Nippon Densan Corporation

Tadashi Kato

Yosuke Kawate

Norihiko Nakano

A charging control circuit having a controller including a microcomputer, a charging circuit, detectors for detecting the voltages between the terminals of batteries, and memories for storing charge control data. The controller determines that quick charging is completed when the voltage between the terminals of each battery drops from a peak value to an extent corresponding to a predetermined value stored in the memory, and then terminates the charging operation. During a predetermined period of insensible time immediately after the start of charging stored in the memory, the controller does not detect the voltage to determine whether or not each battery is fully charged, thereby preventing an error in determining a fully charged state of the battery. If a full charge of each battery is not detected while quick charging is continued for a certain period of time stored in the memory, the controller forcibly terminates the quickly charging operation. Desired data is selected from the control data stored in the memories in response to an external signal, and the charge control is optimized according to the number of batteries and other factors.

Method and apparatus for charging a nickel-cadmium battery

A battery charger and a charge controller therefor are disclosed, the battery charger including a supply circuit for supplying a charging current to a battery and a control circuit for controlling the supply of the charging current to the battery. The control circuit shuts the charging current when the detected voltage of the battery is smaller than the maximum peak value by a predetermined quantity. A control means shuts the charging current after a predetermined time has elapsed from a time at which the detected voltage of the battery has raised to the maximum peak value. The control means reduces the charging current when the detected voltage of the battery is made to be a switching voltage. Furthermore, the control means shuts the charging current after a predetermined time has elapsed after the charging current had been reduced.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Tadashi Kato