JPH1066271A - Charging controller and electric thermos bottle equipped with the charging controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a charging control apparatus in which an ordinary charging operation is performed mainly by a second charging device in cases other than a case where a short-time charging operation is required and which makes the life of a charging-type battery long by a method wherein a first charging device whose output current is larger than the capacity per time of the charging-type battery is provided and the second charging device whose output current is smaller than the capacity per time of the charging-type battery is provided. SOLUTION: A first charging device 21 is constituted of a circuit whose capacity can output an output current at the rated capacity or higher of a charging-type battery BT. On the other hand, a second charging device 22 is constituted of a circuit whose capacity can output an output current at the rated capacity or lower of the charging-type battery BT. Then, the charging start voltage of the charging-type battery BT is detected by a voltage detection circuit 23, and a controller 12 drives the first charging device 21 or the second charging device 22 via a relay 15 or a relay 17, and a charging operation is performed to the charging-type battery BT. At this time, only when a boosting charge is required, the charging operation is performed by using the first charging device 21. In cases other than a case where the boosting charge is required, the charging operation is performed by the second charging device 22 whose output current is small and whose influence on the life of the charging-type battery BT is small.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a charge control device having a chargeable / dischargeable rechargeable battery, capable of driving a load such as an electric pump without connecting a power source, and a charge control device. Regarding electric pots.

[0002]

Conventionally, household electric appliances, for example, electric warming pots, have a built-in electric pump as a load for tapping hot water in a container to the outside. In places where there is no hot water, hot water cannot be supplied by the electric pump, and the usability is extremely poor. Therefore, a secondary battery that can be charged / discharged, that is, a rechargeable battery is provided, and when the commercial power is supplied, the rechargeable battery is charged by supplying power from the commercial power and the electric pump is driven, while the power from the commercial power is supplied. It is known that an electric pump is driven by electric power supply from a rechargeable battery when supply is interrupted.

[0003] However, such a conventional charge control device for charging a rechargeable battery is configured to simply supply a predetermined charging current to the rechargeable battery and complete the charging of the rechargeable battery in a certain time. In particular, in electric appliances such as electric pots where the temperature inside the main body becomes high, if charging is performed without considering the charging current and charging time, the rechargeable battery is likely to become hot. In addition, there is a problem that the life is shortened. In addition, the user cannot understand the current state of the rechargeable battery, and can immediately take appropriate measures such as replacing the battery when the rechargeable battery is abnormal or malfunctioning. Did not. Further, when such a charge control device is incorporated in an electric pot, once the rechargeable battery is discharged and becomes almost empty, the hot water in the container without the commercial power source, that is, without charging for a long time, There was also a complaint that the liquid could not be discharged.

[0004] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a charge control device capable of maximizing the life of a rechargeable battery.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a charge control device that allows a user to accurately grasp the current state of a rechargeable battery.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an electric pot equipped with a charge control device capable of quickly discharging liquid in a container without a commercial power supply even when the rechargeable battery is empty. To provide.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charge control device for driving a load, the charge control device comprising: A first charging device for supplying an output current larger than the capacity per hour to the rechargeable battery, and a second charging device for supplying an output current smaller than the capacity per hour of the rechargeable battery to the rechargeable battery And a device.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, only when short-time charging is required, charging is performed by the first charging device having a large output current, and other normal charging is performed on the rechargeable battery. It can be mainly performed by the second charging device having a small output current and the influence of the life is small. Therefore, even if the rechargeable battery is placed in a high-temperature atmosphere, the life of the rechargeable battery can be maximized. Will be possible.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, when the rechargeable battery fails, a drive current is supplied from the first charging device to the load. It is configured as follows.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the load can be driven by the first charging device having a large output current even if the rechargeable battery fails, provided that the power is supplied from the commercial power supply.

[0011] Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charge control device according to the first aspect, in order to achieve the second object.
In addition to the configuration described above, a notifying unit for notifying the state of charge of the rechargeable battery is further provided.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, whether the rechargeable battery is being charged or whether an abnormality or a failure has occurred can be immediately understood by the notification means. It can be grasped accurately on the side.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric pot provided with the charging control device according to the present invention, in order to achieve the third object, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, wherein the load is set in the container. An electric pump for discharging a liquid, wherein the electric pump is capable of charging the rechargeable battery with a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the liquid in the container at least once.
The charging time of the rechargeable battery by the charging device is set.

According to this configuration, even if the rechargeable battery is almost empty, if the rechargeable battery is charged for the minimum necessary time by the first charging device, at least immediately after that, In a state where there is no commercial power supply, the electric pump can be driven to discharge the entire amount of the liquid in the container only once.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the electric pot provided with the charge control device of the present invention further comprises an output current from the first charging device to the rechargeable battery during water heating. And an output current is supplied from the second charging device to the rechargeable battery during the heat retention.

According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, during the water heater, the first charging device performs short-time charging,
After the completion of water heating, the electric pump can be immediately driven by the rechargeable battery. In addition, while the temperature is kept stable, the temperature of the rechargeable battery can be stabilized and the charging efficiency of the rechargeable battery can be improved by gentle long-time charging by the second charging device.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the electric pot provided with the charge control device of the present invention is an electric pump in which the load discharges a liquid in a container. The electric pump further includes voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage of the rechargeable battery, and when the voltage detection means detects a discharge state of the rechargeable battery, the electric pump pumps out a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the liquid in the container. The discharge detection voltage is set higher than the discharge end voltage of the rechargeable battery so that the rechargeable battery can be left.

According to this configuration, when the discharge state of the rechargeable battery is detected by the voltage detecting means, the hot water in the container is still cordlessly supplied from the drive current from the rechargeable battery to the electric pump. Since the entire amount can be discharged, the user does not need to be conscious of charging the rechargeable battery in a hurry, and the usability can be improved.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the rechargeable battery is configured by connecting a plurality of rechargeable batteries in series. The apparatus further includes a determination unit that can determine the state of the battery even if the battery is short-circuited.

According to this configuration, when one of the plurality of rechargeable batteries reaches the end of its life, the rechargeable battery can be accurately detected by the determination means, and the load can be detected without supplying a sufficient drive current. Can be eliminated.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the charging control device of the present invention further comprises a voltage detecting means for detecting a battery voltage of the rechargeable battery. When the discharge detection voltage for detecting the discharge state of the rechargeable battery is set at the time of driving the load and at the time of no load, when the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery reaches the set discharge detection voltage, The rechargeable battery is configured to be recharged.

According to this configuration, even if the rechargeable battery has a small remaining battery capacity while the load is being driven, the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery can be reduced to a predetermined value in consideration of the voltage drop during the load drive. Since the recharge operation is started immediately after reaching the discharge detection voltage, the user does not need to worry about the remaining battery capacity of the rechargeable battery during use. Also, when the load is not driven, the battery capacity of the rechargeable battery gradually decreases due to spontaneous discharge. In this case as well, when a predetermined discharge detection voltage is reached, recharging is automatically performed. It is not necessary to worry about the battery capacity of the rechargeable battery.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the electric pot provided with the charge control device of the present invention comprises an electric pump in which the load discharges the liquid in the container,
The rechargeable battery has a battery capacity such that the electric pump pumps out the liquid in the container a plurality of times.

According to this configuration, the electric pump can be driven in the cordless state many times without discharging the water or hot water in the container to the outside without charging the battery midway. .

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration according to the first aspect, the load and the rechargeable battery are connected in parallel to an output side of the first charging device. The first charging device is configured to output an output current larger than the drive current of the load.

According to this configuration, the rechargeable battery can be rapidly charged by the output current from the first charging device while directly driving the load.

[0027]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a charge control device of the present invention is incorporated in an electric pot will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the configuration of the entire electric pot will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of the electric pot having a water heating and heat retaining function, and 2 denotes a lid provided at an upper opening of the main body 1. Is rotatably supported by a hinge (not shown) provided at the rear of the main body 1. Inside the main body 1, there is provided a bottomed cylindrical inner container 3 for storing a liquid, that is, hot water. At the bottom of the inner container 3, a heater H1 for heating a relatively large amount of water is provided;
A heater unit 4 including a heat retaining heater H2 having a relatively small heating amount is mounted. Reference numeral 5 denotes a thermistor, ie, a temperature detecting element TH, which is attached and fixed below the side surface of the inner container 3, and the temperature detecting element TH causes the inner container 3
It is configured to detect the temperature of hot water inside.

M is an electric pump corresponding to the load of the electric pot, the inlet of which is connected to a hot water pipe 6 communicating with the bottom of the inner container 3, and the discharge port of which is connected through a hot water pipe 7. The front part of the main body 1 is connected in communication with a tap hole 8 provided downward, and forms a tapping path from the hot water pipe 6 to the tap hole 8. Then, by driving the electric pump M equipped with a DC motor, hot water in the inner container 3 passes through the hot water pipe 6 and the hot water pipe 7 and is discharged from the hot water outlet 8 to the outside of the main body 1. . The BT is a rechargeable battery composed of a secondary battery such as a nickel-cadmium storage battery (NiCad battery) or a lithium-ion battery, which is electrically connected to the vicinity of the bottom of the main body 1. It is installed with heat insulation and waterproof structure. Note that P is an instrument plug connected to an outlet of a commercial power supply (not shown), and the proximal end of the instrument plug P is detachable from the main body 1 by a magnet type connector 9 or the like as in this embodiment. May be connected.

Next, the electrical configuration of the charging control device according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a control power supply circuit connected to both ends of the appliance plug P, which converts an AC voltage from a commercial power supply supplied through the appliance plug P by a transformer, After the converted induced voltage is rectified and smoothed by a rectifying and smoothing circuit, a stable DC operating voltage Vcc is supplied from a constant voltage circuit to a control device in a subsequent stage.
12 and so on. In addition, both ends of the appliance plug P are connected to the first heater H1 and the first heater.
A series circuit of a relay 13 with a normally open contact 13B, a series circuit of a heater H2 for warming and a normally open contact 14B of a second relay 14, a normally open contact 15B of a first charging device 21 and a third relay 15; Are connected to each other. Among them, the first charging device 21
Is composed of a circuit having a capacity capable of outputting an output current I1 greater than or equal to the rated capacity (unit: Ah) of the rechargeable battery BT, and includes a positive output line of the first charging device 21 and a grounded negative side. The rechargeable battery BT is connected between the output lines via the normally closed contact 16B of the fourth relay 16 according to the polarity. The rechargeable battery BT is configured by connecting a plurality of rechargeable batteries BT in series. In the present embodiment, two rechargeable batteries BT are connected in series.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a second charging device comprising a circuit having a capacity capable of outputting a relatively small charging current I2 equal to or less than the rated capacity of the rechargeable battery BT. This second charging device
Reference numeral 22 denotes a normally open contact 17B of the fifth relay 17 connected to the input side to which the operating voltage Vcc from the control power supply circuit 11 is supplied, and the rechargeable battery connected to the output side to supply the charging current I2. B
The positive pole of T is directly connected. Reference numeral 23 denotes a voltage detection circuit serving as voltage detection means for detecting the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT and outputting the detection result to the control device 12.
In this embodiment, the voltage detection circuit 23 is a rechargeable battery BT.
The cathode of the diode D1 is connected to the positive pole of the diode D1, and the anode of the diode D1 is connected to the input terminal IN1 of the control device 12.
Is connected to the operating voltage Vcc line, and the other end of the resistor R1 is connected to a diode D2.
1 and a connection point between the anode and the resistor R2. When the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT is higher than a predetermined value, the diode D1 becomes non-conductive, and the input terminal IN1 of the control device 12 becomes H (High) level. If the voltage drops, the diode D1 becomes conductive and the input terminal of the control device 12
IN1 is switched to L (Low) level.

The positive electrode of the electric pump M is connected to the positive output line of the first charging device 21. The negative electrode of the electric pump M is connected to a tap switch provided on an operation panel (not shown). 24 are connected to the normally open terminal 24b. The common terminal 24a of the hot water switch 24 is the first terminal.
The normal closing terminal 24c of the tapping switch 24 detects the operation state of the tapping switch 24, and the detection result is transmitted to the control device 12
Is connected to a hot water switch detection circuit 25 that outputs a signal. That is, when the normally closed contact 16B of the fourth relay 16 is closed and the contact of the hot water switch 24 is in contact with the normally open terminal 24b,
The charging battery BT and the electric pump M as a load are connected in parallel to the output side of the first charging device 21. In this embodiment, the tapping switch detection circuit 25 connects one end of the resistor R3 to the operating voltage V.
connected to the normally closed terminal 24c of the tap switch 24 and the input terminal IN2 of the control device 12.
3 is connected to the other end. And hot water switch
When the contact 24 is switched to the normally closed terminal 24c, the input terminal IN1 of the control device 12 becomes L level. On the other hand, when the contact of the tap switch 24 is switched to the normally open terminal 24b, the input terminal of the control device 12 is changed.
It is configured so that IN1 becomes H level.

The control device 12 is activated by receiving an operating voltage Vcc from the control power supply circuit 11. Specifically, the control device 12 includes arithmetic processing means such as a CPU, storage means such as a ROM and a RAM, And a microcomputer comprising input / output means. This control device
In addition to the temperature detection element TH,
The voltage detection circuit 23 and the hot water switch detection circuit 25 are connected via the input terminals IN1 and IN2. Also, the control device
The output port of 12 is connected to a display 26 serving as a notifying means for performing lighting display when the rechargeable battery BT is in a charged state, and coils 13A to 17A of the first to fifth relays 13 to 17, respectively. Is done. Then, the control device 12 sets each of the temperature information based on the temperature information from the temperature detection element TH and the detection results from the voltage detection circuit 23 and the hot water switch detection circuit 25 in accordance with the control sequence of the program stored in the storage means in advance. By appropriately supplying drive signals to the coils 13A to 17A and the display 26, a series of operations such as water heating, heat retention and charging, which will be described later, are controlled and executed.

When a NiCd battery is used as the rechargeable battery BT, the rechargeable battery BT can be charged to a charging current (2C) that is at most twice the rated capacity of the rechargeable battery BT. Generally, charging is performed with a charging current of about 1C to 2C. However, the repetitive cycle life of the rechargeable battery BT increases as it is charged with a small charging current (about 0.1 C), and a large charging current (2 C
), The shorter the life is. Therefore, the first output current I1 is output so as to be at least larger than the drive current of the electric pump M as a load.
The voltage detection circuit 23 detects the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT, and inputs the detection result to the control device 12, so that the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT becomes the nominal voltage. The recharge start voltage for the rechargeable battery BT is set within a voltage range lower than, for example, 2.4 V and higher than the discharge end voltage, for example, 2.0 V. That is, in the present embodiment, whether or not the electric pump M is driven is detected by the hot water switch detection circuit 25, and when the electric pump M is operated, that is, when the load is driven, the recharge start voltage is set to 2.1V. The control device 12 is configured to set the recharge start voltage to 2.3 V when the electric pump M is stopped, that is, when there is no load. As described above, the reason for setting the recharge start voltage in two ways is that when the electric pump M is driven from the no-load state, a large drive current is taken out of the rechargeable battery BT, so that a voltage drop of about 0.2 V occurs. That's why.

When charging a nickel-cadmium battery, it is generally preferable to charge the battery for about 15 hours with a small charging current of about 0.1 C from the viewpoint of the above-mentioned life. That is, 0.1C
× 15h = 1.5C, and the battery is fully charged when charged about 1.5 times the nominal rated capacity. Therefore, for example, the charging capacity Q when charging the rechargeable battery BT composed of a NiCd battery having a nominal rated capacity of 600 mAh is represented by the following equation.

[0035]

(Equation 1)

In this embodiment, the output current I1 from the first charging device 21 is 700 mAh, the output current I2 from the second charging device 22 is 60 mA, and the rechargeable battery by the first charging device 21 is used. Charge the BT for 5 minutes (300
Second), the charging time of the rechargeable battery BT by the second charging device 22 is set to 14 hours. Then, the total charging capacity Q 'at this time is as follows.

[0037]

(Equation 2)

Therefore, in this case, it is possible to secure a full charge of about 1.5 times the nominal rated capacity.

On the other hand, a rechargeable battery B composed of a nickel-cadmium battery
When discharging T, it is best to use the entire amount of the battery capacity stored in the rechargeable battery BT and completely discharge the battery to extend the cycle life of the rechargeable battery BT. In other words, if charge and discharge are repeated within a certain range,
The activated portion inside the rechargeable battery BT is limited, and the portion that is not charged / discharged is in an inactive state, causing a problem that a so-called memory effect occurs and the life is shortened.

In this regard, as shown in FIG. 3, the rechargeable battery BT has such a characteristic that when it approaches the discharge end voltage (2.0 V) at which the discharge can no longer be performed, the voltage rapidly drops. Therefore, at the time of driving the load described above,
If 2.1 V, which is slightly higher than the discharge end voltage, is set as a discharge detection voltage at which the voltage detection circuit 23 detects the discharge of the rechargeable battery BT, that is, a recharge start voltage, the remaining time is a short time (t). However, only the remaining battery capacity remains, and almost complete discharge, which is preferable for extending the life, can be achieved. In this case, the battery capacity for the time t remaining in the rechargeable battery BT is supplied to the electric pump M to supply the drive current, and at least once the entire amount of hot water in the inner container 3 (for example, when the standard electric pot is full). The tongue is preferably 2.2 L).

As described above, the recharge start voltage of the rechargeable battery BT when no load is applied is determined in consideration of the voltage drop due to the drive current to the electric pump M, as described above. 1. 0.2 V is added to the charge start voltage
Since the rechargeable battery BT is set at 3 V, the remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery BT when the voltage reaches the recharge start voltage is substantially the same as when the load is driven. As described above, when the voltage detection circuit 23 detects the recharge start voltage of the rechargeable battery BT at the time of driving a load or no load, the controller 12 drives the coil 15a of the third relay 15 or the coil 17a of the fifth relay 17 from the controller 12. A signal is supplied to drive the first charging device 21 and the second charging device 22 to charge the rechargeable battery BT.

The drive current of the electric pump M is equal to or less than the output current I1 (700 mA) of the rechargeable battery BT as described above. When 90% can be supplied to the electric pump M (it is assumed that 100% cannot be used including a decrease in capacity when left unattended), the electric pump M can be continuously driven for a time T shown in the following equation.

[0043]

(Equation 3)

Here, the electric pump M is 450 m in 10 seconds.
Assuming that there is an ability to discharge L hot water, the total discharge amount V per charge is given by the following equation.

[0045]

(Equation 4)

Therefore, according to the above example, about 135 L of hot water can be discharged with one charge, and even if the capacity of the inner container 3 is 3 L, 45 times of hot water can be discharged. That is, the rechargeable battery BT of this embodiment has a battery capacity that allows the electric pump M to completely discharge the hot water in the inner container 3 multiple times with one charge, so that the rechargeable battery BT is charged every time the water is heated. You can get out of the bath for a long time without charging.

In this embodiment, the first charging device 21 having an output current I1 of 700 mA performs charging for 5 minutes. In this case, the time T 'during which the electric pump M can be continuously driven is: It is shown by the following equation.

[0048]

(Equation 5)

Then, similarly, the electric pump M is turned on for 4 seconds in 10 seconds.
Assuming that there is an ability to discharge 50 mL of hot water, the total discharge amount V 'is represented by the following equation.

[0050]

(Equation 6)

In other words, even when the rechargeable battery BT is in an empty state, if the rechargeable battery BT is charged for a short time by the first charging device 21, the electric pump M is driven at least immediately thereafter to drive the inner container. The entire amount of hot water in 3 can be discharged only once. This is done so that the rechargeable battery BT can be charged by the electric pump M with the battery capacity capable of completely discharging the hot water in the inner container 3 at least once.
This is achieved by setting the charging time (5 minutes in this embodiment) of the rechargeable battery BT by the charging device 21 of FIG.

By the way, in the initial stage of use, the rechargeable battery BT is shipped empty or the product is left in stock for a long time, and the rechargeable battery BT is discharged and becomes empty. Immediately after the purchase of the product, there is a possibility that the hot water in the inner container 3 cannot be discharged without the commercial power supply. Therefore, when the user normally purchases and uses the battery for the first time, the power is supplied and the water is supplied, and then the hot water is supplied while the battery is kept warm. B
If the controller 12 determines that the rechargeable battery BT is in a discharged state based on the detection result of the battery voltage of T,
The first charging device 21 having a large output current I1 is configured to perform charging for 5 minutes. In this case, at the time of the first purchase, since the rechargeable battery BT is rapidly charged from the first charging device 21 during the water heater, the inner container 3 is turned off in a relatively short time after the product is purchased without commercial power. It becomes possible to discharge hot water inside. In addition, the second charging device 22
Is configured to supply a relatively small output current I2 to the rechargeable battery BT only during the warming after the completion of the water heater, and not to charge the second charging device 22 when the temperature rises sharply during the water heater. I have. That is, by performing gradual long-time charging during the temperature keeping operation where the temperature is stable, the temperature of the rechargeable battery BT can be stabilized and the charging efficiency can be increased. In particular, when a nickel-cadmium battery is used as the rechargeable battery BT, its cycle life greatly changes depending on the ambient temperature. Therefore, the storage position of the rechargeable battery BT also affects the thermal effect of the heater unit 4 at the lowest part of the main body 1. It is preferable to provide it in a part which is not affected by the above.

In this embodiment, the LED of the display 26 is
A lighting display is provided by a lamp or the like to notify the user that charging is in progress. When the control device 12 detects an abnormal state due to the open (open) or short circuit (short circuit) of the rechargeable battery BT in response to the detection result from the voltage detecting means 23, the display 26 blinks to indicate to the user. An abnormality notification that prompts replacement of the rechargeable battery BT is performed. That is, since the display unit 26 is provided as a notification unit for notifying the charging state of the rechargeable battery BT during charging or at the time of abnormality, the user can constantly grasp the current state of the rechargeable battery BT, and It is possible to promptly perform necessary measures, such as replacement of the vehicle.

At this time, since the battery voltage of the normal rechargeable battery BT is used in the range of about 2 to 3 V, in this embodiment, the open detection voltage of the rechargeable battery BT determined by the control device 12 is about 4 V. And the short detection voltage is set to 1.5 V which is equal to or lower than the discharge end voltage (2.0 V). When the charging for 5 minutes by the first charging device 21 is completed, the rechargeable battery BT detected by the voltage detection circuit 23 is detected.
If the battery voltage is less than or equal to the short-circuit detection voltage of 1.5 V, the control device 12, which is the determination means, determines that one of the two rechargeable batteries BT is not charged and is short-circuited. Thus, one of the plurality of rechargeable batteries BT
The reason for judging the short circuit is that when a plurality of rechargeable batteries BT are connected in series, the probability of one short circuit is higher than the probability of two short circuits at the same time when the life of the rechargeable batteries BT is deteriorated. That's why. In addition, one minute after the charging by the first charging device 21 is started, the voltage detection circuit
When the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT detected at 23 drops to 0.3 V or less, the control device 12 determines that two rechargeable batteries BT have been short-circuited at the same time. And the control device 12
When it is determined that the rechargeable battery BT is open or short-circuited, the power supply to the first charging device 21 and the second charging device 22 is cut off via the third relay 15 and the fifth relay 17, Switch the display 26 to blinking display,
Encourage users to change batteries.

When the rechargeable battery BT is opened or short-circuited, the control device 12 controls the coil 16 of the fourth relay 16.
Since a drive signal is supplied to a and the normally closed contact 16b is opened, power supply from the failed or abnormal rechargeable battery BT to the electric pump M is cut off without a commercial power supply. However, when the hot water switch 24 is turned on while the power plug P is connected to the outlet, that is, when the contact is moved to the normally open terminal 24b, the input terminal IN2 of the control device 12 is replaced with the L level detection signal up to that point. An H level detection signal is input. The controller 12 determines whether the tap switch 24 is on or off based on the change in the potential of the detection signal at the input terminal IN2. If the tap switch 24 is turned on, the coil 15a of the third relay 15 is turned on. Supply the drive current to
The normally open contact 15b is closed. Thereby, the output current I1 from the first charging device 21 is supplied to the electric pump M,
Even if the rechargeable battery BT is out of order, hot water in the inner container 3 can be discharged. Moreover, in this case, since the normally closed contact 16b maintains the open state, even if the rechargeable battery BT is short-circuited, there is no problem that the output side of the first charging device 21 is short-circuited.

Next, a series of operations of the electric pot having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. The timing charts at the top of these figures show, from the top, the contacts 16b of the fourth relay 16 (the contact is open when the contact is open and the contacts are closed when the contact is off). State, off is contact open state), contact 17b of the fifth relay 17 (on is contact closed state, off is contact open state), indicator 26 (on is on, off is off), water heater H1
(ON for energized state, OFF for unlit state), heater H
2 (ON indicates an energized state, OFF indicates an unlit state). The lower graph shows the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT detected by the voltage detection circuit 23.

First, with reference to FIG. 4, each operation of water heating and heat retention immediately after product purchase and cordless operation without a commercial power supply will be described in order. Immediately after the purchase of the product, when the plug for equipment P is connected to the outlet and the power is turned on, a predetermined operating voltage Vcc is generated from the control power supply circuit 11, and the control device
The microcomputer in 12 is initialized (initialized). The controller 12 supplies a drive current to the coil 14a of the second relay 14 and subsequently supplies a drive current to the coil 13a of the first relay 13 in order to perform the water heating operation. As a result, the contacts 13b and 14b are both closed, and the heater H1 and the heater H2 are continuously energized. Immediately after purchasing the product, the rechargeable battery BT is generally in a discharged state, and its battery voltage is about 2V.
The control device 12 receives the detection result from the voltage detection circuit 23, switches the display 26 to the lighting state, and notifies the user that charging is in progress. Further, a drive signal is supplied to the coil 15a of the third relay 15 to make the first charging device 21 conductive, and the output current I from this first charging device 21
1, the rechargeable battery BT is charged. After a predetermined time, that is, five minutes, the control device 12 cuts off the drive signal to the coil 15a of the third relay 15 to cut off the power supply to the first charging device 21 and the coil of the fourth relay 16 A drive signal is supplied to 16a to open the normally closed contact 16b. At this time, the rechargeable battery BT is charged with a battery capacity that can drive out the entire amount of hot water in the inner container 3 at least once by driving the electric pump M. Note that, even after the charging for 5 minutes is completed, the display 26 continues to be lit.

On the other hand, the control device 12 is connected to the first charging device.
If the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT detected by the voltage detection circuit 23 is 0.3 V or less after a predetermined time, that is, one minute after the charging by the rechargeable battery BT, the two rechargeable batteries BT are short-circuited at the same time. to decide. If the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT is 1.5 V or less when the charging for 5 minutes is completed, it is determined that one of the two rechargeable batteries BT is short-circuited. In this case, the control device 12
In any case, the display 26 is switched to a blinking display to notify the user of the abnormality. The third relay 15 and the fifth relay 15
The power supply to the first charging device 21 and the second charging device 22 is cut off via the relay 17 and the coil of the fourth relay 16 is turned off.
A drive signal is supplied to 16a to open the normally closed contact 16b.

After that, when the boiling in the inner container 3 is detected based on the temperature information from the temperature detecting element TH, the control device 12 performs a warming operation instead of the water heater. In this case, the water heater H1 is always in a disconnected state,
The heat retention heater H2 is turned off so as to keep the hot water in the inner container 3 at a predetermined temperature. This is achieved by providing drive signals from the control device 12 to the coil 14a of the second relay 14 at appropriate intervals. Also, during this heat retention, the fifth relay
A drive signal is supplied to the coil 17a of the
Is supplied to the second charging device 22. And the relatively small output current I from the second charging device 22
2 slowly charges the rechargeable battery BT. At this time, the drive signal to the coil 16a of the fourth relay 16 is cut off, and the normally closed contact 16b is closed.

When the heat retention is continued for 14 hours, the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT reaches about 3 V, and the battery is fully charged. Here, the control device 12 is controlled by the coil 17a of the fifth relay 17.
The supply of the drive signal to the rechargeable battery BT is terminated, and the charging of the rechargeable battery BT is terminated. At the same time, the display on the display 26 is also turned off to notify the user that charging has been completed.

When charging is completed, the coil of the fourth relay 16
A drive signal is supplied to 16a, and the normally closed contact 16b is opened. At this time, when the tap switch 24 is turned on and its contact is moved to the normally open terminal 24b side, the controller 12
A drive current is supplied to the 15 coils 15a to close the normally open contacts 15b. Accordingly, the output current I1 from the first charging device 21 is supplied to the electric pump M, and the hot water in the inner container 3 is discharged to the outside. On the other hand, in the cordless state with no commercial power supply, the operating voltage Vcc is not supplied from the control power supply circuit 11 to the control device 12, and when the tap switch 24 is turned on,
From the rechargeable battery BT via the normally closed contact 16b, the electric pump M
Is supplied with a drive current.

Next, the operation after the rechargeable battery BT is initially charged will be described with reference to FIG. The operations of the heater H1 and the heater H2 during the water heating and the heat retention are the same as those in FIG. 4, and thus the detailed description thereof is omitted here.

When the instrument plug P is connected to the outlet and the power is turned on and the microcomputer in the control device 12 is initialized, the control device 12
In response to the detection result from 23, it is determined whether the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT is equal to or lower than the nominal voltage, that is, 2.4 V. The battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT is 2.4 V
When the following occurs, the control device 12 starts detecting whether to recharge the rechargeable battery BT. Specifically, when the tap switch 24 is turned on, the third relay 15 and the fourth relay 1
The drive signal to the coils 15a, 16a, 17a of the sixth and fifth relays 17 is cut off, and the electric pump M is driven by the rechargeable battery BT. Then, during the operation of the electric pump M, it is determined whether or not the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT detected by the voltage detection circuit 23 is equal to or lower than the recharge start voltage 2.1 V. When the hot water switch 24 is turned off, a drive current is supplied to the coil 16a of the fourth relay 16, the normally closed contact 16b is opened, and the rechargeable battery BT is put in a no-load state. Then, it is determined whether or not the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT at the time of no load is equal to or lower than the recharge start voltage of 2.3 V. When the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT at the time of driving the electric pump M or at the time of no load becomes equal to or lower than the recharge start voltage, the first charging device 21 during water heating, and the second charging device 22 during heat retention. As a result, recharging of the rechargeable battery BT is started. During this recharging, the control device 12 causes the display 26 to light up.

As described above, when 14 hours have passed after the heat retention, the rechargeable battery BT is fully charged, the display on the display 26 is turned off, and the recharging is completed. However, if the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT becomes 4 V or more, which is the open detection voltage, on the way, the control device 12 determines that the rechargeable battery BT is open, and switches the display 26 to blinking display. And inform the user of the abnormality.

As described above, the charge control device according to the present embodiment is designed to provide the rechargeable battery BT with a capacity per time (nominal capacity m
Ah) a first charging device 21 for supplying a larger output current I1 to the rechargeable battery BT, and a second charging device for supplying an output current I2 smaller than the capacity per hour of the rechargeable battery BT to the rechargeable battery BT. A charging device 22 is provided, and output currents I1 and I2 are supplied to the rechargeable battery BT from the output side of one of the charging devices 21 and 22. Therefore, only when short-time charging is required, the charging is performed by the first charging device 21 having a large output current I1, and the other normal charging is performed by the output current having little influence on the life of the rechargeable battery BT. Of the rechargeable battery BT in a high-temperature atmosphere.
, The cycle life of the rechargeable battery BT is prolonged, and the life can be maximized.

In such a charge control device,
In this embodiment, the normally closed contact 16b of the fourth relay 16 serving as a switch means and the rechargeable battery BT are connected to the output side of the first charging device 21.
And a series circuit of an electric pump M serving as a load and a hot water switch 24 serving as a manual switch, and a hot water switch detecting circuit 25 serving as a switch detecting means for detecting opening and closing of the hot water switch 24; A voltage detection circuit 23 serving as voltage detection means for detecting the battery voltage of the battery BT, and a hot water switch detection circuit 25 which detects that the hot water switch 24 has been turned on when the voltage detection circuit 23 detects an abnormality in the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT. , The normally closed contact 16 of the fourth relay 16
b, and a control device 12 that permits supply of a drive current from the first charging device 21 to the electric pump M is provided. That is, when the rechargeable battery BT fails, the driving current is supplied from the first charging device 21 to the electric pump M, which is a load. , The electric pump M can be driven by the first charging device 21 having a large output current. Therefore, the electric pump M cannot be driven before the rechargeable battery BT is replaced. We can wipe out defects.

Further, in this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the charge control device, a display 26 is provided as notification means for notifying the charge state of the rechargeable battery BT. Therefore, the display 26 allows the user to immediately understand whether the rechargeable battery BT is being charged, or whether an abnormality or a failure has occurred, so that the user can accurately grasp the current state of the rechargeable battery BT. For example, appropriate measures such as battery replacement can be promptly performed. Note that the notification means is not limited to the display 26 as in this embodiment, and for example, a plurality of LED lamps having different emission colors or a buzzer may be used.

When two or more rechargeable batteries BT are connected in series, usually when the battery life is reached,
There is a high probability that one of the rechargeable batteries BT will be short-circuited. Therefore, if the configuration is such that the battery voltage of the entire rechargeable battery BT is simply detected, even if a certain rechargeable battery BT has reached the end of its life, it cannot be accurately detected, and the electric pump M serving as a load cannot be detected. Sufficient driving current is not supplied, and performance is not satisfied.

Therefore, the charging control device of the present embodiment is a device in which a plurality of rechargeable batteries BT are connected in series, and the rechargeable batteries detected by the voltage detection circuit 23 after the charging by the first charging device 21 is completed. When the battery voltage of the BT is equal to or lower than the discharge end voltage,
In addition, the control device 12 as a determining means determines that the rechargeable battery BT is short-circuited when the rechargeable battery BT drops by one rechargeable battery BT more than usual. That is, since the control device 12 that can determine the state even if any one of the rechargeable batteries BT is short-circuited is further provided, when one of the plurality of rechargeable batteries BT reaches the end of its life, This can be accurately detected by the control device 12, and the problem that the electric pump M is driven without supplying a sufficient drive current can be eliminated.

In this case, when the control device 12 detects short-circuit of one rechargeable battery BT, the fourth relay 16
If the normally closed contact 16b is opened, unnecessary charging from the first charging device 21 and short-circuiting of the output side of the first charging device 21 can be prevented at the same time. In addition, if the short-circuit of the rechargeable battery BT is notified by the display 26 as the notification means, the user can be prompted to replace the battery.

Further, the charging control device of the present embodiment is configured such that the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT when no load is applied becomes 2.3 V or less, or the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT when the electric pump M is driven. Is set to 2.1 V or less, recharging of the rechargeable battery BT is started. Therefore, even if the rechargeable battery BT has a small remaining battery capacity while the electric pump M is being driven, the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT becomes equal to the predetermined recharging start voltage ( 2.1V), the recharging operation is started immediately, so that the user does not need to worry about the remaining battery capacity of the rechargeable battery BT during use. Also, when the electric pump M is not driven, the rechargeable battery B
Although the battery capacity of T gradually decreases, in this case also, when a predetermined recharging start voltage (2.3 V) is reached, the recharging is automatically performed. You do not need to worry about the capacity.

That is, a voltage detecting circuit 23 for detecting the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT is further provided.
Sets the discharge detection voltage, which is the recharge start voltage when detecting the discharge state of the rechargeable battery BT, when the electric pump M is driven and when no load is applied, and sets the rechargeable battery to the set discharge detection voltage. When the battery voltage of BT reaches, rechargeable battery B
With the configuration in which T is recharged, both when the load is used and when it is not used, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of the user to worry about the discharge state of the rechargeable battery BT.

Further, the charging control device of the present embodiment connects the electric pump M and the rechargeable battery BT in parallel to the output side of the first charging device 21 and outputs an output current larger than the driving current of the electric pump M. The first charging device 21 is configured to output I1. Therefore, in this case, the output current I1 from the first charging device 21 allows the rechargeable battery BT to be rapidly charged while directly driving the electric pump M.
Can be driven more quickly.

Next, the operation and effect when the charging control device of this embodiment is provided in the electric pot will be listed. In this case, the load is the electric pump M that discharges the liquid in the inner container 3, that is, hot water.

First, the electric pot of the present embodiment is provided with a first charging device 21 so that the rechargeable battery BT can be charged to a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the hot water in the inner container 3 at least once by the electric pump M. The charging time of the rechargeable battery BT is controlled by the control device for controlling the power cutoff of the first control device 21.
It is set at 12 (5 minutes in the embodiment). Therefore, even if the rechargeable battery BT is almost empty, if the rechargeable battery BT is charged by the first charging device 21 for a minimum necessary time, at least immediately after that, without the commercial power supply, By driving the electric pump M, the hot water in the inner container 3 can be completely discharged only once.

During the water heating, the first charging device 21 supplies the output current I1 to the rechargeable battery BT, and during the heat retention, the second charging device 22 supplies the output current I2 to the rechargeable battery BT. Since the first charging device 21 performs short-time charging during water heating, the electric pump M can be immediately driven by the rechargeable battery BT after the water heating is completed, and the temperature is reduced. During the stable heat retention, the temperature of the rechargeable battery BT can be stabilized and the charging efficiency of the rechargeable battery BT can be increased by gentle long-time charging by the second charging device 22. Therefore, the rapid charging during the water heating enables the liquid in the inner container 3 to be quickly discharged after the water heating, and the gradual charging during the heat retention can further extend the life of the rechargeable battery BT.

Further, the electric pot of the present embodiment is driven by the electric pump M when the discharge state of the rechargeable battery BT is detected by the voltage detection circuit 23 serving as voltage detection means for detecting the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery BT. A discharge detection voltage that is higher than the discharge end voltage of the rechargeable battery BT and that is a recharge start voltage is set so that the rechargeable battery BT can leave a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the hot water in the inner container 3. Therefore, when the discharge state of the rechargeable battery BT is detected by the voltage detection circuit 23, the entire amount of hot water in the inner container 3 can be completely discharged in a cordless state from the drive current from the rechargeable battery BT to the electric pump M. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to be conscious of charging the rechargeable battery BT in a hurry, and the usability can be improved.

Further, the electric pot of this embodiment has a battery capacity such that the built-in rechargeable battery BT can completely discharge the liquid in the inner container 3 several times by the electric pump M. In this regard, if the rechargeable battery BT has only a battery capacity capable of discharging the liquid in the inner container 3 only once by the electric pump M, the water or hot water in the inner container 3 is discharged once, and then the cordless battery BT is discharged. However, in this embodiment, the electric pump M is driven many times in the cordless state without charging in the middle even when the water in the inner container 3 is excessively supplied. And inner container 3
The internal water or hot water can be discharged to the outside. Also, in a high-temperature season such as summertime, even when cold water is not supplied to the inner container 3 and used frequently by using the inner container 3, the cold water is discharged to the outside in a cordless state for a long period of time without charging during the operation. It becomes possible.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, instead of the relays 13 to 17 of the present embodiment, which are switch means, various semiconductor switches (triacs, thyristors, transistors, photocouplers, etc.) that can be turned on and off by a drive signal from the control device 12 are used. Is also good. In addition, the circuit configuration of the voltage detection circuit 23 and the like can be appropriately modified without being limited to the embodiment.

[0080]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charge control device for a rechargeable battery for driving a load, wherein an output current larger than a capacity per hour of the rechargeable battery is supplied to the rechargeable battery. A first charging device for supplying the rechargeable battery, and a second charging device for supplying an output current smaller than the capacity per hour of the rechargeable battery to the rechargeable battery. Only in such a case, charging is performed by the first charging device having a large output current, and other normal charging is mainly performed by the second charging device having a small output current, which has little influence on the life of the rechargeable battery. Thus, the life of the rechargeable battery can be maximized.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, when the rechargeable battery fails, a driving current is supplied from the first charging device to the load. With such a configuration, not only the operation and effect of the first aspect but also the problem that the load cannot be driven until the rechargeable battery is replaced can be eliminated.

Further, the charging control device of the present invention according to claim 3 further comprises, in addition to the structure of the above-mentioned claim 1, a notifying means for notifying the state of charge of the rechargeable battery. In addition to the functions and effects of the above, the user can accurately grasp the current state of the rechargeable battery.

Further, an electric pot provided with the charge control device of the present invention according to claim 4 is, in addition to the structure of claim 1, wherein the load comprises an electric pump for discharging liquid in a container,
The charging time of the rechargeable battery by the first charging device is set so that the rechargeable battery can be charged to a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the liquid in the container at least once by the electric pump. In the case, the claim 1
In addition to the functions and effects of the present invention, it is possible to provide an electric pot that can quickly discharge the liquid in the container without a commercial power supply even when the rechargeable battery is empty.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the electric pot provided with the charge control device of the present invention further comprises an output current from the first charging device to the rechargeable battery during water heating. So that the output current is supplied from the second charging device to the rechargeable battery during the heat retention. In this case, not only the operation and effect of the above-mentioned claim 1 but also the water heater is provided. It is possible to provide an electric pot capable of promptly discharging the liquid in the container after boiling water by the rapid charging in the inside, and further extending the life of the rechargeable battery by the gentle charging during the heat retention.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the electric pot provided with the charge control device of the present invention is an electric pump in which the load discharges a liquid in a container. The electric pump further includes voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage of the rechargeable battery, and when the voltage detection means detects a discharge state of the rechargeable battery, the electric pump pumps out a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the liquid in the container. To leave the battery, the discharge detection voltage is set higher than the discharge end voltage of the rechargeable battery,
In addition to the actions and effects of the first aspect, it is possible to provide an electric pot with improved usability without the need for the user to rush to pay attention to the charging of the rechargeable battery when the discharge state of the rechargeable battery is detected.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the rechargeable battery is configured by connecting a plurality of rechargeable batteries in series. Even if the battery is short-circuited, it is further provided with a discriminating means capable of discriminating the state, so that even if one of the plurality of rechargeable batteries reaches the end of its life, it can be accurately detected, The problem that the load is driven without supplying a sufficient drive current to the load can be eliminated.

The charging control device of the present invention according to claim 8 further comprises, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, voltage detecting means for detecting a battery voltage of the rechargeable battery. When the discharge detection voltage for detecting the discharge state of the rechargeable battery is set at the time of driving the load and at the time of no load, when the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery reaches the set discharge detection voltage, Since the rechargeable battery is configured to be recharged, not only the operation and effect of the above-described claim 1, but also in any case of using or not using the load, the user can use the rechargeable battery. The trouble of worrying about the discharge state can be eliminated.

Further, an electric pot provided with the charge control device of the present invention according to claim 9 is, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, an electric pump in which the load discharges a liquid in a container,
The rechargeable battery has a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the liquid in the container a plurality of times by the electric pump, and in this case, the operation of claim 1 is performed.
In addition to the effect, it is possible to provide an electric pot that can discharge the liquid in the container to the outside in a cordless state many times without performing charging midway.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration according to the first aspect, the load and the rechargeable battery are connected in parallel to an output side of the first charging device. Since the first charging device is configured to output an output current larger than the drive current of the load, not only the operation and effect of the first claim, but also the output current from the first charging device. While driving the load directly
The rechargeable battery can be rapidly charged, and the load can be driven more quickly by the rechargeable battery.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electric pot showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of the charging control device.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between battery voltage and discharge time.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing operation timing and battery voltage of each unit of the above.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the operation timing of each part and the battery voltage.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Inner container (container) 12 Control device (discriminating means) 21 First charging device 22 Second charging device 23 Voltage detecting circuit (voltage detecting means) 26 Indicator (notifying means) BT Rechargeable battery M Electric pump (load) )

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Agency reference number FI Technical display location H02J 7/34 H02J 7/34 D

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A rechargeable battery charging control device for driving a load, comprising: a first charging device for supplying an output current to the rechargeable battery that is greater than a capacity per hour of the rechargeable battery; A second charging device for supplying an output current smaller than the capacity per hour of the battery to the rechargeable battery. 2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein a driving current is supplied from the first charging device to the load when the rechargeable battery fails. 3. The charging control device according to claim 1, further comprising a notifying unit for notifying a charging state of the rechargeable battery. 4. The load is an electric pump that discharges the liquid in the container, and the load is such that the rechargeable battery can be charged to a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the liquid in the container at least once by the electric pump. The electric pot provided with the charging control device according to claim 1, wherein a charging time of the rechargeable battery by the first charging device is set. 5. A method for supplying an output current from the first charging device to the rechargeable battery during water heating, and supplying an output current from the second charging device to the rechargeable battery during warming. An electric pot comprising the charging control device according to claim 1, wherein the electric pot is configured. 6. The load is an electric pump for discharging liquid in a container, and further includes voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage of the rechargeable battery, and the voltage detection means discharges the rechargeable battery by the voltage detection means. When the battery is discharged, the discharge pump voltage is set higher than the discharge end voltage of the rechargeable battery so that the rechargeable battery can leave a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the liquid in the container by the electric pump. An electric pot comprising the charging control device according to claim 1. 7. The rechargeable battery is configured by connecting a plurality of rechargeable batteries in series, and further includes a determination unit that can determine the state even if any one of the rechargeable batteries is short-circuited. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein 8. A voltage detecting means for detecting a battery voltage of the rechargeable battery, wherein the voltage detecting means detects a discharge state of the rechargeable battery when the load is driven. 2. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is recharged when the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery reaches the set discharge detection voltage. Charge control device. 9. The load is an electric pump for discharging liquid in a container, and the rechargeable battery has a battery capacity capable of completely discharging the liquid in the container a plurality of times by the electric pump. An electric pot comprising the charging control device according to claim 1. 10. The load and the rechargeable battery are connected to the first
The first charging device is connected in parallel to an output side of the charging device, and the first charging device is configured to output an output current larger than a drive current of the load.
The charge control device according to any one of the preceding claims.