Club Car, Inc.

Daniel T Aron

Gerald C Skelton

Michael A Vassily

James R Kerlin

Randal L Crook

Randall L Crook

A system for supplying fluid to a battery, a vehicle and a method for supplying fluid to a battery. The fluid supply system supplies fluid to a battery in a vehicle selectively powered by the battery, the vehicle including a frame supporting the battery, the battery including a battery cell, fluid being transmittable to the cell, gas generated during charging of the battery being transmittable out of the cell. The system is defined as including a tank for holding fluid, and a hydraulic circuit connecting the battery to the tank. The hydraulic circuit is defined as including an inlet conduit connectable between the tank and the cell, and an outlet conduit connectable between the cell and the tank, gas produced during charging causing fluid flow through the outlet conduit and to the tank. In the fluid supply system of the present invention, the gas produced during charging causes fluid flow through the system.

Battery fluid supply system

A combination for supplying fluid to a battery, a vehicle and a method of assembling the combination. The combination includes the battery and a filling pod. The filling pod includes a filling pod housing having a filling pod port fluidly connectable to a fluid source for receiving fluid from the fluid source, a first fluid supply member fluidly connectable to a first cell and for supplying fluid from the filling pod port to the first cell, a second fluid supply member fluidly connectable to a second cell and for supplying fluid from the filling pod port and to the second cell, and an integral channel in fluid communication between the filling pod port, the first fluid supply member and the second fluid supply member. The channel includes a first channel portion in fluid communication between the filling pod port and the first fluid supply member and a second channel portion in fluid communication between the filling pod port and the second fluid supply member. When fluid is supplied to the filling pod through the filling pod port, a first amount of fluid flows through the first channel portion to the first fluid supply member and to the first cell, and a second amount of fluid flows through the second channel portion to the second fluid supply member and to the second cell.

Filling pod for a battery, vehicle and method of supplying fluid to a battery

A filling pod, a vehicle and a method for supplying fluid to a battery. The filling pod includes a filling pod housing having a filling pod port fluidly connectable to a fluid source for receiving fluid from the fluid source, a first fluid supply member fluidly connectable to a first cell and for supplying fluid from the filling pod port to the first cell, a second fluid supply member fluidly connectable to a second cell and for supplying fluid from the filling pod port and to the second cell, and an integral channel in fluid communication between the filling pod port, the first fluid supply member and the second fluid supply member. The channel includes a first channel portion in fluid communication between the filling pod port and the first fluid supply member and a second channel portion in fluid communication between the filling pod port and the second fluid supply member. When fluid is supplied to the filling pod through the filling pod port, a first amount of fluid flows through the first channel portion to the first fluid supply member and to the first cell, and a second amount of fluid flows through the second channel portion to the second fluid supply member and to the second cell.

A golf cart, powered by a plurality of electrolytic, lead-acid batteries has an on-board battery water replenishing system. Each battery includes a manifold that feeds water to each battery cell and is capable of transmitting out of the manifold gas generated during recharging. The watering system includes a water storage tank positioned above the batteries, with inlet and outlet tubing connecting each battery manifold to the tank in a separate, parallel circuit. The outlet tubing has a critical size of internal diameter (ID) to assure the formation of gas generated during recharging as bubbles in the outlet tubing so as to trap liquid between bubbles and to cause flow of liquid back to the tank. A one-way flow control valve is positioned in the inlet tubing to assure unidirectional flow. The outlet tubing ID must be less than &frac38; inch, with a preferred size being &frac14; inch.

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McCormick, SC, United States of America

Daniel T Aron