Device for making current measurements used in determining the charging of a vehicle storage battery

• US 5,378,977 A
• Filed: 10/15/1992
• Issued: 01/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AB Volvo
• Original Assignee: AB Volvo
• Inventors: Eriksson, Robert, Kristiansson, Urban
• Primary Examiner(s): Peckman, Kristine L.
• Application Number:
  US07/941,076
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/43, 320/44, 320/48
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/203 Resistors used for electric measuring, e.g. decade resistors standards, resistors for comparators, series resistors, shunts resistors in general H01C; microwave or radiowave terminations H01P1/26; coupling devices H01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3832 without measurement of battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/19 Charger status, e.g. voltmeter

Abstract

A device for making current measurements used in determining the charging status of a vehicle storage battery, comprising a ground conductor connected between one pole of the storage battery and the ground contact. The pole is connected via electrical conductors to a sensor having a source of electric power for providing at least one electric current to the ground connector. Values which are deducted from the current flowing through the ground conductor are provided to a microprocessor to determine the charging status of the battery.

Claims

1. A device for making current measurements used in determining a charging status of a storage battery of a vehicle having a pair of poles, comprising a ground connector electrically connected between one of the pair of poles and a chassis of the vehicle via a ground contact, sensor means for sensing a flow of current, and first and second electrical conductors electrically connecting said ground connector to said sensor means to form a common cabling, said sensor means comprising a source of electrical power for providing an electric current through said ground connector, at least one measuring unit for measuring said current flowing through said ground connector, and processing means for processing electrical signals, wherein values which are deduced from said current flowing through said ground connector revealed by said measuring unit are provided to said processing means for use in determining the charging status of the storage battery.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said common cabling comprises an uninsulated ground braid having a cable connector at each end of said braid, and one end of each of said first and second electrical conductors being connected respectively to each said cable connector and the other end of each of said first and second electrical conductors being connected to said sensor means.