Electromechanical switching device
First Claim
1. An electromechanical switching device operative to electrically interconnect a positive terminal of a first power source to a selected one of a positive and negative terminal of a second power source and a negative terminal of said first power source to another one of the positive and negative terminals of said second power source thereby to define a selected coupled state for the first and second power sources, comprising:
- (a) a switch including a first pair of contacts, a second pair of contacts and a third pair of contacts, said switch movable between a first state wherein each of said third pair of contacts is placed in electrical communication with a respective one of said first pair of contacts and a second state wherein each of said third pair of contacts is placed in electrical communication with a respective one of said second pair of contacts;
(b) a first pair of electrical leads having first ends each respectively connected to a selected one of said first pair of contacts and to a selected one of said second pair of contacts in a configuration such that electrical communication between each of said third electrical contacts and said first pair of electrical leads is reversed when said switch moves from said first state to said second state, said first pair of electrical leads having second ends adapted to connect respectively to the positive and negative terminals of one of said first and second power sources;
(c) a second pair of electrical leads having first ends each respectively connected to a selected one of said third contacts and second ends adapted to connect respectively to the positive and negative terminals of another of said first and second power sources; and
(d) a switch controller including a plurality of current-carrying coils in electrical communication with said first and second pairs of electrical leads and an actuator coupled to said switch, said current carrying coils operative upon connection of the second ends of said first and second pairs of leads to said first and second power sources to produce a composite magnetic field, said coils arranged such that said actuator interacts with said composite magnetic field to automatically move said switch into whichever one of said first and second states that interconnects said first and second power sources in the selected coupled state regardless of the respective connections of the second ends of said first and second pairs of leads to the positive and negative terminals of said first and second power sources.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electromechanical switching device ensures automatic selected polarity interconnection between terminals of two power sources. A double pole double throw (DPDT) switch has three pairs of contacts. A first pair of leads connect to two pairs of contacts in a manner that reverses polarity when switched, while a second pair of leads connect to the other pair of contacts. A switch controller employs a plurality of coils in electrical communication with the two pairs of leads. The coils are arranged and configured so that, when the two pairs of leads are connected to the respective power sources, the coils cause an actuator to move the switch automatically into the correct polarity state regardless of the connections of the leads. The invention is described as a battery jumper cable and to automatically connect like terminals of a pair of batteries. The invention encompasses the method of this device.
19 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An electromechanical switching device operative to electrically interconnect a positive terminal of a first power source to a selected one of a positive and negative terminal of a second power source and a negative terminal of said first power source to another one of the positive and negative terminals of said second power source thereby to define a selected coupled state for the first and second power sources, comprising:
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(a) a switch including a first pair of contacts, a second pair of contacts and a third pair of contacts, said switch movable between a first state wherein each of said third pair of contacts is placed in electrical communication with a respective one of said first pair of contacts and a second state wherein each of said third pair of contacts is placed in electrical communication with a respective one of said second pair of contacts;
(b) a first pair of electrical leads having first ends each respectively connected to a selected one of said first pair of contacts and to a selected one of said second pair of contacts in a configuration such that electrical communication between each of said third electrical contacts and said first pair of electrical leads is reversed when said switch moves from said first state to said second state, said first pair of electrical leads having second ends adapted to connect respectively to the positive and negative terminals of one of said first and second power sources;
(c) a second pair of electrical leads having first ends each respectively connected to a selected one of said third contacts and second ends adapted to connect respectively to the positive and negative terminals of another of said first and second power sources; and
(d) a switch controller including a plurality of current-carrying coils in electrical communication with said first and second pairs of electrical leads and an actuator coupled to said switch, said current carrying coils operative upon connection of the second ends of said first and second pairs of leads to said first and second power sources to produce a composite magnetic field, said coils arranged such that said actuator interacts with said composite magnetic field to automatically move said switch into whichever one of said first and second states that interconnects said first and second power sources in the selected coupled state regardless of the respective connections of the second ends of said first and second pairs of leads to the positive and negative terminals of said first and second power sources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An electromechanical switching device adapted for use with a pair of power sources each including a positive terminal and a negative terminal, said electromechanical switching device operative to establish electrical communication between like terminals of the power sources, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of current-carrying coils each adapted to electrically connect in a selected connection state to the oppositely polarized terminals associated with a respective one of said power sources to produce an associated magnetic field so that a composite magnetic field is established; and
(b) a switch magnetically coupled to said coils and operative when said coils are connected to the power sources to interact with the composite magnetic field thereby to interconnect the like terminals of the power sources irrespective of the selected connection state of said coils. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of ensuring desired electrical interconnection automatically between a pair of power sources, wherein each of said power sources includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal, comprising the steps of:
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(a) producing a first magnetic field associated with a first one of said power sources;
(b) producing a pair of second magnetic fields associated with a second one of said power sources; and
(c) actuating a switch in response to interaction between said first magnetic field and second magnetic fields thereby to establish electrical interconnection between the desired terminals of said power sources. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification