Carbon monoxide detecting system for internal combustion engine-based machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503984-B2
Application number	US-202418416766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2024
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

An internal combustion engine-based system includes an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine-based system includes an engine interrupt connected to the engine. The engine interrupt is configured to selectively stop the operation of the engine. The internal combustion engine-based system includes a controller in communication with the engine interrupt. The internal combustion engine-based system includes a carbon monoxide detector in communication with the controller. The controller uses the engine interrupt to stop the operation of the engine when the carbon monoxide detector provides the controller with signals that are representative of a carbon monoxide level proximate the internal combustion engine that together form a trend of building carbon monoxide amounts over a set time interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An internal combustion engine-based system comprising:
an internal combustion engine; an engine interrupt connected to the engine, wherein the engine interrupt is configured to selectively stop operation of the engine; a controller in communication with the engine interrupt; and a carbon monoxide detector in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to gather a set of carbon monoxide detector readings that are representative of a carbon monoxide level proximate the internal combustion engine and process the set of carbon monoxide detector readings using a regression analysis to determine a slope, wherein the controller uses the engine interrupt to stop the operation of the engine when the slope exceeds a threshold.

2 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein a signal is sent to the engine interrupt by the controller when the slope is positive over a set time interval.

3 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 2 , wherein the set time interval is between about 15 seconds and about 60 minutes.

4 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein carbon monoxide detector readings provided to the controller by the carbon monoxide detector are representative of the carbon monoxide level in an environment surrounding the internal combustion engine.

5 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a PID controller.

6 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon monoxide detector automatically ceases the operation of the internal combustion engine when communication between the carbon monoxide detector and the controller is interrupted.

7 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein the controller uses the engine interrupt to stop the operation of the engine if at least one of an audio and visual alarm is activated.

8 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a wireless communication module.

9 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein the controller communicates signals with a remote device that are representative of at least one of a status of the internal combustion engine and the carbon monoxide detector.

10 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 9 , wherein the signals communicated to the remote device are representative of the carbon monoxide level proximate to the internal combustion engine.

11 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 9 , wherein the remote device is a mobile device.

12 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , further comprising a secondary sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the secondary sensor is configured to communicate signals to the controller that are representative of the carbon monoxide level proximate to the internal combustion engine.

13 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , further comprising a secondary sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the secondary sensor is at least one of a carbon monoxide sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, and a timer.

14 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein the controller uses the engine interrupt to cease the operation of the engine when the controller determines signals from the carbon monoxide detector exceed a minimum noise threshold.

15 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 14 , wherein the controller alters the minimum noise threshold based on historic signals received from the carbon monoxide detector.

16 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine is integral in a generator, wherein the generator is configured to transform mechanical power created by the internal combustion engine into electrical power.

17 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a predetermined shutoff threshold that indicates a trend of building carbon monoxide amounts over a set time interval, wherein the controller uses the engine interrupt to stop the operation of the engine when the predetermined shutoff threshold is exceeded.

18 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 17 , further comprising an additional sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the controller alters the predetermined shutoff threshold that indicates the trend of building carbon monoxide amounts over the set time interval based on signals received from the additional sensor.

19 . The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 17 , wherein the controller alters the predetermined shutoff threshold that indicates the trend of building carbon monoxide amounts over the set time interval based on historic signals received from the carbon monoxide detector.

Assignees

• Generac Power Systems Inc

Inventors

• Wischstadt Gregory A
• Schroeder Adam M
• Horn Mitchell L
• Schmidt Brandon
• Cole Kevin
• Tesch Tod R

Classifications

• F02B77/086

  Sensor arrangements in the exhaust, e.g. for temperature, misfire, air/fuel ratio, oxygen sensors · CPC title

• F02B63/048

  Portable engine-generator combinations · CPC title

• F02D41/22

  Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions {(in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809)} · CPC title

• F02D41/1453

  the characteristics being a CO content or concentration · CPC title

• F02D41/042 Primary

  for stopping the engine · CPC title