Battery charger

• US 7,187,156 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Satsuma, Eiji, Nakasho, Toshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Easthom; Karl
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/212,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20060043928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/110, 320/112, 320/113, 320/150
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

The battery charger is provided with temperature detection sections 12 to contact and detect the temperature of AA batteries 2A and AAA batteries 2B loaded in a battery pocket 3, and a charging circuit to detect battery temperature and control battery 2 charging. The battery charger is provided with AA battery 2A holders 11, which are circular openings 13 in the case 1, and AAA battery 2B holders 11, which are flexible arches 14. An AAA battery 2B is inserted into a flexible arch 14 and retained in a fixed position in the battery pocket 3. An AA battery 2A is not inserted into a flexible arch 14, but rather moves the flexible arch 14 causing it to incline, and is inserted into a circular opening 13 for retention in a fixed position in the battery pocket 3. The battery charger charges batteries 2 set in fixed positions in the battery pocket 3 while detecting battery 2 temperature via the temperature detection sections 12.

Claims

1. A battery charger comprising:

a battery pocket in a case for mounting AA batteries and AAA batteries in manner allowing loading and unloading, temperature detection sections to contact and detect the temperature of AA batteries and AAA batteries loaded in the battery pocket, and a charging circuit to detect battery temperature via the temperature detection sections and control battery charging;

AA battery holders are provided to retain AA batteries in fixed positions in the battery pocket, AAA battery holders are provided to retain AAA batteries in fixed positions in the battery pocket, AA battery holders are circular openings in the case, and AAA battery holders are flexible arches;

wherein

a circular opening is an opening in the case with a size that can accept and hold an AA battery in a fixed position,

a flexible arch is an arch-shaped arm in which an AAA battery can be inserted but an AA battery cannot be inserted, and it is attached in a manner allowing it to flexibly incline when pressed against by an AA battery;

an AAA battery is inserted into a flexible arch holder and retained in a fixed position in the battery pocket, an AA battery is not inserted into a flexible arch, but rather moves the flexible arch causing it to incline, and is inserted into a circular opening holder for retention in a fixed position in the battery pocket; and

batteries set in fixed positions in the battery pocket are charged while detecting battery temperature via the temperature detection sections.

2. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein the flexible arches detect whether or not AAA batteries are properly set in position.

3. A battery charger as recited in claim 2 wherein whether or not a flexible arch contacts an output terminal is detected to detect if an AAA battery is properly set in position.

4. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein the flexible arches are conducting flexible metal wire.

5. A battery charger as recited in claim 4 wherein the flexible arches are conducting flexible metal wire curved into a U-shape and fixed at both ends.

6. A battery charger as recited in claim 4 wherein the flexible arches are provided with coiled-spring sections at their lower ends.

7. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein a circuit board is housed inside the case, and output terminals, which connect with battery terminals, and flexible arches are attached to that circuit board.

8. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein output terminals, which connect with battery terminals, are provided;

and the flexible arches are in positions separated from the output terminals when not pressed against by batteries.

9. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein output terminals, which connect with battery terminals, are provided;

and a flexible arch deforms elastically to contact an output terminal when pressed against by an AA battery.

10. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein output terminals, which connect with battery terminals, are provided;

and a flexible arch contacts an output terminal when pressed against by an AAA battery, which is not properly seated in position.

11. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein output terminals, which connect with battery terminals, are provided;

and a flexible arch contacts an output terminal when an AA battery is properly set in position, and does not contact an output terminal when an AAA battery is properly set in position.

12. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein a flexible arch is disposed in a position that contacts an output terminal, which connects with a battery terminal, when pressed to an inclined attitude by an AA battery, and the flexible arch and output terminal form a wire contact switch.

13. A battery charger as recited in claim 12 wherein the ON or OFF state of a wire contact switch, which is made up of a flexible arch and an output terminal, is detected to determine the set position of an AAA battery.

14. A battery charger as recited in claim 1 wherein convertible output terminals are provided to switch between loading AA batteries and AAA batteries in the battery pocket.

15. A battery charger as recited in claim 14 wherein a position switch that detects the position of the convertible output terminals is provided, and the ON or OFF state of the position switch is detected to determine the batteries set in the battery pocket.

16. A battery charger as recited in claim 15 wherein a flexible arch is disposed in a position that contacts an output terminal, which connects with a battery terminal, when pressed to an inclined attitude by an AA battery, and the flexible arch and output terminal form a wire contact switch;

and the ON or OFF states of the wire contact switches and the position switch are detected to determine the set positions of AA batteries and AAA batteries loaded in the battery pocket.

17. A battery charger as recited in claim 16 wherein a detection circuit is provided to detect the ON or OFF states of the wire contact switches and the position switch.

18. A battery charger as recited in claim 17 wherein the detection circuit is provided with voltage divider resistors and a voltage detection circuit to detect voltage at an intermediate node of the voltage divider resistors;

voltage divider resistors are connected in series with the wire contact switch and are connected to the power supply;

further, the intermediate node of the voltage divider resistors connects to either the positive or negative side of the power supply via the position switch 15; and

the voltage detection circuit detects intermediate node voltage to detect the ON or OFF states of the wire contact switches and the position switch and judge the set positions of AA batteries and AAA batteries.

19. A battery charger as recited in claim 18 wherein the detection circuit judges an AA battery is properly set when the position switch and a wire contact switch are ON.

20. A battery charger as recited in claim 18 wherein the detection circuit judges an AAA battery is properly set when the position switch and a wire contact switch are OFF.

21. A battery charger as recited in claim 18 wherein the detection circuit judges an AAA battery is improperly set when the position switch is OFF and a wire contact switch is ON.