Abstract: The present invention relates to a charging device for storing electric energy in a plurality of electrical double layer capacitors, comprising a power source circuit, a capacitor bank having a plurality of capacitors, a control circuit for switching an interconnection state of the plurality of capacitors, and a voltage monitor circuit for monitoring a charged voltage in the plurality of capacitors, which repetitively carries out a step of performing a charging operation by switching the plurality of capacitors in the capacitor bank to a serial connection state, and a step of monitoring a charged voltage by using a voltage monitor circuit by switching the plurality of capacitors to a parallel connection state until the charged voltage reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: A battery charger having a detachable plug has a charger body and a changeable plug provided with a first plate and second plate. The second plate has at least two conductor blades extending out therefrom. The plug is detachably connected to the charger body by the first retaining device on the first plate and the second retaining device on the second plates. Therefore, the battery charger is securely and electrically insertable in an outlet of a power supply.

Abstract: The first accommodation space forming body is joined to the supporting base plate, and the second accommodation space forming body is joined to the first accommodation space forming body. Accommodation space S is formed between the accommodation space forming bodies. The positioning body is joined to the second accommodation space forming body. The accommodation space forming bodies are fixed onto the supporting base plate by screwing the screws. The profile and size of the first accommodation space forming body are the same as those of the second accommodation space forming body. The accommodation space forming bodies are joined to each other by the engagement of the engaging protrusions with the engaging recesses.

Abstract: A circuit for preventing corruption of battery-specific data transferred from a battery-specific data element to a battery charger when a battery is electrically coupled to both the battery charger and to a load includes a charger connection sensor and an interrupter circuit. The charger connection sensor is capable of sensing when the battery is connected to the battery charger. The interrupter circuit is responsive to the charger connection sensor. The interrupter circuit electrically couples the battery-specific data element to a load side battery-specific data node when the charger connection sensor indicates that the battery is not connected to the battery charger and electrically uncouples the battery-specific data element to the battery-specific data node accessible by the load when the charger connection sensor indicates that the battery is connected to the battery charger.

Abstract: A testing device applies time-varying electrical excitation to a cell or battery and senses the resulting time-varying electrical response. Computation circuitry within the device uses voltage and current signals derived from the excitation and response signals as inputs and computes values of elements of an equivalent circuit representation of the cell or battery. The relative charge SOC) of the cell or battery is calculated from the value of the conductance component G of a particular parallel G-C subcircuit of the equivalent circuit. The absolute charge (Ah) contained in the cell or battery is calculated from the value of the capacitance component C of a different parallel G-C subcircuit. Relative or absolute charge values are then either displayed to the user or are used to control an external process such as charging of the battery.

Abstract: A battery's impedance is measured by a technique that normally uses a current divider network which is connected to the battery. The circuit used according to this technique has a current generator producing a regulated current signal and has one or more sensing impedances which are normally positioned electrically parallel, or in some alternate embodiments in series, with the battery. A DC-blocking capacitor prevents the battery voltage from draining into the one or more sensing impedances. A magnetic field sensor or comparable device measures the magnitude and/or phase of current passing through the sensing impedances. Substitution of a number of calibrated impedances into the circuit in place of the battery permits an initial mathematical computation of the battery's impedance utilizing this technique. Thereafter battery impedances can be computed with the current without using calibrated impendances.

Abstract: A system of cordless power tools includes a cordless power tool adapted to removably receive a rechargeable battery pack. The system further includes a battery pack charger and a converter for converting AC electricity to DC electricity. A battery pack interface block is captured between clam shell halves of a battery pack housing and includes a plurality of male blade terminals. The male blade terminals are received within recessed female terminals of a tool terminal block and similarly received by recessed female terminals of the charger. The tool terminal block further includes a pair of male terminals which engage recessed female terminals of the converter.

Abstract: The method computes a capacity of a battery array formed from a plurality of rechargeable batteries connected in series while controlling battery array charging and discharging. An upper capacity limit lower than a battery array full charge capacity, a lower capacity limit greater than a complete discharge capacity, and a specified capacity within a range between the upper and lower capacity limits are established. Battery array charging and discharging is permitted when computed capacity is within the range between upper and lower capacity limits. When computed capacity reaches the upper capacity limit, charging is prohibited until battery array capacity drops to the specified capacity, and when computed capacity reaches the lower capacity limit, discharging is prohibited until battery array capacity rises to the specified capacity.

Abstract: An intelligent car battery-charging cable device adapted to provide electrical connections between a first battery and a second battery. The device includes a power controller that regulates power through the device, power cables that connect the power controller to the terminals of the batteries. A triggering device detects proper connection between the power cables and the terminals of the first and second batteries, upon which the triggering device generates a triggering current to activate the relay closing device to close the normally open switch of the relay closing device to close the circuits between the terminals of the first and second batteries. The triggering device is unable to activate the relay closing device and the circuits between the terminals of the first and second batteries, unless the two circuits connected to each of the power cables are both connected to the terminals of the first and second batteries.

Abstract: This invention is a single wire interface communication system whereby a phone having internal charging circuitry communicates the charging status of the battery attached to the phone by varying the duty cycle of a pulse with a predetermined period across the single wire interface. In a preferred embodiment, the predetermined pulse of time T, where T is 1 second, is divided into N divisions, where N equals 10. A duty cycle high for time T/N and low for time 9T/N represents a first charging state; a duty cycle high for time 2T/N and low for time 8T/N corresponds to a second charging state; and so on. The system allows for information to be transmitted across a single wire, thereby freeing data connections for other accessories.

Abstract: A switch is controlled by a charging control unit. An inductor is provided between the switch and a secondary battery. An offset generation unit generates voltage V2 by adding an offset voltage Vos to voltage V1, where the voltage V1 corresponds to an inductor current. A current detection unit detects the inductor current based on the voltage V2. A voltage detection unit detects output voltage Vout. A charging control unit controls the switch based on the inductor current detected by the current detection unit and the output voltage Vout detected by the voltage detection unit.

Abstract: A radiant system in accumulators and a resultant product objectifying optimization of energy's generation, storage and use, allowing the reduction of costs through ultra-fast recharges, using pulsating processes that cause high-frequency radiations, through tensions higher than ones currently used, without losses in the characteristics of electricity's conventional use, allowing greater facilities for its use.

Abstract: A circuit assembly for the formation and charging of secondary batteries, such as lithium ion and lithium-polymer cells, is provided. A parallel arrangement of cells eliminates the need for current regulation for each, thereby providing a mechanism for self-equalization of the cells configured in this way. Cells in parallel are governed by the same voltage profile, and each cell draws current from a voltage-regulating channel according to its state of health. A holder is also provided for connecting cells to the electronic instrument containing the voltage-regulating channel. This holder provides for reliable termination at the terminal tabs.

Abstract: A battery cartridge has a communication terminal from which control signals are sent to a charging adapter to deliver various pieces of information necessary for electrically charging the battery cartridge, such as charging stop information, capacity information, full charge information, battery defect information, and so on. Different kinds of charging modes can be distinguished by detecting a property curve of a charge voltage or a charge current input to the battery cartridge. In this manner, without reducing the whole number of pieces of information, the number of control signals from the communication terminal can be reduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling battery charging current selectively receive electrical power from either a first external power source or a second external power source and outputs part of the power source to a charger for charging a battery. A reference value supplying apparatus gives a first reference value equivalent to the output current capability of the first external power source when a charging-current controller is connected to the first external power source and gives a second reference value equivalent to the current capability of the second external power source when the charging-current controller is connected to the second external power source.

Abstract: Current flowing into and out of a battery installed in a vehicle (V) with the required cable between one of the battery terminals and a reference point on the vehicle is determined by measuring the voltage across the cable and computing the current from the digital value of the measured current. The resistance value of the cable can be known in which case the current is computed using Ohms law and a differential current sensor can be used to respond to the voltage measured across the cable to accommodate for different ranges of current. In an embodiment where the cable resistance is unknown, a reference current source produces a known voltage that is used to set the input value to an amplifier of fixed gain for the voltage measured across the cable by controlling the output of a potentiometer so that the amplifier output voltage can be set to match the reference current generator output voltage, thereby establishing the voltage output of the amplifier as a measurement of the current flow in the cable.

Abstract: In the charging of a valve-regulated, lead-acid (VRLA) cell at a charge voltage which has a value that is slightly in excess of the value of the open-circuit voltage of the cell, wherein, during charging of the cell, there is produced at the positive and negative electrodes respectively oxygen gas and hydrogen gas in a predetermined amount, and wherein the negative electrode tends to discharge over a prolonged period of time during charging, the improvement comprising inhibiting the tendency of the negative electrode to discharge during charging by controlling the amount of oxygen gas in the cell by catalytically converting a portion of the oxygen gas and a portion of the predetermined amount of hydrogen gas to water, for example, by use of a catalyst positioned in the cell.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an integrated value of current flow. The apparatus includes an integrator having an integration capacitor, to which a current sensor voltage is inputted, for outputting an output voltage corresponding to an integrated value of the current sensor voltage, and a resetting circuit for clearing integration electric charges accumulated in the integration capacitor to reset the integrator when the output voltage has reached an upper threshold value or a lower threshold value. The apparatus also includes a counter for counting the number of resets of the integrator in an upper direction or in a lower direction, and a connection-polarity inverting circuit for inverting a polarity of inputting of the current sensor voltage to the integrator, a polarity of connecting of the integration capacitor to the integrator and a counting direction of the counter, alternatively, at a regular time interval and synchronously.

Abstract: A circuit 10 has a high voltage battery 12 that includes a first battery portion V1, a second battery portion V2, and a third battery portion V3. Each of the three battery portions is coupled in series to form the high voltage battery 12. A controller 52 includes a pulse width modulated controller 56 and a voltage sense and comparator circuit 54. Each of the terminals of the battery portions are coupled to a respective switch. By sensing the voltages at the respective terminals, the state of charge of each of the battery portions is determined. The battery portions having the highest state of charge are used to charge the low voltage battery and/or operate the load 50. The controller controls the operation of the switches to provide connections of the battery portions V1-V3 to the load.

Abstract: A cell which has become inactive is detected in a multi-cell battery (15) comprising plural cells (Cn). An inactivity detecting circuit comprising a signal generator (Dn1) and a diode (Dn2) connected in series, is connected in parallel with the cell (Cn) When the cell becomes inactive, the signal generator (Dn1) emits a signal to indicate the state of the cell. Hence, it is possible to economically detect loss of cell activity.