Abstract: In a rotary vane-type compressor the rotor, the housing and the side plates are made of the same kind of material as one another. A plurality of vane grooves the length of each of which is as long as the thickness of the rotor is provided on the rotor. A set of vanes which is made of a different material than the rotor, more particularly a material the coefficient of thermal expansion of which is larger than that of the rotor, is received in the vane grooves in such manner that the end faces thereof face against the side plate. And the width of the vanes longitudinally of the rotor is determined as follows. The width is slightly less than the thickness of the rotor when the temperature there of is less than normal, but when the temperature becomes high the vane width becomes slightly greater than the thickness of the rotor because of the difference of the coefficients of thermal expansion.

Abstract: An engine control method and apparatus generally applicable to those control systems of the engine such as an ignition system, fuel injection system, etc., which are controlled to optimum operation in accordance with the engine operating conditions. A plurality of angular pulses are generated during each rotation of the engine and these pulses are counted. In response to each pulse, an angular interrupt request is generated and the interrupt is performed in response thereto. The angular interrupt routines are of the highest priority and are executed irrespective of the execution status of the central processing unit to control an electric device associated with the engine in accordance with control data calculated by the central processing unit. Program interrupt requests are generated during selected angular interrupt routines when the counted number of angular pulses reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: A plastic cover comprising a pair of matable convex cover halves each having flanged projections, and fixtures which hold the corresponding opposite flanged projections of the two cover halves when the two cover halves are connected to each other, said fixtures each comprising an elastic clip of a leaf spring having bent free ends which hold the flanged projections therebetween and a center recess located between the free ends for enabling the free ends to be easily and elastically deformed when the clips are attached to the corresponding flanged projections.

Abstract: A method for controlling ignition timing of an internal combustion engine using an electronic ignition timing control apparatus includes the steps of:(i) setting ignition timing when the engine is under load to a value determined by the amount of intake air flow and the rotational speed of the engine;(ii) setting ignition timing when the engine is at idle to a value retarded with respect to the value when the engine is under load, regardless of the amount of intake air flow; and(iii) setting ignition timing during a transition from loaded operation to idling operation to the idle value after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since the start of idling operation.

Abstract: Clutch operation signal issued in operational association with depression of a clutch pedal are taken as answer-back signals into an electronic control unit (ECU), a starter start command signal is issued in response to one of these answer-back signals. Additionally, a clutch upper switch and a clutch lower switch, which constitute a clutch sensor and are connected in series to each other, are inserted into a starter relay driving system, so that start due to mistaken operation and the like of ECU can be avoided.

Abstract: An engine control method generally applicable to those control systems of the engine such as an ignition system, fuel injection system, etc., which are controlled to optimum operation in accordance with engine operating conditions. Angular pulses are generated each time the output shaft of the engine rotates a predetermined angular amount. These angular pulses are counted from the occurrence of a position pulse which is generated at a predetermined angular position of the output shaft of the engine. A central processor is employed to calculate a first angular position at which an electric device for the engine is to be controlled. The central processor also calculates a time interval between the first angular position and a second angular position at which one of the angular pulses is to be provided just before the first angular position. When the angular pulse counting reaches a value corresponding to the second angular position, fixed frequency clock pulses are then counted.

Abstract: The minimum fuel injection time is on electronically controlled fuel injection engine is set in relation to the running condition of the engine. For example, in shift change, when the throttle valve is in the idling angle and the revolution speed of the engine is high, the minimum fuel injection time is set to a small value to improve the efficiency of fuel consumption. Also, at the completion of fuel cut-off when the revolution speed of the engine is low, the minimum fuel injection time is set to a large value to improve the driveability of the vehicle.

Abstract: An electronic engine control apparatus and method for computing various engine operating parameters such as fuel injection amount on the basis of input signals from a temperature sensor which detects engine temperature, wherein the signals from the temperature sensor are read more frequently before the complete explosion (i.e., running without a starter motor) of the engine than after attainment of complete explosion (i.e., after a start period) so that degradation of accuracy in the computed fuel injection amount, due to variation of the input signals from the temperature sensor which is caused by the starting motor, is reduced.

Abstract: An exhaust particle cleaning device for a diesel engine includes a trap case provided in a passage way of exhaust gas. A filter material is disposed in the trap case so that carbon particles or other exhaust particles contained in the exhaust gas can be caught within the filter material during the time the exhaust gas is passed through the filter material. A plurality of electric heater elements are spread or dispersed on the upstream end face of the filter material, so that the exhaust gas passes through the areas defined between the plurality of heater elements. The electric heater element may be coated with a ceramic material.

Abstract: A rotary driving apparatus suitable for use for a flow control valve provided with a rotor valve rotatably mounted in a housing. The rotor valve is connected to a permanent magnet member. The permanent magnet member is arranged adjacent to a pair of diametrically spaced ends of a core on which a coil is wound so that the ends are oppositely magnetized to provide a two pole electric motor, stopper means is provided for allowing limited rotary motion of the rotor between a first position and a second position. The permanent magnet member is so arranged with respect to the ends of the core that a torque is, during the de-energization of the coil, generated in order to engage the stopper means. Thus, the first or second position of the rotor valve is maintained without energization of the coil.

Abstract: A drive shaft assembly has a first shaft, a casing receiving an end portion of the first shaft through an opening at its one end and provided with a first flange on the periphery of the other end, a second shaft provided with a second flange to be joined with the first flange, and an end cover held between the first and second flanges and adapted to hold a sealing member in association with the first flange. The first and second flanges and end cover are respectively provided with bolt holes through which bolts extend. Two knock pins are secured to one of the first and second flanges and extend in an axial direction through knock pin holes in the end cover and are received in knock pin holes provided in the other flange. Centering of the first and second shafts can effectively be made by centering the first and second flanges by way of the knock pin engagement.

Abstract: In a vehicle body structure wherein a reinforcement panel is fixedly arranged at an angle to reinforce an upright fire-wall panel in the form of a rear wall of an engine room for mounting a power transmission unit together with an internal combustion engine in the engine room and wherein each of the panels is provided with a through hole through which at least a push-pull cable of the power transmission unit extends into the vehicle compartment to be connected to a manual shift lever, a support structure for the push-pull cable comprises a pair of cover members of elastic material fixedly coupled over the through hole of each of the panels for resiliently supporting and clamping the push-pull cable thereon and for closing the interior space between the panels.

Abstract: A temperature sensitive negative-pressure control valve is provided with a pressure adjusting means functioning to output a constant negative-pressure which is determined by the biasing force of an adjusting spring, and a temperature sensitive device for varying the biasing force of the adjusting spring, whereby variation of the biasing force of the adjusting spring imparted to the pressure adjusting device according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensitive device warrants outputting of continuously varying negative-pressure in response to the variation of the detected temperature.

Abstract: The invention represents an auto bumper with an exterior part which can be seen from the outside. The exterior part is made of stainless steel plate and an interior part is made of fiber reinforced plastics via a layer of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

Abstract: A low coast shift (LCS) valve and a low coast shift control (LCC) valve are disposed coaxially with a shift valve, and a spring is disposed between the LCS valve and LCC valve. In the range in which engine braking occurs, the LCC valve is at first displaced by the line pressure toward the LCS valve. Displacement of the LCC valve is transmitted by way of the spring to the LCS valve and the shift valve. This displacement of the LCC valve is limited by a stopper, so that displacement of the LCS valve and the shift valve following the displacement of LCC valve are dependent on the relationship of the spring with the governor pressure. When displacement of the shift valve has reached a given distance, a port opens. Since the line pressure from the port is much higher than the governor pressure, the shift valve is instantaneously downshifted as soon as the aforesaid port has opened.

Abstract: An occupant's side holding device for the seat back of an automotive seat in which occupant's body side holders are rockably provided in the lateral direction of the seat back at both the right and left side of the seat back comprising operating shafts vertically provided at both the right side and left side, a threaded shaft rotatably journaled to the seat back frame and an interlocking rod being connected between the operating shafts for symmetrically operating the shafts. A rockable arm is further secured to one operating shaft and is integrally formed with the operating shaft to be rocked in the lateral direction of the seat back upon rotation of the threaded shaft by a handle operated by the occupant. Thus, the interval between the occupant's side holders can be variably adjusted in response to the occupant's favorite side holding state of the seat by turning the handle.

Abstract: An automatic system for use in a motor vehicle has an outer webbing, both ends of which are secured to a vehicle door and an inner webbing, one end of which is connected to the intermediate portion of the outer webbing through a ring joint movable along the outer webbing and the other end of which is retracted by a retractor on a vehicle floor. A guide lever is provided at an inner side of an occupant's seat, which includes a main body fixed to the inner side of the seat and a webbing guide portion on the top of the main body. The webbing guide portion has an opening through which the inner webbing passes and is rotatable around an axis extending laterally of the vehicle, whereby the webbing guide portion presents a suitable position and angle to guide the inner webbing at any condition, for example, with or without an occupant on the seat.

Abstract: A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle which automatically controls the throttle valve opening to maintain the vehicle speed constant without a driver's operation of the accelerator pedal once the vehicle speed is set to a desired value, is designed so that acceleration at the time of operating an increase set switch or resume switch is increased to ensure a comfortable drive while ascending a long slope. To this end, the cruise control system is provided with an overdrive controller which releases overdrive at the time of operating the increase set switch and resumes the overdrive at the time of releasing the operation of the increase set switch, or an overdrive controller which releases overdrive at the time of operating the resume switch when the vehicle speed at that time is sufficiently lower than the set speed and resumes the overdrive when the vehicle speed has been restored substantially to the set speed.

Abstract: A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, which automatically controls the throttle valve opening to maintain the vehicle speed constant without a driver's operation of the accelerator pedal once the vehicle speed is set to a desired value, is designed so that acceleration at the time of operating an increase set switch or resume switch is increased to ensure a comfortable drive while ascending a long slope. To this end, the cruise control system is provided with an overdrive controller which releases the overdrive at the time of operating the increase set switch and which resumes the overdrive at the time of releasing the operation of the increase set switch, or an overdrive controller which releases the overdrive at the time of operating the resume switch when the vehicle speed at that time is sufficiently lower than the set speed and which resumes the overdrive when the vehicle speed has been restored substantially to the set speed.

Abstract: An automatic transmission suitable for use with vehicles of FF type, including a tandem connection of a fluid torque converter and a gear device with an output gear wheel incorporated therein, a counter transmission device having a counter shaft arranged in parallel with the gear device and having a first gear wheel at its first end closer to the rear end portion of the gear device meshed with the output gear wheel and having a second gear wheel at its second end closer to the front end portion of the gear device, and a differential gear device having an input gear wheel which meshes with the second gear wheel and adapted to drive a pair of front wheel axles of a vehicle.