JP2000278872A - Method and device for charging battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To charge a plurality of batteries by a single charger by measuring a charged amount of each battery and setting the priority order for the batteries which need charging, and charging those batteries according to the priority order. SOLUTION: A charged amount of each battery is decided to find out whether there are fully charged batteries (S61, 62). When decided that no single battery is fully charged, batteries having a highest charged amount are selected among those not fully charged (S63). If there are priorities among the selected batteries, those batteries are charged according to the priority order and the number of times of charging is renewed and stored in a memory element (S66-68). If there are fully charged batteries but not so many, batteries having the highest charged amount are selected to be charged among the remaining batteries not fully charged (S63, 66). When decided that many batteries are fully charged, the priority order is so set that the remaining batteries not fully charged may be charged in the order of a small capacity (S70).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a battery charging method and apparatus for selectively charging a plurality of batteries by a single charger.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an electric assist cycle in which electric power travels as a part of a driving source, the available traveling distance of a mounted battery is limited. is there. However, such a battery requires a considerable amount of time before being fully charged. On the other hand, it is not practical to carry a plurality of batteries in terms of weight or cost.

Therefore, it is easy to provide a battery supply station, such as a gas station, in which a large number of fully charged batteries are stocked at predetermined points and supply the batteries as needed. Is assumed.

[0004]

By the way, in order to stock a large number of batteries in the battery supply station, a sufficient space and a system capable of promptly supplying a fully charged battery to the user are required. It is.

[0005] In this case, in order to promptly supply a fully charged battery to the user, each of the batteries is connected to a charger, and a battery that is not fully charged is charged one by one. What is necessary is just to be comprised so that it may perform.

However, in the case of such a configuration,
The number of chargers required is equal to the number of batteries, which requires more space and also raises costs. On the other hand, if one charger is used for a plurality of batteries, it is advantageous in terms of space and cost, but it may not be possible to quickly supply a fully charged battery to the user. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a battery charging method and apparatus which can efficiently supply a battery in an available charged state and which can be configured to be small and inexpensive. The purpose is to provide.

[0008]

According to the battery charging method of the present invention, the amount of charge of a battery is measured, priorities are set for a plurality of batteries that need to be charged, and a charger is assigned to each battery according to the priorities. Connect to charge.

Here, when the charge amount of the battery is measured,
When there is no fully charged battery, charging is performed in order from a battery that is almost fully charged.

When there are a large number of fully charged batteries, the batteries are supplied to the user, and charging is performed in order from the battery that is far from fully charged.

Further, when setting the priority of charging, the priority of a battery having a small number of charging is set to be higher in consideration of the number of past charging of the battery.

When charging, for example, if there is a fully charged battery, the charging time is set at night in consideration of the low power consumption at night, and the charging environment temperature and humidity are adjusted. , And can be charged efficiently.

In the battery charger of the present invention, a plurality of batteries are efficiently charged by using a single charger, and the overall configuration of the device is small and inexpensive.

[0014]

FIG. 1 shows a battery supply apparatus 10 to which a battery charging method and apparatus according to the present invention is applied. In the battery supply device 10, supply and return of the battery 12 having the shape shown in FIG. 2 are performed.

That is, the battery 12 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is mounted on the electric assist cycle 14 shown in FIG. At the upper end of the battery 12, there are provided a handle 16, a display 18 for displaying the remaining power of the power using LEDs or the like, and a switch 20 for activating the display 18. Further, a locking hole 22 for locking the battery 12 in the battery supply device 10 is provided at the lower end of the side of the battery 12. In addition, this locking hole 22
Includes an inclined portion 24 and a locking portion 26. Battery 12
The lower end of the battery is charged with the battery 12, or
Two electrodes (not shown) for supplying electric power to the electric assist cycle 14 are provided. Further, above the lock hole 22, a readable and writable memory element 2 storing the unique identification number (battery ID) of the battery 12, the number of refreshes, the number of charges, and the like is stored.
3 is buried.

The battery supply device 10 is provided with a chamber 28 for supplying and returning the battery 12 at the front center. In this chamber 28, a rod of a solenoid 29 is
The door 30 is locked which is locked by being inserted into the door 30. In the chamber 28, two battery supply ports 32 and 34 for supplying or returning the battery 12 are provided. In the vicinity of each of the battery supply ports 32 and 34, a battery 12 that can be supplied to a user is provided.
LEDs 36 and 38 are provided to indicate the status. Room 2
As shown in FIG. 4, an illuminator 39 is provided on the upper part of the illuminator 8.

At the upper part of the door 30, there is provided a human body sensor 40 for detecting that the user has approached the battery supply device 10 using infrared rays or the like. A card reader 42 (user determination means) for confirming a user is provided above the human body sensor 40. In this case, the user has an IC card in which personal information that can use the battery supply device 10 is recorded, and by bringing the IC card close to the card reader 42, an appropriate user can supply the battery. Confirmed by device 10. Further, a display 44 for displaying guidance for using the battery supply device 10 and the like is provided above the card reader 42.

As shown in FIG. 4, inside the housing 46 of the battery supply device 10, the upper battery supply mechanism 4 is provided.
8, a lower battery supply mechanism 50, a controller 52 that performs overall control of the battery supply device 10,
A charger 54 (charger) for charging the battery 2 and a battery power supply unit 56 are provided.

The upper battery supply mechanism 48 and the lower battery supply mechanism 50 have the same configuration.
Only the lower battery supply mechanism 50 will be described with reference to FIG.

The lower battery supply mechanism 50 includes a support plate 58
The guide roller 6 is inserted into the circular hole 60 formed in the center of the guide roller 6.
The rotary table 64 is supported via the base plates 2a to 62d and has a central portion protruding upward. The guide roller 62
a to 62d engage with a guide rail 65 formed on the peripheral wall of the hole 60. A table rotation control motor 68 is mounted on the support plate 58 via a bracket 66. A Geneva driver 74 having a cam follower 72 constituting a Geneva stop mechanism (battery moving means) is connected to the table rotation control motor 68 via a speed reduction unit 70.
A rotating shaft 76 of the rotating table 64 is supported by the bracket 66, and a Geneva wheel 78 is mounted on the rotating shaft 76. On the outer peripheral portion of the Geneva wheel 78, eight groove portions 80 with which the cam followers 72 engage are formed at intervals of a central angle of 45 °. Further, a groove 82 is formed in the Geneva driver 74 at a position deviated from the cam follower 72 by a central angle of 90 °, and the groove 82 is formed in the Geneva driver position sensor 8 mounted on the bracket 66.
4 to be detected.

On the outer peripheral portion of the turntable 64, the battery 12 is disposed in correspondence with the position of each groove 80 of the Geneva wheel 78.
There are provided eight slots 86 (battery holding means) for holding. As shown in FIG. 6, each slot 86 has a radial arm 88 projecting from the outer periphery of the turntable 64.
a, 88b are supported via a shaft 90. A bracket 92 provided at the bottom of the slot 86 engages with the center of the shaft 90. The upper end of each slot 86 and the mounting member 91 mounted on the upper center of the turntable 64 are connected by a spring 95. The arms 88a and 88b are located at predetermined positions on the support plate 58.
Is provided, a rotation table origin detection sensor 93 for detecting the origin position of the rotation table 64 is provided.

The support plate 58 close to the battery supply port 34
A battery displacement mechanism 94 for tilting the slot 86 and displacing the battery 12 from the lower battery supply mechanism 50 toward the battery supply port 34 is provided above. The battery displacement mechanism 94 includes a slot tilt control motor 96 for tilting the slot 86, a speed reduction unit 98, a cam member 100, and a turning bar 102 connected in series. Has a slot 86
A bracket 104 that engages with a bracket 92 provided at the bottom of the bracket is provided. Further, a slot upright state detection sensor 106 that outputs a signal that is turned on when the slot 86 is upright is disposed close to the cam member 100. The battery supply port 34 in which the slot 86 is inclined is provided with a slot forward inclination detecting sensor 108 for detecting the inclined state of the slot 86 and a memory embedded in the side of the battery 12. A battery information reader / writer 110 (specific information reading means) for reading and writing information (see FIG. 8) with respect to the element 23 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 7, the slot 86 is provided with a lock mechanism 112. A battery presence / absence detection sensor 114 for detecting the presence / absence of the battery 12 is provided at the bottom inside the slot 86.
2 are provided with electrodes 116a and 116b for charging. The lock mechanism 112 locks the battery 12 inserted into the slot 86 to prevent theft.

The lock mechanism 112 includes a mounting plate 117, a stopper 118, a lever member 120, and a solenoid 122.
It is basically composed of The stopper 118 has an engagement surface 124 that engages with the locking portion 26 that forms the locking hole 22 of the battery 12, and an inclined portion 126 that is inclined along the inclined portion 24 of the locking hole 22. Is connected to the inclined portion 126 side by a pin 128. The other end of the lever member 120 is pivotally supported on the mounting plate 117 by a pin 130. An elongated hole 132 is formed in an intermediate portion of the lever member 120, and a rod 134 of the solenoid 122 is fitted into the elongated hole 132. In FIG. 7, a spring 136 provided on the pin 128 is provided.
Urges the stopper 118 counterclockwise against the pin 128, and the spring 138 provided on the pin 130
The lever member 120 is urged counterclockwise against the pin 130.

The battery supply device 10 configured as described above is controlled by a controller 52 shown in FIG. The controller 52 is a CPU 140 that performs overall control.
(Determining means, selecting means), a memory 142 for storing a control program and the like, a communication control section 144, a solenoid control section 146, a temperature control section 148, a sensor control section 150, a switch control section 152, a speaker control section 154, Display control unit 156, input / output control unit 158, motor control unit 160, L
An ED control unit 162 and each control unit of an illumination control unit 164 are provided.

A transmitter 166 is connected to the communication controller 144, and information such as the state of the battery supply device 10 is transmitted to the outside. The solenoid control unit 146 includes:
The solenoid 29 and the solenoid 122 for locking the door 30 and the battery 12 are controlled. The temperature control unit 148 (temperature adjusting unit) controls the heater 168 and the cooler 170 to optimize the temperature in the battery supply device 10 in order to charge the battery 12 efficiently.
The sensor control unit 150 controls each sensor provided in the battery supply device 10. In this case, the door 30 has a door open / close sensor 17 for detecting the open / close state of the door 30.
2 are provided. Further, the battery supply device 10 includes a battery peripheral temperature sensor 174 for detecting the temperature around the battery 12 and an external air temperature sensor 176 for detecting the external air temperature.
The heater 168 and the cooler 170 are controlled based on the temperatures detected by the battery ambient temperature sensor 174 and the outside air temperature sensor 176.

The switch control section 152 includes a switch 178.
The connector 180 is connected via (connection means). In this case, the switch control unit 152 controls the switch 178, and the connectors 180 provided in each slot 86 of the upper battery supply mechanism 48 and the lower battery supply mechanism 50.
Are selectively connected to one charger 54. The speaker 182 is connected to the speaker control unit 154. The speaker 182 can provide guidance such as a state of the battery supply device 10 and an operation method by voice or the like. The display 44 is connected to the display control unit 156,
The card reader 42 and the battery information reader / writer 110 are connected to the input / output control unit 158. The table rotation control motor 68 and the slot tilt control motor 96 are connected to the motor control unit 160. LED control unit 1
The LEDs 36 and 38 are connected to the lighting control unit 62.
Illuminator 39 is connected to 64.

The battery supply device 10 of the present embodiment is basically configured as described above. Next, the operation thereof will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. In the following description, the battery 12 that can be supplied to the user is prepared at the battery supply port 32 of the upper battery supply mechanism 48, and the battery supply port 34 of the lower battery supply mechanism 50 is It is assumed that 12 is in a vacant state that can be returned. Further, the LED 36 arranged above the battery supply port 32 in which the battery 12 is prepared is turned on so that the user can recognize the available battery 12.

First, when the user approaches the battery supply device 10, the human body detection sensor 40 disposed on the front side detects a human body by infrared rays or the like (step S1), and turns on the power supply of the battery supply device 10 (step S1). S2).

Next, when the user brings the IC card close to the card reader 42 (step S3), the card reader 42 reads the recorded user ID number and the like (step S4), and the user is authorized. It is confirmed whether or not the user is the user based on the information and the like recorded in the memory 142 (step S5). If there is a problem with the ID number or the like, an appropriate message is displayed on the display 44 (step S6), and a warning can be given by voice from the speaker 182 as necessary.

When the user is confirmed to be a legitimate user, the CPU 140 drives the solenoid 29 via the solenoid control unit 146 to unlock the door 30 (step S7). Next, when the user opens the door 30,
The opening state is detected by the door open / close sensor 172 (step S8).

Then, the user returns the used battery 12 to the empty slot 86 of the lower battery supply port 34 (step S9). in this case,
When the user inserts the battery 12 into the slot 86 (FIG. 12A), the lower end of the battery 12 presses the inclined portion 126 of the stopper 118 constituting the lock mechanism 112 provided in the slot 86. The stopper 118 pressed by the battery 12 rotates around the pin 128 against the elastic force of the spring 136 (FIG. 12B), and then engages with the locking hole 22 provided on the lower side of the battery 12. (FIG. 12C). As a result, the returned battery 12
The slot 86 is locked by the stopper 118.

When the battery 12 is loaded in the slot 86, the electrode provided at the lower end thereof is connected to the slot 86.
Are connected to the internal electrodes 116a and 116b, and the battery presence / absence detection sensor 114 is engaged with the battery 12,
The CPU 140 is made to recognize that the battery 12 is loaded (FIG. 7).

When the battery 12 is returned, the battery information reader / writer 110 provided in the battery supply port 34
Reads the unique identification number (battery ID) from the memory element 23 provided in the battery 12 (FIG. 8, step S10). The CPU 140 determines whether or not this unique identification number has already been registered (step S1).
1) If it is not registered, a message to that effect is displayed on the display 44 (step S1).
2).

On the other hand, when the registered battery 12 is returned to the lower battery supply mechanism 50, the locking of the battery 12 arranged at the battery supply port 32 of the upper battery supply mechanism 48 is released (step). S13).
That is, the CPU 140 drives the solenoid 122 via the solenoid control unit 146, and removes the rod 134 from the long hole 132 of the lever member 120. Therefore, when the user performs an operation of extracting the battery 12 from the battery supply port 32, the locking portion 2 of the locking hole 22 of the battery 12
6 presses the engagement surface 124 of the stopper 118. Next, the stopper 118 rotates about the pin 128, the lever member 120 rotates about the pin 130 (FIG. 13A), and the battery 12 is removed (FIG. 13B).

The battery 12 is connected to the upper battery supply mechanism 48.
When the battery 12 is extracted, the battery presence detection sensor 114 detects that the battery 12 has been lent (step S14). Next, when the user closes the door 30, the door open / close sensor 172 detects the closed state of the door 30 (step S15), and drives the solenoid 29 to lock the door 30 (step S16). Thereby, the battery 1
2, the return and lending process is completed.

On the other hand, in the lower battery supply mechanism 50 in which the used battery 12 has been returned, the slot inclination control motor 96 is driven to rotate, and the slot 86 rotates clockwise (CW) in FIG. 4 (step S17). That is, in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, when the slot inclination control motor 96 is driven to rotate, the turning bar 102 turns through the speed reduction unit 98 and the cam member 100, and the bracket 1
04 is a bracket 92 provided at the bottom of the slot 86
Separate from. At this time, the slot 86 rotates around the shaft 90 by the elastic force of the spring 95, and becomes in an upright state. When the slot 86 is in the upright state, the cam member 100 is set in the slot upright state detection sensor 10.
Turn 6 on.

When it is detected that the slot 86 is in the upright state based on the signal from the slot upright state detection sensor 106 (step S18), the slot inclination control motor 96 stops (step S19).

Next, the CPU 140 controls the rotation table 64
Then, a slot movement count value for moving the slot 86 having the available battery 12 to the battery supply port 34 by rotating is calculated (step S20).

Here, each slot 86 is separated from the center of rotation of the rotary table 64 at an angle of 45 °, and the maximum rotation angle of the rotary table 64 is set to 315 °. In this case, assuming that the state of FIG. 14 is the home position setting state detected by the rotary table home position detection sensor 93, each slot 86 is clockwise e → f → g → h →
a → b → c → d or d → c → counterclockwise
It is possible to move in the order of b → a → h → g → f → e. Thus, by restricting the moving range of the slot 86,
Twisting of the wiring from the charger 54 connected to each slot 86 can be avoided.

Therefore, when the sign of the turntable 64 rotating in the clockwise direction (CW) in FIG. 14 is +, and the sign when the turntable 64 rotates in the counterclockwise direction (CCW) is-,
For example, in FIG. 14, assuming that the slot 86 at the position e is in the battery supply port 34 and the battery 12 to be newly supplied is at the position h, the slot movement count value at that time is +3. Assuming that the slot 86 at the position d is in the battery supply port 34 and the battery 12 to be newly supplied is at the position h, the slot movement count value at that time is -4.

The sign of the slot movement count value obtained by the CPU 140 is determined (step S2).
1) In the case of +, the table rotation control motor 68 is controlled to rotate clockwise (CW) (step S22).
In the case of-, the rotation of the table rotation control motor 68 is controlled counterclockwise (CCW) (step S2).
3).

The table rotation control motor 68 is driven,
When the Geneva driver 74 rotates, the Geneva driver 74
Is engaged with the groove 80 of the Geneva wheel 78, whereby the rotary table 64 integral with the Geneva wheel 78 is rotated. In this case, the rotary table 64 intermittently rotates 45 ° at a time, as shown in FIG. The rotation angle of the turntable 64 is controlled by detecting a groove 82 provided in the Geneva driver 74 with a Geneva driver position sensor 84.

That is, the Geneva driver position sensor 84
Detects the groove 82 each time the turntable 64 rotates 45 ° (step S24), and subtracts 1 from the absolute value of the slot movement count value (step S25). Then, when the slot movement count value becomes 0 (step S26), the rotation of the table rotation control motor 68 is stopped (step S27). At this time, the battery 12 in a desired charged state is placed in the battery supply port 34.

When the charged battery 12 is placed in the battery supply port 34, the CPU 140 controls the rotation of the slot inclination control motor 96 in the counterclockwise direction (CCW) in FIG. Battery 1
The loaded slot 86 is inclined toward the battery supply port 34 (step S28). In this case, slot 8
The bracket 6 is tilted toward the battery supply port 34 against a resilient force of a spring 95 by a bracket 104 provided on a swivel bar 102 rotated by a slot tilt control motor 96. The state detection sensor 108 is turned on, whereby a predetermined forward tilt state is confirmed (step S29). When the forward inclination state of the slot 86 is confirmed, the slot inclination control motor 96 is stopped (step S30).

As described above, while the battery 12 moved to the battery supply port 34 on the lower battery supply mechanism 50 side can be lent, the upper battery supply mechanism 48
The battery supply port 32 on the side serves as a receiving port for the battery 12 to be returned.

Next, a charging process for the battery 12 returned to the upper battery supply mechanism 48 will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.

When the used battery 12 is loaded into the slot 86 of the upper battery supply mechanism 48, the battery information reader / writer 110 reads the information recorded in the memory element 23 of the battery 12 (step S4).
1) The number of times of charging of the battery 12 is checked from the information (step S42). In this case, when the number of times of charging exceeds the number of times of use, the battery 1 having reached the end of its life
2 and performs a lending prohibition process (step S4).
3).

When the number of times of charging is equal to or less than the number of times of use and equal to or more than the predetermined number of times N (step S44), a discharging process is performed in order to avoid a decrease in charge capacity due to a memory effect of the battery 12 (steps S45 and S46). .

On the other hand, for the battery 12 that has been charged less than N times, the amount of charge is checked by the CPU 140 (step S47). If the charged amount is less than the available remaining capacity, it is determined that charging is necessary. A determination is made (step S48).

For the battery 12 that has been completely discharged in step S45, or that has been determined to need to be charged less than N times, the switch control unit 15
2 controls the switch 178 to connect the charger 54 via the connector 180 (step S49). After the battery 12 to which the charger 54 is connected is charged until it is fully charged (steps S50 and S51), the number of times of charging is updated and recorded in the memory element 23 of the battery 12 by the battery information reader / writer 110 (step S50). S
52).

As described above, since a plurality of batteries 12 can be selectively charged by one charger 54, a sufficient space can be secured by reducing the size of the battery supply device 10, and the cost can be reduced. Can be planned. When charging, the temperature control unit 1
By adjusting the heater 168 and the cooler 170 under the control of 48, charging can be performed efficiently.
If the temperature is controlled and the humidity is adjusted, more efficient charging is possible.

In the above embodiment, the charger 54 is connected to the switch 1 for the battery 12 to be charged.
The connection is selectively switched by 78. For example, one of eight positions a to h (see FIG. 14) of the upper battery supply mechanism 48 and the lower battery supply mechanism 50 for holding the battery 12 respectively. One may be set as a charging station and the other as a storage station, and the battery 12 to be charged in step S46 or S48 may be moved to the charging station to perform charging. In this case, the switch 178 is not required, and it is not necessary to provide wiring for charging at all of the positions a to h, so that the configuration is further simplified.

Next, another embodiment of the charging process will be described.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition,
In this embodiment, the processing of steps S41 to S46 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
It is assumed that the upper battery supply mechanism 48 and the lower battery supply mechanism 50 hold a plurality of batteries 12.

Therefore, the CPU 140 sets each battery 12
Is checked (step S61), and it is determined whether or not there is a battery 12 that can be regarded as being fully charged (step S62).

Here, when it is determined that there is no fully charged battery 12, the fully charged battery 12 must be immediately prepared and supplied to the user.
In this case, the battery 12 in the maximum charge state is selected from the uncharged batteries 12 (step S6).
3). If there are a plurality of batteries 12 that can be considered to have substantially the same remaining capacity of the selected battery 12 in the maximum charged state (step S64), the charging is performed in ascending order of the number of times of charging in order to level the life of the batteries 12. The priority is set (step S65).

The battery 12 thus selected
When charging is performed according to the priority when the priority is set to the priority (steps S66 and S6).
7), the number of times of charging is updated and recorded in the memory element 23 (step S68).

On the other hand, in steps S62 and S69, if there is a fully charged battery 12 but not a large number, that is, if it is determined that the number is equal to or less than a predetermined number, for example, the remaining uncharged battery 12 By selecting and charging the battery 12 that is in the maximum charge state from among (steps S63 and S66), the number of batteries 12 that can be supplied next can be secured.

If it is determined in steps S62 and S69 that there are a large number of fully charged batteries 12, it is determined that the number of batteries 12 that can be supplied to the user is sufficiently ensured, and the remaining batteries 12 are not charged. The order of priority for charging is set in ascending order of the capacity of the charged battery 12 (step S70). By setting the priority order in this way, the ratio of the battery 12 in the uncharged state can be reduced.

Further, charging time, charging conditions such as temperature and humidity at which charging can be performed efficiently are set for the battery 12 of which priority is set in step S70 (step S71). For example, if the charging time is set at night, charging can be performed at a low electricity rate.

[0061]

As described above, according to the battery charging method and apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of batteries can be charged by a single charger, and the batteries can be efficiently charged and used. It can be possible.

That is, when there is no fully charged battery, charging is performed in order from a battery that is almost fully charged, so that a usable battery can be supplied promptly.

When there is a fully charged battery,
By supplying the battery to the user while charging the battery in order from the battery that is far from being fully charged, the number of batteries that can be supplied to the next user can be increased.

Further, when the priorities of charging are set, the priorities of the batteries that have been charged in the past are taken into account, and the priorities of the batteries that have been charged less are set to be higher, so that the battery life is leveled. For example, maintenance work can be reduced.

When charging, for example, when there is a fully charged battery, the charging time is set at night in consideration of the low power consumption at night, and the charging environment temperature and humidity are adjusted. Thus, charging can be performed efficiently.

Further, in the battery charger of the present invention, a plurality of batteries can be charged by using a single charger, whereby the overall configuration of the device can be made small and inexpensive. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery supply device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery supplied by a battery supply device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the electric assist cycle driven by the battery shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional configuration diagram of a battery supply device.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of the battery supply device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective configuration diagram of a battery displacement mechanism in the battery supply device.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a battery loaded in a slot and a lock mechanism thereof.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of information stored in a memory element provided in a battery.

FIG. 9 is a configuration block diagram of a controller of the battery supply device.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a processing operation of the battery supply device.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a processing operation of the battery supply device.

12A to 12C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the lock mechanism when a battery is loaded.

FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B are explanatory views of the operation of the lock mechanism when the battery is taken out.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory plan view of the battery holding means.

FIG. 15 is a timing chart of the operation of the battery holding means.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a charging operation in the battery supply device.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of another embodiment of the charging operation in the battery supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Battery supply apparatus 12 ... Battery 14 ... Electric assist cycle 32, 34 ... Battery supply port 42 ... Card reader 44 ... Display 48 ... Upper battery supply mechanism 50 ... Lower battery supply mechanism 52 ... Controller 54 ... Charger 64 ... Rotary table 86 Slot 110 Battery information reader / writer 112 Lock mechanism 140 CPU 178 Switch

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Mamoru Kokubu 1-10-1 Shinsayama, Sayama-shi, Saitama Honda Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshinori Tsuji 1-10- Niiyama, Sayama-shi, Saitama 1 Honda Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shunsuke Hayase 1-10-1 Shinsayama, Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture Honda Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Taku Uehara 1-10-1 Shinsayama, Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture Hondae F-term (reference) in Engineering Co., Ltd. 5G003 AA01 BA04 CC02 EA01 EA08 FA08 GC05 5H030 AA03 AS08 AS18 BB01 DD08 FF51

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A battery charging method for selectively charging a plurality of batteries by a single charger, the method comprising: measuring a charge amount of the battery; and requiring the charge amount of the battery to be charged. Determining whether or not the battery needs to be charged; if there are a plurality of batteries that need to be charged, setting a priority order for the battery that needs to be charged; and And charging the battery according to the priority order, and charging the battery. 2. The battery charging method according to claim 1, wherein when there is no fully charged battery, the priority is set in order from the battery that is almost fully charged. 3. The battery charging method according to claim 1, wherein when the battery is fully charged, the priority is set in order from the battery that is far from fully charged. 4. The battery charging method according to claim 1, wherein the number of times of charging of the battery is confirmed, and the priority is set in the order of the number of times of charging of the battery. . 5. The battery charging method according to claim 1, wherein the battery is charged at a preset time. 6. The battery charging method according to claim 1, wherein the battery is charged under a predetermined temperature and / or humidity environment. 7. A charger for selectively charging a plurality of batteries, a determining unit for determining whether or not the batteries require charging, and selecting the batteries requiring charging. A battery charging device comprising: a selection unit; and a connection unit that connects the selected battery and the charger. 8. The battery charging device according to claim 7, further comprising a temperature adjusting means for maintaining the battery at a predetermined temperature.