Battery having lifetime indicator

• US 5,256,500 A
• Filed: 01/21/1992
• Issued: 10/26/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishimoto, Shin-ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US07/822,949
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 429/91, 429/92, 429/7, 429/8, 429/93
• US Class Current: 429/93
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/505 Cells combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An battery comprises an battery unit and a life time indicator for indicating the life time of said battery unit. The life time indicator includes an indication element having a characteristic which indication of the indication element changes according to a voltage impressed onto the same. When voltage drop is caused in the battery unit, the indication of the indication element changes accordingly.

Claims

1. A battery, comprising:

a battery unit including a power source for generating electric power, positive and negative containers connected to said power source, and an insulating member inserted between said positive and negative containers for attaining insulation therebetween; and

a lifetime indicator, provided on said battery unit for indicating the lifetime of said battery unit, comprising

an indication element having first and second electrodes, said indication element having a characteristic for indicating changes in the indication element according to a voltage difference between said first and second electrodes,

first connection means for connecting said first electrode to said positive container, and

second connection means for connecting said second electrode to said negative container,

wherein said indication element is made of a liquid crystal material.

2. A battery, comprising:

a battery unit including a power source for generating electric power, positive and negative containers connected to said power source, and an insulating member inserted between said positive and negative containers for attaining insulation therebetween; and

a lifetime indicator, provided on said battery unit for indicating the lifetime of said battery unit, comprising

an indication element having first and second electrodes, said indication element having a characteristic for indicating changes in the indication element according to a voltage difference between said first and second electrodes,

first connection means for connecting said first electrode to said positive container, and

second connection means for connecting said second electrode to said negative container,

wherein said indication element is made of an electrochromism element, said electrochromism element including ruthenium diphthalocyanine.

3. A battery, comprising:

a battery unit including a power source for generating electric power, positive and negative containers connected to said power source, and an insulating member inserted between said positive and negative containers for attaining insulation therebetween; and

a lifetime indicator, provided on said battery unit for indicating the lifetime of said battery unit, comprising

an indication element having first and second electrodes, said indication element having a characteristic for indicating changes in the indication element according to a voltage difference between said first and second electrodes,

first connection means for connecting said first electrode to said positive container, and

second connection means for connecting said second electrode to said negative container,

wherein said indication element is made of a viologen derivative.

4. A battery, comprising:

a battery unit including a power source for generating electric power, positive and negative containers connected to said power source, and an insulating member inserted between said positive and negative containers for attaining insulation therebetween; and

a lifetime indicator, provided on said battery unit for indicating the lifetime of said battery unit, comprising

an indication element having first and second electrodes, said indication element having a characteristic for indicating changes in the indication element according to a voltage difference between said first and second electrodes,

first connection means for connecting said first electrode to said positive container, and

second connection means for connecting said second electrode to said negative container,

wherein said indication element is made of an electrophonetic cell.

5. A battery in accordance with claim 4, wherein said first electrode is a transparent one, and said electrophonetic cell comprises a solvent layer provided between said first and second electrodes and a plurality of charged particles scattered in said solvent layer.

6. A battery in accordance with claim 5, wherein each of said charged particles comprises particles of titanium oxide coated with a high molecular weight material.

7. A battery, comprising:

a battery unit including a power source for generating electric power, positive and negative containers connected to said power source, and an insulating member inserted between said positive and negative containers for attaining insulation therebetween; and

a lifetime indicator, provided on said battery unit for indicating the lifetime of said battery unit,

wherein said lifetime indicator is freely mounted to and dismounted from said battery unit and has an external thread portion, while said battery unit has an internal thread portion, said external and internal thread portions being engageable with each other.

8. A battery in accordance with claim 7, wherein said life time indicator has a rectangular opening.