US 4,061,956 AGranted

Electronic DC battery charger

AssigneeUtah Research & Development Co., Inc.

InventorsLowell K. Brown, William Albert Newman, William A. Boyd

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A battery charger receives direct current power from an external source through a power connector. Switch means receives the power from the power connector and supplies it to a boost circuit which is removably and conductively connected to a battery. A control circuit is connected to receive a battery voltage signal from the battery and a battery temperature signal from a temperature sensor positioned to detect battery temperature. The control circuit determines the state of charge of the battery from the voltage and temperature signals. The control circuit supplies (1) switching signals to the switch means to cause the switch to be conductive, and (2) boosting signals to the boost circuit to cause the boost circuit to charge the battery in accordance with a preselected charging program related to the state of charge of the battery. A safety circuit may also be adapted to sense unsafe battery and battery charger parameters and cause the control circuit to generate a switching signal to cause the switch means to be nonconductive upon the occurrence thereof. The battery charger is particularly adaptable for use with vehicles.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A battery charger comprising:

power connector means for removable conductive connection to an external source of direct current power;
switch means conductively connected to said power connector means to receive power therefrom;
a boost circuit conductively connected to said switch means to receive power therefrom and removably conductively connected to a battery to be charged to supply power thereto;
temperature sensing means positioned to sense the temperature of said battery and generate a temperature reflective signal;
a control circuit (1) conductively connected to said battery to receive a battery voltage signal therefrom, (2) conductively connected to said switch means to supply a switching signal thereto, (3) conductively connected to said boost circuit to supply a boosting signal thereto, and (4) conductively connected to said temperature sensing means to receive said temperature reflective signal, said control circuit (1) receiving said battery voltage signal and said temperature reflective signal to determine the temperature adjusted stage of charge of said battery, (2) supplying said switching signal to cause said switch means to supply power to said boost circuit in accordance with a preselected charging program related to said battery's state of charge, and (3) supplying said boosting signal to said boost circuit to cause said boost circuit to supply charging current signals to said battery which vary in magnitude and form in accordance with said preselected charging program related to said state of charge of said battery.

2 more elements

In combination with a vehicle of the type having a high energy battery associated therewith, a battery charger comprising:

power connector means for removable conductive connection to an external source of direct current power;
switch means conductively connected to said power connector means to receive power therefrom;
a boost circuit conductively connected to said switch means to receive power therefrom and removably conductively connected to a battery to be charged to supply power thereto;
temperature sensing means positioned to sense the temperature of said battery and generate a temperature reflective signal;
a control circuit (1) conductively connected to said battery to receive a battery voltage signal therefrom, (2) conductively connected to said switch means to supply a switching signal thereto, (3) conductively connected to said boost circuit to supply a boosting signal thereto, and (4) conductively connected to said temperature sensing means to receive said temperature reflective signal, said control circuit (1) receiving said battery voltage signal and said temperature reflective signal to determine the temperature adjusted state of charge of said battery, (2) supplying said switching signal to cause said switch means to supply power to said boost circuit in accordance with a preselected charging program related to said boosting signal to said boost circuit to cause said boost circuit to supply charging current signals to said battery which vary in magnitude and form in accordance with said preselected charging program related to said state of charge of said battery.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/716,524Filed 23 Aug 1976 · continuation in part
Priority: 6 Nov 1975
Granted: 6 Dec 1977
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification30 codes

H02J 7/927
Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage: with introduction of pulses during the charging process
B60L 3/003
Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train: relating to inverters
B60L 53/14
Characterised by the energy transfer between the charging station and the vehicle: conductive energy transfer
B60L 58/21
Of two or more battery modules: having the same nominal voltage