Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Performance or efficiency evaluation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-02
2001-11-20
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Performance or efficiency evaluation
C702S184000, C701S035000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321178
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a diagnosis apparatus for a self-propelled vehicle which has an engine mounted thereon and which conveys a loaded material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A self-propelled vehicle is structured so as to convey a passenger and cargo, for example, in a self-propelled vehicle such as a dump truck, which has an engine mounted thereon and which conveys a loaded material. There is one which automatically detects an engine condition and makes a maintenance plan, a renewal plan, and the like. As the engine condition to be detected, there are the engine output and the specific fuel consumption. Then, conventionally, almost all of them are planned on the basis of the engine condition at a time of detection.
Further, in each of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 47-26053, 58-84394, 58-84397, 58-148912, 59-98935, and 59-119494, there is described a structure for storing detected data in a memory mounted on the vehicle and for moving the data to a magnetic card when desired, for inputting the detected data to a microcomputer and the like within a building for calculations.
Still further, in Japanese Unexamined PCT Publication No. 5-500559, there is described a structure of calculating with detected data, by a microcomputer mounted on a vehicle, so as to diagnose a trouble in the engine; and in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-279824, there is described a structure for displaying a specific fuel consumption by a graph on a display apparatus mounted on the vehicle.
However, in the conventional apparatus of the self propelled vehicle mentioned above, there are the following problems.
(1) In the method on the basis of the engine condition at the time of detection, since the data is detected in a pinpoint manner, a trend in the engine condition cannot be determined. Accordingly, there is a problem in that serious trouble can occur before the planned maintenance period or the renewal period, or in that a maintenance or a renewal is performed in spite of good condition.
(2) In the techniques described in each of the publications, the details of the engine condition can not be sufficiently determined.
(3) In the self-propelled vehicle which mounts the engine thereon and conveys a loaded material, in addition to the engine condition being automatically detected and the maintenance plan, the renewal plan, and the like, being made on the basis thereof, it is important to make a maintenance plan, a renewal plan, and the like for the entire vehicle by considering the work load. However, the conventional diagnosis apparatus is insufficient in this regard.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made by taking the conventional problems into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a diagnosis apparatus for a self-propelled vehicle which can make a maintenance plan, a renewal plan, and the like for an entire vehicle, as well as the engine, by detecting a work load in addition to detecting an engine condition.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a diagnosis apparatus for a self-propelled vehicle which has an engine mounted thereon and which conveys a loaded material, comprising:
engine rotating speed detecting means for detecting a rotating speed N of the engine;
fuel injection amount detecting means for detecting a fuel injection amount q per rotation of the engine;
loaded weight detecting means for detecting the weight W of the loaded material;
vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed V;
trigger signal oscillating means for oscillating a trigger signal d per predetermined time period t
o
; and
calculating means, which receives the detected value of the rotating speed N from the engine rotating speed detecting means, the fuel injection amount q from the fuel injection amount detecting means, the weight W from the loaded weight detecting means, the vehicle speed V from the vehicle speed detecting means, and the trigger signal d from the trigger signal oscillating means, respectively; which calculates a time period t (=n·t
o
) for which both the rotating speed N, having substantially the same value, and the fuel injection amount q, having substantially the same value, are maintained on the basis of the number n of the trigger signal d; which calculates an accumulative total fuel injection amount Q (=&Sgr;q·N·t); and which successively calculates at least one of a fuel injection amount q1 (=Q/&Sgr;t) per unit time and a conveying amount w1 (=&Sgr;W·V·t/Q) per unit fuel injection amount.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, since the fuel injection amount q1 is a value obtained by dividing the accumulative total fuel injection Q by an accumulative operation time (&Sgr;t), and the conveying amount w1 is a value obtained by dividing the accumulative work load (&Sgr;W·V·t, that is, ton km) by the accumulative total fuel injection amount Q, neither of the values q1 and w1 is a pinpoint data detection value in accordance with the prior art, but is a value indicating a trend of the engine condition. Accordingly, the period for maintenance, the period for renewal, and the like, can be accurately planned. Further, since both of the fuel injection amount q1 and the conveying amount w1 can be calculated and displayed, the maintenance plan, the renewal plan, and the like, in a safety side can be made by comparing both the values q1 and w1, and then employing the worse condition. Further, in most cases, each of the detecting means and the calculating means is provided in the self-propelled vehicle even when the purpose thereof is different, so that the structure of the present invention can be easily obtained by only a little upgrading of a conventional calculating means.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a diagnosis apparatus for a self-propelled vehicle, further comprising output means for receiving from the calculating means at least one of the fuel injection amount q1 per unit time and the conveying amount w1 per unit fuel injection amount, and for outputting the amount to a display apparatus disposed outside of the self-propelled vehicle.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, the fuel injection amount q1 and the conveying amount w1 can be stored in a memory mounted on the vehicle, and can be moved to a magnetic card or the like at a desired time, whereby the fuel injection amount q1 and the conveying amount w1 can be displayed outside of the self-propelled vehicle, for example, on a display apparatus within the building. Accordingly, a plurality of self-propelled vehicles can be concentrically controlled.
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patent: 4845630 (1989-07-01), Stephens
patent: 5250761 (1993-10-01), Koyanagi
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patent: 52-52678 (1977-04-01), None
patent: 56-14907 (1981-02-01), None
patent: 58-84394 (1983-05-01), None
patent: 58-84397 (1983-05-01), None
patent: 58-148912 (1983-09-01), None
patent: 59-98935 (1984-06-01), None
patent: 59-119494 (1984-07-01), None
patent: 04-183970 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 4-279824 (1992-10-01), None
patent: 5-500559 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 06-10748 (1994-01-01), None
Hasegawa Nobuki
Sugano Yukio
Watanabe Genichirou
Hilten John S.
Komatsu Ltd.
Nolan, Jr. Charles H.
Sidley Austin Brown & Wood
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