Oil change interval monitor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An oil change interval monitor for estimating the percentage of oil life used since the last oil change for a diesel engine having an engine fuel rail comprising:
- rail pressure sensing means for sensing the rail pressure of the diesel engine and providing a rail pressure signal;
computing means for receiving said rail pressure signal, for calculating a fuel flow value using the rail pressure signal, and for calculating the percentage of oil life used by the engine using data signals and the fuel flow value;
data entry means for providing data signals to said computing means, the data signals being indicative of engine parameters determined by the engine type; and
display means connected to said computing means for displaying the percentage of oil used.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An oil change interval monitor is provided which senses diesel engine variables such as oil temperature, fuel flow and the volume of oil added to the engine since the last oil change and combines these variables with values determined by known engine parameters to provide a continuously updated indication of the percentage of oil life used by the engine since the last oil change.
60 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An oil change interval monitor for estimating the percentage of oil life used since the last oil change for a diesel engine having an engine fuel rail comprising:
-
rail pressure sensing means for sensing the rail pressure of the diesel engine and providing a rail pressure signal; computing means for receiving said rail pressure signal, for calculating a fuel flow value using the rail pressure signal, and for calculating the percentage of oil life used by the engine using data signals and the fuel flow value; data entry means for providing data signals to said computing means, the data signals being indicative of engine parameters determined by the engine type; and display means connected to said computing means for displaying the percentage of oil used. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
- 9. An oil change interval monitor for estimating the percentage of oil life used since the last oil change for a diesel engine including a fuel rail, comprising first sensing means mounted on the diesel engine for providing a first signal value indicative of rail pressure within said fuel rail, oil data entry means for providing a second signal value indicative of the amount of oil added to the diesel engine since the last oil change, processor means connected to said first sensing means and to said oil data entry means for receiving and using said first and second signal values to provide an output data signal indicative of the percentage of oil life used by the engine since the last oil change, and display means connected to said processor means for providing a visual indication controlled by the output data signal.
Specification