Portable emergency vehicle battery charger

• US 20050258797A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chien Hung Taiwan Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Chien Hung Taiwan Ltd.
• Inventors: Hung, Chien-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 7,199,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/105
• 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

Abstract

A portable emergency vehicle battery charger has a portable case, a battery and a circuit board. The battery and circuit board are mounted in the portable case. The case mainly has a power out socket connected to the battery through the circuit board, a power input socket connected to the battery and a power supply switch connected between the circuit board and the battery. The power output socket is a cigar-lighter socket. When a vehicle battery does not have sufficient charge to start an engine, the driver uses a jumper cable connected between a cigar-lighter in the vehicle and the power output socket to charge the battery. Then the driver turns the power supply switch on to provide a constant current to the vehicle battery.

Claims

1. A portable emergency vehicle battery charger, comprises:

a portable case having a handle, a power output socket, a power supply switch and a power input socket, wherein

the power output socket is a cigar-lighter type for being connected to a cigar-lighter socket in a vehicle; and

the power input socket for being connected to an external battery charger;

a battery mounted in the case and connected to the power input socket so the external battery charger can charge the battery; and

a circuit board mounted in the case and connected to the power supply socket, the battery and the power supply switch, wherein the circuit board outputs a constant charging current to the power output socket.

2. The charger as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an illumination switch mounted on the case; and

an illumination device connected to the case and further connected to the battery through the illumination switch.

3. The charger as claimed in claim 2, wherein the circuit board comprises:

a microprocessor connected to the battery through a regulator to obtain a suitable DC voltage, the power supply switch and the illumination switch;

a booster having

a power source input terminal connected to the battery through the power supply switch;

a disable terminal connected to the microprocessor; and

a power output terminal connected to the microprocessor; and

a power supply controller connected to the power output terminal of the booster and having

a controlling terminal connected to the microprocessor;

a power input connected to the power output terminal of the booster; and

a power output connected to the power output socket and the microprocessor.

4. The charger as claimed in claim 3, wherein the booster comprises a PWM generator and current compensation IC, an electronic switch, a booster inductance connected to the electronic switch, the battery and the power output terminal, a resistor connected between the electronic switch and ground and an RC oscillator connected to the PWM generator and current compensation IC;

wherein the PWM generator and current compensation IC controls a duty cycle of the electronic switch and has;

a power input connected to the battery through the power supply switch;

a PWM output connected to the electronic switch;

a current feedback input connected to the resistor; and

a clock signal input connected to the RC oscillator, whose capacitor is connected to the microprocessor.

5. The charger as claimed in claim 4, further comprises a fuse connected between the battery and the booster inductance.

6. The charger as claimed in claim 4, wherein the microprocessor is connected to the power output terminal of the booster through a first rheostat.

7. The charger as claimed in claim 3, wherein the power supply controller comprises:

a transistor having a base terminal connected to the microprocessor, a collector terminal and an emitter terminal connected to ground; and

a relay having a coil connected to the collection terminal of the transistor and a switch connected between the power output terminal and the power output socket.

8. The charger as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a battery indicator connected to the circuit board, wherein battery indicator consists of multiple different colored LEDs connected to the microprocessor.

9. The charger as claimed in claim 3, further comprising an alarm unit connected to the microprocessor and comprising:

a transistor having a base terminal connected to the microprocessor, a collector terminal and an emitter terminal connected to ground; and

a buzzer connected to the collector terminal.

10. The charger as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a fuse socket mounted on the portable case, wherein a fuse is mounted in the fuse socket.