Patent ID: 7034674
Filing Date: 2006-04-25
Classification: B60R,F02B,G04F,G04G,G07C

Abstract:
1. An hour meter having a display that provides a visual indication of a total time a lawn or garden tractor engine has operated and a visual indication of engine operation time remaining in a predetermined service time interval, comprising: a) a plurality of segments on said display that are selectively displayed in a first optical state or a second optical state; b) a power supply mounted to the lawn or garden tractor; and c) a display drive coupled to the power supply that displays said plurality of segments in said first optical state at a beginning of a predetermined service time interval, said display drive including a timer for monitoring intervals the display drive is energized and which changes the optical state of a first segment from the first optical state to the second optical state when the timer reaches a predetermined service time interval, said drive incrementally changes the state of a remainder of the plurality of segments from said first optical state to said second optical state as additional portions of the predetermined service time interval elapse to visually display the amount of engine operation time remaining in the predetermined service time interval.