Indicating lubricant additive

Abstract

An indicating lubricant additive comprising a color-changable polymer having an outer layer of a first color, and an intermediate layer of a second color; and a lubricant sensing dipstick comprising a circuit housing, an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and lubricant sensing means disposed at said distal end, wherein in one embodiment, the sensing means detects a change in the indicating lubricant additive that is. present in a lubricant.

Description

[0001] This invention relates in one embodiment to a lubricant additive composition, and more particularly to an additive which changes in appearance in a manner that correlates with the lubricating properties of the lubricant through which it is distributed, and that results in a change in appearance in the overall lubricant-additive mixture. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] A lubricant additive composition which changes in appearance in a manner that correlates with the lubricating properties or aging of the lubricant through which it is distributed. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The use of viscous liquids and semi-solids (e.g. greases) as lubricants disposed between surfaces in motion at different velocities is well known and widely used. Such lubricants are used in particular in a variety of known mechanical apparatus, such as internal combustion (IC) engines, transmissions, electric motors, machine tools, and the like. The difference in velocities of the surfaces may be with ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026] This technique is advantageous because it is inexpensive compared to other approaches, and it can be adapted to any of a number of lubricant compositions. As a result of the invention, the user of a lubricant is able to easily determine the optimum time to replace such lubricant without complicated and expensive measurements and / or complex analyses.

Problems solved by technology

On a microscopic scale, the lubricant is subjected to an extremely high amount of shear, and possibly a high pressure, in the regions where the surfaces in motion are nearly in contact.

Nonetheless, lubricants still ultimately break down in use to a point where their properties are insufficient for the particular intended use, and bulk replacement of the lubricant within its containment boundary is required, such as e.g., an “oil change” in a vehicle.

Under most circumstances, the optimum point at which a bulk lubricant change should occur is uncertain, from a performance standpoint and ultimately an economic standpoint.

For example, while it is possible to make sophisticated rheological and compositional measurements of motor oil to indicate when such oil is failing to lubricate sufficiently, such measurements are not economically feasible to incorporate on vehicles sold to and used by customers.

Moreover, were such data available at a reasonable cost, the technical knowledge and experience required to interpret such data would generally preclude its use.

Thus the user of a lubricant, such as motor oil, is typically left with a simple prescription for lubricant change, such as “every 6000 miles or 6 months.” Such a prescription results in some instances of taking a functioning lubricant out of service prematurely, thereby losing the economic value of the remaining life of the lubricant, and also creating a hazardous waste that must be dealt with before otherwise necessary.

Such a prescription also results in some circumstances of taking a failing lubricant out of service too late, resulting in failure of the apparatus it was intended to protect.

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