Adaptive booster cable for a vehicle battery

• US 6,632,103 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James Liu, Steve Liu
• Original Assignee: James Liu, Steve Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Hung V.
• Application Number:
  US10/237,958
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 439/754, 439/759, 439/504, 320/104, 320/105, 320/165
• US Class Current: 439/504
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/24 with gripping jaws, e.g. crocodile clip
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/122 Provisions for temporary connection of DC sources of essentially the same voltage, e.g. jumpstart cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• 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

An adaptive booster cable is connected with two pairs of clips, wherein the two pairs of clips are respectively attached to two batteries to transmit power from one battery to the other battery. The adaptive booster cable includes a polarity detecting unit connected to each clip, a switching unit and a current detecting unit both provided between the two pairs of clips. After the polarity of each clip is sensed by the polarity detecting unit, the switching unit generates a proper connection between the two batteries. Therefore, the positive and negative terminals of the two batteries are correctly connected based on the detected result of the polarity detecting unit.

Claims

1. An adaptive booster cable (1) to connect two vehicle batteries, each battery having a positive and a negative pole, the adaptive booster cable (1) comprising:

a first pair of clips (a, b) to connect to the positive and negative poles of a first battery such that each clip (a, b) has a different polarity;

a second pair of clips (c, d) to connect to the positive and negative poles of a second battery such that each clip (c, d) has a different polarity;

a polarity detecting unit (10) connected to each clip (a-d) to detect the polarity of each clip (a-d);

a switching unit (40) connecting the first pair of clips (a, b) and the second pair of clips (c, d), wherein the switching unit (40) is further connected to the polarity detecting unit (10) through a driving unit and generates a correct connection between the first pair of clips (a, b) and the second pair of clips (c, d) based on the polarity detected by the polarity detecting unit (10); and

a current detecting unit (50) provided between the first pair of clips (a, b) and the second pair of clips (c, d) to sense any clip detached from the battery, wherein the current detecting unit (50) provides a circuit continuity signal to the polarity detecting unit (10).

2. The adaptive booster cable (1) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a power supply unit (60) to provide an operating voltage to the polarity detecting unit (10).

3. The adaptive booster cable (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the power supply unit is composed of a first bridge rectifier (61), a second bridge rectifier (62) and a Zener diode (63), wherein the first and second bridge rectifiers (61, 62) are respectively for connection to the first pair of clips (a, b) and the second pair of clips (c, d), wherein the Zener diode (63) with a negative terminal connects to output terminals of the first and the second bridge rectifier (61, 62).

4. The adaptive booster cable (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching unit (40) is a relay, the relay comprising:

a first switching terminal (C1) and a second switching terminal (C2) respectively connected to the first pair of clips (a, b);

a first pair of output terminals (A1, B1) composed of a first primary output terminal (A1) and a first secondary output terminal (B1) selectively connected to the first switching terminal (C1);

a second pair of output terminals (A2, B2) composed of a second primary terminal (A2) and a second secondary terminal (B2) selectively connected to the second switching terminal (C2), wherein the first primary output terminal (A1) and the second primary terminal (A2) are respectively for connection to the second paired clips (c, d), wherein the first secondary output terminal (B1) is further linked to the second primary output terminal (A2) and the second secondary output terminal (B2) is further linked to the first primary output terminal (A1); and

a first coil (41) and a second coil (42) selectively energized by the driving unit respectively control the first switching terminal (C1) and the second switching terminal (C2).

5. The adaptive booster cable (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the driving unit is composed of a first switching transistor (31) and a second switching transistor (32) respectively to determine whether the first coil (41) and the second coil (42) are energized or not.

6. The adaptive booster cable (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polarity detecting unit (10) is a microprocessor (10′

) with an input terminal (s) for connection to each clip (a-d) through a buffer unit (20), wherein a computer program in the microprocessor (10′

) controls the switching unit (20) to generate the correct connection.

7. The adaptive booster cable (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the current detecting unit (50) is a blocking oscillator, wherein the oscillation of the blocking oscillator is in response to a current between the first and the second batteries.

8. The adaptive booster cable (1) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the blocking oscillator comprises:

an oscillation transformer (51) with a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding is coupled between the first pair of clips (a, b) and the second pair of clips (c, d), where the secondary winding has a central tap that connects to an emitter of a first transistor (Q1), wherein a base of the first transistor (Q1) is connected to the power supply unit (60);

a voltage dividing circuit composed of three resistors (R1, R2, R3) connected in series between the power supply unit (60) and ground, wherein a first node (F) between the first and second resistors (R1, R2) is linked to a collector of the first transistor (Q1);

a second transistor (Q2) with a base connected to a second node (G) between the second and third resistors (R2, R3) in the voltage dividing circuit, wherein a collector of the second transistor (Q2) is connected to the power supply unit (60) and the polarity detecting unit (10).