Polarity indicator for vehicle battery

• US 4,924,176 A
• Filed: 02/21/1989
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred U. Tremblay
• Original Assignee: Alfred U. Tremblay
• Inventors: Tremblay, Alfred U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Solis, Jose M.
• Application Number:
  US07/313,041
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 320/25, 320/26, 429/1, 429/7, 429/92, 324/133, 324/426
• US Class Current: 324/133
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/14 Indicating direction of current; Indicating polarity of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/588 outside the batteries, e.g. incorrect connections of terminals or busbars
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/505 Cells combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/15 Polarity control

Abstract

A polarity indicator adapted to be mounted on a vehicle battery. A light emitting diode mounted on an elongated non-conductive strip and electrically connected to two poles having conductive surfaces at each end of the strip. The poles are intended to be oriented to correspond to the polarity of the battery terminals. When the battery is depleted and needs to be boosted, the booster cables are first connected to the poles which can identify the direction of the flow of current coming from the booster cables, the later being subsequently switch to the proper terminals of the battery.

Claims

1. A polarity indicator for checking the matching of polarities of a vehicle battery with a d.c. power supply, said indicator adapted to be mounted on a vehicle battery provided with a positive and a negative terminal, said indicator comprising a non-conductive elongated strip adapted to be aligned end to end between said positive and negative terminals, a positive and a negative electrically conductive pole spacedly mounted on said strip, said positive and negative poles adapted to be respectfully located adjacent the positive and negative terminals, a directional light emitting means connected between said poles, said light emitting means adapted to emit light upon the passage of an electric direct current between said poles coming from said d.c. power supply, a resistor element electrically mounted between one of said poles and said light emitting means, said strip, said poles, said light emitting means and said resistor element being mounted on a support member adapted to be fixed on the top surface of the vehicle battery between said positive and negative terminals, whereby the light emitted by the light emitting means identifies the matching of the polarity of the d.c. power supply with the polarity of the terminals of battery adjacent the poles of the indicator.

2. A polarity indicator for a vehicle battery as recited in claim 1, wherein the support member is a self-adhesive tape, said tape being adapted to be adhesively fixed on the battery.

3. A polarity indicator for a vehicle battery as recited in claim 1, wherein the light emitting means is a bi-colored light emitting diode (LED), each of said color corresponding to one of the direction of passage of the direct current through the indicator.

4. A polarity indicator for a vehicle battery as recited in claim 1, wherein the light emitting means is a unidirectional LED adapted to light up when the polarity of the indicator corresponds to the polarity of the battery.

5. A polarity indicator for a vehicle battery as recited in claim 1, wherein said poles, said strips and said resistor element are integrated in a printed circuit.

6. A polarity indicator for a vehicle battery as recited in claim 5, wherein the printed circuit is mounted on a double sided adhesive tape.

7. A polarity indicator for a vehicle battery as recited in claim 1, wherein said strips and said resistor element are submerged in the top surface of said battery.

8. A polarity indicator for a vehicle battery as recited in claim 1, wherein the poles and the resistor element are covered with a lead base material.

9. A polarity indicator for a vehicle battery as recited in claim 8, wherein the ends of the poles have a surface of at least half an inch in diameter.

10. A vehicle battery having spaced apart, a positive and a negative terminal projecting from the surface of the battery, and a polarity indicator for checking the matching of polarities of the vehicle battery with a d.c. power supply, said indicator comprising a positive and a negative electrically conducting pole respectively positioned adjacent said positive and negative terminals, a light emitting diode (LED) electrically connected between said poles by a pair of connectors, said diode adapted to emit light upon the passage of an electric direct current between said poles coming from said d.c. power supply, a resistor element mounted in one of said connectors, the connectors, the resistor element, the poles and the LED are at least partly inlaid in the surface of the battery, whereby the light emitted by the light emitting means identifies the matching of the polarity of the d.c. power supply with the polarity of the terminals of battery adjacent the poles of the indicator.

11. A vehicle battery as recited in claim 10, wherein the connectors and resistor element are submerged in the surface of the battery.