Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – One cell or battery charges another – Vehicle battery charging
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-26
2003-02-25
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
One cell or battery charges another
Vehicle battery charging
C320S103000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06525508
ABSTRACT:
The present application is based upon and claims priority to Japanese Application No. 11-304647, filed Oct. 26, 1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a charging system for a small boat and more particularly to a charging system for a small boat employing a plurality of motors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Marine drives often employ an internal combustion engine to power a propulsion unit of the drive system. It is well known that internal combustion engines rely heavily on electric components, including fuel injector solenoids, ignition system, control system and the like. To power these engine components, most engines include an engine driven generator (e.g., an alternator) to produce electricity. The generator is utilized to charge a storage battery, and the battery in turn powers the electrical components. This approach provides a stable supply of voltage to the electrical components.
In some boats, the generator also charges a second battery that powers various accessories on the boat (e.g., lights, gauges, etc.). A typical arrangement of this charging system is illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a boat
10
that employs a pair of outboard motors
12
,
14
mounted on the transom of the boat. A motor battery
16
,
18
is associated with each outboard motor
12
,
14
and is connected to a starter motor
20
,
22
of the outboard motor
12
,
14
. Each alternator
24
,
26
charges the corresponding motor battery
16
,
18
, and the alternator
24
of the port side motor
12
also charges an accessory battery
28
. The accessory battery powers various accessories of the boat, such as lights
29
, gauges
27
, radios, navigational equipment and the like.
FIG. 2
is a circuit diagram of a conventional charging system for the boat shown in FIG.
1
. The three-phase alternator
24
of the port side outboard motor
12
(the “left engine”) is connected to one terminal of the motor battery
16
through a first three-phase rectifier, and is connected to one terminal of the accessory battery
28
through a second three-phase rectifier. The first rectifier is formed by a first set of diodes
30
and a second set of diodes
32
. The second rectifier is formed by a third set of diodes
34
and the second set of diodes
32
. The anodes of the second set of diodes
32
are grounded as are the other terminals of the motor and accessory batteries
16
,
28
.
The alternator
24
is also connected to a regulator
36
. The regulator
36
includes three thyristors. The gates of the thyristors are connected to a controller
38
having a microprocessor. The controller
38
sends trigger signals to the gates to control the firing of the thyristors. The input terminal a of the controller
38
is connected to the alternator
24
via another three-phase rectifier
40
. When a voltage at the input terminal becomes higher than a desired voltage, for example, 15.5 volts, the controller
38
sends trigger signals to the thyristors, which, in turn, connect the output of the alternator
24
to the ground
42
.
The alternator
26
of the starboard side outboard motor (the “right engine”) is not connected to the accessory battery
28
and thus does not charge the accessory battery
28
. For this reason, the charging circuitry associated with the right engine alternator
26
does not include a three-phase rectifier disposed between the alternator and the accessory battery, as the rectifier
34
does with in the charging circuitry associated with the left engine alternator
24
. Except for these differences, the charging circuitry associated with the alternators
24
,
26
are the same.
In some operating conditions, the left engine battery
16
is fully charged, but the accessory battery
28
and the right engine battery
18
are not. Prior charging systems cannot take advantage of continuing charging of the right engine battery
18
by the right engine alternator
26
to charge the accessory battery. In other situations, where only the right engine is running, the accessory battery will not be charged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present charging system allows for at least one battery of a vehicle's (e.g., a watercraft's) electrical system to be powered by multiple generators without the risk of overcharging that battery or any other batteries that are simultaneously charged by the generators. It is understood, however, that various aspect and features of the present charging system can also be employed in the situation where only one generator charges two or more batteries. The following summarizes some of the aspects and features of the present charging system and its method of operation.
One aspect of the invention involves a charging system for a watercraft having at least one marine drive that includes an engine. The charging system charges at least first and second batteries. The first battery is associated with the marine drive and the second battery is arranged to power accessories on the watercraft. A power generator of the charging system is driven by the engine and selectively charges the first and second batteries. A regulator is coupled to the generator to regulate the voltage supplied to the first and second batteries. The charging system also includes at least one controller that is connected to the first battery to determine a voltage at the first battery, to the second battery to determine a voltage at the second battery, and to the regulator for controlling the regulator. The controller is configured to compare the determined voltages of the first and second batteries with a predetermined overcharged voltage and to regulate the voltage supplied by the generator when the voltage at one of the first and second batteries is greater than the overcharged voltage.
In one preferred mode, the controller is further configured to compare the determined voltages of the first and second batteries with a predetermined fully charged voltage. The controller operates the regulator so as not to regulate the voltage supplied by the generator when the voltage at one of the first and second batteries is less than the fully charged voltage, even though the voltage at the other battery is greater than the fully charged voltage (but less than the overcharged voltage).
Another aspect of the invention involves a charging system for a watercraft having at least one marine drive that includes an engine. The charging system charges at least first and second batteries. The first battery is associated with the marine drive and the second battery is arranged to power accessories on the watercraft. A power generator of the charging system is driven by the engine and selectively charges the first and second batteries. A regulator is coupled to the generator to regulate the voltage supplied to the first and second batteries. The charging system also includes at least one controller that is connected to the first battery to determine a voltage at the first battery, to the second battery to determine a voltage at the second battery, and to the regulator for controlling the regulator. The controller is configured to compare the determined voltages of the first and second batteries with a predetermined fully charged voltage. The controller operates the regulator so as not to regulate the voltage supplied by the generator when the voltage at one of the first and second batteries is less than the fully charged voltage.
In a preferred mode, the controller is further configured to compare the determined voltages of the first and second batteries with a predetermined undercharged voltage. The controller operates the regulator so as to regulate the voltage supplied by the generator when the voltage at one of the batteries is greater than the fully charged voltage and one of the voltage at the other battery is greater than the undercharged voltage.
In a further preferred mode, the controller compares the determined voltages of the first and second batteries with a predetermined overcharged voltage. If the voltage at one of the batteries is g
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Luk Lawrence
Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Tso Edward H.
LandOfFree
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