CA2096788A1 - Jumper ready battery - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A standard automobile battery is modified to contain a set of retractable jumper cables, pre-attached to the positive and negative terminals of the battery. The cables are housed in a separate chamber formed either internally in a modified battery casing or externally in an auxiliary structure augmenting the usual casing. A bulb is connected across the cables to provide visual indication of good cable contact. Jumper clamps are made luminescent.

Description

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~UI!SP~P. R~ADY BA~ Y
~AC~;GROUN~ OF THE INVENTION
S~veral probl~m~ ~a~3 th~ motori~, conPronl~d with a d" ba~tary, who e~k~ to ~ump ~art ~n automo}: ile, Jumper ~able~ g~t lo~, and ~r~ nQver w~l:h yc:u wh~n you need them. EstEIbli~hing ~ 3ctric~1 ;;onnecti4rl, usln ~ umper cable l~lamp3, b~ween your automobile battery and the b~tery of ~noth~r autom~bilç3 is a nulE~anc:e~ Batte~
post~ ar~ n~ alway~ readily aoc~ bl~, and Xnowlng wheth~r go~d c:entao~ haç~ ~een m~e i~ alway~ a problem, ~p~ol~lly when (~ yood sa~e~y pr~ctiae) ~he last ~lamp ~t~açhm~nt iE~ mado indirectly t:hrough the automoblle frame.
Unl~ go~d oontaa~ i~3 oonfirm~3d, you oan neve$ ~ ~ur~
wh~ther a ~reakd~wn i3 c~u~ed by a "dead" battery, or not.
~he ~umpsr re~dy h~ttery o~ ~h~ ln~ntion provides onveniently, re~ily ac~qe~ibla ~umper cable~, that ~re ea~y ~c; use ~nd offer bsn~ial~l conta~t ~abli~hln~
~van~age~ . The ~umper ~eady battex~r o~ the invention elimlnates ~he n~d ~o carry a s~parate ~ o~ ~umper ~able~ ~
2 O SU2~RY OF ~H~ ~NVEN~ION
~he jumper ready ~t~ry o~ ~h~ inventlon i~ a ~andard au~omobil~ bat~ery, modiPied aither intern~lly ~r ex~ernally to p~a~id~ ni~ioant ~ump ~tart rel~ted impro~rem~nt~. Th~ ~irs~ i~ that the battery conl~in~ ~ ~et of r~tra~kable jumper cab~e~ that ara pre-~tta~hed ~o thQ
pc~ va and neya~lve pole~ o~ th~ ba~tery. The re~ra~table ~abl~ ~re hou~ed in~i~s ~h~ ba~ery or in an auxill~ry ~t~u~ture alQ~ely a~sool~t~d with the b~ttery.
The battery olamp~ m~y be mad~ lumine~ent, ~o ~low in the 3 0 ~rk . For aont~ t ~onf ~ rma~lon purpo~e~:, th~ J~att~y i~
~ugm~nted to incl~de a m~ la hllght that can b~ u~ad ~ither a~ a mea~anic'P l~ght c;r to as~ k in thP iumping pro~sO Tho r~r~table aa~le~ are pxe~;rably :E~ur gauge wl~ with a l~ngth o;~ ~ix to ~n ~eet. ïn a mod:ified ~: ~

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embodlment, the "~umpe~ raady b~t~ry'l c~npri~e~ a aonventional b~t~ry ~o wh~ch An ~dd-on retrac~bl~ cable ~ixtur~ i mounted.
BRI~F DES~P~XPTION OF THE ~R~WXNGS
Embodimen~ of th~ inven~ion have been aho~sn for purpo~e~ o~ illust~A~ion a,n~ des~riptl~n, and are shown in ~h~ acaomp~nying drawing~, wher~ln;
FIG. 1 i~ a view ~ a jumper reaày battr~ry in Acoordanc:e with the inven~ ~ vn;
~IG . 2 1~ a view o~ a moclif ied ~o~m ~ the battery of ~IG. l; and FI~ a ciraui t: diagram o~ the b~ ry ~ FIG . 2 .
Throughout the d~awing~, like elem~nt3 axe r~f~rred to by like numeral~.
DESCF~XP~ION O~ :I?R~SFERRED EMBOI)lMENTS
As ~hown in F~ n ~tomo~ batt~3ry ~0 include~
po~itive and negative ~rminal po~k~ 11, 1~ aonn~3cted vla ~eal~ 13, 14 through cove~ 15 o~ a aon~in~r 1~ to po~k ~trap~ 17 and pl~te lug~ 18 ~or ~ trical ~ommunic~lon with pl~te~ 19 immer~ed in an elec~relyte 2a~ ~uch as w~ter~bas~d ~olution of eul ~u~l~ acid . Thi~ connac~ti~n iB
mad~ in ~nventlonal mann~r, with c~ps ~1 o~ ven~ plugs baing lo~at~ad on th~ ~o~rer 15 to en~le ga~ evaauation and replallish~nt o~ elec:trolyte~ In oonYen~ional m~nn~, condu~or~ ~3, ~4 oonrlea~ the ba~ry terminal~
re~pectively, to positl~ and neg~lv~3 side~ of an au~omobile electric~l sy~t~m 2~; the neg~iv~ conn~ction b~ing m~d~3, a~ i~ cu~tomary, l~y atta~hm~nt o~ the ~ondut:tor 24 to khe autom~bil~ fEx~me~ 26. Th~ ba~ vf ~he batt~3ry aa~ing 1~ uppor~ed in sui~al~ hlon, ~uch a~ in a tr~y 27 mounted c~n the ~ram~ 26. Well-known mean~ ~not ~hown) a~e utilized to lo~k ~he batte~ 10 within ~he ~ray 27, I~ ~ccordanoa with tha invention, tha aon~ain~r 1 3 5 include~ ~ ~ep~irats ~hamber 3 0, i~olated ;i~rom th~
ele~trolyte ah~nber 31, and within which ~ump~r cable~ 34, 2~967~
~3--35 are ~toxed. Each ~bl~ in~lude~ t on~ en~l, an alli~or al~mp or imilar me~hani~m 3G ~or e~al3li~hing elec~rical ~c;ntact be~w~en ~che a~;~sociated oable 34, 3S ~nd a corr~;ponding po~itive or negative pos~ o~e a remotq 5 bat~ery o~ another ~utomob~ le us~d ~or ~umping purpo~e~.
For ea~e o~ manlpulation in tho darkl th~ handl~ par~ o~
th~ clamp~ ~ are coa~ed with ~ luminou~ m~erlal, such a~
phosp~ore~aent paint. At i~ oth~r end, ~a~h cable 34, 35 inalud~ mean~ ~or ~.~t~bll~hing elec~ri~;~l connection ~o 10 th~ r~specti~re po~itlve or negative pole ll, 1~ of the batter~ 10. ~or the ~mbodiment o~ FIG. 1, ~uch c~mmuniaati~n ic e ~blish~d by a lea~ 37 whi~h ~lectr~aally coupl~ h~ inæi~e ~nd o~ the CAbl~ 34, 35 th~vugh ~ seal 3e to the ~ppropriate pR~:t ~rap 17.
l~he cab~ 34, 35 ar~ ma~e retraatable by attachmsnt about a ~pool 41 of a r~tractin~ mechani~m ~o mounted ln the chamber 30~ Sul~able mechani~ms 40 may be of a type gU~ ~15 u3~3d to ~etract th~3 ele~tric:~l co~d o~ a caniste~
~acuum cleAn~r (~ee, e~g., th~ ~or~ reel ~ sembly pArt No.
20 700858 of a K~nmore v~uum cleaner, ~d~l No. 1~.23~9182) or Pf a mschani~ ' 6i g~lar~e~ work lamp ( ~e~ , ~ . g ~, the m~chani~m u~ed to re~r~a~ th~ aox~ o~ a oommexcially ~vailable Quali~y cord ree~. The elec~xia~l ~onnection o~
the le~d 37 to ~he ~pool-moun~ed end o~ the ~umper cables ~5 34, 35 i~ mad~ u~ing brush~s, rotating ~on~act~, ox ~imllar kn~wn deYic~. T~ prevent retraa~ion o~ the alamp~3 36 into the in~erlor ~ ahamber 30, ~ that they remain acc~saibl~
Rxl:ernally~o~ening~ c~ 8 42, 43 ar~i ~ormed in the oov~r 15 ovar th~ ~hamb~r 30. The c:a~ ie~ 42; ~3 hav~ op~in l~ox-30 like aor~xuctions ~dapt~d ~or re~iving a major portlon ofth~ clamps 3~ th~r~in. The ba3e~ 44 of the caviti~ 4~, 43 hav~ op~ning. 45, dimen~ion~ ~o pa~s the ln~ula~ed wire portion o~ the c~ihle~ 34, 35 but bloc;k movement ~f ~h~
ol~mp~ 3 ~ into ~hq interior o~ ~hamber 3 0 .
For the ~mb~diment lllu~t;rak~d in FIG. 1, th~ chamber 30 i~ ~ormed in~yrally withi~ ~h~ ~ame containe.r 1~ aB the . , - : , 2~967~

chamber 31 wh~ch con~aln~ ~h~ aQnvenklonal ~at~e~y ~o~nponent~. ~he olamp~ 3~ Will normally b~ loc~lted in conv~niently aac~sible ~tvrage pv~ition~ ~a~ ~hown by ~he righ~ olamp 3~ FIG. 1), withLn the op~n c~vitl~ 42, 43 5 ~rmed in the cuver 15 . When lt i~ d23ire~ to ~ump the batter~f 10, the ~able~ 34, 3~ are dr~wn e:ut oî the ~vitiss 42, 43 ~to a p~ition ~u~h as sho~Yn by th~3 le~t ~lamp 36 in FI G . 1 ) Bn~ attached in known manner to the corr~spondlng po~t~ oIe a remo~e battery or similax ~mpinS~ ~our~e. 0 10 ~:ourae, nox~al sa~ety pr~cedure~ t~3uch a~3 a~taahment o~ the clamp 3 6 o~ the rleyati~re ~bl6~ 3 5 to a ~rame rathex ~han dir~otly tt:) ~he remo~e negatlve ~rminal po~t~ mu~t be ob~erv6~. When ~he jumping procedure i~ completed, the clamp~ 3~ a~ retri~ved and the meoh~nisms 40 are op~rated 15 to ~etract th~ in~ulated wire portion~ o~ kh~ cable~ 34, 35 about the r~pe~tive ~pring-loaded ~pool~ moUntQd for rot~lon within ~h~ chamk)e~ ~ o . The mecha~lsms 4 0 axe advantas~eou~ly of a ~prlng-action, rAtch0tad-type which permi the cable~ l;o b~ withdrawn and held at an~ one o~ a 20 plura~lty o~ seleot~d uncoile~ 1~3ngths. Xn ~he illu~trated ~mbodiment 10, each o~bl~ 34, 35 ha~ it~ own as6;0~1atsd retraq~lng meahAn~m 40.
Th~ described batt6lry 10 provides ~curity and collVenienoe i~or the mc)~or$~t, by enablirlg conv~nlent 25 location o~ ~h~ ~umpe~ cabl~ 34, -~5 a~ all timea, with one end o~ ~aah o~ble 34, 35 alr~ady situated in att~hm~nt witl~ t:h~ as~oai~t~d batt~ry p~t~ 11, 12.
FI~S. 2 and 3 ill~trat~ dl~d ~orm 110 OI ~
jump~r rsady bat~ry in accord~na~ with the in~ntion. ~he 30 embodim~nt 110 i~ oon~t~uc~ed u ing a aonv~ntional baktery 10 ' to which ~n ~uttin~ ,rat~ ahambex 30 ' has ~een ~clded l~y a~ta~hm~nt ~ an eluxiliary oont~inar 11~ h~
contalnRr 116 1~ dimen~loned ~o match ~n~ C~A~ lg 0~ the oonv~ntlon~l bal;tery 10' ~nd 1~ ~uit~bl~ ~cured theret~ by 35 ma~in~ V~lcro ~traps 11~, 113~ ~oin~ ~o oppo~ite ~ide~
ca~ing 116 ~nd wrappe~ ou~ the ~lng 16' o~ hattery 10'.

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In variation o~ the ~truatu~ oP the emb~im0nt 10, ~he embodim~nt llO utill~e~ a sin~l~ retrac~ting mechAni~m 40' ~or ~e~racting th~ cables 34, ~S~ Tha inner length9 o~
those ~able~ ar~ ~olned to~ether and wrapp~d abou~ A Bingl9 5 spool 4 1 ', con~igure~d in aacordano~ with ~nown principles , t~ provide electrical a,t~achment o~ the lnn~r end6 of cable~ 34, 35 to ~he respe~tive po~iti~re and negative t~minal PO~ 11, 12. For the illu~trated ~txuc~ur~, lead~ 37' conn~ xternally t o tha po~ts ll, ~2, ther~3by 10 requiring no ~eparate ~eal~ 38 aP in ~
A~cordirlg to another ad~an~ag~aous geatu~e o~ the inven~ion, a ~la~hllght 120 i~ provld~d in con~unc~lon with ~h~ cables 34, 3~. The fla~3hli~ht 120 in~:lud{~ a hand~
oper~ble switch 121 and a bulb 122, el~ctrically aonnçc~d 15 as ~hown in FI~. 3. The swit~h 1~1 ha~ thre~ po~ ion~ A, E~, C, ~5 in~ioat~3d. Position A op~rates flashlight 120 6~) tha~ bulb 122 i~ illuminated c:~nventionally by a dry cell battery ~ource 123 in~alled within tha lnt~rior o~ the ~lashllgh~ housin~ 125. Posit~on B 1~ ~h~ ~lashlight llo~
po~ition, wher~by the bulb 1~2 i~ open-~ircuited. And, po8itl~n C conne~t~ the bulb 122 b~twe~n ~h~ cable~ 3~, 35.
Wi~h th~ ~witah 121 in po~i~lo~ ~, the con~en~ional automobil~ battsry termln~1~ 11, 12, t~ which ~h~ auxiliary ~u~per hou~lng ~a~ing ~6 1~ att~ched, will operat~ the ~la~hllgh~ 120, Buoh ~onnection providR~ ~igni~icant a~v~n~age~ s~, with a "livel7 bat~ery lo~, good conne~tio~ be~ n cable~ 37~ and post~ 11, 1~ oan be a~nfi~m~d. With ~witoh 121 in posikion C, bul~ ~2~ will light only i~ g~od connec~ion exl~ts~ S~aond, with a "d~ad" batte~y 10', ~ood conne~ion b~tween ~lamp~ 36 and the texmln~l~ (i.e., ~exminal and ~ut~mobil~ frame) o~ a xemote ~umping ba~tery can be con~lrmad~ With ~wit~h 12~
in po~ition ~, bulb 1~2 will light only i~ good ~onn~ction ~xlsts. It 1~ very ~ru~trating in ~u~pin~ a l'dead'~
~5 batte~y, ~hen thera 1~ no w~y to cheaX whe~e~ th~ clamps ~re makin~ adequa~.~ contact. Use. o~ a vi~ual indlaa~r, - . ~ , ~096788 ~;
c~nh ~ thA:~ hulb 1?~2 o~ hllght: ~ ao ~n~ot:od q~i aho~rr ln FIG. 3, pr~vide the ne~de~ as~urana~.
A modi~led c~vity 42~, larger ~ha~ cavitie~ 42, 43, i~
~o~med in the cover 115 o~ th~ ~ontainer 1~6 to r~csiv~
5 both ~h~ ~la~llght 120 and clamps 3~ in retrlev~bl~
~tvrage po~l~ion. An op~n~ng 45~ ln the 'ba~e wall 44 r of cavity 42' permi~ the in~ulated wi~e ]portions o~ th~
cable~ 34, 35 and the narrow rear or ~la~hlight 1~0 ~o pass into ~h~ interiox o~ cavi~y 3~, but doe~ no~ pa~s the o enlarg~d bulb end ~ the fla~hlight l~o. Th~ ~lashl~ght lZo can be ~ecur~d to onR or both o~ th~ in3ulated wir~
portions oP th~ ~bl~ 34, 3S, a~ shown, or may b~ mounted on it~ own sepa~te insul~t~d wir~. Mountlng ~-h~ light 120 in this mannRr, provid~s a convenien~ r~traatable w~rk light, op~rab~ o~ the automoblls battery, for ch2cking ~he engine. Ths nega~l~a cl~mp 3~ aan be atta~hed to ~h~
automobila ~rame ~tructure to hang the lamp.
Those ~kill~d ~n ~h~ art to whlah th~ in~entlon relate~ will appre~iaka that o~h~r ~ titutlo~ and m~ificat~on~ c~n be mad~ ~o th~ de ~lbQd ~mbodimen~
wlthout ~eparting from the ~pl~it ~nd ~ope o~ th~
invention a3 de~rlbed by the ~lai~ b~low.

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Claims (12)

1. A jumper cable battery comprising:
a container defining first and second chambers;
an electrolyte located in said first chamber;
plates located in said first chamber and immersed in said electrolyte;
positive and negative terminal posts connected through said container to said plates;
positive and negative jumper cables having first and second ends;
means connecting said first ends respectively to said posts;
clamping means, respectively connected to said second ends, for establishing contact with corresponding posts of a remote battery; and means for automatically retracting said cables from extending positions drawn out of said second chamber to storage positions retrieved into said second chamber.

2. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 1, wherein said container comprises an integral body partitioned into said first and second chambers.

3. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 1, wherein said container comprises a conventional automobile battery housing defining said first chamber, and an add-on auxiliary housing defining said second chamber.

4. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 1, further comprising a bulb, and switch means for selectively electrically connecting said bulb between said cables.

5. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 4, further comprising a dry cell battery, and wherein said switch means further comprises means for selectively electrically connecting said bulb across said dry cell battery.

6. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 5, further comprising a flashlight housing mounting on said cables; and said bulb, switch means and dry cell battery are housed in said flashlight housing.

7. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 1, further comprising means for preventing said clamping means from being drawn into said second chamber when said cables are retracted to said storage positions.

8. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 7, wherein said means for automatically retracting comprises a spool located within said second chamber and means for automatically winding said cables about said spool.

9. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 8, wherein said means for preventing said clamping means form being drawn into said second chamber comprises said container defining at least one cavity having an external opening dimensioned to permit said clamping means to enter said cavity and an internal opening dimensioned to prevent said clamping means form entering said second chamber.

10. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 2, wherein the clamping means comprises spring-loaded clamps.

11. In an automobile having a frame; an electrical system; a battery including a container defining a first and second terminals connected through said container to said plates; structure supporting said container on said frame; a first conductor electrically connecting said first terminal to said frame; and a second conductor connecting said second terminal to said electrical system; the improvement comprising;
said container defining a second chamber isolated from said first chamber;
jumper cables respectively connected to said terminal; and means enabling the selective placement of said jumper cables in storage positions within said second chamber.

12. A jumper cable battery as in Claim 1, wherein the clamping means comprises a luminescent material.