Battery safety jumper cables

• US 4,238,722 A
• Filed: 07/20/1978
• Issued: 12/09/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jimmie R. Ford
• Original Assignee: Jimmie R. Ford
• Inventors: Ford, Jimmie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): HIckey, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/926,372
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2-4, 320/6, 320/25, 320/26, 339/29 B, 361/245
• US Class Current: 320/105
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 11/006 in case of too high or too low voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/15 Polarity control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/20 Polarity

Abstract

The present invention is related to a set of safety jumper cables for use with placing one battery parallel with another battery in order to increase the amount of electrical energy available. The apparatus includes a pair of cable conductors having at each end thereof disengageable connectors for coupling with the terminals of the primary and secondary batteries. A contactor is coupled in series with one of the cable conductors for selectively enabling the flow of electrical power therethrough. Various comparators are included for comparing the battery voltage polarities on either side of the contactor and enabling the contactor only when the polarities are the same. A first manual switch is provided for initially energizing and closing the contactor. Various other comparators are provided for preventing the closure of the contactor when the voltage of one of the batteries does not exceed a predetermined minimum and when the voltage across both batteries is substantially the same.

Claims

1. Battery jumper cables for being electrically coupled between a primary battery and a secondary battery for controlling the flow of electrical energy therebetween, said battery jumper cables comprising in combination:

a first electrical conductor having at a first end thereof means electrically coupling with one terminal of the primary battery;

a second electrical conductor having at a first end thereof means for coupling with one terminal of the secondary battery;

a third electrical conductor having at a first end thereof means for electrically coupling with a second terminal of the primary battery, with said third electrical conductor having at a second end thereof means for electrically coupling with a second terminal of the secondary battery;

contactor means operatively coupled in series between second ends of said first and second conductors, said contactor means for selectively enabling the flow of electrical power therebetween responsive to receiving a first signal at an input thereof;

comparator means comprising a first voltage sensor coupled between said first and third conductors and a second voltage sensor coupled between said second and third conductors, and comprising a plurality of differential comparators, each having an input thereof coupled to said first and second voltage sensors for generating said first signal at an output thereof responsive to the voltage polarity between said first and third conductors being the same as the voltage polarity between said second and third conductors; and

first manual switching means operatively coupled to said output of said comparator and said input of said contactor means for momentarily passing said first signal therebetween, whereby the operator may activate said contactor means to allow electrical energy to flow between the primary and secondary batteries only when said first, second and third conductors have been connected in proper polarity.

2. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 1 wherein said contactor means includes latching means for maintaining the electrical coupling between said first and second conductors responsive to the flow of electrical energy therebetween.

3. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 2 wherein said latching means includes second manual switching means for manually disengaging said latching means, thereby disabling the flow of electrical energy between the primary and secondary batteries.

4. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 2 wherein said contactor means, said comparator means and said first manual switching means are mounted to a frame supported by said first and second conductors generally midway between said first ends thereof, whereby the operator may be spaced from the primary and secondary storage batteries in case of explosion thereof.

5. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 1 wherein said comparator means further includes first voltage comparator means for enabling said first signal responsive only to the voltage between said second and third conductors being greater than approximately 0.66 of the voltage between said first and third conductors, whereby said contactor means will not pass electrical energy therethrough unless the secondary battery is at least partially charged.

6. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 5 wherein said comparator means further includes second voltage comparator means for enabling said first signal responsive only to the voltage between said first and third conductors being greater than the voltage between said second and third conductors plus approximately one volt, whereby said contactor means will not pass electrical energy therethrough when the voltages of the primary and secondary batteries are approximately equal.

7. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 6 wherein said comparator means further includes third voltage comparator means for enabling said first signal responsive only to the voltage between said first and third conductors being greater than approximately 0.66 of the voltage between said second and third conductors, whereby said contactor means will not pass electrical energy therethrough unless the primary battery is at least partially charged.

8. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 7 wherein said comparator means for enabling said first signal responsive only to the voltage between said second and third conductors being greater than the voltage between said first and third conductors plus approximately one volt, whereby said contactor means will not pass electrical energy therethrough when the voltages of the primary and the secondary batteries are approximately equal.

9. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 1 further comprising visual indicator means operably coupled to said output of said comparator means for producing a visual signal responsive to receiving said first signal, thereby indicating that said battery jumper cables have been coupled in proper polarity between the primary and secondary batteries.

10. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 9 further comprising audiable indicator means operably coupled to said input of said contactor means for producing an audiable signal responsive to receiving said first signal, thereby indicating the flow of electrical energy between the primary and secondary batteries.

11. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 1 further comprising time-out means operably coupled to said contactor means for opening said contactor means in order to prevent the flow of electrical energy between the primary and secondary batteries after a predetermined time period has elapsed after said contactor means has received said first signal.

12. Battery jumper cables for being coupled between a primary battery and a secondary battery for controlling the flow of electrical energy therebetween, said battery jumper cables comprising in combination:

a pair of cable conductors having at each end thereof disengageable connectors for coupling with one of the terminals on the primary or secondary battery;

a mounting frame coupled to said cable conductors and spaced from said ends thereof;

manual contactor means attached to said frame and operatively interposed in series along at least one of said cable conductors for selectively interrupting the flow of electrical energy therethrough;

first visual indicator means and first reverse biased voltage reference means operatively coupled in series between said paid of cable conductors on one side of said manual contractor for indicating the proper voltage and polarity therebetween; and

second visual indicator means and second reverse biased voltage reference means operatively coupled in series between said pair of cable conductors on the opposite side of said manual contactor for indicating the proper voltage and polarity therebetween, whereby the operator may verify the proper polarity coupling of said ends of said cable conductors before manually actuating said contactor means for placing the primary and secondary batteries in parallel.

13. Battery jumper cables for being electrically coupled between a primary battery and a secondary battery for controlling the flow of electrical energy therebetween, said battery jumper cables comprising in combination:

a first electrical conductor having at a first end thereof means for electrically coupling with one terminal of the primary battery;

a second electrical conductor having at a first end thereof means for coupling with one terminal of the secondary battery;

a third electrical conductor having at a first end thereof means for electrically coupling with a second terminal of the primary battery, with said third electrical conductor having at a second end thereof means for electrically coupling with a second terminal of the secondary battery;

conductive means operatively coupled in series between second ends of said first and second conductors, said conductive means for selectively enabling the flow of electrical power therebetween responsive to receiving a first signal at an input thereof; and

a plurality of differential comparator means each having an input coupled to said third conductor and another input coupled to one of said first and second electrical conductors, said differential comparators for generating said first signal at said input of said conductive means responsive to the voltage polarity between said first and third conductors being the same as the voltage polarity between said second and third conductors, whereby said conductive means will allow electrical energy to flow between the primary and secondary batteries only when said first, second and third conductors are in proper polarity.

14. The battery jumper cables as described in claim 13 further including first manual switching means operatively interposed between said differential comparators and said input of said conductive means for momentarily passing said first signal therebetween, whereby the operator must actuate said first manual switching means prior to enabling said conductive means.