1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine starting apparatus for cranking an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
Vehicle batteries sometimes become inadvertently discharged to the extent that there is insufficient power to be able to crank and/or start a vehicle. Such a condition may arise because the operator of a vehicle has mistakenly left the lights, radio, or other electrical power consuming device or accessory running in the vehicle after the ignition has been turned off. Without the engine, and thus the alternator, running, the only source of power is the battery which in time can be sufficiently depleted to reduce its reserve capacity below that needed to restart the engine. A similar reduced capacity condition for the battery can occur when the battery has degraded with age so that it is incapable of starting the vehicle at a low ambient temperature or is near the end of its useful life and is incapable of holding a charge over a long period of time. It is recognized by those skilled in the art that a vehicle battery under such conditions is often referred to as a "dead" battery even though it is only depleted to an extent that it is incapable of starting the engine. There are several recognized means for restoring a battery to a charged condition. The most common includes starting the engine, by whatever means is available, and allowing the alternator of the running engine to simply recharge the battery through a normal recharging circuitry typically incorporated in the electrical system of most vehicles.
The related art is represented by the following patents of interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,813,984, issued on Nov. 19, 1957 to Matthew J. Dolecki et al., describes an electric generating system for a mine vehicle propelled by a plurality of electrical traction motors. Dolecki et al. do not suggest a quick start unit according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,044, issued on Apr. 11, 1972 to Ansel A. King, describes a self-contained portable apparatus for charging dead batteries that includes an alternator which is driven by a gasoline motor. King does not suggest a quick start unit according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,841, issued on Jun. 17, 1986 to Tadahiro Yaguchi, describes a full-covered portable electric generator comprising a generator core and an engine for driving the generator core enclosed by a cover comprising discrete front, rear and bottom cover elements. Yaguchi does not suggest a quick start unit according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,373, issued on Apr. 3, 1990 to Jacques Rivkine, describes an electric generator set comprising an internal combustion engine driving a three-phase generator. Rivkine does not suggest a quick start unit according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,127, issued on May 5, 1992 to Woodward Johnson, describes a portable power supply. Johnson does not suggest a quick start unit according to the claimed invention.
France Patent document 2,598,268, published on Nov. 6, 1987, describes an electric generator using an alternator. France '268 does not suggest a quick start unit according to the claimed invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.