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:
Sep. 07, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 04, 1997
Keith Broussard, Houston, TX (US);
Alan Sprain, Houston, TX (US);
Input/Output, Inc., Stafford, TX (US);
Abstract
A battery charging apparatus and method permits the recharging of the batteries of a seismic streamer depth control device or bird without access to the interior of the bird. In a preferred embodiment, a battery pack includes a coil within the bird that is capable of receiving a charging field from a charging unit by inductive coupling. The coil provides power to a regulated power supply comprising a voltage regulator and rectifier, and direct current is provided to charge battery cells. Thus, the batteries within the bird a charged by induction from outside the casing of the bird. Alternatively, the battery pack may be detached from the rest of the bird, but the battery pack remains scaled against the elements. The battery pack may include an electrical connector which attaches to the main body of the bird, and the electrical connector includes one or more pins for charging purposes. When the battery pack is detached from the main body of the bird and placed in a storage rack, the electrical connector of the battery pack mates with an outlet and the battery pack is charged through the regulated power supply.