Portable Vehicle Battery Jump Start Apparatus With Safety Protection
Patent No. US12187143 (titled "Portable Vehicle Battery Jump Start Apparatus With Safety Protection") was filed by The Noco Co on May 31, 2023.
What is this patent about?
’143 is related to the field of portable vehicle jump starters. These devices provide a convenient way to start a vehicle with a dead battery without needing another car or heavy equipment. Traditional jump-starting methods involve jumper cables connected to another vehicle's battery, which can be cumbersome and potentially dangerous due to the risk of short circuits or incorrect polarity connections. Therefore, there is a need for a safer and more portable solution.
The underlying idea behind ’143 is to integrate a multi-cell lithium-ion battery pack with a smart charging and protection circuit into a handheld device. This allows the device to store sufficient energy to jump-start a vehicle while also providing safety features like reverse polarity protection and overcharge/over-discharge prevention. The device can be conveniently recharged via a standard USB port, making it easily accessible for users.
The claims of ’143 focus on a portable jump starter device featuring a housing with a multi-cell rechargeable battery, a USB input port, and an output port for jump-starting. The device includes a DC-to-DC converter to upconvert the USB input voltage for charging the battery, series-connected transistors to control current flow, a control circuit to prevent overcharging, and a battery charge controller to prevent over-discharging. Some claims also cover a plug and cable assembly for connecting to the vehicle battery.
In practice, the device uses a microcontroller to monitor battery voltage, temperature, and connection polarity. If a vehicle battery is detected with the correct polarity, the microcontroller activates a FET switch to connect the internal lithium-ion battery pack to the output port, allowing the user to jump-start the vehicle. The device also incorporates back-charge protection diodes to prevent current from flowing back into the lithium-ion battery from the vehicle's electrical system.
This design differentiates itself from prior solutions by integrating multiple safety features and a convenient USB charging mechanism into a compact, handheld form factor. Unlike older jump starters that rely on direct connections to another vehicle's battery or lack sophisticated protection circuits, ’143 provides a safer and more user-friendly experience. The integrated microcontroller enables smart control and monitoring, preventing damage to the device and the vehicle's electrical system.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2020s when ’143 was filed, vehicle jump-starting devices were at a time when systems commonly relied on microcontrollers to manage power flow and safety features. At that time, rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs were increasingly used as internal power supplies due to their high energy density and relatively small size. Furthermore, USB charging was a common method for recharging portable electronic devices, including jump starters, at a time when DC-to-DC converters were typically implemented using integrated circuit devices.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the prior art, whether considered individually or in combination, did not teach or suggest the claimed combination of features. These features include a handheld, portable jump starter with a multi-cell rechargeable battery (at least three cells in series), a USB input for charging, an output port for jump-starting, a USB charge circuit with a DC-to-DC converter, transistor devices for controlling current flow, a control circuit to prevent overcharging, and a battery charge controller to prevent over-discharging. The examiner also stated similar reasons for allowing the other claims.
Claims
This patent contains 34 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 23, and 30. The independent claims are directed to a jump starting device comprising a rechargeable battery, USB input, and output for jump starting. The dependent claims generally elaborate on the features and configurations described in the independent claims.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
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Date
Description
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US12187143
- Application Number
- US18326514
- Filing Date
- May 31, 2023
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Jul 3, 2034
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents