Wearable power supply comprising a master cell and a slave cell

• US 9,413,181 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 9609385 Canada Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Flewelling Ford Family Trust
• Inventors: Ford, Timothy D. F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henze-Gongola, David V
• Application Number:
  US13/091,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/110
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

There is disclosed a universal power pack, power supply and battery harvesting device. Generally, each comprises a receptacle for receiving at least one battery or battery pack having a different shape and/or nominal output voltage. A controller circuit is provided for regulating the output voltages and/or currents of the battery or batteries with the regulated voltage and current available at an output. The devices allow other devices to be powered or recharged, or batteries to be recharged. In a particular embodiment, a master cell and slave cell are provided wherein the slave cell continues to power attached devices when connection with the master cell is not available.

Claims

1. A universal power pack for powering a device, the power pack comprising:

a back-pack mounted master cell comprising a cell bank for receiving at least one battery, a controller circuit for regulating a DC output voltage and current of said at least one battery, said regulated DC voltage and DC current available at an output of said master cell;

a helmet mounted slave cell comprising an input, a recharging circuit connected to said input for recharging a rechargeable cell with a DC power available at said input, a DC power output connected to the helmet mounted device and a switching circuit for directing a selected one of said DC power available at said DC power input and DC power available from said rechargeable cell to said DC power output; and

a flexible two conductor cable for releasably interconnecting said master cell output and said slave cell input, said flexible cable further comprising an insulating jacket surrounding said conductors;

a first interconnection between a first end of said flexible two conductor cable and one of said master cell output and said slave cell input and a second interconnection between a second end of said flexible two conductor cable and another of said master cell output and said slave cell input, said second interconnection comprising a jack and a port, wherein said jack is releasably held in said port such that said second interconnection can be interrupted by pulling said jack away from said port and completed by inserting said jack into said port;

wherein when said interconnections are completed and power is available at said slave cell input, said switching circuit interconnects said slave cell input with said slave cell output such that the at least one helmet mounted device is powered by a DC power from said master cell and when at least one of said interconnections is interrupted and power is not available at said slave cell input, said switching circuit interconnects said rechargeable cell with said slave cell output such that the at least one helmet mounted device is powered by a DC power from said slave cell.

2. The universal power pack of claim 1, wherein said cell bank is configured for receiving one of a plurality of different battery types each having a different standardized format and nominal voltage, and further wherein a voltage available at said output remains substantially at a predetermined value regardless of said nominal voltage.

3. The universal power pack of claim 1, wherein said cell bank is configured for receiving one of a plurality of different standardized shapes of battery.

4. The universal power pack of claim 1, wherein said master cell comprises a plurality of cell banks, each of said cell banks configured for receiving a plurality of different batteries each having a different standardized shape and nominal voltage, wherein said controller circuit regulates each of said different nominal voltage such that said voltage available at said output remains substantially at a predetermined voltage.

5. The power pack of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of different battery types is elongate and each of said receptacles is configured for receiving a battery of a first type in a first orientation and a battery of a second type in a second orientation at right angles to said first orientation.

6. The universal power pack of claim 1, wherein said jack is a TRS plug and said port is a TRS socket.

7. The universal power pack of claim 1, wherein releasable contact between said jack and said port is maintained using a magnet.