Dual battery and monitor arrangement
First Claim
1. A power supply circuit comprising,a main battery (32) having a main battery positive terminal (32B) connected to a bus (A), said main battery (32) supplying power only to a load (38),a predictive battery (30), independent of said main battery (32), having a predictive battery positive terminal (30B),a battery monitor circuit (100) characterized by a reference voltage lead, a first input lead connected to said predictive battery positive terminal (30B), a second input lead connected to said main battery positive terminal (32B), and an output lead, anda light (50) connected to said output lead of said monitor circuit (100), with said battery monitor circuit (100) arranged and designed to cause said light (50) to illuminate only when respective voltage of both said main battery positive terminal (32B) and said predictive battery positive terminal (30B) are greater than a reference voltage of said reference voltage lead, said light (50) coupled to and receiving power only from said predictive battery (30).
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Accused Products
Abstract
A redundant battery power supply with combined battery charge indication which incorporates a main cell, conductively coupled to the supply bus which powers the load when activated, and a predictive cell, coupled to the bus by an optional diode which becomes forward biased when the main cell voltage drops below the predictive cell voltage. If the main cell becomes discharged, the predictive cell powers the bus. Each cell is coupled to a voltage comparator which compares the cell output voltage to a common reference voltage. When a cell voltage drops below the reference voltage, the corresponding comparator output goes low. The output of the two comparators are combined by a logical AND gate which controls a flashing light. When both the main cell and predictive cell have voltages greater than the reference voltage, the light flashes, but when either cell (or both) has a voltage less than the reference voltage, the light does not flash. The power for the flashing light is provided solely by the predictive cell.
45 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A power supply circuit comprising,
a main battery (32) having a main battery positive terminal (32B) connected to a bus (A), said main battery (32) supplying power only to a load (38), a predictive battery (30), independent of said main battery (32), having a predictive battery positive terminal (30B), a battery monitor circuit (100) characterized by a reference voltage lead, a first input lead connected to said predictive battery positive terminal (30B), a second input lead connected to said main battery positive terminal (32B), and an output lead, and a light (50) connected to said output lead of said monitor circuit (100), with said battery monitor circuit (100) arranged and designed to cause said light (50) to illuminate only when respective voltage of both said main battery positive terminal (32B) and said predictive battery positive terminal (30B) are greater than a reference voltage of said reference voltage lead, said light (50) coupled to and receiving power only from said predictive battery (30).
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7. A retriever comprising,
a supply of compressed gas (16), an inflatable bag (18) fluidly coupled to said supply, a device (38) designed to release said supply of compressed gas into said inflatable bag when electrically energized, a main battery cell (32) coupled to said device by a pressure switch (34), said main battery (32) supplying power only to said device (38), a predictive battery cell (30), independent of said main battery (32), a battery monitor circuit (100) coupled to said main battery cell (32) and said predictive battery cell (30) and having a light (50/70) which illuminates when said main battery cell and said predictive battery cell have voltages greater than a predetermined voltage, said light (50/70) receiving power only from said predictive battery (30).
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14. A method for powering an electric circuit comprising the steps of:
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coupling a main battery (32) having a main battery voltage to said circuit, said main battery (32) supplying power only to a load (38), coupling a predictive battery (30), independent of said main battery (32), having a predictive battery voltage to said circuit, comparing the main battery voltage to a voltage reference, comparing the predictive battery voltage to said voltage reference, and illuminating a light (50/70) only with power supplied by said predictive battery (30) and only if the main battery voltage and the predictive battery voltage are both greater than the voltage reference. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification