Liquid indicator for a storage battery with a flame barrier vent filter
First Claim
1. A LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR HAVING AN ELONGATED ROD OF LIGHT TRANSMITTING MATERIAL HAVING AN UPPER VIEWING SURFACE AND A LOWER REFLECTING SURFACE, A CAP HAVING A THROUGH BORE ADAPTED TO ACCEPT THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD, AN ANNULAR CHAMBER IN SAID CAP WHICH IS SPACED FROM AND SURROUNDS THE BORE AND THE ROD, SAID CHAMBER BEING OPEN AT ITS UPPER END TO AMBIENT CONDITIONS AND AT ITS CLOSED END BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE PORT WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER BEING MONITORED, A POROUS FLAME BARRIER FILTER POSITIONED WITHIN AND CLOSING THE UPPER OPEN END OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID ROD FURTHER HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE DIAMETER LATERALLY EXTENDING RIM AROUND SAID ROD AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERAL INNER CAP WALL FORMING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BORE OF SAID CAP AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE POINT OF DISCONTINUITY AT THE JUNCTURE OF SAID RIM AND SAID WALL, AND A RELTIVELY SMALL DIAMETER RIM AROUND SAID ROD WHICH IS POSITIONED ABOVE SAID LARGE DIAMETER RIM AND SPACED FROM SAID WALL, A RESILIENT EALING LIP POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BORE OF SAID CAP AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGED SAID SMALLER DIAMETER RIM TO SEAL THE BORE WITHIN WHICH SAID ROD IS POSITIONED, SAID LARGE DIAMETER RIM AND SAID WALL AT THEIR POINT OF DISCONTINUITY CREATING A PORT MEANS FORMING A GAS PASSAGEWAY TO THEREBY PERMIT THE PASSAGE OF GAS UPWARDLY THERETHROUGH WHILE SAID SMALL DIAMETER RIM FORMS A PROJECTING BAFFLE IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID GAS PASSAGEWAY, SAID CAP BEING FORMED OF A RESILIENT MATERIAL SUCH THAT WHEN SAID CAP IS AXIALLY TELESCOPED WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD, THE NATURAL RESILIENCY OF SAID CAP FORMS A COMPRESSION FIT WITH SAID FILTER AND SAID ROD SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID ROD AND FILTER IN PLACEE IN SAID CAP
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Accused Products
Abstract
A liquid level indicator made of a transparent rod with an upper viewing surface and a lower reflective surface and a battery cap that surrounds the upper portion of the rod is disclosed. The upper portion of the rod carries a large diameter rim having a gas passageway formed thereon and a small diameter rim with a baffle plate disposed above the gas passageway. The cap has a circular opening that surrounds the top of the rod and a lower circular channel which allows for the venting of battery gas upwardly through the circular opening. A porous filter constructed of a material having a low heat conductivity, such as polyvinyl flouride, is retained in place in the opening by a pair of resilient beads on the cap.
18 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR HAVING AN ELONGATED ROD OF LIGHT TRANSMITTING MATERIAL HAVING AN UPPER VIEWING SURFACE AND A LOWER REFLECTING SURFACE, A CAP HAVING A THROUGH BORE ADAPTED TO ACCEPT THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD, AN ANNULAR CHAMBER IN SAID CAP WHICH IS SPACED FROM AND SURROUNDS THE BORE AND THE ROD, SAID CHAMBER BEING OPEN AT ITS UPPER END TO AMBIENT CONDITIONS AND AT ITS CLOSED END BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE PORT WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER BEING MONITORED, A POROUS FLAME BARRIER FILTER POSITIONED WITHIN AND CLOSING THE UPPER OPEN END OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID ROD FURTHER HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE DIAMETER LATERALLY EXTENDING RIM AROUND SAID ROD AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERAL INNER CAP WALL FORMING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BORE OF SAID CAP AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE POINT OF DISCONTINUITY AT THE JUNCTURE OF SAID RIM AND SAID WALL, AND A RELTIVELY SMALL DIAMETER RIM AROUND SAID ROD WHICH IS POSITIONED ABOVE SAID LARGE DIAMETER RIM AND SPACED FROM SAID WALL, A RESILIENT EALING LIP POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BORE OF SAID CAP AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGED SAID SMALLER DIAMETER RIM TO SEAL THE BORE WITHIN WHICH SAID ROD IS POSITIONED, SAID LARGE DIAMETER RIM AND SAID WALL AT THEIR POINT OF DISCONTINUITY CREATING A PORT MEANS FORMING A GAS PASSAGEWAY TO THEREBY PERMIT THE PASSAGE OF GAS UPWARDLY THERETHROUGH WHILE SAID SMALL DIAMETER RIM FORMS A PROJECTING BAFFLE IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID GAS PASSAGEWAY, SAID CAP BEING FORMED OF A RESILIENT MATERIAL SUCH THAT WHEN SAID CAP IS AXIALLY TELESCOPED WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD, THE NATURAL RESILIENCY OF SAID CAP FORMS A COMPRESSION FIT WITH SAID FILTER AND SAID ROD SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID ROD AND FILTER IN PLACEE IN SAID CAP
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2. A liquid level indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rod includes means for locking said rod relative to the inner bore of said cap in a direction opposite to the lock formed by said sealing lip.
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3. A liquid level indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said chamber at its open end is provided with protuberance means adjacent its open end and shoulder means axially spaced therefrom to permit initial location of said porous flame barrier filter.
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4. A liquid level indicator as claiMed in claim 3 wherein said chamber is substantially greater in axial extent than said porous flame barrier filter thereby permitting resilient movement of its inner wall, adjacent the bore of said cap, to permit assembly with the locking means on said rod.
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5. A liquid level indicator of the type claimed in claim 4 wherein said locking means includes an annular groove in said rod and an annular rib extending into the bore of said cap and adapted to be accepted complimentarily within said groove of the rod.
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6. A liquid level indicator of the type claimed in claim 5 wherein the lower reflecting surface of said rod is positioned within and carries a hydrometer cage including at least one ball having a predetermined specific gravity which is visible through said rod under predetermined conditions.
Specification