This invention relates to an improved cap for batteries with level indicator. More particularly, the present invention relates to an IoT based cap for batteries for water level analysis which sends the alarm messages to the user’s hand held device during low electrolyte level.
BACKGROUND/PRIOR ART
[002] The most prominent rechargeable, storage battery for ignition and emergency power uses is the battery comprising of a plurality of cells, each containing opposed vertical lead and lead dioxide electrode plates immersed in aqueous sulfuric acid electrolyte.
[003] During normal use, the water in the electrolyte solution is depleted by the electrolysis that accompanies the charging process and for other reasons such as charge inefficiencies. In case too much water evaporates, the electrolyte level recedes past the top of the electrode plates and the electrode paste can dry, flake off or become irreversibly affected such as by oxidation of the lead. If too much electrode material flakes off, it can settle at the bottom and form a bridge short-circuiting cell. A short-circuit of only one cell is sufficient to render the lead-acid battery useless.
[004] Too much water is also undesirable since that can leak acid onto and behind the battery casing and as a result corrode the pan below the battery and the fenderwall next to the battery. It also can cause corrosion of the terminals and cables. Many batteries fail by corrosion and severing of the terminals from the internal connectors to the cell electrodes.
[005] Reference may be made to the following known arts:
[006] Application No. 216/DEL/2014 discloses an improved cap for lead acid battery with level indicator comprising of a hollow member with a float member slidingly disposed therein, wherein said float member comprises a float sensing unit for indicating level of water/electrolyte in the battery cell.
[007] US Patent No. 3,891,465 discloses a battery equipped with an indicator for the lowering of the electrolyte level in the battery. An electrode for detecting the lowering of the level of the electrolyte is provided on a battery; a circuit for detecting the "on and off" of the electric current, which is obtained from the battery through said electrode, is attached to the battery and actuates an alarming device in the circuit when the level of the electrolyte is lowering below the predetermined level.
[008] Publication No. GB611147 describes a stem carried by a float for indicating the electrolyte level observed through a glass dome secured to a hollow screw - threaded plug. The hollow plug with a transparent top, for insertion in the filling opening of the cell to permit viewing of a float-controlled electrolyte-level indicator arranged to extend into the hollow plug, and, an absorber mounted in the filling opening below the hollow plug and about the indicator, for absorbing vapours generated in the cell, whereby to prevent such vapours from reaching and depositing on the transparent top of the hollow plug.
[009] US Patent No. 4,981,764 provides an electrolyte level indicator, for use on wet cell batteries, that may be universally applied to any battery or group of batteries with a total voltage of 6 vdc to 48 vdc to monitor the electrolyte level in a single cell. The monitor includes a battery cap sensor probe that is inserted into a single cell of a wet cell battery and electrically connected, through a single wire, to a panel mounted transducer that indicates, by means of a flashing LED, that the electrolyte is below an acceptable level thereby producing a general indication that all the cells in the battery/batteries should be filled with water.
[010] US Publication No. 20100019773 describes a battery monitor that can be applied to existing batteries. The battery monitor may include a probe that can be inserted into a valve of a battery and a warning indicator for alerting an operator. The warning indicator may include a buzzer, alarm, or other audible signal, either in addition to a visual indicator such as an LED or in lieu thereof.
[011] Publication No. GB646260 describes a storage battery plug and liquid level indicator comprising a vent chamber having top and bottom walls formed with vent openings and an outer side wall formed to close an opening in a battery cover, a relatively large, completely closed and sealed central chamber for lined from transparent material and having a lower end surface adapted to be submerged in the battery electrolyte and shaped to reflect upwardly light passing down through the hollow interior of said chamber, said central chamber extending to the top of said vent chamber and having upper end and lower end closures, a legend located within the hollow interior of said sealed central chamber on or above the upper surface of the lower end closure within the central chamber, said legend being illuminated by light reflected from said lower end surface and being readable through said upper end closure when the liquid in the battery is below said lower end surface and being obscured when said lower end surface is submerged in the battery liquid.
[012] US Patent No. 6,653,843 provides an improvement in battery cell monitors in which the reduction of the level of the electrolyte of a wet cell battery below a predetermined level may be detected. It does so by placing a metal rod in the electrolyte solution, with the rod projecting into the battery cell to the minimum desired depth of electrolyte. While in contact with the electrolyte, current is caused to flow through the rod. When the electrolyte drops below the predetermined level, the contact between the rod and the electrolyte is lost and the current ceases to flow.
[013] US Patent No. 7,812,613 describes electrolyte levels monitoring in batteries. The measuring device is located in a battery and is configured to detect when the electrolyte level in the battery falls below a particular level. The controller is in electrical communication with the measuring device. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the measuring device indicating when the electrolyte level in the battery has fallen below the particular level and the controller waits for the wait-period to expire before enabling an indicator (e.g., an alarm, a light, a message, etc.) to indicate that the battery should be refilled.
[014] US Patent No. 5,936,382 discloses a device for providing a positive indication that the minimum acceptable level of electrolyte is present in a battery cell. When the electrolyte contacts the first terminal a current flows through the circuit causing the LED indicator to illuminate. As long as the level of the electrolyte remains in contact with the first terminal, at or above the level, the LED will remain lit. When the level of the electrolyte drops below the level, contact with the first terminal is broken, and the LED goes off.
[015] Patent No. 4,587,923 describes battery caps and particularly those which permit the condition of the electrolyte within the given cell to be determined without removal of the cap.
[016] US Patent No. 4,562,127 provides a battery cap incorporating an indicator for determining the level of electrolyte in the cell.
[017] US Patent No. 4,978,592 provides a universal electrolyte level indicator which may be attached to, and made part of, battery powered mobile equipment of all types for the purposes of providing a warning indication to the operator of the equipment that water needs to be added to the batteries contained therein.
[018] US Patent No. 6,040,079 describes a battery electrolyte level indicator which can serve as a replacement for a battery cap and which is highly reliable and efficient in operation.
[019] None of the patents above talks about a provision which can be used for electrolyte/ water level indication automatically generating an alarm when electrolyte/ water level falls below predetermined level. Thus, there exists the need of an improved system which indicates the electrolyte/ water level and generates an audio/visual buzzer as soon as the water level falls below the desired level.
[020] In order to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art, the present invention is directed to an IoT based cap for batteries for water level analysis which sends the alarm messages to the user’s hand held device during low electrolyte level.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[021] The primary object of the present invention is to provide an IoT based cap for batteries for water level analysis.
[022] Another object of the present invention is to provide an IoT based cap for batteries for water level analysis which sends the alarm messages to the user’s hand held device during low electrolyte level.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[023] Accordingly, the present invention provides an IoT based cap for batteries for water level analysis which sends the alarm messages to the user’s hand held device during low electrolyte level.
[024] The present system monitors the functions of the cap which acts as float sensor to indicate acid level to help top up the battery when required. The battery cap of the invention has the provision of a top cap on level indicator with float at bottom end which engages a stopper to prevent the float member from falling into the cell and which can close the vent in its highest position. The cap is connected to the controller which is in the communication with the central control unit to monitor and control the battery water level.
[025] The cap is provided with the battery in packed form and can be reversed to become a float sensor thereby helping user know the acid level in use and also to top the battery when required.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[026] Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and wherein:
[027] Fig. 1 shows: perspective view of cap of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
[028] The present invention discloses an IoT based improved cap for batteries with level indicator. The system comprises a controller which is in communication with the IoT based central system to store the data; analyze it characterized in that the user sets the limiting parameters at the central system using hand held device and the controller is controlled as per the parameters set by the user. A hollow member is provided with a contact point in proximity to its open end constituting a stopper so as to prevent the float member from falling into the cell. The hollow member is closed at top and preferably transparent/opaque with a float member slidingly disposed therein. The float member comprises a float sensing unit for indicating level of water/electrolyte in the battery cell. A level indicator with a cap is at its top end and a float is at its bottom end. The contact point (6) is connected the controller which sends the data to the central system to analyze and generate the alarm signal on user’s hand held device for the low electrolyte/water level.
[029] The present system monitors the functions of the cap which acts as float sensor to indicate acid level to help top up the battery when required. The battery cap of the invention has the provision of a top cap on level indicator with float at bottom end which engages a stopper to prevent the float member from falling into the cell and which can close the vent in its highest position. The cap is connected to the controller which is in the communication with the central control unit to monitor and control the battery water level.
[030] The system is compatible with all existing batteries and can be provided as an original equipment cap which is synchronized with the central system once upon usage. During system initialization, system controller communicates with the central controller and a unique ID is provide to the controller for all further communication.
[031] The cap comprises two main parts i.e. a hollow longitudinal member (1) with one end closed and a opaque or coloured float member (2) slidingly mounted in the cavity of the hollow member, which moves up and down according to the electrolyte level. The cap also comprises a contact point (3) which prevents the float member from falling into the cell and is connected to an audio/visual alarm system of a power backup through a pair of wires. The battery includes a number of cells, therefore a number of wires are merged into a power backup system having an audio/buzzer and LED for visual indication of low water level in the battery.
[032] The longitudinal member of the cap comprises a hollow and transparent tube forming a cavity. A float preferably of a vivid or opaque color is provided in the cavity. The level indicating float member is slidably mounted within the cavity. The float member includes a float (3) within the lower portion of the cavity and an indicator (4) in the upper portion of member (1). The indicator is connected to a cap (5) at its upper end which prevents indicator from falling into the cell. The indicator assumes a visible vertical position within the cap in relation with the electrolyte/ water level. As the electrolyte level varies, the position of the indicator correspondingly varies to provide a visual indication of the electrolyte level in the cell.
[033] A contact point (6) having an inner diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the cap is attached to the cavity constituting a stopper so as to prevent the float from falling into the cell.
[034] The cap of the present invention is provided through the main cap (M) of each cell.
[035] When the indicator is in the upper portion of the cap indicating a high electrolyte/ water level. As the electrolyte/ water level in any of the cells drops, so does the float and the indicator. When the indicator is in the lower portion of the cap, it touches the contact point thereby activating the signals in the controller which sends communication to the central server (B) indicating that the electrolyte/ water level is low and addition of electrolyte to the cell is necessary. All the cell of the battery has a pair of wire/ conductor for electrical connection to detect lower level of electrolyte which is connected to the signal conditioning unit controlled by the controller (A) as per the instruction send by the central server (B) for the alert in form of such as but not limited to the audio/ video alarm, display indication, SMS, Email on the user’s hand held device.
[036] A panel is provided where all the wires from the cell are connected and the panel is connected to the supply.
[037] The present invention controls the evaporation of the water, eliminates the need of topping the water onto the battery and reduces the water consumption.
[038] Numerous modifications and adaptations of the system of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and thus it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and adaptations which fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

WE CLAIM:

1. An IoT based improved cap for batteries with level indicator comprises
? a controller (A) which is in communication with the IoT based central system (B) to store the data; analyze it characterized in that the user sets the limiting parameters at the central system using hand held device (C) and the controller (A) is controlled as per the parameters set by the user.
? a hollow member (1) is closed at top and preferably transparent/opaque with a float member slidingly disposed therein, wherein said float member comprises a float sensing unit for indicating level of water/electrolyte in the battery cell and the said hollow member is provided with a contact point (3) in proximity to its open end constituting a stopper so as to prevent the float member from falling into the cell.
? float member (2) comprising of a level indicator with a cap at its top end and a float at its bottom end.
? wherein the contact point is connected the controller which sends the data to the central system to analyze and generate the alarm signal on user’s hand held device for the low electrolyte/water level.
2. The IoT based improved cap for batteries with level indicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is compatible with all existing batteries and can be provided as an original equipment cap which is synchronized with the central system once upon usage.
3. The IoT based improved cap for batteries with level indicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the during system initialization, system controller communicates with the central controller and a unique ID is provide to the controller for all further communication.