Apparatus for diagnosing a technical object, especially a motor vehicle

• US 3,889,273 A
• Filed: 10/04/1973
• Issued: 06/10/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Erich Spengler, Gerard Georges, Hans-Dieter Deiss
• Original Assignee: Erich Spengler, Gerard Georges, Hans-Dieter Deiss
• Inventors: Spengler, Erich, Georges, Gerard, Deiss, Hans-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartary, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US05/403,478
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 346/17,33R 200/157,61.58 340/147R,147P,147A,27R,22 35/9A,9B,8R,8A,10,11 73/117 360/72,12 40/28.1,53A,86R,32 325/111,118 180/1R
• US Class Current: 346/33.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/02 Details or accessories of testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/14 Quality control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G12B 9/02 Casings; Housings; Cabinets sealing arrangements for transmission members F16J, particularly F16J15/50

Abstract

An apparatus for performing the diagnostic checking of a technical object, such as a motor vehicle, according to a predetermined list or program, comprising a manually operable portable control device comprising a checking point identification carrier, a plurality of signal keys, at least a pair of signal keys associated with a state of the particular checking position, a transmitting device coupled to the keys, an information storage device remotely displaced but coupled to the control device, the checking point information carrier in synchronism with a corresponding print-out device in the information storage device for recording the information delivered by the keys, the check point information carrier being switched in synchronism with the switching of the recording print-out in the information storage device when the keys are depressed to report the result of the checking.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing the diagnostic checking of a technical object, such as a motor vehicle, according to a predetermined checking program formed by a sequence of checking points, comprising a manually operable portable control device having a housing formed in the shape of a box adapted to be held by a single hand, at least a pair of signal keys associated with a state of the instantaneously performed checking point disposed on the same housing side of said control device, an information storage device remotely displaced from said control device and adapted to store checking result data for said checking points, information channels for said checking result data between said control device and said information storage device, electrical contact means arranged in said housing and operable by said signal keys, said contact means lying in electrical circuits for delivering electrical signals representing said checking result data to said information channels upon actuation of one of said signal keys, checking point identification means in said control device comprising a printed tape carrying checking point identifications on lines running transversely with respect to the longitudinal dimension thereof, means for stepwise advancing said tape, and a window provided in the housing on said same side thereof and adapted to show one line of said tape, said means for advancing including movable means connected to all of said signal keys, such that actuation of any of said signal keys causes operation of only the associated one of said contact means as well as advancing said tape to identify the checking point to be performed next in conformity with said sequence.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for advancing comprises electromagnet means comprising contact means associated with each of said signal keys, said contact means being in the excitation of said electromagnet means.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information channels are coupled to said information storage means by means of high frequency information channels without physical connection thereto.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information storage means is a printout device.

5. An apparatus for performing the diagnostic checking of a technical object, such as a motor vehicle, according to a predetermined checking program formed by a sequence of checking points, comprising a manually operable portable control device having a housing formed in the shape of a box adapted to be held by a single hand, at least a pair of signal keys associated with a state of the instantaneously performed checking point disposed on the same housing side of said control device, an information storage device remotely displaced from said control device and adapted to store checking result data for said checking points, information channels for said checking result data between said control device and said information storage device, electrical contact means arranged in said housing and operable by said signal keys, said contact means lying in electrical circuits for delivering electrical signals representing said checking result data to said information channels upon actuation of one of said signal keys, checking point identification means in said control device comprising a printed tape carrying checking point identifications on lines running transversely with respect to the longitudinal dimension thereof, means for stepwise advancing said tape, and a window provided in the housing on said same side thereof and adapted to show one line of said tape, said means for advancing being operatively connected to all of said signal keys, such that actuation of any of said signal keys causes operation of only the associated one of said contact means as well as advancing said tape to identify the checking point to be performed next in conformity with said sequence, said means for advancing comprising a rocking means, all said signal key means being arranged on said rocking means for effecting a pivoting thereof when actuated.

6. An apparatus for performing the diagnostic checking of a technical object, such as a motor vehicle, according to a predetermined checking program formed by a sequence of checking points, comprising a manually operable portable control device having a housing formed in the shape of a box adapted to be held by a single hand, at least a pair of signal keys associated with a state of the instantaneously performed checking point disposed on the same housing side of said control device, an information storage device remotely displaced from said control device and adapted to store checking result data for said checking points, information channels for said checking result data between said control device and said information storage device, electrical contact means arranged in said housing and operable by said signal keys, said contact means lying in electrical circuits for delivering electrical signals representing said checking result data to said information channels upon actuation of one of said signal keys, checking point identification means in said control device comprising a printed tape carrying checking point identifications on lines running transversely with respect to the longitudinal dimension thereof, means for stepwise advancing said tape, and a window provided in the housing on said same side thereof and adapted to show one line of said tape, said means for advancing being operatively connected to all of said signal keys, such that actuation of any of said signal keys causes operation of only the associated one of said contact means as well as advancing said tape to identify the checking point to be performed next in conformity with said sequence, said means for advancing comprising a rocking means, all said signal key means being arranged on said rocking means for effecting a pivoting thereof when actuated, said means for advancing further comprising a driving axle and a ratchet mechanism coupling said rocking means to said driving axle.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 comprising a further contact means associated with said rocking means, the contact arrangement being such that said information channels become actuated only upon operation of the further contact associated with said rocking means and actuated only by said rocking means being pivoted.