Polarity matching apparatus for jumper cables
First Claim
1. Polarity matching apparatus for use with jumper cables in connecting a supply of direct current to a battery to jump start an engine or the like, comprising:
- two adjacent terminal blocks, each terminal block having at least two spaced primary contacts and first and second terminals connected to its primary contacts, in use of the apparatus the terminals of one block being connected to the battery terminals by a jumper cable and the terminals of the other block being connected to the supply terminals by the jumper cable;
the two terminal blocks being movable relative to one another between two alternative mating positions of the contacts, the contacts interconnecting the first terminals of the two blocks together and the second terminals of the two blocks together when in one mating position and interconnecting the first terminal of each block to the second terminal of the other block when in the other mating position, the blocks having a third position relative to one another in which the terminal blocks'"'"' terminals are not interconnected; and
control circuit means for determining, while the terminal blocks are in their third relative position, which of the two alternative contact mating positions would interconnect the positive terminals of the battery and supply together and the negative terminals of the battery and supply together and thereby match the polarity of the supply to the battery.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for use with jumper cables, such as in jump starting an engine, which permits attachment of the cables to the terminals of a supply and a battery without regard to the polarities of the terminals, and thereafter aids the user in matching the polarities of the battery and supply. Two terminal blocks, secured to the jumber cables, have at least two spaced contacts apiece and are movable relative to one another between two alternative contact mating positions. The mating positions correspond to the two possible ways in which the battery and supply terminals can be interconnected, either positive-to-positive, negative-to-negative, or positive-to-negative, negative-to-positive. The blocks are biased to a third position in which the battery and supply are not interconnected and in which control circuitry determines which of the two alternative contact mating positions would interconnect the supply and battery with their polarities matched. Movement is prevented to that contact mating position which would re sult in mismatch of the polarities; on movement to the position for which the polarities are matched, the blocks are locked together.
29 Citations
30 Claims
-
1. Polarity matching apparatus for use with jumper cables in connecting a supply of direct current to a battery to jump start an engine or the like, comprising:
-
two adjacent terminal blocks, each terminal block having at least two spaced primary contacts and first and second terminals connected to its primary contacts, in use of the apparatus the terminals of one block being connected to the battery terminals by a jumper cable and the terminals of the other block being connected to the supply terminals by the jumper cable; the two terminal blocks being movable relative to one another between two alternative mating positions of the contacts, the contacts interconnecting the first terminals of the two blocks together and the second terminals of the two blocks together when in one mating position and interconnecting the first terminal of each block to the second terminal of the other block when in the other mating position, the blocks having a third position relative to one another in which the terminal blocks'"'"' terminals are not interconnected; and control circuit means for determining, while the terminal blocks are in their third relative position, which of the two alternative contact mating positions would interconnect the positive terminals of the battery and supply together and the negative terminals of the battery and supply together and thereby match the polarity of the supply to the battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. Polarity matching apparatus for use with jumper cables in connecting a supply of direct current to a battery to jump start an engine or the like, comprising:
-
two adjacent terminal blocks rotatable relative to each other on about axis, each block having two primary contacts mounted thereon radially outward of the axis and spaced substantially 180°
apart, each block having two terminals, one terminal being connected to one of the primary contacts of its block and the other being connected to the other primary contact of its block, in use of the apparatus the terminals of one block being connected to the battery terminals by a jumper cable and the terminals of the other block to the supply terminals by the jumper cable,the two terminal blocks being rotatable relative to one another about their axis between two opposite positions for alternative mating of the two primary contacts of one block with the two primary contacts of the other block, the blocks having an intermediate relative position in which none of the primary contacts are mated; means for biasing the two blocks to their intermediate position; control circuit means for determining, while the terminal blocks are in their intermediate relative position, which of the alternative mating positions of the contacts will result in interconnecting the terminals of the two blocks to match the polarity of the supply to the battery; and means, responsive to the control circuit means, for preventing relative rotation of the blocks to that contact mating position in which the polarities of the supply and battery would be mismatched and for locking the two blocks in that contact mating position in which the polarities of the supply and battery are matched. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
Specification