Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
188 words
A device for use on a vehicle having a plurality of braking units for monitoring operating temperatures of the hottest and coolest brake units and a temperature difference therebetween, comprising: first circuit means connected to the brake units for sensing the temperature of each of the brake units and producing output signals indicative thereof; a first operational amplifier circuit connected to the first circuit means and including a first capacitor, said first capacitor being charged to produce an output signal indicative of the temperature of the coolest brake unit; a second operational amplifier circuit connected to the first circuit means and including a second capacitor, said second capacitor being charged to produce an output signal indicative of the temperature of the hottest brake units; second circuit means connected to the first and second operational amplifier circuits for producing a signal when the temperature difference between the hottest and coolest brake units exceeds a predetermined amount; and a single indicator connected to and mutually exclusively monitoring the outputs of both the first and second operational amplifier circuits on a time-sharing basis, and producing a visual indicia of said outputs.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
188 words
A device for use on a vehicle having a plurality of braking units for monitoring operating temperatures of the hottest and coolest brake units and a temperature difference therebetween, comprising: first circuit means connected to the brake units for sensing the temperature of each of the brake units and producing output signals indicative thereof; a first operational amplifier circuit connected to the first circuit means and including a first capacitor, said first capacitor being charged to produce an output signal indicative of the temperature of the coolest brake unit; a second operational amplifier circuit connected to the first circuit means and including a second capacitor, said second capacitor being charged to produce an output signal indicative of the temperature of the hottest brake units; second circuit means connected to the first and second operational amplifier circuits for producing a signal when the temperature difference between the hottest and coolest brake units exceeds a predetermined amount; and a single indicator connected to and mutually exclusively monitoring the outputs of both the first and second operational amplifier circuits on a time-sharing basis, and producing a visual indicia of said outputs.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the first circuit means includes a plurality of thermocouples, one associated with each brake unit, connected to means for sequentially gating the outputs of the thermocouples to the first and second operational amplifier circuits.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said second circuit means comprises a differencing amplifier interconnected between the first and second operational amplifier circuits and producing an output signal corresponding to the difference between the outputs of said operational amplifier circuits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device as recited in claim 3 wherein the second circuit means includes a hysteresis circuit operatively associated therewith to provide circuit stability when the temperature difference between the hottest and coolest brake is near the predetermined amount.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
142 words
A brake temperature indicator circuit for at least two brake units, comprising: multiplexing circuit means connected to each of the brake units for sequentially producing output signals indicative of the temperatures of each of the individual brake units; first and second circuit means connected to the multiplexing circuit means for producing output DC levels respectively corresponding to a lowest and a highest amplitude output signal of the multiplexing circuit means; third circuit means connected to and receiving the output DC levels of the first and second circuit means and producing an output signal when the difference between the output levels of the first and second circuit means exceed a particular level; and indicator means interconnected between the first and second circuit means and multiplexed to alternately indicate the temperatures of the brake units corresponding to the lowest and highest amplitude output signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
142 words
A brake temperature indicator circuit for at least two brake units, comprising: multiplexing circuit means connected to each of the brake units for sequentially producing output signals indicative of the temperatures of each of the individual brake units; first and second circuit means connected to the multiplexing circuit means for producing output DC levels respectively corresponding to a lowest and a highest amplitude output signal of the multiplexing circuit means; third circuit means connected to and receiving the output DC levels of the first and second circuit means and producing an output signal when the difference between the output levels of the first and second circuit means exceed a particular level; and indicator means interconnected between the first and second circuit means and multiplexed to alternately indicate the temperatures of the brake units corresponding to the lowest and highest amplitude output signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
The brake temperature indicator circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein the first and second circuit means comprise operational amplifiers having the outputs thereof connected through biasing diodes to charging capacitors, the first and second circuit means being respectively biased to receive and store the lowest and highest amplitude output signals of the multiplexing circuit means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The brake temperature indicator circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein the third circuit means includes a differencing amplifier connected to a comparator, the comparator comparing the output of the differencing amplifier with a fixed level.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The brake temperature indicator circuit as recited in claim 5 which further includes a selector switch means connected to the multiplexing circuit means for selecting and individually monitoring the specific temperature of any particular brake unit.