Parameter display and alarm installation for motor-driven vehicles

• US 4,003,019 A
• Filed: 12/03/1974
• Issued: 01/11/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roger Philippe Tronel
• Original Assignee: Roger Philippe Tronel
• Inventors: Tronel, Roger Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/529,059
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 340/52 R, 340/52 F, 340/181, 340/184, 340/201 R, 340/203, 340/412, 340/413, 340/415, 307/10 R
• US Class Current: 340/462
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/103 by comparing the value of the measured signal with one or several reference values in general G01R17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/489 Digital circuits therefor

Abstract

A parameter display and alarm installation for a motor-driven vehicle, comprises a revolution counter device, a speedometer device associated with a general mileage recorder and a trip recorder, said revolution counter and speedometer devices comprising each a signal generator associated with a rotating element of the vehicle, an electronic transfer device having a predetermined duration of its "open" condition and adapted to receive the signals emitted by the related signal generator and to transmit said signals to at least one decoding device which transforms said signals with a view to displaying the same in a digital form, said installation further comprising at least one alarm circuit associated with said revolution counter and speedometer devices and adapted to indicate by an acoustic and/or optical signal any condition wherein the rotational speed of the motor of the vehicle and/or the speed of the vehicle exceed a respective predetermined value; preferably the installation further comprises means for indicating the level of fuel in the reservoir associated with the motor of said vehicle, for indicating the pressure of the lubricant used in said motor and for indicating the temperature of the cooling liquid of said motor, said installation further comprising alarm means adapted to be actuated when the respective predetermined limit values of said lubricant pressure and of said cooling liquid temperature are exceeded.

Claims

1. A parameter display and alarm installation for a motor-driven vehicle having a gear-box associated with the vehicle motor, said gear-box including a tachometric output shaft the rotational speed of which is proportional to the speed of the vehicle, said installation comprising:

a revolution counting device and a speedometer device, a general mileage recorder and a trip recorder operatively connected to said counting device and speedometer device;

said speedometer device comprising a signal generator associated with said tachometric output shaft for producing binary signals in accordance with the rotational speed of said output shaft;

said vehicle motor including a rotating element, the rotational speed of which is proportional to the rotational speed of said motor;

said revolution-counting device comprising a second binary signal generator operatively connected to said rotating element;

an electronic transfer device connected to said first and second signal generators and having an "active" condition of predetermined duration for receiving the signals emitted by the related signal generator and for transmitting said signals to at least one decoding device for transforming said signals into a digital form and an "inactive" condition;

said installation further comprising at least one alarm circuit associated with said revolution counter and speedometer devices for indicating when the rotational speed of the motor of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value and for indicating when the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value.

2. The installation of claim 1, wherein said vehicle further includes a fuel reservoir for said motor, and said motor is lubricated by a liquid lubricant and is cooled by a liquid coolant, and wherein said installation further comprises means for permanently indicating the level of fuel in said reservoir;

means for indicating the pressure of the lubricant in said motor; and

means for indicating the temperature of the liquid coolant for said motor, said installation further comprising alarm means for indicating when the respective predetermined limit values of said lubricant pressure and of said cooling liquid temperature are exceeded.

3. The installation of claim 1, further comprising an ignition circuit breaker for said motor, said ignition circuit breaker including a driving shaft;

and wherein said signal generator of the revolution counter device is driven by the driving shaft of said ignition circuit breaker.

4. The installation of claim 1, wherein the signals emitted by each signal generator are counted during the negative condition of the associated electronic transfer device.

5. The installation of claim 1, further comprising means for optically displaying said digital form signals, and a device including a photoelectric cell for controlling the luminous intensity of the displayed digital signals in response to ambient light intensity.

9. The installation of claim 1, wherein said alarm circuit produces an optical alarm, and further comprising a device including a photoelectrical cell for controlling the luminous intensity of the displayed optical alarm as a function of the ambient light.

6. A parameter display and alarm installation for a motor-driven vehicle having a gear-box associated with said motor, said motor including an element which rotates at a speed proportional to the rotational speed of said motor, a fuel reservoir, a liquid cooling system and a pressurized lubricating system;

said gear-box being provided with a tachometric output shaft, the rotational speed of which is proportional to the speed of the vehicle, said installation comprising a revolution counting device and a speedometer device associated with a general mileage recorder and a trip recorder, said speedometer device comprising a signal generator associated with said tachometric output shaft and adapted to produce signals in accordance with the rotational speed of said output shaft, said revolution counting device comprising a signal generator associated with said rotating element;

an electronic transfer device having an "open" condition of predetermined duration, a decoding means for transforming signals generated by said signal generators into digital form, means for permanently recording said digital form signals, means for connecting said electronic transfer device to said decoding means for transmitting said signals to said decoding means;

said installation further comprising at least one alarm circuit associated with said revolution counter and speedometer devices for indicating by a sensory perceptive signal when the rotational speed of the motor of the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle exceed a respective predetermined value, said installation further comprising means for permanently indicating the level of fuel in said reservoir and for permanently indicating the pressure of said lubricant and for permanently indicating the temperature of the cooling liquid of said motor, said installation further comprising alarm means adapted to be actuated when the respective predetermined limit values of said lubricant pressure and of said cooling liquid temperature are exceeded.

7. The installation of claim 6, wherein said means for indicating the fuel level comprise a plurality of optical indicating means, a like plurality of Zener diodes having different triggering tensions and being connected to respective of said optical indicating means which are lit successively by said Zener diodes for indicating various fuel levels, and a fuel level sensing element comprising a rheostat for monitoring said Zener diodes.

8. A parameter display and alarm installation for a motor-driven vehicle having a gear-box associated with said motor, said installation including a general mileage recorder and a trip recorder, said gear-box including a tachometric output shaft, the rotational speed of which is proportional to the speed of the vehicle, said installation comprising a revolution counting device and a speedometer device associated with said general mileage recorder and said trip recorder, said speedometer device comprising a signal generator associated with said tachometric output shaft for producing signals in accordance with the rotational speed of said output shaft, said motor including a rotating element, the rotational speed of which is proportional to the rotational speed of said motor, said revolution counting device comprising a signal generator associated with said rotating element of said motor, an electronic transfer device having an active state of predetermined duration and an inactive state, means connecting said signal generators to said electronic transfer device to said decoding device, said installation further comprising at least one alarm circuit associated with said revolution counter and speedometer devices for producing an sensory alarm signal when the rotational speed of the motor of the vehicle or the speed of the vehicle exceed a respective predetermined value, said motor including a fuel reservoir, a pressurized lubricant system and a liquid cooling system, said installation further comprising means for permanently indicating the level of fuel in the reservoir, and for permanently indicating the pressure of the lubricant, and for permanently indicating the temperature of the cooling liquid, said installation further comprising alarm means adapted to be actuated when the respective predetermined limit values of said lubrican pressure and of said cooling liquid temperature are exceeded, said signals emitted by each signal generator being counted during the inactive state of the associated electronic transfer device, while the displaying of said signals in digital form is effected during the active state of said transfer device.

10. The installation of claim 8, wherein said alarm circuit produces an optical alarm, and further comprising a device including a photoelectrical cell for controlling the luminous intensity of the displayed optical alarm as a function of the ambient luminosity.