BATTERY CELL TESTER

• US 3,879,654 A
• Filed: 02/23/1973
• Issued: 04/22/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James W. Kessinger
• Original Assignee: James W. Kessinger
• Inventors: Kessinger, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Alfred E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hille, Rolf
• Application Number:
  US05/335,438
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 324/29.5 340/249 136/182
• US Class Current: 324/434
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/04 Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3646 for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators

Abstract

A battery cell tester is provided for testing the condition of wet cell batteries and particularly, wet cell batteries which have a multi-cell construction. The tester is operable to determine the condition of the cells of the battery, by testing across the cell plates of each intermediate cell, and by testing between the positive terminal of the battery and the end cell adjacent thereto. The tester includes a pair of probes which are connected in circuit relationship with a solid state circuit means, the latter being housed in a case formed of suitable insulation material along with a meter with which the solid state circuit means is connected in circuit. Each of the probes embodies a single electrode with at least a portion of each electrode being exposed. At least one of the probes is supported for movement relative to the case of the tester. The solid state circuit means comprises a plurality of diodes, a resistor and a calibration potentiometer all connected in circuit together and all mounted on the same printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose battery tester comprising:

a. a housing including a case;

b. a pair of probe units connected mechanically to said case and operable for performing four independent tests on a battery by varying the points of engagement of said pair of probe units with the battery;

c. circuit means mounted within said case electrically connected in circuit relationship with said pair of probe units and operable to determine alternately the condition of the individual cells of a battery when said pair of probe units are inserted successively into adjacent pairs of cells of the battery, the short or drain condition of the battery when said pair of probe units are inserted successively into pairs of alternate cell openings of the battery, the condition of a voltage regulator connected in electrical circuit with a battery when one of said pair of probe units is inserted into the cell opening nearest the positive terminal of the battery and the other of said pair of probe units is touched to the positive terminal of the battery and the ability of a battery to take a charge by repeating each of the three preceding tests while the battery is being charged, said circuit means including a first pair of diodes connected in circuit relation with one of said pair of probe units, a calibration potentiometer having one side thereof connected in circuit relation with said first pair of diodes, a second pair of diodes connected in circuit relation with the other side of said calibration potentiometer and to the other of said pair of probe units, and a resistor connected in circuit relation between said pair of probe units, said first and second pairs of diodes, said resistor and said calibration potentiometer all being mounted on a printed circuit board and connected in circuit relation therewith so as to provide a battery cell tester with a circuit insensitive to polarity; and

d. display means mounted in said case electrically connected in circuit relationship with said circuit means, said display means comprising a meter having one side thereof connected in circuit relation with said first pair of diodes and the other side thereof connected in series circuit relation with said one side of said calibration potentiometer, said meter being operable to provide alternately a visual indication of the results of each of the four independent tests performed on a battery with the battery tester as determined by said circuit means.

2. The multi-purpose battery tester as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing is formed substantially entirely of a non-metallic material, and further including on said case a face plate and fastening means for detachably securing said face plate to said case.

3. The multi-purpose battery cell tester as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said probe units is fixedly attached to said case and the other of said pair of probe units is connected by wire means to said case whereby said other of said probe units is movable relative to said case when tests are being performed with the battery cell tester.

4. The multi-purpose battery cell tester as set forth in claim 1 wherein said meter includes a face member having indicia thereon calibrated in volts and including the legends DEAD, DISCHARGED, CHARGED and OVERLOAD, and said meter further includes an indicator supported for movement in a plane parallel to and spaced from said face member.

5. A multi-purpose battery tester comprising:

a. a housing including a case;

b. a pair of probe units connected mechanically to said case and operable for performing four independent tests on a battery by varying the points of engagement of said pair of probe units with the battery, eAch of said pair of probe units having a shield with a cut-away portion and a separate electrode supported within said shield with the cut-away portion of said shield exposing a portion of said electrode thereby enabling an electrical connection to be made directly with said electrode through the exposed portion thereof, one of said pair of probe units being fixedly attached to said housing and the other of said pair of probe units being connected by wire means to said housing whereby said other of said probe units is movable relative to said housing when tests are being performed with the battery cell tester;

c. circuit means mounted within said case electrically connected in circuit relationship with said pair of probe units and operable to determine alternately the condition of the individual cells of a battery when said pair of probe units are inserted successively into adjacent pairs of cells of the battery, the short or drain condition of the battery when said pair of probe units are inserted successively into pairs of alternate cell openings of the battery, the condition of a voltage regulator connected in electrical circuit with a battery when one of said pair of probe units is inserted into the cell opening nearest the positive terminal of the battery and the other of said pair of probe units is touched to the positive terminal of the battery and the ability of a battery to take a charge by repeating each of the three preceding tests while the battery is being charged, said circuit means including a first pair of diodes connected in circuit relation with one of said pair of probe units, a calibration potentiometer having one side thereof connected in circuit relation with said first pair of diodes, a second pair of diodes connected in circuit relation with the other side of said calibration potentiometer and to the other of said pair of probe units, and a resistor connected in circuit relation between said pair of probe units, said first and second pairs of diodes, said resistor and said calibration potentiometer all being mounted on a printed circuit board and connected in circuit relation therewith so as to provide a battery cell tester with a circuit insensitive to polarity; and

d. display means mounted in said case electrically connected in circuit relationship with said circuit means, said display means comprising a meter having one side thereof connected in circuit relation with said first pair of diodes and the other side thereof connected in series circuit relation with said one side of said calibration potentiometer, said meter being operable to provide alternately a visual indication of the results of each of the four independent tests performed on a battery with the battery tester as determined by said circuit means.

6. The multi-purpose battery cell tester as set forth in claim 5 wherein said housing is of two-part construction and includes a case, a face plate and fastening means for detachably securing said face plate to said case.