Emergency supplemental charging device

• US 6,288,518 B1
• Filed: 10/25/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tai-Her Yang, Yang Chen
• Original Assignee: Tai-Her Yang, Yang Chen
• Inventors: Yang, Tai-Her, Chen, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/425,935
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/132, 324/429, 340/636
• US Class Current: 320/103
• 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

Abstract

A emergency battery charger includes a secondary cell contact structure for connecting a rechargeable battery to be charged (the secondary cell) with a primary cell power supply consisting of one or more conventional batteries having an aggregate voltage higher than a rated voltage of the secondary cell, thus providing a DC to DC charger that can be used once in emergency situations. The secondary cell contact structure for connecting like polarity terminals of the primary cell power supply and the secondary cell may be contained in the same housing as the primary cell power supply or in a separate housing, and the charger may include such additional elements as an on/off switch, voltage or current detectors and a central processing unit, a circuit breaker, and/or a current limiter.

Claims

1. An emergency supplemental charging device for charging a secondary cell, comprising:

a primary cell power supply having a DC voltage higher than a rated voltage of the secondary cell;

a secondary cell contact structure for connecting the primary cell power supply in parallel with the secondary cell to thereby cause the primary cell power supply to charge the secondary cell; and

a current-limiting device having an impedance proportional to variations in current passing through the current-limiting device, and connected between the primary cell power supply and the secondary cell contact structure for protecting the secondary cell from current variations.

2. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a circuit breaker device connected between the primary cell power supply and the secondary cell contact structure for protecting the secondary cell from excessive current.

3. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an output current detector connected between the primary cell power supply and the secondary cell contact structure, and a display for displaying a charging current value.

4. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an on/off switch connected in between the primary cell power supply and the secondary cell contact structure.

5. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a voltage detector and corresponding voltage display connected in parallel with the secondary cell when the secondary cell is positioned in the secondary cell contact structure.

6. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a central control unit for controlling a current limiter or switch based on a detected current and voltage.

7. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said secondary cell contact structure connects like polarity terminals of the secondary cell and the primary cell power supply.

8. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary cell contact structure and the primary cell power supply are in a single housing, the secondary cell contact structure including lead wires for connection to the secondary cell.

9. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cell encasement for housing a primary cell of the primary cell power supply.

10. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said cell encasement and secondary cell contact structure are integrally included in a single housing.

11. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said cell encasement and secondary cell contact structure are separately provided and connected by a lead wire.

12. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said primary cell power supply comprises a plurality of primary cells connected in series.

13. An emergency supplemental charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said primary cell power supply comprises a plurality of primary cells connected in parallel.