Fast charging high energy storage capacitor system jump starter

• US 9,673,652 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vector Products Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mathew Inskeep
• Inventors: Inskeep, Mathew
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US14/509,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 320103, 320105, 320107, 320114, 320166, 320167
• 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 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: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

A fast charging high energy storage capacitor system jump starter is described. The jump starter apparatus incorporates a method of using reserve energy from a depleted electrical system such as an automobile battery, combined with a fast charging high energy capacitor bank to enable the rapid and effective way to jump start a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for aiding in starting of a motor vehicle having a vehicle battery that has been depleted to an energy level where the battery is unusable for an intended purpose but still having an amount of reserve energy, the reserve energy of the dead battery being at a specific DC voltage potential level, said system comprising:

a boost or step up converter circuit adapted for electrical communication with the dead battery and capable of extracting the reserve energy from the dead battery and boosting a DC voltage potential for the extracted reserve energy to a higher level than the specific DC voltage potential level;

a current limiter circuit in electrical communication with an output of the boost or step up converter circuit; and

a single cell or capacitor bank in electrical communication with an output of the current limiter circuit, said single cell or capacitor bank adapted for electrical communication to an electrical load device and when the single cell or capacitor bank is charged the single cell or capacitor bank is capable and available for delivering energy to the load device;

wherein the current limiter circuit restricts a maximum current delivered to the single cell or capacitor bank from the extracted reserve energy and regulates a charging time for the single cell or capacitor bank using the reserve energy extracted from the dead battery.

2. The system for aiding of claim 1 wherein the boost or step up converter including a high frequency pulse width modulator.

3. The system for aiding of claim 1 further comprising a high power switch in electrical communication with an output line of the single cell or capacitor bank, wherein the charged single cell or capacitor bank is permitted to deliver energy to the load device when the switch is closed.

4. The system for aiding of claim 1 wherein the load device is the dead battery that the reserve energy level was originally extracted from.

5. The system for aiding of claim 1 wherein the boost or step up converter circuit in electrical communication with the dead battery through a pair of transmission lines.

6. The system for aiding of claim 1 wherein the boost or step up converter circuit in electrical communication with the dead battery through a pair of transmission lines and a pair of clamps, a first of the pair of clamps connected to a first of the pair of transmission lines and a second of the pair of clamps connected to a second of the pair of transmission lines.

7. The system for aiding of claim 1 wherein the boost or step up converter circuit in electrical communication with the dead battery through a pair of transmission lines and a DC plug connected to the pair of transmission lines.

8. The system for aiding of claim 1 further comprising an integrated battery in electrical communication with the boost or step up converter circuit and a charging circuit for charging the integrated battery.

9. A method for aiding in starting of a motor vehicle having a vehicle battery that has been depleted to an energy level where the battery is unusable for an intended purpose but still having an amount of reserve energy, the reserve energy of the dead battery being at a specific DC voltage potential level, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) extracting at least a portion of the reserve energy from a battery;

(b) boosting or stepping up the specific DC voltage potential level of the extracted reserve energy to a higher DC voltage potential level than the specific DC voltage potential level; and

(c) charging a single cell or capacitor bank using the extracted reserve energy boosted or stepped up to the higher DC voltage potential.

10. The method for aiding of claim 9 further comprising the step of delivering electrical energy stored in the charged single cell or capacitor bank to a load device to assist the load device in being used for an intended purpose of the load device.

11. The method for aiding of claim 9 wherein the intended purpose of the battery is for turning over an engine of a motor vehicle.

12. The method for aiding of claim 9 further comprising the step of directly or indirectly connecting a boost or step up converter circuit to the battery for performing step (a) and step (b).

13. The method for aiding of claim 9 further comprising the step of regulating the timing of using the extracted reserve energy when charging the single cell or capacitor bank in step (c).

14. The method for aiding of claim 9 further comprising the step of restricting an amount of current that is provided when charging the single cell or capacitor bank in step (c).

15. The method for aiding of claim 9 further comprising the steps of regulating the timing of using the extracted reserve energy and restricting an amount of current that is provided by a current limiter circuit when charging the single cell or capacitor bank in step (c).

16. The method for aiding of claim 10 further comprising the step of closing a high power switch in electrical communication with an output line of the single cell or capacitor bank prior to delivering electrical energy to the load device from the electrical energy stored by the single cell or capacitor bank.

17. A method for aiding in starting of a motor vehicle having a vehicle battery that has been depleted to an energy level where the battery is unusable for an intended purpose but still having an amount of reserve energy, the reserve energy of the dead battery being at a specific DC voltage potential level, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) extracting at least a portion of the reserve energy from a battery;

(b) boosting or stepping up the specific DC voltage potential level of the extracted reserve energy to a higher DC voltage potential level than the specific DC voltage potential level by a boost or step up converter circuit directly or indirectly electrically connected to the battery;

(c) regulating the timing of supplying the boosted or stepped up reserve energy and restricting an amount of current that is provided to a single cell or capacitor bank by a current limiter circuit in electrical communication with the single cell or capacitor bank;

(d) charging a single cell or capacitor bank using the extracted reserve energy supplied by the current limiter circuit;

(e) closing a high power switch in electrical communication with an output line of the single cell or capacitor bank in order to provide electrical communication between the single cell or capacitor bank and a load device; and

(f) delivering electrical energy stored in the charged single cell or capacitor bank to a load device to assist the load device in being used for an intended purpose of the load device.

18. The method for aiding of claim 17 wherein the load device is the battery that the reserve energy was extracted from in step (a).

19. The method for aiding of claim 18 wherein the intended purpose of the battery is for turning over an engine of a motor vehicle.