JPH07114801A - Portable light - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect gas leakage in its early stage when gas leaks from an inversely connected battery in the case an electric current is carried after a single battery is invesely connected by mistake in a portable flashlight which uses three or more dry batteries. CONSTITUTION:A means 12 to detect gas leakage from batteries and a display means to display a signal on an external part of a main body case 6 by receiving the signal of the gas leakage from the gas leakage detecting means, are provided inside the main body case 6 to house electric power supply batteries. Leakage gas from an inversely connected battery is detected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement for enhancing the safety of a portable electric lamp using a battery as a power source, and more particularly to an explosion-proof structure of a main body case for accommodating the battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A side sectional view of a conventional portable electric lamp is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, a conventional waterproof portable electric lamp is connected in series with a front base 1 having a lens and a reflector 3 having a hemisphere portion in which a miniature ball 2 is arranged in the center. A resin main body case 6 having a battery storage chamber 5 in which a plurality of, for example, four dry batteries 4 are stored, and a manual switch button 7 for controlling energization between the miniature ball 2 and the battery 4. It consists of and.

Here, the main body case 6 is formed into a flared trumpet shape, and the front base 1 to which the reflection plate 3 is attached is fitted into the opening thereof.

A switch button 7 is provided on the upper portion of the body case 6 near the opening, and its contact portion is provided so as to face the body case 6.

Here, an O-ring 8 is attached to each of the fitting portion of the main body case 6 and the front base 1 and the mounting portion of the switch button 7 of the main body case 1.

In the opening of the main body case 6,
To the reflection plate 3, a miniature ball socket 9 and a holder 11 having a lead piece 10 are connected.

Here, the lead piece 1 is attached to the holder 11.
Three 0s are provided, one of which has one end connected to one terminal of the battery 4 stored in the battery storage chamber 5 and the other end stored in the miniature ball socket 9. It is connected to one terminal of the miniature ball 2.

The other one has one end connected to the other terminal of the battery 4 housed in the battery housing chamber 5 and the other end led to the lower part of the switch button 7.

Further, the other one has one end connected to the other terminal of the miniature ball 2 and the other end guided to the lower portion of the switch button 7.

At this time, the two lead pieces guided to the lower part of the switch button 7 are arranged in parallel in a non-contact state so as to face each other and to form a contact point of the switch. And
When the switch button 7 is pressed when the electric lamp is used, one lead piece comes into contact with the other lead piece in conjunction with this button operation to form a closed circuit that enables the energization of the miniature ball and the battery.

[0012]

However, in a portable electric lamp in which three or more batteries, for example, manganese dry batteries are connected in series, if one dry battery is erroneously connected in the reverse direction and the power is supplied, Only the battery is charged by another battery.

Usually, in a manganese dry battery, an aqueous solution in which manganese dioxide (MnO ₂ ) is used for the positive electrode, zinc (Zn) is used for the negative electrode, and a neutral salt or an alkali salt is used for the electrolytic solution is used.

When the dry battery fell into an unfavorable charged state, a large amount of hydrogen gas and oxygen gas were generated mainly by electrolysis of water in the electrolytic solution.

In addition, as described above, when only some of the many dry batteries are connected in the reverse direction, the voltage drops below the predetermined voltage and the miniature ball lights up slightly darkly but continues to light up as it is. The user of the electric lamp sometimes continued to use the battery without noticing that he or she accidentally connected the battery in reverse.

When the battery is continuously used in this state, after the gas such as hydrogen and oxygen fills the inside of the battery in the reverse connection state, it leaks to the outside of the battery through a gap formed in the caulking portion of the battery, It was gradually accumulating in the body of the light.

Further, when these gases leak to the outside of the battery, the electrolytic solution inside the battery may also leak to the outside of the battery. The leaked electrolytic solution may contaminate the inside of the main body case or the contact portion. In some cases, it may cause corrosion and eventually become unusable as an electric lamp.

Further, the waterproof portable electric lamp has a hermetically sealed structure in order to prevent intrusion of water from the outside. However, this prevents the gas inside the battery from being released to the outside. Therefore, the gas leaked from the dry battery connected in the opposite direction in the main body case was not discharged from the battery housing portion of the main body case to the outside of the case, and all of the gas was fully accumulated in the main body case.

In the portable electric lamp in this state, when the switch button is operated and the contact portion is repeatedly opened and closed, a spark may be generated when the contact is turned off. The spark is generated in the gas accumulated and accumulated in the main body case. There was a danger of catching fire and exploding.

As described above, when a battery is accidentally connected to the other battery in the opposite direction and the gas or electrolyte continues to leak from the battery to the main body case of the lamp while being charged by mistake. However, there is a risk as described above. Therefore, in order to ensure the safety when using the light, visually check the portable light every time to grasp the state change of the inside of the case and the battery,
In the case of an abnormality, it was necessary to intentionally stop the energization of the miniature ball and the battery by operating the manual switch button.

However, generally, the state inside the main body of the electric lamp is rarely checked each time, and when the user notices an abnormality in the electric lamp, gas or electrolyte leaks from the battery considerably. It was going on.

The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and in a waterproof portable electric lamp using three or more dry batteries, when one battery is mistakenly connected in the opposite direction to conduct electricity, This is to submit a portable electric lamp capable of early detecting the leakage of gas such as hydrogen and oxygen from the battery connected in the reverse direction and notifying the user of the leakage of the gas.

[0023]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a portable electric lamp according to the present invention comprises means for detecting gas leakage from a battery inside a main body case accommodating a power battery.
A display means for receiving a signal indicating the presence or absence of gas leakage from the gas leakage detection means and displaying the signal on the outside of the main body case is provided. Here, the gas leak detection means from the battery is preferably a pressure sensor that detects an increase in gas pressure in the main body case or a concentration sensor that detects an increase in gas concentration in the main body case.

[0024]

In such a portable electric lamp of the present invention, three or more dry batteries are erroneously connected in the opposite direction in the main body case and one battery in the opposite direction is charged. Even if a large amount of gas such as oxygen or hydrogen is generated in the battery and the gas leaks from the battery into the main case, the gas leak from this battery is caused by the increase in gas pressure or gas concentration in the main case. With early detection,
This can be displayed on the outside of the main body case to notify the user of the electric light early. Therefore, if gas leaks from the battery connected in the opposite direction to the other case, the user of the light can stop using the light early and connect the battery in the main case correctly. It is possible to prevent the internal condition from further deteriorating.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of the portable electric lamp of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the portable electric lamp of the present invention is
A pressure sensor 11 is used to detect an increase in the pressure inside the main body case 6 made of S (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) resin and housing four AA dry batteries. A gas leak detection electronic circuit 12 for detecting the presence or absence of gas leak from the battery is provided.

Here, the gas leakage detection electronic circuit is set so as to detect that the gas is in a leakage state when the pressure inside the main body case becomes 1.5 atmospheric pressure or more.

A part of the main body case is a light emitting diode (LED) 13 facing the outside of the main body case.
Is connected to the gas leak detection electronic circuit 12 to receive a signal indicating the presence or absence of gas leak from the battery, and is turned on when there is gas leak, and is turned off when there is no gas leak. It is set to be in a state.

Now, in the main body case 6 which can accommodate four AA batteries and has an internal volume of about 50 cm ³ ,
If you connect each dry battery in the opposite direction from the other and energize, the battery connected in the opposite direction will be charged by the other battery,
Gases such as hydrogen and oxygen are generated inside the battery, and these gases leak to the outside of the battery and gradually increase the pressure inside the case. When the pressure value reaches 1.5 atm, the pressure sensor 11 senses this and the gas leak detection electronic circuit 12 outputs an electric signal indicating that gas leaks from the battery.

Receiving this signal, the LED 13 changes from the extinguished state to the lit state. In this way, the lighting of the LED allows the user of the electric lamp to know that the battery is in a gas leak state at an early stage, and the further use of the electric lamp is interrupted to prevent the incorrect connection of the battery in the main body case. Can be fixed.

In this embodiment, the pressure sensor is used as a means for detecting gas leakage from the battery. However, due to leakage of oxygen or hydrogen gas from the battery, the concentration of oxygen or hydrogen gas in the main body case becomes a predetermined value. A concentration sensor that senses the increase in concentration may be used.

Further, in the present embodiment, the presence or absence of gas leakage from the battery in the main body case is indicated by using the LED. However, there is more gas leakage due to generation of sound, vibration of the main body case itself or the like. The state of may be notified to the electric light user.

[0033]

As described above, according to the portable electric lamp of the present invention, a means for detecting gas leakage from a battery is provided in a main body case for accommodating a plurality of batteries, and whether or not gas is leaked from the gas leakage detecting means. Display means is provided for receiving the signal and displaying the signal toward the outside of the main body case.

Therefore, the user of the electric lamp mistakenly connects one of the plurality of batteries in the opposite direction in the main body case, continues to use the electric lamp without noticing it, and connects the batteries in the opposite direction. If a gas such as oxygen or hydrogen leaks from the main body case, it can be detected early to notify the user of the electric lamp.

Therefore, the user of the electric lamp stops further use of the electric lamp and corrects the incorrect connection of the battery in the main body case to prevent the internal state of the electric lamp from further deteriorating. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a portable electric lamp according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a conventional portable electric lamp.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Front Base 2 Bean Ball 3 Recessed Reflector 4 Dry Battery 5 Battery Storage Room 6 Body Case 7 Switch 8 O Ring 9 Bean Ball Socket 10 Lead Piece 11 Pressure Sensor 12 Electronic Circuit for Gas Leakage Detection 13 Light Emitting Diode (LED)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A front base provided with a miniature ball, a main body case for accommodating a power supply battery therein, means for detecting gas leakage from a battery provided in the main body case, and this gas leakage detection means. A portable electric lamp provided with a display means for receiving a gas leakage presence / absence signal and displaying the signal on the outside of the main body case. 2. The portable electric lamp according to claim 1, wherein the means for detecting gas leakage from the battery is a pressure sensor for detecting an increase in gas pressure in the main body case. 3. The portable electric lamp according to claim 1, wherein the means for detecting gas leakage from the battery is a concentration sensor for detecting an increase in gas concentration in the main body case.