Charge status indicator

• US 5,633,592 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Lang, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAH, RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/448,387
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 324/433, 324/432, 324/425, 320/48, 340/636
• US Class Current: 324/433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/403 using passive display devices, e.g. liquid crystal display or Kerr effect display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A circuit arrangement for indicating the charge status of a batter in an electrical appliance includes a voltage comparator with hysteresis which detects the battery voltage, an oscillator driven by the voltage comparator, and an indicating device. The oscillator oscillates when the voltage is above a first threshold voltage and switches the indicating device to an active condition. The oscillator is blocked when the voltage is below a second threshold voltage and switches the indicated device to a passive condition.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement for indicating the charge status of a battery in an electrical appliance comprising:

a voltage comparator with hysteresis for detecting a battery voltage of the battery,

an indicating device having a symbol printed thereon, the indicating device switched to an active condition when the voltage is above a first threshold voltage, the indicating device switched to a passive condition when the voltage is below a second threshold voltage with the absolute value of the first threshold voltage being greater than the absolute value of the second threshold voltage, the symbol being visible only when the indicating device is in the passive condition.

2. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first resistor and a voltage divider including a second resistor and third resistor in parallel with the battery, wherein the input of the voltage comparator is applied to the junction of the second resistor and third resistor and the output of the voltage comparator is connected to a pole of the battery through the first resistor.

3. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a series arrangement of a fourth resistor and a first diode, said series arrangement connected between an output of the voltage comparator and an input of the voltage comparator, wherein the series arrangement provides the hysteresis of the voltage comparator.

4. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an oscillator connected between the comparator and the indicating device, wherein the oscillator includes a first Schmitt-Trigger with an inverting output, a feedback resistor connected between an output and an input of the first Schmitt-Trigger, and a first capacitor connected between the input of the first Schmitt-Trigger and a pole of the battery at a reference potential.

5. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an oscillator connected between the comparator and the indicating device and a Schmitt-Trigger with an inverting output, wherein the indicating device includes first and second terminals and the output of the oscillator is applied to the first terminal of the indicating device, through the Schmitt-Trigger and to the second terminal of the indicating device.

6. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an oscillator connected between the comparator and the indicating device and a diode, wherein the output of the voltage comparator and the input of the oscillator are decoupled from each other through the diode.

7. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicating device is a liquid crystal display device.

8. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a capacitor connected in series with a terminal of the indicating device.

9. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery is maintained in connection within the circuit arrangement even after the appliance is turned off.

10. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a second Schmitt-Trigger with an inverting output and wherein the indicating device includes first and second terminals and the output of the oscillator is applied to the first terminal of the indicating device, through the second Schmitt-Trigger and to the second terminal of the indicating device.