Apparatus for measuring engine fuel efficiency

• US 3,908,451 A
• Filed: 09/10/1973
• Issued: 09/30/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monty C. Walker, Richard R. Williams
• Original Assignee: Monty C. Walker, Richard R. Williams
• Inventors: Walker, Monty C., Williams, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myracle, Jerry W.
• Application Number:
  US05/395,826
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 73/114,113 235/61J,150.21,92FL,92NT,92BD
• US Class Current: 73/114.53
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/001 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means G01F9/008 and G01F9/02 take precedence

Abstract

Apparatus particularly useful in a motor driven vehicle for calculating and displaying both the current and historical fuel efficiency and/or rates of fuel consumption. The apparatus includes means for measuring the value of a variable quantity, e.g., miles traversed, accumulated during the most recent interval defined by a unit quantity, e.g., 0.01 gallon, consumed, for the purpose of displaying current fuel efficiency. Additionally, the apparatus includes arithmetic means for developing the average of the variable quantity accumulated over many such unit quantity intervals. Thus, when the apparatus is used in an automobile, for example, it is able to display to the driver the fuel efficiency in miles per gallon for the most recent 0.1 gallon consumed as well as for the most recent hundred or so gallons consumed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for measuring and indicating the fuel efficiency of a fuel consuming engine comprising:

first means for generating an electrical output pulse in response to each unit measure of fuel consumed;

transducer means for producing a number of electrical pulses proportional to a measurable quantity produced by said engine;

counting means for counting the number of pulses produced by said transducer means during each unit interval between successive output pulses generated by said first means;

arithmetic means for producing a signal representative of the long term average of the counts produced by said counting means over a plurality of preceding unit intervals; and

indicator means for displaying a value proportional to said signal produced by said arithmetic means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including:

second indicator means for displaying the count accumulated by said counting means during the immediately preceding unit interval.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first means includes:

fuel transducer means for producing a number of electrical pulses proportional to the amount of fuel consumed; and

fuel counting means for counting the pulses produced by said fuel transducer means and for generating one output pulse for each successive group of a predetermined number of pulses produced by said fuel transducer means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first named transducer means includes means for producing said electrical pulses in proportion to the distance travelled by said engine.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further including:

distance storage means including manually actuable means for storing a predetermined count therein; and

means for incrementing the count in said distance storage means in response to the number of pulses produced by said first named transducer means.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 including:

fuel storage means for storing a count respresentative of unconsumed fuel and including manually actuable means for storing a predetermined count therein; and

means for decrementing the count of said fuel storage means in response to the number of pulses produced by said fuel transducer means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said arithmetic means includes:

storage means for storing the sum of counts successively developed by said counting means;

subtractor means for subtracting a predetermined portion of said sum from said sum to produce a difference; and

adder means for adding the count counted by said counting means to said difference and for storing a sum in said storage means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 including:

manually actuatable means for storing a selected sum in said storage means.

9. Calculating apparatus comprising:

first means for generating successive electrical output pulses;

transducer means for producing a train of electrical pulses;

counting means for counting the number of pulses produced by said transducer means during each unit interval between succesive output pulses generated by said first means;

arithmetic means for producing a signal representative of the long term average of the counts produced by said counting means over a plurality of preceding unit intervals; and

indicator means for displaying a value proportional to said signal produced by said arithmetic means.

10. A fuel efficiency calculator for use in a motor driven vehicle for indicating the miles traversed as a function of the gallons of fuel consumed, said calculator comprising:

flow meter means for generating a number of electrical pulses proportional to the volume of fuel consumed;

volume counter means for counting said pulses generated by said flow meter means and for providing one output pulse for each predetermined number of pulses generated by said flow meter means;

transducer means for generating a number of electrical pulses proportional to the distance traversed by said vehicle;

distance counter means for counting the number of pulses generated by said transducer means during a unit interval between the provision of successive output pulses by said volume counter means;

arithmetic means for producing a signal representative of the long term average of the counts produced by said counting means over a plurality of successive unit intervals; and

indicator means for displaying a count proportional to said signal produced by said arithmetic means.

11. The calculator of claim 10 including:

storage means for storing the sum of counts successively developed by said distance counter means;

subtractor means for subtracting a predetermined portion of said sum from said sum to produce a difference; and

adder means for adding the count counted by said distance counter means to said difference and for storing a sum in said storage means.

12. The calculator of claim 11 including:

manually actuatable means for storing a selected sum in said storage means.