 to 1:3 times battery cell voltage the instantaneous voltage is distributed over entire battery plate surfaces and lead sulphate deposits that have occurred on battery plate surfaces will be released, either going back into the solution or broken up.

Claims

1. A combination rejuvenator and trickle charger for lead acid batteries comprising:

AC power connection means;

AC transference means;

AC to DC conversion means;

a DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit connected to said AC to DC conversion means and to said AC transference means;

a transformer with a primary coil a part of said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit, and having a secondary coil;

a four diode recitfier bridge circuit having a first set of opposite terminals connected to said secondary coil, and a second set of opposite terminals;

first connection means for connecting a first one of the terminals of said second set of bridge opposite terminals to a first terminal of a lead acid battery and second connection means for connecting the second of the terminals of said second set of bridge opposite terminals to the lead acid battery;

one of said first and second connection means includes connection of terminal means of said second set of bridge opposite terminals through circuit means to a battery terminal connector.

2. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 1, wherein there is approximately a 1 to 1 turns ratio with approximately the same turns in said secondary coil as there is in said primary coil of said transformer.

3. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 2, wherein the core of said transformer is a ferrite ceramic core element having fast electromagnetic field change characteristics as an aid for the transfer being a fast rise time transformer in the approximate order of two nano seconds per volt rise.

4. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 3, wherein said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit includes two transistors having a common electrode connection of first electrodes of said transistors connected to a first side of a capacitor having a second side connected to a tap of said primary coil;

said power source circuit having a first lead and a second lead with said first lead connected to the junction of said capacitor and said tap of said primary coil; and

with said second lead connected to the junction of said first electrodes of said transistors common connection and said capacitor;

with opposite ends of said primary coil connected to second electrodes of said transistors and to resistors connected to the bases, respectively, of said transistors.

5. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 4, wherein said two transistors in said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit are NPN type transistors with said common electrode connection of said transistors a connection between the emitters of said two transistors.

6. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 5, wherein the opposite ends of said primary coil are connected to the collectors of said NPN transistors and through said resistors, respectively, to the base of the opposite transistor from the collector connections of said two transistors.

7. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 6, wherein a resistor that is a current limiting resistor is included in connection means to the battery.

8. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 2, wherein said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit includes two transistors having a common electrode connection of first electrodes of said transistors connected to a first side of a capacitor having a second side connected to a tap of said primary coil;

said power source circuit having a first lead and a second lead with said first lead connected to the junction of said capacitor and said tap of said primary coil; and

with said second lead connected to the junction of said first electrodes of said transistors common connection and said capacitor;

with opposite ends of said primary coil connected to second electrodes of said transistors and to resistors connected to the bases, respectively, of said transistors; and

with a resistor serving as a current limiting resistor in connection means to one of two terminals of a lead acid battery.

9. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 8, wherein said two transistors in said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit are NPN type transistors with said common electrode connection of said transistors a connection between the emitters of said two transistors.

10. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 9, wherein opposite ends of said primary coil are connected to the collectors of said NPN transistors and through said resistors, respectively, to the base of the opposite transistor from the collector connections of said two transistors.

11. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 10, wherein said transistor in said connection means is a NPN transistor;

and said diode means is connected anode to the base of said transistor in said connection means and cathode to said battery terminal connector.

12. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 11, wherein said diode means is a plurality of diodes serially connected diode cathode to diode anode.

13. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 12, wherein said diode means is two diodes serially connected diode cathode to diode anode.

14. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 11, wherein said AC transference means is an input power transformer with a primary coil connected to said AC power connection means, a ferrite material core element, and an AC signal tapped secondary coil;

said AC to DC conversion means is a rectifier diode connected anode to the top of said AC signal tapped secondary coil;

switch means includes switch contact means connected to AC signal tap means, and a switch contact connected to the bottom of said AC signal tapped secondary coil; and

DC connection means for interconnecting rectified DC from the cathode of said rectifier diode to said inverter multi-vibrator circuit.

15. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 14, wherein said switch contact means is connected to a center tap of said AC signal tapped secondary coil;

and connectable by said switch means to the negative terminal of a battery connected for being rejuvenated and charged.

16. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 15, wherein said switch means is switchable from connection to said center tap for treating of a six volt battery to connection to the bottom of said AC signal tapped secondary coil for rejuvenation treatment and charging of a twelve volt battery.

17. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 16, wherein a negative output terminal of said four diode AC to DC rectifying bridge circuit is also connected to the negative terminal of a battery being treated;

and the bottom of said AC tapped secondary coil is connected to said inverter multi-vibrator circuit.

18. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 17, wherein DC connection means is provided switch connectable to said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit;

and said AC to DC conversion means via said DC connection means is switch connectable to line means to one of two terminals of a lead acid battery.

19. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 3, wherein said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit includes two transistors having a common electrode connection of first electrodes of said transistors connected to a first side of a capacitor having a second side connected to a tap of said primary coil;

said power source circuit having a first lead and a second lead with said first lead connected to the junction of said capacitor and said tap of said primary coil; and

with said second lead connected to the junction of said first electrodes of said transistors common connection and said capacitor;

with opposite ends of said primary coil connected to second electrodes of said transistors and to resistors connected to the bases, respectively, of said transistors;

an output signal pulse transformer with a primary coil and with said second set of opposite terminals of said four diode rectifier bridge circuit connected to opposite ends of the primary coil of said output signal pulse transformer;

said output signal pulse transformer having said primary coil, a ferrite ceramic core element having fast electromagnetic field change characteristics as an aid for the transformer being a fast rise transformer, and a secondary coil;

a diode connected between opposite ends of said output signal pulse transformer secondary coil;

connection of said AC to DC conversion means to one end of said output signal pulse transformer secondary coil and through said coil to battery positive terminal connection means;

said AC transference means is an input power transformer with a primary coil connected to said AC power connection means, a ferrite material core element, and a signal secondary coil with connection means to battery negative connector means.

20. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 19, wherein said connection means to battery negative connection means includes two alternately connectable coil taps from, and the bottom end of, said AC signal secondary coil connected, respectively, to the six volt contact, the twelve volt contact and twenty four volt contact of a switch with its switch arm connected to said battery negative connection means.

21. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 20, wherein said coil tap connected to said twelve volt contact is connected to said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit.

22. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 7, wherein there are a plurality of pulse circuits/duplicates of each other, including said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit, said transformer, said four diode bridge output connectable, respectively, to a plurality of sets of battery connections equal in number to the plurality of said pulser circuits;

control means for activating one of said plurality of pulser circuits at a time including, a timer circuit, a clock circuit, a decade counter circuit, and a buffer driver circuit having a plurality of outputs connected to said plurality of pulser circuits for individually activating said plurality of pulser circuits one at a time through repeated cycles of operation.

23. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 22, wherein each of said signal pulser circuits include two NPN transistors interconnected, in an input section prior to said DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit, to give sharp turn on and turn off of the signal pulser circuits;

with a first NPN transistor having a signal input base connection, an emitter to base connection with a second NPN transistor, a collector connection in common with the collector of the second NPN transistor to a voltage bias line, and a voltage signal output line connection from the output emitter of said second NPN transistor to said inverter multi-vibrator circuit.

24. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 22, wherein a plurality of batteries equal in number to the sets of battery connections and to the plurality of said pulser circuits are series connected between the positive terminal of a standard battery DC charging system and ground common to said standard battery DC charging system.

25. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 7, wherein there is one signal pulse circuit including DC to AC inverter multi-vibrator circuit, said transformer, said four diode bridge circuit output selectively connectable singularly sequentially to a plurality of sets of battery connections where a plurality of batteries are serially connected;

circuit control means for switched control connection of the pulse signal output of said signal pulser circuit successively through said sets of battery connections at time control set cycles of operation.

26. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 25, wherein said control means includes, control circuitry interconnected timers, a counter circuit, flip flop circuits, optical coupler arrays and transistor arrays;

with switch means selectively and cyclically connecting the fast rise time pulse output, in the range of 2,000 to 10,000 cycles per second or more, of the fast rise time pulse output of the signal pulser circuit to one battery set of connections at a time.

27. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 26, wherein batteries connected to said sets of battery connections are series connected;

and are series connected between the positive terminal of a standard DC charging system and ground common to said standard battery DC charging system.

28. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 27, wherein said combination rejuvenator and trickle charger includes, a battery selector switch for repeated cycles of rejuvenator pulse signal application to battery connection sets through the range of connection sets switch selected.

29. The combination rejuvenator and trickle charger of claim 28, wherein a cycle timing switch is settable to desired rejuvenating pulse output time cycles of operation.