JP2986017B2 - Fuel level indicator for small marine engines - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel level display device for displaying a fuel level in a fuel tank of a small marine engine without a main switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A small boat called a personal watercraft or a personal water scooter standing at the floor of a hull or sitting on a straddle-type seat and running at high speed is generally known. In such a small watercraft, a display panel for displaying the liquid level of the fuel in the fuel tank is provided on an instrument panel on which the instrument is mounted, whereby the fuel is managed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0003] By the way, there is a case where water is relentlessly applied to the instrument panel while the ship is sailing, and the display surface becomes difficult to see. In the normal display on the display panel, the indicator light disappears when the fuel is full, and the indicator light is turned on when the fuel decreases. Is difficult to confirm.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to change the fuel display means so that the fuel can be surely confirmed. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel level display device for a small marine engine, which can easily find a failure of a liquid level detector installed on a liquid surface moving up and down vigorously and saves energy.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a small marine engine fuel level display device which performs switching based on an operation signal from operation detection means for detecting an operation state of the engine. The liquid crystal panel is connected to the CPU to which the power supply voltage is supplied via the means, and a signal indicating the position of the liquid level is input from the liquid level detector, and the display element of the display panel needs to be refueled. When the liquid level rises below the level, the display element is turned on when the liquid level rises.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a circuit diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a fuel level detector used in the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a view showing a display plate of the fuel gauge.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 10 denotes a hull, and a long straddle-type sheet 12 is attached to the center of the hull, and a footrest floor opened to the stern is provided on the left and right of the sheet 12. Is provided. Steering handle 1 in front of sheet 12
4, an instrument panel 16 is provided in front of and below it.

A water channel 22 is formed in the lower rear part of the hull 10 from an intake port 18 opening at the bottom of the hull to an injection port 20 opening at the stern. A propeller 24 is accommodated in the water passage 22, and the propeller 24 is driven to rotate by an engine 28 via a propeller shaft 26. For this reason, water is sucked into the water channel 22 from the water intake port 18, and this water is
It is injected from zero to obtain the propulsion of the ship. The injection port 20 is rotatable left and right, and is linked with the steering handle 14.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a fuel tank which is accommodated below the operation sheet 12. A liquid level detector 32 is attached to the fuel tank 30, and an output signal of the detector 32 is guided to a fuel gauge 34 attached to the instrument panel 16 to display a fuel amount.

As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid level detector 32 has a cylindrical guide 38 hanging from a cap 36, stoppers 40a-f fixed to the guide 38, and limited to these stoppers 40a-f. Float 4 with three permanent magnets 41a, b, c moving in predetermined sections A, B, C
2a, 2b, 2c, and lead switches 44a, 44b, which are arranged at positions corresponding to the upper portions of the sections A, B, C in the guide 38.
b, c and resistors 46a, b, c (see FIG. 1) connected in parallel to the respective lead switches 44a, b, c. Each stopper 40 has its upper and lower surfaces covered with rubber and a float 42.
Absorbs the shock when moving up and down violently due to the fluid level that fluctuates violently.

Each lead switch 44 is connected in series as shown in FIG. 1, one end of this series circuit is grounded and connected to the ground end of the fuel gauge 34, and the other end is connected via an A / D converter 48. Microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 50
Is connected to the data input terminal A of When the float 42 rises due to the liquid level and comes above each section A to C, the magnet 41 closes the lead switch 44. The CPU 50 determines the liquid surface position from the signal at the input terminal A, that is, the change in the output voltage or the resistance of the liquid surface detector 32, and sends it to the liquid crystal display panel 54, which is instrument display means, via the interface 52. indicate.

This display plate 54 has four display elements 56a to 56d as shown in FIG.
When a to c are off, that is, when the liquid level is below the level at which refueling is required, the element 56a blinks. When the liquid level rises and the lead switches 44a to 44c are sequentially turned on, the element 5
6b, 56c and 56d are sequentially turned on.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 60 denotes a magnet generator. The output of a power generating coil 62 is rectified in a rectifying / pressure regulating circuit 64 and controlled to a predetermined voltage (for example, 12 V), and is guided to a positive electrode of a battery 66. The output of the power generating coil 62 also serves as operation detection means X for outputting an operation signal x indicating whether or not the engine 28 is operating.

The operation signal x becomes an AC voltage during the operation of the engine 28, and this signal is input to the input terminal B of the CPU 50. This terminal B is a so-called interrupt port. The terminal B is connected to the CPU 5 every time the operation signal x is inputted.
The timer 50A within 0 is initialized, and when the operation signal x is no longer input, the accumulation of the time of the timer 50A is started.

Next, the switching means Y for displaying on the display panel 54 based on the operation signal x will be described with reference to FIG. The switching means Y turns on and off the display on the display board 54 by interrupting the power supply voltage Vcc of the CPU 50. That is, the constant voltage circuit 72 for generating Vcc and the battery 6
A switching PNP transistor 74 is interposed between the switching signal 6 and the switching signal X.6.
And is turned on by being grounded by the NPN transistor 76 which is turned on. Reference numeral 78 denotes a manual start switch, and when it is turned on, a power supply voltage is supplied to the base of the transistor 76 to turn on the transistors 76 and 74.
The power supply voltage Vcc is supplied to the CPU 50 to activate the CPU 50.

The NPN transistor 80 is for self-holding.
(Running / Stop) The output terminal is turned on, and the base of the transistor 74 is grounded. Therefore CP
During operation of U50, transistor 74 remains on,
The supply of the voltage Vcc is continued.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. First, if the start switch 78 is manually pressed (step 100)
The transistors 76 and 74 are turned on (steps 102 and 1).
04), the power supply voltage Vcc is supplied to the CPU 50 (step 106), and the CPU 50 is activated (step 10).
8). When the start switch 78 is operated in conjunction with the starter motor of the engine 28 to start the engine 28 (step 110), an operation signal x is inputted by this start (step 112), and the subsequent steps are performed. 102
to go into.

When the CPU 50 is started, its RS terminal becomes H
Level, and the transistor 80 is turned on to be self-held (step 114). Since the CPU 50 has entered the operating state, the display plate 54 is controlled based on the output of the liquid level detector 32.
The liquid level is displayed (step 116). When the operation signal x is input (step 118), the display on the display board 54 is continued. If the signal x is not input, the timer 50A in the CPU 50 starts measuring time (step 120). If the signal x is input (step 122), the timer 50A is cleared (step 124) and the display of the display board 54 is performed. . Signal x
When a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) elapses without inputting (step 126), the CPU 50 lowers the RS terminal to the L level. As a result, the transistors 80 and 74 are turned off (step 128), and the power to the CPU 50 is cut off, so that the CPU 50 is inoperative. Therefore, the display on the display board 54 is stopped (step 130).

In the above embodiment, when the start switch 78 is depressed, the CP is displayed on the display plate 54 for a predetermined time (30 seconds) even if the engine 28 is not running.
Although the control is performed by U50, the display may be performed on the display unit only by the operation signal x of the engine 28.

As described above, according to the present invention, the fuel amount can be viewed with the display element lit or blinking.
Further, if the display element does not perform the display, it is determined that the liquid level detector or the like has failed, and the display element performs the display during operation of the engine.

[0021]

The fuel level display device for a small marine engine according to the present invention has a CPU to which a power supply voltage is supplied via a switching means operated by an operation signal from an operation detection means for detecting an operation state of the engine. A liquid crystal display board is connected to and a signal indicating the position of the liquid level is input from a liquid level detector, and the display element of the display panel blinks when the liquid level is below a level that requires refueling, and when the liquid level rises Since the display element is turned on, the fuel amount can be viewed in a state where the display element is turned on or blinking, so that the display can be reliably determined and the fuel can be surely confirmed. Failure to do so will result in the failure of the liquid level detector, etc., so that it is easy to find out whether the failure has occurred. It is the most suitable for the ship.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a fuel level detector.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a personal watercraft to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display plate of a fuel gauge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 28 engine 32 liquid level detector 34 fuel gauge 50 CPU 54 liquid crystal display panel 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d display element X operation detection means x operation signal Y switching means Vcc power supply voltage

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A liquid crystal display panel is connected to a microcomputer to which a power supply voltage is supplied via a switching means operated by an operation signal from an operation detection means for detecting an operation state of an engine, and a liquid level detector detects the operation. A small boat, which inputs a signal indicating the position of the liquid level, blinks the display element of the display panel when the liquid level is lower than a level requiring refueling, and turns on the display element when the liquid level rises. Level display device of engine for automobile.