Apparatus for detecting deterioration of engine oil
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting the deterioration of an engine oil comprising:
- light source means for projecting an infrared light beam upon the engine oil whose deterioration is to be detected;
photodetecting means for receiving infrared light transmitted through said engine oil to generate a photoelectrically converted output signal, a center wavelength of said infrared light received by the light detecting means being set substantially to an infrared absorption peak wavelength of ester of nitric acid contained in the engine oil; and
signal processing means for receiving said output signal from the photodetecting means to derive a signal representing the deterioration of the engine oil.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting the deterioration of an engine oil including a ceramic heater radiating infrared light including infrared radiation having a wavelength of 6.1 micron meters which is equal to the specific infrared absorption peak of ester of nitric acid contained in the engine oil. The infrared light is made incident upon a photodetector via a band pass filter having a center wavelength of 6.1 micron meters to detect an amount of the ester of nitric acid contained in the engine oil. It has been experimentally confirmed that an amount of the ester of nitric acid is proportional to the total acid value which is a measure of the deterioration of the engine oil, so that by suitably processing an output signal of the photodetector, it is possible to detect the deterioration of the engine oil. The thus detected deterioration may be displayed on a display device provided on a front pedal of a car.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting the deterioration of an engine oil comprising:
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light source means for projecting an infrared light beam upon the engine oil whose deterioration is to be detected; photodetecting means for receiving infrared light transmitted through said engine oil to generate a photoelectrically converted output signal, a center wavelength of said infrared light received by the light detecting means being set substantially to an infrared absorption peak wavelength of ester of nitric acid contained in the engine oil; and signal processing means for receiving said output signal from the photodetecting means to derive a signal representing the deterioration of the engine oil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 19)
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11. A car including an apparatus for detecting the deterioration of an engine oil, said apparatus comprising:
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light source means for projecting an infrared light beam upon the engine oil whose deterioration is to be detected; photodetecting means for receiving infrared light transmitted through said engine oil to generate a photoelectrically converted output signal, a center wavelength of said infrared light received by the light detecting means being set substantially to an infrared absorption peak wavelength of ester of nitric acid contained in said engine oil; signal processing means for receiving said output signal from said photodetecting means to derive a signal representing the deterioration of said engine oil; and a display means for receiving said signal supplied from said signal processing means and displaying a signal representing the deterioration of said engine oil, wherein said display means is provided on a front panel of said car, said car having an engine for which said engine oil is used. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification