Oil degradation warning system

• US 4,796,204 A
• Filed: 09/05/1985
• Issued: 01/03/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Inoue, Ryuzaburou
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Melnick, S. A.
• Application Number:
  US06/772,928
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551, 364/552, 364/431.01, 364/431.03, 73/10, 73/64, 73/117.2, 73/117.3, 340/52 R, 123/196 S, 123/198 D, 184/1.5, 184/6.5-6.8
• US Class Current: 123/196.00S
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/10 Indicating devices; Other safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/14 for indicating the necessity to change the oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2250/62 Load
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2250/64 Number of revolutions
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2200/08 Acidity, pH-value
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2200/12 Viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2230/02 Microprocessor; Microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2250/08 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2260/12 using warning lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2260/18 necessity of changing oil
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 29/04 enabling a warning to be given; enabling moving parts to be stopped
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

Herein disclosed in an oil degradation warning system which comprises several sensors for sensing parameters which are closely related to degradation factors of the engine oil, a microcomputer which processes the detected parameters to compute oil degradation coefficients of them in each factor, integrates the oil degradation coefficients in each factor with passage of time, and issues an instruction signal when at least of the integrated values of the oil degradation coefficients exceeds a corresponding reference value, and a warning device which gives a warning when the instruction signal is applied thereto.

Claims

1. An oil degradation warning system comprising:

first means for detecting a plurality of parameters which are related to a plurality of degradation factors of an engine oil, wherein said first means comprises an oil temperature sensor which senses the temperature of the engine oil, an engine speed sensor which senses the rotation speed of the engine, and an engine load sensor which senses a load applied to the engine, wherein said engine oil temperature, engine rotation speed and engine load sensor constitute said plurality of parameters;

second means for processing said parameters and providing an oil degradation coefficient for each of said plurality of parameters and integrating each oil degradation coefficient in each factor with passage of time;

third means for issuing an instruction signal when at least one of the integrated values of the oil degradation coefficients exceeds a corresponding reference value; and

fourth means for providing a warning when said instruction signal is applied thereto, thereby indicating oil degradation.

2. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second means is initialized when an ignition switch of an associated engine is activated.

3. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 1, in which the oil degradation factors are the viscosity of oil, the basicity of oil and the amount of infusible matters in oil.

4. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising fifth means for resetting the integrated values of the oil degradation coefficients to zero after an oil change is carried out.

5. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising sixth means, responsive to the operation of said fifth means, for judging whether or not a predetermined time passes after said fifth means resets the integrated values of the degradation coefficients and for enabling said second means after said predetermined time has passed.