Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – One cell or battery charges another – Vehicle battery charging
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-28
2001-04-24
Riley, Shawn (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
One cell or battery charges another
Vehicle battery charging
C320S112000, C307S066000, CD13S103000, CD13S107000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222342
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This application relates to portable battery pack units, and particularly to battery packs of the type used for jump starting automotive vehicles.
Various types of portable battery packs have heretofore been provided, including batteries disposed in portable carrying cases. These cases are typically specifically designed for the particular battery pack and often are provided with access panels or hatches for accessing the interior of the housing. One such battery pack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,235, and includes cables projecting outwardly through openings in the housing and terminated in connector clamps which, when not in use, can be clamped onto posts projecting laterally outwardly from the case. Access to the inside of the housing requires the removal of a panel by removing a number of screws.
It is also known to provide clamshell-type or valise-type cases for various other types of applications, and at least one battery pack for use in starting airplane engines has been provided in a clamshell-type case.
SUMMARY
The present application is directed to a battery pack which is housed in a case which provides simple and easy access to the contents, but which is fully operable in the closed condition.
An aspect of the battery pack unit is that it is provided with monitoring circuitry which permits viewing of the state of charge of the battery from outside the case and/or viewing of the verification that the unit is charging. The circuitry also permits audible verification of the state of charge of the battery as well as certain overcharge conditions.
Another aspect is the provision of cables carried by the housing and with connector clamps mountable on the outside of the housing when not in use.
Another aspect is the provision of a charger port accessible when the housing is closed.
Still another aspect is the provision of a housing of the type set forth for use with a battery pack.
Certain ones of these and other aspects may be provided in a portable battery jump start unit comprising: a portable clamshell-type housing having a base and a cover hingedly connected together for movement between open and closed conditions and cooperating to define an interior space, a battery disposed in the interior space and having terminals, monitoring circuitry including a printed-circuit board disposed in the interior space and connected to the battery terminals and including a visible indicator, an aperture in the housing disposed for viewing the visible indicator therethrough, two cable openings in the housing, two cables respectively connected to the battery terminals and extending outwardly through the openings, two clamp connectors respectively connected to distal ends of the cables outside the housing, and a charger jack in the housing connected to the battery terminals and adapted for connection to an associated charger connector while the housing is in its closed condition.
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Becker Thomas P.
Crass Matthew M.
Eggert Daniel M.
Mowry Michael R.
Riley Shawn
Shaw Seyfarth
Snap-on Technologies, Inc.
Toatley Jr. Gregory J
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