Car battery jumper cable

• US 6,262,492 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DHC Specialty Corp.
• Original Assignee: DHC Specialty Corp.
• Inventors: Sheng, Shyan-Fang
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US09/345,769
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/127, 320/105, 320/165, 439/504
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/122 Provisions for temporary connection of DC sources of essentially the same voltage, e.g. jumpstart cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045

Abstract

A car battery jumper cable for coupling an effective or charged power source to a battery (failed or not charged) accurately, which includes a relay switching circuit connected to the power source and the battery by two current conductor pairs, first and second voltage polarity recognition circuit respectively connected to the power source and the battery by a respective voltage conductor pair to recognize the polarity of the power source and the battery, a logic recognition circuit, which produces a control signal subject to the polarity of the power source and the battery, and a driving circuit controlled by the control signal from the logic recognition circuit to drive the relay switching circuit, enabling the two poles of the power source to be accurately coupled to the two poles of the battery.

Claims

1. A car battery jumper cable used to connect a first power supply device to a second power supply device, enabling two poles of said first power supply device to be accurately coupled to two poles of said second power supply device, the car battery jumper cable comprising:

a first relay switching circuit connected to the two poles of said first power supply device through a first current conductor pair, and connected to the two poles of said second power supply device through a second current conductor pair;

a first voltage polarity recognition circuit connected to the two poles of said first power supply device through a first voltage conductor pair to recognize the polarity of said first power supply device, and to produce a first polarity signal indicative of the polarity of said first power supply device;

a second voltage polarity recognition circuit connected to the two poles of said second power supply device through a second voltage conductor pair to recognize the polarity of said second power supply device, and to produce a second polarity signal indicative of the polarity of said second power supply device;

a logic recognition circuit, which produces a control signal subject to the first polarity signal from said first voltage polarity recognition circuit and the second polarity signal from said second voltage polarity recognition circuit;

a driving circuit controlled by the control signal from said logic recognition circuit to drive said relay switching circuit, enabling the two poles of said first power supply device to be accurately coupled to the two poles of said second power supply device;

said first current conductor pair and said first voltage conductor pair are connected to said first power supply device by a first pair of isolation clips, said second current conductor pair and said second voltage conductor pair are connected to said second power supply device by a second pair of isolation clips;

said relay switching circuit drives the current conductors of the isolation clips between said first current conductor pair and said second current conductor pair into an open-circuit status when one of said isolation clips is not accurately installed;

a power supply circuit for providing the necessary working power to said relay switching circuit, said first voltage polarity recognition circuit, said second voltage polarity recognition circuit, said logic recognition circuit, and said driving circuit;

said relay switching circuit comprises a first really arranged between the second end of said first current conductor pair and the first end of said second current conductor pair, a second relay arranged between the first end of said first current conductor pair and the second end of said second current conductor pair, a third relay arranged between the second end of said first current conductor pair and the second end of said second current conductor pair, and a fourth relay arranged between the first end of said first current conductor pair and the first end of said second current conductor pair; and

said second voltage polarity recognition circuit comprises two phototransistors driven by the voltage at said second voltage conductor pair to produce a second polarity signal indicative of the polarity of said second power supply device.

2. The car battery jumper cable of claim 1 wherein said logic recognition circuit is comprised of a plurality of logic gates for processing the first polarity signal from said first voltage polarity recognition circuit and the second polarity signal from said second voltage polarity recognition circuit, so as to produce said control signal.

3. The car battery jumper cable of claim 2 wherein said logic gates are NAND gates.

4. The car battery jumper cable of claim 2 wherein said driving circuit comprises a first transistor controlled by the control signal from said logic recognition circuit to drive said first relay and said second relay, and a second transistor controlled by the control signal from said logic recognition circuit to drive said third relay and said fourth relay.

5. The car battery jumper cable of claim 4 wherein said power supply circuit is comprised of a capacitor, and a plurality of diodes.

6. The car battery jumper cable of claim 5 wherein said first power supply device is an effective power source, and said second power supply device is a battery to be rescued.

7. The car battery jumper cable of claim 5 wherein said first power supply device is a battery to be rescued, and said second power supply device is an effective power source.

8. A car battery jumper cable used to connect a first power supply device to a second power supply device, enabling two poles of said first power supply device to be accurately coupled to two poles of said second power supply device, the car battery jumper cable comprising:

a first relay switching circuit connected to the two poles of said first power supply device through a first current conductor pair, and connected to the two poles of said second power supply device through a second current conductor pair;

a first voltage polarity recognition circuit connected to the two poles of said first power supply device through a first voltage conductor pair to recognize the polarity of said first power supply device, and to produce a first polarity signal indicative of the polarity of said first power supply device;

a second voltage polarity recognition circuit connected the two poles of said second power supply device through a second voltage conductor pair to recognize the polarity of said second power supply device, and to produce a second polarity signal indicative of the polarity of said second power supply device;

a logic recognition circuit, which produces a control signal subject to the first polarity signal from said first voltage polarity recognition circuit and the second polarity signal from said second voltage polarity recognition circuit;

a driving circuit controlled by the control signal from said logic recognition circuit to drive said relay switching circuit, enabling the two poles of said first power supply device to be accurately coupled to the two poles of said second power supply device;

said first current conductor pair and said first voltage conductor pair are connected to said first power supply device by a first pair of isolation clips, said second current conductor pair and said second voltage conductor pair are connected to said second power supply device by a second pair of isolation clips;

said relay switching circuit drives the current conductors of the isolation clips between said first current conductor pair and said second current conductor pair into an open-circuit status when one of said isolation clips is not accurately installed;

a power supply circuit for providing the necessary working power to said relay switching circuit, said first voltage polarity recognition circuit, said second voltage polarity recognition circuit, said logid recognition circuit, and said driving circuit;

said relay switching circuit comprises a first relay arranged between the second end of said first current conductor pair and the first end of said second current conductor pair, a second relay arranged between the first end of said first current conductor pair and the second end of said second current conductor pair, a third relay arranged between the second end of said first current conductor pair and the second end of said second current conductor pair, and a fourth relay arranged between the first end of said first current conductor pair and the first end of said second current conductor pair; and

said first voltage polarity recognition circuit comprises two phototransistors driven by the voltage at said first voltage conductor pair to produce a first polarity signal indicative of the polarity of said first power supply device.