Single point battery watering system with pivot float and ball valve

• US 20060269832A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liquid Precision Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Liquid Precision Incorporated
• Inventors: Hutchinson, William L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,713,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/74
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/383 Flame arresting or ignition-preventing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/609 Arrangements or processes for filling with liquid, e.g. electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/627 Filling ports
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4757 Battery or electrolytic cell replenishment

Abstract

A series of cell fill valves are interconnected by a series of hoses and T-connections, one to each battery cell. Each cell fill valve is controlled by a ball in a seat in a single fill opening. The ball is controlled by a float on a pivotable lever arm with an end finger which holds the ball up to admit water with the float down and allows the ball to lower onto the seat as the cell fills causing the float to rise to a shutoff level when the cell is filled to a desired level.

Claims

1. A single point fluid supply system for replenishing a liquid electrolyte in a plurality of batter cells simultaneously, the system comprising:

a plurality of cell fill valves interconnected by a plurality of fill hoses and T-connections to a battery cell fluid supply flowing at any of a range of pressures through the system, one of the cell fill valves to each battery cell, each of the cell fill valves comprising a single fill opening controlled by a ball in a ball chamber having a bottom fill opening, the fill opening forming a seat for the ball, wherein the ball resting in the seat prevents a flow of fluid through the bottom fill opening, a lever arm pivotable about a pivot point, the lever arm comprising a float on a first end of a pivot arm and an end finger on a second end of the pivot arm, the lever arm controlling the ball in the seat, the finger pointing upwardly with the float in a first downward position when the battery cell fluid level is low in a battery cell, the upward pointing finger thereby holding the ball up off the seat to admit a flow of battery cell fluid into the cell and the finger lowering as the float is lifted by battery cell fluid as the battery cell is filling until the battery cell is filled to a valve shutoff level and the finger is sufficiently low to lower the ball onto the seat to stop the flow of battery cell fluid into the battery cell.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the float is replaceable and the shutoff level of any of the valves can be changed by installing a different size of float thereby changing the height of the float in the battery cell fluid in the battery cell to enable achieving correct fill levels in different types of batteries and containers.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the float is replaceable and the shutoff level of any of the valves can be changed by installing a float of a different weight thereby changing the height of the float in the battery cell fluid in the battery cell to enable achieving correct fill levels in different types of batteries and containers.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the lever arm is replaceable and the shutoff level of any of the valves can be changed by installing a lever arm having a finger of a different size thereby lowering the ball into the seat at different levels of the battery cell fluid in the battery cell to enable achieving correct fill levels in different types of batteries and containers.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the ball is replaceable and the shutoff level of any of the valves can be changed by installing a ball of a different size thereby lowering the ball into the seat at different levels of the battery cell fluid in the battery cell to enable achieving correct fill levels in different types of batteries and containers.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein a buoyancy of the float alone is sufficient to shut off the valve without assist from a pressure of the battery cell fluid flow at a higher final level shut off level of battery cell fluid in the batter cell than it would shut off with an optimum desired pressure of battery cell fluid flowing through the system to act as a safety backup should an insufficiently pressurized supply of battery cell fluid be used.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the pivot point is positioned so that the float is positioned away from the single fill opening so that the battery cell fluid flowing into the battery cell does not flow down onto the float.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the float is attached to the lever arm by a float pivot so that the float hangs downwardly from the lever arm and the float remains in a vertical position during movement of the lever arm.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a cover over the valve, wherein both the cover and the T-connections are structured to swivel 360 degrees to ease routing of tubing on the battery.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a retainer passage for battery fluid between the T-connection and the single fill opening at a level below a top of the single fill opening so that the retainer passage retains some battery fluid after the battery cell reaches the shutoff level to function as a water seal to prevent gas from migrating up out of the battery cell and eliminate a potential hazard of a flame in one battery cell spreading to other battery cells via flammable gas in the fill hoses.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one vent passage with a porous flame arrester communicating between the valve and outside air to allow gas to vent and prevent gas pressure buildup in the battery cell.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein a connection port between a cavity under the T-connection and the ball chamber may be resized as a means for varying the fill level, fill rate and fill level repeatability of each of the cell fill valves.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fluid transfer port connecting the center water passage from the base of the T-connector into the ball cavity, the fluid transfer port formed in the system by molding it into the body at a 45 degree angle from vertical to significantly reduce assembly time and to provide a positive influence on valve performance due to a more consistent size and positioning of the molded port.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a float rod attached between the float and the lever arm, the float rod comprising an elongated rod which is configured to be cut to whatever length needed at assembly to produce a valve set which will achieve a desired fill level without need to change the float.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the ball chamber has a connection port horizontally through a ball chamber outer wall and further comprising a cylindrical piece cut off of the float rod inserted into the connection port as a plug, the cylindrical piece of the float rod extending partially across the ball cavity to restrict the ball from moving up in the cavity too far so that the incoming flow stream can not support it independently of the finger resulting in failure of the valve to shut off.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising an O-ring on a base of the T-connection and a pair of interference fit plugs located one on each of two opposing sides of the T-connection positioned in a pair of counter-bored holes in a top of a valve body so that a top surface of each of the plugs is flush with the top of the valve body, an upper portion of each of the plugs including a chamfered notch on an outer edge so that when each of the plugs is in a first orientation the chamfered notch on each of the plugs allows insertion of the T-connection into the body with the chamfer providing a lead in for the O-ring, and alternately with the T-connection in place, the two plugs in a second orientation, each rotated approximately 180 degrees, an opposite un-notched portion of each of the plugs fits within a groove in the T-connection effectively to lock the T-connection in place vertically while allowing the T-connection to rotate freely.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein one of the plugs, a ball chamber plug, is threaded into the ball chamber and further comprising a bottom extension on the ball chamber plug so that the bottom extension extends down a sufficient distance into the ball chamber to restrict excessive upward travel of the ball.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising a surrounding cage fixed to the body of the valve around the float to maintain the orientation of the float and to provide an interference free area of operation for the float within the battery cell.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising at least a two part interconnected cage which can sandwich at least one of a series of extension rings interconnected to increase the depth of the cage for deeper fill levels.