Battery connection and monitoring

• US 20090017643A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Oakes, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/322 for improving the stop or idling operation of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/2262 related to the period of on/off time of the heater
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An idle control system for a vehicle is provided.

Claims

1. An electrical coupler for coupling a load to a plurality of power sources including:

positive and negative load connection points;

first and second positive power connection points;

first and second negative power connection points;

a first electrical path between the positive load connection point and the first positive power connection point;

a second electrical path between the positive load connection point and the second positive power connection point, the second electrical path being of the same length as the first electrical path;

a third electrical path between the negative load connection point and the first negative power connection point; and

a fourth electrical path between the negative load connection point and the second negative power connection point, the fourth electrical path being of the same length as the third electrical path.

2. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrical paths overlap.

3. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the positive and negative load connection points include connectors thereon adapted to electrically couple to a vehicle.

4. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the second electrical path is of the same resistance as the first electrical path and the fourth electrical path is of the same resistance as the third electrical path.

5. The coupler of claim 1, further including a monitor coupled to at least one of the positive and negative load connection points.

6. An HVAC control system including:

a plurality of batteries;

a coupler having positive and negative connection paths for each battery to connection points, all positive connection paths having a substantially equal resistance and all negative connection paths having a substantially equal resistance;

an HVAC device electrically coupled to the plurality of batteries via the coupler.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the HVAC device is an accessory HVAC device readily separable from a vehicle.

8. The system of claim 6, further including a monitor attached to the coupler.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitor is a voltmeter.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitor is a ammeter.

11. An idle control system including:

a battery;

an alternator;

a wire electrically coupling the battery and alternator;

at least one meter selected from an ammeter coupled to the wire and a voltmeter;

an alternator line and battery corrosion detector, the detector being coupled to the meter and having a processor that utilizes data from the meter.

12. The system of claim 11, further including instructions that cause the processor to produce output indicative of predicted degradation of the battery and alternator line.

13. The system of claim 12, further including a monitor to communicate the predicted degradation of the battery and alternator line.

14. The system of claim 11, further including instructions that cause the processor to produce output indicative of battery capacity.

15. The system of claim 14, further including a monitor to communicate the battery capacity.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor controls activation of a HVAC system of a vehicle.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the system has positive and negative load connection points;

first and second positive power connection points;

first and second negative power connection points;

a first electrical path between the positive load connection point and the first positive power connection point;

a second electrical path between the positive load connection point and the second positive power connection point, the second electrical path being of the same length as the first electrical path;

a third electrical path between the negative load connection point and the first negative power connection point; and

a fourth electrical path between the negative load connection point and the second negative power connection point, the fourth electrical path being of the same length as the third electrical path, at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth electrical paths being part of the wire electrically coupling the battery and the alternator.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the battery includes a plurality of batteries;

and further including a coupler having positive and negative connection paths for each battery to connection points, all positive connection paths having a substantially equal resistance and all negative connection paths having a substantially equal resistance.

19. The system of claim 11, further including an HVAC device electrically coupled to the battery.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is able to issue signals to effect starting and stopping of an engine.