US 5,982,152 A · Battery charging apparatus

Abstract

A wasteful consumption of electric energy supplied to charge a battery is reduced when the battery is charged with a low charging efficiency due to a high battery temperature. The battery, typically comprising nickel-hydrogen secondary cells, is prevented from being deteriorated due to a high battery temperature after the battery is charged. While the battery is being charged, the battery is cooled by a battery cooling unit to prevent the charging efficiency from being lowered. If the battery temperature rises above a predetermined temperature, a contactor is opened to temporarily stop the charging of the battery, and the battery is cooled by the battery cooling unit. After the battery is charged, the battery is cooled if the battery temperature is high.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A battery charging apparatus comprising:

a battery;
a battery charger for charging said battery;
battery temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of said battery in a charging mode;
battery remaining-capacity detecting means for detecting a present remaining capacity of said battery in said charging mode;
and
charging control means for controlling charging of said battery with said battery charger;
said charging control means including:
charging efficiency detecting means including means for detecting a charging efficiency based on the temperature of said battery detected by said battery temperature detecting means and the present remaining capacity of said battery detected by said battery remaining-capacity detecting means;
and
charging stopping means for stopping charging of said battery with said battery charger when said charging efficiency detected by said charging efficiency detecting means is lower than a predetermined value.

7 more elements

A battery charging apparatus comprising:

a battery;
a battery charger for charging said battery;
battery temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of said battery in a charging mode;
battery remaining-capacity detecting means for detecting a present remaining capacity of said battery in said charging mode;
battery cooling means for forcibly cooling said battery with electric energy supplied through said battery charger when the temperature of said battery detected by said battery temperature detecting means is higher than a predetermined temperature;
and
charging control means for controlling charging of said battery with said battery charger;
said charging control means including means for referring to a predetermined association between charging interruption temperatures and charging recovery temperatures, which are lower than said charging interruption temperatures, with respect to remaining capacities of said battery, based on the temperature of said battery detected by said battery temperature detecting means and the present remaining capacity of said battery detected by said battery remaining-capacity detecting means while said battery is being charged by said battery charger, to determine an interruption of the charging of said battery and recovery from the interruption of the charging of said battery, and activate said battery cooling means to cool said battery when the interruption of the charging of said battery is determined and thereafter resume the charging of said battery.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Battery charging apparatus

Life of this patent

Battery charging apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9