US4920475A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Integrated traction inverter and battery charger apparatus
Assignee: California Institute of Technology
•
Filing: 1988-03-07
•
Granted: 1990-04-24
•
Expires: 2008-03-07
Abstract
Abstract An integrated traction inverter and battery charger apparatus which is capable of operating in either drive or charge modes. The apparatus integrates the components of a prior art three-phase inverter with an AC line-powered prior art DC source charger in a manner which recognizes that an input capacitor and certain components of a three-phase bridge inverter are capable of performing dual functions and thus can be active in both modes. Therefore, in the integration of the prior art devices some of the components are eliminated allowing savings in cost and weight of, and space required by, the components of the integrated inverter/charger apparatus.
Inventors
- 👤 Wally E.. Rippel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 03:35
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60L; B60L15/00; B60L15/007; B60L50/00; B60L50/50; B60L50/51; B60L53/00; B60L53/10; B60L53/11; B60L53/14; B60L53/20; B60L53/22; B60L53/24; H; H02; H02J; H02J7/00; H02J7/02; H02M; H02M7/00; H02M7/42; H02M7/44; H02M7/48; H02M7/53; H02M7/537; H02M7/5387; B60L2220/00; B60L2220/10; B60L2220/18; H02J2207/00; H02J2207/20; H02M3/00; H02M3/02; H02M3/04; H02M3/10; H02M3/145; H02M3/155; H02M3/156; H02M3/158; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/60; Y02T10/64; Y02T10/70; Y02T10/7072; Y02T10/80; Y02T10/92; Y02T90/00; Y02T90/10; Y02T90/12; Y02T90/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
An integrated inverter/charger apparatus, comprising: a polyphase bridge inverter adapted to be connected to a polyphase load said inverter including a plurality of switch elements and current path blocking elements; an input capacitor, said capacitor and inverter adapted to be connected in parallel across a DC source; a rectifier having an input and an output connected at its input to an AC input line; inductor means connected between said inverter and said output of the rectifier; and control circuitry coupled to said inverter and being adapted to control the invertor in either a drive mode wherein, with the AC input line being disconnected from said input of the rectifier and with said inverter being connected to the polyphase load, said inverter is rendered active by said control circuitry so as to be operated by the DC source to drive the polyphase load or a charge mode wherein, with the AC input line being connected to said input of the rectifier and with said inverter remaining connected to the polyphase load, only a portion of said inverter is rendered active by said control circuitry so as to connect the DC source and input capacitor with said inductor means and rectifier and to be operated by the AC input line to charge the DC source.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
An integrated inverter/charger apparatus, comprising: a polyphase bridge inverter adapted to be connected to a polyphase load said inverter including a plurality of switch elements and current path blocking elements; an input capacitor, said capacitor and inverter adapted to be connected in parallel across a DC source; a rectifier having an input and an output connected at its input to an AC input line; inductor means connected between said inverter and said output of the rectifier; and control circuitry coupled to said inverter and being adapted to control the invertor in either a drive mode wherein, with the AC input line being disconnected from said input of the rectifier and with said inverter being connected to the polyphase load, said inverter is rendered active by said control circuitry so as to be operated by the DC source to drive the polyphase load or a charge mode wherein, with the AC input line being connected to said input of the rectifier and with said inverter remaining connected to the polyphase load, only a portion of said inverter is rendered active by said control circuitry so as to connect the DC source and input capacitor with said inductor means and rectifier and to be operated by the AC input line to charge the DC source.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
107 words
The integrated apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control circuitry being coupled to said inverter is adapted to control the inverter in either said drive mode wherein at various times all of said switch and current blocking elements of said inverter are active causing said inverter to be operated by the DC source to drive the polyphase load or said charge mode wherein some but not all of said switch and current blocking elements of said inverter are active to connect the DC source and input capacitor with said inductor means and rectifier and to be operated by the AC input line for charging the DC source.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The integrated apparatus of claim 1 wherein said inverter includes a plurality of output leads adapted to connect pairs of said switch elements and current path blocking elements to the polyphase load.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The integrated apparatus of claim 1 wherein said inductor means is an inductor winding connected between said inverter and said output of the rectifier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The integrated apparatus of claim 1 wherein said inductor means is windings of the polyphase load which are connected to said inverter in both said drive and charge modes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The integrated apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control circuitry employs a pulse-width-modulation type of control.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
238 words
An integrated inverter/charger apparatus, comprising: a polyphase bridge inverter having a plurality of switch elements and current path blocking elements and a plurality of output leads adapted to be connected to a polyphase load; an input capacitor, said capacitor and inverter adapted to be connected in parallel across a DC source; rectifier having an input connected to an AC input line and an output; an inductor connected between said inverter and said output of the rectifier; and control circuitry coupled to said switch elements of said inverter and being adapted to control the inverter in either a drive mode wherein, with the AC input line being disconnected from said rectifier and with said output leads of said inverter being connected to the polyphase load, at various times all of said switch and current blocking elements of said inverter are rendered active by said control circuitry so as to be operated by the DC source to drive the polyphase load or a charge mode wherein, with the AC input line being connected to said rectifier and with said output leads of said inverter remaining connected to the polyphase load, some but not all of said switch and current blocking elements of said inverter are rendered active by said control circuitry so as to connect the DC source and input capacitor with said inductor and rectifier and to be operated by the AC input line to charge the DC source.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
238 words
An integrated inverter/charger apparatus, comprising: a polyphase bridge inverter having a plurality of switch elements and current path blocking elements and a plurality of output leads adapted to be connected to a polyphase load; an input capacitor, said capacitor and inverter adapted to be connected in parallel across a DC source; rectifier having an input connected to an AC input line and an output; an inductor connected between said inverter and said output of the rectifier; and control circuitry coupled to said switch elements of said inverter and being adapted to control the inverter in either a drive mode wherein, with the AC input line being disconnected from said rectifier and with said output leads of said inverter being connected to the polyphase load, at various times all of said switch and current blocking elements of said inverter are rendered active by said control circuitry so as to be operated by the DC source to drive the polyphase load or a charge mode wherein, with the AC input line being connected to said rectifier and with said output leads of said inverter remaining connected to the polyphase load, some but not all of said switch and current blocking elements of said inverter are rendered active by said control circuitry so as to connect the DC source and input capacitor with said inductor and rectifier and to be operated by the AC input line to charge the DC source.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3348060A
Cited
US3950689A
Cited
US4065711A
Cited
US4039926A
Cited
US4136382A
Cited
US4272716A
Cited
US4186437A
Cited
US4258304A
Cited
US4333042A
Cited
US4314191A
Cited
US4377779A
Cited
US4491778A
Cited
US4466052A
Cited
US4408268A
Cited
US4672520A
Cited
US4673825A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-04-23 | 1993-10-23 | 1994-04-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-04-23 | 1997-10-23 | 1998-04-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-04-23 | 2001-10-23 | 2002-04-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |