The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 13, 1997
Filed:
Jun. 20, 1994
Yoshimasa Hara, Nagoya, JP;
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
A charger has a charging unit for charging a Ni-Cd battery using a DC supply, a charging switch, and a discharging unit for discharging, by a predetermined quantity, an electric charge stored in the Ni-Cd battery by the charging unit. Further, the charger repeats a charging and discharging process a predetermined number of times to charge the Ni-Cd battery. A controller cuts off a charging current flowing in the Ni-Cd battery when the value of the charging current reaches a rated capacity of the Ni-Cd battery and subsequently effects a repetitive control of both the charging of the Ni-Cd battery and the cutting off of the charging current. Thus, a Ni-Cd battery whose electromotive force has been reduced and whose internal electric resistance has increased can be charged without continuously producing heat. Accordingly, the charger can recover a Ni-Cd battery whose electromotive force has been reduced because the Ni-Cd battery has been unused for a long period without deteriorating the Ni-Cd battery.