JP2008167581A - Charger - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charger capable of taking appropriate measures by improving understanding with battery charging display, even if a user wrongly sets batteries of the same size, in a charger for charging size AA or size AAA nickel hydride batteries. <P>SOLUTION: This charger is structured so that battery connection detection display is made, even in any display state, when charging display control means receives a battery connection signal and so that a display of "being charged" or "charging failure" is carried out, after the lapse of a fixed time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a charger for charging a single-cell secondary battery (hereinafter referred to as a secondary battery) such as an AA-type or AAA-type nickel-metal hydride battery, and in detail displays the battery connection status and the battery charge status. This is related to the charging display.

  Conventionally, a charger for charging a secondary battery is provided with a circuit for detecting the state of the secondary battery, and charging control is performed in accordance with the state of the secondary battery to be charged based on information from the detection circuit. In addition, regarding the charging indication of the charger, the lighting display when the secondary battery is being charged, the unlit display when the secondary battery is fully charged and has reached full charge, and the abnormality of the charging battery are displayed. The blinking display is shown.

  Hereinafter, the above-described charging display will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the charger. In FIG. 3, the DC stabilized power supply 1 is a power supply unit, the battery voltage detection means 2 is an A / D conversion circuit that changes the voltage of a secondary battery to be charged into digital data, and the charge control means 3 is a battery voltage detection means. Charge control is performed in response to the signal from 2. The output control unit 4 controls the charging voltage and the charging current, and the charging output switching unit 5 switches the output to the secondary battery by the control output of the output control unit 4. The charging display means 10a, 10b blinks during charging to indicate that the secondary batteries 11a, 11b are being charged or indicate that the secondary batteries 11a, 11b are fully charged by being charged and lit. Or a battery abnormality is detected and turned off to indicate a battery abnormality. The charge display control means 6 controls the display of the charge display means 10a, 10b. Further, the charger 13 includes components from the DC stabilized power supply 1 to the charge display means 10a and 10b.

  In FIG. 3, when the secondary battery 11 a is attached to the charger and the battery voltage detection means 2 detects that the secondary battery 11 a is attached to the charger 13, the signal output from the charge display control means 6 The charging display means 10a blinks to indicate that charging is in progress. And the charging control means 3 outputs a charging start signal, and charging current is output to the secondary battery 11a. When it is detected that the secondary battery 11a charged by the signal output from the battery voltage detection means 2 is fully charged, the charge output switching means 5 terminates the charging by the signal from the charge control means 3. The charging display means 10a is turned on by a signal output from the charging display control means 6 to display that the secondary battery 11a is fully charged. Further, when it is detected by the signal output from the battery voltage detection means 2 that the charged secondary battery 11a is abnormal in high voltage, the charge output switching means 5 stops charging by the signal from the charge control means 3 Let Then, the charge display means 10a is turned off by the signal output from the charge display control means 6 to display that the secondary battery 11a is abnormal. The case where the secondary battery 11b is mounted is the same as the case of the secondary battery 11a.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the charging state and charging display of the secondary battery 11 a in the conventional charger 13. As shown in FIG. 2, when battery connection is detected when the power is turned on, the charging display becomes a “display 1” pattern which is a charging display. Next, the battery voltage is detected, and when the battery voltage Vb is equal to or lower than the preset voltage V0 (Vb ≦ V0), charging starts with the “display 1” pattern that is a charging display. On the other hand, when the detected battery voltage Vb is larger than the set voltage V0 (Vb> V0), charging is not started with the “display 3” pattern that is a charging abnormality display.

Table 1 below shows the charge state and charge display of the secondary battery 11 a in the conventional charger 13. As shown in Table 1, when the power is off or the battery is not installed, the charging display means 1
0a is turned off. Even during charging and when battery connection is detected, the same blinking display as during charging is displayed. Turns on when charging is complete, and turns off when an abnormality such as high voltage is detected. As an example of performing charging control by detecting the presence / absence or abnormality determination of a battery as described above, there are chargers described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-247778 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-237879.

JP 2002-247778 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-237879

  When charging the battery, the user leaves the place once the battery is connected to the charger, and confirms the completion of charging again when the charging is completed. However, in the conventional charger, since the charging display means displays that the battery is being charged since the battery connection is detected, the user is charging even if a primary battery that cannot be accidentally charged is installed. It will be late to make a mistake and notice that it is not charging. The user has a problem that the fact of charging abnormality cannot be easily known.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a charger according to the present invention receives a signal from a power supply unit, battery voltage detection means for detecting a voltage of a secondary battery to be charged, and the battery voltage detection means. A charge control means for outputting a charge control signal; an output control means for performing a voltage / current output control in response to an output control signal from the charge control means; and a charge output switching to the secondary battery disposed in a charge path. A charge output switching means for performing, and a charge display control means for outputting a control signal to the charge display means for receiving a display signal from the charge control means to display a charge state, and a battery connection signal from the battery voltage detecting means. When the battery is received, the battery connection detection display is performed, and another charge state display is performed after a predetermined time has elapsed.

  According to the present invention, when the charging display means receives a battery connection signal, the battery connection detection display is performed regardless of the display state, and it is clearly determined that charging is possible or impossible, and a certain period of time is indicated. Display charging or abnormal charging after elapse of time. By doing so, for example, even if a primary battery that cannot be recharged is installed, the user is not mistaken for what is being charged, and the battery connection status and battery charge status can be easily known, and appropriate measures can be taken. A charger that can be taken can be obtained.

In the present invention, the battery connection detection display is a blinking display with a shorter cycle than the display indicating that charging is in progress, thereby clearly distinguishing that battery connection is being detected instead of being normally charged and calling attention. be able to.
Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the charging state and charging display of the secondary battery 11a in the embodiment of the present invention, and the block diagram showing the charger is substantially the same as the conventional example of FIG. 3, and will be described with reference to FIG. The microprocessor that controls the entire charger 13 (not shown) is preliminarily input with voltage information that serves as a reference for the batteries corresponding to the secondary batteries 11a and 11b. The information is processed using an appropriate algorithm, and the charging state of the charger 13 charging the secondary batteries 11a and 11b, the charging completion state of the charger 13 and the abnormal voltage state of the secondary batteries 11a and 11b are displayed as a charge. Display is performed by outputting a signal to the means.

  In FIG. 3, the DC stabilized power supply 1 is a power supply unit, the battery voltage detection means 2 is an A / D conversion circuit, and the charge control means 3 receives a signal from the battery voltage detection means 2 and performs charge control. The output control unit 4 controls the charging voltage and the charging current, and the charging output switching unit 5 switches the output to the secondary batteries 11 a and 11 b by the control output of the output control unit 4. The charge display control means 6 controls the display of the charge display means 10a and 10b which are LEDs.

  A specific operation in this configuration will be described. When the secondary battery 11a is attached to the charger 13, the charge display control means 6 outputs a display signal to the charge display means 10a according to the signal output from the charge control means 3 that receives the signal from the battery voltage detection means 2. Thus, in this embodiment, blinking at 5 Hz is performed for 2 seconds. In the meantime, the microprocessor that controls the entire charger 13 starts charging by processing the voltage information of the secondary battery 11a and the voltage information as a reference of the battery that has been input in advance using an appropriate algorithm. 2 seconds later, a signal is output to the charge control means 3, the output control means 4 and the charge display control means 6, and the charge control and the charge display according to the state of charging or abnormal charging are performed. I do.

  When charging is started by a signal output from the battery voltage detection means 2, the charge control means 3 sends a voltage / current control signal to the output control means 4, and the charge output switching means 5 switches the output to the secondary batteries 11a and 11b. To charge the secondary batteries 11a and 11b. In the present embodiment, the charging display means 10a, 10b is blinked at 1 Hz in accordance with the signal output from the charging display control means 6 to display that the secondary batteries 11a, 11b are being charged. Further, when it is detected from the signal output from the battery voltage detection means 2 that the secondary batteries 11a and 11b are abnormal in high voltage, the output control means 4 does not flow the charging current according to the signal from the charge control means 3. Then, the charging display means 10a, 10b is turned off by a signal output from the charging display control means 6, and the secondary batteries 11a, 11b are informed of abnormal batteries, for example, dry batteries that cannot be charged.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when battery connection is detected when the power is turned on, the charge display is a “display 4” pattern (5 Hz blinking in the present embodiment). Next, the battery voltage is detected, and when the battery voltage Vb is equal to or lower than the preset voltage V0 (Vb ≦ V0), charging is started with the “display 1” pattern (1 Hz blinking in this embodiment). . On the other hand, when the detected battery voltage Vb is larger than the set voltage V0 (Vb> V0), the charging display is set to the “display 3” pattern (turned off in the present embodiment) and charging is not started.

Table 2 shows the charge state and charge display of the secondary battery 11a in the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Table 2, when the power is off or the battery is not installed, the charging display means 10a is turned off. It blinks at 5 Hz when battery connection is detected, blinks at 1 Hz during charging, and lights up when charging is complete. When an abnormality such as a high voltage is detected, the light is turned off. In this embodiment, the battery connection detection display blinks at 5 Hz, and the high voltage abnormality display when the primary battery is accidentally attached is turned off, so that the user can know the obvious abnormality and use his own misuse Also easy to notice. In addition, it is possible to take necessary measures such as inquiring to a dealer.

  In the present embodiment, the number of charge display means is the same as the number of batteries, but the display means is smaller than the number of batteries so that when a battery connection is detected, the battery is preferentially displayed. It is good also as a structure to switch. Further, the charging display means may be other display means such as a liquid crystal instead of the LED, and it is possible to selectively use sound such as alarm instead of display.

  The charging display according to the present invention displays a battery connection detection display in any display state when a battery connection signal is received, and displays charging or abnormal charging after a predetermined time has elapsed. Since the connection status and the battery charging status can be easily known and appropriate measures can be taken, it is useful as a general commercial charger.

Flowchart of charge state and charge display in the embodiment of the present invention The flowchart which shows the charge state and charge display in the conventional charger Block diagram showing the charger

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 DC stabilized power supply 2 Battery voltage detection means 3 Charge control means 4 Output control means 5 Charge output switching means 6 Charge display control means 10a, 10b Charge display means 11a, 11b Secondary battery 13 Charger

Claims (3)

A power supply,
Battery voltage detection means for detecting the voltage of the secondary battery to be charged;
Charge control means for receiving a signal from the battery voltage detection means and outputting a charge control signal;
An output control means for performing voltage-current output control in response to an output control signal from the charge control means;
Charging output switching means for switching the charging output to the secondary battery disposed in the charging path;
Charge display control means for receiving a display signal from the charge control means and outputting a control signal for the charge display means for displaying the charge state;
A battery connection detection display is performed when a battery connection signal is received from the battery voltage detection means, and another charge state display is performed after a predetermined time has elapsed.   2. The charger according to claim 1, wherein the battery connection detection display is a blinking display having a shorter cycle than the display indicating that charging is in progress.   3. The charger according to claim 2, wherein the charging abnormality display when the battery voltage detecting means detects a voltage equal to or higher than the set voltage is extinguished.