Non-isolated thermally responsive battery charger

Claim 2

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified full charging current at a level for charging a battery; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit and for establishing the level of full charging current for charging the battery; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit and to the battery for providing the charging current to the battery at the level for charging the battery; temperature responsive means in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and for allowing full charging current at the established level to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; and switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, arranged for providing electrical power to a connected load from the battery supplemented by a smaller contribution of electrical power provided by the rectified current at the established level for charging the battery as supplied from said diode bridge circuit.

Claim 3

The battery charger circuit as set forth in claim 1, which comprises impedance means, in parallel circuit with said temperature responsive means, for providing a trickle charging current path to the battery when said temperature responsive means responds to the temperature of the battery exceeding said threshold value.

Claim 4

The battery charger circuit as set forth in claim 2, wherein said impedance means comprises a resistor.

Claim 5

The battery charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein the switch means comprises double pole switch means for disconnecting the battery from a load when said switch means is open, and for shunting said temperature responsive means and connecting both the battery and said capacitive impedance means to said load when said switch means is closed.

Claim 6

The battery charger as set forth in claim 1, wherein said switch means comprises a first contact connected to one side of said temperature responsive means and a second contact connected to the other side of said temperature responsive means, and first and second electrically connected poles for respective engagement with said first and second contacts.

Claim 7

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for direct connection to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; first and second serially connected temperature responsive means electrically connected in said charging circuit path to pass charging current as determined by said capacitive impedance means to the battery being charged when said first and second temperature responsive means are in a closed state; resistive impedance means in parallel circuit with said first and second serially connected temperature responsive means, for conducting current when at least one of said first or second temperature responsive means is open to effect trickle charging of the battery; said first temperature responsive means being in thermal communication with the battery being charged to sense the temperature of the battery, and said second temperature responsive means being in thermal communication with said resistive impedance means to sense the temperature of said resistive impedance means; said first temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery to interrupt the flow of charging current to the battery through said first temperature responsive means when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of a substantial full charge and to cause trickle charging current flow through said resistive means; and said second temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of said resistive impedance means to interrupt the circuit to said first temperature responsive means when the temperature of said resistive means exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Claim 8

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for direct connection to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; first and second serially connected temperature responsive means electrically connected in said charging circuit path to pass charging current as determined by said capacitive impedance means to the battery being charged when said first and second temperature responsive means are in a closed state; resistive impedance means in parallel circuit with said first and second serially connected temperature responsive means, for conducting current when at least one of said first or second temperature responsive means is open to effect trickle charging of the battery; said first temperature responsive means being in thermal communication with the battery being charged to sense the temperature of the battery, and said second temperature responsive means being in thermal communication with said resistive impedance means to sense the temperature of said resistive impedance means; said first temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery to interrupt the flow of charging current to the battery through said first temperature responsive means when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of a substantial full charge and to cause trickle charging current flow through said resistive means; and said second temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of said resistive impedance means to interrupt the circuit to said first temperature responsive means when the temperature of said resistive means exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Claim 9

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; temperature responsive means in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and for allowing charging current to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, for providing electrical power from the battery and said diode bridge circuit to a connected load; and circuit means connected in parallel circuit with said capacitive impedance means for discharging said capacitive impedance means wherein said circuit means comprises parallel connected back-to-back diodes in series circuit with a resister.

Claim 10

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; temperature responsive means in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and for allowing charging current to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, for providing electrical power from the battery and said diode bridge circuit to a connected load; and circuit means connected in parallel circuit with said capacitive impedance means for discharging said capacitive impedance means wherein said circuit means comprises parallel connected back-to-back diodes in series circuit with a resister.

Claim 11

The battery charger circuit as set forth in claim 7, wherein at least one of said parallel connected diodes is a light emitting diode.

Claim 12

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; temperature responsive means in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and for allowing charging current to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, for providing electrical power from the battery and said diode bridge circuit to a connected load; a resistor, in parallel circuit with said temperature responsive means, for providing a trickle charging current path to the battery when said temperature responsive means responds to the temperature of the battery exceeding said threshold value; and an auxiliary temperature responsive means connected in series with said temperature responsive means, said resister being in parallel to and in thermal communication with said auxiliary temperature responsive means, said auxiliary temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of said resistor to interrupt charging current to the battery via said temperature responsive means while trickle charging of the battery proceeds via said resistor.

Claim 13

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; temperature responsive means in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and for allowing charging current to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, for providing electrical power from the battery and said diode bridge circuit to a connected load; a resistor, in parallel circuit with said temperature responsive means, for providing a trickle charging current path to the battery when said temperature responsive means responds to the temperature of the battery exceeding said threshold value; and an auxiliary temperature responsive means connected in series with said temperature responsive means, said resister being in parallel to and in thermal communication with said auxiliary temperature responsive means, said auxiliary temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of said resistor to interrupt charging current to the battery via said temperature responsive means while trickle charging of the battery proceeds via said resistor.

Claim 14

The battery charger as set forth in claim 9, wherein said impedance means comprises a second capacitive means.

Claim 15

The battery charger as set forth in claim 10, wherein said second capacitive means is connected between said source of AC input current and a diagonal of said diode bridge circuit.

Claim 16

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; temperature responsive means in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and for allowing charging current to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; said capacitive impedance means, said temperature responsive means, and said diode bridge circuit being connected in series circuit; and switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, for providing electrical power from the battery and said diode bridge circuit to a connected load.

Claim 17

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; temperature responsive means in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and for allowing charging current to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; said capacitive impedance means, said temperature responsive means, and said diode bridge circuit being connected in series circuit; and switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, for providing electrical power from the battery and said diode bridge circuit to a connected load.

Claim 18

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; temperature responsive means connected in a leg of said diode bridge circuit and in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and or allowing charging current to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; and switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, for providing electrical power from the battery and said diode bridge circuit to a connected load.

Claim 19

A non-isolated temperature-responsive battery charger circuit, comprising: a diode bridge circuit for accepting an AC input current and for providing a rectified charging current; capacitive impedance means in circuit with said diode bridge circuit for connection therewith to a source of AC input current for coupling the AC input current to said diode bridge circuit; a battery charging circuit path connected to said diode bridge circuit for providing the charging current to a battery connected in said charging circuit path; temperature responsive means connected in a leg of said diode bridge circuit and in thermal communication with the battery to sense the temperature thereof while being charged, and or allowing charging current to be passed to the battery from said diode bridge circuit; said temperature responsive means responding to the temperature of the battery during charging to interrupt or cause reduction of said full charging current to the battery when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value representative of the battery having been substantially fully charged; and switch means, in circuit with the battery and said temperature responsive means, for providing electrical power from the battery and said diode bridge circuit to a connected load.