Pulse-charge battery charger

• US 5,633,574 A
• Filed: 01/18/1994
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Voltaic LLC (Woodside Capital Management LLC)
• Original Assignee: George E. Sage
• Inventors: Sage, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Law, Patrick B.
• Application Number:
  US08/154,598
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 320/4, 320/20, 320/21, 320/35
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/12 Precharging analysis, e.g. determining presence of battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/16 Removal of memory effect in batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/19 Charger status, e.g. voltmeter

Abstract

This pulse-charge battery charger charges Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel-metal hydride batteries having one or more cells and used with cellular telephones and camcorders. A battery is lowered into a finger accessible receiving volume and held by a magnetic force. Charging automatically commences and automatically stops, as controlled by utilizing a U1 controller and other combined circuits. Charging status is indicated by colored lights: yellow--charging; green--battery is charged; orange--battery is overheated and cooling; and red--battery is defective. Other combined circuits are: power supply circuit to receive either 12.6 volt AC or DC voltage power, and to produce both a full wave rectified unregulated DC volt power source, and a regulated 5 DC volt power source; battery installed detector circuit; a reset circuit; a timing control circuit; ready light circuit; no battery then no light circuit; over temperature detection circuit; normalize circuit to accommodate battery cell arrangements; constant current source circuit; discharge control circuit; thermistor sensor control circuit; battery being charged circuit operating when a battery has an internal temperature sensor; and a battery being charged circuit operating when a battery has no temperature sensor, and the charger'"'"'s external temperature sensor is relied upon. The following cycle, for example, is repeated until a battery is fully charged: 1000 milliseconds of charging; 2 milliseconds of no charging; 5 milliseconds of discharging; 10 milliseconds for a second no charging period.

Claims

1. A pulse-charge battery charger to automatically charge batteries and especially to charge nickel-cadmium batteries to keep them free from any unwanted memory effects, and all the user must do is to place a battery in this charger and remove it per his or her convenience, and the status of the charging is known at any time by observing indicating lights, comprising:

a. a housing having a battery receiving volume, electrical contacts, and an additional volume to receive other components;

b. circuitry, inclusive of several circuits, electric and electronic components, arranged on a circuit board and installed in the housing;

these several circuits and their electric and electronic components, in turn comprising;

i. a power supply circuit to receive either AC or DC low voltage power and to distribute both an unregulated voltage of full wave rectified low voltage DC power, and a regulated low voltage DC power;

ii. a U1 controller having self contained control circuits inclusive of a reset circuit;

iii. a battery installed detector circuit, detecting a battery voltage, connected to the regulated low voltage DC power of the power supply and to the U1 controller;

iv. a normalize circuit connected to the regulated low voltage DC power of the power supply and to the U1 controller to accommodate the charging of batteries having different numbers of cells;

v. a constant current source circuit connected to the unregulated DC low voltage of the power supply, the U1 controller, and the battery being charged, to insure the same constant amperage of the charging power;

vi. a discharge control circuit connected to the U1 controller, the normalize circuit, the battery installed detector circuit, and the battery being charged;

vii. a thermistor sensor circuit connected to a thermistor, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a battery overheat detection circuit, to detect whether or not a battery being charged has a built in thermistor, and if so this circuit sends a signal of any possible overheating directly from the thermistor in the battery to the battery overheat detection circuit;

however, if the battery has no built in thermistor, then this circuit sends a signal of any possible overheating directly from a thermistor in this charger to the battery overheat detection circuit;

viii. the thermistor positioned directly in this charger to monitor temperatures of a battery;

ix. the battery overheat detection circuit connected to the thermistor sensor circuit, and to the regulated low voltage DC power;

x. a timing control circuit connected to the U1 controller, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a ready light circuit;

xi. the ready light circuit connected to the U1 controller, the timing control circuit, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a no battery then no light circuit;

xii. the no battery then no light circuit connected to the ready light circuit, the battery installed detector circuit, and the regulated low voltage DC power; and

xiii. a reset circuit connected to the battery installed detector circuit, the U1 controller, and the regulated low voltage DC power.

5. A pulse-charge battery charger, as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, or 4, having a magnet positioned in the housing, and the magnetic field of the magnet creates a magnetic force which holds a battery and terminals thereof, in place in the battery receiving volume, with sufficient force to keep battery terminals in firm abutment with the electrical contacts of the housing of the charger.

2. A pulse-charge battery charger to automatically charge batteries and especially to charge nickel-cadmium batteries to keep them free from any unwanted memory effects, and all the user must do is to place a battery in this charger and remove it per his or her convenience, and the status of the charging is known at any time by observing indicating lights, comprising:

a. a housing having a battery receiving volume, electrical contacts, and an additional volume to receive other components;

b. circuitry, inclusive of several circuits, electric and electronic components, arranged on a circuit board and installed in the housing;

these several circuits and their electric and electronic components, in turn comprising;

i. a power supply circuit to receive either AC or DC low voltage power and to distribute both an unregulated voltage of full wave rectified low voltage DC power, and a regulated low voltage DC power;

ii. a U1 controller having self contained control circuits inclusive of a reset circuit;

iii. a battery installed detector circuit, detecting a battery voltage, connected to the regulated low voltage DC power of the power supply and to the U1 controller;

iv. a normalize circuit connected to a battery being charged and to the U1 controller to accommodate the charging of batteries having different numbers of cells;

v. a constant current source circuit connected to the unregulated DC low voltage of the power supply, the U1 controller, and a battery being charged, to insure the same constant amperage of the charging power;

vi. a discharge control circuit connected to the U1 controller, the normalize circuit, the battery installed detector circuit, and a battery being charged;

vii. a thermistor sensor circuit connected to a thermistor, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a battery overheat detection circuit to detect whether or not a battery being charged has a built in thermistor, and if so this circuit sends a signal of any possible overheating directly from a built in thermistor in the battery to a battery overheat detection circuit;

however, if a battery has no built in thermistor, then this circuit sends a signal of any possible overheating directly from a thermistor in the charger to a battery overheat detection circuit;

viii. the thermistor, positioned directly in this charger, to monitor temperatures of a battery;

ix. the battery overheat detection circuit connected to the thermistor sensor circuit, and to the regulated low voltage DC power;

x. a timing control circuit connected to the U1 controller, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a ready light circuit;

xi. the ready light circuit connected to the U1 controller, the timing control circuit, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a no battery then no light circuit;

xii. the no battery then no light circuit connected to the ready light circuit, the battery installed detector circuit, and the regulated low voltage DC power; and

xiii. a reset circuit connected to the battery installed detector circuit, the U1 controller, and the regulated low voltage DC power.

3. A pulse-charge battery charger to automatically charge batteries and especially to charge nickel-cadmium batteries to keep them free from any unwanted memory effects, and all the user must do is to place a battery in this charger and remove it per his or her convenience, and the status of the charging is known at any time by observing indicating lights, comprising:

a. a housing having a battery receiving volume, electrical contacts, and an additional volume to receive other components;

b. circuitry, inclusive of several circuits, electric and electronic components, arranged on a circuit board and installed in the housing;

these several circuits and their electric and electronic components, in turn comprising;

i. a power supply circuit to receive either AC or DC low voltage power and to distribute both an unregulated voltage of full wave rectified low voltage DC power, and a regulated low voltage DC power;

ii. a U1 controller having self contained control circuits inclusive of a reset circuit;

iii. a battery installed detector circuit, detecting a battery voltage, connected to the regulated low voltage DC power of the power supply and to the U1 controller;

iv. a normalize circuit connected to a battery being charged and to the U1 controller, to accommodate the charging of batteries having different numbers of cells;

v. a constant current source circuit connected to the unregulated DC low voltage of the power supply, the U1 controller, and the battery being charged, to insure the same constant amperage of the charging power;

vi. a discharge control circuit connected to the U1 controller, the normalize circuit, the battery installed detector circuit, and the battery being charged;

vii. a thermistor sensor circuit connected to a thermistor, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a battery overheat detection circuit;

viii. the thermistor, positioned directly in this charger, to monitor temperatures of a battery;

ix. a battery overheat detection circuit connected to the thermistor sensor circuit, and to the regulated low voltage DC power, and this circuit includes both a negative temperature coefficient temperature circuit portion, which has a U2A unit, and a positive temperature coefficient temperature sensor detection circuit portion, which has a U2B unit, and the U2A unit and the U2B unit are operational amplifiers, used as respective comparitors, which compare two voltage signals without doing anything to the balance of this circuitry, while determining which voltage signal is greater;

x. a timing control circuit connected to the U1 controller, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a ready light circuit;

xi. the ready light circuit connected to the U1 controller, the timing control circuit, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a no battery then no light circuit;

xii. the no battery then no light circuit connected to the ready light circuit, the battery installed detector circuit, and the regulated low voltage DC power; and

xiii. a reset circuit connected to the battery installed detector circuit, the U1 controller, and the regulated low voltage DC power.

4. A pulse-charge battery charger to automatically charge batteries and especially to charge nickel-cadmium batteries to keep them free from any unwanted memory effects, and all the user must do is to place a battery in this charger and remove it per his or her convenience, and the status of the charging is known at any time by observing indicating lights, comprising:

a. a housing having a battery receiving volume, electrical contacts, and an additional volume to receive other components;

b. circuitry, inclusive of several circuits, electric and electronic components, arranged on a circuit board and installed in the housing;

these several circuits and their electric and electronic components, in turn comprising;

i. a power supply circuit to receive either AC or DC low voltage power and to distribute both an unregulated voltage of full wave rectified low voltage DC power, and a regulated low voltage DC power;

ii. a U1 controller having self contained control circuits inclusive of a reset circuit;

iii. a battery installed detector circuit, detecting a battery voltage, connected to the regulated low voltage DC power of the power supply and to the U1 controller;

iv. a normalize circuit connected to a battery being charged and to the U1 controller to accommodate the charging of batteries having different numbers of cells;

v. a constant current source circuit connected to the unregulated DC low voltage of the power supply, the U1 controller, and the battery being charged, to insure the same constant amperage of the charging power;

vi. a discharge control circuit connected to the U1 controller, the normalize circuit, the battery installed detector circuit, and the battery being charged;

vii. a thermistor sensor circuit connected to a thermistor, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a battery overheat detection circuit;

viii. the thermistor, positioned directly in this charger, to monitor temperatures of a battery;

ix. the battery overheat detection circuit connected to the thermistor sensor circuit, and to the regulated low voltage DC power;

x. a timing control circuit connected to the U1 controller, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a ready light circuit;

xi. the ready light circuit connected to the U1 controller, the timing control circuit, the regulated low voltage DC power, and a no battery then no light circuit, and this ready light circuit has both a green light and a driver circuit thereof, and when necessary, this driver circuit is isolated by using capacitor C2, a CR5 diode, and resistors R7 and R8;

xii. the no battery then no light circuit connected to the ready light circuit, the battery installed detector circuit, and the regulated low voltage DC power; and

xiii. a reset circuit connected to the battery installed detector circuit, the U1 controller, and the regulated low voltage DC power.