Automotive battery disconnect device

• US 6,424,511 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smart Energy Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Purisys Incorporated
• Inventors: Levinas, Aharon Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Application Number:
  US09/481,669
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 361/86, 361/91.1, 361/90, 361/92, 361/160, 361/170, 361/187, 361/88, 307/10.7, 340/363, 340/660, 340/662, 340/663
• US Class Current: 361/88
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/20 Bridging contacts for circuit breakers H01H73/045
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/32 Self-aligning contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/326 with manual intervention, e.g. for testing, resetting or mode selection
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 51/2209 with rectilinearly movable armature
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/18 for batteries; for accumulators

Abstract

A battery disconnect device includes a housing with a trip/sense circuit, a sealed solenoid and two bars. The solenoid includes a spring loaded contactor disposed in a sealed chamber which normally bridges the bars and is constructed to provide a very low resistivity between the bars. When a coil of the solenoid is activated, in response, for example, to a low battery voltage, the contactor moves away from the bars and is kept in an open position by a magnet. The contactor can be closed or returned to the original position by a manual push button or by a close circuit operated from a remote switch. Additionally the contactor may be opened by using a remote button to act as an anti-theft device.

Claims

1. A battery disconnect device for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a sense/trip circuit that sense a preselected condition of a motor vehicle battery;

connecting elements connecting said battery to vehicular equipment; and

a solenoid having a coil activated by said sense/trip circuit when said preselected condition is sensed, a contactor associated with said coil and having a first position in which said contactor connects said connecting elements, a second position in which said contactor is removed and a biasing spring arranged to urge said contactor toward said first position and to generate a force between said contactor and said connecting elements to reduce a resistivity between said connecting elements;

wherein said sense/trip circuit is constructed to sense a low voltage condition of said battery and to switch said contactor from said first to said second condition in response to said low voltage condition, and wherein said sense/trip circuit further senses a high voltage condition and generates a high voltage indication signal.

2. The device if claim 1 wherein said contacting elements have contacting surfaces and said contactor has a facing surface facing said contacting surfaces, said facing surface and contacting surfaces being polished to form a smooth contacting interface there between.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said surfaces are silver plated.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said contactor is disposed in a chamber, said chamber being sealed for protection.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said solenoid further comprises a magnet arranged to maintain said contactor in said second position after an activation of said coil.

6. The device of claim 5 further comprising a closing element that selectively switches said contactor from second to said first position after to said coil is deactivated.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said closing element cooperates with said spring to allow said contactor to snap to said second position after said contactor has been displaced by a predetermined distance from said first position.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said closing element is a manual switch arranged to push said contactor away from said second position toward said first position.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein said closing element includes a closing coil arranged to urge said contactor away from said second position when said closing coil is activated and a closing member for selectively activating said closing coil.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said closing element includes a portable transmitter coupled to said closing coil to selectively activate said closing coil.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a remote trip element constructed to selectively switch said contactor from said first to said second position.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said remote trip element includes a portable transmitter device transmitting a trip command, said solenoid receiving said trip command and switching said contractor from said first to said second position.

13. The device of claim 1 further comprising an overcharge indicator receiving said high voltage condition and generating an over voltage signal in response.

18. The battery disconnect device of claim 1 wherein said solenoid, said contactor and said spring cooperate to position said contactor in said first position when said solenoid is de-energized and in said second position when said coil is energized.

14. A disconnect device for disconnecting a battery comprising:

a sealed housing with a first and a second bar extending from said housing;

a solenoid disposed in said housing and including a coil selectively activated, said coil cooperating with said housing to define a chamber space between said coil and said first and second bars;

a spring loaded contactor arranged to selectively reciprocate within said chamber space between a first position in which said contactor electrically bridges said first and second bar, and a second position in which said contactor is away from said bars; and

a sense/trip circuit is constructed to sense a low voltage condition of said battery and to switch said contactor from said first to said second position in response to said low voltage condition, and wherein said sense/trip circuit further senses a high voltage condition and generates a high voltage indication signal.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said solenoid further includes a magnet disposed at one end of said coil and said chamber space is disposed at a second end of said coil, said magnet being positioned to hold said contactor in said second position.

16. The device of claim 15 further comprising a close button which can be activated to mechanically move said contactor from said second to said first position.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein said contactor includes a rod aligned axially with said coil within said chamber and a ring having a smooth surface and attached to said rod to contact said bars when said contactor is in said first position.