Automotive-type storage battery with built-in charger

• US 5,146,149 A
• Filed: 12/05/1985
• Issued: 09/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ole K Nilssen
• Original Assignee: Ole K Nilssen
• Inventors: Nilssen, Ole K.
• Primary Examiner(s): HICKEY, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/804,780
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2-4, 320/48, 361/101, 429/7, 429/97-100
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An otherwise regular 12 volt 60 Ampere-hour automotive storage battery comprises a built-in automatic electronic inverter-type battery charger.

This built-in battery charger is operable to connect with an ordinary 120 Volt/60 Hz power line by way of an electrical power cord having a male plug at one end and a female plug at the other end--with the male plug being adapted for insertion into an ordinary household electrical outlet and the female plug being adapted for insertion into a recessed male receptacle means mounted on the body of the battery.

When so connected, the built-in battery charger is operable to charge the battery at a six Ampere rate until fully charged. At the point of full charge, charging automatically terminates and is restarted only if the magnitude of the voltage across the battery terminals falls below a predetermined level.

There is complete electrical isolation between the terminals of the recessed male receptacle on the storage battery and the battery power output posts.

The volume occupied by the built-in battery charger is only on the order of four cubic-inches, and can therefore be readily comprised within a sealed enclosure integral with the battery case.

Claims

1. In an automotive-type storage battery having a casing and a pair of battery terminals operative to permit connection with a load, the improvement comprising:

inverter means including isolation means; and

charging input terminals means;

(i) fastened onto the casing, (ii) physically separated from the battery terminals, (iii) connected in circuit with the battery terminals by way of the inverter means including its isolation means providing for electrical isolation between the charging input terminals means and the battery terminals, and (iv) adapted to receive power from a power source for charging the battery;

thereby permitting the battery to be charged from the power source without having to make direct electrical connection between the power source and the battery terminals;

thereby, in turn, preventing a person from getting an electric shock from the power source by touching one of the battery terminals, even though the person may at the same time be in electrical connection with the power source.

2. A storage battery/charger combination having a pair of battery terminals operative to permit connection with a load, comprising:

charging input terminal means located away from the battery terminals and operative to permit connection with a source of electrical power; and

electric circuit means connected between the charging input terminal means and the battery terminals, and operative to permit the flow of electric power to the battery terminals from the charging input terminal means while at the same time providing for electrical isolation between the battery terminals and the charging input terminal means;

the electric circuit means including inverter means;

thereby permitting the battery to be charged while protecting a person from receiving an electric shock from the source of electric power by touching one of the battery terminals.

3. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 2 wherein the electric circuit means is operative to prevent flow of electric power from the battery terminals to the charging input terminal means.

4. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 2 wherein the electric circuit means is operative to permit the source of electric power to be an ordinary electric utility power line.

5. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 2 wherein:

i) the storage battery has a casing, and ii) the charging input terminals means is fastened onto this casing.

6. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 7 wherein the charging input terminal means comprises an electrical receptacle mounted on the casing in a recessed manner and operative to receive and hold an electric plug means.

7. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 2 wherein:

i) the storage battery has a casing, and ii) the electric circuit means is contained substantially within this casing.

8. An arrangement comprising:

a storage battery having;

i) battery terminals operative to connect with a load, and ii) means operative to mechanically hold and support a special battery charger having charger terminals while at the same time providing for electrical connection between the charger terminals and the battery terminals;

the special battery charger having;

(i) charger terminals, (ii) means, including inverter means, operative to connect with a source of voltage of magnitude substantially different from that of the voltage of the storage battery, and iii) means operative to connect with the storage battery such as to be held and rigidly supported thereby while at the same time providing for electrical connection between the charger terminals and the battery terminals.

9. A battery charger:

(i) having a pair of charger output terminals, and (ii) being adapted to be powered from an ordinary electric utility power lien by way of a pair of charger input terminals and, by way of the charger output terminals, to charge a storage battery having a pair of battery terminals;

the battery terminals being exposed so as to be directly accessible to be touched by a person who may at the same time be in connection with earth ground;

there being electrical isolation between the charger input terminals and the charger output terminals;

the battery charger comprising;

inverter means connected in circuit between the charger input terminals and the charger output terminals; and

support and connect means operative to provide for rigid mechanical attachment of the battery charger to the storage battery, as well as to provide for electrical connection between the battery charger and the storage battery.

11. The combination of:

an automotive-type storage battery having a pair of battery terminals as well as a charging receptacle means connected with the battery terminals and adapted to receive and hold a charging plug means;

the charging receptacle means being an integral part of the storage battery; and

battery charger means integrally combined with a power plug means and adapted to be plugged into, held, and powered by an ordinary household electric receptacle, the battery charger means having an output electric cord with a charging plug means operative to be received and held by the charging receptacle means;

the battery charger means being further characterized by including;

(i) first rectifier means, (ii) inverter means, (iii) transformer means, and (iv) second rectifier means.

12. In a battery charger having:

(i) a case, (ii) power input terminals adapted to be powered from an ordinary electric utility power line, and (iii) DC output terminals,

the improvement comprising;

power means connected between the power input terminals and the DC output terminals and including;

first rectifier means, inverter means, transformer means and second rectifier means;

prong means connected with the power input terminals;

the prong means being mechanically and rigidly combined with the case and operative to be plugged into and held by an ordinary household receptacle; and

charging cord means being connected with the DC output terminals;

the charging cord means having a plug means adapted for direct plug-in connection with a battery to be charged.

13. A storage battery/charger combination, comprising:

a pair of battery terminals;

i) operative to furnish substantially without any intervening impedance all the power available from the storage battery, and ii) directly accessible to touch by the hand of a person;

power input receptacle means operative to receive and hold a power plug means; and

battery charger means having power input terminals and DC output terminals, the power input terminals being connected with the power input receptacle means, the DC output terminals being connected with the battery terminals;

the battery charger means being further characterized by including inverter means.

10. The battery charger of claim 16 having receptacle means operative to disconnectably make connection with an electric plug on a power cord adapted for connection with the power line;

such that the battery charger may be left connected with and supported by the storage battery even if it is non-connected with the power line, thereby permitting the use of the storage battery for powering a load without interference from the battery charger.

14. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 13 wherein the battery charger means is operative to be powered at its power input terminals directly from the voltage present on an ordinary electric utility power line.

15. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 13 wherein there is electrical isolation between the battery terminals and the power input receptacle means.

16. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 13 wherein the battery terminals are directly, rigidly and permanently attached to the storage battery.

17. The storage battery/charger combination of claim 16 wherein the power input receptacle means and the battery charger means are both rigidly and permanently attached to the storage battery.

18. A storage battery having a casing and a pair of battery terminals operative to permit connection with a load, comprising:

inverter means; and

charging input terminal means being;

(i) mounted in substantially rigid relationship with the casing;

(ii) separate of and located away from the battery terminals;

(iii) connected with the battery terminals by way of the inverter means; and

(iv) operative to receive charging current for charging the storage battery.