ICC-Nexergy, Inc. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150377971 | Required Available Capacity Indication for Battery Backup Unit - A power management system is disclosed for providing an indication of the required available capacity (RAC) available from a backup battery unit (BBU) for backup or peak loading as required by a critical DC load, such as a computer bus. The power management system is configured to repeatedly determine the gross remaining capacity of the backup battery unit (BBU). The system processes this information and other measured or known battery parameters to determine the required available capacity (RAC). The RAC is based upon the required capacity of the critical load to which the BBU is connected. In general, the RAC is the difference between the gross remaining capacity of the battery at a given point in time and the required capacity of the critical load. In accordance with an important feature of the power management system, an indication of the RAC is provided. This indication can be used to indicate that the battery needs to be replaced or that the battery requires service and might indicate that the battery needs to be charged, needs to be warmed up, cooled down, etc. | 12-31-2015 |
20150111431 | TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE CIGARETTE LIGHTER ADAPTER SAFETY CIRCUIT - Briefly, the present invention relates to a cigarette lighter adapter (CLA) configured to be received in a CLA socket in a vehicle. The CLA includes a positive contact and a negative contact and housing, for example, a plastic housing. The negative contacts are formed as springs, which extend from the housing and are configured to exert spring force against an interior wall of a socket to assure a solid connection. The positive contact is also formed as a spring and is connected in series with a thermal sensor. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the thermal sensor, for example, a bi-metallic strip, is in thermal contact with a tip, which is serially connected to the positive contact and which extends outwardly from the plastic housing, the thermal sensor causes the CLA to be disconnected from the socket when an excessive temperature is sensed. The thermal sensor is selected to disconnect the CLA from the socket at a safe temperature, for example, a temperature below the melting temperature of the plastic housing. In accordance with another important aspect of the invention, the positive contact is formed as a spring which is connected by way of soldering to a printed circuit board, thermal sensor and the tip in order to eliminate high resistance pressure contact connections. | 04-23-2015 |
20130285598 | MULTIPLE CELL BATTERY CHARGER CONFIGURED WITH A PARALLEL TOPOLOGY - A multiple cell battery charger configured with a parallel topography is disclosed. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the multiple cell battery charger requires fewer active components than known battery chargers while at the same time protecting multiple battery cells from overcharge and discharge. The multiple cell battery charger in accordance with the present invention is a constant voltage battery charger that includes a regulator for providing a regulated source of direct current (DC) voltage to the battery cells to be charged. In accordance with the present invention, each battery cell is connected in series with a switching device, such as a field effect transistor (FET) and optionally a current sensing device. In a charging mode, the serially connected FET conducts, thus enabling the battery cell to be charged. The battery voltage is sensed by a microprocessor. When the microprocessor senses that the battery cell is fully charged, the FET is turned off, thus disconnecting the battery cell from the circuit. Since the battery cell is disconnected from the circuit, no additional active devices are required to protect the battery cell from discharge. As such, a single active device per cell, such as the FET, provides multiple functions without requiring additional devices. Accordingly, the battery charger in accordance with the present invention utilizes fewer active components than known battery chargers and is thus much less be expensive to manufacture. | 10-31-2013 |