Abstract:
A battery charger is provided. The battery charger may be designed as a versatile, portable battery charger addressing the most common needs of power for a consumer. The battery charger preferable can provide DC power, AC power, vehicular battery charging capability, portable battery charging capability, and other power providing capabilities.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Batteries are used to provide power in an increasingly mobile society. Batteries provide power for starting vehicles. Exasperating inconvenience is experienced in finding a battery run down in attempting to start a vehicle. A good deal of delay is experienced in seeking a service to give the battery a charge. Certain danger exists in hooking up a jumper cable having the conventional alligator clamps for connection. An incorrect polarity connection can result in creating sparks and the risk of a battery explosion is ever present. Consequently, vehicular battery chargers have been developed to address these problems.  
         [0002]     Many portable electronic devices also rely on one or more single-cell batteries for power. The plethora of different electronic devices, such as pagers, cellular phones, portable radios, portable CD players, flashlights, and other battery powered electronic equipment in use has created a great volume demand for single-cell battery power, resulting in the sale of both rechargeable and non-rechargeable single-cell batteries.  
         [0003]     Rechargeable cells, such as nickel-cadmium cells, have a relatively constant potential during discharge and can be recharged many times, thus extending their useful life. In general, any rechargeable cell contains a combination of active materials which can be electrolytically oxidized and reduced repeatedly. In rechargeable cells, reactions at both electrodes are reversible and the input of current in the appropriate direction from an outside source will reverse the discharge reaction and, in effect, recharge the electrodes.  
         [0004]     The rechargeable cells have been used in various type devices, such as toys, calculators, radios and other types of power-operated devices. Many of the power-operated devices on the market today have been designed to accommodate cylindrical cells of the “AA”, “C”, and “D” size. These sizes have now become standard-type cell sizes having overall dimensions which can be found in various publications, such as The American National Standard Specifications For Dry Cell Batteries—ANSI C18.1-1969 published by the American National Standards Institute, Inc., New York, N.Y.  
         [0005]     Rechargeable batteries are available in conventional and identical sizes and substantially identical voltages as the non-rechargeable single cell batteries and are often used interchangeably with non-rechargeable batteries. The interchangeable use of either rechargeable or non-rechargeable small single cell batteries creates a problem for the user to distinguish between the rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries, especially when dealing with a battery charger. To insert a non-rechargeable battery into a single cell battery charger creates a hazardous condition that can result in injury or damage due to leakage of chemicals from the non-rechargeable battery when recharging is accidentally attempted.  
         [0006]     Applicant knows of no single device that can provide vehicular battery charging capability as well as portable battery charging capability. Thus, there is a need for a device that can address the power needs generated by consumer power requirements.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a battery charger is provided. The battery charger may be designed as a versatile, portable battery charger addressing the most common needs of power for a consumer. The battery charger preferably may provide vehicular battery charging capability and portable battery charging capability, and other power providing capabilities.  
         [0008]     In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the portable vehicle battery charger comprises a housing; a DC outlet provided on the housing; an internal battery disposed within the housing and coupled to the DC outlet; vehicular battery charging circuitry disposed in the housing; portable battery charger circuitry disposed in the housing, the portable battery charger circuitry providing charging current to the internal battery and/or to portable batteries inserted into the housing. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a portable vehicle battery charger according to the invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the components of the portable battery charger according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a more detailed view of the charger of  FIG. 1 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     The portable battery charger shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , includes a housing  10 . A power source, for example a battery  20 , such as a sealed lead acid battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery or the like, may be disposed in the housing  10 . A hand cranked dynamo  12  may also be provided. The dynamo  12  may provide power, for example to recharge the battery  20 , in the event of a power outage or if power is otherwise unavailable. Additionally, the battery  20  can provide power for a controller  14 , such as a microprocessor or other circuitry, that is used to control the operation of the various components of the portable battery charger. The battery  20  may also provide power to a household battery charger  40 . The battery  20  may also provide a portable DC power source that can be used to operate various external devices when other power sources are not available.  
         [0013]     Several different types of DC power outlets may be provided. For example, USB port  18  may be provided on the housing. The USB port  18  may be used to provide a USB power supply. In embodiments of the invention, a voltage regulator, optionally included in the USB port  18 , may convert DC input power, for example, from a 12 V DC input or the battery  20 , into a USB compatible 5V/500 mA DC power output. A charging port  19  ( FIG. 1 ) for mobile telephones or other portable devices may also be provided. In embodiments of the invention, the DC power outlets may be adapted to receive power from the dynamo  12 , battery  20 , or a DC power input.  
         [0014]     The housing  10  may be provided with at least one DC power input port. For example, DC power may be provided via a cigarette lighter or accessory outlet in a vehicle. A DC input port  15  on housing  10  may be connected to a cigarette lighter plug  16 . Also, DC input port  56  may be provided on the housing  10  to receive input from a wall cube  54 . The wall cube  54  converts household AC current into DC current.  
         [0015]     The portable battery charger may also be provided with vehicular battery charger circuitry  30  ( FIG. 2 ). The vehicular battery charger circuitry  30  may be adapted to provide charging power for the battery  20 , the household battery charger  40 , and to external batteries, such as a vehicular battery. The battery charger circuitry  30  may be a high frequency charger, such as the high frequency charger disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,822,425, filed Oct. 15, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference, or other known vehicular battery charging circuitry.  
         [0016]     The vehicular battery charger circuitry  30 , within the portable battery charger, may be coupled to an external vehicle battery via jumper cables  26 , which are coupled to a DC power input port, and may output a DC power signal that can be used to charge an external battery. Alternatively, the output power signal may be provided to the battery  20  internal to the housing  10  for charging thereof.  
         [0017]     The vehicular battery charger circuitry  30  may include many of the features described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,822,425, filed Oct. 15, 2002, such as an alternator check function, fault codes, a battery recondition mode, a cold cranking amps (CCA) read out, and others. A battery gauge such as a linear meter for a digital read out or a bar graph can be provided to display to the user the status of the internal and/or the external battery being charged.  
         [0018]     The housing  10  may be provided with a lid  11  ( FIG. 1 ). The lid  11  may be opened or closed to expose or enclose a cavity  28  within the housing  10 . Latches or other securing devices may be provided to secure the lid  11  in the closed position. Portable battery charger circuitry  40  may also be provided. The battery charger circuitry  40  may be adapted to charge portable rechargeable batteries, such as NiCad batteries and the like.  
         [0019]     The cavity  28  may be adapted to accommodate portable batteries of different size and type, such as a 9 volt battery and D, C, AA, etc. size cells. As defined herein, portable batteries comprise any rechargeable portable battery designated as such by any of the American National Standard Specifications as published by the American National Standards Institute, such as ANSI C18 series. Exemplary portable batteries are designated as AAA, AA, C and D and have wide household use.  
         [0020]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the cavity  28  has a rectangular shape, with a top  31 , bottom  32  and two sides  34 ,  36 . A back  38  connects the top  31 , bottom  32  and two sides  34 ,  36  together. The top  31  and bottom  32  may be provided with various contacts  44 ,  46 , respectively, to connect to the contacts of different size and type batteries. Back  38  may be provided with slots  40  extending along at least part of its length or width. A slide member  41  moves along the slots  40 .  
         [0021]     The slide member  41  has a front surface  42  facing top  31  and a back surface  43  facing bottom  32 . Various sets of contacts  48 ,  50  are provided on front surface  42  and back surface  43  respectively. The contacts  48 ,  44  on front surface  42  and top  31 , respectively, are adapted to connect to battery electrodes of opposite polarity. The contacts  50 ,  46  on back surface  43  and bottom  32 , respectively, are adapted to connect to battery electrodes of opposite polarity. For example, positive electrodes of batteries  52  are connected to contacts  44  and negative electrodes of batteries  52  are connected to contacts  48  on front surface  42 . The slide member  41  may move along the slots to fit different size batteries. Cavity  28  may also be adapted to receive and charge batteries of different sizes in a variety of other ways which are known to one of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0022]     Additionally, the portable battery charger circuitry  40  may detect if rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries are placed in the cavity  28 . Detection may be made by controller  14 . The detection may be based on the characteristics of the portable battery, such as voltage, internal resistance, etc. If a non-rechargeable battery is detected, charging is prevented. Detecting and preventing the charging of non-rechargeable batteries may be done in a known manner.  
         [0023]     The portable batteries may be charged with power from a DC input port, the vehicular battery charger  30 , or the battery  20 . Internal battery  20  may be charged via DC input power, vehicular battery charger circuitry  30 , or portable battery charger circuitry  40 .  
         [0024]     An on/off switch controls the operation of the vehicle battery charger. A set of indicator lights  64  may be provided to show the status of the internal battery  20  or portable batteries being charged. The controller  14  may monitor the various components of the vehicle battery charger and show results on a display. The display may include a linear meter, a digital read out or a bar graph for a user to monitor the operation of the vehicle battery charger.  
         [0025]     Numerous different options are contemplated within the apparatus electrically, these options may include such schemes as totally enclosing the internal wiring terminating at a single point input/outlet for all charging functions or, conversely, at multiple points both internal and external. The power inverter, battery charger and other devices may be of varying watts, amperage ratings, etc. The battery configuration may include several different types of technology such as nickel cadmium, lead acid, etc. A port may be provided in the vehicle battery charger to allow for the addition of external batteries of greater capacity than the internal battery. Each of the aforementioned devices are contained within the same housing for a portable vehicle battery charger. The vehicle battery charger can provide both DC and AC power in addition to battery charging capabilities.