Automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger

• US 6,650,086 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hsiu-Mei Tsai
• Original Assignee: Iwei Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, I-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US10/303,939
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/105, 320/107, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 320/105
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/30 Preventing polarity reversal
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/597 Protection against reversal of polarity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/505 Cells combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5061 Cells combined with sound indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger having a power control circuit is disclosed. A power supply control circuit is connected to a positive electrode clip and a negative electrode clip for supplying power to a battery of a car; a conductive end of the positive electrode clip being further connected to an input end of the power supply control circuit through a signal conductive wire. The power supply control circuit is formed by a power supply unit, a parallel connected relay unit, a serial connected relay unit, a fault detection unit, a low level positive voltage detection unit, a high level positive voltage detecting unit, a reference voltage unit, an alarm unit and a state display unit. In that, the power sources are switched automatically and thus the user is unnecessary to prepare a plurality of batteries as standby devices.

Claims

1. An automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger having a power control circuit;

a power supply control circuit being connected to a positive electrode clip and a negative electrode clip for supplying power to a batteryof a car;

a conductive end of the positive electrode clip being further connected to an input end of the power supply control circuit through a signal conductive wire;

the power supply control circuit comprising;

a power supply unit including a first battery and a second battery, and a main switch for controlling the switching of power;

a parallel connected relay unit including a small power parallel connected relay set which is formed by two parallel connected small power relays, and a large power parallel connected relay set which is formed by two parallel connected large power relays;

the normal-open joints of the small power relays being connected to exciting coils;

respectively, of the large power relays and then further connected to the ground end;

after the exciting coil of the large power relay being serially connected to the second battery and the negative electrode being connected to the ground end;

thereby, in conduction, the first battery and second battery of the power supply unit being connected in parallel so as to have a lower level power output;

a serial connected relay unit being formed by a small power serial connected relay set having a small power relay and a large power serial connected relay set having the large power relay;

the normal opening joint of the small power relay of a small power serial connected relay being connected to the exciting coil of the large power relay and then being further grounded;

thereby, in conduction, the first battery and second battery of the power supply unit are directly and serially connected to a high level power output end; and

the exciting coil of the small power relay is connected to common joints of the small power relays of the small power parallel connected relay set;

the exciting coil of the large power relay being serially connected to the normal opening joint and then is connected to common joint of the large power relay of the large power parallel connected relay set so that the serial connected relay unit is switched with the parallel connected relay unit;

a low level positive voltage detection unit being a detection circuit which includes an operation integrated circuit, a resistor and a first transistor and an input point of the power supply control circuit being connected to a positive voltage through a diode in a positive direction for rising the voltage to a third pin of an integrated circuit;

a high level positive voltage detecting unit including a comparator which is formed by an operation integrated circuit, a limiting resistor and a second integrated circuit;

the high level positive voltage detecting unit being connected to the input end of the power supply control circuit through a diode along a positive direction;

then input voltage being divided by the resistors and then the divided voltages being outputted to a fifth pin of the operation integrated circuit;

a reference voltage unit being connected to input ends of the low level positive voltage detecting unit and the high level positive voltage detecting unit for providing reference voltage;

a fault detection unit including an operation integrated circuit;

an input end of the fault detection unit being connected to a lower level voltage of the reference voltage unit and an input end for detecting the fault of the input end;

an alert unit being connected to an output end of the fault detection unit for alerting faults;

a state display unit being formed by resistors and displays for displaying various conditions;

the states are switched by a third transistor, a fourth transistor and diodes and resistor;

whereby by above structure, when the main switch is actuated, if it is not conducted, the large power relays will not conduct so that the power supply unit and output end has no voltage;

thereby, the object of short circuit proof is achieved;

if the polarities of the power supply control circuit is connected, the input end will has a positive voltage;

when the positive voltage is larger than the reference voltage of the reference voltage unit, the exciting coil of the small power relay will is excited and the exciting coil of the large power relay is induced so that a lower level loop is formed;

if the positive voltage captured from the input end is divided and the divided voltage is larger than a reference voltage of the reference voltage unit, the third transistor will ground and conduct, then the small power relay will conduct so that the large power relay is excited;

then, the two batteries are serially connected so as to form a high level conductive loop so as to trigger the fourth transistor to conduct so that the low level positive voltage detection unit is shorted to the negative electrode so as to cut off the circuit;

if another clip is pulled out, if no voltage is derived from the input end, then the small power relay will stop exciting so that the power supply unit will turn off.

2. The automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger as claim in claim 1, wherein exciting coils of the small power relays of the parallel connected relay unit and the serial connected relay unit are serially connected to a low level manual switch;

the low level manual switch will cause the parallel connected relay unit to conduct when the voltage is lower than a set value of determining a low voltage.

3. The automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger as claim in claim 1, wherein exciting coils of the small power relays of the parallel connected relay unit and the serial connected relay unit are serially connected to a high level manual switch;

if the level voltage battery is lower than a set value of determining a high voltage, then a high level manual switch is actuated so as to enforce the serial connected relay unit to conduct so as to have a high voltage output.

4. The automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger as claim in claim 1, wherein the fault detection unit detects the condition of short circuit and reverse polarities in the connection of the batteries.

5. The automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger as claim in claim 1, wherein the state display unit and the alert unit are an image device selected from one of light emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays, and bulbs.

6. The automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger as claim in claim 1, wherein the state display unit and the alert unit are a speech device.

7. The automatic detecting and switching vehicle charger as claim in claim 1, wherein the controlling elements of the low level positive voltage detection unit and high level positive voltage detection unit are one of diodes, transistors, rectifiers, comparators, and operational amplifiers.