Charging apparatus

1. A charging apparatus for charging a battery, the apparatus comprising:

a temperature measurer that measures an ambient temperature of the battery;

a storage device that correlates the ambient temperature with a float charging voltage value in advance and stores the correlation;

a controller that reads out the float charging voltage value correlated with the temperature measured by said temperature measurer from said storage device; and

a charger that charges the battery at the float charging voltage value read out by said controller,

wherein said storage device stores a first voltage value as the float charging voltage value correlated with a first temperature, a second voltage value greater than the first voltage value as the float charging voltage value correlated with a second temperature greater than the first temperature, and a third voltage value greater than the second voltage value as the float charging value correlated with a third temperature greater than the second temperature.

2. The charging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said storage device stores float charging voltage values correlated respectively with a plurality of temperature ranges.

3. The charging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said storage device stores the float charging voltage value of the battery.

4. The charging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said storage device stores a sustaining/standby voltage value of the battery as the float charging voltage value.

5. The charging apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein said storage device stores an SOC in place of the float charging voltage value,

said controller reads out the SOC correlated with the temperature measured by said temperature measurer from said storage device and calculates a product of the read-out SOC and an allowable charging voltage value of the battery as the float charging voltage value, and

said charger charges the battery at the float charging voltage value calculated by said controller.

6. A charging apparatus for charging a battery, the apparatus comprising:

a clock that indicates a current month;

a storage device that correlates the current month with a float charging voltage value in advance and stores the correlation;

a controller that reads out the float charging voltage value correlated with the current month indicated by said clock from said storage device; and

a charger that charges the battery at the float charging voltage value read out by said controller,

wherein said storage device stores a first voltage value as the float charging voltage value correlated with a first month, a second voltage value greater than the first voltage value for a second month hotter than the first month as the float charging voltage value correlated with the second month, and a third voltage value greater than the second voltage value as the float charging value correlated with a third month hotter than the second month.

7. A charging method of charging a battery, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring an ambient temperature of the battery; and

charging the battery at a float charging value correlated with the measured temperature,

wherein said charging step charges the battery at a first voltage value as the float charging voltage value corresponding to a first temperature, a second voltage value greater than the first voltage value as the float charging voltage value corresponding to a second temperature greater than the first temperature, and a third voltage value greater than the second voltage value as the float charging value corresponding to a third temperature greater than the second temperature.

8. The charging method according to claim 7 , wherein said charging step charges the battery at a float charging voltage value correlated with a temperature range in which the measured temperature is included.

9. The charging method according to claim 7 , wherein said charging step uses a float charging voltage value of the battery as the float charging voltage value.

10. The charging method according to claim 7 , wherein said charging step uses a sustaining/standby voltage value of the battery as the float charging voltage value.

11. The charging method according to claim 7 , wherein said charging step uses an SOC in place of the float charging voltage value and charges the battery at a voltage value calculated by multiplying the SOC correlated with the measured temperature by an allowable charging voltage value of the battery.

12. The charging method according to claim 7 , wherein said charging step charges the battery at a voltage value correlated with the current month.