Battery charger with projecting members

• US 10,414,277 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OPUS IVS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Drew Technologies Incorporated (Opus Group AB)
• Inventors: Herron, Brian J., Drew, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US15/485,643
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 320105
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/122 Provisions for temporary connection of DC sources of essentially the same voltage, e.g. jumpstart cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle battery charger includes a charger housing that contains electrical circuitry that is configured to couple with a power source for charging a vehicle battery. The battery charger also includes two projecting members that are coupled with the electrical circuitry and that extend through spaced apart apertures in the charger housing. An exterior portion of each of the two projecting members comprises an exposed conductive surface that is configured to be engaged by a clamp of a jumper cable that extends to the vehicle battery.

Claims

1. A battery charger comprising:

a charger housing that contains electrical circuitry that is configured to couple with a power source for charging a vehicle battery; and

two projecting members coupled with the electrical circuitry and extending through spaced apart apertures in the charger housing such that the two projecting members protrude outwardly from the spaced apart apertures beyond an outer periphery of the charger housing, wherein an exterior portion of each of the two projecting members comprises an exposed conductive surface that is configured to be engaged by a clamp of a jumper cable that extends to the vehicle battery.

2. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein substantial portions of the two projecting members protrude outwardly from the spaced apart apertures, wherein the spaced apart apertures are shaped to mate in a tight engagement with the two projecting members, and wherein each of the two projecting members comprise a metallic post that is fixed relative to the charger housing.

3. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuitry is operable for the two projecting members to comprise charges of opposite polarity.

4. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising a selector switch communicatively coupled to the electrical circuitry and operable to select a desired output amperage for charging the vehicle battery, wherein the electrical circuitry includes a controller operable to alternate charging rates of the vehicle battery.

5. The battery charger of claim 4, wherein the electrical circuitry comprises the controller that is operable to stop charging the vehicle battery when the vehicle battery is fully charged.

6. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising a display communicatively coupled to the electrical circuitry and operable to display an output current from the two projecting members for the vehicle battery.

7. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein said charger housing defines outer sides, and wherein said outer sides define the outer periphery of said charger housing, and wherein at least one said outer side includes a recess defining a cavity, and wherein at least one of said projecting members is disposed within said recess whereby said at least one projecting member is at least partially setback from the outer periphery of said charger housing.

8. The battery charger of claim 7, wherein both said projecting members are disposed within said recess.

9. A vehicle battery charging system comprising:

a set of jumper cables having a first pair of clamps at a first end of the set of jumper cables and a second pair of clamps at a second end of the set of jumper cables; and

a battery charger comprising (i) a charger housing that contains electrical circuitry operable to deliver a desired current to a vehicle battery and (ii) two metal posts coupled with the electrical circuitry and projecting from the charger housing such that the two projecting members protrude outwardly beyond an outer periphery of the charger housing; and

wherein the two metal posts of the battery charger are configured for the first pair of clamps to engage exposed conductive surfaces of the two metal posts beyond an outer periphery of the charger housing, and wherein the second pair of clamps are configured to engage and charge a vehicle battery.

10. The vehicle battery charging system of claim 9, wherein substantial portions of the two projecting members protrude outwardly from the spaced apart apertures, and wherein the electrical circuitry is operable for the two metal posts to comprise charges of opposite polarity.

11. The vehicle battery charging system of claim 9, further comprising a selector switch communicatively coupled to the electrical circuitry and operable to select a desired output amperage for charging the vehicle battery, wherein the electrical circuitry includes a controller operable to alternate charging rates of the vehicle battery.

12. The vehicle battery charging system of claim 9, wherein the electrical circuitry comprises the controller that is operable to stop charging the vehicle battery when the vehicle battery is fully charged.

13. The vehicle battery charging system of claim 9, wherein the battery charger comprises a display communicatively coupled to the electrical circuitry and operable to display an output current from the two metal posts for the engaged vehicle battery.

14. The vehicle battery charging system of claim 9, wherein said charger housing defines outer sides, and wherein said outer sides define the outer periphery of said charger housing, and wherein at least one said outer side includes a recess defining a cavity, and wherein at least one of said projecting members is disposed within said recess whereby said at least one projecting member is at least partially setback from the outer periphery of said charger housing.

15. The battery charger of claim 14, wherein both said projecting members are disposed within said recess.

16. A method for charging a vehicle battery, said method comprising:

providing a battery charger having a pair of projecting members extending through a pair of spaced apart apertures in a charger housing such that the two projecting members protrude outwardly from the pair of spaced apart apertures beyond an outer periphery of the charger housing, wherein each of the pair of projecting members comprises an exposed conductive surface;

attaching a first pair of clamps at a first end of jumper cables to the exposed conductive surfaces of the pair of projecting members beyond an outer periphery of the charger housing;

attaching a second end of the jumper cables to a vehicle battery; and

activating the battery charger to charge the vehicle battery.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein substantial portions of the two projecting members protrude outwardly from the spaced apart apertures, and wherein the pair of projecting members each comprise a metallic post.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the battery charger comprises electrical circuitry that is operable to select a desired output amperage for the vehicle battery a display operable to display an output current, a selector switch operable to select output amperage for charging the vehicle battery, and a controller operable to alternate charging rates of the vehicle battery.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the battery charger comprises an electrical cable that is configured to connect to a power source for charging the vehicle battery.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said charger housing defines outer sides, and wherein said outer sides define the outer periphery of said charger housing, and wherein one said outer side includes a recess defining a cavity, and wherein said projecting members are disposed within said recess whereby said projecting members are at least partially setback from the outer periphery of said charger housing.