EP0311460A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Battery charger
Assignee: Norvik Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1988-10-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-10-10
Abstract
Abstract A charger (2) for charging rechargeable batteries including circuitry (4) for supplying electrical charging power to said rechargeable battery so as to rapidly charge said rechargeable battery, interrupting circuitry (6) for repeatedly interrupting said electrical charging power to said rechargeable battery for a preselected timed interval so as to permit the detection of the internal resistance free voltage of said battery during said interruption of said power, electrical comparing circuitry (l0) for comparing the internal resistance free voltage of said battery with a preselected reference voltage, and electrical control circuitry (l2) for reducing said power to said battery when said internal resistance free voltage exceeds said preselected reference voltage so as to reduce gradually the rate of charging of said rechargeable battery and maintain said internal resistance free voltage of said battery at said preselected reference voltage.
Inventors
- 👤 Jiri K. Nor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 22:55
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02J; H02J7/00; H02J7/90; H02J7/96; H02J7/965; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B40/00; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10; Y02E60/13; Y10; Y10S; Y10S320/00; Y10S320/13; Y10S320/18; Y10S320/19
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
A charger for charging rechargeable batteries including: (a) means for supplying an electrical charging power to a rechargeable battery so as to rapidly charge said rechargeable battery; (b) means whereby said electrical charging power to said rechargeable battery is repeatedly interrupted for a preselected time interval so as to permit the detection of the internal resistance free voltage of said battery during the interruption of said electrical charging power; (c) means for comparing said internal resistance free voltage of said battery with a preselected reference voltage; and (d) means for reducing said electrical charging power when said internal resistance free voltage of said battery at least equals said preselected reference voltage so as to reduce the rate of charging of said rechargeable battery so as to maintain said internal resistance free voltage at said preselected reference voltage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
A charger for charging rechargeable batteries including: (a) means for supplying an electrical charging power to a rechargeable battery so as to rapidly charge said rechargeable battery; (b) means whereby said electrical charging power to said rechargeable battery is repeatedly interrupted for a preselected time interval so as to permit the detection of the internal resistance free voltage of said battery during the interruption of said electrical charging power; (c) means for comparing said internal resistance free voltage of said battery with a preselected reference voltage; and (d) means for reducing said electrical charging power when said internal resistance free voltage of said battery at least equals said preselected reference voltage so as to reduce the rate of charging of said rechargeable battery so as to maintain said internal resistance free voltage at said preselected reference voltage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reducing means gradually reduces said electrical charging power when said internal resistance free voltage of said battery at least equals said preselected reference voltage so as to reduce the rate of charging of said rechargeable battery and maintain said internal free resistance voltage at said preselected voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A charger as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said electrical charging power comprises a D.C. current which is repeatedly interrupted for a preselected timed interval at a preselected frequency.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A charger as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said internal resistance free voltage of said battery is detected during said interruption of said current and after any electrical transient subsides.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A charger as claimed in claim 4 wherein said internal resistance free voltage of said battery is determined at the end of said interruption of said current.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
98 words
A charger as claimed in claim 4 or 5 including analogue memory means for accepting the value of the said internal resistance free potential at a moment during the current interruption after the electrical transient subsides, and retaining the value of said internal resistance free potential of said battery during the intervals between said current interruptions, wherein the comparing means subtracts the value of said preselected reference voltage from said internal resistance free voltage of said battery stored in said analogue memory means so as to generate an error signal to said means for reducing electrical charging power.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
A charger as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the comparing means compares said preselected reference voltage continuously with the battery voltage, and wherein a logical error signal present at the output of the comparing means is entered into logical memory means at an instant when the battery voltage attains the value of the preselected reference voltage.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A charger as claimed in claim 7 wherein said logical error signal is retained by said logical memory means during the intervals between the current interruptions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A charger as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said means for reducing electrical charging power is configured as a linear control amplifier.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A charger as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 wherein said means for reducing electrical charging power is configured as pulse modulating circuitry means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
A charger as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the interruption and reduction of electrical battery power are performed by the same device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
A charger as claimed in claim any preceeding including trickle charge circuit means in parallel with said means for rapidly charging said rechargeable battery so as to trickle charge said rechargeable battery when said internal resistance free voltage at least equals said preselected reference voltage.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
A charger as claimed in any preceding claim including thermal runaway prevention circuitry means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A charger as claimed in claim 13 wherein said thermal runaway prevention circuitry means comprises interrupting timer circuitry means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
A charger as claimed in claim 13 wherein said thermal runaway prevention circuitry means comprises one-way controller means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
A charger as claimed in claim 13 wherein said thermal runaway prevention circuitry means comprises means to vary said predetermined reference voltage.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of charging rechargeable batteries including the steps of: (a) generating a D.C. current at a preselected level so as to rapidly charge a rechargeable battery during a first rapid charging interval; (b) interrupting said current to said rechargeable battery for a preselected time interval at a preselected frequency so as to permit the detection of the internal resistance free voltage of said battery during said interruption of said current; (c) generating a preselected reference voltage; (d) comparing said internal resistance free voltage of said battery with said preselected reference voltage; and (e) reducing said current during a second reduced power charging interval when said internal resistance free voltage at least equals said preselected reference voltage so as to reduce the rate of charging of said rechargeable battery so as to maintain said internal resistance voltage at said preselected reference voltage.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of charging rechargeable batteries including the steps of: (a) generating a D.C. current at a preselected level so as to rapidly charge a rechargeable battery during a first rapid charging interval; (b) interrupting said current to said rechargeable battery for a preselected time interval at a preselected frequency so as to permit the detection of the internal resistance free voltage of said battery during said interruption of said current; (c) generating a preselected reference voltage; (d) comparing said internal resistance free voltage of said battery with said preselected reference voltage; and (e) reducing said current during a second reduced power charging interval when said internal resistance free voltage at least equals said preselected reference voltage so as to reduce the rate of charging of said rechargeable battery so as to maintain said internal resistance voltage at said preselected reference voltage.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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