Transportable Gas Container with Wireless Battery Charging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing gas containers with electronic functional components face challenges in maintaining a reliable and low-maintenance power supply due to the limitations of non-rechargeable batteries, which require frequent manual replacement, taking up significant space and incurring high maintenance costs.

Innovation Solution

Equipping the gas container with a rechargeable battery and inductive or capacitive coupling elements for wireless charging, allowing the battery to be charged during operation without the need for manual replacement or additional access openings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If non-rechargeable batteries are used to power electronic functional components on gas containers, then the batteries must be manually replaced from time to time, but this results in considerable labor and time expenditure and high maintenance costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supply reliabilityVSAvoidbattery replacement time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The battery is equipped with inductive coupling elements that enable automatic wireless charging when the gas container is connected to a charging device, eliminating the need for manual battery replacement and reducing maintenance time expenditure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The battery is pre-equipped with inductive coupling elements that prepare it for automatic charging operations, allowing the power supply to be replenished in advance during routine maintenance intervals without requiring manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Duration of action of stationary object

If a high charging capacity battery is used to maintain power supply during routine maintenance intervals of 2, 5, or 10 years, then the power supply can be maintained for extended periods, but the battery unit becomes large in volume

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery service lifeVSAvoidbattery volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a single large-capacity battery designed for multi-year operation, the system employs periodic charging actions where a smaller battery is regularly recharged during routine maintenance intervals, achieving the same extended service life without the volume penalty

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

An external charging device acts as an intermediary that transfers energy wirelessly to the battery during maintenance intervals, allowing the battery to be smaller since it only needs to store enough energy for short-term operation between charging events

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If rechargeable batteries with solar cells or wind generators are used for wireless charging, then the battery can be charged during operation, but the equipment complexity and maintenance costs increase considerably

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery charging convenienceVSAvoidcharging system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical charging systems (solar cells, wind generators) with a simpler electromagnetic induction-based charging system that uses inductive coupling elements, reducing equipment complexity while maintaining the ability to charge the battery during operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

An external charging device serves as an intermediary that provides wireless power transfer through inductive coupling, simplifying the overall system by concentrating charging functionality in a separate unit rather than integrating complex energy harvesting components directly on the gas container

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Provides a reliable and low-maintenance power supply for electronic components, reducing the need for frequent battery replacements and minimizing space usage, while enabling frequent charging through integration with filling stations or gas supply systems.

Implementation Method 1

a rechargeable battery (accumulator) and with inductive coupling elements, which allow the battery to be wirelessly charged during operation of the gas container

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInductive coupling: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

Instead of inductive coupling elements, capacitive coupling elements can also be used according to the invention, in which the wireless energy transfer takes place via capacitor plates

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitive coupling: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentEP4596954A1Transportable gas container with electronic functional components

Publication Date: 2025.08.06 MESSER SE & CO KGAA

Figure 1

AI summary

A gas container equipped with a discharge connection (15), with at least one electronic functional component (16, 17, 18), and with an electrical supply unit (20) for supplying the at least one electronic functional component (16, 17, 18) with electrical current is characterized according to the invention in that the electrical supply unit (20) of the gas container (1) is equipped with a rechargeable battery (26) and with inductive or capacitive coupling elements (27, 28) for wirelessly charging the battery (26). The electrical supply unit is combined with a corresponding inductive or capacitive charging unit (30), which is preferably arranged in a filling station for filling the gas container.