Battery pack for powering miner's cap lamp
A battery pack features a housing with a battery cell positioned within the housing. A pair of terminals attached to the battery cell and are adapted to provide power to a cap lamp and/or other device(s). Charging circuitry is positioned within the housing and attached to the battery cell. The charging circuitry provides a charging current to the battery cell when the battery pack is connected to a charger. A microprocessor is positioned within the housing and operatively connected to the charging circuitry.
1. A battery pack for powering a cap lamp comprising:
a. a housing;
b. a battery cell positioned within said housing;
c. a pair of terminals attached to the battery cell and adapted to provide power to a cap lamp;
d. charging circuitry positioned within said housing and attached to said battery cell, said charging circuitry providing a charging current to the battery cell when the battery pack is connected to a charger; and
e. a microprocessor positioned within said housing and operatively connected to the charging circuitry.
2. The battery pack of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor maintains a constant charging current.
3. The battery pack of claim 2 wherein the charging circuitry includes a transistor that is in communication with the microprocessor to maintain the constant charging current.
4. The battery pack of claim 3 wherein the microprocessor uses pulse width modulation of the transistor to maintain the constant charging current.
5. The battery pack of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is adapted to configure the battery pack to provide low power to the cap lamp, so as to dim the cap lamp, and to configure the system to provide full power to the cap lamp.
6. A cap lamp system comprising:
a. a housing;
b. a battery cell positioned within said housing;
c. a pair of terminals attached to the battery cell;
d. a cap lamp attached to the pair of terminals so as to receive power from the battery cell;
e. charging circuitry positioned within said housing and attached to said battery cell, said charging circuitry providing a charging current to the battery cell when the charging circuitry is connected to a charger; and
f. a microprocessor positioned within said housing and operatively connected to the charging circuitry.
7. The cap lamp system of claim 6 wherein the microprocessor maintains a constant charging current.
8. The cap lamp system of claim 7 wherein the charging circuitry includes a transistor that is in communication with the microprocessor to maintain the constant charging current.
9. The cap lamp system of claim 8 wherein the microprocessor uses pulse width modulation of the transistor to maintain the constant charging current.
10. The cap lamp system of claim 6 wherein the microprocessor is adapted to configure the cap lamp system to provide low power to the cap lamp, so as to dim the cap lamp, and to configure the cap lamp system to provide full power to the cap lamp.