Life indicator and lead-acid storage battery with life indicator

• US 5,750,285 A
• Filed: 08/23/1995
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GS Yuasa Corporation, Tadamasa Akutagawa
• Original Assignee: GS Yuasa Corporation
• Inventors: Nishino, Aya, Akutagawa, Tadamasa, Sano, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): NUZZOLILLO, MARIA
• Application Number:
  US08/518,333
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 429/90, 429/92, 429/225, 429/226, 324/426, 324/427, 324/434, 324/435, 340/636
• US Class Current: 429/92
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The purpose of this invention is to provide a life indicator which can detect an occurrence of growth and obtain various information based on it. A life indicator of this invention having at least a sensor portion, a sending circuit, a receiving circuit and a light emitting diode. The sensor portion is adapted to be applied with a pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate directly or indirectly, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter.

Claims

1. A battery life indicator having at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a chance of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a chance of electric parameter, in which the sending means has a primary coil, the receiving means has a secondary coil, and the both means are adapted to transmit the electric signal through electromagnetic induction.

2. A battery life indicator having at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sending means is adapted to oscillate when the sensor portion detects a creation of electric signal as a change of electric parameter.

3. A battery life indicator having at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sending means is adapted to be in an open-state when the sensor port on detects a cut-off of electric signal as a change of electric parameter.

4. A battery life indicator having at least sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sending means is adapted to send a frequency information corresponding to a change of electric signal when the sensor portion detects the change as a change of electric parameter.

5. A battery life indicator having at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sensor portion has a resilient pressed part and a pair of electric contacts, and the pair of electric contacts are adapted to close or open when the pressed part is applied with pressure.

6. A battery life indicator having at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sensor portion has a resilient pressed part and a pressure-sensitive conductor connecting a pair of electric contacts installed with a distance put between them, and is adapted to detect a change of resistance value of the pressure-sensitive conductor when the pressed part is applied with pressure.

7. A battery life indicator having at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal,

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which a spacer is installed between the sensor portion and a positive plate, and

the spacer is adapted to apply a pressure on the sensor portion on-receipt of the elongation of the positive plate.

8. A battery life indicator as set forth in claim 7, in which the spacer comprises a sheet body mounted on a group of positive and negative plates and a bar body fixed to the sensor portion perpendicularly to the sensor portion.

9. A battery life indicator as set forth in claim 7, in which the spacer comprises only a bar body fixed to the sensor portion perpendicularly to the sensor portion.

10. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sending means has a primary coil, the receiving means has a secondary coil, and the both means are adapted to transmit the electric signal through electromagnetic induction.

11. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sensor portion is installed on a cover inside face, the sending means is installed in the cover inside, and the receiving means and the indicator means are installed on a cover outside face.

12. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sensor portion is installed on a lower face of a negative strap, the sending means is installed in a cover inside or container side wall inside, and the receiving means and the indicator means are installed on a cover outside face or a container side wall outside face.

13. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sensor portion is installed on a container side wall inside face, the sending means is installed in a container side wall inside, and the receiving means and the indicator means are installed on a container side wall outside face.

14. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a chance of electric parameter, in which the life indicator has a spacer between the sensor portion and the positive plate, the spacer is adapted to apply a pressure the sensor portion on receipt of the elongation of the positive plate, the spacer comprises only a bar body fixed to the sensor portion perpendicularly to the sensor portion, and the sensor portion having the spacer is installed at plural places different each other.

15. A lead-acid storage battery-with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the life indicator has a spacer between the sensor portion and the positive plate, the spacer is adapted to apply a pressure the sensor portion on receipt of the elongation of the positive plate, the spacer comprises a sheet body mounted on a group of positive and negative plates and a bar body fixed to the sensor portion perpendicularly to the sensor portion, the sensor portions and the bar bodies are installed on different plural places in pairs, and lengths of the bar bodies are different each other.

16. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a chance of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sensor portions are installed at plural places different each other.

17. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the sensor portion has a resilient pressed part and a pair of electric contacts and is adapted to close the pair of contacts installed with a distance put between them in a pressure applied direction when the pressed part is applied with pressure, the sensor portions are installed at plural places different each other, and each sensor portion is different in a distance of the pair of electric contacts in the pressure applied direction.

18. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a chance of electric parameter, in which the sensor portion has a resilient pressed part and a pair of electric contacts and is adapted to close or open the pair of contacts when the pressed part is applied with pressure, the sensor portions are installed at plural places different each other, and each sensor portion is different in a resilient force of the pressed part.

19. A lead-acid storage battery with life indicator having a life indicator detecting an elongation of a positive plate, in which

the life indicator has at least a sensor portion, a sending means sending a change of electric parameter detected by the sensor portion as an electric signal, a receiving means receiving a sent signal, and an indicator means indicating the received signal, and

the sensor portion is adapted to receive an applied pressure based on an elongation of a positive plate lattice body, so as to detect the applied pressure as a change of electric parameter, in which the life indicator has a spacer between the sensor portion and the positive plate, the spacer is adapted to apply a pressure on the sensor portion on receipt of the elongation of the positive plate, the spacer has at least a bar body fixed to the sensor portion perpendicularly to the sensor portion, and the sensor portions and the bar bodies are installed on plural places different each other in pairs, and lengths of the bar bodies are different each other.