Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Serially connected batteries or cells – With discharge of cells or batteries
Patent
1992-10-15
1995-01-03
Peckman, Kristine L.
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Serially connected batteries or cells
With discharge of cells or batteries
320 48, H02J 704
Patent
active
053789776
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for determining the charging status of a vehicle storage battery, comprising a ground connector connected between one pole of the storage battery and a ground contact, and which is further connected to sensor means for sensing the flow of current.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a demand for the ability to monitor the charging status in the storage battery of a vehicle. After a number of cold starts, trips with small mileage or with use of energy demanding extra equipment in the vehicle, there is a risk that the effective output of the generator will no longer be sufficient to drive all equipment and simultaneously give enough energy for recharging the storage battery. Furthermore, an accumulator battery is successively aged, which means that over time it takes a longer time to recharge it and the total accumulator capacity is reduced. Power dissipation may also occur in the generator or other parts of the electrical system so that the output of the generator is reduced or a voltage drop occurs.
Having access to information about the charging status of the battery, the driver of the vehicle can be in a better position to avoid starting problems, e.g. by changing an old battery, by adjustment of the power consumption so that the battery receives proper charging or by additional recharging of a temporarily run-down battery.
Known means for determining the charging of a battery does not consider the age of the battery, and typically use rather deliberate and expensive sensor means for detection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a simple and efficient sensor which can be used for determining the charging status of a storage battery.
This object is achieved according to the invention in that the sensor means comprises a source of electric power for providing at least one electric current through a ground connector, at least one current measuring unit, and means for processing electrical signals, wherein values which are deducted from the current flowing through the ground connector are provided to the processing means and are used for determining the charging status of the storage battery.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ground connector is connected to the battery pole and body or the chassis of the vehicle, and the ground connector and the electrical conductors which connect the ground connector to the sensor means may form a common cabling. Thus, the sensor will be simple to integrate in the wiring system of a vehicle.
Preferably, the cabling comprises an uninsulated cabling ground braid with a cable shoe or connector in each of its ends and two insulated conductors, one end of which is connected to the respective cable connector and wherein the other ends are connected to the sensor means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows the basic construction of the device for determining the charging status of a storage battery diagrammatically showing the storage battery connected to a vehicle according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing the measurement system in which the present invention is used.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference 10 generally designates a storage battery conventionally connected with both its poles 11 and 12 to the wiring system of a vehicle via a ground connector 13 and a current connector 14. Each end of the ground connector 13 is provided with a cable connector 15 and 16 respectively and is mounted with a metallic connection by screws to the vehicle body 17 and cable connector 16 so that it can be used as a return conductor to the battery by the generator 33 and the power consumers in the wiring system, e.g., outer and inner lighting, air-conditioning, radio and so on.
The storage battery 10 is used conventionally, to deliver energy to a starter motor for starting a combustion engine and to provide a storage means for the energy consumption
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patent: 5043651 (1991-08-01), Tamura
patent: 5144218 (1992-09-01), Bosscha
patent: 5193067 (1993-03-01), Sato et al.
Eriksson Robert
Kristiansson Urban
AB Volvo
Peckman Kristine L.
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