Claims
- 1. A charging method for charging a secondary battery comprising:
- (A) a starting step of starting a charging operation on the secondary battery;
- (B) a detecting step of detecting a terminal for detecting a terminal voltage of the secondary battery during the charging operation;
- (C) a continuing step of continuing the charging operation on the secondary battery when it is detected in said detecting step that the terminal voltage of the secondary battery has dropped down by a predetermined amount; and
- (D) a terminating step of terminating the charging operation on the secondary battery when it is detected in said detecting step that the terminal voltage of the secondary battery has again dropped down by said predetermined amount.
- 2. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:
- (A) a power supply switch for controlling supply of a charging current to the secondary battery;
- (B) a first control switch for controlling the supply of said charging current to the secondary battery by said power supply switch during the performance of a first charging operation on the secondary battery;
- (C) a second control switch for controlling the supply of said charging current to the secondary battery by said power supply switch during the performance of a second charging operation on the secondary battery; and
- (D) control means for controlling an ON/OFF operation of the first control switch and second control switch in such a manner that the first charging operation is started by switching ON the first control switch, then the second charging operation is started by switching ON the second control switch.
- 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means is arranged to detect a terminal voltage of the secondary battery while the first charging operation being performed by turning ON the first control switch, to suspend the first charging operation by turning OFF the first control switch when the terminal voltage of the secondary battery has dropped down by a predetermined amount unusually and to start continuously the second charging operation by turning ON the second control switch.
- 4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means is arranged to detect a terminal voltage of the secondary battery while the second charging operation is being performed by turning ON the second control switch and to terminate the second charging operation by turning OFF the second control switch thereby terminating all charging operation on the secondary battery when the terminal voltage of the secondary battery has dropped down more than twice by a predetermined amount.
- 5. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:
- (A) power supply switching means for controlling supply of a charging current to the secondary battery
- (B) control switching means for the supply of said charging current to the secondary battery by said power supply switching means during the performance of a charging operation on the secondary battery; and
- (C) control means for controlling the control switching means in such a manner that a first operation is performed by the supply of the charging current to the secondary battery by switching operation of the power supply switching means controlled by the control switching means, then a second charging operation is effected by continuing the supply of the charging current to the secondary battery by switching operation on the power supply switching means controlled by the control switching means and then all charging operation on the secondary battery is completed by terminating the second charging operation.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control switching means includes:
- (a) a first control switch for controlling the supply of the charging current to the secondary battery by said power supply switching means during the first charging operation; and
- (b) a second control switch for controlling the supply of the charging current to the secondary battery by said power supply switching means during the second charging operation.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control means is arranged to detect a terminal voltage of the secondary battery during the performance of the first charging operation by turning ON the first control switch, to suspend the first charging operation when the terminal voltage of the secondary battery has dropped down by a predetermined amount unusually, by turning OFF the first control switch, and to start continuously the second charging operation by turning ON the second control switch.
- 8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control means is arranged to detect a terminal voltage of the secondary battery while the second charging operation being performed by turning ON the second control switch, and to terminate the second charging operation by turning OFF the second control switch, thereby terminating all charging operation on the secondary battery when the terminal voltage of the secondary battery has dropped down by a predetermined amount.
- 9. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:
- (A) power supply switching means for controlling supply of a charging current to the secondary battery;
- (B) control switching means for controlling the supply of said charging current by said power switching means during the performance of charging the secondary battery; and
- (C) control means for controlling the control switching means in such a manner that variations in a terminal voltage of the secondary battery are monitored during the performance of the charging operation by actuating the control switching means and the supply of the charging current to the secondary battery by the power supply switching means is stopped thereby terminating all charging operation on the secondary battery when the terminal voltage of the secondary battery has dropped more than twice by a predetermined amount.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2-245720 |
Sep 1990 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a continuation application under 37 CFR 1.62 of prior application Ser. No. 08/158,146, filed Nov. 19, 1993, now abandoned; which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/014,078, filed Feb. 4, 1993 (now abandoned), which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/739,673, filed Aug. 2, 1991 (now abandoned).
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0103127 |
Apr 1989 |
JPX |
Continuations (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
158146 |
Nov 1993 |
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Parent |
14078 |
Feb 1993 |
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Parent |
739673 |
Aug 1991 |
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