초록 ▼

A rapid battery charger uses current pulses to quickly charge secondary batteries of various types having a wide variety of charging characteristics. When the current pulse is paused, the voltage across the secondary battery is measured at two different times; the difference in the two voltages is c

A rapid battery charger uses current pulses to quickly charge secondary batteries of various types having a wide variety of charging characteristics. When the current pulse is paused, the voltage across the secondary battery is measured at two different times; the difference in the two voltages is compared with a reference value; and the current is adjusted according to the result of the comparison, thus preventing the generation of gas within the secondary battery.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A rapid battery charger comprising:a current source for generating a current having a level;a current switching circuit connected to said current source for turning the current on and off to produce current pulses occurring at a predetermined frequency, the current pulses

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A rapid battery charger comprising:a current source for generating a current having a level;a current switching circuit connected to said current source for turning the current on and off to produce current pulses occurring at a predetermined frequency, the current pulses being supplied to a battery to be recharged, each of the current pulses being on for a first duration of time and off for a second duration of time;timing setting means for setting a first timing and a second timing in the second duration of time of each of the current pulses, the first timing being set immediately after each of the current pulses is rendered off and the second timing being set after the first timing;voltage detecting means for detecting a first voltage across the battery at the first timing and a second voltage across the battery at the second timing;voltage differential computing means for computing a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage and outputting a voltage differential representative of the difference therebetween;comparison means for comparing the voltage differential output from said voltage differential computing means with a reference value and outputting a comparison output; andcurrent level controlling means for changing the level of the current in response to the comparison output. [13.] A method of rapidly charging a rechargeable battery, comprising the steps of:(a) setting currant pulses to be applied to the battery, each of the current pulses having a level, an on duration from a rising edge to a falling edges, and an off duration from the falling edge to a subsequent rising edge of a subsequent current pulse;(b) setting a reference value;(c) applying the current pulses to the battery;(d) detecting a first voltage across the battery at a first timing set immediately after the falling edge of each of the current pulses;(e) detecting a second voltage across the battery at a second timing set after the first timing in the off duration of each of the current pulses;(f) computing a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage and outputting a voltage differential representative of the difference therebetween;(g) comparing the voltage differential with the reference value set in step (b) and outputting a comparison output;(h) when the comparison output represents that the voltage differential has exceeded the reference value set in step (b), lowering the level of the current pulses and applying the lower level current pulses to the battery;(i) changing the reference value set in step (b) to a predetermined different value; and(j) repeating steps (d) through (i) for a predetermined number of times and terminating charging the battery. The method according to claim 13, wherein in step (j), steps (d) through (i) are repeated two times.