Handheld charge indicator assemblies for children's ride-on vehicles, and associated kits and methods

• US 8,193,943 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Bergum, Mark J., Snyder, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/577,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636.1, 340/636.15, 340/425.5, 180/65.1
• US Class Current: 340/636.15
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Handheld charge indicator assemblies, children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle kits including the same, and methods of determining the state of charge of a battery assembly of a children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle. Handheld charge indicator assemblies are sized to be held in the hand of a user and are configured to be selectively interconnected to a battery assembly of a children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle and output an output signal representative of a voltage of the battery assembly. Handheld charge indicator assemblies include a body, an electronic circuit housed within the body, an indicator configured to output an output signal representative of an input voltage to the electronic circuit, and a battery connector configured to engage the battery assembly of a children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle. In some embodiments, the handheld charge indicator assembly further includes an actuator configured to actuate the electronic circuit to detect the input voltage responsive to a user engaging the actuator.

Claims

1. A handheld charge indicator assembly for use with a children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle having a driven wheel, an electric motor adapted to drive rotation of the driven wheel, a battery assembly including a socket and configured to selectively energize the electric motor to drive rotation of the driven wheel, an electrical cable for transmission of electrical power from the battery assembly to the electric motor, and a plug connected to the electrical cable, wherein the socket is configured to selectively receive the plug, the handheld charge indicator assembly comprising:

a body sized to be held in a hand of a user;

an electronic circuit housed within the body and adapted to detect an input voltage to the electronic circuit from the battery assembly of the children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle;

an indicator electrically coupled to the electronic circuit and configured to output an output signal representative of the input voltage when the indicator is activated by the electronic circuit; and

a battery connector electrically coupled to the electronic circuit and configured to selectively and directly engage the socket of the battery assembly of the children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle only when the plug is not received by the socket and to establish an electrical connection between the battery assembly and the electronic circuit.

2. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator disposed on the body in a position to be engaged by a user holding the handheld charge indicator assembly, the actuator configured to actuate the electronic circuit to detect the input voltage responsive to a user engaging the actuator.

3. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is adapted to detect the input voltage and the indicator is configured to output the output signal upon the battery connector being engaged with the battery assembly of the children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle.

4. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery connector extends directly from the body.

5. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes an audible indicator configured to emit an audible output when the indicator is activated by the electronic circuit.

6. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes a visual indicator disposed on the body, visible to the user, and configured to display an output representative of the input voltage when the indicator is activated by the electronic circuit.

7. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicator is configured to output a plurality of outputs, each output representative of a discrete range of the input voltage.

8. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes at least one light emitting diode.

9. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes a plurality of light emitting diodes, and wherein the electronic circuit is configured to illuminate each of the plurality of light emitting diodes at a specific threshold input voltage.

10. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1, in combination with the children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle.

11. A children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle kit, comprising:

the handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1;

a children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle including;

a body including a seat sized for a child;

a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to the body, wherein the plurality of wheels includes a steerable wheel and a driven wheel;

a steering assembly including a steering mechanism adapted to receive steering inputs from a child sitting on the seat, and a steering linkage configured to convey the steering inputs to the steerable wheel; and

a drive assembly configured to selectively drive rotation of the driven wheel, the drive assembly including;

an electric motor;

a user input device positioned to receive inputs from a child sitting on the seat and configured to actuate the electric motor;

a battery assembly configured to selectively energize the electric motor;

an electrical cable for transmission of electrical power from the battery assembly to the electric motor; and

a plug connected to the electrical cable;

wherein the battery assembly includes;

a housing;

a rechargeable battery supported by the housing; and

a socket supported by the housing, wherein the socket is configured to selectively receive the plug for interconnection of the battery assembly and the electric motor, and wherein the socket is configured to selectively receive only one of the plug and the battery connector at a time.

12. The children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle kit of claim 11, wherein the socket includes:

an indicator connector configured to be selectively interconnected with the battery connector of the handheld charge indicator assembly; and

a motor connector configured to be selectively interconnected with the plug.

13. A method of determining the state of charge of a battery assembly of a children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle, the method comprising:

providing the handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 1; and

interconnecting the battery connector with the battery assembly of the children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to the interconnecting, disconnecting the plug from the socket.

15. A handheld charge indicator assembly for use with a children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle having a motor assembly adapted to drive rotation of a driven wheel, a battery assembly including a motor connector and an indicator connector, wherein the motor connector is configured to selectively interconnect the battery assembly to the motor assembly, and wherein the indicator connector is configured to selectively interconnect the battery assembly to the handheld charge indicator assembly, the handheld charge indicator assembly comprising:

a body sized to be held in a hand of a user;

an electronic circuit housed within the body and adapted to detect an input voltage to the electronic circuit from the battery assembly of the children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle;

an indicator electrically coupled to the electronic circuit and configured to output an output signal representative of the input voltage when the indicator is activated by the electronic circuit; and

a battery connector electrically coupled to the electronic circuit and configured to selectively and directly engage the indicator connector of the battery assembly of the children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle and to establish an electrical connection between the battery assembly and the electronic circuit.

16. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 15, wherein the indicator connector is configured to receive the battery connector only when the motor connector is not interconnecting the battery assembly to the motor assembly.

17. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 15, wherein the indicator connector is configured to receive the battery connector while the motor connector interconnects the battery assembly to the motor assembly.

18. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 15 in combination with the children'"'"'s ride-on vehicle.

19. The handheld charge indicator assembly of claim 15, wherein the battery connector extends directly from the body.