Vehicle speed governor
First Claim
1. A vehicle speed governor for a vehicle equipped with an engine comprising:
- sensor for sensing an operating condition of the vehicle indicative of the vehicle speed; and
control means responsive to the sensor for periodically and temporarily interrupting combustion in the engine in a perdetermined, cyclical manner when the vehicle speed indicated by the operating condition exceeds a prescribed speed, and for automatically terminating said combustion interruption when the vehicle speed falls below the prescribed speed.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A speed governor for a vehicle with an internal combustion engine senses an engine operating condition indicating the vehicle speed. When the vehicle speed indicated by the operating condition exceeds a prescribed speed, the cylinders of the engine are temporarily prevented from firing for short periods until the vehicle speed falls below the prescribed speed. In one form of the invention, a first sensor that senses a first operating condition is used to determine the vehicle speed under normal operating conditions. When the first sensor becomes inappropriate or malfunctions, a second sensor that senses another operating condition is used to determine the vehicle speed.
69 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle speed governor for a vehicle equipped with an engine comprising:
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sensor for sensing an operating condition of the vehicle indicative of the vehicle speed; and control means responsive to the sensor for periodically and temporarily interrupting combustion in the engine in a perdetermined, cyclical manner when the vehicle speed indicated by the operating condition exceeds a prescribed speed, and for automatically terminating said combustion interruption when the vehicle speed falls below the prescribed speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A vehicle speed governor for a vehicle equipped with an engine comprising:
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a first sensor for sensing a first operating condition of the vehicle indicative of the vehicle speed and generating a first signal; a second sensor for sensing a second operating condition of the vehicle indicative of the vehicle speed and generating a second signal; determining means for determining whether the first signal is appropriate for indicating the vehicle speed; and control means for calculating the vehicle speed using the first signal when the determining means determines that the first signal is appropriate and for calculating the vehicle speed using the second signal when the determining means determines that the first signal is inappropriate, and for periodically and temporarily decelerating the vehicle in a predetermined, cyclical manner when the calculated vehicle speed exceeds a prescribed speed. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 20)
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13. A speed governor for an internal combustion engine comprising:
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a sensor for sensing an operating condition indicative of the engine rotational speed; and control means responsive to the sensor for periodically and temporarily interrupting combustion in the engine in a predetermined, cyclical manner when the engine rotational speed indicated by the operating condition exceeds a prescribed speed, and for automatically terminating said combustion interruption when the engine rotational speed falls below the prescribed speed.
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14. A speed governing method for a vehicle comprising:
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sensing a first operating condition of the vehicle indicative of the vehicle speed; determining the vehicle speed from the first operating condition; periodically and temporarily interrupting combustion in the engine in a predetermined, cyclical manner when the vehicle speed indicated by the first operating condition exceeds a prescribed speed; and automatically terminating said combustion interruption when the vehicle speed falls below the prescribed speed. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification