Water-in-fuel abuse detection
First Claim
1. A water-in-fuel abuse detection system comprising:
- a fuel filter for separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;
means for detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and
means, operatively connected to said means for detecting, for determining a duration that said means for detecting indicates said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A water-in-fuel abuse detection system provides a way to determine if a vehicle operator has ignored a conventional water-in-fuel indicator light and continued to operate the vehicle beyond a certain threshold. The system includes a sensor positioned in a fuel filter capable of separating an amount of water from a source of fuel. The sensor is operatively connected to a software routine, as well as to a conventional indicator light that illuminates to alert a vehicle operator that water must be purged from the fuel filtration system. The software routine determines the duration, in distance traversed or time elapsed, that the amount of water is at or above the level of the sensor. The routine then writes a fault code to permanent memory when the threshold is exceeded. A diagnostic tool can access the permanent memory and reveal whether the fuel system has be the subject of water-in-fuel abuse.
22 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A water-in-fuel abuse detection system comprising:
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a fuel filter for separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;
means for detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and
means, operatively connected to said means for detecting, for determining a duration that said means for detecting indicates said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A water-in-fuel abuse detection system comprising:
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a fuel filter for separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;
a sensor for detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and
a software routine, operatively connected to said sensor, for determining a duration that said sensor detects that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A water-in-fuel detection system comprising:
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a fuel filter for separating an amount of water from a source of fuel, said fuel filter having a nominal state;
a sensor for detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and
a software routine, operatively connected to said sensor, for counting a number of events characterized by said sensor detecting that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity subsequent to said fuel filter existing in said nominal state.
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11. A method for detecting water-in-fuel abuse comprising:
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providing a fuel filter capable of separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;
detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and
determining a duration that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for detecting water-in-fuel abuse comprising:
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providing a fuel filter capable of separating an amount of water from a source of fuel, said fuel filter having a nominal state;
detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and
counting a number of events characterized by detecting that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity subsequent to said fuel filter existing in said nominal state. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for determining a warranty claim comprising:
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providing a fuel filter capable of separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;
detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity;
determining data characteristic of water-in-fuel abuse;
writing data to permanent memory means;
using a diagnostic tool to access said data in said permanent memory means; and
providing warranty coverage if said data reveals the absence of excessive water-in-fuel abuse. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification