Battery discharging apparatus

• US 5,479,084 A
• Filed: 03/18/1994
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Satsuma, Eiji, Yamashita, Takahiro, Okada, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US08/214,466
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 320/13, 320/14, 320/15, 320/48
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/16 Removal of memory effect in batteries

Abstract

A battery discharging apparatus is provided with a battery discharger and a controller. The controller is connected to a battery voltage sensor and a timer, a current sensor and a discharge switch, or a current sensor and a battery power capacity sensor. The controller directs the discharger to recover battery capacity lost due to the memory effect using a deep memory effect eliminating discharge.

Claims

1. A battery discharging apparatus comprising:

(a) a discharger, said discharger selectively discharging the battery;

(b) a controller, said controller controlling the discharger, and said controller comprising;

(1) a battery voltage sensor, said battery voltage sensor sensing the battery voltage, and

(2) a timer to control the discharger according to an output from the voltage sensor, wherein said voltage sensor only starts said timer when the battery voltage drops below a prescribed voltage, and said discharger only begins a battery discharge after the timer count has been completed.

2. A battery discharging apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said discharger comprises a discharge resistor and a switching element.

3. A battery discharging apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller contains a microcomputer.

5. A battery discharging apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said discharger comprises a discharge resistor and a switching element.

6. A battery discharging apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said controller contains a microcomputer.

4. A battery discharging apparatus comprising:

(a) a discharger, said discharger selectively discharging the battery;

(b) a controller, said controller controlling the discharger, and said controller comprising;

(1) a current sensor, said current sensor determining whether or not power is flowing to or from the battery;

(2) a battery voltage sensor, said battery voltage sensor sensing the battery voltage, and

(3) a timer activated by an output from said voltage sensor, wherein when said current sensor determines that power is not flowing to or from the battery, and said voltage sensor measures a battery voltage below a prescribed voltage, said timer only starts to count when both power is determined not to be flowing and the battery voltage is determined to be below said prescribed voltage, and said discharger only begins a battery discharge after the timer count has been completed.