US4602507A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for monitoring and visually displaying the operation of an internal combustion engine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1985-04-19
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Granted: 1986-07-29
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Expires: 2005-04-19
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for detecting a misfiring condition in an internal combustion engine by monitoring the acoustic pressure wave in the engine's exhaust system and producing a visual indication of each occurrence of combustion in the engine, or by monitoring the ignition system of a spark-ignition type of engine and producing a visual indication of each occurrence of an ignition spark in the engine.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold D. Hayes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 15:22
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M15/00; G01M15/04; G01M15/10; G01M15/102; G01M15/106
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
An apparatus for monitoring the operation of an internal combustion engine and providing a visual display indicative of the monitored operation, said apparatus comprising: (a) an electroacoustic transducer for sensing the acoustic pressure wave of the exhaust of the engine being monitored and providing an electroacoustic signal including a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of combustion in the engine being monitored; (b) circuit means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said transducer, said circuit means including amplifier circuit means for amplifying the received electroacoustic signal and threshold circuit means for removing spurious pulses from the electroacoustic signal; (c) visual display means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said circuit means and respond thereto by producing a visual indication of the occurrence of each pulse in the received electroacoustic signal; and (d) synchronization means coupled to said visual display means for synchronizing the production of visual indications by said visual display means with the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
165 words
An apparatus for monitoring the operation of an internal combustion engine and providing a visual display indicative of the monitored operation, said apparatus comprising: (a) an electroacoustic transducer for sensing the acoustic pressure wave of the exhaust of the engine being monitored and providing an electroacoustic signal including a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of combustion in the engine being monitored; (b) circuit means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said transducer, said circuit means including amplifier circuit means for amplifying the received electroacoustic signal and threshold circuit means for removing spurious pulses from the electroacoustic signal; (c) visual display means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said circuit means and respond thereto by producing a visual indication of the occurrence of each pulse in the received electroacoustic signal; and (d) synchronization means coupled to said visual display means for synchronizing the production of visual indications by said visual display means with the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said visual display means comprises: (a) a rotatably drivable disc; (b) an indicator light on said disc; and (c) connector means for coupling the electroacoustic signal from said circuit means to said indicator light for illumination of said indicator light upon receipt of each pulse in the electroacoustic signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said synchronization means comprises means for rotatably driving said disc at a speed which substantially matches the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said synchronization means comprises: (a) a variable speed electric motor having an output shaft upon which said disc is mounted for rotation; and (b) means in the power supply of said variable speed electric motor for adjustably varying the voltage supplied to said motor for adjusting rotational speed of said motor to match the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
104 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said synchronization means comprises: (a) a synchro generator for connection to a rotating element of the engine being monitored so that the rotating element provides a rotary input to said synchro generator which responds by producing an electric output signal indicative of the rotational input; and (b) a synchro motor having an output shaft upon which said disc is mounted for rotation, said synchro motor coupled to receive the electric output signal from said synchro generator and respond by rotationally driving its output shaft at the same speed as the rotary input to said synchro generator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
124 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising: (a) conductor means for connection to the ignition circuit of the engine being monitored for sensing and transmitting an ignition signal having a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of a spark in the ignition system; (b) voltage divider means for receiving the ignition signal from said conductor means and reducing the voltage value thereof; and (c) switch means in said circuit means between the amplifier circuit means and the threshold circuit means thereof, said switch means being coupled to receive the ignition signal from said voltage divider means and the electroacoustic signal from said amplifier circuit means and operable for selective application of those signals to said threshold circuit means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said visual display means includes a plurality of indicator lights.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
199 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said synchronization means comprises: (a) encoder means for placement proximate a rotating component of the engine being monitored for sensing the rotational speed thereof and producing an electric signal means having a frequency determined by the rotational speed of the rotating component; (b) counter means coupled to receive the electric signal means from said encoder means and respond by producing a plurality of output signals at a sequential rate corresponding to the frequency of the received electric signal means from said encoder means; (c) a plurality of driver means each coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said circuit means and each coupled to receive a different one of the output signals from said counter means, said plurality of driver means sequentially producing output signals with each of said driver means producing its output signal upon simultaneous receipt of the electroacoustic signal from said circuit means and its respective one of the output signals from said counter means; and (d) each of said plurality of driver means being coupled to transmit its output signal to a different one of said plurality of indicator lights for sequential illumination of said indicator lights.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said encoder means is an optical encoder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
83 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said encoder means comprises: (a) a disc for connection to the rotating component of the engine being monitored for rotational driving of said disc, said disc having a plurality of apertures disposed in a circular array therein; and (b) optical sensing means producing the electric signal means of said encoder means, said optical sensing means being for fixed positioning relative to said disc and aligned with the circular array of apertures provided in said disc.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
132 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said encoder means comprises: (a) a disc for connection to the rotating element of the engine being monitored for rotational driving of said disc, said disc having a plurality of apertures formed in a circular array therein and a different singular aperture formed therein in offset relationship with said circular array of apertures; and (b) optical sensing means for fixed positioning relative to said disc for producing the electric signal means of said encoder means, said optical sensing means being adapted to provide said electric signal means with a plurality of counter pulses corresponding to the number of apertures in the circular array of said disc and to provide said electric signal means with a single timing pulse for each revolution of said disc.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
241 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said synchronization means comprises: (a) encoder means for placement proximate a rotating element of the engine being monitored for sensing the rotational speed thereof and producing a first electric siginal having a frequency determined by the rotational speed of the rotating element of the engine and a second electric signal having one pulse per revolution of the rotating element of the engine being monitored; (b) counter means coupled to receive the first and second electric signals from said encoder and responding by providing a plurality of output signals at a sequential rate corresponding to the frequency of the first electric signal from said encoder means, said counter means being reset upon receipt of the one pulse of said second electric signal from said encoder means; (c) a plurality of driver means each coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said circuit means and each coupled to receive a different one of the output signals from said counter means, said plurality of driver means sequentially producing output signals with each of said driver means producing its output signal upon simultaneous receipt of the electroacoustic signal from said circuit means and its respective one of the output signals from said counter means; and (d) each of said plurality of driver means being coupled to transmit its output signal to a different one of said plurality of indicator lights for sequential illumination of said indicator lights.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said encoder means is an optical encoder means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
129 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said encoder means comprises: (a) a disc for connection to the rotating element of the engine being monitored for rotational driving of said disc, said disc having a plurality of apertures formed in a circular array therein and having a different singular aperture formed therein in an offset relationship with said circular array of apertures; (b) first optical sensing means for fixed positioning relative to said disc in alignment with the circular array of apertures of said disc for producing the first electric signal of said encoder means; and (c) second optical sensing means for fixed positioning relative to said disc in alignment with the different singular aperture of said disc for producing the second electric signal of said encoder means.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
173 words
An apparatus for monitoring the operation of an internal combustion engine and providing a visual display indicative of the monitored operation, said apparatus comprising: (a) an electroacoustic transducer for sensing the acoustic pressure wave of the exhaust of the engine being monitored and producing an electroacoustic signal having a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of combustion in the engine being monitored; (b) amplifier circuit means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said transducer and amplify the received signal; (c) threshold circuit means coupled to receive the amplified electroacoustic signal from said amplifier circuit means for removing the spurious pulses from said electroacoustic signal; (d) visual display means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said threshold circuit means and respond thereto by producing a visual indication of the occurrence of each pulse in the received electroacoustic signal; and (e) synchronization means coupled to said visual display means for synchronizing the production of the visual indications of said visual display means with the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
173 words
An apparatus for monitoring the operation of an internal combustion engine and providing a visual display indicative of the monitored operation, said apparatus comprising: (a) an electroacoustic transducer for sensing the acoustic pressure wave of the exhaust of the engine being monitored and producing an electroacoustic signal having a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of combustion in the engine being monitored; (b) amplifier circuit means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said transducer and amplify the received signal; (c) threshold circuit means coupled to receive the amplified electroacoustic signal from said amplifier circuit means for removing the spurious pulses from said electroacoustic signal; (d) visual display means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said threshold circuit means and respond thereto by producing a visual indication of the occurrence of each pulse in the received electroacoustic signal; and (e) synchronization means coupled to said visual display means for synchronizing the production of the visual indications of said visual display means with the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
88 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 and further comprising: (a) said visual display means including, I. a rotatable disc; II. an indicator light on said disc, III. connector means for coupling the electroacoustic signal from said threshold circuit means to said indicator light for illumination of said indication light upon receipt of each pulse in said electroacoustic signal; and (b) said synchronization means including means for supporting said disc and rotatably driving said disc at a speed which substantially matches the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
101 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 and further comprising: (a) said visual display means including a plurality of indicator lights; and (b) said synchronization means including, I. encoder means for placement proximate a rotating element of the engine for sensing the rotational speed thereof and producing an electric signal indicative of the sensed speed, II. display control circuit means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signal from said threshold circuit means and the electric signal from said encoder means and using the latter of those signals for synchronizing the utilization of the former signal for sequential illumination of said indicator lights.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
120 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 and further comprising: (a) conductor means for connection to the ignition circuit of the engine being monitored for sensing and transmitting an ignition signal having a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of a spark in the ignition system; (b) voltage divider means for receiving the ignition signal from said conductor means and reducing the voltage value thereof; and (c) switch means between said amplifier circuit means and said threshold circuit means, said switch means being coupled to receive the ignition signal from said voltage divider means and the electroacoustic signal from said amplifier circuit means and being operable for selective application of those signals to said threshold circuit means.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
274 words
An apparatus for monitoring the operation of a spark-ignition internal combustion engine and producing a visual display indicative of the monitored operation, said apparatus comprising: (a) conductor means for connection to the ignition system of the engine being monitored to sense and transmit an ignition signal having a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of a spark in the ignition system; (b) voltage divider means coupled to said conductor means for reducing the voltage of the ignition signal; (c) an electroacoustic transducer for sensing the acoustic pressure wave of the exhaust of the engine being monitored and producing an electroacoustic signal including a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of combustion in the engine being monitored; (d) amplifier means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signals from said transducer and amplify the received signals; (e) switch means coupled to receive the ignition signal from said voltage divider means and the electroacoustic signal from said amplifier means; (f) threshold circuit means coupled to receive the ignition signal and the electroacoustic signal from said switch means for removing the spurious pulses from the received signal; (g) said switch means operable for selective application of the received ignition signal and the received electroacoustic signal to said threshold circuit means; (h) visual display means coupled to receive the signal from said threshold circuit means and respond thereto by producing a visual indication of the occurrence of each pulse in the received signal; and (i) synchronization means coupled to said visual display means for synchronizing the production of the visual indications by said visual display means with the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
274 words
An apparatus for monitoring the operation of a spark-ignition internal combustion engine and producing a visual display indicative of the monitored operation, said apparatus comprising: (a) conductor means for connection to the ignition system of the engine being monitored to sense and transmit an ignition signal having a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of a spark in the ignition system; (b) voltage divider means coupled to said conductor means for reducing the voltage of the ignition signal; (c) an electroacoustic transducer for sensing the acoustic pressure wave of the exhaust of the engine being monitored and producing an electroacoustic signal including a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of combustion in the engine being monitored; (d) amplifier means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signals from said transducer and amplify the received signals; (e) switch means coupled to receive the ignition signal from said voltage divider means and the electroacoustic signal from said amplifier means; (f) threshold circuit means coupled to receive the ignition signal and the electroacoustic signal from said switch means for removing the spurious pulses from the received signal; (g) said switch means operable for selective application of the received ignition signal and the received electroacoustic signal to said threshold circuit means; (h) visual display means coupled to receive the signal from said threshold circuit means and respond thereto by producing a visual indication of the occurrence of each pulse in the received signal; and (i) synchronization means coupled to said visual display means for synchronizing the production of the visual indications by said visual display means with the RPM of the engine being monitored.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
117 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 19 and further comprising: (a) an electroacoustic transducer for sensing the acoustic pressure wave of the exhaust of the engine being monitored and producing and electroacoustic signal including a multiplicity of pulses each indicative of a different occurrence of combustion in the engine being monitored; (b) amplifier means coupled to receive the electroacoustic signals from said transducer and amplify the received signals; and (c) switch means coupled to receive the ignition signal from said voltage divider means and the electroacoustic signal from said amplifier means, said switch being coupled to the input of said threshold circuit means and being operable for selective application of those signals to said threshold circuit means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2057968A
Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-07-28 | 1990-01-27 | 1990-07-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-07-28 | 1994-01-27 | 1994-07-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-07-28 | 1998-01-27 | 1998-07-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |