Battery voltage drop alarm device for a battery forklift truck

• US 4,492,955 A
• Filed: 03/18/1983
• Issued: 01/08/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kubota, Toru, Tamate, Masazi, Sauzu, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myer, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US06/476,717
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636, 320/13, 320/48, 320/40, 324/433
• US Class Current: 340/636.15
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/18 Indicator or display

Abstract

A battery voltage drop alarm circuit comprises a battery voltage drop detecting circuit, an alarm circuit, and an alarm cut off circuit. The battery voltage drop detecting circuit outputs an alarm instruction signal to the alarm circuit when the battery voltage drops to less than a predetermined value, then the alarm circuit generates an alarm sound. The alarm cut off circuit generates an alarm operation cut off signal to the alarm circuit to cut off the alarm operation thereof when the battery forklift performs the auxiliary work.

Claims

1. In a battery forklift truck having an auxiliary movement apparatus, a battery voltage drop alarm device for alarming the necessity of charging a battery by detecting that the battery voltage drops to less than a prescribed value, comprising:

(a) battery voltage drop detecting means for generating an alarm instruction signal by detecting that the voltage of said battery drops to less than a prescribed voltage value;

(b) alarm means for generating an alarm signal according to the alarm instruction signal generated from said battery voltage drop detecting means; and

(c) alarm cut off means connected to an auxiliary work switching means for supplying an electric power from the battery to the auxiliary movement apparatus and also connected to said alarm means, said alarm cut off means being provided for stopping the alarm operation of said alarm means when the auxiliary work switching means supplies the electric power to the auxiliary movement apparatus.

2. The battery voltage drop alarm device according to claim 1, wherein said alarm means is connected to said battery voltage drop detecting means and comprises a timer means connected to said alarm cut off means, and an alarm signal generating means connected to the timer means, the timer means supplying an output signal to the alarm signal generating means when the alarm instruction signal is supplied from said battery voltage drop detecting means, while the timer means does not supply any signal when an alarm operation cut off signal is supplied from said alarm cut off means even if the alarm instruction signal is supplied from said battery voltage drop detecting means, the alarm signal generating means generating an alarm sound for a predetermined time period in accordance with the predetermined time period output signal generated from the timer means.

3. The battery voltage drop alarm device according to claim 2, wherein said alarm cut off means includes a first transistor so that the alarm operation cut off signal can flow to said alarm means.

4. The battery voltage drop alarm device according to claim 3, wherein the timer means comprises a timer element, and a capacitor and a resistor which determine the time period of the timer element, the alarm signal generating means including a second transistor and a buzzer which is connected to the battery through the second transistor, the second transistor being connected to the output terminal of the timer element and turned on by an output signal from the timer element so that the buzzer sounds.

5. The battery voltage drop alarm device according to claim 4, wherein said alarm cut off means further includes a Zener diode and a resistor connected in series to the base of the first transistor.

6. The battery voltage drop alarm device according to claim 5, wherein said voltage drop detecting means comprises a voltage drop detecting circuit for detecting the voltage drop of the battery and an alarm instruction circuit for generating an alarm instruction signal in accordance with the detected voltage value.

7. The battery voltage drop alarm device according to claim 6, wherein the voltage drop detecting circuit includes a diode and two resistors connected in the series to the battery, the alarm instruction means including a third transistor having an emitter connected to the output side of the diode and a base connected to the mid-point of the two resistors and a collector connected to the input terminal of the timer element, when the voltage of the battery drops to less than a predetermined value, the voltage at the mid-point of the two resistors drops and the base voltage of the third transistor also drops to turn on the third transistor, whereby the electric power is supplied from the battery through the third transistor to the input terminal of said timer element.

8. The battery voltage drop alarm device according to claim 7, wherein said timer element comprises a Retriggerable Monostable Multivibrator with reset.

9. A battery voltage drop alarm device for a battery forklift truck, comprising:

(a) a voltage drop detecting circuit for detecting the voltage drop of the battery;

(b) an alarm instruction circuit for generating an alarm instruction signal when the detected voltage is less than a predetermined level;

(c) a timer circuit which supplies an output signal for a predetermined time period when the alarm instruction signal is supplied from said alarm instruction circuit;

(d) an alarm generating circuit for generating an alarm sound for a predetermined time period when the output signal is supplied from said timer circuit;

(e) an auxiliary work switching circuit for supplying an electric power from the battery to an auxiliary movement apparatus circuit; and

(f) an alarm cut off circuit connected to said auxiliary work switching circuit and also to said timer circuit and for resetting said timer circuit when said auxiliary work switching circuit supplies the electric power to the auxiliary movement apparatus circuit, whereby the output signal is not supplied to said alarm generating circuit.