Battery charger failure alarm circuit

• US 4,441,066 A
• Filed: 09/28/1982
• Issued: 04/03/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SAB NIFE AB
• Original Assignee: Mcgraw-Edison Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Burmenko, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ault, Anita M.
• Application Number:
  US06/425,873
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 320/48, 320/57, 320/58, 320/59, 320/60, 322/99
• US Class Current: 320/165
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/19 Charger status, e.g. voltmeter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/22 Line impedance, e.g. resistor

Abstract

A battery charger failure alarm circuit for use with a battery charger including a source of rectified AC voltage for charging a battery and a filtering inductor serially interposed between said charger circuit and battery and across which there appears AC ripple voltage so long as the battery charger is functioning properly, includes a sensing circuit coupled to the filtering inductor for sensing the presence of the AC ripple voltage and an alarm circuit coupled to the sensing circuit operable to indicate the failure of the battery charger circuit in response to a lack of sensed AC ripple voltage. A time delay circuit may be included in the battery charger failure alarm circuit between the sensing circuit and alarm circuit to delay the operation of the alarm circuit in the case of momentary loss of the AC ripple voltage.

Claims

1. In a battery charger circuit including a source of rectified A.C. voltage coupled for charging a battery connected to said circuit and inductor means, serially connected between said source of rectified A.C. voltage and said battery, for filtering the rectified A.C. voltage prior to application of said battery, A.C. voltage being present across said inductor so long as said battery charger circuit is functioning to charge said battery, a battery charger failure alarm circuit including in combination:

voltage divider means, electrically coupled to said inductor means, for dividing the voltage drop across said inductor means into at least two voltages including a first voltage;

isolation transformer means, electrically coupled to said voltage divider means, for transforming said first voltage into a second voltage;

rectifier means, electrically coupled to said isolation transformer means, for rectifying said second voltage;

a first transistor, said rectified second voltage being applied to the base of said first transistor for switching said transistor means to a conducting state;

a second transistor, the base of which is electrically coupled to said first transistor, said second transistor being switched from a non-conducting state to a conducting state in response to said first transistor being switched to a conducting state; and

alarm means, operating in response to said second transistor, for producing a sensory perceptive signal in the event that said first and second transistors are switched to a non-conducting state in response to the absence of A.C. volt age across said inductor means.

2. A battery charger failure alarm circuit as claimed in claim 1, further including time delay circuit means, coupled between said first and second transistors, for predeterminedly delaying the switching of said second transistor to said non-conducting state, whereby said alarm means operates in response to the sustained loss of said AC voltage across said inductor means.

3. A battery charger failure alarm circuit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said time delay circuit means further includes RC circuit means for varying the time delay period of said alarm means.

4. A battery charger circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first transistor is an NPN transistor.

5. A battery charger circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second transistor is a PNP transistor.

6. A battery charger circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alarm means includes a relay comprising a coil and a set of contacts which are operated by the coil, said coil being energized in response to said second transistor, said conacts being normally closed and being adapted to be connected to a series circuit including a power supply and an alarm bell, whereby in the event that said relay coil becomes de-energized, said bell is energized.

7. A battery charger circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alarm means is a light which glows in the event that said second transistor is switched to a conducting state, whereby said light ceases to glow in the event of the absence of said AC voltage across said inductor means.

8. A battery charger failure alarm circuit for use with a battery charger circuit comprising a source of rectified AC voltage coupled to a battery for charging said battery and a filtering inductor interposed between said source of charging voltage and said battery, AC voltage being present across said inductor so long as said battery charger circuit is functioning properly to charge said battery, said battery charger failure alarm circuit including in combination:

(a) a transformer;

(b) a rectifier, said transformer coupling said AC voltage to said rectifier;

(c) a transistor switch coupled to said rectifier, said transistor being selectively biased in accordance with the application of rectified, sensed AC voltage thereto; and

(d) alarm means, operated in response to said transistor switch, for signaling the absence of said AC voltage across said inductor.

9. A battery charger failure alarm circuit as claimed in claim 8, further including voltage divider means, interposed between said filtering inductor and said transformer, for reducing the level of said AC voltage present across said filtering inductor prior to the application thereof to said rectifier.

10. A battery charger failure alarm circuit as claimed in claim 9, wherein said transistor switch includes time delay means for predeterminedly delaying the operation of said alarm means.

11. A battery charger failure alarm circuit as claimed in claim 10, wherein said time delay means includes an RC network circuit and a potentiometer for controlling the RC time constant of said RC network.