Battery charge control circuit

• US 6,031,357 A
• Filed: 04/13/1999
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yano, Katsuaki, Higashijima, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/289,912
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 320/125, 320/127, 320/128, 320/135, 320/137, 320/158, 320/163, 320/DIG. 13
• US Class Current: 320/135
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage

Abstract

A battery charge control circuit has a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor is cut off when an output terminal voltage is lower than a line terminal voltage and closes when it is not. The second transistor closes when the first terminal is cut off so as to supply an actuating current to a circuit generating a constant voltage. The closing of the second transistor causes an output transistor current to be variably adjusted and a battery connected to the output terminal to be charged using only the first and second transistors. This simple circuit structure makes it possible to reduce the number of elements and thus the size of the battery charge control circuit and to prevent improper operation.

Claims

1. A battery charge control circuit for charging a battery by variably adjusting a current of an output transistor provided between a line terminal and an output terminal to which a battery is connected based on a difference in voltage between a voltage of a power supply and a voltage of the output terminal, the battery charge control circuit comprising:

a first transistor that is cut off when the voltage of the output terminal is lower than a voltage of the line terminal and closed when it is not; and

a second transistor that closes to supply an actuating current to a circuit that generates a constant voltage when the first transistor is cut off.

2. The battery charge control circuit as claimed in claim 1, the second transistor supplying an actuating current to a circuit obtaining a difference in voltage between the power supply and the voltage of the output terminal to which the battery is connected when the second transistor is closed.