US3983372A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for a digital readout of distance traveled, fuel consumed and miles per gallon of a moving motor vehicle
Assignee: Chevron USA Inc
•
Filing: 1975-02-03
•
Granted: 1976-09-28
•
Expires: 1995-02-03
Abstract
Abstract The apparatus gives a simultaneous readout of the semi-instantaneous rate of fuel consumption, expressed in terms of miles per gallon; the distance traveled; and the total amount of gallons consumed since the apparatus was last reset for a moving vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. The fuel is metered by a flow transducer which emits a pulse rate representative of fuel flow rate while at the same time the miles traveled by the moving vehicle are measured by a distance transducer also emitting a pulse rate. Both pulse rates are fed to digital integrated circuitry that provides readouts for miles traveled, total fuel consumed and for the semi-instantaneous miles per gallon. The apparatus also includes a reset switch, a hold switch to maintain the indicator readings while not inhibiting the accumulation of further counts, and internal switches to accommodate vehicle-to-vehicle variations in rear end ratios and tire sizes. The method comprises the steps of generating a first series of pulses related to fuel flow to the engine so that a predetermined amount of fuel is consumed by the engine prior to emission of a pulse; generating a second series of pulses related to the distance traveled by the vehicle; summing and displaying a sum of all of the second-series pulses accumulated before a pulse emission from the first series. This displayed sum is then replaced by a subsequent sum accumulated up to emission of a respective subsequent pulse from the first series. Other steps include summing and displaying the entire first and second pulse series to respectively represent total fuel consumed and total miles traveled.
Inventors
- 👤 Rudolf F. Klaver
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 23:02
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01F; G01F9/00; G01F9/001
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
An apparatus for indicating distance traveled per unit of fuel used by a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, comprising: first means for generating a series of electrical pulses related to a given unit quantity of fuel flowing to said engine; second means for generating a series of electrical pulses related to a given unit of distance traveled by said vehicle; means for summing the series of pulses from said second means to form a distance-traveled sum; singular means for displaying said distance-traveled sum accumulated up to emission of a pulse from said first means so that said distance-traveled sum is equivalent to distance traveled per unit of fuel flowing to said engine; means for replacing a first distance-traveled sum with a subsequent distance-traveled sum on said means for displaying when each subsequent pulse from said first means is received by said means for summing so that semi-instantaneous distance traveled per unit of fuel flowing to said engine is displayed.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
160 words
An apparatus for indicating distance traveled per unit of fuel used by a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, comprising: first means for generating a series of electrical pulses related to a given unit quantity of fuel flowing to said engine; second means for generating a series of electrical pulses related to a given unit of distance traveled by said vehicle; means for summing the series of pulses from said second means to form a distance-traveled sum; singular means for displaying said distance-traveled sum accumulated up to emission of a pulse from said first means so that said distance-traveled sum is equivalent to distance traveled per unit of fuel flowing to said engine; means for replacing a first distance-traveled sum with a subsequent distance-traveled sum on said means for displaying when each subsequent pulse from said first means is received by said means for summing so that semi-instantaneous distance traveled per unit of fuel flowing to said engine is displayed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus for indicating distance traveled per unit of fuel used of Claim 1 including: means for summing the series of pulses related to the flow of fuel flowing to said engine to form a fuel-consumed sum for a given interval; and means for displaying said fuel-consumed sum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus for indicating distance traveled per unit of fuel used of Claim 1 including: means for summing the series of pulses related to the distance traveled by said vehicle to form a distance-traveled sum for a given interval; and means for displaying said distance-traveled sum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus for indicating distance traveled per unit of fuel used of Claim 3 including: means for summing the series of pulses related to the flow of fuel flowing to said engine to form a fuel consumed sum for a given interval; and means for displaying said fuel consumed sum.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
229 words
An apparatus for indicating miles per unit of fuel used by a vehicle wherein said vehicle has a tank interconnected through a fuel line with a means for supplying an internal combustion engine of said vehicle with a vaporized mixture of fuel and air, said apparatus comprising: a flow transducer adapted to sense the flow of liquid fuel by producing an electrical pulse rate related to a unit quantity of fuel flowing past said flow transducer to said internal combustion engine, said flow transducer mechanically connected to said fuel line interconnecting said fuel tank and said means for supplying a mixture of vaporized fuel and air to said engine; a distance transducer adapted to sense the distance said vehicle travels by producing an electrical pulse rate related to said distance traveled; means for summing the pulse rate from said distance transducer to form a distance-traveled sum; means for displaying said sum accumulated up to the emission of one pulse from said flow transducer so that said sum is equivalent to semi-instantaneous distance traveled per unit of fuel; and means for replacing a first distance-traveled sum with a subsequent distance-traveled sum on said means for displaying when each subsequent pulse from said flow transducer is received by said means for summing so that a semi-instantaneous distance traveled per unit quantity of fuel flowing to said internal combustion engine is displayed.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
229 words
An apparatus for indicating miles per unit of fuel used by a vehicle wherein said vehicle has a tank interconnected through a fuel line with a means for supplying an internal combustion engine of said vehicle with a vaporized mixture of fuel and air, said apparatus comprising: a flow transducer adapted to sense the flow of liquid fuel by producing an electrical pulse rate related to a unit quantity of fuel flowing past said flow transducer to said internal combustion engine, said flow transducer mechanically connected to said fuel line interconnecting said fuel tank and said means for supplying a mixture of vaporized fuel and air to said engine; a distance transducer adapted to sense the distance said vehicle travels by producing an electrical pulse rate related to said distance traveled; means for summing the pulse rate from said distance transducer to form a distance-traveled sum; means for displaying said sum accumulated up to the emission of one pulse from said flow transducer so that said sum is equivalent to semi-instantaneous distance traveled per unit of fuel; and means for replacing a first distance-traveled sum with a subsequent distance-traveled sum on said means for displaying when each subsequent pulse from said flow transducer is received by said means for summing so that a semi-instantaneous distance traveled per unit quantity of fuel flowing to said internal combustion engine is displayed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
293 words
The apparatus for indicating miles per gallon of fuel consumed by moving vehicle of Claim 5 further comprising: a first binary counter electrically connected to said flow transducer, said counter receiving said pulse rate from said flow transducer, respectively dividing said pulse rate to form a third pulse rate and an eighth pulse rate; a first frequency divider to receive said eighth pulse rate wherein said eighth pulse rate is divided to form a ninth pulse rate; and wherein said means for replacing a first distance traveled sum with a subsequent distance traveled sum further comprises a latch electrically connected to said first frequency divider which is acted upon by a pulse of said ninth pulse rate from said first frequency divider; and a delay electrically connected to said first frequency divider and wherein said means for summing said total number of pulses related to the distance traveled by said vehicle further comprises a second binary counter, said second binary counter receiving the pulse rate from said distance transducer and respectively dividing said pulse rate to form a fourth pulse rate and a fifth pulse rate; a first decimal counter to sum all pulses of said fourth pulse rate, said first counter electrically connected to said latch and wherein said means for displaying is a first readout electrically connected to said latch, so that all of said summed pulses of said fourth pulse rate are displayed on said first readout when said latch receives a pulse of said ninth frequency from said first frequency divider; and said delay in series with said first frequency divider and said first decimal counter to clear said first decimal counter after a pulse of said ninth pulse rate from said first frequency divider passes through said delay.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
90 words
The apparatus for indicating miles per gallon of fuel consumed by a moving vehicle of claim 6 further comprising a second frequency divider which divides said third pulse rate from said first binary counter to form a sixth pulse rate; a second decimal counter electrically connected to said second frequency divider wherein a series of pulses from said sixth pulse rate are summed for a given interval; and a second readout electrically connected to said second decimal counter wherein a sum of pulses from said sixth pulse rate is displayed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
109 words
The apparatus for indicating miles per gallon of fuel consumed by a moving vehicle of Claim 7 further comprising a third frequency divider electrically connected to said second binary counter so as to receive said fifth pulse rate; said third frequency divider dividing said fifth pulse rate from said second binary counter to form a seventh pulse rate; a third decimal counter electrically connected to said third frequency divider wherein a series of pulses of said seventh pulse rate are summed for a given interval; and a third readout electrically connected to said third decimal counter wherein a sum of said pulse of said seventh pulse rate is displayed.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for displaying the rate of fuel consumption of a vehicle that is powered by an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: generating a first series of electrical pulses related to fluid flow to said engine so that a predetermined amount of fuel is consumed before the emission of a pulse; generating a second series of electrical pulses related to distance traveled by said vehicle; summing said second series of pulses accumulated up to the emission of one pulse from said first series of pulses to form a sum; displaying said sum on a single readout so that miles traveled per unit of fuel consumed is visible; and replacing said sum with a subsequent sum on said readout with each subsequent pulse generated from said first series.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for displaying the rate of fuel consumption of a vehicle that is powered by an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: generating a first series of electrical pulses related to fluid flow to said engine so that a predetermined amount of fuel is consumed before the emission of a pulse; generating a second series of electrical pulses related to distance traveled by said vehicle; summing said second series of pulses accumulated up to the emission of one pulse from said first series of pulses to form a sum; displaying said sum on a single readout so that miles traveled per unit of fuel consumed is visible; and replacing said sum with a subsequent sum on said readout with each subsequent pulse generated from said first series.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
Method of Claim 9 including the step: summing for a given interval said second series of pulses to form a second sum; and displaying said second sum on a readout so that total amount of fuel consumed for said interval is displayed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of Claim 9 including the step of: summing for a given interval all of said pulses of said first series to form a third sum; and displaying said third sum on a readout so that total miles traveled for said interval is displayed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of Claim 11 including the steps: summing for said given interval said second series of pulses to form a second sum; and displaying said second sum on a readout so that total amount of fuel consumed for said interval is displayed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-09-28 | 1980-03-29 | 1980-09-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-09-28 | 1984-03-29 | 1984-09-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-09-28 | 1988-03-29 | 1988-09-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |