Device for determining the presence of impurities in oil contained in the crank cases of engines or other apparatus

• US 3,876,935 A
• Filed: 04/03/1974
• Issued: 04/08/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Germinal Gil, Jean Pierre Guillermie
• Original Assignee: Germinal Gil, Jean Pierre Guillermie
• Inventors: Guillermie, Jean Pierre, Gil, Germinal
• Primary Examiner(s): Krawczewicz, Stanley T.
• Application Number:
  US05/457,332
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 324/65R,65P,270
• US Class Current: 324/698
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/06 of a liquid involving electrolysis G01N27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/02 Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00

Abstract

A device for determining the presence of impurities in oil contained in engine crank-cases or oil-sumps or any other apparatus, and comprising an electric probe sufficiently thin to be capable of passing into the crank-case through the orifice provided for the oil gauge, and an ohmmeter connected at the same time to the probe and to an indicator device. The device gives an indication of the quantity of impurities by direct measurement of the resistivity of the oil actually in the crank-case and without any need for the draining of samples.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a crank case or oil sump and an oil gauge which sits in an orifice and extends into the crank case or oil sump, a method for determining the presence of impurities in oil contained in the crank case or oil sump, comprising:

a. removing the oil gauge from the orifice;

b. passing an electric probe through the orifice and into the crank case or oil sump;

c. measuring the resistivity of the oil, and d. generating an alarm signal indicating the resistivity of the oil.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of measuring comprises connecting an ohmmeter to the electric probe and the step of generating comprises connecting an indicator to the ohmmeter, said indicator providing the alarm signal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said ohmmeter includes a needle and a detector coupled to said needle, and the step of generating comprises producing an output signal from said detector when the needle passes beyond a certain position and transmitting said output signal to said indicator, said output signal activating said alarm signal.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said electric probe is traversed longitudinally in its portion which contacts the oil by an interrupted printed circuit having an incurved extremity which is incorporated between arms of a portion of the circuit.