Replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel-cadmium battery charger

• US 5,233,281 A
• Filed: 12/02/1991
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deh-Chun Lee, Kan-Chuan Su, Wen-Chi Chiang, Yen-Chien Jiang
• Original Assignee: Deh-Chun Lee, Kan-Chuan Su, Wen-Chi Chiang, Yen-Chien Jiang
• Inventors: Chiang, Wen-Chi, Yu, Ming-Kang, Su, Kan-Chuan, Jiang, Yen-Chien
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KINCAID, KRISTINE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US07/800,991
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/5, 320/6, 320/15, 320/17, 320/18, 320/20, 320/21, 320/22, 320/23, 320/24, 320/39, 320/40, 455/89, 455/90
• US Class Current: 320/110
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/16 Removal of memory effect in batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/19 Charger status, e.g. voltmeter

Abstract

A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel-cadmium battery charger comprising a base, a circuit board, an upper cover, and a replaceable charger cartridge, in which the base has a hollow interior space and a round hole in the middle; the circuit board with circuits on it is assembled within the hollow interior space of the base; the upper cover has a plurality of convectional radiation holes on the left side of its upper surface, a LED indicator at its left edge, and a replaceable charger cartridge chamber on the right side; and the replaceable charger cartridge has a battery chamber, two conductive metal plates at the front side and a lock hole on the bottom so as it can be placed in and removed from the charger cartridge chamber, and locked to the base by means of a bolt passing through the round hole in the middle of the base to the lock hole.

Claims

1. A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel cadmium battery charger comprising:

a base having a hollow interior space for selectively receiving one of a plurality of replaceable charger cartridges and a round hole in a middle portion thereof;

circuit board means mounted within the hollow interior space of the base;

an upper cover having a plurality of convectional radiation holes on the left side of its upper surface, an LED indicator adjacent its left edge, and a replaceable charger cartridge chamber on the right side; and

at least one replaceable charger cartridge including a battery chamber, two conductive metal plates at a front side and a lock hole in the bottom thereof, said charger cartridge can be placed in and removed from the charger cartridge chamber and locked to the base by means of a bolt passing through the round hole in the middle portion of the base and into the lock hole.

2. A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel cadmium battery charger as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of replaceable charger cartridges designed in different configurations to fit rechargeable batteries of different size/configurations for different electric devices.

3. A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel cadmium battery charger as claimed in claim 1, further including a pair of d.c. current input sockets installed between the base and the front side of the upper cover for connecting power adapters of different specifications and to permit application of an a.c. power source.

4. A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel cadmium battery charger as claimed in claim 3, further including means for connecting a d.c. power source to the pair of d.c. current input sockets.

5. A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel cadmium battery charger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board means includes a charging voltage transformer circuit comprising a high efficiency and low heat emission pulse width modulation switching transformer circuit controlled by a delta-star circuit and a current detector circuit such that power can be cut off to the charging voltage transformer circuit by the delta-star circuit, and output voltage from the charging voltage transformer circuit is controlled by the current detector circuit.

6. A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel cadmium battery charger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board means further includes a delta-star negative charging curve detector circuit for detecting when an indicating voltage is reached during charging, which is indicated when a characteristic curve becomes negative due to a temperature rise at a battery being charged, and for turning off a transformer circuit to discontinue charging upon sensing the indicating voltage.

7. A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel cadmium battery charger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board means includes a current detector circuit to detect charging current applied to a nickel cadmium battery and to provide a transformer circuit with an output such that, if current is too low, said current detector circuit causes the transformer circuit to increase its output voltage in order to provide a sufficient current so as to maintain a substantially constant current supply.

8. A replaceable cartridge type high speed nickel cadmium battery charger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board means further comprises an LED indicator circuit which includes said LED indicator, said LED indicator circuit controlling the visual color of said LED indicator such that the LED indicator is orange when a battery is in an open circuit;

red when charging current exists, indicating charging is in process; and

green when the battery being charged is saturated, indicating the charging is completed, and the battery is ready for use.