Oil degradation warning system

• US 4,839,831 A
• Filed: 03/11/1986
• Issued: 06/13/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kawakita, Tsunehiro, Imajo, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Application Number:
  US06/838,619
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550-552, 123/196 R, 123/196 S, 184/1.5, 184/6.5-6.8, 60/605 B, 60/599, 60/611, 73/64, 73/117.3
• US Class Current: 73/53.05
• 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: F16N 2200/00 Condition of lubricant
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2260/12 using warning lamps

Abstract

Herein disclosed is an oil degradation warning system for an engine equipped with a turbocharger. The system comprises first means for detecting the temperature of the engine oil in the turbocharger, second means for deriving a correction coefficient from informations issued from the first means; third means for multiplying a predetermined time increment by the correction coefficient to derive a modified time increment; fourth means for integrating the modified time increment to derive a time dependent oil degradation value; and fifth means for issuing a warning when the time dependent oil degradation value becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. An oil degradation waning system for an engine equipped with a turbocharger, comprising:

first means for detecting the temperature of an engine oil which flows through said turbocharger;

second means for deriving a correction coefficient from informations issued from said first means;

third means for multiplying, a predetermined time increment by said correction coefficient thereby to derive a modified time increment;

fourth means for integrating said modified time increment thereby to derive a time dependent oil degradation value; and

fifth means for issuing a warning when said time dependent oil degradation value becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

2. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 1, in which said first means is an oil temperature sensor which is mounted to said turbocharger to detect the temperature of the oil which flows along the turbocharger shaft.

3. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 2, in which said fifth means comprises a comparator which compares said time dependent oil degradation value and said predetermined value, and a warning lamp which is energized to light when receiving a given signal from said comparator.

4. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

sixth means for deriving a correction coefficient for the value of the traversed distance from the values of engine speed and engine oil temperature;

seventh means for multiplying the value of vehicle speed by a predetermined time increment thereby to derive a traversed distance;

eighth means for multiplying the value of the traversed distance by said correction coefficient to derive a modified traversed distance;

ninth means for integration the value of said modified traversed distance to derive a distance dependent oil degradation value; and

tenth means for issuing a warning when said distance dependent oil degradation value becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

5. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 4, in which said tenth means comprises a comparator which compares said distance dependent oil degradation value with said predetermined value, and said warning lamp which is energized to light when receiving a given signal from said comparator.

6. An oil degradation warning system as claimed in claim 4, in which said engine speed is detected by an crankangle sensor mounted in a distributor of the engine, and in which said vehicle speed is detected by a sensor which measures the rotation speed of an output shaft of a transmission incorporated with the engine.