Self-contained vehicle battery charger
First Claim
1. Apparatus for charging from an A.C. power socket the battery on an automotive vehicle having a cigarette lighter socket with a pair of electrical terminals connected respectively to the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the vehicle battery, said apparatus comprising:
- an electrical plug which is manually insertable and removable into and out of the cigarette lighter socket on the vehicle, said plug being complementary to the lighter socket and having electrical terminals which respectively engage the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the lighter socket when the plug is inserted therein;
an insulated power cord having a pair of electrically conductive wires therein connected at one end to the terminals of said plug;
a housing located at the opposite end of the power cord and having a pair of electrically-conductive prongs projecting therefrom for insertion in the A.C. power socket to physically mount said housing directly on the power socket;
a step-down transformer in said housing having its input connected across said prongs and its output operatively connected to the wires of the power cord;
a rectifier having its input operatively connected across the output of said transformer to rectify the step-down voltage output of the transformer, said rectifier having its output operatively connected to the terminals of said plug for supplying the rectified step-down voltage thereto;
and a manually operable selector switch operatively connected between the output of said rectifier and said plug for selectively determining the charging rate, said selector switch being in said plug and comprising a first fixed contact connected conductively to the output of said rectifier, a second fixed contact, current limiting resistor means connected between said second fixed contact and said conductive connection to the output of said rectifier, and a mobile contact connected to the plug terminal which is engageable with the ungrounded terminal of the lighter socket and selectively engageable either with said first fixed contact to supply full charging current to the plug or with said second fixed contact to supply a trickle charge current to the plug.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present unit has a dielectric housing with metal prongs or blades for plug-in insertion into a conventional A.C. power socket, a step-down transformer and a rectifier in the housing, a closely coiled power cord extending from the housing, and a plug at the opposite end of the power cord for plug-in insertion into the usual cigarette lighter socket in a car. A selector switch, either in the housing or the plug, selects the charging rate. An LED or a meter is provided in the plug to indicate visually when the car battery is being charged.
57 Citations
12 Claims
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1. Apparatus for charging from an A.C. power socket the battery on an automotive vehicle having a cigarette lighter socket with a pair of electrical terminals connected respectively to the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the vehicle battery, said apparatus comprising:
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an electrical plug which is manually insertable and removable into and out of the cigarette lighter socket on the vehicle, said plug being complementary to the lighter socket and having electrical terminals which respectively engage the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the lighter socket when the plug is inserted therein; an insulated power cord having a pair of electrically conductive wires therein connected at one end to the terminals of said plug; a housing located at the opposite end of the power cord and having a pair of electrically-conductive prongs projecting therefrom for insertion in the A.C. power socket to physically mount said housing directly on the power socket; a step-down transformer in said housing having its input connected across said prongs and its output operatively connected to the wires of the power cord; a rectifier having its input operatively connected across the output of said transformer to rectify the step-down voltage output of the transformer, said rectifier having its output operatively connected to the terminals of said plug for supplying the rectified step-down voltage thereto; and a manually operable selector switch operatively connected between the output of said rectifier and said plug for selectively determining the charging rate, said selector switch being in said plug and comprising a first fixed contact connected conductively to the output of said rectifier, a second fixed contact, current limiting resistor means connected between said second fixed contact and said conductive connection to the output of said rectifier, and a mobile contact connected to the plug terminal which is engageable with the ungrounded terminal of the lighter socket and selectively engageable either with said first fixed contact to supply full charging current to the plug or with said second fixed contact to supply a trickle charge current to the plug. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. Apparatus for charging from an A.C. power socket the battery on an automotive vehicle having a cigarette lighter socket with a pair of electrical terminals connected respectively to the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the vehicle battery, said apparatus comprising:
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an electrical plug which is manually insertable and removable into and out of the cigarette lighter socket on the vehicle, said plug being complementary to the lighter socket and having electrical terminals which respectively engage the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the lighter socket when the plug is inserted therein; an insulated power cord having a pair of electrically conductive wires therein connected at one end to the terminals of said plug; a housing located at the opposite end of the power cord and having a pair of electrically-conductive prongs projecting therefrom for insertion in the A.C. power socket to physically mount said housing directly on the power socket; a step-down transformer in said housing having its input connected across said prongs and its output operatively connected to the wires of the power cord, said transformer having a secondary winding with its midpoint connected directly to the wire of the power cord leading to the plug terminal which engages the grounded terminal of the lighter socket; a rectifier operatively connected across the output of said transformer to rectify the step-down voltage output of the transformer, said rectifier being operatively connected to the terminals of said plug for supplying the rectified step-down voltage thereto; a manually operable selector switch in said housing connected electrically between the output of said transformer and said rectifier for selectively determining the charging rate, said selector switch comprising a first fixed contact connected directly to one end of said secondary winding, a second fixed contact connected to said secondary winding between said one end and its midpoint, and a mobile contact connected to said rectifier and selectively engageable either with said first fixed contact to supply full charging current to the plug or with said second fixed contact to supply a reduced trickle charge current to the plug; and a light emitting semiconductor diode in said plug which is visible at the outside of the plug and means operatively connecting said diode across the plug terminals (a) to be illuminated when the car battery is not connected across the plug terminals and said prongs on the housing are inserted into the A.C. power socket; (b) to go off when the car battery is connected across the plug terminals and said prongs on the housing are inserted into the A.C. power socket.
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4. Apparatus for charging from an A.C. power socket the battery on an automotive vehicle having a cigarette lighter socket with a pair of electrical terminals connected respectively to the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the vehicle battery, said apparatus comprising:
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an electrical plug which is manually insertable and removable into and out of the cigarette lighter socket on the vehicle, said plug being complementary to the lighter socket and having electrical terminals which respectively engage the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the lighter socket when the plug is inserted therein; an insulated power cord having a pair of electrically conductive wires therein connected at one end to the terminals of said plug; a housing located at the opposite end of the power cord and having a pair of electrically-conductive prongs projecting therefrom for insertion in the A.C. power socket to physically mount said housing directly on the power socket; a step-down transformer in said housing having its input connected across said prongs and its output operatively connected to the wires of the power cord; a rectifier operatively connected across the output of said transformer to rectify the step-down voltage output of the transformer, said rectifier being operatively connected to the terminals of said plug for supplying the rectified step-down voltage thereto; a manually operable selector switch in said housing connected electrically between the output of said transformer and said rectifier for selectively determining the charging rate, said selector switch comprising a first fixed contact connected directly to one end of said secondary winding, a second fixed contact connected to said secondary winding between said one end and its midpoint, and a mobile contact connected to said rectifier and selectively engageable either with said first fixed contact to supply full charging current to the plug or with said second fixed contact to supply a reduced trickle charge current to the plug; and a meter in said plug connected to one of said wires of the power cord for indicating the charging rate, said meter being visible from the outside of the plug.
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5. Apparatus for charging from an A.C. power socket the battery on an automotive vehicle having a cigarette lighter socket with a pair of electrical terminals connected respectively to the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the vehicle battery, said apparatus comprising:
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an electrical plug which is manually insertable and removable into and out of the cigarette lighter socket on the vehicle, said plug being complementary to the lighter socket and having electrical terminals which respectively engage the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the lighter socket when the plug is inserted therein; an insulated power cord having a pair of electrically conductive wires therein connected at one end to the terminals of said plug; a housing located at the opposite end of the power cord and having a pair of electrically-conductive prongs projecting therefrom for insertion in the A.C. power socket to physically mount said housing directly on the power socket; a step-down transformer in said housing having its input connected across said prongs and its output operatively connected to the wires of the power cord; a rectifier operatively connected across the output of said transformer to rectify the step-down voltage output of the transformer, said rectifier being operatively connected to the terminals of said plug for supplying the rectified step-down voltage thereto; and a light emitting semiconductor diode in said plug which is visible at the outside of the plug and means operatively connecting said diode across the plug terminals (a) to be illuminated when the car battery is not connected across the plug terminals and said prongs on housing are inserted into the A.C. power socket; (b) to go off when the car battery is connected across the plug terminals and said prongs on the housing are inserted into the A.C. power socket. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for charging from an A.C. power socket the battery on an automotive vehicle having a cigarette lighter socket with a pair of electrical terminals connected respectively to the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the vehicle battery, said apparatus comprising:
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an electrical plug which is manually insertable and removable into and out of the cigarette lighter socket on the vehicle, said plug being complementary to the lighter socket and having electrical terminals which respectively engage the ungrounded and grounded terminals of the lighter socket when the plug is inserted therein; an insulated power cord having a pair of electrically conductive wires therein connected at one end to the terminals of said plug; a housing located at the opposite end of the power cord and having a pair of electrically conductive prongs projecting therefrom for insertion in the A.C. power socket to physically mount said housing directly on the power socket; a step-down transformer in said housing having its input connected across said prongs and its output operatively connected to the wires of the power cord; a rectifier operatively connected across the output of said transformer to rectify the step-down voltage output of the transformer, said rectifier being operatively connected to the terminals of said plug for supplying the rectified step-down voltage thereto; and a meter in said plug connected to one of said wires of the power cord for indicating the charging rate, said meter being visible from the outside of the plug. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification