SUPERVISED BATTERY POWER SUPPLY

• US 3,811,121 A
• Filed: 06/23/1972
• Issued: 05/14/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cerberus ABP Investor LLC (Cerberus Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Alan M. Heim, Raymond J. Gonzalez
• Inventors: Heim, Alan M., Gonzalez, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myer, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US05/265,559
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 340/249 320/48
• US Class Current: 340/636.15
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/18 Indicator or display

Abstract

A circuit for indicating the presence or condition of a battery in which the battery is used to control the actuation of an alarm circuit by using current from the battery to actuate an electronic switch. The circuit is operative irrespective of whether or not a battery charger producing a pulsating charging current is connected to the battery.

Claims

1. A supervised battery power supply circuit comprising a battery producing a first potential, a pair of output terminals connected to said battery, a pulsating wave battery charger connected to said output terminals and producing a pulsating potential varying in magnitude from at least said first potential to a second potential below said first potential, an alarm device, an alarm power supply, a control circuit connecting said alarm power supply to said alarm device, first switching means in said control circuit normally effective to cause operation of said alarm device, second switching means responsive to output terminal potential for effecting hold-off of said first switching means thereby preventing actuation of said alarm device responsive to output terminal potential above a predetermined value between said first and second potentials and non-responsive to terminal potential below said second potential, and capacitor means charged by said alarm power supply during non-responsive action of said second switching means and effective to hold on said first switching means during pulsations of said battery charger producing terminal potential above said predetermined value of terminal potential whereby the voltage at said output terminals is supervised thereby causing the actuation of an alarm upon the occurrence of an increase in resistance or open circuit of said battery or its leads or upon an undervoltage condition thereof or upon a short circuit of said battery or its leads.

2. A supervised battery power supply circuit according to claim 1 in which said first switching means is a transistor and said second switching means is constructed to normally bias said transistor OFF.

3. A supervised battery power supply circuit according to claim 2 in which said second switching means is a control transistor normally biased into saturation by said output terminal potential above said predetermined value, said control transistor being connected to clamp the bias for said switching transistor for effecting hold-off of actuation of said alarm device.

4. A supervised battery power supply circuit according to claim 3 in which a blocking diode is included to prevent discharge of said capacitor by said control transistor.

5. A supervised battery power supply circuit according to claim 1 in which a zener diode is connected with said second switching means responsive to output terminal potential so that said alarm device is actuated when the output terminal potential is below the zener potential.