Continuous cell charger

• US 5,394,074 A
• Filed: 02/22/1994
• Issued: 02/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Temtech Kabushikigaisha
• Original Assignee: Temtech Kabushikigaisha
• Inventors: Orii, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Peckman, Kristine L.
• Application Number:
  US08/199,497
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/5, 320/6, 320/15
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A continuous cell charger including a cell insertion chamber into which discharged cells are inserted. A charging chamber has an inlet side that is in communication with the cell insertion chamber. Several pairs of plus and minus electrodes are arranged in a row within the charging chamber at intervals equal to the diameter of each cell. A charging circuit supplies a charging voltage to the pairs of electrodes. A lever pushes each cell, that has been inserted into the cell insertion chamber, into position between the first pair of electrodes within the charging chamber. The cells already within the chamber are also moved a predetermined distance corresponding to a cell diameter. A charged cell accommodating chamber is in communication with an outlet side of the charging chamber. The charged cell accommodating chamber receives and stores charged cells. To use the continuous cell charge, a discharged cell is placed into the cell charger and the lever is actuated.

Claims

1. A continuous cell charger including:

a cell insertion chamber into which discharged cells are inserted from the exterior;

a charging chamber whose inlet side is in communication with said cell insertion chamber and which has a space extending in a predetermined direction;

plural pairs of plus and minus electrodes, said plus electrodes and said minus electrodes being each arranged in a row in said predetermined direction within said charging chamber at intervals equal to the diameter of each of said cells and also functioning to guide the cells movably;

a charging circuit for supplying a charging voltage to said electrodes;

a lever for pushing one of said cells which has been inserted into said cell insertion chamber, thereby allowing the cell to move to a position between a first pair of plus and minus electrodes in said charging chamber, and for moving cells already received between the plus and minus electrodes in the charging chamber also in said predetermined direction by a distance corresponding to one cell; and

a charged cell accommodating chamber which is in communication with an outlet side of said charging chamber and which receives therein the cells transferred from the charging chamber.

2. A continuous cell charger according to claim 1, wherein said space of said charging chamber extends in the vertical direction.

3. A continuous cell charger according to claim 2, wherein said lever has a depressing part formed at the front end thereof for depressing the cell in said cell insertion chamber when the lever is actuated with an operating force.

4. A continuous cell charger according to claim 1, further including a rotary drawer disposed in said charged cell accommodating chamber rotatably between a closed position and an open position so that in the closed position the rotary drawer is stowed within the charged cell accommodating chamber to receive through an opening portion thereof the cells transferred from said charging chamber, while in the open position said opening portion is exposed to the exterior to permit a charged cell to be taken out through the opening portion.

5. A continuous cell charger according to claim 4, wherein said rotary drawer has a knob for effecting its rotating motion.

6. A continuous cell charger according to claim 2, wherein plate springs are disposed in said charging chamber for ensuring a positional stabilization of the cells during charging.