Engine speed indicator for a vehicle

• US 20040145461A1
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Sandberg, Tony, Hälleberg, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 6,888,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an engine speed indicator for a vehicle, which is driven by a combustion engine (4). The engine speed indicator comprises a first indicating means (1, 13) arranged to show the actual member of revolutions of the engine and second indicating means (7a-b, 8a, 14) arranged to show at which number of revolutions or within which range of number of revolutions a minimal emission of at least one emission gas is obtained from the vehicle during operation of the combustion engine (4). The engine speed indicator also comprises a third indicating means (8a, 15 which is arranged to show an emission level of said emission gas at the actual value of the number of revolutions. A driver can hereby drive the vehicle in such a manner that the emissions of emission gases are substantially minimal.

Claims

1. An engine speed indicator for a vehicle driven by a combustion engine (4), wherein the engine speed indicator comprises a first indicating means (1, 13) arranged to show the actual number of revolutions of the engine, characterized in that the engine speed indicator comprises a second indicating means (7a-b, 8a, 14) arranged to show at which number of revolutions or within which range of number of revolutions a minimal emission of at least one emission gas is obtained from a vehicle during operation of the combustion engine (4).

2. An engine speed indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that the engine speed indicator comprises a third indicating means (8b, 15) arranged to show an emission level of said emission gas at the actual number of revolutions.

3. An engine speed indicator according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said first indicating means comprises a moveably arranged indicating member (1) arranged to show the value of the actual number of revolutions along a graduated path (2).

4. An engine speed indicator according to claim 3, characterized in that said second indicating means comprises an indicating member (7a-c, 8a), which is permanently arranged along said path (2), which indicating member (7a-c, 8a) shows at which number of revolutions or within which range of number of revolutions a minimal emission of said emission gas is obtained.

5. An engine speed indicator according to any one of the preceding claims 2-4, characterized in that said third indicating means comprises at least one light generating member (8), which indicates the emission level of said emission gas at the actual number of revolutions by means of different colors.

6. An engine speed indicator according to claim 5, characterized in that said light generating member is a light emitting diode (8).

7. An engine speed indicator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a control unit (6) is arranged to receive information concerning the number of revolutions of the engine and the delivered engine power, after which the control unit (6) is arranged to activate the second indicating means (8a, 14) such that it shows at which number of revolutions or within which range of number of revolutions a minimal emission of said emission gas is obtained at the current engine power.

8. An engine speed indicator according to claim 7, characterized in that the engine speed indicator comprises a display (12) having an image surface and a first indicating means in the form of a pointer (13) the position of which on said image surface indicates the actual number of revolutions of the engine and delivered engine power.

9. An engine speed indicator according to claim 8, characterized in that said display (12) comprises second means in the form of a graph (14) which shows at which number of revolutions or within which range of number of revolutions as a function of the delivered engine power a minimal emission level of said emission gas is obtained.

10. An engine speed indicator according to claim 9, characterized in that said display (12) comprises third means in the form of at least one contour line (15), which connects power ranges with a specific emission level of said emission gas.