Battery with strength indicator

• US 5,789,100 A
• Filed: 11/14/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Strategic Electronics LLC
• Original Assignee: Strategic Electronics LLC
• Inventors: Burroughs, James R., O'Kain, Alan N.
• Primary Examiner(s): NUZZOLILLO, MARIA
• Application Number:
  US08/557,598
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 429/90, 429/91, 429/92, 429/93, 324/435, 324/437, 324/426
• US Class Current: 429/90
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/005 Indication of measured value by colour change
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/10 Temperature sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5044 Cells or batteries structurally combined with cell condition indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/505 Cells combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery strength tester used on a battery which has indicating means to indicate the strength of the battery and switching means which can easily be employed to complete a circuit so as to place the indicator means across the terminals of the battery and display the charge of the battery and wherein said switch, after a predetermined interval or temperature is reached, automatically opens to break the electrical contact across the battery terminals. A light emitting material employed as the indicator material is another special feature of the battery strength tester.

Claims

1. A battery having a battery strength tester having indicator and switching means comprising:

a battery having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a battery indicator attached to a side of said battery which undergoes a visible change when an electric current flows through the indicator and a first conductive lead electrically connected between said indicator and said first battery terminal; and

a battery switch which switch when activated stays in the activated, on position for an interval during which interval there is provided an indication of the strength of the battery, which switch is disposed over the side of said battery, a second conductive lead extending from said switch to the indicator, said portion of said second conductive lead within said switch comprising a switch contact, and a conductive layer in said switch forming a switch contact and in electrical contact with said second battery terminal, said battery switch being in an electrically open position,

whereby after activation of the switch to turn the switch on by electrically connecting the conductive layer and the second conductive lead so that the indicator will be placed in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery for indicating the strength of the battery, the switch automatically turns off after the interval is reached and the strength indicated, the switch automatically reverting to its open position by breaking the electrical contact across the battery terminals.

2. A battery having a battery strength tester having indicator and switching means comprising:

a dry cell battery having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a battery indicator formed in a layer attached to a side of said battery which undergoes a visible change when a current flows through the indicator and a first conductor electrically connected between said indicator and said first battery terminal; and

a battery switch comprising a resilient, nonconductive, deformable layer disposed over the side of said battery, a switch chamber formed beneath said resilient layer, and a second conductor extending from said chamber and connected to the indicator, said portion of said second conductive lead within said switch chamber comprising a switch contact, and a conductive layer spaced apart from said switch contact and in electrical connection with said second battery terminal, said battery switch being in an electrically open position,

whereby upon pressing of the resilient layer over said switch chamber, the switch contact will be deformed and placed in electrical contact with the conductive layer in electrical contact with said second battery terminal, thereby placing the indicator in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery and after the pressure is released, the switch stays in electrical contact for an interval or temperature during which interval the strength of the battery is indicated, after which the switch automatically breaks the electrical contact across the battery terminals.

3. The battery of claim 1 wherein said switch comprises an electronic switch.

4. The battery of claim 1 wherein said resilient layer is transparent about the chamber.

5. The battery of claim 1 wherein said resilient layer is translucent about the chamber.

6. The battery of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a chemical redox composition which changes color when a voltage potential across the indicator crosses a voltage.

7. The battery of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a liquid-crystal composition which changes phases when the electric field across the indicator exceeds a value.

8. The battery of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a LED which undergoes a visible change when the voltage applied to the indicator crosses a value.

9. The battery of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a thermochromic material which changes color when the temperature in the indicator changes to a value.

10. The battery of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises an electroluminescent material which becomes illuminated when the switch is on, said electroluminescent material being selected from the group consisting of phosphors and organic electroluminescent compounds.

11. The battery of claim 10 wherein the electroluminescent material is a phosphor.

12. The battery of claim 10 wherein the electroluminescent material is an electrically conductive organic electroluminescent compound selected from the group consisting of crystalline electrically conductive organic compounds and polymeric electrically conductive organic compounds.

13. A battery package having a battery-strength tester having indicator and switch means comprising:

a package frame;

at least one battery mounted on said package frame, said battery having first and second terminals;

a battery-strength indicator mounted on said package frame and electrically connected to said first terminal of said battery; and

a battery switch which when activated stays in the activated, on position for an interval during which interval there is provided an indication of the strength of the battery, which switch is disposed over said package frame and electrically connected to said second terminal of said battery and said indicator, said battery switch being in an electrically open position,

whereby after the switch is activated to turn the switch on and said indicator is placed in electrical contact across the terminals of said battery, the switch stays in electrical contact until the interval or temperature is reached during which interval the strength of the battery is indicated, after which interval the switch automatically turns off and reverts to its open position by breaking the electrical contact across the battery terminals.

14. A battery package having a battery-strength tester having indicator and switching means comprising:

a package frame;

at least one battery mounted on said package frame, said battery having first and second terminals;

a battery-strength indicator mounted on said package frame and electrically connected to said first terminal of said battery; and

a battery switch comprising a resilient, nonconductive layer disposed over said package frame, a switch chamber formed beneath said resilient layer, a first conductor extending from one end of said chamber and connected to said indicator, and a second conductor extending from the other end of said chamber and connected to said second terminal of said battery, said first conductor and second conductor forming switch contacts which are biased in an electrically open position,

whereby upon pressing of the resilient layer over said switch chamber at least one of the first conductor and second conductor is physically deformed and, the first conductor and second conductor contact and place said indicator in electrical contact across the terminals of said battery for indicating the strength of the battery and after the pressure is released, the switch stays in electrical contact until an interval or temperature is reached during which interval the strength is indicated, after which interval the switch automatically breaks the electrical contact across the battery terminals.

15. A battery having a battery strength tester having indicator and switching means comprising:

a battery having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a battery indicator attached to a side of said battery which undergoes a visible change when an electric current flows through the indicator and a first conductive lead electrically connected between said indicator and said first battery terminal, said indicator comprising a phosphor compound capable of emitting light when voltage applied to the indicator crosses a predetermined value; and

a battery switch disposed over the side of said battery, a second conductive lead extending from said switch to the indicator, said portion of said second conductive lead within said switch comprising a switch contact, and a conductive layer in said switch forming a switch contact and in electrical contact with said second battery terminal, said battery switch being in an electrically open position,

whereby the switch may be activated by electrically connecting the conductive layer and the second conductive lead so that the indicator will be placed in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery for indicating the strength of the battery.

16. A battery having a battery strength tester having indicator and switching means comprising:

a battery having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a battery indicator attached to a side of said battery which undergoes a visible change when an electric current flows through the indicator and a first conductive lead electrically connected between said indicator and said first battery terminal, said indicator comprising an electrically conductive organic composition capable of emitting light when voltage applied to the indicator crosses a predetermined value; and

a battery switch disposed over the side of said battery, a second conductive lead extending from said switch to the indicator, said portion of said second conductive lead within said switch comprising a switch contact, and a conductive layer in said switch forming a switch contact and in electrical contact with said second battery terminal, said battery switch being in an electrically open position,

whereby the switch may be activated by electrically connecting the conductive layer and the second conductive lead so that the indicator will be placed in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery for indicating the strength of the battery.