Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Vehicle mounted systems – Automobile
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-01
2001-08-28
Paladini, Albert W. (Department: 2836)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Vehicle mounted systems
Automobile
C307S010600, C320S104000, C320S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06281600
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to battery operated starting systems, and, more specifically, to circuitry for jump starting a vehicle having an electrical system of one voltage, typically twelve volts, with another vehicle having an electrical system with a system which may have a substantially higher voltage, such as twenty-four volts.
2) Related Art
Utility vehicles and similar consumer oriented products typically have a nominal twelve volt system for starting, running and accessory operation. If the battery discharges to a level below that necessary for starting, a jump starting procedure is employed using another vehicle or portable device to provide sufficient starting power to the disabled vehicle. In many situations, the assisting device has the same nominal voltage as the disabled vehicle so a direct battery-to-battery connection can be made simply. However, the starting device may have a substantially higher voltage than the disabled vehicle, such as is the situation when a vehicle with a twelve volt system is operated among military vehicles which usually have twenty-four volt systems. If the jumper cables between the twelve volt system and the twenty-four volt system remain connected too long, battery or vehicle component damage or wiring damage can occur. Disconnecting the cable too soon prevents the discharged battery from receiving enough charge for restarting the engine if for any reason there is a shut-down shortly after the jump start.
Some jump start systems have control devices associated directly with the cables or with the jump vehicle. Other systems include expensive DC to DC converters. Such devices add substantial cost and complexity to a system and, in operations such as the military where most all vehicles operate at twenty-four volts, equipping all jump start systems with protective circuitry or DC to DC converters that are only necessary with a relative few twelve-volt systems would not be practical or cost-effective.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and circuit for jump starting a vehicle having an electrical system of a first voltage with another vehicle or other portable device having a substantially higher output voltage. It is another object to provide such a method and circuit which overcomes most or all of the aforementioned problems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method and circuit for jump starting a vehicle or quickly charging a vehicle battery wherein the jump start vehicle or device has a substantially higher voltage than the nominal operating voltage of the vehicle being jumped. It is another object to provide such a method and circuit which is relatively simple and inexpensive and which obviates DC to DC converters and other costly and complicated circuitry. It is still another object to provide such a circuit which also permits a jump starting procedure between two vehicles having the same nominal operating voltage.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved method and circuit for jump starting a vehicle including an operator control mounted on the vehicle which is being jumped. It is a further object to provide such a method and circuit which simply and inexpensively reduces the possibility of battery, component and wiring damage when a system of a preselected first voltage is used to jump start a vehicle having an electrical system with operating voltage substantially greater than the first voltage. It is a further object to provide a starting system that is simple and convenient to use and which does not require jumper cables with built-in electronic controls.
A starting system operating at a first voltage, for example twelve volts, is connected to a separate source of higher voltage, such as twenty-four volts, through a jumper cable. In one embodiment, a manual switch on the vehicle with the discharged battery must be operated simultaneously with the key switch to start the engine from the separate source. Since the operator must manually activate a switch for quick charging the battery, the possibility of damage caused by overcharging is substantially reduced. If the operator desires to start the vehicle using the alternate higher voltage device as a booster, he must simultaneously operate two offset switches. Therefore there is less likelihood of damage resulting from inadvertently operating the starter too long from the higher voltage device.
In another embodiment, an inexpensive circuit including a normally closed relay located on the vehicle connects the separate source with the discharged battery when a jumper cable from the source is plugged into a jump start connector on the vehicle. Once the discharged battery receives sufficient charge, or if the circuit detects excessive boost start times or over-voltage charging, the circuit activates the relay to open the circuit between the separate source and the vehicle battery. The normally closed relay facilitates use of the vehicle for charging and/or providing a boost for starting another vehicle. The circuit includes a simple microcontroller without analog-to-digital converters to reduce complexity and cost.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description in view of the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4233552 (1980-11-01), Baumbach
patent: 4286172 (1981-08-01), Millonzi et al.
patent: 4701688 (1987-10-01), Guim
patent: 4769586 (1988-09-01), Kazmierowicz
patent: 4999562 (1991-03-01), Hill
patent: 5162720 (1992-11-01), Lambert
patent: 5563454 (1996-10-01), Araki et al.
patent: 5838136 (1998-11-01), Waugh
Hough Barry Michael
Shoemaker Jim Milton
Deere & Company
Paladini Albert W.
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