Charging control system for uniformly charging a series connected battery array

Patent 5932990 Issued on August 3, 1999. Estimated Expiration Date:

May 14, 2017. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Charging regulator
Patent #: 4614905
Issued on: 09/30/1986
Inventor: Petersson , et al.

Charging monitor for electrical accumulators
Patent #: 5469042
Issued on: 11/21/1995
Inventor: Ruhling

NiCd/NiMH battery charger
Patent #: 5523668
Issued on: 06/04/1996
Inventor: Feldstein

Charging system for multi-cell battery
Patent #: 5578914
Issued on: 11/26/1996
Inventor: Morita

Battery charging apparatus for series battery
Patent #: 5617004
Issued on: 04/01/1997
Inventor: Kaneko

Method and device for monitoring and for dynamically balancing a storage battery pack Patent #: 5644209
Issued on: 07/01/1997
Inventor: Chabbert, et al.

Inventor

Kaneko, Akira

Assignee

Application

No. 856314 filed on 05/14/1997

US Classes:

320/122Bypassable battery cell

Examiners

Primary: Tso, Edward H.

Foreign Patent References

628491 JP. 04/13/1994
833219 JP. 02/13/1996

International Class

H01M 010/46

Foreign Application Priority Data

1996-08-21 JP

Abstract

A charging control system for use with a battery charger for charging a battery array which is constituted by battery cells includes charging control units corresponding individually to the battery cells. Each unit includes a voltage-regulator circuit for generating a reference voltage corresponding to the fully charged voltage of the battery cell and a comparator for comparing the inter-electrode voltage of the battery cell with the reference voltage. When the inter-electrode voltage has reached the fully charged voltage, the comparator cooperates with an amplifier to turn ON a field-effect transistor of a bypass circuit of the unit, to thereby divert the charging current from to the battery cell to the bypass circuit. The amplifier receives a feedback voltage indicating the bypass current and operates to keep the bypass current constant, thereby preventing overcharging of the battery cell.