Patent ID: 7612535

Claim:
A charge indicator for a battery having a liquid electrolyte comprising: a transparent inspection rod comprising an observation area at a first end and a tip formed by a conical reflection area at a second end; a ball cage attached at the second end of the inspection rod and configured to allow electrolyte to flow therethrough, the ball cage comprising: front-end and lower boundaries; an upper boundary wall provided with an opening for the second end of the inspection rod; at least one ball guidance channel extending obliquely to a longitudinal axis of the inspection rod in the direction of the upper boundary wall, the ball guidance channel comprising upper and lower channel boundary walls and lateral channel boundaries; and at least one ball provided in the ball guidance channel which has a defined specific weight; and a gas bubble collection channel beginning between the first upper channel boundary wall of the ball guidance channel and the tip, the gas bubble collection channel extending from the lower area of the ball cage to the tip and extending obliquely toward the top to the upper boundary wall oppositely to the adjoining ball guidance channel at least from the tip; wherein the gas bubble collection channel has in an upper area of the gas bubble collection channel a plurality of gas diversion areas running to the outsides of the ball cage in the direction of the upper area of the ball cage, starting from a central plane level with the tip.