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:
Aug. 22, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 25, 1997
Kenneth E Garde, New Windson, NY (US);
Ronald J Flower, Lawrenceville, GA (US);
Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US);
Abstract
A circuit for causing a voltage step in a battery of a plurality of serially-connected cells is provided. The circuit causes one or more of the cells to discharge through a resistor at a higher rate than the other cells, thus producing a voltage step when the faster discharging cell dies before the other cells. A reverse-biased diode is connected in parallel to the faster discharging cell to cause the current to bypass the faster discharging cell after it has died, thus preventing it from reverse charging. This circuit may be controlled to adjust the higher rate of discharge, and thus the time of occurrence of the voltage step.