Battery charger with current stabilizer

• US 5,245,268 A
• Filed: 04/15/1992
• Issued: 09/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jason Wang
• Original Assignee: Jason Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peckman, Kristine
• Application Number:
  US07/870,055
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 320/20, 320/21, 320/22, 320/23, 320/24, 320/31, 320/32, 320/39, 320/40, 320/35, 320/36
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery charging device is used in charging a rechargeable battery load and is to be connected to an external dc power source. The battery charging device has a current stabilizer, which serially interconnects the power source and the battery load and which includes at least one posistor device, and a thermal circuit breaker, which is connected to the battery load and which breaks electrical connection between the battery load and the power source when the temperature of the battery load has risen to a predetermined level which indicates that the battery load has been fully recharged.

Claims

1. A battery charging device for charging a rechargeable battery load, the battery charging device for connection to an external dc power source, the battery charging device comprising;

current stabilizer means, serially interconnecting the power source and the battery load, the battery load having a load temperature, said current stabilizer means, said plurality of posistor means having a posistor temperature;

means for disconnecting a first one of said posistor means from the power source and subsequently connecting a second one of said posistors means to the power source to prevent the posistor temperature of said plurality of posistor means from reaching a critical temperature; and

thermal circuit breaker means connected to the battery load for preventing electrical connection between the power source and the battery load when the load temperature of the battery load has risen to a predetermined level which indicates that the battery load has been fully recharged.

2. The battery charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said posistor means comprises a plurality of posistor units connected in parallel.

3. The battery charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said posistor means has a minimum resistance which increases from the first one of said posistor means to the second one of said posistor means.

4. The battery charging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit connected to the power source for controlling current flow therefrom, said control unit including;

a thyristor device connecting said current stabilizer means and the power source;

an additional posistor means connected across said tyristor device; and

switch operated biasing means for setting said battery charging device selectively in a normal charging mode, wherein said thyristor device is cut off and current from the power source flows through said additional posistor means, and in a quick-charge mode, wherein a bias voltage is applied to trigger said thyristor device into conduction and to permit large amounts of current to flow from the power source.

5. The battery charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said disconnecting and connecting means includes an oscillating switch means for alternatingly connecting and disconnecting each of said posistor means from the power source.

6. The battery charging device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a detector means for indicating if said battery charging device is operated in the normal charging mode and for indicating if said battery charging device is operated in the quick-charge mode.

7. The battery charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said disconnecting and connecting means comprises a multiplexer means connected to each of said posistor means.