Self-oscillating buck mode battery charger

• US 5,783,930 A
• Filed: 01/15/1997
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albert, Larry T., Athari, Frank Faez
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US08/782,432
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 320/102, 320/132, 320/134, 320/136, 320/141, 320/140, 320/145, 320/148, 320/158, 320/159, 320/163, 320/DIG. 24, 320/DIG. 28, 320/DIG. 30
• US Class Current: 320/140
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A self-oscillating buck mode battery charger apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 includes a main switching transistor 22, a first control transistor 34 and a second control transistor 36. The control transistors 34 and 36 are arranged such that neither control transistor sees the full input mains voltage across input terminals 12 of the apparatus 10 when the switching transistor 22 is turned off. An alternative embodiment of the invention includes a high and low main sensing circuit 102 in which a controller 120 is used to detect an excessively high mains voltage condition as well as an undesirably low mains voltage condition. The controller 120 turns off a PWM control circuit 104 when either condition is present for a predetermined length of time. Turning off the PWM control circuit 104 causes the main switching transistor 106 to be turned off, thereby preventing damage to the components of the charger apparatus 100. The charger apparatus is especially well-suited for applications where a rectified DC mains voltage is used to provide a charging current to a rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. A self-oscillating buck mode battery charger apparatus incorporating an inductor for charging a rechargeable battery, said apparatus comprising:

an input for receiving a rectified DC input voltage;

a switching element in communication with the input for controlling the application of a charging current to an output of said apparatus, wherein said output is adapted to be electrically coupled to at least one battery;

a first capacitor for applying a drive signal to said switching element;

a first control transistor responsive to said battery voltage for controlling conduction of said switching element;

a second control transistor for turning on and off said first control transistor in response to the discharge of said inductor;

a current sensing element for sensing current flow through said switching element;

a latching circuit responsive to said current sensing element for turning off said switching element when said current flow through said switching element reaches a predetermined maximum value; and

wherein said first and second control transistors are configured such that neither experiences said rectified DC input voltage when one said switching element is turned off by said latching circuit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circuit responsive to the rectified DC input voltage for causing said first and second control transistors to turn off said switching element when said rectified DC input voltage rises above a predetermined maximum value for a predetermined length of time and when said rectified DC input voltage drops below a predetermined minimum value for a predetermined time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said circuit includes:

a controller having first and second inputs;

a voltage divider circuit coupled across the input for receiving a rectified DC input voltage to provide a reference voltage signal to the first input of the controller and a peak voltage signal to the second input of the controller, wherein the controller includes an internal comparator; and

wherein the controller causes a signal to be generated for turning off the first and second control transistors, to thereby turn off the switching element, when the peak voltage input signal rises above a predetermined maximum value for a predetermined length of time.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the voltage divider circuit further includes a zener diode coupled in series between the input for receiving a rectified DC input voltage and the voltage divider circuit;

the zener diode operating to fall out of conduction when the rectified DC input voltage falls below the lower predetermined level, the controller having a third input responsive to conduction and non-conduction of the zener diode for detecting when the zener diode falls out of conduction, and the controller generating a signal for turning off the first and second control transistors when the zener diode has stopped conducting for a predetermined length of time indicative of an unacceptably low rectified DC input voltage.

5. A self-oscillating buck mode battery charger apparatus incorporating an inductor for charging a rechargeable battery, the apparatus comprising:

an input terminal for receiving a rectified DC input voltage;

a main switching transistor in communication with the input for controlling the application of a charging current to an output of the apparatus, the output being adapted to be electrically coupled to at least one battery to charge the one battery;

a first capacitor for applying a drive signal to the main switching transistor;

a first controller transistor responsive to the battery voltage of said one battery for controlling conduction of the main switching transistor;

a second controller transistor for turning on and off the first controlled transistor in response to the discharge of said inductor;

a circuit for sensing current flow through the main switching transistor and for turning off the main switching transistor when the current flow therethrough reaches a predetermined maximum value; and

wherein the first and second control transistors are configured such that neither experiences said rectified DC input voltage when the main switching transistor is turned off.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a circuit for sensing said rectified DC input voltage and causing the main switching transistor to be turned off if the rectified DC input voltage exceeds an upper predetermined value for a predetermined length of time, and for causing the main switching transistor to be turned off if the rectified DC input voltage drops below a minimum lower value for a predetermined length of time.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the circuit for monitoring the rectified DC input voltage and for turning off the main switching transistor comprises a voltage divider circuit coupled to the input terminal;

a controller having a plurality of inputs responsive to the voltage signals generated from the voltage divider circuit; and

a zener diode coupled in series between the voltage divider circuit and the input terminal;

the controller operating to generate a signal for causing said first and second control transistors to turn off when the rectified DC input voltage exceeds a said predetermined upper limit for a predetermined length of time and when said rectified DC voltage falls below said predetermined lower limit for a predetermined length of time.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the rectified DC input voltage falling below said predetermined lower limit is detected by the controller monitoring induction of the zener diode in determining that the rectified DC input voltage has dropped below the predetermined lower limit when the zener diode falls out of conduction.

9. A self-oscillating buck mode battery charger apparatus incorporating an inductor for charging a rechargeable battery, said apparatus comprising:

an input terminal for receiving a rectified DC input voltage;

a main switching transistor in communication with the input terminal for controlling the application of a charging current supplied to the input terminal to an output of the apparatus, wherein the output is adapted to be electrically coupled to at least one rechargeable battery;

a first capacitor for applying a drive signal to the main switching transistor;

a first control transistor responsive to a battery voltage of said one rechargeable battery for controlling conduction of the main switching transistor;

a second control transistor for turning on and off the first control transistor in response to the discharge of said inductor;

a current sensing element for sensing current flow through the main switching transistor;

a circuit responsive to the current sensing element for turning off the main switching transistor when the current flow therethrough reaches a predetermined maximum value; and

wherein the first and second control transistors are configured such that neither experiences the rectified DC input voltage when said main switching transistor is turned off.