Individually adjustable type automatic charging circuit for multiple batteries

• US 6,097,174 A
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tai-Her Yang, Yang Chen
• Original Assignee: Tai-Her Yang, Yang Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Yang, Yang, Tai-Her
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf Deneke
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US09/156,618
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/117, 320/119, 320/120, 320/121, 320/160
• US Class Current: 320/119
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

An individually adjustable automatic charging circuit for multiple batteries includes two or more charging terminals or battery seats for a single or multiple chargeable batteries with the same or different residual electric capacities, and voltage adjusting components connected across each respective pair of charging terminals or battery seats. The charging circuit is capable of individually or simultaneously initiating and completing charging of respective batteries, so that each chargeable battery can be randomly inserted for charging or removed without considering the residual electric capacity status and without affecting the charging status of other batteries.

Claims

1. A charging circuit for at least two batteries, comprising:

at least two pairs of charging terminals, each of said pairs of charging terminals including a first charging terminal and a second charging terminal, said first and second charging terminals being arranged to engage respective positive and negative terminals of batteries inserted between the charging terminals for charging;

a power supply for supplying charging currents to said charging terminals; and

a respective voltage adjusting circuit connected between said first and second charging terminals of each of said pairs of charging terminals, said voltage adjusting circuit causing said charging currents to vary for each pair of charging terminals depending on electric capacities of the individual batteries inserted between the terminals,

thereby permitting individually batteries to be individually inserted and removed at random without regard to battery capacity, without requiring the batteries to be first be discharged for simultaneous charging, and without affecting charging of other batteries by the charging circuit.

2. A charging circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said voltage adjusting circuits include zener diodes.

3. A charging circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising distributed impedances connected in series with said voltage adjusting circuits between said first and second terminals.

4. A charging circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pairs of charging terminals are connected in series with said power supply.

5. A charging circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pairs of charging terminals are connected in parallel with said power supply.

6. A charging circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising display circuits arranged to display a charging status of each of said batteries.