Vehicle speed warning and cruise control system with preengagement inhibiting means

Claim 1

IN A VEHICLE ROAD SPEED WARNING AND CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE HAVING AN ENGINE, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING: SPEED ERROR SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS, MEANS LIMITING SAID GENERATING MEANS SPEED ERROR SIGNAL GENERATION TO A PREDETERMINED RANGE OF VEHICLE ROAD SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE FULL RANGE OF VEHICLE ROAD SPEED, MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID PREDETERMINED RANGE OF VEHICLE ROAD SPEED THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY SAID FULL RANGE OF VEHICLE ROAD SPEED, MEANS RECEIVING SAID SPEED ERROR SIGNAL AND PRODUCING THEREWITH A FLUID PRESSURE PROPORTIONAL CONTROL SIGNAL WHEN THE ACTUAL VEHICLE ROAD SPEED IS WITHIN THE PREDETERMINED RANGE OF VEHICLE ROAD SPEED, A SERVO HAVING OPPOSED FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBERS SEPARATED BY A POWER WALL WITH ONE CHAMBER FLUID CONNECTED TO SAID FLUID PRESSURE PROPORTIONAL CONTROL SIGNAL PRODUCING MEANS AND RECEIVING SAID SIGNAL PRODUCED THEREBY, SAID SERVO POWER WALL HAVING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING IT TO THE VEHICLE ENGINE SO THAT SAID SERVO CONTROLS THE ENGINE IN RESPONSE TO SAID FLUID PRESSURE PROPORTIONAL CONTROL SIGNAL, AND MEANS SELECTIVELY INTRODUCING A FLUID PRESSURE IN THE OTHER OPPOSED CHAMBER OF SAID SERVO OPPOSING THE FLUID PRESSURE PROPORTIONAL CONTROL SIGNAL AND COOPERATING THEREWITH IN ACTUATING SAID SERVO TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM IN A VEHICLE ROAD SPEED CRUISE CONTROL MODE; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED IN FLUID FLOW RELATION BETWEEN SAID SERVO AND SAID INTROUDUCING MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID FLUID PRESSURE PROPORTIONAL CONTROL SIGNAL AT SAID SERVO AND INHIBITING INTRODUCTION OF FLUID PRESSURE FROM SAID INTRODUCING MEANS INTO SAID SERVO UNLESS AND UNTIL SAID FLUID PRESSURE PROPORTIONAL CONTROL SIGNAL IS BEING RECEIVED BY SAID SERVO; SAID FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL INHIBITING MEANS INCLUDING A VALVE ASSEMBLY HAVING A FIRST INLET FLUID CONNECTED TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND A SECOND INLET FLUID CONNECTED TO SAID INTRODUCING MEANS AND A THIRD INLET FLUID CONNECTED TO SAID ONE SERVO OPPOSED CHAMBER AND AN OUTLET FLUID CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER SERVO OPPOSED CHAMBER, AND A VALVE NORMALLY FLUID CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND INLETS AND OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE FLUID PRESSURE PROPORTIONAL CONTROL SIGNAL IN SAID ONE SERVO OPPOSED CHAMBER AS RECEIVED THROUGH SAID THIRD INLET TO CLOSE SAID FIRST INLET AND FLUID CONNECT SAID SECOND INLET AND SAID OUTLET.