Battery charger with protection circuitry

• US 20060071642A1
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian C. Sterling, Danh T. Trinh, Fred S. Watts, Geoffrey S. Howard, Janelle Young, Nathanael A. Mackley, Robert A. Usselman, Vickie J. Mead
• Original Assignee: Brian C. Sterling, Danh T. Trinh, Fred S. Watts, Geoffrey S. Howard, Janelle Young, Nathanael A. Mackley, Robert A. Usselman, Vickie J. Mead
• Inventors: Watts, Fred S., Howard, Geoffrey S., Trinh, Danh T., Sterling, Brian C., Usselman, Robert A., Mackley, Nathanael A., Young, Janelle, Mead, Vickie J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• 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

Abstract

The charger includes a controller, a battery power source having at least two power settings connected to the controller, a power supply connectable to an outside power source, the power supply receiving a current and voltage from the outside power source for providing power to at least one of the controller and the battery power source, and a foldback circuit for switching between two power settings depending upon at least one of the current and voltage received from the outside power source.

Claims

1. A charger for charging a battery pack, the charger comprising:

a battery power source providing power to the battery pack, the battery power source having first and second power settings at which power is provided to the battery pack at a first and second power levels corresponding to the first and second power settings;

a controller connected to and controlling the battery power source; and

a power supply connectable to an outside power source, the power supply receiving a current and voltage from the outside power source for providing power to at least one of the controller and the battery power source;

wherein the controller comprises a foldback circuit for switching between the first and second power settings depending upon at least one of the current and voltage received from the outside power source.

2. The charger of claim 1, wherein the outside power source is a vehicle battery.

3. The charger of claim 1, wherein the foldback circuit monitors voltage of the battery pack.

4. The charger of claim 1, wherein the first and second power settings are high and low output current settings, respectively.

5. The charger of claim 4, wherein the foldback circuit switches between the first and second power settings before the current from the outside power source reaches a certain threshold.

6. The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller includes at least part of the foldback circuit.

7-16. -16. (canceled)