Vehicle electrical system
First Claim
1. An improved vehicle electrical system for use in a vehicle having an engine and including a rechargeable engine battery, an engine battery load, a rechargeable auxiliary battery, an auxiliary battery load, an engine generator means powered by said engine for generating an electric current, and a supplemental electric current source capable of providing electric current to said auxiliary battery and to the auxiliary battery load, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a) link circuit means for electrically linking said engine battery, said auxiliary battery, and said supplemental electric current source; and
b) control means for allowing electric current to flow through said link circuit means from said auxiliary battery and/or said supplemental electric current source to said engine battery and said engine battery load without allowing the flow of significant electric current from said engine battery to said auxiliary battery or said auxiliary battery load.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved electrical system for a recreational vehicle or the like including a first battery for starting the engine and the like, having a second or auxiliary battery for providing electric current to interior lights and the like. The improvement includes a link circuit for electrically linking the first and second batteries and a supplemental electric current source such as an independently powered generator or an electric utility current source, and control structure for allowing electric current to flow through the link circuit from the second battery and/or the supplemental electric current source to the first battery and the first battery load without allowing the flow of significant electric current from the first battery to the second battery or the second battery load.
83 Citations
33 Claims
-
1. An improved vehicle electrical system for use in a vehicle having an engine and including a rechargeable engine battery, an engine battery load, a rechargeable auxiliary battery, an auxiliary battery load, an engine generator means powered by said engine for generating an electric current, and a supplemental electric current source capable of providing electric current to said auxiliary battery and to the auxiliary battery load, wherein the improvement comprises:
-
a) link circuit means for electrically linking said engine battery, said auxiliary battery, and said supplemental electric current source; and b) control means for allowing electric current to flow through said link circuit means from said auxiliary battery and/or said supplemental electric current source to said engine battery and said engine battery load without allowing the flow of significant electric current from said engine battery to said auxiliary battery or said auxiliary battery load. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
- 2. The improvement of claim in which said supplemental electric current source includes an independently powered generator means.
-
9. The improvement of claim in which said electrical system includes isolator means for permitting electric current flow from said engine generator means to said engine battery and to said auxiliary battery while preventing electric current flow from either said engine battery or said auxiliary battery to said engine generator means and for electrically isolating said engine battery from said auxiliary battery and said auxiliary battery load;
- and in which said control means includes semiconductor diode means and current limiting fuse means in series with said semiconductor diode means for allowing electric current to flow through said link circuit means from said auxiliary battery and/or said supplemental electric current source to said engine battery and said engine battery load only if the electric potential difference across said auxiliary battery and/or across said supplemental electric current source exceeds the electrical cutin potential of said diode means added to the electric potential difference across said engine battery.
-
14. An improved vehicle electrical system for use in a vehicle having an engine and including a rechargeable engine battery, an engine battery load, a rechargeable auxiliary battery, an auxiliary battery load, an engine generator means powered by said engine for generating direct electric current, isolator means for permitting direct electric current flow from said engine generator means to said engine battery and to said auxiliary battery while preventing direct electric current flow from either said engine battery or said auxiliary battery to said engine generator means and for electrically isolating said engine battery from said auxiliary battery and said auxiliary battery load, and a supplemental direct electric current source including an independently powered generator means capable of providing direct electric current to said auxiliary battery and to the auxiliary battery load, wherein the improvement comprises:
-
a) link circuit means for electrically linking said engine battery, said auxiliary battery, and said supplemental electric current source; and b) control means for allowing direct electric current to flow through said link circuit means from said auxiliary battery and/or said supplemental direct electric current source to said engine battery and said engine battery load without allowing the flow of significant direct electric current from said engine battery to said auxiliary battery or said auxiliary battery load. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. An improved vehicle electrical system for use in a vehicle having an engine and including a rechargeable engine battery, an engine battery load, a rechargeable auxiliary battery, an auxiliary battery load, an engine generator means powered by said engine for generating direct electric current, isolator means for permitting direct electric current flow from said engine generator means to said engine battery and to said auxiliary battery while preventing direct electric current flow from either said engine battery or said auxiliary battery to said engine generator means and for electrically isolating said engine battery from said auxiliary battery and said auxiliary battery load, and a supplemental direct electric current source including an alternating current to direct current convertor for being connected to an electric utility alternating current source capable of providing direct electric current to said auxiliary battery and to the auxiliary battery load, wherein the improvement comprises:
-
a) link circuit means for electrically linking said engine battery, said auxiliary battery, and said supplemental electric current source; and b) control means for allowing direct electric current to flow through said link circuit means from said auxiliary battery and/or said supplemental direct electric current source to said engine battery and said engine battery load without allowing the flow of significant direct electric current from said engine battery to said auxiliary battery or said auxiliary battery load. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification