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(11) | EP 0 139 807 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Device for timed or radio control of warm-up and ignition of the engine of a motor vehicle |
| (57) A time program (PT), or a radio control receiver (RTC), is associated with groups
of switches (1,2, ...13) whose contacts in the rest are in part closed and in part
open. These are operated in a pre-ordered functional sequence for ignition of the
pre-chamber warm-up spark plugs (CRP), for start-up of the starter motor (MA) and
for ignition of the engine. During these phases the possibilities of control of the
pre-chamber warm-up spark plugs (CRP) and the starter motor (MA) are interrupted one
by one. The device cannot operate if the gear shift lever is not in neutral. Timers
(TEC; TEA) exclude the device if after a pre-determined time the starter motor (MA)
does not start, or if the control panel (Q) is not turned on manually. The operator can effect engine ignition over time or at a distance. Therefore, damage to the engine from premature departure of the vehicle is prevented (Figure 1). |
[0001] The invention concerns a device for timed or radio control of warm-up and ignition of the engine of a motor vehicle.
[0002] It is known that before a motor vehicle powered by a spark ignited engine is put into gear, the engine should be warmed up to prevent the risk of wear or breakage, as well as to avoid poor initial performance. This is particularly i,portant when outside temperatures are low, or particularly in countries with a cold climate.
[0003] The same consideration is even more valid for diesel engines, where the engine must be warmed up.
[0004] The above factors mean that in any case the operator has a waiting period between engine ignition and the time when the vehicle may be put into gear, a wait which is always annoying and which is for the operator time lost.
[0005] A circuit is already known for diesel vehicles which connects the control panel with the spark plugs, with an indicator for the temperature level of the pre-combustion chamber warm-up spark plugs, and with the starter motor. This circuit is controlled by the operator himself with the first turh of the key in the ignition. After a certain time interval, necessary for the warm up, when the temperature level of the pre-combustion chamber is indicated as sufficient, the operator starts the engine by means of the starter motor, which the operator himself turns off once the engine has started.
[0006] Therefore said operations required for warm-up and ignition of the engine must be effected by the operator himself, so requiring his actual presence throughout the time interval between starting of the above spark plugs, ignition of the engine and its reaching a temperature level sufficient for good performance.
[0007] The aim of this invention is thus to allow these same operations to be performed without the operator's actual presence, thus saving time, avoiding an annoying wait and, not least, excluding the possibility that the operator by shortening the period, voluntarily or not, to complete said operations, damages the engine parts in what may be costly ways.
[0008] The invention achieves this aim by realizing a device with elements of a warm-up circuit which are already known, associated_in a pre-determined functional sequence with the following:
- a time program before the control panel and/or a radio control receiver at the radio half bridge, each of said controls being able to operate separately and alternately, independent of the manual device for turning on the panel;
- a first group of at least two switches, whose contacts are open in the rest position, operated by a first relay;
- a second group of at least two switches, whose contacts are open in the rest position, operated by a second relay;
- a third group of at least three switches, whose contacts are open in the rest position, operated by a third relay;
- a fourth group of atileast four switches, of which the contacts of two are open in the rest position and two are closed in the rest position, all four of which are operated by a fourth relay;
- a fifth group of at least two switches, whose contacts are closed in the rest position, operated by a fifth relay.
[0009] The main concept of the invention consists essentially in the fact that said pre-determined functional sequence occurs in three operating phase initiated respectively by:
- a command from a time program or from a radio control receiver, with consequent starting of the service panel and the pre-combustion chamber warm-up spark plugs;
- a command from the temperature gauge for the above spark plugs, with consequent ignition of the starter motor and interruption of any operating activity of the controls for the spark plugs;
- a command from the engine minimun gauge with consequent interruption of any operating possibility on the part of the controls for the spark plugs and starter motor.
[0010] The invention provides in any case that, despite the presence of the device which is its object, manual control by means of the panel may occur independently of the device itself. To this end, it provides the input to the device may be excluded by means of a suitable switch.
[0011] A measure indispensable to the device according to the invention going into operation consists in guaranteeing that this may occur only when the gear shift lever is in the neutral position. To this end the invention provides a switch which interrupts input to the device when the gear shift lever is not in the neutral position.
[0012] It may happen that for accidental cuases the engine of the vehicle may not start after a certain period of oper- ation of the starter motor. In order to prevent continuation of the ignition phase, the invention provides a timer which interrupts the command to the starter motor after a pre-determined time interval.
[0013] The operator of course may delay his access to the vehicle, or even decide suddenly to not use it. In this case, the invention provides a timer for the exclusion of the device and the shut-down of the engine.
[0014] According to the invention, the radio control device must be set for suitable recognition codes and for identif ication of only one specific motor vehicle, so that the radio control receiver does not accept commands from transmitters for receivers in other vehicles. Since this coding system is known in itself, it will not be treated here.
[0015] It should be noted that the polarty must be reversed depending on the reguirements of the particular motor vehicle', which may be equipped with one or more inverters, or may have undergone specific modifications.
[0016] It should also be noted that the device according to the invention has been realized deliberately with switches of conventional relay type in order to offer the operator an extremely simple and economical type of circuit, responsive as much as possible to the current values used in motor vehicles and, not least, consisting of elements easily found commercially in case replacements are reguired. For example, it would have been possible to realize the device using programs and memory by means of microprocessor, or using transistors or other types of non-linear elements completely or partially. However, this would have made the structure more complex and especially more costly and difficult to repair in case replacement parts were reguired.
[0017] Finally, one should note that with simple and bvious modifications the device may be adapted to non-diesel, that is spark, engines.
[0018] The advantages of the device as described above thus respond to the aims of the invention. After parking, the vehicles driver can establish the start-up time with the timer, or can control it with the radio control. He then need not wait for pre-heating of the spark plugs and/or engine to take place in his presence, but rather may get into the vehicle and simply drive away with no possibility whatsoever of damaging the engine due to a premature start. He may also count on the fact that any delay, or any dècision not to use the vehicle, or the nonignition of the engine, is perfectly handled by the device automatically. Finally, the operator finds, if desied, the interior of the vehicle warmed up and the windows cleared.
[0019] The object of the invention will be described below with reference to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawings in an exemplificative and non-limiting way. The figures show:
figure 1, a scheme of the device with the contacts in the rest position, excluded from input, including only elements essential to its operation;
figure 2, the same scheme after the command given by the timed program or the radio control device, where the contacts are in the position indicated by said command;
figure 3, the same scheme, after the command given by the pre-combusion chamber temperature gauge, with the contacts in the positions indicated by this second command;
figure 4, the same scheme, after the command given by the engine minimum gauge, with the contacts in the positions indicated by this third command
figure 5, the same scheme, including the accessory elements provided by the invention, in an inactive position, represented as blocks.
[0020] In the designs, the commands are shown with positive polarity. The positive polarity lines from battery B, indicated with LP, are drawn dark; the negative polarity lines from battery B, indicated with LN, are less pronounced; all the other lines are much thinner. It is in this way easier to recognize the different circuits.
[0021] In figure 1, the switch I excludes input from the device; under these conditions, the commands may be exercized only manually from the panel Q; the device is thus in the rest position. The five groups of contacts of which the device is composed are shown in their effective rest position, pricisely:
- contacts 12 and 13 of relay BeE are closed;
- contacts 1 and 2 of relay BeA are open;
- contacts 3 and 4 of relay ReB are open;
- contacts 5,6and 7 of relay ReC are open;
- contacts 8 and 11 of relay ReD are closed, while contacts 9 and 10 of the same relay are open.
[0022] In figure 2, switch I being closed, the device is connected to the battery B. A command PT or RTC with positive polarity has been given. Since contacts 13 of ReE and 11 of ReD are closed, the command, via lines L1, L2 and D3 arrives at BeA, which closes contact 1 and 2. Through contact 1, the input polarity reaches, via L4, ReB which in turn seals itself by means of contact 3 while contact 4 starts the panel Q. Through contact 2, the input polarity excites ReC through line L5, which seals itself by means of contact 6, while contacts 5 and 7 close. Contact 5 is only predisposed to a subseguent crossing; contact 7 feeds the pre-combustion chamber warm-up spark plugs.
[0023] In figure 3, the temperature gauge for the spark plugs ALT (generally a thermostat) having shown that operating temperature has been reched, provides in turn, finding contact 5 closed, a command through line L6 and L7 to excite ReD, which self-seal, by means of contact 9 through line L9, contact 12 and line L8. R e D also opens contact 11, which excludes any possibility of PT or RTC commands; contact 10 closes to power the starter motor MA and, with opening of contact 8, releases ReC. The immediate conseguence of the release of ReC is to stop input to the pre-combustion chamber warm-up spark plugs CRP, through contact 7.
[0024] In figure 4, the engine minimum gauge AM having indicated that the engine has started, it supplied a command to R e E through line L10 which opens contacts 12 and 13. Contact 12 releases the self sels of ReD, and contact 11 closes, while contact 13 of ReE, opened in turn by a command from AM, assumes the function of excluding any command from PT or RTC.
[0027] In figure 5, the switch which shows the position of the gear lever LC has the function of excluding input to the device whenever said shift lever is not in the neutral position; the same function is performed by the cycle timer TEC whenever the operator does not enter the vehicle after a certain time. An analogous function is performed by the ignition timer in the case in-which the engine, after the starter motor runs for a certain time, does not start. Said timers start to count from the moment in which they are started respectively by PT or RTC command from the timed program or from the radio receiver with regard to the cycle timer TEC, and from the ALT command from the prechamber warm-up spark plugs temperature gauge with regard to the ignition timer TEA.
- a time program (PT) before the control panel (Q) and/or a radio control receiver (RTC) at the radio half-bridge, each of said controls being able to operate separately and alternately, independent of the manual device for turning on the panel (Q);
- a first of at least two switches (1 ,2) whose contacts are open in the rest position, operated by a first relay (ReA);
- a second group of at least two switches (3,4), whose contacts are open in the rest position, operated by a second relay (ReB);
- a third group of at least three switches (5, 6, 7), whose contacts are open in the rest position, operated by a third relay (ReC);
- a fourth group of at least four switches (8, 9, 10, 11), of which the contacts pf two (9, 10) are open in the rest position and two (8, 11) are closed in the rest position, all foru of which (8, 9? 10, 11) are operated by a fourth relay (ReD);
- a fifth group of at least two switches (12,13), whose contacts are closed in the rest position, operated by a fifth relay (ReE) .
- a command from a time program (PT) or from a radio control receiver (RTC), with consequent starting of the service panel (Q) and the pre-combustion chamber warm-up spark plugs;
- a command from the temperature gauge (ALT), with consequent turning off of the spark plugs (CRP) preheating the pre-combustion chamber, ignition of the starter motor (MQ) and interruption of any possibility of operating commands (PT, RTC);
- a command from the engine minimum gauge (AM), with consequent interruption of any operating possibility on the part of the controls for the starter motor (MA).