Charging device

• US 9,356,456 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukada, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/704,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Disclosed is a charging device capable of appropriately charging of a battery while preventing battery depletion. In a charging system including a charging device, when the output power from a solar battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, power is supplied to a charging control system which controls charging of batteries. Accordingly, when the output power from the solar battery is small, since the charging control system will not start, no power is consumed in the charging control system. As a result, battery depletion can be prevented. When the output power from the solar battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, charging of the battery is performed by the charging control system, thereby appropriately performing charging of the batteries.

Claims

1. A charging device which, when power output from a solar battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, supplies power to a charging control system controlling charging of a battery, and when the power output from the solar battery is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, supplies no power to the charging control system, the charging device comprising:

a power detection unit which is connected between the solar battery and the charging control system and detects the power output from the solar battery;

a power cutoff unit which is connected between the solar battery and the power detection unit and cuts off the power supply from the solar battery to the power detection unit; and

a power supply unit which is connected between the power cutoff unit, the charging control system, and a power source, wherein

the power detection unit operates to supply the power for activating the charging control system when the power output from the solar battery becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value,

the power supply unit outputs power to the power cutoff unit and supplies the power to the charging control system after the charging control system is activated by the power supplied from the power detection unit, and

the power cutoff unit has a drive unit connected to the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply from the solar battery to the power detection unit when the power is outputted from the power supply unit.

2. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein

the power source supplies power to the charging control system through the power supply unit, and

before the power cutoff unit cuts off the power supply from the solar battery to the power detection unit, power is supplied from the power source to the charging control system through the power supply unit.

3. The charging device according to claim 1,

wherein the charging control system measures the power output from the solar battery and, when the measured power output from the solar battery is equal to or less than a predetermined determination threshold value, restarts the power supply from the solar battery to the power detection unit, and stops operation.

4. The charging device according to claim 3,

wherein the predetermined value of the power for operating the power detection unit is greater than the predetermined determination threshold value in the charging control system.

5. The charging device according to claim 1,

wherein the power detection unit is a relay circuit.