Portable vehicle battery jump start apparatus with safety protection

• US 9,007,015 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The NOCO Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The NOCO Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Nook, Jonathan Lewis, Stanfield, James Richard, Nook, William Knight, Underhill, Derek Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/325,938
• Time in Patent Office: 280 Days
• Field of Search: 320/105, 320/165, 307/150
• US Class Current: 320/105
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• 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

Abstract

A handheld device for jump starting a vehicle engine includes a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack and a microcontroller. The lithium ion battery is coupled to a power output port of the device through a FET smart switch actuated by the microcontroller. A vehicle battery isolation sensor connected in circuit with positive and negative polarity outputs detects the presence of a vehicle battery connected between the positive and negative polarity outputs. A reverse polarity sensor connected in circuit with the positive and negative polarity outputs detects the polarity of a vehicle battery connected between the positive and negative polarity outputs, such that the microcontroller will enable power to be delivered from the lithium ion power pack to the output port only when a good battery is connected to the output port and only when the battery is connected with proper polarity of positive and negative terminals.

Claims

1. Apparatus for jump starting a vehicle engine, comprising:

an internal power supply;

an output port having positive and negative polarity outputs;

a vehicle battery isolation sensor connected in circuit with said positive and negative polarity outputs, configured to detect presence of a vehicle battery connected between said positive and negative polarity outputs;

a reverse polarity sensor connected in circuit with said positive and negative polarity outputs, configured to detect polarity of a vehicle battery connected between said positive and negative polarity outputs and to provide an output signal indicating whether positive and negative terminals of said vehicle battery are properly connected with said positive and negative polarity outputs of said output port;

a power switch connected between said internal power supply and said output port; and

a microcontroller configured to receive input signals from said vehicle isolation sensor and said reverse polarity sensor, and to provide an output signal to said power switch, such that said power switch is turned on to cause said internal power supply to be connected to said output port in response to signals from said sensors indicating the presence of a vehicle battery at said output port and proper polarity connection of positive and negative terminals of said vehicle battery with said positive and negative polarity outputs, and is not turned on when signals from said sensors indicate either the absence of a vehicle battery at said output port or improper polarity connection of positive and negative terminals of said vehicle battery with said positive and negative polarity outputs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said internal power supply comprises a lithium ion battery.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said lithium ion battery comprises a battery pack of multiple lithium ion batteries.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said power switch comprises a plurality of FETs in parallel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vehicle isolation sensor and reverse polarity sensor comprise optically coupled isolator phototransistors.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of power diodes coupled between said output port and said internal power supply to prevent back-charging of said internal power supply from an electrical system connected to said output port.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature of said internal power supply and to provide a temperature signal to said microcontroller.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a voltage measurement circuit configured to measure output voltage of said internal power supply and to provide a voltage measurement signal to said microcontroller.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a voltage regulator configured to convert output voltage of said internal power supply to a voltage level appropriate to provide operating power to internal components of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a USB output port configured to provide charging power from said internal power supply to a USB-chargeable device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a USB charging port configured to provide charging power from an external power source to said internal power supply.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flashlight circuit configured to provide a source of light to a user.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said source of light is at least one LED.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said microcontroller is configured to control said at least one LED to provide a visual alarm indicating an emergency situation.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of visual indicators configured to display remaining capacity status of said internal power supply.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said plurality of visual indicators comprises a plurality of LEDs providing output light of different colors.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator configured to warn a user when a vehicle battery is connected with reverse polarity.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising separate visual indicators configured to display the power on status of the apparatus, and the jump start boost power status of power supplied to said output port.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a manual override switch configured to activate a manual override mode to enable a user to connect jump start power to said output port when said vehicle battery isolation sensor is unable to detect presence of a vehicle battery.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said microcontroller is configured to detect actuation of said manual override switch for at least a predetermined period of time before activation of said manual override mode.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a jumper cable device including a plug configured to plug into said output port, a pair of cables integrated with the plug at one respective end thereof and being configured to be connected to terminals of a battery at another respective end thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said jumper cable device further comprises a pair of ring terminals configured to respectively connect said pair of cables at said another end thereof with one of a battery terminal and a battery terminal clamp.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said output port and said plug are dimensioned so that the plug will fit into the output port only in one specific orientation.