Abstract: In a voltage equalizing apparatus for battery devices, wherein each of a plurality of closed circuits is constituted of each of a plurality of battery devices interconnected in series on a secondary side, each of a plurality of secondary windings magnetically coupled with each other, and each of a plurality of switching devices on the secondary side, wherein a closed circuit is constituted of a battery device on a primary side, a primary winding magnetically coupled with the secondary windings in common, and a switching device on the primary side, and wherein the plurality of switching devices on the secondary side and the switching device on the primary side are alternately switched ON and OFF, thereby equalizing the output voltages of the plurality of battery devices interconnected in series on the secondary side; the ON operation of the plurality of switching devices on the secondary side is continued until after the completion of release of exciting energy stored in a transformer.

Abstract: A connector eliminates any restriction in the arrangement of connecting pins, and makes a unit to be connected compact. A male type connector assembly includes a connector body formed with a cavity portion for receiving a female type connector assembly therein. A unit mounting an electronic device thereon is hierarchically connected to the connector body. The connector body and unit of the female type connector assembly are connected together through a contact. When the male type connector assembly and the female type connector assembly are connected together, the contact is connected to a receptacle contact mounted on the female type connector assembly.

Abstract: A drive unit for a hybrid vehicle includes: an internal combustion engine 1; a transmission 3 connected to the internal combustion engine 1 via a clutch 2; a primary differential gear 11 for distributing a driving force transmitted from the transmission 3, to primary driving wheels 17 and 18; a transfer 20 connected to the primary differential gear for taking out a part of the driving force transmitted from the transmission 3 to the primary differential gear 11; a pair of propeller shafts 26 and 27 formed by dividing two parts in axial directions for transmitting part of the driving force from the transfer to a secondary differential gear 33; an electric motor 31 provided between these propeller shafts 26 and 27; and a pair of clutches 29 and 30, each connecting the electric motor 31 to one of the pair of propeller shafts 26 and 27. Therefore, the drive unit can be used for 2WD or 4WD hybrid vehicles without changing the main components.

Abstract: A Zener diode 16 is connected to each of single cells 10 of an electric double layer capacitor in parallel, and a resistor 18 is connected to each of the Zener diode 16 in series. Thus, in a case where a single cell 10 is excessively charged, when the bias voltage of the single cell 10 is equal to or higher than the Zener voltage, a discharge current flows through the Zener diode 16 connected to the single cell 10, so that the voltage decreases to the Zener voltage. Thus, it is possible to prevent the electric double layer capacitor from being excessively charged due to the dispersions in electrostatic capacity and internal resistance, and to stably accumulate electricity for a long time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of treating an electroless nickel plating bath mainly containing a water-soluble nickel salt, a complexing agent for complexing the nickel salt, and sodium hypophosphite as a reducing agent for reducing the nickel salt, including the steps of:repeatedly regenerating and reusing the electroless nickel plating bath in which a phosphite is accumulated by adding nickel sulfate to the plating bath to produce and precipitate nickel phosphite and separating the nickel phosphite from the plating bath; and adding sulfuric acid or a mixture of sulfuric acid and sodium sulfate to the nickel phosphite separated from the plating bath to convert the nickel phosphite into nickel sulfate and phosphorous acid or NaH.sub.2 PO.sub.3, and recovering the nickel sulfate.

Abstract: An engine starting system for a vehicle includes a starter, a lead battery, an electric double layer capacitor which is connected in parallel with the lead battery, a starter switch and a control circuit for controlling current to the starter. The electric double layer capacitor is charged by the lead battery and discharge a large current to the starter when an engine is started. According to the construction of the control circuit, it is possible to control current discharged from the electric double layer capacitor so as to reduce damages on switches in the engine starting system. By using the electric double layer capacitor for the engine starting system, not only the burden on the lead battery at the engine starting can be reduced, but also the startingability of the engine can be improved.

Abstract: A resonance circuit including a high frequency induction heating coil is set to a resonance state and a heating temperature of an object to be heated (for example, catalytic converter or the like) is controlled on the basis of a resonance frequency varied with an increased temperature of the object under the resonance state.

Abstract: An electroless copper plating bath comprises a water soluble copper salt, a complexing agent, and a reducing agent consisting of phosphorous acid or a phosphite. As compared with conventional acidic bath using hypophosphorous acid, the bath is less expensive while depositing a uniform copper film at equivalent efficiency.

Abstract: There is disclosed a non-aqueous electrolytic aluminum plating bath composition comprising an aluminum halide and a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic onium halide compound and containing an additive selected from the group consisting of an inorganic halide compound, aromatic aldehyde, ketone or carboxylic acid, an unsaturated heterocyclic compound containing more than one nitrogen atom, an unsaturated heterocyclic compound containing a sulfur atom, an aromatic hydrocarbon compound containing a sulfur atom, an aromatic hydrocarbon compound containing an amino group and an aromatic amine; and further optionally an organic polymer. The bath composition is easy in maintenance, has good covering power, and enables smooth plating with low current density.

Abstract: A balance vehicle speed at which mean charging current and mean discharging current are balanced is obtained. A charge stop vehicle speed corresponding to the balance vehicle speed is decided as a reference value. An actual vehicle speed is compared with the charge stop vehicle speed to produce a charge stop signal, when the actual vehicle speed is lower than the charge stop vehicle speed. A charging regulator is responsive to the charge stop signal for disabling the regulator so as to stop the charging of a battery.

Abstract: A feedback control system in which the error signal is oscillated by a dither signal having a periodical pattern for oscillating the controlled output. The dither signal comprises a plurality of positive excursions and negative excursions, and at least one of the positive excursions is lower than the others and at least one of the negative excursions is shallower than the others. The dither signal is applied to an actuator to produce a controlled output. A detector senses the value of the controlled output caused by the operation of the actuator. The detector is adapted to produce an output signal in which portions corresponding to at least the low positive excursion or negative excursion of the dither signal are removed when the controlled output deviates from a desired value in different directions.A comparing circuit compares the output signal of the detector with a standard signal value.

Abstract: An engine idling speed control system for an internal combustion engine comprising an actuator for actuating a throttle valve for increasing and decreasing the idling speed, an engine speed signal generating circuit, an engine speed increasing signal generating circuit and an engine speed decreasing signal generating circuit, a vehicle speed signal generating circuit, an idling signal generating circuit for generating an idling signal in the idling operation of the engine, and an actuator control circuit for operating the actuator in opposite directions in accordance with engine speed increasing and decreasing signals. A time lag signal generating circuit is provided to be responsive to the engine speed signal and to the idling signal for producing a time lag signal. The time lag signal generating circuit is so arranged that duration of the time lag signal increases with the increase of the engine speed.

Abstract: A feedback control system in which the error signal is oscillated by a dither signal having a periodical pattern for oscillating the controlled output. The dither signal comprises a plurality of positive excursions and negative excursions, and at least one of the positive excursions is lower than the others and at least one of the negative excursions is shallower than the others. The dither signal is applied to an actuator to produce a controlled output. A detector senses the value of the controlled output caused by the operation of the actuator. The detector is adapted to produce an output signal in which portions corresponding to at least the low positive excursion or negative excursion of the dither signal are removed when the controlled output deviates from a desired value in different directions.A comparing circuit compares the output signal of the detector with a standard signal value. The output signal of the comparing circuit is signal for detecting the removed portions.

Abstract: A protecting tube for a thermocouple is provided which comprises an outer shell made of a tubular molded body of boron nitride and an inner sheath made of a tubular molded body of ceramics.

Abstract: A system for controlling the air-fuel ratio for an internal combustion engine comprises an O.sub.2 sensor for detecting the concentration of a constituent of exhaust gases passing through the exhaust passage, a carburetor for supplying air-fuel mixture to the induction passage of the engine, electromagnetic valves for correcting the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied by the carburetor, a comparator for comparing the output signal of the O.sub.2 sensor with reference to a reference value, an integrating circuit having a proportional circuit for integrating the output of the comparator, a driving circuit for driving the electromagnetic valve in dependency upon the output signal of the integrating circuit.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine having an intake passage, an exhaust passage, an air-fuel mixture supply device, an on-off type electromagnetic valve for correcting the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied by the air-fuel mixture supply device, a dither signal generating circuit for producing a periodical dither signal, a shift control circuit for shifting the level of the center of the dither signal, a driving circuit for producing a driving output for the on-off type electromagnetic valve, and an O.sub.2 sensor for detecting the concentration of oxygen in exhaust gases passing through the exhaust passage. A timing circuit is provided for detecting the period of the time when the output of the O.sub.2 sensor is higher than a predetermined level and the period of the time when the output is lower than the predetermined level for producing an output signal in dependency on the difference between the periods.

Abstract: A system for detecting the operation of the throttle valve of an internal combustion engine for an emission control system for internal combustion engines. The emission control system has a three-way catalyst convertor, a detector, such as an oxygen sensor for detecting the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gases, an on-off type electromagnetic valve for correcting the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture and an electronic controller. The system comprises a transducer, such as a potentiometer and a pair of sample-and-hold circuits, in which each gate thereof is periodically operated by pulse trains for sampling and holding the output voltage of the transducer, which pulse trains have a 180 degrees phase difference with respect to each other. Both sample-and-hold circuits are connected to an operational amplifier type comparator through relay switches.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine having an intake passage, an exhaust passage, air-fuel mixture supply unit, on-off type electro-magnetic valve for correcting the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied by the air-fuel mixture supply unit, a dither signal generating circuit for producing a periodical dither signal having a waveform, a shift control circuit for shifting the level of the center of the dither signal, a driving circuit for producing a driving output according to the dither signal, and detecting means for detecting the concentration of oxygen in exhaust gases passing through the exhaust passage. The system is provided with a memory circuit unit for memorizing a peak level of output of the detecting circuit and for producing an output according to the memorized peak level, first circuit being applied with outputs of the detector and of the memory circuit for detecting deviation of the dither signal detected by the detector.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine which comprises an intake passage, an exhaust passage, an air-fuel mixture supply device, an on-off type electromagnetic valve for correcting the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied by the air-fuel mixture supply device, a dither signal generating circuit for producing a periodical dither signal, a shift control circuit for shifting the level of the center of the dither signal, a driving circuit for producing a driving output for the on-off type electromagnetic valve, and an O.sub.2 sensor for detecting the concentration of oxygen in exhaust gases passing through the exhaust passage. A first circuit is provided for detecting a middle value between the maximum value and minimum value of the output voltage of the O.sub.2 sensor in each cycle, and a second circuit is provided for detecting a middle value with respect to the output waveform of the O.sub.

Abstract: A system for controlling the air-fuel ratio for an internal combustion engine having a detector for detecting the concentration of a constituent of exhaust gases passing through the exhaust passage, air-fuel mixture supply device for supplying an air fuel mixture to the induction passage, electromagnetic valves for correcting the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied by the air-fuel mixture supply device, a comparator for comparing the output signal of the detector with respect to a predetermined value, an integrating circuit having a proportional circuit for integrating the output of the comparator, a driving circuit for driving the electromagnetic valves in dependency upon the output signal of the integrating circuit.