Measuring and testing – Steam or water operated engine; related engine system or...
Patent
1982-12-30
1984-09-11
Myracle, Jerry W.
Measuring and testing
Steam or water operated engine; related engine system or...
G01M 1500
Patent
active
044702965
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a fuel gauge for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly, a fuel gauge which is so designed that the fuel-measuring timing is varied in accordance with driving conditions of the automotive vehicle.
In conventional art, fuel gauges which measure the amount of fuel remaining in a fuel tank of a vehicle are well known. One typical conventional fuel gauge is designed so as to average a detected fuel-level signal to display the fuel amount. That is, since the fuel is apt to be agitated on account of the inertial forces applied to the fuel in the tank under certain conditions such as when the vehicle moves through a curve, the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated, or the like, it is necessary to average the detected-fuel-level signal in order to measure the actual fuel amount. Such a fuel gauge which displays the fuel amount after performing the fuel level averaging operation, is convenient for displaying the average fuel amount. However, since the response of the fuel gauge, that is, the response of display to a variety of fuel levels, is normally determined while the vehicle is moving, this may possibly cause problems in the case of increase of the fuel level in the fuel tank within a short time, such as during refueling, in that the increment of fuel is displayed with delay. On the other hand, it is desirable to display the fuel amount at once when the ignition key is turned to the accessory position in order to start the vehicle. However, if the averaging interval for the detected fuel-level signal is relative long, this may cause another problem in that the fuel level display is delayed for a while when the ignition key is turned to the accessory or ignition position.
On the other hand, as is well known, a fuel gauge including a float-type sliding resistor or a winding resistor generating an analog signal as the detected-fuel-level signal comprises a float which floats on the surface of the fuel and a brush which is adapted to slide along the resistor, and the float and the brush are assembled in a single body so that the brush is moved as the float moves in accordance with variations of fluid level. As a result, the resistance value of the sliding resistor or winding resistor varies. Thus, if a constant current is supplied to this resistor, the voltage will vary when the resistance value of the resistor varies. Accordingly, the fuel amount can be displayed by detecting the voltage variations. Since the voltage value generated by the fuel gauge varies in accordance with the variation of the fuel level owing to the vibration or shaking of vehicle while the vehicle is moving, the detected fuel level signal is averaged by an integrator so that the fluctuation of voltage while the vehicle is moving is smoothed. However, this requires an averaging time of about 1 to 2 minutes. Thus, the display may appear with a delay of about 1 to 2 minutes after the ignition key is turned to the accessory or ignition position, or after the vehicle starts from a dead stop.
With these problems in mind, it is an object of the present invention to over come these problems by switching the averaging interval of the detected-fuel-level signal in accordance with vehicle conditions; that is, the fluctuation of detected fuel-level signal is decreased by using a relative long averaging interval in the case when the vehicle is moving, and the response of the fuel-level display is improved by measuring the detected fuel-level signal with a relatively short averaging interval in cases when the vehicle is supplied with fuel or just before the engine is started.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To accomplish the above described object or other objects, a fuel gauge according to the present invention comprises means for generating a signal having a value representative of the fuel level in a fuel tank, means for calculating and displaying the fuel level in the fuel tank in accordance with the signal value, and means for discriminating vehicle driving conditions in accordance with predetermine
REFERENCES:
patent: 4157038 (1979-06-01), Yamamoto
patent: 4402048 (1983-08-01), Tsuchida et al.
Kita Toru
Kobayashi Hiroshi
Myracle Jerry W.
Nissan Motor Company Limited
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