Patent ID: 6462514
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: H02J

Abstract:
A battery unit comprisinga storage battery coupled to an integral charge control circuit, the charge control circuit comprising a switch adapted to prevent or allow a charging current to flow into the storage battery, said switch being controlled by a measuring system that measures at least one physical parameter representative of a state of the storage battery in order to command successive opening and closing of the switch to chop said charging current if said measured physical parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein, if said predetermined threshold is exceeded, the measuring system commands the switch to chop the charging current with a first duty cycle during a predetermined time interval to homogenize the charge of the storage battery, and then to chop the charging current with a second duty cycle having a length less than a length of the first duty cycle, to establish a trickle current that compensates self-discharge of the storage battery.