BATTERY RECHARGING APPARATUS

摘要

Apparatus (1) for recharging a battery (5), comprising a compartment (3) for accommodating the battery (5) in such a manner that its electrical terminals are in contact with a pair of electrodes (7, 9), the electrodes (7, 9) being connectable to corresponding poles of a controllable source (11) of electrical energy, further comprising a strain gauge (15) which is positioned so as to make contact with a wall of the battery (5) when the battery (5) is in place in the compartment (3), the strain gauge (15) comprising a foil (17) which carries a resistive element (19), each of the two extremities (19a, 19b) of the resistive element (19) being connected to electrical (25) means via a separate contact wire (21; 23), whereby the coefficient of thermal expansion of the strain gauge (15) is substantially equal to that of the wall of the battery (5), and the material of one of the contact wires (21) at its juncture with the resistive element (19) has a different Seebeck coefficient to the material of the other contact wire (23) at its juncture with the resistive element (19). In such an apparatus, the battery temperature can be monitored by measuring the DC voltage difference between the contact wires (21, 23), whereas the mechanical deformation of the battery (5) can be monitored by measuring the AC impedance of the resistive element (19), both of which measurements are independently conducted using the electrical means (25).