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US RE39,703 E1Granted
Battery with strength indicator
AssigneeStrategic Electronics
InventorsJames R. Burroughs, Alan N. O'Kain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A battery strength indicating and switch means on a battery which is coupled across the terminals of the battery and which is provided with an indicating means to indicate the strength of the battery and in addition, the battery strength indicating means is also provided with an in-line switch which can easily be depressed to complete the circuit so as to place the indicator means across the terminals of the cell and display the charge of the battery.
Claims54
A battery having a battery strength indicating means to indicate the strength of the battery comprising a battery having a first terminal and a second terminal;
- a battery indicator and switch means comprising a non-conductive base layer, a non-conductive top layer disposed over the base layer, a first chamber formed between the top layer and the base layer, and a second chamber spaced from the first chamber and formed between the top layer and the base layer;
- indicating means disposed in the first chamber;
- first conductive means electrically connected to one terminal of the battery and to one end of the indicating means;
- second conductive means connected to the opposite end of the indicating means and extending into the second chamber;
- third conductive means extending from within the second chamber and extending to contact the other terminal of the battery;
- and whereby the second conductive means and the third conductive means in the second chamber are spaced apart and said second chamber being deformable so that upon pressing of the second chamber the second conductive means will electrically contact the third conductive means thereby placing the indicating means in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery to indicate the strength of the battery.
3 more elements
A battery having a battery strength indicator comprising:
- a nonrechargeable dry cell battery having a first terminal and a second terminal;
- a battery strength indicator formed in a layer attached to a side of said battery which undergoes a visible change when subject to a predetermined voltage output of said battery and a first conductor electrically connected between one end of said indicator and said first battery terminal;
- and
- a battery switch comprising a resilient, nonconductive, deformable layer on a side of said battery, a switch chamber disposed beneath said resilient layer, and a second conductor extending from said switch chamber and connected to the other end of the indicator, said portion of said second conductive lead within said switch chamber comprising a switch contact, said battery switch being biased in an electrically open position,
- whereby upon pressing of the resilient layer over said switch chamber, the switch contact will be placed in electrical contact with a conductive layer in electrical contact with said second battery terminal, thereby placing the indicator in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery to indicate to the user the strength of the battery.
2 more elements
A battery having a voltage indicator comprising:
- 1) a battery having first and second terminals;
- 2) a voltage indicator attached to a side of said battery comprising:
- A) a dielectric layer;
- B) a conductive layer above or below one of the surfaces of the dielectric layer;
- and
- C) a temperature sensitive color indicator material in thermal contact with the conductive layer, characterized in that the conductive layer has i) a portion of a sealed chamber, cell or bubble below one of its surfaces and ii) sufficient heat generating capacity to effect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator material;
- and 3) an electrical switch on a side of said battery which, when activated, places said conductive layer in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery to effect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator material and indicate the voltage of the battery.
4 more elements
An article comprising an integral battery voltage indicator having:
- A) a dielectric layer;
- B) a conductive layer above or below the dielectric layer;
- and
- C) a temperature sensitive color indicator material in thermal contact with the conductive layer, characterized in that:
- 1) the conductive layer has i) sufficient heat generating capacity to effect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator material and ii) sufficient means under one of its surfaces to permit the heat generated by the conductive layer to change the color of the temperature sensitive color indicator material and indicate voltage when the voltage indicator is in contact with a battery housing, and 2) the voltage indicator includes means for forming an electrical switch with an electrically conductive portion of the battery housing.
2 more elements
A battery having an article with an integral battery voltage indicator, wherein the voltage indicator comprises:
- A) a dielectric layer;
- B) a conductive layer above or below the dielectric layer;
- and
- C) a temperature sensitive color indicator material in thermal contact with the conductive layer, characterized in that:
- 1) the conductive layer has i) sufficient heat generating capacity to effect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator material and ii) sufficient means under one of its surfaces to permit the heat generated by the conductive layer to change the color of the temperature sensitive color indicator material and indicate voltage when the voltage indicator is in contact with a battery housing, and 2) the voltage indicator includes means for forming an electrical switch with an electrically conductive portion of the battery housing.
2 more elements
A battery with an integral voltage indicator comprising:
- a battery having an anode and a cathode and being defined by a battery housing, and
- a voltage indicator integral with said battery, said voltage indicator comprising:
- a conductive layer;
- a temperature sensitive color indicator material in thermal contact with the conductive layer wherein the conductive layer has sufficient heat-generating capacity to effect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator material;
- means between the conductive layer and the battery housing to permit the heat generated by the conductive layer to change the color of the temperature sensitive color indicator material and indicate voltage when the voltage indicator is in contact with the battery housing;
- and electrical switch means positioned, when activated, to electrically connect the conductive layer and a conductive portion of the battery housing to effect a color change in the temperature sensitive color indicator material.
3 more elements
A battery having a voltmeter comprising:
- 1) a battery having first and second terminals;
- 2) a voltmeter attached to a side of said battery comprising:
- A) dielectric layer;
- B) a conductive layer above or below one of the surfaces of the dielectric layer;
- and
- C) a temperature sensitive color indicator layer in thermal contact with the conductive layer, characterized in that the conductive layer has i) an air pocket under one of its surfaces and ii) sufficient heat generating capacity to affect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator layer;
- and
- 3) an electrical switch on a side of said battery which, when activated, places said conductive layer in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery to effect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator material and indicate the voltage of the battery.
5 more elements
A label comprising an integral battery voltmeter having:
- A) a dielectric layer;
- B) a conductive layer above or below the dielectric layer;
- and
- C) a temperature sensitive color indicator layer in thermal contact with the conductive layer, characterized in that 1) the conductive layer has i) sufficient heat generating capacity to affect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator layer and ii) sufficient thermal insulating means under one of its surfaces to overcome heat sinking when the voltmeter is in contact with a battery having an electrically conductive housing and 2) the voltmeter includes means for forming an electrical switch with the electrically conductive battery housing.
1 more element
A battery having a label with an integral voltmeter;
- wherein the voltmeter comprises:
- A) a dielectric layer;
- B) a conductive layer above or below the dielectric layer;
- and
- C) a temperature sensitive color indicator layer in thermal contact with the conductive layer, characterized in that 1) the conductive layer has i) sufficient heat generating capacity to affect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator layer and ii) sufficient thermal insulating means under one of its surfaces to overcome heat sinking when the voltmeter is in contact with a battery having an electrically conductive housing and 2) the voltmeter includes means for forming an electrical switch with the electrically conductive battery housing.
2 more elements
A battery with an integral voltmeter comprising:
- a battery having terminals of opposite polarity and being defined by a battery can and a voltmeter integral with said voltmeter comprising:
- a conductive layer;
- a temperature sensitive color indicator layer in thermal contact with the conductive layer, wherein the conductive layer has sufficient heat generating capacity to effect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator layer;
- means to provide thermal insulation between the conductive layer and the battery can to prevent the battery from acting as a heat sink for the conductive layer;
- and
- electrical switch means positioned, when activated, to couple electrically the conductive layer and the battery can so that current may flow through the conductive layer to effect a color change in the temperature sensitive color indicator layer.
3 more elements
A battery having an integral battery voltage indicator, wherein the voltage indicator comprises:
- A) a dielectric layer;
- B) a conductive layer above or below the dielectric layer;
- and
- C) a temperature sensitive color indicator material in thermal contact with the conductive layer, characterized in that:
- 1) the conductive layer has i) sufficient heat generating capacity to effect a change in the temperature sensitive color indicator material and ii) means to transfer sufficient heat generated by the conductive layer to the temperature sensitive color indicator material to change the color thereof and indicate voltage when the voltage indicator is in contact with a battery housing, and 2) the voltage indicator includes means for forming an electrical switch with an electrically conductive portion of the battery housing.
2 more elements
A battery having a battery strength indicator comprising:
- a rechargeable dry cell battery having a first terminal and a second terminal;
- a battery strength indicator formed in a layer attached to a side of said battery which undergoes a visible change when subject to predetermined voltage output of said battery and a first conductor electrically connected between one end of said indicator and said first battery terminal;
- and
- a battery switch comprising a resilient, non-conductive, deformable layer on a side of said battery, a switch chamber disposed beneath said resilient layer, and a second conductor extending from said switch chamber and connected to the other end of the indicator, said portion of said second conductive lead within its said switch chamber comprising a switch contact, said battery switch being biased in an electrically open position,
- whereby upon pressing of the resilient layer over said switch chamber, the switch contact will be placed in electric contact with a conductive layer in electrical contact with said second battery terminal, thereby placing the indicator in electrical contact across the terminals of the battery to indicate to the user the strength of the battery.
2 more elements
A battery package having a battery strength indicator comprising:
- a package frame;
- rechargeable batteries mounted on said package frame, each of said batteries having first and second terminals;
- a battery strength indicator mounted on said package frame and electrically connected to a first terminal of one of said batteries;
- and
- a battery switch comprising a resilient, non-conductive layer disposed over said package frame, a switch chamber disposed beneath said resilient layer, a pair of switch contacts normally spaced apart in said chamber, one of said switch contacts being electrically connected to said battery strength indicator and the other of said switch contacts being electrically connected to a second terminal of one of said batteries, said battery switch being biased in an electrically open position,
- whereby upon pressing of the resilient layer over said switch chamber, the switch contacts will place said indicator in electrical contact across the terminals of said batteries.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.