US 5,162,164 AGranted

Dual battery system

AssigneeGlobe-Union Inc.

InventorsThomas J. Dougherty, Alan J. Klebenow, Edward N. Mrotek, David A. Thuerk, Maurice C. Michaud

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Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle battery system including a main and a reserve battery disposed within a battery housing (10) having conventional external dimensions and battery terminal locations. An illustrated embodiment includes a main battery, comprising a series of thin, flat cells (38) disposed along a first axis, and a reserve battery, comprising a series of cells (42) disposed along a second axis transverse to the first axis. An electrical circuit facilitates selective communication between the reserve battery and the vehicle starter in accordance with the position of a switch assembly (100). An electrically conductive fastener is disposed to simultaneously maintain electrical communication between a main battery termination and an external battery terminal and also between a reserve battery termination and the same external battery terminal.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A dual battery system, comprising:

a battery housing including a front panel and a top panel;
a first battery disposed within said battery housing and including first battery elements, first means for electrically connecting said first elements in series, and a pair of first positive and negative terminations at opposite ends of said series of first elements;
a second battery disposed within said battery housing and including second battery elements, second means for electrically connecting said second elements in series, and a pair of second positive and negative terminations at opposite ends of said series of second elements;
a first pair of electrically conductive terminals extending from said top panel;
a second pair of electrically conductive terminals extending from said front panel;
first electrical connections for connecting said first and second positive terminations to one of said first pair of terminals and one of said second pair of terminals, and
second electrical connections for connecting said first and second negative terminations to the other of said first pair of terminals and the other of said second pair of terminals.

4 more elements

A dual battery system, comprising:

a battery housing;
a first battery disposed within said battery housing and including first battery elements, first means for electrically connecting said first elements in series, and a pair of first positive and negative terminations at opposite ends of said series of first elements;
a second battery disposed within said battery housing and including second battery elements, second means for electrically connecting said second elements in series, and a pair of second positive and negative terminations at opposite ends of said series of second elements, wherein the positive termination of said first battery is disposed proximate to the positive termination of the second battery, and the negative termination of said first battery is disposed proximate to the negative termination of the second battery;
a pair of electrically conductive terminals extending from said housing;
first electrical connections for connecting said first and second positive terminations to one of said pair of terminals;
and
second electrical connections for connecting said first and second negative terminations to the other of said pair of terminals, wherein at least one of said electrical connections includes a unitary, elongated, weldable, electrically conductive connector disposed to contact one of said first positive and negative terminations, the corresponding one of said second positive and negative terminations, respectively, and one of said pair of electrically conductive terminals.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/614,033Filed 15 Nov 1990 · continuation
Priority: 12 Jun 1989
Granted: 10 Nov 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H01M 10/122
Construction or manufacture: multimode batteries
H01M 10/4207
Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells: for several batteries or cells simultaneously or…
H01M 50/112
Characterised by their shape or physical structure: monobloc comprising multiple compartments
H01M 50/50
Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells:…