Tilt sensor and detecting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12031844-B2
Application number	US-202018000225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2020
Priority date	Jun 2, 2020
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A tilt sensor includes a notification unit adapted to provide notification about occurrence of tilt; a water storage chamber that contains an electrolytic solution; and a unit cell that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator placed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. When the water storage chamber tilts, the electrolytic solution is injected into the separator and the unit cell starts generating power and supplies electric power needed to drive the notification unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tilt sensor comprising:
a notification unit adapted to provide notification about occurrence of tilt;
a water storage chamber that contains an electrolytic solution; and
a unit cell that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator placed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein
when the water storage chamber tilts, the electrolytic solution is injected into the separator and the unit cell starts generating power and supplies electric power needed to drive the notification unit.

2. The tilt sensor according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of the unit cells connected in series.

3. The tilt sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising a seal valve adapted to prevent the electrolytic solution from being supplied to the separator before the tilt sensor is installed in a predetermined position, wherein
when the tilt sensor is installed in the predetermined position, the seal valve is removed, making the electrolytic solution ready to be supplied to the separator.

4. The tilt sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the negative electrode is formed of one or more metals selected from magnesium, zinc, aluminum, and iron; or formed of an alloy composed principally of one or more metals selected from magnesium, zinc, aluminum, and iron.

5. The tilt sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the separator is formed of an insulator having water absorbency.

6. A detection system comprising:
the tilt sensor according to claim 1 ; and
a detection server connected to the tilt sensor and adapted to refer to a position where the tilt sensor is installed,
wherein the notification unit of the tilt sensor provides notification about a current position of the tilt sensor, and
the detection server determines a degree of importance of an alarm according to a difference between the current position of the tilt sensor, notification of which is provided by the tilt sensor, and a position where the tilt sensor is installed.

7. The detection system according to claim 6 , wherein the detection server determines the degree of importance of an alarm according to the number of the tilt sensors that provide notification about occurrence of tilt.

8. The detection system according to claim 6 , wherein the detection server further determines the degree of importance of an alarm according to an amount of precipitation in the position where the tilt sensor is installed.

9. The tilt sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising a seal valve adapted to prevent the electrolytic solution from being supplied to the separator before the tilt sensor is installed in a predetermined position, wherein
when the tilt sensor is installed in the predetermined position, the seal valve is removed, making the electrolytic solution ready to be supplied to the separator.

10. The tilt sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the negative electrode is formed of one or more metals selected from magnesium, zinc, aluminum, and iron; or formed of an alloy composed principally of one or more metals selected from magnesium, zinc, aluminum, and iron.

11. The tilt sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the negative electrode is formed of one or more metals selected from magnesium, zinc, aluminum, and iron; or formed of an alloy composed principally of one or more metals selected from magnesium, zinc, aluminum, and iron.

12. The tilt sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the separator is formed of an insulator having water absorbency.

13. The tilt sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the separator is formed of an insulator having water absorbency.

14. The tilt sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the separator is formed of an insulator having water absorbency.

15. A detection system comprising:
the tilt sensor according to claim 2 ; and
a detection server connected to the tilt sensor and adapted to refer to a position where the tilt sensor is installed,
wherein the notification unit of the tilt sensor provides notification about a current position of the tilt sensor, and
the detection server determines a degree of importance of an alarm according to a difference between the current position of the tilt sensor, notification of which is provided by the tilt sensor, and a position where the tilt sensor is installed.

16. A detection system comprising:
the tilt sensor according to claim 3 ; and
a detection server connected to the tilt sensor and adapted to refer to a position where the tilt sensor is installed,
wherein the notification unit of the tilt sensor provides notification about a current position of the tilt sensor, and
the detection server determines a degree of importance of an alarm according to a difference between the current position of the tilt sensor, notification of which is provided by the tilt sensor, and a position where the tilt sensor is installed.

17. A detection system comprising:
the tilt sensor according to claim 4 ; and
a detection server connected to the tilt sensor and adapted to refer to a position where the tilt sensor is installed,
wherein the notification unit of the tilt sensor provides notification about a current position of the tilt sensor, and
the detection server determines a degree of importance of an alarm according to a difference between the current position of the tilt sensor, notification of which is provided by the tilt sensor, and a position where the tilt sensor is installed.

18. A detection system comprising:
the tilt sensor according to claim 5 ; and
a detection server connected to the tilt sensor and adapted to refer to a position where the tilt sensor is installed,
wherein the notification unit of the tilt sensor provides notification about a current position of the tilt sensor, and
the detection server determines a degree of importance of an alarm according to a difference between the current position of the tilt sensor, notification of which is provided by the tilt sensor, and a position where the tilt sensor is installed.

19. The detection system according to claim 7 , wherein the detection server further determines the degree of importance of an alarm according to an amount of precipitation in the position where the tilt sensor is installed.

Assignees

• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Taguchi Hiroaki
• Nohara Masaya
• Iwata Mikayo
• KOBAYASHI Yuzu
• Komatsu Takeshi

Classifications

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M6/04

  Cells with aqueous electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M4/466

  Magnesium based · CPC title

• G08B21/18

  Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence) · CPC title