JPH0344204B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <<Field of the Invention>> The present invention provides a lubricating oil replacement timing system for a vehicle that warns about lubricating oil replacement when the amount of deterioration of the lubricating oil determined from the usage history of the lubricating oil reaches a predetermined amount. It concerns a warning device.

<<Background of the Invention>> Devices of this type are known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 57-151447 and Japanese Utility Model Application No. 59-21007, and an example of the conventional device is shown in FIG.

In the figure, when the warning light 10 is turned on, the engine oil 14 in the oil pan 12
The warning light 10 is controlled to be turned on by the replacement warning control circuit 16.

A detection signal from a detection circuit 18 is supplied to the replacement warning control circuit 16, and the detection circuit 18 is comprised of a sensor that detects the rotational speed of the engine 20 and a sensor that detects the temperature of the engine oil 14.

Then, in the replacement warning control circuit 16, each engine oil 14 is
The amount of deterioration according to the history of use is determined, and when any of them reaches a predetermined amount, a warning light 10 is turned on.

Further, a warning to replenish the engine oil 14 is given by lighting a warning light 22, and the warning light 22 is turned on when the MIN contact 26 of the level sensor 24 is turned on by the float 28.

Since this conventional device is configured as described above, when the engine oil 14 deteriorates, the warning light 10 is turned on and the engine oil 14 is replaced, and the engine oil 14 reaches the minimum required amount of engine lubricating oil. When the amount decreases and the MIN contact 26 is turned on, the warning light 22 is turned on to prompt replenishment of the engine oil 14.

However, in this conventional device, when the engine oil 14 is refilled, the engine oil 1 determined by the replacement warning control circuit 16 is
There was a problem that the amount of deterioration of No. 4 did not match the actual amount, and as a result, it was not possible to issue a warning for replacement at an accurate time.

≪Object of the Invention≫ The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a lubricating oil change for a vehicle that can alert the user to change the lubricating oil at an accurate time even if the lubricating oil is refilled. An object of the present invention is to provide a timing warning device.

<<Configuration of the Invention>> In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus according to the present invention is configured as shown in FIG.

That is, in the figure, the amount of deterioration of the lubricating oil is determined by the deterioration amount calculating means a from the usage history of the lubricating oil, and when the amount of deterioration of the lubricating oil reaches a predetermined amount, the replacement of the lubricating oil is notified by the replacement warning means b. You have been warned.

Further, the reduction of the lubricating oil to the minimum required amount is detected by the oil amount reduction detection means C, and the replenishment of the lubricating oil to a sufficient amount is detected by the replenishment detection means d.

Then, when lubricant replenishment to a sufficient amount is detected after a decrease in lubricant oil to the minimum required amount is detected, the lubricant deterioration amount previously calculated by deterioration amount calculation means b is changed to the deterioration amount correction means. It has been corrected by e.

<<Description of Implementation Order>> Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows a preferred first embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention, and the same members as those in the conventional apparatus shown in FIG.

The level sensor 24 of this embodiment has MAX contact 3.
0, and the MAX contact 30 is turned on when engine oil 14 is injected into the oil pan 12 in an amount sufficient to lubricate the engine 20.

The output signal is supplied to the replacement warning control circuit 16 and the replenishment warning control circuit 32, and the replenishment warning control circuit 32 is given the output signal of the MIN contact 26.

The replenishment warning control circuit 32 and the replacement warning control circuit 16 are integrally constructed using a microcomputer, and FIG. 4 shows the processing procedure in the form of a flowchart.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below according to the flowchart.

When the device of this embodiment is powered on, predetermined initial settings are performed, and then the process shown in FIG. 4 is repeated at predetermined intervals.

First, the rotational speed of the engine 20 and the temperature of the engine oil 14 detected by the detection circuit 18 are read (step 100), and the engine rotational speed is corrected based on the detected temperature of the engine oil 14 and the engine rotational speed is calculated by integrating the elapsed time. , the amount of deterioration of the engine oil 14 based on time is determined (step 102). Note that the engine rotation speed and time that are integrated are corrected based on the detected temperature of the engine oil 14.

Then, it is determined whether or not the engine oil 14 has deteriorated using these amounts of oil deterioration (step
104), when it is determined that the engine oil 14 has deteriorated, the warning light 10 is turned on (step 106), and the engine oil 14 is replaced. Note that when replacing the engine oil 14, the amount of deterioration of the engine oil 14 that has been determined up to that point is initialized.

In addition, in the process shown in FIG.
It is determined whether the amount of engine oil 14 has decreased to the minimum amount required for lubrication of engine oil 14 (step 108).
When the amount of oil reduced to the minimum amount necessary for lubricating the engine 20 and the MIN contact 26 is turned on, the warning light 22 is turned on and the engine oil 1 is turned on.
4 replenishment will be warned. (Step 110).

When it is confirmed that the engine oil 14 replenishment warning has been issued (step 112), new oil is refilled until the engine oil 14 in the oil pan 12 reaches a sufficient amount to lubricate the engine 20. It is monitored whether or not it has been completed (step 114).

At this time, when the MAX contact 30 is turned on and it is confirmed that the engine oil 14 in the oil pan 12 has been refilled with new oil until it reaches a sufficient amount, the warning light 22 is turned off (step 116). This instructs to stop the injection of new oil.

As a result, each time the engine oil 14 in the oil pan 12 decreases to the minimum amount necessary for lubricating the engine 20, an appropriate amount (for example, 1 liter) of new oil is replenished, and the replenishment amount remains constant.

When a certain amount of engine oil 14 is replenished in this way, the amount of deterioration of engine oil 14 that has been determined up to that point is corrected, so that the amount of deterioration matches the actual amount.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the engine oil 14
By replenishing the engine oil 14, the output time of the replacement warning is delayed, so that it is possible to always warn the engine oil 14 to be replaced at an accurate time.

Further, in this embodiment, a device for measuring the amount of new oil replenishment is not used, and a level sensor 2 for warning of replenishment is used.
4 is used for deterioration amount correction, so there is no increase in cost.

Furthermore, since stopping the injection of new oil is instructed by turning off the warning light 22, there is no need to check the oil level cage, which facilitates replenishment of new oil and oil replacement.

Next, a second preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention will be described.

An embodiment is shown in FIG. 5, in which the operating position of the ignition switch 34 is monitored by a replacement warning control circuit 16.

In this second embodiment, as shown in FIG.
When the ignition switch 34 is turned on and the vehicle is being driven (affirmative determination at step 120), lighting control of the warning light 10 is performed (steps 100, 102, 104, 106).

Furthermore, when the ignition switch 34 is turned off and the engine 20 is stopped (affirmative determination at step 122), lighting control of the warning light 22 and correction of the amount of deterioration are performed (steps 108, 110, 112). , 114, 116, 118).

As described above, in this embodiment, only when the engine oil 14 in the oil pan 12 changes from the minimum amount necessary for lubrication of the engine 20 to the sufficient amount while the vehicle is stopped, the previously required engine oil 14 is changed. The amount of deterioration is corrected.

Therefore, even if the MAX contact 30 is turned on after the MIN contact 26 is turned on due to vibration or inclination of the vehicle body, the deterioration amount correction will not be performed erroneously.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the vehicle is traveling on a rough road or starting on a steep slope, it is possible to always warn the driver to change the engine oil 14 at an accurate time.

<<Effects of the Invention>> As explained above, according to the present invention, the amount of lubricant deterioration determined up to that point is corrected when replenishing lubricating oil, so it is possible to always warn at the correct time to replace lubricating oil. becomes possible

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram corresponding to claims, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a conventional device, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a first preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram of the embodiment of FIG. A flowchart for explaining the operation, FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining the configuration of a second preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention,
This figure is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. a...Deterioration amount calculation means, b...Replacement warning means,
c...oil amount reduction detection means, d...replenishment detection means,
e...Deterioration amount correction means, 10...Warning light, 14...
...Engine oil, 16...Replacement warning control circuit,
18...Detection circuit, 22...Warning light, 24...Level sensor, 26...MIN contact, 28...Float, 30...MAX contact, 32...Replenishment warning control circuit, 34...Ignition switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Deterioration amount calculation means for determining the amount of lubricant deterioration from the usage history of the lubricant; Replacement warning means for warning to replace the lubricant when the amount of lubricant deterioration reaches a predetermined amount; Lubricating oil reduction detection means for detecting lubricant reduction to the required amount, replenishment detection means for detecting lubricant replenishment to a sufficient amount, and lubricant replenishment to the sufficient amount after the lubricant reduction to the minimum required amount is detected. A lubricating oil change time warning device for a vehicle, comprising: a deterioration amount correcting means for correcting the deterioration amount of the lubricating oil when oil filling is detected.