Apparatus and method for charging battery of electric device having motor

• US 9,276,426 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Bong-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Kik, Phallaka
• Application Number:
  US13/600,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/138, 307/53, 307/149
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 9/00 Instruments employing mechanical resonance
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1415 with a generator driven by a prime mover other than the motor of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/00 Arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output Ward-Leonard arrangements H02P7/34; vector control H02P21/00; feeding a network by two or more generators H02J; for charging batteries H02J7/14

Abstract

An apparatus for charging a battery of an electric device that has a motor by not charging the battery before the electric device is used and a method of charging a battery of an electric device that has a motor by using the apparatus. The apparatus includes a load, a motor for driving the load, a battery that provides a power supply to the motor, a generator that converts a kinetic energy that is generated by the motor to an electric energy, and a control unit that senses an amount of the load of the load and, if the amount of the load is less than a reference value, charges the battery by a first charging mode by using the electric energy output from the generator.

Claims

1. An apparatus for charging a battery, the apparatus comprising:

a load;

a motor for driving the load;

a battery that provides a power supply to the motor;

a generator, separate from the motor, that converts a kinetic energy that is generated by the motor to an electric energy; and

a control unit that senses an amount of the load and, if the amount of the load is less than a reference value, charges the battery by a first charging mode, wherein the first charging mode is used to charge the battery by using the electric energy that is output from the generator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an external power supply providing unit that provides power supply to the apparatus, wherein the control unit controls the battery to be charged using the power supply provided by the external power supply providing unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a charger that is connected to the external power supply providing unit to charge the battery, wherein the control unit controls the battery to be charged using a charging power supply provided by the charger.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the battery to be charged by a second charging mode by using dump power.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the dump power is generated when the motor is turned off from an on-state or turned on from an off-state.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a regulator that maintains a charging voltage of the battery constant.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a backflow prevention unit that prevents a backflow from the battery.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the battery to be charged by a third charging mode by user'"'"'s input.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a user button for the third charging mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the user button is pushed, the battery is charged using the electric energy output from the generator.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the user button is pushed, the battery is charged using the power supply provided by the external power supply providing unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the user button is pushed, the battery is charged using the charging power supply provided by a charger.

13. A method of charging a battery, the method is used to operate an electric device that comprises a motor for driving a load and a battery for providing a power supply to the motor, the method comprising:

sensing an amount of the load; and

charging the battery by a first charging mode when the sensed amount of the load is less than a reference value, wherein the first charging mode converts kinetic energy, generated by the motor, to an electric energy, by a separate generator, to charge the battery.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising charging the battery by a second charging mode by using dump power.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the dump power is generated when the motor is turned off from an on-state or turned on from an off-state.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising charging the battery by a third charging mode by user'"'"'s input.