The present invention relates to rechargeable storage batteries. More specifically, the present invention relates to a battery charger/tester with an integrated jump-start booster pack for use with such storage batteries.
Chemical batteries which create electricity from chemical reactions have been known for many years. Such batteries are becoming increasingly important and have found uses throughout industry. These uses include automobiles, UPS systems, etc.
One advantage of chemical batteries, such as lead acid storage batteries, is that they can be charged and the chemical process reversed by forcing electricity through the battery. Charging systems are widely known in the art and are widely available in the consumer market. One of the most common techniques for recharging storage batteries is simply placing a voltage source across the battery having a voltage which is greater than the battery voltage. The voltage difference will cause a charging current to flow through the battery causing a reversal of the chemical reaction. More sophisticated chargers have also been developed in which battery voltage is monitored in an attempt to determine when a battery is fully charged. In addition, techniques have been developed for charging a battery in which the condition of the battery is monitored throughout the charging process.
As mentioned above, rechargeable batteries are employed in automobiles. These rechargeable vehicle batteries provide cranking power to start the vehicle and are also the only source of power to continue to maintain the lights or other devices in operation when the vehicle ignition has been turned off. Circumstances may occur that cause the vehicle battery charge to deplete so that the battery is incapable of starting the vehicle. Such conditions normally arise due to the fact that the operator of the vehicle has inadvertently left the lights, radio, or other energy consuming device or accessory running in the vehicle after the vehicle ignition has been turned off. Such a depleted or xe2x80x9cdeadxe2x80x9d battery is incapable of providing the necessary cranking power to start the vehicle. Frequently, a jump-start booster pack is used to provide cranking energy to start the vehicle under these conditions. A battery charger is another alternative for charging a depleted battery. The disadvantage of a battery charger is that it typically needs to be connected to an alternating current (AC) supply which may not be accessible where the vehicle battery dies. A jump start booster pack typically includes a battery of the same terminal voltage as the vehicle battery but of much smaller capacity. The jump-start booster pack need not be connected to a power supply and is therefore convenient to use wherever the vehicle battery dies. A disadvantage of a jump-start booster battery is that it usually cannot be recharged easily and may be in a depleted condition when it is required to charge a dead battery.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an apparatus that supplies energy to a vehicle battery is provided. The apparatus includes a positive connector that couples to a positive terminal of the vehicle battery and a negative connector that couples to a negative terminal of the vehicle battery. A battery charger applies a charge signal to the vehicle battery through the positive and negative connectors to thereby charge the vehicle battery. A jump-start booster pack, coupled to the battery charger, can optionally provide starting energy to the vehicle battery through the positive and negative connectors. The booster pack can be charged by the charge signal.