JPS626525Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention detects contamination of oil such as engine lubricating oil and hydraulic oil of various mechanical devices and displays the degree of contamination. This invention relates to an oil contamination reduction display device that automatically informs the user of the amount of contamination.

Various types of oil are used in various engines and mechanical devices for lubrication or for transmitting pressure and power, but if these oils become contaminated beyond a certain level, they must be replaced with new ones. No. In addition, if the amount of oil decreases due to combustion, leakage, etc., it must be replenished immediately. In order to know when to replace the oil and how much weight has been reduced, conventional methods have been to insert a detection rod into the oil and visually observe the oil adhering to the tip of the rod to determine the state of contamination and to know the amount of oil. The oil was changed after the equipment had been operated for a certain period of time. However, with such conventional methods, inspection is troublesome, or it is easy to forget the timing of inspection or replacement.

The present applicant has obtained a device that warns of oil contamination by utilizing the fact that the intensity of light passing through the oil changes depending on the degree of contamination of the oil (Japanese Patent Application No. 31251/1983).
The present invention further develops this to provide a device that displays information according to oil status.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the above-mentioned earlier invention, in which oil 1
Wall surfaces 3 parallel to each other are arranged on the inner wall surface of the oil tank 2 in which oil is stored.
A cylindrical body 3 having an open top and a bottom and having a top and bottom opening is fixed, and a light emitting device 4 covered with a transparent protective cover 6 is placed inside one wall 3a of the cylindrical body 3, and a light emitting device 4 covered with a transparent protective cover 6 is placed inside the other wall 3b. A light receiver 5 is attached to the inside of each. The output of the light receiver 5 is transmitted through conductive wires 7a and 7b.
Sensing circuit 1 with comparator 8 and transistor 9
It is input to 0.

With this configuration, while the oil 1 is clean, the light from the emitter 4 hits the light receiver 5 sufficiently strongly, increasing the output voltage of the light receiver, which is transmitted to the detection circuit 10 through the conductors 7a and 7b. However, since the output of the light receiver 5 at this time has a small difference from the reference voltage based on the power supply voltage, the transistor 9 does not become conductive, and the alarm lamp 11 does not light up.

When the oil 1 becomes contaminated with use and the light reaching the light receiver 5 from the emitter 4 becomes weaker, the voltage entering the comparator 8 becomes lower, and the output of the comparator 8 makes the transistor 9 conductive and the alarm lamp 11 Apply a current to it and light it up. Therefore, there is no need to frequently check the oil 1 for contamination, and it is only necessary to replace the oil 1 when the alarm lamp 11 lights up.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the above-mentioned earlier invention, in which a light emitter 4 and a light receiver 5 are provided outside the oil tank 2.
Rods 12a, 12b made of glass fiber are provided to penetrate the wall surface of the oil tank 2, and the rods 12a, 12
The inner end surfaces of the oil tank 2 in b are opposed to each other with a slight interval, and a light emitting device 4 is installed near the outer end surface of the oil tank 2.
and a light receiver 5. The light from the emitter 4 passes through the rods 12a and 12b and reaches the receiver 5, but as the oil 1 becomes more contaminated, both rods 12a and 12
The light is blocked by the oil layer existing between b and the amount of light reaching the light receiver 5 is reduced, and a warning lamp is turned on by the same detection circuit as in the previous example.

In contrast to the above-mentioned previous invention, which issues one alarm when the oil reaches a critical state, the present invention provides a plurality of indicator lights, and the degree of oil contamination can be determined by blinking the indicator lights. Alternatively, each state in which the amount of oil has decreased significantly is automatically displayed, thereby making it possible to use the prior invention more effectively.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG.
This embodiment is an example showing two stages of oil cleanliness and pollution, and an oil amount shortage.

4a is a light emitting diode used as the light emitting device 4; 5a is a phototransistor serving as a light receiver 5 provided appropriately close to the light emitting diode 4a; 8;
a and 8b are comparison circuits. Each comparator circuit has one input terminal applied with a reference voltage obtained by dividing the power supply voltage by variable voltage dividers 13a and 13b, and the output of the phototransistor 5a applied to the other input terminal. This reference voltage is applied to the variable voltage divider 13
It can be changed by adjusting a and 13b, and is adjusted as follows. That is, the comparator 8a does not output an output at the output voltage that the phototransistor 5a outputs in response to the light from the light emitting diode 4a when the oil is the cleanest, but outputs when a voltage slightly higher than this is applied. voltage divider 13a so as to output
Adjusted by The comparator 8b receives the output of the phototransistor 5a and outputs an output while the oil gradually becomes contaminated and approaches a state where it should be replaced (while it can be used), and stops outputting when the oil becomes unusable. The voltage is adjusted by the voltage divider 13b.

The output terminal of the comparator 8a is connected to the AND circuits 16 and 17 via the inverters 14 and 15, and to the AND circuit 18 without passing through the inverter, and the output terminal of the comparator 8b is
It is connected directly to AND circuits 16 and 18 and to AND circuit 17 via an inverter 19. The output of each AND circuit 16, 17, 18 is the transistor 20, 2
The voltage is applied to the bases of transistors 1 and 22 to control conduction between the collector and emitter, and when these transistors become conductive, the respective light emitters 23, 24, and 25 are lit. As the light emitters 23, 24, 25,
Neon lamps, miniature light bulbs, light emitting diodes, etc. can be used. In the illustrated embodiment, the light emitter is described as a light emitting diode.

The operation of the display device configured in this way is as follows.

Light emitted from the light emitting diode 4a passes through the oil and enters the phototransistor 5a. As a result, the emitter and collector of the transistor 5a become conductive, and a voltage corresponding to the intensity of light is applied to the comparators 8a and 8b. This voltage is high when the oil is clean and low when it is dirty. Comparators 8a, 8b
is adjusted as described above, when the oil is clean, there is no output from the comparator 8a, but an input is applied to the AND circuit 16 because of the inverter 14. Similarly, an input is applied to the AND circuit 17 by the inverter 15, but is not input to the AND circuit 18. Further, the comparator 8b outputs an output because it is adjusted as described above, and this is applied to the AND circuit 16 together with the output of the inverter 14, so the AND circuit 16
An output is output from the transistor 20, making the transistor 20 conductive and causing the light emitting diode 23 to emit light. As a result, the light emitting diode 23 indicates that the oil is clean. At this time, the output of the comparator 8b is not input to the AND circuit 17 because of the inverter 19, and the output of the comparator 8a is not applied to the AND circuit 18, so both transistors 21 and 22 are not conductive.
The light emitting diodes 24 and 25 do not light up.

When the oil becomes contaminated to the extent that it should be replaced, both comparators 8a and 8b lose their output, so the AND circuits 16 and 18 do not output, and therefore the light emitting diodes 23 and 25 do not light up. Since inputs are applied to the AND circuit 17 due to the inverters 15 and 19, an output is output from the AND circuit 17, making the transistor 21 conductive and lighting the light emitting diode 24. This light emitting diode 24 indicates that the oil needs to be changed.

When the amount of oil is insufficient and no oil exists between the light emitting diode 4a and the phototransistor 5a,
The output of the transistor 5a increases, and the comparator 8a also outputs an output. Since the comparator 8a also outputs an output, both outputs are added to the AND circuit 18, which outputs an output and connects the transistor 2.
2 is made conductive, thereby causing the light emitting diode 25 to light up to indicate an insufficient amount of oil. AND circuit 16,
Since inverters 14, 15 and 19 are connected to 17, one or both of the outputs of comparators 8a and 8b are cut off at this time, and both AND circuits 16 and 1
7 does not operate, therefore the light emitting diodes 23, 24
does not light up.

In this way, the light-emitting diode 23 indicates that the oil is clean and usable, the light-emitting diode 24 indicates that the oil is dirty and must be replaced, and the light-emitting diode 24 indicates that the oil is insufficient. 25, the operator can know the condition of the oil and take necessary measures based on these lighting conditions.

The above embodiment shows an example in which three indicator lights are lit according to their respective states using two comparators and three AND circuits, but by changing the number of these combinations, four or more indicators can be displayed. Make the lights blink,
It is also possible to display the oil condition in even more detailed classification.

As can be seen from the above embodiments, the oil contamination and weight loss display device of the present invention automatically displays the status of oil pollution and weight loss by lighting up, thereby enabling safe and good use of the device. It has a great practical effect as a device that saves the troublesome labor of inspection, and also allows you to understand the condition of the oil at a glance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing two embodiments of the oil pollution warning device of the prior invention, and FIG. 3 is a wiring diagram showing the configuration of the oil pollution reduction display device of the present invention. 1: Oil, 2: Oil tank, 3: Cylindrical body, 3a, 3b: Wall surface, 4: Light emitter, 4a: Light emitting diode, 5: Light receiver, 5a: Phototransistor, 6: Protective cover, 7a, 7b: Conductive wire, 8, 8a, 8b: comparator, 9: transistor, 10: detection circuit, 11:
Alarm lamp, 12a, 12b: Rod, 13a, 1
3b: Voltage divider, 14, 15: Inverter, 16, 1
7, 18: AND circuit, 19: Inverter, 20, 2
1, 22: transistor, 23, 24, 25: light emitter.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Two comparators 8 to which the output of the light receiver 5 is applied, which receives the light from the light emitter 4 through oil and produces an electrical output.
a, 8b are provided, and the first comparator 8a does not output an output even if the output of the light receiver 5 when the oil is the cleanest is applied, but outputs an output when the output of the light receiver 5 becomes higher than that. The second comparator 8b outputs an output while the oil is usable, and does not output when the oil becomes unusable, and the first comparator 8a
The output terminals of the comparator 8b are connected to the first AND circuit 16 and the second AND circuit 17 via inverters, and also directly connected to the third AND circuit 18, and the output terminal of the second comparator 8b is connected directly to the third AND circuit 18. First AND circuit 16
and the third AND circuit 18, and is connected to the second AND circuit 17 via an inverter, and is lit by the output of each AND circuit.
3, 24, and 25 are respectively connected to each other.