Method for using battery charger adapter for military vehicles

• US 6,172,892 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Thompson, Ronald, Plichta, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US09/558,794
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 363/146, 320/119, 320/122, 320/136
• US Class Current: 363/146
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Military vehicles often provide power to operate chargers to charge portable rechargeable batteries in the field. The military uses a NATO standardized DC slave plug as a connection from the vehicle battery to external charger devices. The NATO standardized DC slave plug is directly connected to the vehicle battery and offers no electrical protection to the vehicle battery. This method employs a battery charger adapter providing controlled DC power from the vehicle battery to charger devices for recharging Army communication batteries. The battery charger adapter is connected between the NATO standardized DC slave plug and an external charger and includes an electromechanical relay acting as an automatic safety switch which cuts off the load on the vehicle battery when the battery voltage falls to a predetermined critical voltage level, to prevent over-discharge of the vehicle battery.

The critical voltage level may be generally determined by the amount of charge necessary in the vehicle battery to start or reliably operate the vehicle. Through this method, the chargers for Army portable rechargeable batteries can be operated using military vehicle power while ensuring that the vehicle battery retains sufficient reserve power to start the vehicle'"'"'s engine.

Claims

1. A method of preventing discharge of a power source below a predetermined amount when transferring electrical power from said power source to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

connecting an input terminal of a variable DC connector adapter to the power source, said input terminal being a coaxial slave connector;

connecting an output terminal of the variable DC connector adapter to at least one receiving device to receive the transferred charge;

transferring charge from the power source to the at least one receiving device through the variable DC connector adapter; and

automatically interrupting the transfer of charge with a means for electromechanical relay when a remaining charge level in the power source falls below a predetermined level to avoid over-discharging the power source.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the power source is a vehicle battery and the predetermined level is a level of charge necessary in the vehicle battery to start a host vehicle associated with the vehicle battery.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving device is a charging device used to charge rechargeable batteries.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving device being connected to the power source is a plurality of devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electromechanical relay means is an electromechanical relay.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electromechanical relay means is a transistorized switch.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the transistorized switch is a power MOSFET.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of connecting the electromechanical relay means in series between the input connector and each of a plurality of output connectors.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of connecting the plurality of output connectors in parallel.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of forming the connector adapter to have an exterior surface configuration of a NATO-type DC connector adapter.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

forming a housing having a first side and a second side, wherein the input connector is disposed on the first side and the at least one output connector is disposed on the second side; and

the electromechanical relay means is disposed within the housing.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of forming the first side and the second side on opposite sides of the housing.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of forming the housing from plastic.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined voltage is an input voltage level of 22 VDC.

15. The method according to claim 2, further comprising, in combination with said host vehicle battery, the step of adapting the input connector for connection to the positive and negative terminals of the vehicle battery.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising, in combination with the at least one charging device, the step of adapting each of the receiving devices for connection to a corresponding charging device.