US4698579A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Charger for a battery-operated surgical machine
Assignee: HOWMEDICA INTERNATIONAL S DE RL
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Filing: 1986-07-18
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Granted: 1987-10-06
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Expires: 2006-07-18
Abstract
Abstract A charger for a battery-operated surgical machine includes a charging circuit and a housing. The housing contains the charging circuit and is provided with at least one plug receptacle means for the battery component of the surgical machine. The housing is also fitted with a selector switch connected to the charging circuit. In a first position of the selector switch the charging circuit charges the battery immediately, while in a second position of the switch the charging circuit first discharges the battery down to a predetermined lower potential and then charges it up to a predetermined higher potential.
Inventors
- 👤 Karl M. Richter
- 👤 Hans E. Harder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 13:35
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02J; H02J7/00; H02J7/02; H02J7/80; H02J7/82; H02J7/825; H02J7/90; H02J7/96; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S320/00; Y10S320/18; Y10S320/19
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A charger for a battery-operated surgical machine comprising a charging circuit and a housing containing the charging circuit, with said housing being provided with at least one plug receptacle means for connection with the battery component of the surgical machine and said housing also being fitted with means connected to said charging circuit for activating said charging circuit, wherein when the charging circuit is activated by said activating means the charging circuit first discharges said battery component down to a predetermined lower potential, then charges it up to a predetermined higher potential, then discharges it again to said predetermined lower potential and finally charges in again to said predetermined higher potential, with said charging circuit containing means for comparing the actual potential of the battery component with a standard potential at predetermined time intervals during both the discharging and charging phases of the second cycle of discharging and charging, and means for indicating when the difference between said actual and standard potentials attains a predetermined magnitude.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
166 words
A charger for a battery-operated surgical machine comprising a charging circuit and a housing containing the charging circuit, with said housing being provided with at least one plug receptacle means for connection with the battery component of the surgical machine and said housing also being fitted with means connected to said charging circuit for activating said charging circuit, wherein when the charging circuit is activated by said activating means the charging circuit first discharges said battery component down to a predetermined lower potential, then charges it up to a predetermined higher potential, then discharges it again to said predetermined lower potential and finally charges in again to said predetermined higher potential, with said charging circuit containing means for comparing the actual potential of the battery component with a standard potential at predetermined time intervals during both the discharging and charging phases of the second cycle of discharging and charging, and means for indicating when the difference between said actual and standard potentials attains a predetermined magnitude.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
A charger of claim 1 comprising additionally means for representing a graph of the disharging and charging curves on the housing, and a row of light-emitting diodes arranged on the housing beneath said curves, with each of said diodes corresponding to a particular segment of one of said curves and connected to said charging circuit in such a manner that it lights up to indicate when the battery component is in the corresponding stage of discharging or charging.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A charger of claim 1 wherein, after completion of the second charging step, the charging circuit generates a residual current equal to the spontaneous discharge current of said battery component.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A charger of claim 1 wherein said predetermined higher potential is substantially below the full rated capacity of said battery component.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3919618A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-10-05 | 1991-04-06 | 1991-10-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-10-05 | 1995-04-06 | 1995-10-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-10-05 | 1999-04-06 | 1999-10-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |