Storage battery with indicating device

• US 4,874,679 A
• Filed: 07/11/1988
• Issued: 10/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Miyagawa Kasei Industry Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Miyagawa Kasei Industry Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Miyagawa, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, Donald L.
• Application Number:
  US07/217,543
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 429/91
• US Class Current: 429/91
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/484 for measuring electrolyte level, electrolyte density or electrolyte conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery casing for containing an electrolytic is equipped with a window (6) through which the interior of the casing (1) can be seen. An indicating device (9) for providing indications which differ according to changes in the electrolyte conditions'"'"' is installed inside the casing for viewing through the window so that such electrolyte conditions as the amount and specific gravity of the electrolyte (44) can be indicated. The indicating device has a frame member (10) separate from the casing and a float (11) supported by the frame member whereby the float can move vertically in response to a change in the electrolyte conditions. The indicating device is installed with the frame member extending along the inner surface of the window-equipped lateral wall of the casing in such a manner the the float can be seen from the outside through the window. A joining mechanism (20-23, and 36, 37: 153 and 154) is used for installing the frame member from the above in the casing. In order to prevent bubbles produced in the electrolyte from adhering to the float, an bubble preventing plate (143) may be installed to cover the float.

Claims

1. A storage battery, comprising a casing for containing an electrolyte, a window (6) in said casing for viewing the interior of the casing through said window in a lateral wall (4) of the casing, indicating means (9t) installed in said casing behind said window for indicating changes in the electrolyte liquid level and in the specific gravity of the electrolyte, said indicating means comprising a pair of guide rails (62t, 63t) vertically extending in parallel to said lateral wall in which said window is formed, first and second floats (64t and 65t) disposed between said guide rails in a position visible through said window, said floats having at their respective opposite ends guide portions slidably fitted on said pair of guide rails, said first float (64t) having a specific gravity so that the first float always floats on the liquid surface of the electrolyte for indicating an electrolyte level in said casing, said second float (65t) being disposed below said first float (64t ) and having such a buoyancy that the second float will rise and sink according to changes in the specific gravity of the electrolyte for indicating the specific gravity of the electrolyte, and said first float (64t) having a shield (130) for hiding said second float (65t) from the field of vision through said window when said second float (65t) is floating.

2. The storage battery of claim 1, further comprising horizontal members (10t) interconnecting said pair of guide rails to form a frame, and means attaching said frame to said lateral wall of said casing, so that said frame is located behind said window.

3. The storage battery of claim 2, wherein said attaching means comprise opposed positioning raised wall portions (34, 35) rising from an inner surface of said lateral casing wall provided with said window, said raised wall portions extending vertically on opposite sides of said window, and wherein said frame has two opposite outer lateral abutment surfaces located for cooperation with said raised positioning wall portions for holding said frame in a defined position behind said window.

4. The storage battery of claim 3, comprising partition walls forming a plurality of cells separated from each other by said partition walls, and wherein said raised positioning wall portions are provided by two adjacent walls which are selected from said partition walls (34, 35) and other lateral walls of said casing.

5. The storage battery of claim 3, wherein said outer lateral abutment surfaces have vertically extending notches (20, 21, 22, 23), and wherein said attaching means further comprise guide ribs (36, 37) extending vertically and fitting into said notches, whereby said frame is positioned with a plane defined by said frame in parallel to said lateral casing wall provided with said window.

6. The storage battery of claim 5, wherein said attaching means further comprise a positioning rib (39, 41) extending on the same line as at least one of said guide ribs in such a manner as to form a step surface (38, 40) facing upwardly, said frame abutting against said step surface for fixing the frame against downward displacement.

7. The storage battery of claim 3, wherein said frame has a front surface (48) and a rear surface (49) which determine the thickness dimension of said frame, and said attaching means further comprise upwardly extending guide ribs (50, 51) formed at a position spaced by a distance corresponding to the thickness of said frame from the inner surface of said lateral casing wall (4a), whereby said front surface contacts the inner surface of said lateral casing wall (4a) and said rear surface contacts said guide ribs, so that a plane defined by said frame is positioned in parallel to said lateral casing wall.

8. The storage battery of claim 7, wherein said attaching means further comprise an upwardly directed positioning surface (52) on the inner surface of said casing, whereby a lower surface of said frame abuts against said positioning surface, for fixing the frame against downward displacement.

9. The storage battery of claim 1, wherein said casing of said battery comprises a casing body (2) and a cover (3) closing an upper opening of said battery casing body, and wherein said attaching means comprise a lower surface portion of said cover for limiting an upward displacement of said frame abutting against said lower surface portion of said cover.

10. The storage battery of claim 1, wherein said frame forms a quadrangle comprising opposed upper and lower sides (12, 13) and opposed left-hand and right-hand sides (14, 15), said frame being installed so that said upper and lower sides and said left-hand and right-hand sides extend along an inner surface of said lateral casing wall.

11. The storage battery of claim 10, wherein said upper and lower sides have attaching portions (16, 17, 18, 19) which extend leftward and rightward beyond said left-hand and right-hand sides.

12. The storage battery of claim 2, wherein said attaching means comprise a dovetail joining device (155) comprising a combination of a vertically extending dovetail (153) and a dovetail groove (154).

13. The storage battery of claim 12, wherein said dovetail is formed in said lateral casing wall, and wherein said dovetail groove is formed in said frame.

14. The storage battery of claim 13, wherein said dovetail and said dovetail groove have a width which narrows toward the top.

15. The storage battery of claim 1, further including container means (148) for receiving said first and second float means, said container means having a wall at least a portion of which forms a bubble preventing plate (143, 143v, 143w) which allows passage of the electrolyte but which prevents passage of bubbles produced in the electrolyte.

16. The storage battery of claim 10, further including a bubble preventing plate (143) which allows passage of the electrolyte but which prevents passage of bubbles produced in the electrolyte, said bubble preventing plate being connected to the upper, lower, left-hand and right-hand sides of said frame (10u) at their respective end faces.

17. A storage battery, comprising a battery casing for containing an electrolyte, a window in a lateral casing wall of said casing for viewing the interior of the casing through said window, an indicating device (9x) for indicating changes in the state of the electrolyte in said casing, said indicating device comprising, a frame member (10x) separate from said battery casing, float means disposed in a position where it can be seen through said window (6x) and held by said frame member (10x) so that said float means is vertically movable according to changes in the state of the electrolyte, and dovetail attachment means (155) for securing said frame member (10x) to an inner surface of said lateral casing wall (4x), said dovetail attachment means (155) comprising a vertically extending dovetail (153) and a dovetail groove (154) along the inner surface of said lateral casing wall (4x) next to said window (6x).

19. The storage battery of claim 17, wherein said float means comprises a float adapted to move vertically in response to a change in the level of the surface of the electrolyte.

20. The storage battery of claim 17, wherein said float means comprises a float adapted to move vertically in response to a change in the specific gravity of the electrolyte.

21. The storage battery of claim 17, wherein said float means comprises a rotatable float and means supporting said rotatable float for a rotating movement in a vertical plane with respect to said frame member.

22. The storage battery of claim 17, wherein said float means comprises a float supported for vertical displacement with respect to said frame member.

23. The storage battery of claim 17, wherein said float means comprises a float supported for a rotating movement in a vertical plane and for a vertical displacement.

24. The storage battery of claim 23, wherein said rotating movement of said float in a vertical plane takes place in response to a change in the specific gravity of the electrolyte, while said vertical displacement of said float takes place in response to a change in the surface level of the electrolyte.

25. The storage battery of claim 17, wherein said float means comprises a first float supported for vertical displacement with respect to said frame member, and a second float supported for vertical movement with respect to said first float, said first float being adapted to travel vertically in response to a change in the level of the surface of the electrolyte while said second float is adapted to move vertically in response to a change in the specific gravity of the electrolyte.

26. The storage battery of claim 17, wherein said dovetail groove is formed in said lateral casing wall (4a), and wherein said dovetail groove is formed in said frame member (10k).

27. The storage battery of claim 26, wherein said dovetail and said dovetail groove have a width which narrows toward the top.

28. The storage battery of claim 17, further including container means (148) for receiving said float means, said container means having a wall at least a portion thereof forming a bubble preventing plate which allows passage of the electrolyte but which prevents passage of bubbles produced in the electrolyte.

18. The storage battery of claim 18, wherein said casing of said battery comprises a casing body (2) and a cover (3) closing an upper opening of said battery casing body, and wherein said attaching means comprise a lower surface portion of said cover for limiting an upward displacement of said frame abutting against said lower surface portion of said cover.