Portable electric power source with attached battery charger

• US 5,811,958 A
• Filed: 11/15/1996
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shigeo Yamamoto
• Original Assignee: Shigeo Yamamoto
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US08/749,692
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 320/1, 320/5, 320/6, 320/15, 320/21, 320/19, 320/27, 320/57, 320/61, 136/DIG. 2, 323/906
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A portable electric power source characterized by the fact an electric double layer battery is placed at a stage which follows a cell which generates electricity by receiving sunlight; and in which in order to produce current bit by bit from said electric double layer battery, the current capacity of said electric double layer battery is made smaller than the current capacity of a constant voltage secondary battery of a following stage; and which is further characterized by the fact that a DC--DC convertor is connected to the next stage, so that charging can be carried out at said constant voltage secondary battery even at an electric potential in which the output voltage of said electric double layer battery is lower than the voltage of the constant voltage secondary battery attached to the following stage. The portable electric power source device with attached battery charger of the present invention effectively allows more than 90% of consumer semiconductor devices or appliances typically used in the home to be powered by distribution management. This invention also makes possible long term charging of the electrical power source of vehicles, supplying current and instantaneous pulse voltage, as is needed for automobile ignition.

Claims

1. A portable electric power source with attached battery charger, comprising:

a first stage comprising a solar cell;

a second stage in parallel with the first stage and comprising an electric double layer battery; and

a third stage comprising a constant voltage battery in parallel with said first and second stages;

the capacity of said electric double layer battery being larger than the capacity of the constant voltage battery;

said first, second, and third stages being continuously connected to each other in parallel during operation;

converter means enabling charging of said constant voltage battery by said electric double layer battery; and

means for electrically connecting a load in parallel with said first, second, and third stages.

2. An electrical power system, comprising in parallel:

A. a solar cell adapted to receive photonic radiation and provide an electrical output;

B. a constant current secondary battery;

C. a constant voltage secondary battery;

D. converter means electrically connecting said constant current battery and said constant voltage battery; and

E. means for connecting a load to said power system;

wherein said constant current secondary battery, said constant voltage secondary battery, and said solar cell are continuously connected in parallel to each other during operation.

3. The system of claim 2, where said constant current secondary battery is an electrical double layer battery.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said constant voltage battery is selected from nickel-cadmium and lithium batteries.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising in parallel a voltage converter effective to convert electrical power from said constant current battery for charging said constant voltage battery.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising means for controlling the direction of current flow in said system.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising means for eliminating direct current from said system.