BATTERY BOOSTER

• US 3,590,357 A
• Filed: 11/05/1969
• Issued: 06/29/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reid Donald
• Original Assignee: Reid Donald
• Inventors: REID DONALD
• Application Number:
  US04/874,312
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• US Class Current: 320/105
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/20 Polarity

Abstract

A system for use in boosting the weak battery of a vehicle to permit operation of the starter of such a vehicle including at least one booster battery for providing the required energy for boosting the weak battery. The circuit for connecting the booster battery to the weak battery of the vehicle includes a relay having an electromagnetic winding connected to an energizing circuit and an armature responsive to the electromagnetic winding for operating a main set of contacts and an auxiliary set of contacts. A resistor is connected in series with the auxiliary set of contacts and the series combination of said auxiliary set of contacts and said resistor is connected in parallel with said main set of contacts. The booster battery is connected to the weak battery through said sets of main and auxiliary contacts and the armature of the relay is designed in such a way as to close said auxiliary set of contacts ahead of said main set of contacts and to open said auxiliary set of contacts after said main set of contacts so as to prevent arcing at the terminals of said main set of contacts due to the energy stored in the starter of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for use in boosting the weak battery of a vehicle to permit operation of the starter of said vehicle comprising:

a. at least one booster battery for providing the required energy for boosting the weak battery;

b. a first relay having an electromagnetic winding connected to an energizing circuit, and an armature operated by said electromagnetic winding and supporting a first set of contacts and an auxiliary set of contacts;

c. a resistor connected in series with said auxiliary set of contacts;

d. means including the series connection of said auxiliary set of contacts and said resistor in parallel with said main set of contacts for connecting said booster battery to said weak battery;

e. a polarity detector positioned in the energizing circuit of said first relay so as to prevent energization of said first relay when the terminals of the booster battery are connected to the opposite terminals of the weak battery; and

f. a dead battery activating switch interconnecting said booster battery and said weak battery through said resistor so as to temporarily provide the weak battery of the vehicle with a charge sufficient to subsequently operate said polarity detector if the voltage of the battery of the vehicle is too low for activating said polarity detector.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for connecting said booster battery to said weak battery includes a pair of cables.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein said polarity detector comprises a silicon-controlled rectifier having main electrodes connected in the energizing circuit of said first relay and a sensing electrode adapted for connection to one of said cables.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second relay having a corresponding electromagnetic winding and an armature responsive to energization of the electromagnetic winding for operating a pair of contacts in series with the electromagnetic winding of said first relay, the electromagnetic winding of said second relay being connected in series with said polarity detector.

5. A system as defined in claim 4, further comprising a manual switch having a first pair of contacts located in series with the electromagnetic winding of said second relay for operating said second relay.

6. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein there are provided at least two booster batteries normally connected in parallel and further comprising a third relay having a corresponding electromagnetic winding connected to a third energizing circuit and an armature for operating a normally closed set of contacts for connecting said batteries in parallel and a normally open set of contacts for connecting said batteries in series upon energization of said third energizing circuit.

7. A system as defined in claim 6, further comprising a fourth relay having a corresponding electromagnetic winding and an armature responsive to said electromagnetic winding to operate a set of contacts located in the energizing circuit of said third relay for operating said third relay.

8. A system as defined in claim 7, further comprising a selection switch located in series with the electromagnetic winding of said fourth relay for energizing said fourth relay when said two batteries are to be connected in series.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, further comprising a second pair of contacts of said pushbutton switch in series with the electromagnetic winding of said fourth relay, and wherein said second pair of contacts is closed first for operating said fourth relay ahead of said second relay and so prevent any arcing on the contacts of said third relay.