Apparatus using fuel gas

Abstract

An apparatus using fuel gas is provided, ensuring charge amount of a battery. The apparatus includes battery, fuel gas reservoir unit, fuel lid, open/close detection unit for detecting open/close state of fuel lid, fuel gas condition detection unit for detecting pressure and/or temperature being condition of fuel gas reserved in the fuel gas reservoir unit, communication unit for communication with fuel gas supply device, and control unit for, upon reception of signal notifying that fuel lid is in open state from open/close detection unit, performing dispensing communication to notify the fuel gas supply device, via communication unit, of condition of fuel gas having been input from fuel gas condition detection unit. The control unit stops dispensing communication when control unit has determined, according to signal received from open/close detection unit that predetermined time has elapsed with the fuel lid remaining in open state after starting dispensing communication.

1 . An apparatus using fuel gas supplied from an external fuel gas supply device, comprising:
 a battery for supplying power to a device/devices of the apparatus;   a fuel gas reservoir unit for reserving fuel gas supplied from the fuel gas supply device;   a fuel lid for covering a supply inlet to which fuel gas is supplied from the fuel gas supply device;   means for detecting an open/close state of the fuel lid;   means for detecting fuel gas condition that is a pressure and/or a temperature of fuel gas reserved in the fuel gas reservoir unit;   means for performing communication with the fuel gas supply device; and   means for, upon reception of a signal notifying that the fuel lid is in an open state from the means for detecting an open/close state, controlling dispensing communication, using power supplied from the battery, in order to notify the condition of the fuel gas having been input from the means for detecting fuel gas condition to the fuel gas supply device via the means for performing communication,   wherein the means for controlling stops the dispensing communication when the means for controlling has determined, according to a signal received from the means for detecting an open/close state, that a predetermined time period has elapsed with the fuel lid remaining in the open state after starting the dispensing communication.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus using fuel gas according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 means for detecting a charge state of the battery,   wherein, upon reception of a signal notifying that the fuel lid is in the open state from the means for detecting an open/close state, the cmeans for controlling decides the predetermined time period, corresponding to a voltage of the battery detected by the means for detecting a charge state.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus using fuel gas according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for controlling is set such that the higher the voltage of the battery detected by the means for detecting a charge state is, the longer the predetermined time period is. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus using fuel gas according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 means for detecting a charge state of the battery,   wherein the means for controlling stops the dispensing communication when the voltage of the battery detected by the means for detecting a charge state is lower than or equal to a predetermined voltage.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus using fuel gas according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, the means for controlling continues the dispensing communication for a predetermined extension time period, when, according to a signal having been input from the means for detecting fuel gas condition, the means for controlling has determined that fuel gas is currently being supplied to the fuel gas reservoir unit after a reference time point or that fuel gas was supplied to the fuel gas reservoir unit within a predetermined past time after the reference time point, the reference time point being a time point at which the predetermined time period has elapsed with the fuel lid remaining in the open state after starting the dispensing communication.