JP2010063319A - Battery charger - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery charger having a simple configuration and understandably displaying the residual capacity of a battery. <P>SOLUTION: The battery charger 1 detects the charged capacity of a battery 1 with a detection circuit 7 and a displays it in a device 5. The display device 5 is provided with: a display panel 10; and a plurality of light-emitting diodes 12 each consisting of a first light-emitting diode 12A and a second light-emitting diode 12B different in light-emitting wavelength. The display panel 10 is provided with: a first light transmissive section 11A for transmitting the light-emitting wavelengths of the first light-emitting diode 12A and the second light-emitting diode 12B; and a second light transmissive section 11B for absorbing the light-emitting wavelength of the first light-emitting section 12A and transmitting the light-emitting wavelength of the second light-emitting diode 12B. The charger is configured so that when the battery capacity is smaller than a set capacity, the first light-emitting diode 12A is turned on to use the first light transmissive section 11A as a lighting region and the second light transmissive section 11B as a non-lighting region, and when the battery capacity is larger than the set capacity, the second light-emitting diode 12B is turned on to use both the first light transmissive section 11A and the second light transmissive section 11B as lighting regions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a charger that displays a capacity of a battery to be charged by a display that emits light.

  The charger can be used conveniently by displaying the capacity of the battery to be charged. This is because the user can check the state of charge of the battery by looking at the capacity display. In order to realize this, an apparatus capable of displaying the battery capacity has been developed (see Patent Document 1). This publication changes the number of light-emitting diodes that are lit with the capacity of the battery. Furthermore, a device that displays the remaining battery capacity by the number of light-emitting diodes to be lit has been developed (see Patent Document 2).

A device that displays the remaining capacity by changing the number of light-emitting diodes to be turned on can change the light emitting area in the overall view of the battery. In a state where the remaining battery capacity is half, the external shape of the battery is displayed and the half of the area is made to emit light, so that the battery capacity can be easily displayed to all users. A wireless mobile terminal with a display that realizes this has also been developed (see Patent Document 3).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-29011 JP-A-8-242188 JP 2000-36985 A

  The wireless portable terminal described in Patent Document 3 displays an external shape of a battery on an LCD display, and displays the remaining capacity of the battery with the inside as a plurality of regions. Moreover, this display can also be displayed by changing the display form of the light emitting diode. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the external shape of the battery can be displayed, and the remaining capacity of the battery can be displayed by dividing the inside into three regions 91. In this display, when the remaining capacity of the battery is 100%, all the regions 91 are caused to emit light by the light emitting diodes 92, and as the remaining capacity decreases, the light emitting regions 91 are changed to 3, 2, 1, 0. The remaining capacity can be displayed easily.

  However, as shown in FIG. 1, in the structure in which light is emitted by being divided into three regions 91, each region 91 is provided with a light emitting diode 92 that irradiates light, and the light from each light emitting diode 92 is adjacent to the adjacent region 91. A light blocking wall (not shown) is provided between each adjacent light emitting diode 92 and the light emitting region 91 so that the light from each light emitting diode 92 only irradiates each region 91. Therefore, it is necessary to have a structure in which a specific light emitting diode irradiates only a specific light emitting region. In this structure, it is necessary that the light blocking wall is cylindrical, the light emitting diode is arranged inside one end, and the light emitting region is arranged inside the other end. This structure not only complicates the structure for displaying the capacitance, but also requires precise arrangement of the light blocking walls, the light emitting diodes, and the respective light emitting regions, which requires time and effort for assembly. However, there is a disadvantage that high dimensional accuracy is required.

  Further, this structure has a drawback that it is necessary to light a plurality of light emitting diodes in order to emit light in all the light emitting regions, and it is impossible to emit light in all the light emitting regions with one light emitting diode.

  The present invention has been developed for the purpose of solving such drawbacks. An important object of the present invention is to provide a charger capable of displaying the capacity of a battery in an easy-to-understand manner while having a very simple structure.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  The charger of the present invention includes a case 2 having a mounting portion 3 for detachably setting a rechargeable battery 1, a detection circuit 7 for detecting a charging capacity of the battery 1 built in the case 2 and charged, And a display 5 for displaying the capacity of the battery 1 detected by the detection circuit 7. The display 5 includes a display panel 10 that displays the capacity of the battery 1 in a light emitting region 11 and a plurality of light emitting diodes 12 that irradiate the display panel 10 with light. The light emitting diode 12 includes a first light emitting diode 12A that is turned on by the detection circuit 7, and a second light emitting diode 12B having a light emission wavelength different from that of the first light emitting diode 12A. The display panel 10 absorbs the light emission wavelength of the first light-emitting diode 12A and the first light-transmitting part 11A that transmits the light-emitting wavelengths of the first light-emitting diode 12A and the second light-emitting diode 12B, and the second light emission. And a second light transmitting portion 11B that transmits the emission wavelength of the diode 12B. The detection circuit 7 turns on the first light emitting diode 12A in a state where the capacity of the battery 1 is smaller than the set capacity, transmits light to the first light transmitting portion 11A, and uses this region as a lighting region, The light-transmitting portion 11B absorbs light to make this region a light-off region. When the capacity of the battery 1 is larger than the set capacity, the second light-emitting diode 12B is turned on, and the first light-transmitting portion 11A and the second light-transmitting portion 11B Light is transmitted through both of the translucent portions 11B to form a lighting region.

  The above charger can display the capacity of the battery in an easy-to-understand manner with a very simple structure of the display. This is because it is not necessary for the above charger to provide a light blocking wall in order to specify the region of light irradiated by each light emitting diode. That is, the light-transmitting portion that emits light can be changed by the light-emitting diode that is lit while each light-emitting diode irradiates the entire area of the display panel. The above structure can emit light in a specific area while irradiating a wide area with each light emitting diode, so that it is not necessary to accurately specify the relative position between the light emitting diode and the display panel, and the assembly can be simplified. Furthermore, since the light emitting area can be specified by the first light transmitting portion and the second light transmitting portion of the display panel in the above structure, it is possible to perform fine display that is difficult with the light blocking wall, and the capacity is optimal. Light can be displayed in shape.

  Furthermore, the above charger can make both the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part a lighting region with the second light emitting diode. For this reason, it is possible to display the state in which the battery is charged more than the set capacity with one light emitting diode while displaying both the first light transmitting part and the second light transmitting part in a light emitting state. Become. For this reason, the power consumption of the light emitting diode in a state where the capacity is large can be reduced.

In the charger of the present invention, the outer shape of the first light transmitting portion 11A can be set as the outer shape of the battery, and the second light transmitting portion 11B can be disposed inside the first light transmitting portion 11A.
The above charger can emit the entire first light-transmitting part including the second light-transmitting part in a state where the capacity of the battery is larger than the set capacity. For this reason, when the capacity is large, the entire battery can emit light to clearly indicate that the capacity is large. In addition, in a state where the capacity is small, it is possible to clearly display an image of the small capacity as a state where the inside of the battery does not emit light. In addition, since this display is realized by the translucency of the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion and the light-emitting colors of the first light-emitting diode and the second light-emitting diode, the outer shape of the battery is beautiful. The structure of the display can be simplified while displaying in an easy-to-understand manner.

In the charger according to the present invention, the light emission wavelength of the first light emitting diode 12A is red, the light emission wavelength of the second light emitting diode 12B is blue, and the first light transmitting portion 11A transmits red and blue, The two translucent portions 11B can have a translucency that absorbs red and transmits blue.
When the battery capacity is large, the above charger emits blue light to clearly indicate the large capacity state, and when the battery capacity is small, the battery outer shape emits red light. And displaying the state in which the inside of the battery does not emit light, it is possible to display a state where the capacity of the battery is small so that anyone can easily understand.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a charger for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the charger as follows.

  Further, in this specification, in order to facilitate understanding of the scope of claims, numbers corresponding to the members shown in the examples are indicated in the “claims” and “means for solving problems” sections. It is added to the members. However, the members shown in the claims are not limited to the members in the embodiments.

  The charger shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 includes a case 2 having a mounting portion 3 for removably setting a rechargeable battery 1. The case 2 in the figure is provided with a mounting portion 3 that can be set in a state in which two AA batteries 1A, AA batteries 1B, AA batteries 1C, and AAA batteries 1D are set so as to open on the upper surface. The charger shown in the figure has a four-block mounting portion 3A in which the AA batteries 1A and AA batteries 1B are arranged in four rows on the upper stage, and the AA batteries 1C and AA batteries 1D on the lower stage. A four-block mounting portion 3B that is set side by side is provided. The upper mounting portion 3A is provided with a switching portion 4A that can be set by switching between the single battery 1A and the single battery 1B. In addition, the lower mounting portion 3B is provided with a switching portion 4B that can switch between the AA battery 1C and the AAA battery 1D.

  The switching unit 4 is arranged on the upper portion of the mounting unit 3 so as to be able to rotate between a vertical posture and a horizontal posture. The upper switching unit 4A sets the single battery 1A in a vertical posture and the single battery 1B in a horizontal posture. The switching unit 4A is provided with a charging contact 9 that is connected to the positive electrode of the AA battery 1A in a vertical posture and connected to the positive electrode of the AA battery 1B in a horizontal posture. The lower switching unit 4B is configured to set the AA battery 1C in a vertical posture and the AA battery 1D in a horizontal posture. The switching unit 4B is provided with a charging contact 9 that is connected to the positive electrode of the AA battery 1C in the vertical posture and connected to the positive electrode of the AA battery 1D in the horizontal posture.

  Further, the charger shown in the figure includes an opening / closing lid 23 that covers and covers the upper surface of the case 2 in a state in which the battery 1 is attached to the attachment portion 3. The open / close lid 23 has a storage portion that can store the battery 1 exposed from the upper surface of the case 2 while covering the upper surface of the case 2. That is, the opening / closing lid 23 is formed in a container shape formed by connecting the peripheral wall 24 around the upper surface plate. The opening / closing lid 23 connects the lower end of the connecting convex portion 25 provided on the peripheral wall 24 forming one side to one end (upper end in the drawing) of the case 2 via the rotating shaft 27, and this rotating shaft 27. The center can be opened and closed. Further, the peripheral wall 24 opposite to the peripheral wall 24 having the connecting convex portion 25 is provided with an insertion concave portion 26 in which a fingertip is inserted by cutting out the lower end portion of the central portion so that the opening / closing lid 23 can be easily operated. The open / close lid 23 is formed of translucent plastic so that the display of the display 5 described later can be recognized from the outside. As described above, the battery charger including the opening / closing lid 23 can cover and cover the mounting portion 3 with the opening / closing lid 23, so that dust, dust or the like enters the mounting portion 3 and causes the contact failure of the charging contact 9. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent water or the like from accidentally spilling into the mounting portion 3 and adversely affecting the charging contact 9 or the electronic components mounted on the circuit board. During charging, it is possible to effectively prevent a metal or the like from suddenly touching the charging contact 9 or the electrode of the battery 1 and causing a short circuit. However, the charger does not necessarily require an opening / closing lid, and the opening / closing lid can be detachably connected to the case.

  Further, the above charger includes a display 5 that displays the capacity of the battery 1 that is set in the mounting portion 3 and charged. The charger shown in the figure has four blocks in the upper stage, four blocks in the lower stage, and a total of eight blocks of the battery 1 mounting portion 3, so the capacity of the battery 1 set in the 8-block mounting portion 3 can be individually set. In order to display, eight sets of indicators 5 are provided. The display 5 includes a display panel 10 that displays the capacity of the battery 1 in the light emitting area 11, and a plurality of light emitting diodes 12 that irradiate light to the light emitting area 11 of the display panel 10. The display panel 10 displays the capacity of the battery 1 set in each mounting part 3 independently and separately. The display panel 10 is a translucent plastic sheet fixed on the case 2, and the charger shown in the figure is set on the display panel 10 made of a single plastic sheet in the mounting unit 3 of 8 blocks. A light emitting area 11 for separately displaying the capacity of each battery 1 is provided. In the display panel 10 shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the light-emitting region 11 is a light-transmitting region, and portions other than the light-emitting region 11 are non-light-transmitting regions. The display panel 10 is provided with 8 sections of light emitting areas 11 in order to separately display the capacities of the batteries 1 set in the 8-block mounting portion 3. The display panel 10 shown in the figure is provided with eight sections of light emitting regions 11 on one plastic sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the case 2 is provided with eight opening windows 21 in the upper plate portion 20 to which the display panel 10 is fixed. The opening window 21 irradiates the light emitting region 11 of the display panel 10 with the light of the light emitting diode 12. Therefore, the display panel 10 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper surface plate portion 20 of the case 2 so that the light emitting region 11 is disposed on each opening window 21. Furthermore, as shown in the partially enlarged sectional view of FIG. 6, the case 2 is provided by integrally forming a cylindrical body 22 extending from the peripheral edge of the opening window 21 provided in the top plate portion 20 to the inside of the case 2. ing. The cylindrical body 22 is provided so as to extend toward the circuit board 6 disposed in the case 2. The distal end portion of the cylindrical body 22 is close to or in contact with the surface of the circuit board 6 disposed in the case 2 or has a length penetrating the case 2. A part of the cylindrical body 22 in FIG. 6 has a length to be inserted into a slit 6 </ b> A provided in the circuit board 6. The cylindrical body 22 is provided with an insertion portion 22 </ b> A that can be inserted into the slit 6 </ b> A of the circuit board 6 along one side of the opening window 21 provided close to the top and bottom. This structure can prevent the light of the adjacent light emitting diode 12 from entering the adjacent opening window 21 while arranging the opening windows 21 close to each other.

  The eight light emitting areas 11 provided on the display panel 10 are composed of a first light transmitting portion 11A and a second light transmitting portion 11B. The display panel 10 of FIG. 7 includes a second light transmissive portion 11B inside the first light transmissive portion 11A. Furthermore, 11 A of 1st translucent parts are made into the shape which provided the protrusion part in the external shape of a battery, ie, one end of a rectangle. The second translucent part 11B is located inside the first translucent part 11A, and is unevenly arranged on the convex electrode side of the battery, that is, on the rectangular projecting part side. Further, the second translucent part 11B is smaller in width and length than the first translucent part 11A, and the first translucent part 11A emits light without causing the second translucent part 11B to emit light. Thus, the outer shape of the battery 1 can be displayed. The second translucent portion 11B in the drawing has a length that is approximately half that of the first translucent portion 11A, and its width is such that the first translucent portion 11A remains in a linear shape on both sides.

  11 A of 1st translucent parts have translucency which permeate | transmits the light of the light emission wavelength of 12 A of 1st light emitting diodes, and the 2nd light emitting diode 12B. Accordingly, the first light-transmitting portion 11A has the first light-emitting diode 12A and the second light-emitting diode both in the state in which the first light-emitting diode 12A is lit and in the state in which the second light-emitting diode 12B is lit. It becomes a lighting region that transmits both lights of the diode 12B and emits light to the outside to emit light. The second light transmitting portion 11B absorbs the light of the first light emitting diode 12A, but has a light transmitting property to transmit the light of the second light emitting diode 12B. Therefore, the second light transmitting portion 11B is a light-off region when the first light-emitting diode 12A is lit, but is a light-emitting region when the second light-emitting diode 12B is lit. Therefore, the first light transmitting portion 11A becomes a lighting region regardless of which of the first light emitting diode 12A and the second light emitting diode 12B is lit, but the second light transmitting portion 11B When the first light emitting diode 12A is turned on, the light emitting region is turned off, and when the second light emitting diode 12B is turned on, the turned on region.

  For example, in the light emitting region 11 of the display panel 10, a region that transmits all visible rays or a region that transmits red and blue light (or a region that transmits substantially all visible light) is the first light transmitting portion 11A. A region that absorbs red and transmits blue is defined as a second light transmitting portion 11B. In the light emitting diode 12 that irradiates light to the light emitting region 11 of the display panel 10, the first light emitting diode 12A emits red light and the second light emitting diode 12B emits blue light. In the state in which the first light emitting diode 12A is turned on, the display 5 has the first light transmitting portion 11A as a lighting region and the second light transmitting portion 11B as a light-off region, as shown in the upper part of FIG. To do. This is because the second light transmitting portion 11B absorbs the red emission wavelength. In the state where the second light emitting diode 12B is turned on, both the first light transmitting portion 11A and the second light transmitting portion 11B are turned on as shown in the lower part of FIG. This is because both the first light transmitting portion 11A and the second light transmitting portion 11B transmit light having a blue emission wavelength.

  The lighting of the first light emitting diode 12A and the second light emitting diode 12B is controlled by the detection circuit 7. FIG. 9 shows a block circuit diagram of the charger (some batteries that can be charged are omitted). The charger in this block circuit diagram is lit with a charging circuit 8 for charging each battery 1, a detection circuit 7 for detecting the capacity of the battery 1 to be charged, and a capacity of the battery 1 detected by the detection circuit 7. The light emitting diode 12 is provided. The detection circuit 7 detects the capacity of the charged battery 1 and compares it with the set capacity. When the detected capacity is smaller than the set capacity, the first light emitting diode 12A is turned on. When the detection capacity becomes larger than the set capacity, the second light emitting diode 12B is turned on. The detection circuit 7 lights only the second light emitting diode 12B or both the second light emitting diode 12B and the first light emitting diode 12A when the detection capacity of the battery 1 being charged is larger than the set capacity. Can also be lit.

  The detection circuit 7 turns on the first light emitting diode 12A that emits red light and turns off the second light emitting diode 12B in a state where the capacity of the battery 1 is smaller than the set capacity. In this state, the light emitting region 11 of the display panel 10 uses the first light transmitting portion 11A as the lighting region and the second light transmitting portion 11B as the extinguishing region. The light emitting region 11 in this state is a state in which the battery 1 is not sufficiently charged in a state where the first light transmitting portion 11A emits light to the outer shape of the battery and the second light transmitting portion 11B inside the light emitting region 11 does not emit light. Is displayed. When charging of the battery 1 proceeds and the capacity becomes larger than the set capacity, the detection circuit 7 turns on the second light emitting diode 12B that emits blue light. In this state, the light emitting region 11 of the display panel 10 uses both the first light transmitting portion 11A and the second light transmitting portion 11B as lighting regions. The light emitting area 11 in this state displays a state in which the battery 1 is sufficiently charged with the entire battery shape as a lighting area. The set capacity at which the detection circuit 7 switches from the first light emitting diode 12A to the lighting of the second light emitting diode 12B is, for example, 50%. However, this set capacity can be set to an optimum value in the range of 40% to 90%. And when charge progresses and it is fully charged, the 2nd light emitting diode 12B is light-extinguished and the whole light emission area | region 11 is light-extinguished and darkened.

  The display panel 10 shown in the figure has eight light emitting areas 11. Each light emitting area 11 displays the capacity of the battery 1 charged in each block. Therefore, the detection circuit 7 detects the capacity of the battery 1 that is set and charged in each block, and controls the lighting of the light emitting diodes 12 arranged in the vicinity of each mounting portion 3.

  The charging circuit 8 controls charging of the battery 1 set in each block, and stops charging when the battery 1 is fully charged. The charging circuit 8 charges the battery 1 set in each mounting portion 3 with power supplied from an AC adapter (not shown), or the voltage and current that can charge the battery 1 with power input from a commercial power source. And the battery 1 is charged.

It is the schematic which shows an example of the display form of the conventional remaining capacity. It is a perspective view of the charger concerning one Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the opening-and-closing lid | cover of the charger shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the battery and the display panel from the charger shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the charger shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged vertical sectional view of the charger shown in FIG. 2, corresponding to a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 3. It is a bottom view of the display panel shown in FIG. It is an enlarged plan view which shows the display state of a display. It is a block circuit diagram of the charger concerning one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Battery 1A ... Single battery
1B ... AA battery
1C AA battery
1D ... AAA battery 2 ... Case 3 ... Mounting part 3A ... Mounting part
3B ... Mounting part 4 ... Switching part 4A ... Switching part
4B ... Switching unit 5 ... Display 6 ... Circuit board 6A ... Slit 7 ... Detection circuit 8 ... Charging circuit 9 ... Charging contact 10 ... Display panel 11 ... Light emitting area 11A ... First light transmitting part
11B ... 2nd translucent part 12 ... Light emitting diode 12A ... 1st light emitting diode
12B ... 2nd light emitting diode 20 ... Top plate part 21 ... Opening window 22 ... Cylinder body 22A ... Insertion part 23 ... Opening / closing lid 24 ... Surrounding wall 25 ... Connecting convex part 26 ... Inserting concave part 27 ... Rotating shaft 91 ... Area 92 ... Light emitting diode

Claims (3)

A case (2) having a mounting part (3) for detachably setting a rechargeable battery (1), and a detection circuit for detecting the charge capacity of the battery (1) to be charged in the case (2) ( 7) and a charger (5) that displays the capacity of the battery (1) detected by the detection circuit (7),
The display (5) includes a display panel (10) for displaying the capacity of the battery (1) in a light emitting region (11), and a plurality of light emitting diodes (12) for irradiating the display panel (10) with light. Prepared,
A light emitting diode (12) includes a first light emitting diode (12A) which is turned on by the detection circuit (7), and a second light emitting diode (12B) having a light emission wavelength different from that of the first light emitting diode (12A). With
The display panel (10) includes a first light transmitting part (11A) that transmits the light emission wavelengths of the first light emitting diode (12A) and the second light emitting diode (12B), and the first light emitting diode (12A). A second light transmission part (11B) that absorbs the light emission wavelength and transmits the light emission wavelength of the second light emitting diode (12B),
The detection circuit (7) turns on the first light emitting diode (12A) in a state where the capacity of the battery (1) is smaller than the set capacity, and transmits the light to the first light transmitting part (11A). The area is a lighting area, the second light-transmitting portion (11B) absorbs light, and this area is a light-extinguishing area. When the capacity of the battery (1) is larger than the set capacity, the second light emitting diode (12B) A charger that turns on and transmits light to both the first light transmitting portion (11A) and the second light transmitting portion (11B) to form a lighting region.   The outer shape of the first light transmitting portion (11A) is an outer shape of a battery, and the second light transmitting portion (11B) is disposed inside the first light transmitting portion (11A). Charger.   The light emitting wavelength of the first light emitting diode (12A) is red, the light emitting wavelength of the second light emitting diode (12B) is blue, and the first light transmitting part (11A) transmits red and blue, The charger according to claim 1, wherein the second light transmitting part (11B) has a light transmitting property of absorbing red and transmitting blue.

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