Patents by Inventor William J. Wruck

William J. Wruck has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5977654
    Abstract: A vehicle anti-theft system that disables a vehicle engine upon detection of an unauthorized vehicle start-up, after the engine is running, by disconnecting the vehicle battery and draining the vehicle electrical system voltage to ground through a resistor. When the system is armed, it monitors whether the engine is running and has been recently started by detecting vibrations, fluctuations in the VES voltage, and the actual VES voltage. The system includes an electro-mechanical switch that has a battery internal contact, a vehicle electrical system, the standard battery external terminal, contact and a disconnect contact. When the switch is connected to the battery contact, the vehicle battery is connected in the circuit. When the switch is connected to the vehicle electrical system contact, the system is connected to ground through a resistance and the battery is disconnected from circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Richard T. Johnson, William J. Wruck, Majid Taghikhani
  • Patent number: 5965954
    Abstract: A vehicle anti-theft system that disables a vehicle engine upon detection of an unauthorized vehicle start-up, after the engine is running, by disconnecting the vehicle battery and draining the alternator voltage to ground through a resistor. A fob transmitter transmits a coded frequency signal that is received by a receiver associated with the anti-theft system to arm the system. When the system is armed, it monitors whether the engine is running and has been recently started using a combination of vibration detection, voltage fluctuations in the battery voltage and the actual battery voltage. If the system determines that the engine is running and has been recently started, the system will issue a first command that opens a relay switch to disconnect the battery and a second command that closes a switch to connect the alternator to ground through the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Richard T. Johnson, William J. Wruck, Majid Taghikhani
  • Patent number: 5488283
    Abstract: A battery system for a vehicle includes a main battery for energizing the vehicle SLI circuits and an auxiliary battery for energizing the vehicle EHC system, the battery system providing back-up of the auxiliary battery by the main battery under certain conditions and back-up of the main battery by the auxiliary battery under certain other conditions, and the battery system providing opportunity charging of the auxiliary battery once the vehicle engine is running whereby the auxiliary battery shares the charging current with the main battery with the auxiliary battery being gradually connected to the source of charging current for the main battery by increasing the duty cycle of the drive circuit that connects the auxiliary battery to the source of charging current while monitoring the state of charge of the main battery and decreasing the duty cycle of the drive circuit to protect the main battery state of charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: Globe-Union, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Dougherty, William J. Wruck, Richard J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5223351
    Abstract: A dual battery system includes a first battery and a second battery electrically connected in parallel to positive and negative terminals. The first battery has an open circuit voltage greater than that of the second battery so that, as current is drawn from both batteries, the amount of current drawn from each respective battery at a given voltage level varies depending on the magnitude of the current. The first battery preferably supplies most of the current at low to moderate current loads, whereas the second battery provides a greater portion of the total current at high current loads. According to one aspect of the invention, wherein the batteries are each lead-acid batteries, the desired difference in open circuit voltage is provided by using sulfuric acid electrolytes of different specific gravities in the two batteries. For this purpose the electrolyte specific gravity of the second battery is preferably at least 0.03 less than that of the first battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Globe-Union Inc.
    Inventor: William J. Wruck
  • Patent number: 5096787
    Abstract: A hydrostatic pump for application in a battery experiencing sudden changes in acceleration or direction such as in a golf cart. The cells of the battery are provided with hydrostatic pumps using the motion induced waves in the electrolyte to develop localized hydrostatic heads and create circulation in the electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: Globe-Union Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Delaney, William J. Wruck
  • Patent number: 5055656
    Abstract: A charge management system and method, within a vehicle having a battery and generation subsystem, is disclosed which senses the temperature of electrolyte in the cells of the vehicle battery and the voltage across the terminals of the battery. The voltage indicates the probability of the existence of excess electrical capacity from the vehicle generation subsystem. In response to a cold temperature and excess power, the system uses the excess power of the vehicle generation subsystem to heat the battery to a desired level. Once the battery reaches the desired temperature level, the system dicontinues the heating of the battery. In the event that there is not excess power, then the system, by maintaining the battery heating element in an off position, does not interfere with the charging of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Globe-Union, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Farah, William J. Wruck
  • Patent number: 5045085
    Abstract: A porous compressible plastic material is inserted into the head space above the cells in a storage battery to attenuate the explosion of combustible gases accumulating therein. The attenuation material is distributed to create a unique bimodal pore distribution, including a major proportion of small pores effective in attenuation and a minor proportion of large pores effective in gas and electrolyte management. Both open cell and fibrous materials may be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Globe-Union Inc.
    Inventors: Richard R. Binder, Paul E. Bantz, William H. Tiedemann, Guy D. McDonald, William J. Wruck
  • Patent number: 4859546
    Abstract: A porous compressible plastic material is inserted into the head space above the cells in a storage battery to attenuate the explosion of combustible gases accumulating therein. The attenuation material is distributed to create a unique bimodal por distribution, including a major proportion of small pores effective in attenuation and a minor proportion of large pores effective in gas and electrolyte management. Both open cell and fibrous materials may be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Globe-Union Inc.
    Inventors: Richard R. Binder, Paul E. Bantz, William H. Tiedemann, Guy D. McDonald, William J. Wruck
  • Patent number: 4751154
    Abstract: A porous compressible plastic material is inserted into the head space above the cells in a storage battery to attenuate the explosion of combustible gases accumulating therein. The attenuation material has a unique bimodal pore distribution, including a major proportion of small pores effective in attenuation and a minor proportion of large pores effective in gas and electrolyte management. Both open cell and fibrous materials may be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: Globe-Union Inc.
    Inventors: Richard R. Binder, Paul E. Bantz, William H. Tiedemann, Guy D. McDonald, William J. Wruck