JP3387262B2 - Indicator for storage battery - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an indicator used for detecting the state of charge of a storage battery and the shortage of the amount of electrolyte.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, storage battery indicators have been widely used for the purpose of improving the workability of maintenance by allowing the user to easily know the battery state and increasing the added value.

Now, a commonly used indicator will be described with reference to FIG. The indicator consists of a material composed of a material with a specific gravity equal to or higher than the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution during the discharge state, and a rotation that changes the buoyancy force it receives from the electrolytic solution into rotational force so that it operates during the discharge state when the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution decreases. A rotary float structure 2 consisting of a shaft 3 is used. The structure 2 is rotatably held by a foot portion 8 provided at a lower portion of the display body 1.
The rotary shaft 3 is provided in an eccentric state with respect to the structure 2. With such a configuration, the rotary float structure has an operability that follows changes in the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution and the surface of the electrolytic solution, and the battery is in the charging state.
As the specific gravity increases, the specific gravity of the rotary float structure 2 becomes lower than the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution, so that the side 5 having a large volume of the structure is located above the rotation axis with the rotation axis as a boundary.

Usually, in a rotating float structure, the larger volume side 5 of the structure is blue and, conversely, the smaller volume side 6 of the structure.
The color scheme is white. The color of these structures is transmitted through the electrolytic solution as a medium, the color is transmitted to the display body 1, and the color of the rotary float structure is judged from the top surface to determine the state of the storage battery. You can check. As a matter of course, the display body 1 is a translucent material. With such a configuration, if the electrolyte surface and the specific gravity are in a good state, the indicator is displayed in blue.
On the other hand, when the electrolytic solution surface is good but the specific gravity is low, white display is performed. When the specific gravity is good but the electrolytic solution surface is lower than the color display reference height 4, color information is obtained using the electrolytic solution as a medium. Cannot be transmitted, and the resin color of the display 1 itself appears.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, the bubbles 7 generated during charging or self-discharge may adhere to the rotary float structure 2 and cause malfunction. This state will be described in detail with reference to FIG. When the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution is normal, the large-volume side 5 of the structure located above the rotary shaft is located above the rotary shaft 3 due to its buoyancy. At this time, the gas generated by charging or the like rises in the electrolytic solution as bubbles 7 toward the electrolytic solution surface. At this time, if the rotary float structure 2 exists in the middle of the ascending path of the bubbles 7 to the electrolyte surface, the bubbles 7 adhere to the surface of the structure 6 located below the rotation shaft 3 on the side 6 having a small volume. Resulting in. Since the bubbles 7 adhere relatively strongly to the surface of the rotary float structure under the influence of the interfacial tension, it is difficult to separate the bubbles 7 from the structure without applying vibration or the like. If the buoyancy of the small volume side 6 of the structure to which the air bubbles 7 adhere is increased and the value exceeds the buoyancy of the large volume side 5, it causes a malfunction of the indicator. As a matter of course, at this time, even if the storage battery itself is in a normal state, the color that can be confirmed from the top surface of the display body is not the display color showing the normal state but the display color at the time of abnormality.

On the other hand, since the display color of the rotary float structure 2 is transmitted to the display body 1 using the electrolytic solution as a medium, the display color of the rotary float structure 2 is displayed when the amount of the electrolytic solution is insufficient. Not transmitted to body 1. At this time, the color that can be confirmed from the top surface of the display body 1 is not the display color of the rotary float structure 2 but the resin color of the display body 1 itself. Therefore, the display color indicating the abnormal state of the battery is mixed with the resin color of the display body 1 and the white color shown in the structure 2, and the state of the storage battery can be easily grasped from the top. was difficult.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a rotary float structure which rotates based on a change in the specific gravity of an electrolytic solution or a change in buoyancy due to a change in the electrolytic solution surface, and a rotary float structure. An indicator for a storage battery, comprising a transmissive display body that accommodates a body in a rotatable state and transmits at least two or more colored colors to a rotatable float structure, and transmits the color information to the outside. The structure has an upper end surface and a lower end surface in an arc shape, and is provided with a rotating shaft eccentric from its center of gravity, and the rotary float structure is immersed in an electrolytic solution and For storage batteries in which the volume of the portion located above the rotary shaft of the rotary float is 350% or more of the volume of the portion located below the rotary shaft when the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution is higher than the specific gravity Shows the indicator. Further, preferably, the density of the portion located above the rotary shaft of the rotary float structure is made the same as the density of the portion located below the rotary shaft, and the upper end surface and the lower end surface are the rotary shaft of the rotary float structure. The arc shape has a radius of curvature that is not less than half and not more than twice the width dimension in the direction, and more preferably the portion located above the rotation axis of the rotary float structure and the portion located below it. Different colors are used, and the color on the smaller volume side is reddish.

[0008]

[Function] The buoyancy fluctuation due to bubbles adhering to the structure is reduced by setting the ratio of the large volume side of the rotary float structure to the small volume side of the rotary shaft as the center to 350% or more. And prevent the buoyancy balance of the structure from being reversed. Further, by ensuring the uniformity of the packing density of the material, the operation of the rotary float structure is further stabilized. Further, by processing the end surface of the structure into an arc shape, the adhesion of bubbles is suppressed. On the other hand, the display of the state of the storage battery by color changes the color of the rotating body from white to red system color so that red system color display is displayed when charging is insufficient and white (resin color) is displayed when electrolyte is insufficient. It can be divided and the state can be accurately grasped from the outside.

[0009]

EXAMPLES Examples according to the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1A shows an indicator diagram of the present invention, and FIG. 1B shows a front view and a side view of a rotary float structure.

A volume ratio was set between 250% and 400%, and a rotary float structure 2 whose end face was processed into an arc shape was prepared. The radius of curvature of the end face of this structure is 3.5 m on the large volume side 5 with the rotation axis 3 as the center.
m, and the side 6 having the smaller volume was 11 mm. When the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution is in a normal state, the large-volume side 5 of the structure located above the rotating shaft 3 is colored blue, and the lower-volume side 6 of the structure is colored red. A lead storage battery was constructed by using 500 of each of these structures. After the battery was fully charged, it was left in an environment kept at 40 ° C. for 30 days to reproduce gas generation due to self-discharge. After the standing, the operability of the indicator, that is, the color shown on the display was confirmed, and the batteries displaying red were counted. It should be noted that this red display is caused because the bubbles 7 are attached to the rotary float structure 2 and the buoyancy balance of the structure 2 is lost. Furthermore, before leaving, it was confirmed that it was a blue display showing the normal state, and then the standing test was performed, and for those displayed in red after standing, 100% electrolytic solution specific gravity was measured and it is normal. In view of the above confirmation, the battery whose indicator is displayed in red can be determined to be defective in operation due to air bubble adhesion. Moreover, as a result of actually disassembling the indicator part, it was confirmed that the cause of the malfunction was due to the adhesion of bubbles.

FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the volume ratio of the structure and the defect rate. As is clear from FIG. 2, the malfunction is reduced by increasing the volume ratio. In the conventional rotary float structure having a volume ratio of about 250%, the defective rate was extremely high at about 10%. On the other hand, at a volume ratio of 350% or more, no malfunction was observed.

Next, using the conventional rotary float structure having a volume ratio of 250% and the rotary float structure having a volume ratio of 350% of the product of the present invention, the relationship between the number of days left for operation and the defective operation rate is explained. Examined. The result is shown in FIG. At this time, the environmental conditions under which the lead storage battery is left, the number of tests, and the like are the same as those described above. It can be seen from FIG. 3 that if the volume ratio is 350%, no malfunction occurs. On the other hand, in the conventional product, the occurrence of defects is recognized at the same time as the start of leaving, and increases with the passage of days. However, after 10 days, the defect rate peaked and remained at a constant value thereafter. Therefore, at the time of reaching the peak, it is considered that all the defects that are potentially defective are manifested. From this, the volume ratio is 350%
There is a low possibility that malfunction will occur after 50 days. By the way, it is conceivable that after the malfunction occurs due to the adhesion of air bubbles, another air bubble newly adheres to the opposite surface of the structure, and this air bubble restores normal operation and finally becomes good. The details of this have not been elucidated.

The rotary float structure is made by resin molding using a resin material having the same specific gravity as the set value so that it operates when the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution drops to a preset value. As a result, a structure having a desired volume ratio can be obtained. However, there is a possibility that the packing density of the resin material becomes uneven during molding, which may affect the calculated volume balance. For example, when the resin packing density on the side 5 having a larger volume of the structure shown in FIG. 1 is higher than that on the side 6 having a smaller volume on the opposite side, it goes without saying that the volume ratio obtained by calculation is obtained. The superiority of will not hold. Considering this point, the resin filling density of the rotary float structure needs to be finished uniformly.

Next, the adhesion of bubbles to the rotary float structure was examined. Specifically, the end face of the structure is processed into an arc shape and the radius of curvature is 2.5 mm to 15.0 m.
200 pieces each of which was changed to m were produced, and these were used to construct a lead storage battery. 1A constant current overcharge 1
It was done for a while, and bubbles were forcedly generated. At this time, the color appearing on the display was confirmed and the defective operation rates were simply compared.
The volume ratio of the structure is processed so that the volume ratio is 350%. The result is shown in FIG.

It has been found that the malfunction rate tends to be low in a certain range and rapidly increase outside the range. Specifically, in the range of the radius of curvature of 3.25 mm to 13 mm, the defect rate is low, and in other ranges, the defect rate is high. The radius of curvature of 3.25 mm corresponds to half of the width dimension of 6.5 mm of the structure used in this example, and when it is less than this value, it is natural that a flat portion is present in a part of this surface. become. Conversely, the radius of curvature 1
3 mm corresponds to twice the width dimension, and a dimension near this value results in a shape that is almost flat. From these facts, it can be inferred that the flat surface portion has a shape in which bubbles are easily attached, and it is possible to reduce the absolute amount of bubbles attached by performing appropriate curved surface processing. In this example, the case where the curved surface processing was performed only on the end surface of the structure having a small volume with respect to the rotation axis was confirmed.
As a matter of course, it can be easily judged that the effect of preventing the adhesion of bubbles can be similarly obtained on the opposite surface, that is, on the side where the volume of the structure is large. For example, the rotary float structure used in this embodiment has a radius of curvature of 1 on the smaller volume side.
In the case of 5 mm, even if the volume ratio is 350%, the defective operation rate is not 0%, and a defect of several% occurs. Taken together, the preferable shape of the rotary float structure is that the both end surfaces of the structure are subjected to the above-mentioned curved surface processing, and at the same time, the volume ratio is set to 350% or more. It may be set within the range after consideration.

Further, in the present embodiment, by making the display colors of the rotary float structure blue and red, the colors are conspicuous during the red display, and the battery state can be clearly transmitted to the user. It is more sensuous than the white color, but is preferable. Further, as another effect of making the color red, it is possible to clearly distinguish from white display when the electrolyte solution is insufficient. As a result, as for the information that can be transmitted to the user, conventionally, only two types of normal blue and insufficiently charged white are present, but in the present invention, blue indicating a normal state,
It is possible to give three types of information, red when the charge is insufficient, and white (resin color) when the electrolyte is insufficient, which is an extremely effective configuration for determining the state of the storage battery.

When the rotary float structure 2 of the present invention is used, the foot portion 8 of the display body 1 for holding the rotary structure 2 must have a length corresponding to the increase in volume. I won't. Further, the resin weight of the rotary float structure 2 itself increases. However, the absolute amount is very small because the mass of the entire component is originally small. further,
Also in terms of moldability, the level of change does not particularly occur, and the influence on the component manufacturing cost is almost negligible. In addition, even if the foot or the like becomes long, as for the absolute position of position detection (particularly the position in the height direction), the reference point for color display is the root of the inverted triangular pyramid provided in the lower part of the display body, Even if the foot length and the size of the rotating body change, the absolute position of the state detection for practical use is the same as the conventional one.

[0019]

As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to provide a storage battery indicator which is highly reliable and can accurately transmit the state determination information to the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is an indicator view of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a front view and a side view of a rotary float structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between a volume ratio and a defect rate of a rotary float structure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the number of days left unused and the operation failure rate.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between a radius of curvature of a structure and an operation failure rate.

FIG. 5 is a conventional indicator diagram.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a mechanism of malfunction.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Display 2 Rotating float structure 3 rotation axes 4 color display reference point 5 Larger volume of structure 6 Small volume side of structure 7 bubbles 8 feet

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor, Isaki, Ribun, 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References: 58-7468 (JP, U) Development 53-17250 (JP, U) Actual development 54-71126 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01M 10/42-10/48

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A rotary float structure that rotates based on a change in buoyancy due to a change in the specific gravity of the electrolyte or a change in the electrolyte surface, and a rotary float structure that accommodates the rotary float structure in a rotatable state. In a storage battery indicator comprising a light-transmitting display body that transmits at least two or more colors colored to the outside and transmits color information to the outside, the rotary float structure has an upper end surface and a lower end surface in an arc shape. A rotary shaft is provided eccentrically from the center of gravity of the rotary float structure, and the rotary float structure is immersed in the electrolytic solution and the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution is higher than that of the rotary float structure. The storage battery indicator is characterized in that the volume of the portion located above the rotation axis is 350% or more of the volume of the portion located below the rotation axis. 2. The storage battery indicator according to claim 1, wherein the density of the portion located above the rotary shaft of the rotary float structure is the same as that of the portion located below the rotary shaft. 3. The upper end surface and the lower end surface are formed in an arc shape having a radius of curvature of not less than half and not more than twice the width dimension of the rotary float structure in the rotation axis direction. Storage battery indicator 4. The rotary float structure is colored differently in a portion located above and below the rotation axis of the rotary float structure, and a color having a small volume is a reddish color. The storage battery indicator according to claim 1, 2 or 3.