Vehicle fuel economy energy conservation indicating device and process for use

• US 4,247,757 A
• Filed: 05/22/1978
• Issued: 01/27/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John M. Crump Jr
• Original Assignee: John M. Crump Jr
• Inventors: Crump, John M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Application Number:
  US05/908,016
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61 J, 235/61 B, 235/61 R, 73/114
• US Class Current: 235/61.00J
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/084 indicating economy
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/06 Indicating or recording devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/008 where the other variable is the flight or running time
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A vehicle fuel economy energy conservation indicating device and process for use comprising an integrated instrument cluster functioning basically as a continuous computing mechanism. The speedometer distance traveled indicator mechanism is articulated with the fuel consumed indicating mechanism utilizing proportional and cooperable alignment elements such that a three variable equation computing mechanism is obtained. The three variables are distance traveled, quantity or fuel consumed and distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed. Fuel economy and energy conservation are achieved by operating the vehicle under such performance conditions as to produce the highest possible value for distance traveled per unit or fuel consumed. This device brings the operator'"'"'s attention to focus upon fuel economy resulting in stimulation to conserving energy and achieving maximum fuel economy. Furthermore, the vehicle energy conservation indicating device is optionally adapted for recording these performance variables on a memory chart. The speedometer is optionally positioned concentric to the distance traveled indicating instrument and fuel indicating instruments with the fuel economy and energy conservation indicating device centrally located within these two conventional instrument indicators.

Thus, this direct visual indication of actual fuel economy will stimulate and influence the operator to exercise planned management to achieve effective maintenance and efficient driving pattern habits. This device becomes the visual target point of the instrument panel along with the speedometer, thereby providing constant motivation to achieve maximum fuel economy by controlling two of the most influential factors effecting fuel economy: Vehicle maintenance and vehicle operator driving habits.

Claims

1. A vehicle fuel economy and energy conservation indicating device comprising in combination a first and second concentrically disposed generally parallel positioned cooperable computing elements rotating about a common axis, a third computing element operatively connected to each of said first and second computing elements, said operative connections providing generally oppositely disposed pivotal means between said first and second computing elements and said third computing element, said operative connections providing independent translative movement to said oppositely disposed pivotal means, calibrated graphic display scales embodied on the face surface of said device, said face surface juxtapositioned parallel to said computing elements, registering means provided on said face surface adjacent to said scales thereby allowing simultaneous viewing of said elements with said scales, the consequential operation of said first and second computing element together with said third computing element relate to said calibrated scales according to a mathematical relationship for vehicle fuel economy thereby indicating the average miles per gallon at any related total trip distance and total fuel consumed setting.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said first and second computing elements are rotatably mounted on concentric pivot axis with said first and second computing elements independently driven by sector gears disposed circumferentially therewith, said sector gears independently driven by respectively a fuel consumed measuring means and a connection to an odometer, said sector gears generally oppositely disposed relative to said pivotal means.

4. The device of claim 1 including means for selectably detecting a plurality of vehicle performance related operating conditions comprising first means for totalizing the vehicle operator'"'"'s demand for horsepower in terms of horsepower or torque both being related to the power delivered at the vehicle drive wheels causing a definite speed versus time pattern of motion which thereby relates to vehicle fuel economy, said first means receiving input signals in response to vehicle accelerator movement, means coupled to said first means for indicating the horsepower demand hours, said indication directly related to vehicle operating conditions, second means for registering and storing a signal representative of the frequency at which the vehicle accelerates or deaccelerates through a discrete speed, said first and second means continuously counting said vehicle operating conditions for display on counters disposed generaly circumferentially to said computing elements.

2. A vehicle fuel economy and energy conservation indicating device of the class described comprising in combination a first functional movement element operably driven by a fuel consumed measuring means transforming electrical inputs to rotary translation motion representative of total fuel consumed, second functional movement element operably driven by a connection to an odometer drive means representative of total distance traveled, said first and second functional movement elements concentrically disposed in a generally parallel position, a third functional movement element operatively connected to pivotal means circumferentially located on each of said first and second functional movement elements, said operative connection providing generally oppositely disposed pivotal means between said movement elements, said third functional movement element functionally communicated between said pivotal means, calibrated graphic scales embodied on the face surface of said device and juxtapositioned parallel to said functional movement elements, a first and second scale oppositely disposed and functionally located with respect to each of said first and second movement elements, said first scale calibrated for fuel consumed and said second scale calibrated for distance traveled, a third scale diagonally disposed between said first and second scales and calibrated to read average miles per gallon or the equivalent, the consequential operation of said movement elements relate to said calibrated scales according to a mathematical relationship for vehicle fuel economy thereby indicating the miles per gallon at any related trip distance and fuel consumed setting.

5. A device for a vehicle having distance traveled and fuel consumed measuring means, an analog fuel economy indicating means comprising means including a first total fuel consumed registering means operatively connected to said fuel consumed measuring means, a second total distance traveled registering means generally diaometrically disposed from said first registering means, said analog fuel economy indicating means operatively connected to each of said registering means, said operative connections causing oppositely disposed termini of said fuel economy indicating means to be translated in opposite directions, calibrated display scales embodied on the face surface of said device, one of said scales diagonally disposed and calibrated to read average miles per gallon or the equivalent, the consequential operation of said registering means together with said analog fuel economy indicating means relate to said calibrated scales according to a mathematical relationship for average vehicle fuel economy thereby registering the miles per gallon at any related total trip distance and total fuel consumed registeration.

6. A calculating device for a vehicle having analog total distance traveled per total units of fuel consumed calculating device comprising cooperable registering means, drive means operated by a total fuel consumed measuring means, a connection to an odometer drive means for measuring total distance traveled, a pair of functional movement elements concentrically located for angular rotation in opposite directions about a common pivot axis, a fuel economy indicating means functionally communicated between a pair of independent pivotal means located generally diaometrically disposed on outer circumference of said functional movement elements, said elements and indicating means mutually aligned in a predetermined relationship relative to a fixed average fuel economy registeration scale embodied on the face surface of said device, said face surface juxtapositioned parallel to said functional movement elements and related thereto according to a mathematical relationship for vehicle average fuel economy thereby indicating the total miles per gallon at any related total trip distance and total fuel consumed status.

7. In a ratio indicating device of the class described, the combination of a vehicle average fuel economy indicating means pivotally carried at oppositely disposed termini on respective pivotal means, said pivotal means disposed generally diaometrically opposed at outer periphery respectively of a pair of functional movement elements rotatably mounted for of angular rotation about a common concentric axis, means comprising a connection to an odometer drive means for applying first translative motion to first of said functional movement elements, said first motion representative of total distance traveled, means comprising a connection to a drive means operated by a fuel consumed measuring means for applying second translative motion to second of said functional movement elements, said second motion representative of total fuel consumed, a face surface juxtapositioned parallel to said functional movement elements and embodied therein with graphic display scales calibrated according to a mathematical relationship for vehicle average fuel economy equals total distance traveled divided by total fuel consumed, the consequential operation of said functional movement elements together with said indicating means relative to said calibrated scales causing average miles per gallon at any related trip distance and fuel consumed setting to be computed and indicated on said graphic display scale.

8. In an instrument of the class described for indicating the mathematical functional relationship between three variables F(x) equals F(y) divided by F(z), the combination of a first functional movement sector gear structure rotatable about a common axis concentric with a second funtional movement sector gear structure, said first structure operably connected to a odometer drive means representing F(y) as total distance traveled, said second structure operably connected to a fuel consumed drive means representing F(z) as total fuel consumed, average fuel economy indicating means representing F(x) and communicating between pivotal means generally diaometrically disposed at circumferentially opposed locations on said structures, said operative connection providing independent movement respectively in opposite directions to each of the oppositely disposed pivotal means, calibrated graphic display scales embodied on a dial face of said instrument, said dial juxtapositioned parallel with and in front of said sector gear structures, the consequential operation of said oppositely disposed pivotal means together with said average fuel economy indicating means relate to said calibrated scales according to a functional relationship of for vehicle average fuel economy equals total distance traveled divided by total fuel consumed.

9. An analog device for computing and indicating total distance traveled per total units of fuel consumed by a vehicle power plant, comprising:

first total fuel consumed movement element operated by a fuel consumed measuring means;

second total distance traveled movement element connected to an odometer drive means;

a pair of cooperable pivotal means generally diaometrically disposed at circumferentially opposed positions on said movement elements;

an alignment indicator member operatively connected to each of said cooperable pivotal means and communicated therebetween;

said operative connections providing independent movement in opposite directions to each of said pivotal means;

calibrated graphic display scales embodied on the face surface of said device;

said face surface juxtapositioned parallel to said movement elements and provided with registering means for viewing said movement elements and alignment member in conjunction with said scales;

one of said scales diagonally disposed between oppositely related zero positions for respectively distance traveled and fuel consumed and calibrated to read average miles per gallon or the equivalent, the consequential operation of said movement elements together with said alignment member relate to said calibrated scales according to a mathematical relationship for vehicle average fuel economy thereby indicating the miles per gallon at any related total trip distance and total fuel consumed setting.

10. A method for computing and displaying the total distance traveled per total units of fuel consumed by a vehicle power plant comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a pair of cooperable parallel sector gear computing elements concentrically relative to a common rotation axis so that each of said elements has a generally diaometrically disposed pivotal means located at circumferentially opposed positions on said elements, and

b. communicating an alignment member between oppositely disposed pivotal means the termini of which provide an operative connection with said pivotal means such that a straight line intersecting the oppositely disposed geometric centers uniquely establishes the location of a fuel economy indicating means, and

c. positioning calibrated graphic display scales parallel with said computing elements and said alignment member according to a mathematical relationship for vehicle average fuel economy, and

d. positioning a first and second scale oppositely disposed and functionally located with respect to each of said computing elements, and

e. calibrating said first scale for total distance traveled and said second scale calibrated for total fuel consumed, and

f. calibrating a third diagonally disposed scale between said first and second scales to read average miles per gallon or the equivalent, and

g. providing observation means on said display scales to allow simultaneous viewing of the registeration with said scales, and

h. operating said computing elements such that the consequential independent movement of said oppositely disposed pivotal means causes said alignment member to indicate the average miles per gallon at any related total trip distance and total fuel consumed setting.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a memory recording chart including base means supporting first and second spindles for respectively receiving supply and take up spools containing a memory chart rotatable mounted therebetween, and

b. releasable connecting one of said chart spools to an odometer drive means as a source of chart motion, and

c. adapting said alignment member with a writing element so as to cause a record of fuel economy to appear on said memory chart, and

d. operating said memory recording chart simultaneously with the consequential operation of said cooperable computing elements all relative to said calibrated scales thereby causing said writing element to record said fuel economy upon said chart thus providing a short time signature trace for continuous viewing and a long time record for subsequent analysis.

12. In a device of the class described for indicating vehicle average fuel economy, the combination comprising:

a pair of parallel concentrically positioned sector gear computing elements rotatable about a common axis;

two independent cooperable pivotal means generally diaometrically disposed at circumferentially opposed locations on said computing elements;

an alignment indicator member operatively connected at opposite termini to each of said pivotal means;

said operative connection providing pivotal mounting means between said pivotal means and said alignment member;

said operative connection providing independent movement to each of the circumferentially opposed pivotal means;

calibrated graphic display scales embodied on the face surface of said device;

said face surface juxtapositioned parallel to said computing elements;

a first and second scale oppositely disposed and functionally located with respect to each of said cooperable pivotal means;

said first scale calibrated for total distance traveled and said second scale calibrated for total fuel consumed;

a third scale diagonally disposed between said first and second scales and calibrated to read average miles per gallon or the equivalent;

registering means provided on said face surface adjacent to said scales thereby allowing simultaneous viewing of said computing elements and alignment member with said scales;

the consequential operation of said computing elements together with said alignment member all relative to said calibrated scales according to a mathematical relationship for vehicle average fuel economy thereby indicating the average miles per gallon, or its equivalent, at any related total trip distance and total fuel consumed setting.