Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Automatic control of flow cutoff or diversion – Level or overflow responsive
Patent
1996-12-24
1998-09-08
Walczak, David J.
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Automatic control of flow cutoff or diversion
Level or overflow responsive
141 95, 137260, 429 73, B65B 104
Patent
active
058031383
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for automatically filling battery cells with water. The device having a filler plug that can be placed in the cell. The filler plug has a connection piece for the water supply as well as a float-operated valve. The valve body is connected in articulated fashion to the float, which is arranged in the center of the plug housing, by a pivotally mounted lever.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A device of this type is the subject matter of German reference DE-C 31 27 619. In this known filling device, the movements of the float are transmitted by an amplifying lever to a shaft with a prismatic cross-section. Upon being turned, the shaft operates a substantially horizontal valve body and brings the latter into the closed position when the fill level is reached. The supplied water runs into the battery cell through a central opening in the base of the plug housing and thereby ensures adequate lubrication of the float rod.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide an improved filling device for battery cells that consists of as few individual parts as possible and is therefore easy to assemble. It is a further object to ensure that the supply lines connected to the connection pieces are as a rule always filled, in order to protect against hydrogen explosions and prevent the break-through to multiple plugs arranged one behind the other.
This object is attained according to the invention in a device of the type described above by arranging a substantially vertical overflow wall between the valve with the suspended body and the connection piece. The free upper edge of the overflow wall is higher than the horizontal upper edge of the bore of the connection piece, from which a U-shaped feed duct leads to the overflow wall.
The overflow wall, which is very high compared to previously known filling devices, forms a barrier, so that the water in the U-shaped feed duct always stands at the level of the upper edge of the bore of the connection piece. As a result, a siphon effect is created, which effectively prevents the feared break-through of hydrogen explosions. Because of the suspended arrangement of the valve body, a great deal of upward space is available, so that the overflow wall can extend very far upward.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the vertical U-leg that begins at the connection piece is formed by a cylinder closed on its lower side. From this cylinder, a lateral connecting duct opens into a parallel cylinder housing, in the upper region of which the overflow wall is embodied. To carry the water further, a supply duct leads laterally from the upper region of the cylinder housing into a valve cylinder that is parallel to the cylinder housing. In this valve cylinder is the seat for the suspended valve body. In this way, a forwarding duct in the form of an upside-down U is connected to the U-shaped feed duct.
In the base of the valve cylinder, there are feed openings, which lead laterally into the battery cell next to the float. The advantage of this is that incoming water does not strike the float from above, but instead flows into the battery cell laterally, so that there is no interference with the float movements that close the valve.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the downwardly pointing end of the valve body is connected to the central float rod in articulated fashion by an amplifying lever, which is pivotally mounted on a tilt support.
It is especially advantageous for the tilt support and feed openings to be embodied on a substantially circular base plate that is connected in one piece to the cylinder housing by an articulation. The cylinder housing is embodied as a one-piece injection-molded inner housing with the valve cylinder and the cylinder accommodating the feed duct. This injection-molded housing can be easily manufactured (in one mold) and assembled, with the base plate being folded up toward the lower side of the inner housing and thereby sealing the latter on the bottom. Be
REFERENCES:
patent: 4386141 (1983-05-01), Weidner et al.
patent: 4696874 (1987-09-01), Tadiello
patent: 4751156 (1988-06-01), Olimpio
patent: 5309937 (1994-05-01), Rover
Oschmann Elke
Schmidt Rainer
Douglas Steven O.
Oschmann Anna
Oschmann Berta
Oschmann Elke
Walczak David J.
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