Combination jump starter and high frequency charger

• US 20040239290A1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vector Products Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vector Products Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krieger, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/805,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20040239290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/105
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/251 specially adapted for stationary devices, e.g. power plant buffering or backup power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• 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 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A portable jump starter/charger combination includes a housing and a jump starter battery enclosed within the housing for providing a first DC output. A battery charger is also enclosed within the housing and provides a second DC output. A function selector switch has a first input coupled to the first DC output of the jump starter battery, a second input coupled to the second DC output of the charger and an output coupled to battery cables. The function selector switch is operative to selectively connect one of the first and second inputs to the output of the function selector for either jump starting a vehicle with a dead battery or charging the dead battery through the pair of battery cables.

Claims

1. A portable jump starter/charger apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

an AC input disposed on the housing;

a jump-starter battery enclosed within said housing and providing a first DC output;

a battery charger enclosed within said housing, receiving AC current via the AC input and providing a second DC output from the AC current;

a pair of battery cables electrically coupleable to receive a selected one of the first and second DC outputs from the jump-starter battery and the battery charger.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a removable light mountable on the housing to be coupled to the jump starter battery.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a DC outlet disposed in the housing to be accessible from outside of the housing, coupled to said jump starter battery, and operative to provide DC power.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a DC input for receiving DC power and being coupled to said jump-starter battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said battery charger is a high frequency charger.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an air compressor attached to the housing, the air compressor coupled to said jump starter battery to receive said first DC output.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a DC to AC inverter coupled to said jump-starter battery;

an AC outlet coupled to said DC to AC inverter; and

wherein said function selector switch is a three-way switch operative to switch to provide AC power at said AC outlet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said battery charger is coupled to said jump starter battery to provide a charging current to charge said jump-starter battery.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a function selector switch having a first input coupled to the first DC output of the jump-starter battery, a second input coupled to the second DC output of the charger and an output coupled to the battery cables, the function selector switch being operative to selectively couple one of the first and second inputs to the output for either jump starting a vehicle with a battery or charging the battery through the pair of battery cables.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the function selector switch is manually operated.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the function selector switch is automatically operated.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

circuitry having an input coupled to an AC input and operative to convert the AC input into a first DC output, and an output providing said first DC output;

a storage battery disposed in said housing for producing a second DC output;

battery connectors coupled to a selected one of said output of said circuitry and said jump-starter battery for supplying the first and second DC outputs to a battery in a vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a polarity protection circuit coupled to the battery connectors to detect a polarity between the battery connectors when connected to the target battery and to allow power to be supplied to the battery only when correct polarity is established.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an input coupled to said storage battery for receiving a DC input to charge said storage battery.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said output of said circuitry is coupled to said input to provide said first DC output as said DC charging current.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a removable light mountable on the housing to be coupled to the jump starter battery.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a DC outlet disposed in the housing to be accessible from outside of the housing, coupled to said jump starter battery, and operative to provide DC power.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a DC input for receiving DC power and being coupled to said jump-starter battery.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a selector to manually couple said battery connectors coupled to said selected one of said output of said circuitry and said jump-starter battery.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a selector to automatically couple said battery connectors to said selected one of said output of said circuitry and said jump-starter battery.