Method of conditioning accumulators fixedly mounted in an apparatus and a device therefor

• US 5,793,188 A
• Filed: 09/10/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Kaiser, Manfred, Cimbal, Jochen
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US08/704,578
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/4, 320/5, 320/13, 320/21, 320/30, 320/31, 320/43, 320/48, 320/132, 320/DIG. 21, 324/428
• US Class Current: 320/130
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of conditioning accumulators in an apparatus operating in the line and the accumulator modes, in which an accumulator discharge/charge cycle is effected at cyclic intervals in which the accumulator is at least nearly completely discharged, wherein a count is made of the number of times the apparatus is used, wherein upon attainment of a predetermined frequency of use a cycle is started when the apparatus is connected to the line, in which cycle the accumulator is first completely discharged through a load and subsequently recharged, and wherein following this discharge/charge cycle a fresh count is made of the number of times the apparatus is used.

Claims

1. A method for conditioning an accumulator fixedly mounted in an apparatus comprising:

counting in a usage counter a number of times the apparatus is used; and

upon attainment of a predetermined count and when the apparatus is connected to a power line, cycling the apparatus by

discharging the accumulator through a load,

subsequently recharging the accumulator, and

resetting the usage counter.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein counting includes incrementing the usage counter on powering up the apparatus if a predetermined time period has elapsed since the last use.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein cycling the apparatus further includes aborting the discharging of the accumulator if during discharging the apparatus is disconnected from the power line or the apparatus is turned on.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein cycling the apparatus is not started until after a predetermined time period from a completed use of the apparatus has expired.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising resetting the usage counter if the accumulator is discharged during operation of the apparatus.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising indicating to the user the cycling of the apparatus.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein indicating the cycling includes providing a symbol warning the user against disconnecting the power line.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein counting includes incrementing the usage counter only on those uses where when a minimum time lapse has occurred since a previous use.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein counting further includes incrementing the usage counter for a plurality of uses only if the minimum time lapse has occurred between the previous use and each of the plurality of uses.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein cycling the apparatus is not effected until in several previous uses the minimum time lapse has occurred since each of said previous uses.

11. A device for conditioning an accumulator in an apparatus, said device comprising:

a load adapted to be connected to the terminals of the accumulator;

a counter;

a switching device;

a processor programmed to perform the functions of

(a) determining whether a start of operation of the apparatus has occurred,

(b) determining whether the apparatus is connected to a power line,

(c) recording in the counter a number of uses of the apparatus,

(d) testing whether the counter exceeds a predetermined maximum value, and

(e) causing the switching device to connect the load to the accumulator if the counter exceeds the predetermined maximum value.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the apparatus is one from the group consisting of a shaver, a beard trimmer, and a hair cutting apparatus.

13. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the switching device is a transistor.