Source of electrical energy

Claim 1

In an electric razor system having a shearing means, an electric motor to drive said shearing means, a rechargable gastight battery for supplying electric power to operate the motor, and a charging system for recharging the battery using power derived from a source of alternating voltage, the improvement in the system which allows the battery to be recharged at such a high rate of charging current that the charging current would cause destruction by excess pressure, when fully charged, of any such batteries in gastight enclosures which did not use a partially dried electrolyte to reduce the potential pressure inside the gastight enclosure during overcharging, comprising: A. an electrical storage cell comprising: A1. a gastight, sealed container, A2. an amount of electrolyte in the container insufficient in quantity, when the electrolyte decomposes with overcharging of the cell to permit the development within the container of a gas pressure sufficient to break the seal of the container, A3. a positive electrode and a negative electrode to which the cell is connected for charging and discharging, and A4. a porous, nonconductive separator in the electrolyte between the positive and negative electrodes, B. charging means for receiving current from said source of alternating voltage and for providing a charging current at said high rate to charge said cell at a reduced voltage, C. temperature-sensing means responsive to the temperature of the cell for supplying an electrical indication that the temperature in the cell has risen to a predetermined value, thereby indicating the degree of charge of the cell, wherein the temperature-sensing means comprises an electrically insulated thermosensitive element arranged between the negative electrode and the separator to sense the temperature within the sealed container, D. switch means responsive to said indication to terminate the supply of charging current when said temperature reaches said predetermined value, and E. retaining means for holding said switch means in an open condition after its operation to termInate the current supply until the retaining means is externally released.

Claim 3

A system for controlled charging of the battery of a portable electric razor, comprising: A. a source of alternating line voltage, B. a transformer for converting the line voltage to a lower alternating voltage, C. a full-wave bridge rectifier circuit for receiving said lower alternating voltage and converting it to a full-wave rectified direct voltage, D. an electric storage cell comprising: D1. a gastight, sealed container, D2. an amount of electrolyte insufficient in quantity, when the electrolyte decomposes with overcharging of the cell, to permit the development within the container of gas pressure sufficient to break the seal of the container, D3. a positive electrode and a negative electrode to which the cell is connected for charging and discharging, and D4. a porous, nonconductive separator in the electrolyte between the positive and negative electrodes, E. means connecting the full-wave rectified direct voltage across the positive and negative electrodes of the cell comprising: E1. a switch means operated by a control indication to terminate the supply of the full-wave rectified direct voltage to the electrodes, E2. a variable impedance in the current path for varying the amount of current flow to the battery, and E3. current measurement means for measuring the amount of current flow through the variable impedance, F. a temperature-sensing means comprising an electrically insulated thermosensitive element arranged between the negative electrode and the separator to sense the temperature within the sealed container for supplying an electrical indication that the temperature in the cell has risen to a predetermined value, thereby indicating the degree of charge of the cell, G. switch operating means for applying said electrical indication as the control indication to operate said switch operating means to terminate the supply of full-wave rectified direct current to the cell when said temperature reaches said predetermined value, and H. retaining means for holding the switching means in its open condition after the switch is operated in response to the temperature-sensing means and for holding the switch in the open position independently of the state of the temperature-sensing means.

Claim 4

A system for controlled charging of the battery of a portable electric razor, comprising: A. a source of alternating line voltage, B. a transformer for converting the line voltage to a lower alternating voltage, C. a full-wave bridge rectifier circuit for receiving said lower alternating voltage and converting it to a full-wave rectified direct voltage, D. an electric storage cell comprising: D1. a gastight, sealed container, D2. an amount of electrolyte insufficient in quantity, when the electrolyte decomposes with overcharging of the cell, to permit the development within the container of gas pressure sufficient to break the seal of the container, D3. a positive electrode and a negative electrode to which the cell is connected for charging and discharging, and D4. a porous, nonconductive separator in the electrolyte between the positive and negative electrodes, E. means connecting the full-wave rectified direct voltage across the positive and negative electrodes of the cell comprising: E1. a switch means operated by a control indication to terminate the supply of the full-wave rectified direct voltage to the electrodes, E2. a variable impedance in the current path for varying the amount of current flow to the battery, and E3. current measurement means for measuring the amount of current flow through the variable impedance, F. a temperature-sensing means comprising an electrically insulated thermosensitive element arranged between the negative electrode and the separator to sense the temperature within the sealed container for supplying an electrical indication that the temperature in the cell has risen to a predetermined value, thereby indicating the degree of charge of the cell, G. switch operating means for applying said electrical indication as the control indication to operate said switch operating means to terminate the supply of full-wave rectified direct current to the cell when said temperature reaches said predetermined value, and H. retaining means for holding the switching means in its open condition after the switch is operated in response to the temperature-sensing means and for holding the switch in the open position independently of the state of the temperature-sensing means.