Apparatus for indicating the distance over which a vehicle can travel with the residual fuel

• US 4,217,644 A
• Filed: 12/28/1978
• Issued: 08/12/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kato, Yoshiaki, Yamaguchi, Hirotsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US05/973,965
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 364/442, 364/561, 235/92 FL, 235/92 DN, 235/61 J, 235/92 MT, 73/113, 73/114
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/68 using electrically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/008 where the other variable is the flight or running time

Abstract

An apparatus for indicating the distance over which a vehicle can travel with the residual fuel, comprises circuitry for producing a signal indicative of the fuel consumption rate of the engine of the vehicle, a fuel level sensor for measuring the amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank of the vehicle, and a multiplier for producing a signal indicative of the distance over which the vehicle can travel with the residual fuel remaining in the fuel tank by multiplying the fuel consumption rate by the amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank, where the distance obtained by the multiplier is displayed by a display unit. The fuel consumption rate is detected by either dividing the distance travelled per a predetermined period of time by the amount of fuel consumed per the predetermined period of time or dividing a predetermined distance by the amount of fuel consumed per a travel of the predetermined distance.

Claims

1. An apparatus for indicating the distance over which a vehicle can travel with the residual fuel remaining in the fuel tank of said vehicle, comprising:

(a) first means for producing a first signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle with a unit amount of fuel in view of the distance travelled by said vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed by the engine of said vehicle, said first means including means for producing a second signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle per a predetermined period of time, means for producing a third signal indicative of the amount of fuel supplied to said engine per said predetermined period of time, and means for dividing said distance indicated by said second signal by said amount of fuel indicated by said third signal, said means for producing said third signal including means for measuring the period of time for which fuel injectors of said engine are actuated, said measuring means including a clock pulse generator, a flip-flop responsive to the operation of said fuel injectors, gate means responsive to the flip-flop output signal for transmitting the clock pulses for a period of time for which said fuel injectors are energized, and a counter for producing said third signal by counting the number of pulses transmitted via said gate means for said predetermined period of time;

(b) second means for producing a fourth signal indicative of the amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank of said vehicle;

(c) third means for producing a fifth signal indicative of the distance over which said vehicle can travel with the amount of fuel remaining in said fuel tank by multiplying said first signal by said fourth signal; and

(d) fourth means for displaying said distance indicated by said fifth signal.

2. An apparatus for indicating the distance over which a vehicle can travel with the residual fuel remaining in the fuel tank of said vehicle, comprsising:

(a) first means for producing a first signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed by the engine of said vehicle, said first means including means for producing a second signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle per a predetermined period of time, means for producing a third signal indicative of the amount of fuel supplied to said engine per said predetermined period of time, and means for dividing said distance indicated by said second signal by said amount of fuel indicated by said third signal, said means for producing said third signal including a wobble plate flow-rate sensor disposed in the fuel passage of the carburetor of said engine, said wobble plate flow-rate sensor producing a signal the frequency of which is proportional to the fuel flow rate, and a counter for producing said third signal by counting the number of pulses produced in response to the flow-rate sensor output signal for said predetermined period of time,

(b) second means for producing a fourth signal indicative of the amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank of said vehicle;

(c) third means for producing a fifth signal indicative of the distance over which said vehicle can travel with the amount of fuel remaining in said fuel tank by multiplying said first signal by said fourth signal; and

(d) fourth means for displaying said distance indicated by said fifth signal.

3. An apparatus for indicating the distance over which a vehicle can travel with the residual fuel remaining in the fuel tank of said vehicle, comprising:

(a) first means for producing a first signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle with a unit amount of fuel in view of the distance travelled by said vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed by the engine of said vehicle, said first means including means for producing a second signal when the distance travelled by said vehicle equals a predetermined distance, means responsive to said second signal for producing a third signal indicative of the amount of fuel supplied to said engine during a travel of said predetermined distance, and means for dividing said predetermined distance by said amount of fuel indicated by said third signal, said means for producing said third signal including a clock pulse generator, a flip-flop responsive to the operation of said fuel injectors, gate means responsive to the flip-flop output signal for transmitting the clock pulses for a period of time for which fuel injectors are energized, and a counter for producing said third signal by counting the number of pulses transmitted via said gate means during said travel of said predetermined distance;

(b) second means for producing a fourth signal indicative of the amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank of said vehicle;

(c) third means for producing a fifth signal indicative of the distance over which said vehicle can travel with the amount of fuel remaining in said fuel tank by multiplying said first signal by said fourth signal; and

(d) fourth means for displaying said distance indicated by said fifth signal.

4. An apparatus for indicating the distance over which a vehicle can travel with the residual fuel remaining in the fuel tank of said vehicle, comprising:

(a) first means for producing a first signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle with a unit amount of fuel in view of the distance travelled by said vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed by the engine of said vehicle, said first means including means for producing a second signal when the distance travelled by said vehicle equals a predetermined distance, means responsive to said second signal for producing a third signal indicative of the amount of fuel supplied to said engine during a travel of said predetermined distance, and means for dividing said predetermined distance by said amount of fuel indicated by said third signal, said means for producing said third signal including a wobble plate flow-rate sensor disposed in the fuel passage of the carburetor of said engine, said wobble plate flow-rate sensor producing a signal the frequency of which is proportional to the fuel flow rate, and a counter for producing said third signal by counting the number of pulses produced in response to the flow-rate sensor output signal during said travel of said predetermined distance;

(b) second means for producing a fourth signal indicative of the amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank of said vehicle;

(c) third means for producing a fifth signal indicative of the distance over which said vehicle can travel with the amount of fuel remaining in said fuel tank by multiplying said first signal by said fourth signal; and

(d) fourth means for displaying said distance indicated by said fifth signal.

5. An apparatus for indicating the distance over which a vehicle can travel with the residual fuel remaining in the fuel tank of said vehicle, comprising:

(a) first means for producing a first signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle with a unit amount of fuel consumed by the engine of said vehicle;

(b) second means for producing a second signal indicative of the amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank of said vehicle, said second means including a fuel level detector disposed in said fuel tank, said fuel level detector having a resistor substantially vertically disposed in said fuel tank at the center thereof and a movable contact arranged to move up and down by means of floating means, said movable contact sliding along said resistor for changing the resistance between said movable contact and one end of said resistor when moving up and down;

(c) third means for producing a third signal indicative of the distance over which said vehicle can travel with the amount of fuel remaining in said fuel tank by multiplying said first signal by said second signal; and

(d) fourth means for displaying said distance indicated by said third signal.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said floating means is disposed in a cylinder having openings at the upper and lower portions thereof.

7. An apparatus for indicating the distance over which a vehicle can travel with the residual fuel remaining in the fuel tank of said vehicle, comprising:

(a) first means for producing a first signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle with a unit amount of fuel in view of the distance travelled by said vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed by the engine of said vehicle, said first means including means for producing a second signal indicative of the distance travelled by said vehicle per a predetermined period of time, means for producing a third signal indicative of the amount of fuel supplied to said engine per said predetermined period of time, and means for dividing said distance indicated by said second signal by said amount of fuel indicated by said third signal;

(b) second means for producing a fourth signal indicative of the amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank of said vehicle;

(c) third means for producing a fifth signal indicative of the distance over which said vehicle can travel with the amount of fuel remaining in said fuel tank by multiplying said first signal by said fourth signal;

(d) fourth means for detecting whether said distance travelled by said vehicle is over zero or not during said predetermined period of time;

(e) fifth means responsive to the output signal of said fourth means for storing said fifth signal only when the distance travelled by said vehicle during said predetermined period of time is over zero; and

(f) sixth means for displaying the distance stored in said fifth means.