Industrial vehicle, system for managing state of amount of electrolyte of industrial vehicle, and electric forklift

• US 9,481,260 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Hua, Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, JELANI A
• Application Number:
  US14/127,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07572 Propulsion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An industrial vehicle includes a battery that includes battery cells including a battery liquid and connected in series, an battery liquid shortage detection unit detecting a shortage of the battery liquid by detecting a voltage value between the battery cells, an battery liquid-shortage time calculation unit calculating a battery liquid-shortage time, which is a cumulative time of the shortage of the electrolyte detected by the battery liquid shortage detection unit, a memory storing the battery liquid-shortage time calculated by the battery liquid-shortage time calculation unit, and a communication controller attaching time information to the battery liquid-shortage time stored in the memory and outputting the battery liquid-shortage time with the time information to a management server, at a predetermined timing.

Claims

1. An industrial vehicle comprising:

a storage battery that includes a plurality of battery cells including electrolyte and electrode plates, the battery cells being connected in series, and a detecting point, disposed between the electrode plates of adjacent battery cells, at which a voltage value for detecting a shortage of the electrolyte is detected;

an electrolyte shortage detection unit that detects a shortage of the electrolyte in at least one of the battery cells by detecting a voltage value at the detecting point;

an electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit that calculates an electrolyte-shortage time, which is a cumulative time of the shortage of the electrolyte detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit when the shortage of the electrolyte continues;

a memory unit that stores the electrolyte-shortage time calculated by the electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit;

a time information generating unit that generates time information; and

an output processing unit that performs output processing for attaching the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit and outputting the electrolyte-shortage time with the time information to an output unit, at a predetermined timing.

2. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the electrolyte shortage detection unit stores a final electrolyte shortage time, which is a time when the shortage of the electrolyte is detected, in the memory unit and then resets the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit when the shortage of the electrolyte is not detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit and a time elapsed from the final electrolyte shortage time exceeds a predetermined time.

3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the electrolyte shortage detection unit includes a plurality of detecting points, disposed between adjacent battery cells, at each of which a voltage value for detecting a shortage of the electrolyte is detected, and detects the shortage of the electrolyte by detecting a plurality of voltage values between the plurality of battery cells.

4. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the output processing unit performs output processing for attaching the time information to a difference time of the cumulative electrolyte-shortage time and outputting the difference time with the time information to the output unit, at a predetermined timing.

5. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined timing includes a regular time and an irregular time.

6. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detector that generates position information indicating a position of the industrial vehicle,

wherein the output processing unit performs output processing for outputting the position information and the electrolyte-shortage time to the output unit, at the predetermined timing.

7. A system for managing a state of an amount of electrolyte of an industrial vehicle, the system comprising:

an industrial vehicle including;

a storage battery that includes a plurality of battery cells including electrolyte and electrode plates, the battery cells being connected in series, and a detecting point, disposed between the electrode plates of adjacent battery cells, at which a voltage value for detecting a shortage of the electrolyte is detected;

an electrolyte shortage detection unit that detects a shortage of the electrolyte in at least one of the battery cells by detecting a voltage value at the detecting point;

an electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit that calculates an electrolyte-shortage time, which is a cumulative time of the shortage of the electrolyte detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit when the shortage of the electrolyte continues;

a memory unit that stores the electrolyte-shortage time calculated by the electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit;

a time information generating unit that generates time information; and

an output processing unit that performs output processing for attaching the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit and outputting the electrolyte-shortage time with the time information to an output unit, at a predetermined timing; and

a management server that communicates with the industrial vehicle,

wherein the output processing unit attaches the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit and outputs the electrolyte-shortage time with the time information to the management server by radio communication, at a predetermined timing.

8. The system according to claim 7,

wherein the management server includes a warning unit that sets warning levels depending on length of the electrolyte-shortage time and outputs warning according to the warning levels.

9. An electric forklift comprising:

a storage battery that includes a plurality of battery cells including electrolyte and electrode plates, the battery cells being connected in series, and a detecting point, disposed between the electrode plates of adjacent battery cells, at which a voltage value for detecting a shortage of the electrolyte is detected;

an electrolyte shortage detection unit that detects a shortage of the electrolyte in at least one of the battery cells by detecting a voltage value at the detecting point;

an electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit that calculates an electrolyte-shortage time, which is a cumulative time of the shortage of the electrolyte detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit when the shortage of the electrolyte continues;

a memory unit that stores the electrolyte-shortage time calculated by the electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit;

a time information generating unit that generates time information; and

an output processing unit that performs output processing for attaching the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit and outputting the electrolyte-shortage time with the time information to an output unit, at a predetermined timing,

wherein the electrolyte shortage detection unit detects the shortage of the electrolyte by detecting a plurality of voltage values between the plurality of battery cells, and

the output unit transmits information, which is obtained by attaching the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit, by radio communication.

10. An industrial vehicle comprising:

a storage battery that includes a plurality of battery cells including electrolyte and electrode plates, the battery cells being connected in series, and a detecting point, disposed between the electrode plates of adjacent battery cells, at which a voltage value for detecting a shortage of the electrolyte is detected;

an electrolyte shortage detection unit that detects a shortage of the electrolyte by detecting a voltage value between the plurality of battery cells;

an electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit that calculates an electrolyte-shortage time, which is a cumulative time of the shortage of the electrolyte detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit when the shortage of the electrolyte continues;

a memory unit that stores the electrolyte-shortage time calculated by the electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit;

a time information generating unit that generates time information; and

an output processing unit that performs output processing for attaching the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit and outputting the electrolyte-shortage time with the time information to an output unit, at a predetermined timing,

wherein the electrolyte shortage detection unit stores a final electrolyte shortage time, which is a time when the shortage of the electrolyte is detected, in the memory unit and then resets the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit when the shortage of the electrolyte is not detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit and a time elapsed from the final electrolyte shortage time exceeds a predetermined time.

11. The industrial vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the electrolyte shortage detection unit detects the shortage of the electrolyte by detecting a plurality of voltage values between the plurality of battery cells.

12. The industrial vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the output processing unit performs output processing for attaching the time information to a difference time of the cumulative electrolyte-shortage time and outputting the difference time with the time information to the output unit, at a predetermined timing.

13. The industrial vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined timing includes a regular time and an irregular time.

14. The industrial vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising:

a position detector that generates position information indicating a position of the industrial vehicle,

wherein the output processing unit performs output processing for outputting the position information and the electrolyte-shortage time to the output unit, at the predetermined timing.

15. A system for managing a state of an amount of electrolyte of an industrial vehicle, the system comprising:

an industrial vehicle including;

a storage battery that includes a plurality of battery cells including electrolyte and electrode plates, the battery cells being connected in series, and a detecting point, disposed between the electrode plates of adjacent battery cells, at which a voltage value for detecting a shortage of the electrolyte is detected;

an electrolyte shortage detection unit that detects a shortage of the electrolyte by detecting a voltage value between the plurality of battery cells;

an electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit that calculates an electrolyte-shortage time, which is a cumulative time of the shortage of the electrolyte detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit when the shortage of the electrolyte continues;

a memory unit that stores the electrolyte-shortage time calculated by the electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit;

a time information generating unit that generates time information; and

an output processing unit that performs output processing for attaching the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit and outputting the electrolyte-shortage time with the time information to an output unit, at a predetermined timing; and

a management server that communicates with the industrial vehicle,

wherein the electrolyte shortage detection unit stores a final electrolyte shortage time, which is a time when the shortage of the electrolyte is detected, in the memory unit and then resets the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit when the shortage of the electrolyte is not detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit and a time elapsed from the final electrolyte shortage time exceeds a predetermined time, and

wherein the output processing unit attaches the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit and outputs the electrolyte-shortage time with the time information to the management server by radio communication, at a predetermined timing.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the management server includes a warning unit that sets warning levels depending on length of the electrolyte-shortage time and outputs warning according to the warning levels.

17. An electric forklift comprising:

a storage battery that includes a plurality of battery cells including electrolyte and connected in series;

an electrolyte shortage detection unit that detects a shortage of the electrolyte by detecting a voltage value between the plurality of battery cells;

an electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit that calculates an electrolyte-shortage time, which is a cumulative time of the shortage of the electrolyte detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit;

a memory unit that stores the electrolyte-shortage time calculated by the electrolyte-shortage time calculation unit;

a time information generating unit that generates time information; and

an output processing unit that performs output processing for attaching the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit and outputting the electrolyte-shortage time with the time information to an output unit, at a predetermined timing,

wherein the electrolyte shortage detection unit detects the shortage of the electrolyte by detecting a plurality of voltage values between the plurality of battery cells,

the output unit transmits information, which is obtained by attaching the time information to the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit, by radio communication, and

the electrolyte shortage detection unit stores a final electrolyte shortage time, which is a time when the shortage of the electrolyte is detected, in the memory unit and then resets the electrolyte-shortage time stored in the memory unit when the shortage of the electrolyte is not detected by the electrolyte shortage detection unit and a time elapsed from the final electrolyte shortage time exceeds a predetermined time.