Flexible battery tester with a variable length resistive heater
First Claim
1. A resistive thermo-responsive device for permitting a user to test between the anode terminal and the cathode terminal of an electrical battery source for determining the charge status of the battery source, comprising:
- an elongated substrate member formed by a flexible dielectric material;
a resistive heater means formed by a thin electrically conductive material on the substrate member for conducting a test current "I" from the battery source during testing which generates test heat for raising the temperature of the resistive heater means from an ambient temperature "Tam" to an equilibrium temperature "Teq";
first contact means formed at one end of the resistive heater means for electrically engaging one of the terminals of the battery source during the testing;
second contact means formed along the other end of the resistive heater means for electrically engaging the other one of the terminals of the battery source during the testing, having an elongated contact area for permitting the user to vary the effective length of the resistive heater means during the testing causing "I" and "Teq" to change; and
thermo-responsive means carried on the substrate member proximate the resistive heater means between the first and second contact means, and optically responsive to the changing "Teq" of the resistive heater means for indicating the status of the battery source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermo-responsive device for testing dc voltage sources, particularly small, low voltage dry cells, employs a very thin resistive heater film deposited onto a thin flexible dielectric substrate. During testing the ends of the resistive film engage the pole terminals of the battery. Current from the battery flows through the resistive film and uniformly heats the substrate by resistance heating, causing a series of thermo-responsive elements mounted on the substrate to undergo visual "temperature events" at progressively higher temperatures. The resistive film is uniform in thickness and uniform in sheet resistivity. The current density and resistive heating of the film is therefore uniform throughout the substrate and the thermo-responsive elements. The uniform heating permits the thermo-responsive elements to be mounted anywhere on the substrate. The length of the resistive heater may be varied to vary the heating current and the heating temperature. The atomic thickness of the resistive film increases the crease resistance of the film and reduces the effects of bending fatigue.
65 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A resistive thermo-responsive device for permitting a user to test between the anode terminal and the cathode terminal of an electrical battery source for determining the charge status of the battery source, comprising:
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an elongated substrate member formed by a flexible dielectric material; a resistive heater means formed by a thin electrically conductive material on the substrate member for conducting a test current "I" from the battery source during testing which generates test heat for raising the temperature of the resistive heater means from an ambient temperature "Tam" to an equilibrium temperature "Teq"; first contact means formed at one end of the resistive heater means for electrically engaging one of the terminals of the battery source during the testing; second contact means formed along the other end of the resistive heater means for electrically engaging the other one of the terminals of the battery source during the testing, having an elongated contact area for permitting the user to vary the effective length of the resistive heater means during the testing causing "I" and "Teq" to change; and thermo-responsive means carried on the substrate member proximate the resistive heater means between the first and second contact means, and optically responsive to the changing "Teq" of the resistive heater means for indicating the status of the battery source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A battery source unit which may be tested by a user to determine the charge status thereof, comprising:
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electrical battery means for supplying a test current during the testing, and having a first terminal means and a second terminal means one of which is the cathode of the battery means and the other of which is the anode of the battery means; housing means for the battery means; an elongated dielectric substrate member; a resistive heater means formed by a thin electrically conductive film deposited along the length of the substrate member for conducting the test current to establish a test temperature during testing, the resistive heater means having a first end and a second end; first contact means formed at the first end of the resistive heater means for electrical connection to the first terminal means of the battery means during testing; second contact means formed at the second end of the resistive heater means for electrical connection to the second terminal means of the battery means during testing, and having an elongated contact area for permitting the user to vary the effective length of the resistive heater means during the testing causing the test current and test temperature to change; and thermo-responsive means positioned on the substrate member proximate the resistive heater means between the first and second contact means, and having an active surface visible to the user during the testing which is optically responsive to the heat generated by the test current flowing in the resistive heater means. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification