Battery protecting circuit breaker
First Claim
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1. A circuit breaker for switching an external electrical circuit means having a current path comprising:
- a frame;
an armature mounted relative to said frame and having an edge, said armature being movable for moving said edge between a first position and a second position spaced from said first position;
first means selectively operable for moving said armature edge from said first position to said second position;
a pair of electrical circuit contacts mounted adjacent to said edge of said armature and connectable to the external electrical circuit, said pair of contacts including a fixed-position contact and a movable contact, said movable contact being movable between contacting and noncontacting positions for opening and closing the external current path;
roller means having a radius of curvature is mounted on said armature edge;
means defining a roll surface for said roller means to roll along when said armature edge moves between said first and second positions, said roll surface including a movable surface that moves relative to said fixed-position contact a distance less than the radius of said roller means as said roller means rolls along said roll surface, with said contacts moving between said contacting position and said noncontacting position when said roller means rolls relative to said movable surface.
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Abstract
A latching circuit breaker is provided that is small and switches with a small amount of current. A battery switch incorporating the circuit breaker mounts on a battery top and is easily added as an accessory to control all of a battery'"'"'s power. A convenient battery protection device uses the battery switch and a control system to automatically control a battery, prevent overdischarge, and reserve starting power. A manually resetting battery protection device is also provided. The battery protection device is adaptable to be incorporated into the design of a battery resulting in a trouble free, long-life battery.
47 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A circuit breaker for switching an external electrical circuit means having a current path comprising:
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a frame; an armature mounted relative to said frame and having an edge, said armature being movable for moving said edge between a first position and a second position spaced from said first position; first means selectively operable for moving said armature edge from said first position to said second position; a pair of electrical circuit contacts mounted adjacent to said edge of said armature and connectable to the external electrical circuit, said pair of contacts including a fixed-position contact and a movable contact, said movable contact being movable between contacting and noncontacting positions for opening and closing the external current path; roller means having a radius of curvature is mounted on said armature edge; means defining a roll surface for said roller means to roll along when said armature edge moves between said first and second positions, said roll surface including a movable surface that moves relative to said fixed-position contact a distance less than the radius of said roller means as said roller means rolls along said roll surface, with said contacts moving between said contacting position and said noncontacting position when said roller means rolls relative to said movable surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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17. A circuit breaker for selectively disconnecting a battery having terminals providing a voltage differential from and reconnecting the battery to an external electrical circuit having a current path comprising:
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a frame; first and second coaxial and spaced-apart solenoids mounted relative to said frame and selectively and independently operable for generating a magnetic field between said first and second solenoids; an armature extending between said first and second solenoids, having a pivot end for pivoting relative to said frame between a first position adjacent to said first solenoid and a second position adjacent to said second solenoid in response to the respective operation of said first and second solenoids, said armature also having a roller end opposite from said pivot end; first and second electrical conductors connectable to the external current path, said conductors terminating in respective first and second contacts adjacent to said roller end of said armature, said first contact being movable relative to said second contact between contacting and noncontacting positions for opening and closing the external current path, said first conductor having a surface facing said roller end of said armature, having shape memory and being biased relative to said second contact; a roller means mounted on said armature roller end for moving with said roller end and rolling along a length of said first conductor surface and being positioned for moving said first conductor against the bias of said first conductor, whereby said first contact is in the contacting position when said armature is in the first position and in the noncontacting position when said armature is in the second position; means for resiliently biasing said roller means toward said contacts with said armature having a center position between the first and second positions at which there is a maximum bias on said roller means and said armature is self-latching in the first and second positions; and control circuit means responsive to the voltage differential between the battery terminals for selectively operating said first and second solenoids for moving said armature selectively between the first and second positions, said control circuit means comprising means for sensing the voltage differential between the first and second terminals and operating said second solenoid when said armature is in the first position and the sensed voltage is below a first selected voltage, and operating said first solenoid when said armature is in the second position and the sensed voltage is above a second selected voltage, said control circuit means further comprising means for delaying the operation of said second solenoid to a time after the time the sensed voltage is below the first selected voltage, and means for sensing when said armature has moved to a respective one of the first and second positions while said respective one of said first and second solenoids is operating and ceasing operation of said one solenoid when said armature is in the one position. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification