Charger

Abstract

A charger, comprising: a housing; a plurality of power supply ends supported by the housing and a plurality of power lines electrically connected to the plurality of power supply ends, wherein each power line is configured to supply power to one charging link; a charging circuit comprising a plurality of charging paths, wherein at least one power supply end can be connected to at least two charging paths; and a controller at least connected to the charging circuit and the plurality of power supply ends, wherein the controller is configured to control an output power of each power supply end at least on the basis of electric parameters of the power supply end.

Description

charger

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 15, 2023, with application number 202311736531.2, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to a high-power power supply device, for example, a charger. Background Art

[0003] With the development of battery technology, portable power tools have gradually become mainstream tools. Different tools may use different battery packs as power sources. When a family or team has multiple power tools, they may have multiple identical or different battery packs. Current chargers, especially some high-power chargers that can directly charge vehicles such as riding lawn mowers, have a single output port that can only charge the battery pack on one charging link. It cannot charge the battery packs of different tools at the same time, and users need to manually switch battery packs. Therefore, chargers that can charge battery packs in multiple links simultaneously have become one of the mainstream products developed in the charger field.

[0004] This section provides background information related to the present application which is not necessarily prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One object of the present application is to solve or at least alleviate part or all of the above problems. To this end, one object of the present application is to provide a high-power multi-charger that can charge multiple charging links and distribute the charging power of different charging links.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A charger comprises: a housing; a plurality of power terminals supported by the housing and a plurality of power lines electrically connected to the plurality of power terminals, each of the power lines being configured to supply power to a charging link; a charging circuit comprising a plurality of charging paths, at least one of the power terminals being capable of accessing at least two charging paths; and a controller connected to at least the charging circuit and the plurality of power terminals; the controller being configured to control the output power of each of the power terminals based at least on an electrical parameter of the power terminal.

[0008] In one embodiment, the maximum output power of at least one of the power lines is less than or equal to 4000W.

[0009] In one embodiment, at least one of the power lines is fixedly connected to the power terminal.

[0010] In one embodiment, at least one of the power cables is pluggable and connectable to the power terminal.

[0011] In one embodiment, the power output ends of at least two of the power lines have different port types.

[0012] In one embodiment, the power output port of at least one power line is a charging gun to adapt to a vehicle charging interface.

[0013] In one embodiment, the charging link includes one or more of a battery pack for a power tool, a power supply unit, and a vehicle.

[0014] In one embodiment, a switch element is connected in series on each of the charging paths, and the controller is configured to control a switching state of the switch element according to the electrical parameter to change the output power of each of the charging paths.

[0015] In one embodiment, the electrical parameter includes at least one of voltage, current or output power.

[0016] A charger comprising: a housing; multiple power terminals supported by the housing and multiple power cords electrically connected to the multiple power terminals, each power cord being configured to supply power to a charging link; a charging circuit comprising multiple charging paths; and a maximum output power of the charger being less than or equal to 4000W.

[0017] A charger comprises: a housing; multiple power terminals supported by the housing and multiple power lines electrically connected to the multiple power terminals, each power line being configured to supply power to a charging link; the multiple power terminals including at least a main power terminal; the maximum output power of the main power terminal being less than or equal to 4000W; and a controller connected to at least the charging circuit and the multiple power terminals; the controller being configured to control the output power of each power terminal based on at least the electrical parameters of the main power terminal.

[0018] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to control the main power terminal to output power and control other power terminals except the main power terminal to disconnect power output when the electrical parameters of the main power terminal are within a first parameter range.

[0019] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to adjust the output power of the main power supply end and adjust the power output of other power supply ends according to the electrical parameters of other power supply ends except the main power supply end when the electrical parameters of the main power supply end are within a second parameter range.

[0020] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to disconnect the power output of the main power terminal when the electrical parameter of the main power terminal is within a third parameter range. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a charging system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG2 is a circuit diagram of a charging system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a charger provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the charger provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Before any embodiments of the present application are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the application is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the foregoing drawings.

[0026] In this application, the terms "comprises," "includes," "has," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0027] In this application, the term "and / or" describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the related objects are in an "and / or" relationship.

[0028] In this application, the terms "connect," "combine," "couple," and "install" may refer to direct connection, combination, coupling, or installation, or indirect connection, combination, coupling, or installation. For example, a direct connection refers to two parts or components being connected together without an intermediary, and an indirect connection refers to two parts or components being connected to at least one intermediary, with the two parts or components being connected via the intermediary. Furthermore, "connect" and "couple" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings and may include electrical connections or couplings.

[0029] In this application, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that relative terms (e.g., "about," "approximately," "substantially," etc.) used in conjunction with quantities or conditions include the values ​​and have the meaning indicated by the context. For example, the relative terms include at least the degree of error associated with the measurement of a specific value, the tolerance caused by manufacturing, assembly, use, etc. associated with a specific value. Such terms should also be considered to disclose a range defined by the absolute values ​​of the two endpoints. Relative terms may refer to plus or minus a certain percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10% or more) of the indicated value. Numerical values ​​that do not use relative terms should also be disclosed as specific values ​​with tolerances. In addition, "substantially" may refer to plus or minus a certain degree (e.g., 1 degree, 5 degrees, 10 degrees or more) on the basis of the indicated angle when expressing a relative angular position relationship (e.g., substantially parallel, substantially perpendicular).

[0030] In this application, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the function performed by an assembly can be performed by one assembly, multiple assemblies, one part, or multiple parts. Similarly, the function performed by a part can also be performed by one part, one assembly, or a combination of multiple parts.

[0031] In the present application, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back" and other directional words are described based on the orientation and positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application. In addition, in the context, it is also necessary to understand that when it is mentioned that an element is connected to another element "upper" or "lower", it can not only be directly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower", but also be indirectly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower" through an intermediate element. It should also be understood that directional words such as upper side, lower side, left side, right side, front side, back side, etc. not only represent the positive orientation, but can also be understood as the lateral orientation. For example, below can include directly below, lower left, lower right, lower front and lower back, etc.

[0032] In this application, the terms "controller," "processor," "central processing unit," "CPU," and "MCU" are used interchangeably. Where a unit "controller," "processor," "central processing unit," "CPU," or "MCU" is used to perform a particular function, unless otherwise specified, the function may be performed by a single unit or multiple units.

[0033] In this application, the terms "device", "module" or "unit" can be implemented in the form of hardware or software to achieve specific functions.

[0034] In this application, the terms "calculate", "judge", "control", "determine", "identify", etc. refer to the operations and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device (e.g., controller, processor, etc.).

[0035] The charging system 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2 may include a charger 10 and multiple charging links 20. In this embodiment, the charging interface 11 of the charger 10 is configured to connect to a charging power source, such as AC mains power, to obtain charging power. The charging interface 11 may be a power interface extending from a charging cable 102 formed or mounted on a housing 101. The housing 101 of the charger 10 also forms, carries, or supports multiple power terminals 12, which connect to multiple charging links 20 via multiple power cables 13. The power input terminal 131 of the power cable 13 connects to the power terminal 12 of the charger 10, and the power output port 132 of the power cable 13 connects to the charging link 20. In other embodiments, the charger 10 may also include a battery charging terminal that can be directly connected to the battery pack without the need for a power cable 13. Among them, the positions of multiple power terminals 12 on the shell 101 are shown in Figure 1. They can be located at the lower end or side of the shell 101, or can also be located on the back or top of the shell 101, or close to the lead-out position of the charging cable 102. This application does not specifically limit the positions of the multiple power terminals 12 on the charger 10.

[0036] In one embodiment, the power input end 131 of the power cord 13 can be fixedly mounted to the power terminal 12 of the charger 10, that is, the power cord 13 is fixed to the charger 10. In one embodiment, the power cord 13 is pluggable and mounted to the charger 10, that is, the power input end 131 can be pluggable and mounted to the power terminal 12.

[0037] In this embodiment, the charging link 20 may include at least one of a power tool battery pack 21, a power supply device 22, and a vehicle 23. That is, the charging link 20 may include one device to be charged, or may be a link cascaded with multiple devices to be charged.

[0038] In one embodiment, the power supply device 22 can be an adapter that can be connected to at least one battery pack 21 and can convert the electrical energy output by the charger 10 to charge the battery pack 21, wherein the input end of the adapter is connected to the power output port 132, and the output end of the adapter is inserted into the battery pack for the power tool.

[0039] In one embodiment, the power supply device 22 can be a battery compartment that can accommodate at least one battery pack 21 and can convert the electrical energy output by the charger 10 to charge the battery pack 21, or a movable cart with a battery compartment, wherein the input end of the battery compartment can be connected to the power output port 132, and the battery connection terminal in the battery compartment is plugged into the battery pack.

[0040] In one embodiment, the power supply device 22 can be a DC-DC device that can connect to different types of battery packs 21 and convert the electrical energy output by the charger 10 to charge at least some of the battery packs. Alternatively, the power supply device 22 can be a DC-DC device that can use the electrical energy output by the charger 10 to charge some battery packs and use the charged battery packs to charge other uncharged battery packs. In other embodiments, the charging link 20 can also include other types of rechargeable energy storage devices, or power tools or electric equipment with built-in, installed, or plugged-in energy storage devices.

[0041] In this embodiment, the device to be charged in the charging link 20 may include an energy storage device, such as a battery pack 21. In one embodiment, a device for carrying or installing the device to be charged may also be referred to as a device to be charged, such as the power supply device 22 or vehicle 23 described herein.

[0042] In one embodiment, the charging chain 20 may also include power tools. In one embodiment, the battery pack 21 in the charging chain 20 or the battery pack installed on the power supply unit 22 can power various types of power tools. The power tools referred to in this application may be handheld power tools, such as drills, pruners, and sanders. Alternatively, the power tools may be benchtop tools, such as table saws and miter saws. Alternatively, the power tools may be push-type power tools, such as push lawn mowers and push snow blowers. Alternatively, the power tools may be ride-on power tools, such as ride-on lawn mowers, ride-on vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles. Alternatively, the power tools may be robotic tools, such as robotic lawn mowers and robotic snow blowers. In some embodiments, the power tools may be electric drills, electric lights, electric vehicles, etc. In some embodiments, the power tools may be garden tools, such as pruners, hair dryers, lawn mowers, and chainsaws. Alternatively, the power tools may be decorating tools, such as screwdrivers, nail guns, circular saws, and sanders. In some embodiments, the power tool may also be a vegetation care tool, such as a lawn mower, a lawn mower, a pruner, a chain saw, etc. Alternatively, the power tool may also be a cleaning tool, such as a hair dryer, a snow blower, a cleaning machine, etc. Alternatively, the power tool may also be a drilling tool, such as a drill, a screwdriver, a wrench, an electric hammer, etc. Alternatively, the power tool may also be a sawing tool, such as a reciprocating saw, a jig saw, a circular saw, etc. Alternatively, the power tool may also be a bench tool, such as a table saw, a miter saw, a metal cutter, an electric milling machine, etc. Alternatively, the power tool may also be a grinding tool, such as an angle grinder, a sander, etc. Alternatively, the power tool may also be other tools, such as a lamp, a fan, etc. Of course, the load may also include other types of household electrical appliances.

[0043] In this embodiment, the vehicle 23 in the charging link 20 can be a riding lawn mower, a riding snow blower, an ATV, a UTV, or other large-scale tool equipment, or can also be a large push-type garden tool, such as a push lawn mower, a snow blower, etc. When multiple power supply devices 22 or vehicles are cascaded in the charging link 20, a connecting cable 30 can be used for connection. The connecting cable 30 can be the same as or different from the power supply cable 13 described above. In the charging system 100 shown in Figure 1, the charger 10 has three power supply terminals 12a to 12c, which can be connected to three power supply cables 13a to 13c, and each power supply cable 13 can be connected to a charging link 20. The charging link 20a to which the power supply cable 13a is connected cascades multiple power supply devices 22, specifically including an adapter 221, a battery compartment 222, and a DC-DC device 223. A connecting cable 30 is electrically connected between each power supply device 22. Power cable 13b connects to charging link 20b, which cascades an adapter 221 and vehicle 23. Adapter 221 and vehicle 23 are connected via a connecting cable 30. Charging link 20c, to which power cable 13c connects, connects to vehicle 23. It should be noted that the connecting cables 30 in different charging links 20 can be different, or multiple connecting cables 30 in the same charging link 20 can be different, or connecting cables in different charging links 20 can be mixed. For example, a connecting cable 30 with one end connected to adapter 221 and the other end connected to battery compartment 222 can be used when the output end of adapter 221 in charging link 20 is connected to battery compartment 222.

[0044] In this embodiment, the power output ports 132 of at least two power cords 13 have different port forms, and the port form may include the shape, size, etc. of the port. For example, some power output ports 132 are circular ports, some are square ports, or ports of other shapes. Ports of different forms can be connected to different objects. In the present application, the power cord 13 with a square port can be directly connected to the vehicle 23 to charge the vehicle 23 or to charge the battery pack in the vehicle 23, and the power cord 13 with a circular port can be connected to the adapter 221 or the battery compartment 222 or the DC-DC device 223. In this embodiment, the output port of at least one power cord 13 is a square port, and the square power output port 132 can also be called a charging gun that can adapt to the charging port of the vehicle 23.

[0045] In one embodiment, the maximum output power of the charger 10 is less than or equal to 4000W, or less than or equal to 3500W, or less than or equal to 3200W, or less than or equal to 3000W, etc. In one embodiment, the maximum output power of at least one power line 13 or the maximum output power of at least one power supply terminal 12 is less than or equal to 3500W. The power supply terminal 12 with a maximum output power less than or equal to 3500W is defined as the main power supply terminal, and the charging link 20 connected to the power supply terminal is the main charging link 201. The main charging link 20 can be understood as a link that can obtain the maximum output power of the charger 10. Generally, the main charging link 201 is connected to a power supply device 22 or a vehicle 23 or a battery pack 21 that requires a larger charging power. In the present application, the main charging link 20 is configured to include at least a vehicle 23.

[0046] In one embodiment, the charging link 20 connected to the power output port 132 can be determined as the main charging link 201 based on the port shape of the power output port 132. For example, the charging link 20 connected to the square power output port 132 that can be connected to the vehicle 23 is the main charging link 201.

[0047] In this embodiment, when a device to be charged, such as a vehicle 23, is connected to the main charging link 201, the charging circuit within the charger 10 prioritizes powering the main charging link 201 connected to the main power source terminal 12, and charges the device to be charged, such as the vehicle 23, on the main charging link 201 at maximum power. Once the main charging link 201 is charged to a certain level, the charging circuit can reduce the charging power to the main charging link 201 while providing power to other charging links 20. When the main charging link 201 is substantially fully charged, the charging path outputting power to the main charging link 201 is disconnected, and charging power is allocated to the other charging links 20 based on the electrical parameters of the other charging links 20. This ensures that the charger 20 can achieve its maximum output power while also avoiding resource waste.

[0048] In one embodiment, taking a charger 10 having three power terminals 12 as an example, the charging circuit 400 of charger 10 shown in FIG3 may include an AC-DC module 401, a first DC-DC module 402, a second DC-DC module 403, multiple charging paths L1 to L4 derived from the first and second DC-DC modules 402 and 403, switching elements S1 to S4 connected in series to the charging paths L1 to L4, and a controller 404 capable of controlling at least the switching states of the switching elements S1 to S4. The power terminals 12 include a first power terminal 121, a second power terminal 122, and a third power terminal 123. Each power terminal is connected to at least one charging path, so that charging energy can flow along the corresponding charging path through the power terminal 12 and the power line 13 electrically coupled to the power terminal 12 to charge a charging device in the charging link 20 connected to the power terminal 12. In this embodiment, the charging power output from charging paths L1 and L2 is substantially the same, and the charging power output from charging paths L3 and L4 is substantially the same. In this embodiment, the controller 404 can control the working state of the power elements in the AC-DC module 401, the first DC-DC module 402, and the second DC-DC module 403 to adjust the output power of different charging paths. It can be understood that the controller 404 can also control whether each charging path can output charging power by controlling the switching state of the switching elements S1-S4, which can also be understood as being able to control the output power of the charging path by controlling the switching state of the switching elements S1-S4. It should be noted that since the AC-DC module 401 can be a PFC power module, the first DC-DC module 402 and the second DC-DC module 403 can be isolated power modules. In this application, the PFC module and the isolated power module can be implemented by borrowing mature circuit modules, and the process of the controller 404 changing the output power through the PFC module and / or the isolated power module is also a relatively common control method, which will not be described in detail.

[0049] In this embodiment, the charging circuit 400 may further include a parameter detection module 405 capable of detecting at least electrical parameters at the power supply terminal 12, such as current, voltage, or power parameters, and transmitting the detected electrical parameters to the controller 404, so that the controller 404 can control the output power of each charging path based on the acquired electrical parameters. In one implementation, as shown in FIG3 , the charging circuit 400 may further include multiple parameter detection modules 405, each capable of detecting an electrical parameter at a corresponding power supply terminal 12. In one implementation, the number of parameter detection modules 405 is less than or equal to the number of power supply terminals 12, or at least two power supply terminals 12 may share one parameter detection module 405. In one implementation, at least one parameter detection module 405 is provided in the charging circuit 400 capable of detecting electrical parameters at all power supply terminals 12. It is understood that the parameter detection module 405 may also obtain identification information that characterizes the identity of each power supply terminal 12, or may obtain identification information that characterizes the identity of the device to be charged in the charging chain 20, collectively referred to herein as identification information. The parameter detection module 405 can send identification information to the controller 404 so that the controller 404 can confirm the identity of each power supply terminal 12 and the identity of the device to be charged in the charging chain 20 connected to the power supply terminal 12. The identification information may include whether the power supply terminal 12 is a primary power supply terminal, or may include the type and model of the device to be charged in the charging chain 20.

[0050] It is understood that the electrical parameters at the power supply terminal 12 can represent the state of the power supply device in the charging link 20 connected to the power supply terminal 12, such as whether charging is in progress and the magnitude of the charging current or voltage. Therefore, the controller 404 can control the switching state of the switching elements in the charging path based on the acquired electrical parameters and / or identification information to control the corresponding charging path to be conductive or disconnected, and can also control the power elements in the AC-DC module 401, the first DC-DC module 402, and the second DC-DC module 403 to change the charging power output by the conductive charging path.

[0051] In this embodiment, at least one power supply terminal 12 is capable of connecting to at least two charging paths; this power supply terminal can be defined as the primary power supply terminal. Referring to the charging circuit 400 shown in FIG3 , the second power supply terminal 122 can connect to the second charging path L2 and the third charging path L3. The first power supply terminal 121 is electrically connected to the first charging path L1, and the third power supply terminal 123 is electrically connected to the fourth charging path L4. This allows the second power supply terminal 122 to serve as the primary power supply terminal, and the link connected to the second power supply terminal 122 for charging to serve as the primary charging link 201. Consequently, the primary charging link 20, charged through the primary power supply terminal 122, can be charged at the maximum output power of the charger 10.

[0052] It is understandable that the charger 10 can be provided with multiple main power supply terminals, and the devices to be charged included in the main charging chain connected to the main power supply terminal can be determined by the user, and this application does not limit this.

[0053] Continuing with FIG3 , the controller 404 can control the output power of each power supply terminal 12 of the charger 10 based on the electrical parameters at the main power supply terminal 122. For example, the controller 404 can obtain the discharge current and / or voltage at the main power supply terminal 122 to thereby determine whether the battery pack in the vehicle 23 connected to the main power supply terminal 122 is fully charged, the charging progress, and the current charge level.

[0054] In this embodiment, when the electrical parameters of the main power supply terminal 122 are within a first parameter range, the controller 404 can control the output power of the main power supply terminal 122 and control the power output of the other power supply terminals 12 except the main power supply terminal to be disconnected. Specifically, when the main charging link 20 requires fast charging or high-power charging, charging of the main charging link 20 is prioritized to maximize the output power of the charger 10. The controller 404 can also, when the electrical parameters of the main power supply terminal 122 are within a second parameter range, adjust the output power of the main power supply terminal 122 and adjust the power output of the other power supply terminals except the main power supply terminal 122 based on the electrical parameters of the other power supply terminals. For example, the controller 404 can reduce the output power of the main power supply terminal 122 and change at least one of the other power supply terminals from no power output to charging power output. The controller 404 can also, when the electrical parameters of the main power supply terminal 122 are within a third parameter range, disconnect the power output of the main power supply terminal 122 and control more of the other power supply terminals to switch from no power output to charging power output. The first parameter range, the second parameter range, and the third parameter range can be a single parameter value or a parameter range, and the parameter can be a current parameter, a power parameter, a voltage parameter, or a combination of multiple parameters. In this embodiment, the electrical parameter at the power supply terminal 12 can represent the charging status of the device to be charged in the charging link 20 connected to the power supply terminal, such as whether it is charging, or the charging level, such as the percentage of the charged power relative to the full power.

[0055] In one embodiment, when the electrical parameters at the main power supply terminal 122 are within a first parameter range, the controller 404 can control the power supply path connected to the main power supply terminal 122 to be connected, allowing the main power supply terminal 122 to continuously output charging power, and disconnect other power supply paths not connected to the main power supply terminal 122, temporarily suspending power output from other power supply terminals. For example, when the charge level of a device to be charged in the main charging link 20 is very low, the charger 10 can output maximum charging power through the main power supply terminal 122 to power the main charging link 20. When the electrical parameters at the main power supply terminal 122 are within a second parameter range, the charger 10 can reduce power output to the main charging link 20 when the charge level of the device to be charged in the main charging link 20 reaches a certain level, while enabling power output to one or more other charging links. For example, when the charge level of a device to be charged in the main charging link 20 reaches any level between 50% and 90% of full charge, the charging power of the main charging link 20 can be reduced. When the electrical parameters of the main power supply end 122 are within the third parameter range, the devices to be charged in the main charging link 20 are substantially fully charged, the power output of the charger 10 to the main charging link can be disconnected, and the output power of different power supply ends can be allocated according to the parameters of other power supply ends.

[0056] Because different devices to be charged may have electrical parameters at different orders of magnitude at the main power supply terminal 122 when charging in the main charging chain 20, this application does not specifically limit the range of the electrical parameters. The range of the electrical parameters at the main power supply terminal 122 within the first parameter range indicates that the charge of the device to be charged in the main charging chain 20 is very low and requires high-power charging; the second parameter range indicates that the charge of the device to be charged in the main charging chain 20 can be fully charged quickly even without high-power charging; and the third parameter range indicates that the charge of the device to be charged in the main charging chain 20 is substantially fully charged and does not require further charging.

[0057] In one embodiment, controller 404 assesses the charging status of main charging link 20 based on the charging current at power supply terminal 12. For example, if the voltage at main power supply terminal 122 is high and the output charging current is greater than a first current threshold, controller 404 determines that main charging link 20 requires high-power charging. Controller 404 can control main power supply terminal 122 to continuously output high-power power, while other power supply terminals disconnect power output. If the charging current at main power supply terminal 122 is greater than a second current threshold but less than or equal to the first current threshold, it can be determined that the charge level of the device to be charged in main charging link 20 has reached a certain level. The power output at main power supply terminal 122 can be adjusted, for example, by reducing the output power, and the charging power supplied by charger 10 to other charging links can be adjusted based on the electrical parameters at other power supply terminals 12. If the charging current at main power supply terminal 122 is less than or equal to the second current threshold, the device to be charged in main charging link 20 can be deemed substantially fully charged, and power output from main power supply terminal 122 can be disconnected, for example, by disconnecting all power supply paths L2 and L3 connected to main power supply terminal 122, i.e., by opening switches S2 and S3. In other embodiments, the controller 404 may also obtain the power parameters of the devices to be charged in the charging links 20 connected to each power source, and determine whether each charging link, particularly the main charging link, is fully charged or at a charging level based on the relationship between the power parameters and the power threshold. In this embodiment, the first current threshold is greater than the second current threshold, and the second current threshold is substantially zero.

[0058] In some embodiments, the charger 10 may include at least two main power supply terminals (not shown). When both main power supply terminals are connected to the main charging link 20, the controller 404 may allocate the maximum charging power to at least two main charging links based on the electrical parameters of the at least two main power supply terminals when a device to be charged in any of the main charging links requires high-power charging, while disconnecting the charging power output of the other power supply terminals. Furthermore, after all main charging links are substantially fully charged, the power output of all main charging links may be disconnected and charging power may be allocated to the other charging links. Alternatively, after all main charging links have been charged to a certain level, the charging power of all main charging links may be reduced and charging power may be allocated to the other charging links. It is understood that the control method for distributing charging power between the main charging link and the other charging links may vary depending on the number of main power supply terminals, but at least the charger 10 will ensure high-power charging of the main charging link and will not waste the charger's output power to charge all charging links.

[0059] Since the charger 10 can be connected to multiple charging links, the user can use a large period of time to charge all or as many devices as possible in the home. For example, while charging the vehicle 23 at night, it can also ensure that the power supply device 22 connected to other charging links can be charged, which greatly meets the user's charging needs.

[0060] It should be noted that the charger 10 can be used as a household electrical appliance. Therefore, the high-power charger 10 is also limited by the current carrying capacity of the user's home power supply line. To prevent the charger from exceeding the current carrying capacity of the user's line when operating at full power, thereby damaging the user's line and causing a safety accident, the operating current of the charger 10 can be reduced to below the current carrying capacity of the typical household line. This method can avoid damaging the user's line, but it will also result in the charger 10's power not being fully utilized, and it cannot meet the needs of other professional users for high-power chargers.

[0061] To meet the current carrying capacity of the home user line and fully utilize the charging power of the charger, the controller or control module in the charger can detect whether the charging power of the current charging link will cause excessive heating of the line. If so, it will reduce the charging power of the charging link currently charging at high power.

[0062] In one embodiment, at least one voltage-dividing resistor can be provided in the charging circuit 400. For example, the voltage-dividing circuits R3 and R4, or R5 and R6, shown in FIG4 . Among them, R1 and R2 represent the impedance on the virtual household user lines L and N. It is understandable that when the charger 10 is working, a voltage drop will be generated on R1 and R2, resulting in the AC voltage (L1 / N1) entering the charger being lower than the grid voltage (L / N). The charger 10 can detect the voltage of the circuit L1 through the voltage-dividing resistors R3 and R4, and the voltage of the circuit N1 through the voltage-dividing resistors R5 and R6. If the voltage of the charging link connected to the charger 10 during high-power charging can meet the requirements of high-power charging, the current in the charging path will not be too large, and thus the voltage of the voltage-dividing resistor will not be too large. On the contrary, if the voltage of the voltage-dividing resistor is large, the current in the charging path will be large and there is a risk of damaging the user line.

[0063] In one implementation, a controller (not shown) in the charging circuit can detect the voltage values ​​of AD_L and AD_N when the charger 10 is initially powered on at no load. It can also detect the voltage values ​​of AD_L and AD_N again when the charger 10 is performing high-power, full-load charging. If the difference between the two detected voltage values ​​is greater than a preset voltage difference, the charging link 20 currently performing full-load charging is determined to be unsuitable for high-power charging. Otherwise, it is deemed suitable. If the controller determines that a charging link is unsuitable for charging, it can control other modules in the charging circuit to adjust the charging power of the charging link, for example, by reducing the charging power, thereby avoiding damage to the home wiring.

[0064] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments do not limit this application in any form, and any technical solutions obtained by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A charger, comprising: case; a plurality of power terminals supported by the housing and a plurality of power lines electrically connected to the plurality of power terminals, each of the power lines being configured to supply power to a charging link; A charging circuit, comprising a plurality of charging paths, wherein at least one of the power supply terminals can be connected to at least two charging paths; A controller, connected at least to the charging circuit and the plurality of power supply terminals; The controller is configured to: The output power of each of the power supply terminals is controlled at least according to the electrical parameters of the power supply terminals.

2. The charger according to claim 1, wherein: The maximum output power of at least one of the power lines is less than or equal to 4000W.

3. The charger according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the power lines is fixedly connected to the power terminal.

4. The charger according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the power cords is pluggably connected to the power terminal.

5. The charger according to claim 1, wherein: The power output ends of at least two of the power lines have different port forms.

6. The charger according to claim 1, wherein: The power output port of at least one power line is a charging gun to adapt to the vehicle charging interface.

7. The charger according to claim 1, wherein: The charging link includes one or more of a battery pack for the power tool, a power supply device, and a vehicle.

8. The charger according to claim 1, wherein: A switch element is connected in series on each of the charging paths, and the controller is configured to control a switch state of the switch element according to the electrical parameter to change the output power of each of the charging paths.

9. The charger according to claim 1, wherein: The electrical parameter includes at least one of voltage, current or output power.

10. A charger, comprising: case; a plurality of power terminals supported by the housing and a plurality of power lines electrically connected to the plurality of power terminals, each of the power lines being configured to supply power to a charging link; A charging circuit, comprising a plurality of charging paths; The maximum output power of the charger is less than or equal to 4000W.

11. The charger according to claim 10, wherein: The maximum output power of at least one of the power lines is less than or equal to 4000W.

12. The charger according to claim 10, wherein: At least one of the power lines is fixedly connected to the power terminal.

13. The charger according to claim 10, wherein: At least one of the power cords is pluggably connected to the power terminal.

14. The charger according to claim 10, wherein: The power output ends of at least two of the power lines have different port forms.

15. The charger according to claim 10, wherein: The power output port of at least one power line is a charging gun to adapt to the vehicle charging interface.

16. The charger according to claim 10, wherein: The charging link includes one or more of a battery pack for the power tool, a power supply device, and a vehicle.

17. A charger, comprising: case; a plurality of power terminals supported by the housing and a plurality of power lines electrically connected to the plurality of power terminals, each of the power lines being configured to supply power to a charging link; The multiple power supply terminals at least include a main power supply terminal; The maximum output power of the main power supply end is less than or equal to 4000W; A controller, connected at least to the charging circuit and the plurality of power supply terminals; The controller is configured to: The output power of each of the power supply terminals is controlled at least according to the electrical parameters of the main power supply terminal.

18. The charger according to claim 17, wherein: The controller is configured to control the main power terminal to output power and control other power terminals except the main power terminal to disconnect power output when the electrical parameter of the main power terminal is within a first parameter range.

19. The charger according to claim 18, wherein: The controller is configured to adjust the output power of the main power supply terminal when the electrical parameters of the main power supply terminal are within a second parameter range and adjust the power output of other power supply terminals according to the electrical parameters of other power supply terminals except the main power supply terminal.

20. The charger according to claim 19, wherein: The controller is configured to disconnect the power output of the main power terminal when the electrical parameter of the main power terminal is within a third parameter range.

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