Electrical connectors – With flaccid conductor and with additional connector spaced... – Adapted to connect to a battery
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-06
2002-02-05
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With flaccid conductor and with additional connector spaced...
Adapted to connect to a battery
C439S284000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06343949
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to battery-charging jumper cables. More particularly, the present invention relates to modular jumper cables. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a jumper cable system including a first cable to connect to a first battery, a second cable to connect to a second battery, and an intermediate cable with quick disconnect for connecting the first and second cables together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Battery jumper cables are used to establish a circuit between a charged battery and a discharged battery such that the charged battery can be used to start the discharged battery. The jumper cables generally available commercially include two insulated conductive cables each terminating at opposing ends with connectors, all as a unitary device. The connectors most commonly forming part of these devices are spring-loaded sawtooth clamps are identified as alligator clamps.
The jumper cables with alligator clamps provide an effective means to couple together two batteries each having a positive terminal and a negative terminal. To effect a coupling, the handle of a first one of the alligator clamps is squeezed to open the jaws of the clamp and create an opening larger than a battery terminal. The jaws are placed about the terminal and the handle released so that the teeth of the clamp are secured onto the terminal. This process is repeated for all four terminals when two batteries are connected together. When that coupling is completed, the charging process may be initiated.
Of course, it is important to ensure that the battery connection establishes a completed circuit. This is achieved by connecting one of the two cables of the jumper cable to either the positive or negative terminal of one of the batteries and then connecting the other end of that same cable to the corresponding terminal of the other battery. Failure to connect positive to positive and negative to negative will prevent charging and could create a hazardous condition.
Unfortunately, existing commercially available jumper cables of the type described above have several undesirable characteristics. First, the spring-loaded alligator clamps require the user to exert considerable effort to force open the jaws wide enough to accommodate the battery terminals. That effort must be repeated four times if the user is alone. For individuals having inadequate grip strength, the task may be impossible to complete. In that situation, the goal of charging a dead battery may not be achieved. Dependent upon the surrounding conditions, such as the time of day, the weather, and the proximity of the dead battery to well-lit and/or populated areas, the inability to charge a dead battery may be a frightening event. It is desirable to have a jumper cable system that may be easy to use regardless of the strength of the user.
Another concern related to the use of the present alligator-clamp-based jumper cables is the ability to ensure that like battery terminal will be coupled to like battery terminal. Again, dependent upon surrounding conditions, it can be difficult to observe all of the connections and make sure that the positive terminals are connected together and the negative terminals are connected together. It is desirable to have a jumper cable system that eliminates the possibility that incorrect connections will be made.
Yet another concern associated with the existing unitary jumper cables is the limitation on the length of the cables used. The two batteries must generally be placed in close proximity to one another to complete the connection. However, there are numerous situations where that may be difficult including, but not limited to, two vehicles that cannot be placed close to one another. It is therefore desirable to have a jumper cable system that is sufficiently flexible to allow the user to couple the batteries together when they are not immediately adjacent to one another.
Alternative jumper cable systems have been described in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,142 issued to Zapf describes a jumper cable system formed of two cables. Each cables is formed of a pair of wires, each set of wires having at one end the standard alligator clamps for connecting to respective batteries that are to be coupled to one another. The opposite end of each set of wires terminates in a coupling block having overlapping conductive plates. The Zapf device is apparently designed to allow for easy connection of two sets of jumper cables. However, it continues to include the difficult-to-operate alligator clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,250 issued to Smithson describes a battery connector including two connectable cables. The first cable is coupled to one battery post terminal in the conventional way. It includes at the opposing end a quick disconnect male connector. The second cable has an eyelet connector to be placed on another battery terminal post. The opposing end of that second cable includes a quick disconnect female connector for connecting to the male connector of the first cable. It appears that you would need two sets of those cable pairs to ensure a complete connection for the purpose of charging one battery using another.
The prior systems fail to provide a safe and easy-to-use jumper system to ensure that battery charging can be effected. Therefore, what is needed is a jumper cable system that is operable with minimal physical effort. Further, what is needed is a jumper cable system that is configured to ensure that like terminal will be connected to like terminal. Still further, what is needed is a jumper cable system that may be employed when the batteries are not immediately adjacent to one another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a jumper cable system that is operable with minimal physical effort. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a jumper cable system that is configured to ensure that like terminal will be connected to like terminal. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a jumper cable system that may be employed when the batteries are not immediately adjacent to one another. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a modular battery jumper cable system.
These and other objects are achieved in the present invention through the use of a modular jumper cable system that includes easy-to-use connectors. The system includes three components. The first is an intermediate cable having an isolated pair of conductive wires or cords. Each of the two ends of the intermediate cable terminates in connector block having two separated ports, corresponding to the conductive wires. The other two components of the system are battery cables. Each of the battery cables includes an isolated pair of conductive wires or cords. At one end of each battery cable is a pair of battery-post loops, one for each conductive wire, to be easily applied to the positive and negative posts of a battery. The opposing end of each battery cable includes an interface connector having two separated ports, corresponding to the respective conductive wires. The interface connector is designed to be releasably and easily connected to one of the connector blocks of the intermediate cable. Preferably, the respective connectors can only be connected together one way such that when the intermediate and battery cables are connected together, like battery terminals are connected together.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following description and the accompanying drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4272142 (1981-06-01), Zapf
patent: 4336975 (1982-06-01), Casteel
patent: 4885524 (1989-12-01), Wilburn
patent: 4936796 (1990-06-01), Anderson
patent: 4969834 (1990-11-01), Johnson
patent: 5180310 (1993-01-01), Miller
patent: 5230637 (1993-07-01), Weber
patent: 5707250 (1998-01-01), Smithson
patent: 5816849 (1998-10-01), Schmidt
patent: 5971799 (1999-10-01), Swade
patent: 588027 (1947-05-01), None
Bradley P. Austin
Hammond Briggitte R.
Pierce Atwood
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