Apparatus and method for indicating load weight of a vehicle
First Claim
1. An apparatus for warningly indicating load weight of a vehicle actually exceeds a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level, the apparatus comprising:
- a fluid pressure sensor associated with a fluid pressure line of a vehicle for producing a plurality of fluid pressure signals representative of a corresponding plurality of amounts of load weights; and
load weight indicating means responsive to said sensor for indicating a plurality of amounts of sensed load weight levels, said load weight indicating means including a memory for storing a calibration signal representative of a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level, comparing means in communication with said memory and said sensor for comparing the calibration signal to the plurality of fluid pressure signals, and a plurality of indicators each being responsive to said comparing means for indicating at least two actual load weight levels, the plurality of indicators including a first load weight level indicator for only warningly indicating when the load weight level actually exceeds the predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level and a second load weight level indicator for only indicating when the load weight level is actually below the predetermined maximum, desired load weight limit level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and methods are provided for for indicating load weight of a vehicle. The apparatus preferably includes a fluid pressure sensor, such as a transducer, associated with a fluid pressure line of a vehicle for producing a plurality of fluid pressure signals representative of a corresponding plurality of load weights and a load weight indicating device responsive to the sensor for indicating a plurality of load weight levels. The load weight indicating device includes a memory for storing a calibration signal representative of a predetermined load weight limit level and a comparator in communication with the memory and the sensor for comparing the calibration signal to the plurality of fluid pressure signals. The device also preferably includes a plurality of indicators responsive to the comparator for indicating at least two load weight levels. The plurality of indicators include a first load weight level indicator for only indicating when the load weight level exceeds the predetermined load weight limit level and a second load weight level indicator for only indicating when the load weight level is below the load weight limit level.
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Citations
70 Claims
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1. An apparatus for warningly indicating load weight of a vehicle actually exceeds a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level, the apparatus comprising:
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a fluid pressure sensor associated with a fluid pressure line of a vehicle for producing a plurality of fluid pressure signals representative of a corresponding plurality of amounts of load weights; and load weight indicating means responsive to said sensor for indicating a plurality of amounts of sensed load weight levels, said load weight indicating means including a memory for storing a calibration signal representative of a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level, comparing means in communication with said memory and said sensor for comparing the calibration signal to the plurality of fluid pressure signals, and a plurality of indicators each being responsive to said comparing means for indicating at least two actual load weight levels, the plurality of indicators including a first load weight level indicator for only warningly indicating when the load weight level actually exceeds the predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level and a second load weight level indicator for only indicating when the load weight level is actually below the predetermined maximum, desired load weight limit level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for warningly indicating load weight of a vehicle exceeds a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level, the apparatus comprising:
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a transducer positioned in fluid communication with a fluid pressure line of a vehicle for producing a plurality of fluid pressure signals representative of a corresponding plurality of amounts of load weights; load weight indicating means responsive to said sensor for indicating a plurality of amounts of sensed load weight levels, said load weight indicating means including a memory for storing a calibration signal representative of a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level, comparing means in communication with said memory and said sensor for comparing the calibration signal to the plurality of fluid pressure signals, said comparing means including load weight indication controlling means for controlling load weight indications, a sensing switch connected to said load weight indication controlling means for switchingly storing the calibration signal, and a plurality of indicators each being responsive to said comparing means for indicating at least two actual load weight levels, the plurality of indicators including a first load weight level indicator for only warningly indicating when the load weight level actually exceeds the predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level and a second load weight level indicator for only indicating when the load weight level is actually below the predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level; and sensing switch activating means for activating said sensing switch responsive to a predetermined sensing pattern for storing the calibration signal in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus for warningly indicating the load weight of a vehicle actually exceeds a predetermined maximum desired load weight, the apparatus comprising:
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a transducer associated with the vehicle for sensing fluid pressure in a fluid pressure line, the fluid pressure being representative of an amount of load weight; an analog-to-digital converter connected to said transducer for converting analog signals from said transducer to digital signals; a load weight indication controller connected to said analog-to-digital converter for controlling load weight indication; a magnetically sensitive switch connected to said controller for sensing and switching responsive to a magnetized device being positioned in a proximity of said magnetically sensitive switch; and three light indicators connected to said load weight indication controller for emitting visible light therefrom, each of said three light indicators having a different color light being emitted therefrom for indicating at least three different actual load weight levels being sensed by said transducer, the three light indicators including at least a first load weight level indicator for only warningly indicating when the load weight level actually exceeds a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level and at least a second load weight level indicator for only indicating when the load weight level is actually below the predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for warningly indicating a load weight for a vehicle actually exceeds a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level, the method comprising the steps of:
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producing a plurality of fluid pressure signals representative of a corresponding plurality of actual amounts of load weights; comparing a predetermined calibration threshold to the plurality of fluid pressure signals, the predetermined calibration threshold being representative of a predetermined maximum desired load weight limit level; and signaling when one of the plurality of fluid pressure signals exceeds the predetermined calibration threshold by a plurality of indicators including a first load weight level indicator which warningly indicates when at least one of the plurality of fluid pressure signals actually exceeds the predetermined calibration signal and a second separate load weight level indicator which indicates when at least one of the plurality of fluid pressure signal is actually below the predetermined calibration signal. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A method of warningly indicating load weight actually exceeds a predetermined maximum load weight limit level, the method comprising the steps of:
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sensing a signal indicating the initiation of a calibration condition; storing a first fluid pressure signal representative of a predetermined maximum desired load weight level limit in memory responsive to the sensed calibration condition so as to define a predetermined calibration threshold signal; comparing a second fluid pressure signal representative of an actual amount of sensed load weight to the predetermined calibration threshold signal so as to determine whether the second fluid pressure signal actually exceeds the predetermined calibration threshold signal; and visually indicating that the second fluid pressure signal actually exceeds the first fluid pressure signal by a plurality of indicators including a first load weight level indicator which only warningly indicates when the second fluid pressure signal actually exceeds the predetermined calibration signal and a second separate load weight level indicator which only indicates when the sensed fluid pressure signal is actually below the predetermined calibration signal. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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Specification