Battery charging apparauts
First Claim
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1. A battery charging apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of battery cell groups connected to each other in series, each battery cell group including at least one battery cell;
control means for controlling an electric charge supplied to said plurality of battery cell groups;
monitor means for detecting the respective terminal voltages of each of said plurality of battery cell groups; and
detecting means for detecting the respective temperatures of each of said plurality of battery cell groups,said control means terminating the electric charge supplied to said plurality of battery cell groups as a function of a predetermined terminal voltage and temperature of said plurality of battery cell groups wherein an upper limit of a predetermined temperature of said battery cell groups is utilized in advance for determining a start time of current charging as a function of time lapse from initial actuation of the battery charging apparatus, electric charging commencing once the detected respective temperatures of said plurality of battery cell groups are below the upper limit.
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Abstract
A battery charging apparatus for charging a battery which includes a plurality of battery cells connected to each other in series. The battery charging apparatus supplies an electric charge to the battery which is controlled by monitoring the terminal voltage of each of the battery cells. In the alternative, the battery cells may be divided into battery-cell groups. Each group consists of two or more of the battery cells. The electric charge supplied to the battery is controlled by monitoring the terminal voltage of each of the battery-cell groups. The supply of electric charge is terminated upon monitoring a predetermined voltage in the battery cells.
160 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A battery charging apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of battery cell groups connected to each other in series, each battery cell group including at least one battery cell; control means for controlling an electric charge supplied to said plurality of battery cell groups; monitor means for detecting the respective terminal voltages of each of said plurality of battery cell groups; and detecting means for detecting the respective temperatures of each of said plurality of battery cell groups, said control means terminating the electric charge supplied to said plurality of battery cell groups as a function of a predetermined terminal voltage and temperature of said plurality of battery cell groups wherein an upper limit of a predetermined temperature of said battery cell groups is utilized in advance for determining a start time of current charging as a function of time lapse from initial actuation of the battery charging apparatus, electric charging commencing once the detected respective temperatures of said plurality of battery cell groups are below the upper limit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A battery charging apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of battery cells connected to each other in series; charging means, coupled to said battery cells, for supplying an electric charge to said battery cells, said charging means being powered by main power supply means; a plurality of bypass means, each coupled in parallel to a respective one of said battery cells, for bypassing the electric charge around said battery cells; a plurality of monitoring means, each coupled in parallel to a respective one of said battery cells, for monitoring terminal voltages of said battery cells; and control means, coupled to said plurality of monitoring means and said charging means, for controlling the electric charge supplied to said battery cells upon detection of a predetermined terminal voltage of any one of said plurality of monitoring means; said plurality of bypass means each comprising; shunt means for bypassing the electric charge therethrough when a terminal voltage of the respective battery cell is fully charged, and switch means, coupled in series with said shunt means, for passing the electric charge bypassed through said shunt means when actuated, to bypass the electric charge around the respective battery cell, said plurality of monitoring means each comprising; cell-voltage detecting means, coupled to a respective battery cell, for detecting the respective terminal voltage of the respective battery cell, and switch actuating means, coupled to said cell voltage detecting means and to a respective one of said switch means of a corresponding one of said bypass means coupled to the respective battery cell, for activating said switch means in accordance with an output of said cell-voltage detecting means indicative that the respective battery cell is fully charged. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A battery charging apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of battery cell groups connected to each other in series; charging means, coupled to said battery cells, for supplying an electric charge to said battery cell groups, said charging means being powered by main power supply means; a plurality of bypass means, each coupled in parallel to a respective one of said battery cell groups, for bypassing the electric charge around said battery cell groups; a plurality of monitoring means, each coupled in parallel to a respective one of said battery cell groups, for monitoring terminal voltages of said battery cell groups; and control means, coupled to said plurality of monitoring means and said charging means, for controlling the electric charge supplied to said battery cell groups upon detection of a predetermined terminal voltage by any one of said plurality of monitoring means; said plurality of bypass means each comprising; shunt means for bypassing the electric charge therethrough when a respective terminal voltage of the respective battery cell group is fully charged, and switch means, coupled in series with said shunt means, for passing the electric charge bypassed through said shunt means when actuated, to bypass the electric charge around the respective battery cell, said plurality of monitoring means each comprising; cell-voltage detecting means, coupled to a respective battery cell group, for detecting the respective terminal voltage of the respective battery cell group, and switch actuating means, coupled to said cell voltage detecting means and to a respective one of said switch means of a corresponding one of said bypass means coupled to the respective battery cell group, for actuating said switch means in accordance with an output of said cell-voltage detecting means indicative that the respective battery cell group is fully charged. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification