The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 12, 1978
Filed:
Aug. 22, 1977
Ming-Chih Yew, Rochester, MI (US);
Trevor O Jones, Birmingham, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
The adjacent terminals of adjacent battery cells are grouped in regularly spaced pairs of contacts. A first commutating member has a plurality of regularly spaced contact members effective to connect the contacts of each pair but one and is movable sequentially through a plurality of positions to vary the unconnected contact pair. One of the contact members adjacent the unconnected contact pair provides a first output terminal. A second commutating member has a single contact member effective to connect the contacts of one of said pairs and provide a second output terminal and is movable sequentially through a plurality of positions to vary the connected contact pair. Actuator means are movable sequentially through a plurality of positions in a first direction and a second direction and are connected through a unidirectional clutch to the second commutating member to move it in one direction to increase the number of cells connected across the output terminals with movement of the actuator means in its first direction and through a unidirectional clutch to the first commutating member to move it in the same one direction to decrease the number of cells connected across the output terminals with movement of the actuator means in its second direction, thereby varying the output voltage in a stepped fashion and equalizing the discharge of the individual cells with such variation.