RELAY CIRCUIT TESTER DEVICE

• US 20100176830A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Watson
• Original Assignee: Robert Watson
• Inventors: Watson, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,344,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/756.50
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/14 Indicating direction of current; Indicating polarity of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3278 of relays, solenoids or reed switches measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/54 Testing for continuity

Abstract

A circuit tester device for testing continuity and polarity of vehicle relay circuits may include a housing and a plug carried by the housing. The circuit tester device may also have a battery lead adapted to connect to a battery terminal, and a ground lead adapted to connect to a ground. Further, the circuit tester device may have circuitry including three or more circuits connected between the battery and ground leads. Each circuit may have in series a first resistor, a first status indicator, a first diode, a test terminal, a second diode, a second status indicator and a second resistor. Each test terminal may be connected to a respective one of the pins. The circuitry may also have one or more load circuits tapped into one of the circuits between the first and second diodes. The load circuits may include in series a test switch and a load terminal.

Claims

1. A circuit tester device for testing continuity and polarity of vehicle relay circuits coupled to a relay socket, the circuit tester device comprising:

a housing;

a plug extending from the housing, the plug including a plurality of pins each pin being adapted to electrically connect to a respective one of a plurality of receptacle terminals of a relay socket;

a battery lead carried by the housing and adapted to connect to a battery terminal;

a ground lead carried by the housing and adapted to connect to a ground; and

a circuitry mounted within the housing and including at least three circuits connected between the battery lead and the ground lead, each of the at least three circuits including in series a first resistor, a first status indicator, a first diode, a second diode, a second status indicator and a second resistor, each of the at least three circuits further including a test terminal that is coupled between the first and second diodes and further connected to a respective one of the at least three of the pins.

2. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein the battery terminal has a first polarity, and the first status indicator is energized in response to the battery lead being connected to the battery terminal.

3. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein the battery terminal has a first polarity, and the first status indicator is de-energized in response to the battery lead being connected to the battery terminal and further in response to application to the test terminal of a voltage having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity when the plug is connected to the relay socket.

4. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein the battery terminal has a first polarity, and the second light emitting diode is energized in response to the battery lead being connected to the battery terminal and further in response to application to the test terminal of a voltage having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity when the plug is connected to the relay socket.

5. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein the first light emitting diode is energized in response to the battery lead being connected to the battery terminal and further in response to the test terminal being connected to a vehicle circuit having in series an open vehicle switch and a ground.

6. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein the first light emitting diode is energized in response to the battery lead being connected to the battery terminal and further in response to the test terminal being connected to a vehicle circuit having in series a closed vehicle switch and a ground.

7. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein the second light emitting diode is energized in response to the battery lead being connected to the battery terminal and further in response to the test terminal being connected to a vehicle circuit having in series an open vehicle switch and a ground.

8. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein the second light emitting diode is de-energized in response to the battery lead being connected to the battery terminal and further in response to the test terminal being connected to a vehicle circuit having in series a closed vehicle switch and a ground.

9. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein each of the battery lead and the ground lead terminate with a respective one of a pair of alligator clips.

10. The circuit tester device of claim 15, wherein the test switch is a push button switch.

15. The circuit tester device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry further includes at least one load circuit tapped into one of the at least three circuits between the first and second diodes, the at least one load circuit including in series a test switch and a load terminal connected to a respective one of the other pins.

16. The circuit tester device of claim 1 wherein the first status indicator comprises a light emitting diode.

17. The circuit tester device of claim 1 wherein the second status indicator comprises a light emitting diode.

11. A circuit tester device for testing continuity and polarity of vehicle relay circuits coupled to a relay socket, the circuit tester device comprising:

a housing;

a battery lead carried by the housing and adapted to connect to a battery terminal;

a ground lead carried by the housing and adapted to connect to a ground;

a pair of input voltage circuits carried by the housing and connected between the battery lead and the ground lead, each of the of input voltage circuits having an input test terminal adapted to connect to a respective one of a plurality of receptacle terminals of the relay socket to receive an input voltage therefrom;

a ground circuit carried by the housing and connected between the battery lead and the ground lead, the ground circuit having a first test terminal adapted to be coupled to a vehicle circuit that has in series a vehicle switch and the ground; and

at least one load circuit carried by the housing and connected between the battery lead and the ground lead, the at least one load circuit having in series a test switch and a second test terminal adapted to be coupled to at least one other vehicle circuit.

12. The circuit tester device of claim 11, wherein the ground circuit includes in series a first resistor, a first light emitting diode, a first diode, the first ground test terminal, a second diode, a second light emitting diode and a second resistor.

13. The circuit tester device of claim 11, wherein each of the input voltage circuits includes in series a first resistor, a first light emitting diode, a first diode, the input test terminal, a second diode, a second light emitting diode and a second resistor.

14. A method for operating a circuit tester device to test continuity and polarity of vehicle relay circuits coupled to a relay socket, the method comprising:

connecting a battery lead of the circuit tester device to a voltage source of a vehicle;

connecting a ground lead of the circuit tester device to a ground;

inserting a plug of the circuit tester device into the relay socket;

operating a vehicle switch of a vehicle system coupled to the relay socket;

operating a test switch of the circuit tester device to actuate the electronic vehicle system; and

energizing a plurality of status indicators of the circuit tester device in response to connecting the battery lead to the voltage source, connecting the ground lead to the ground, operating the vehicle switch and operating the test switch.