Abstract: A battery performance of a metal-air battery is improved while still maintaining a low environmental burden. A metal-air battery includes an air electrode formed from a co-continuous substance having a three-dimensional network structure in which a plurality of nanostructures are integrated by noncovalent bonds; an anode; and an electrolyte disposed between the air electrode and the anode, in which the electrolyte is a gel electrolyte obtained by gelling an aqueous solution containing an ion conductor with a gelling agent, and the gelling agent is constituted of at least one of a plant-derived polysaccharide, a seaweed-derived polysaccharide, a microbial polysaccharide, an animal-derived polysaccharide, and a group of acetic acid bacteria that produce the polysaccharides.

Abstract: A method of applying heat shield material to form a heat shield layer on a crown surface of a piston of an engine is provided. The method includes the steps of disposing a dispenser that linearly discharges the heat shield material toward the crown surface, and moving an applied position of the heat shield material with respect to the crown surface in a circumferential direction of the crown surface, while discharging the heat shield material from the dispenser toward the crown surface.

Abstract: A vehicle driving support apparatus to be applied to a vehicle comprises a running environment recognizer; a preceding vehicle information acquirer that detects a vehicle class and variation in behavior of a preceding vehicle; an amount-of-steering control calculator that calculates an amount of steering control to cause the vehicle to run along a target path of travel set on a lane; a disturbance estimation control calculator that estimates lateral-direction disturbance to calculate an amount of steering against the disturbance based on the estimated disturbance; and a coordination controller that corrects the amount of steering control with the amount of steering. If a rolling direction and a lateral motion direction of the preceding vehicle coincide with each other, the disturbance estimation control calculator determines that the variation in the behavior of the preceding vehicle is caused by the disturbance, and calculates the amount of steering.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of synchronous control for a synchronous control system provided with a master device and at least one slave device connected via a communications network. The master device transmits first time data to the master device and the at least one slave device upon detection of generation of a synchronization signal, the first time data indicating a time at which the synchronization signal is generated. The master device transmits second time data to the at least one slave device upon reception of the first time data, the second time data indicating a time at which the first time data is received.

Abstract: The compressor is provided with an oil separator for separating oil from refrigerant gas introduced into a separation chamber, an annular space for reserving oil separated from the refrigerant gas, and a reservoir chamber for reserving the thus separated oil. The oil separator is provided in a cylindrical hole formed in a discharge chamber from which the refrigerant gas is discharged and a lid for partitioning the cylindrical hole from the discharge chamber is provided in the cylindrical hole. The oil separator introduces the refrigerant gas from the discharge chamber to the separation chamber via the introduction passage. The annular space is provided around the lid and connected to the reservoir chamber via an oil passage. The reservoir chamber is connected to a crank chamber of a pressure lower than that in the discharge chamber.

Abstract: In a structure for mounting a filter in a compressor, a mounting member is connected to the filter. A receiving hole is formed in a housing of the compressor for receiving therein the mounting member. A first fitting portion is formed on an inner circumferential surface of a holding portion of the filter. A second fitting portion is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the mounting member for having fitting relation to the first fitting portion for an overlap distance in a radial direction of the receiving hole. When the mounting member is received in the receiving hole with the fitting relation, the filter is disposed in a fluid passage of the housing. A clearance having a dimension is formed between an outer circumferential surface of the holding portion and an inner circumferential surface of the receiving hole. Minimum value of the dimension is smaller than the overlap distance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of synchronous control for a synchronous control system provided with a master device and at least one slave device connected via a communications network. The master device transmits first time data to the master device and the at least one slave device upon detection of generation of a synchronization signal, the first time data indicating a time at which the synchronization signal is generated. The master device transmits second time data to the at least one slave device upon reception of the first time data, the second time data indicating a time at which the first time data is received.

Abstract: A variable displacement compressor includes a housing, a rotary shaft, a swash plate, a suction pressure region, a suction throttle valve, an oil reservoir, a lubricating oil passage, a gas flow passage, a communication passage, and a throttle mechanism. The suction-pressure region includes a suction chamber and a suction passage. The suction throttle valve is arranged in the suction passage and defines an upstream suction-pressure region and a downstream suction-pressure region. The lubricating oil passage connects the oil reservoir to the upstream suction-pressure region. The gas flow passage connects the crank chamber to the suction chamber. The communication passage connects the lubricating oil passage to at least one of the downstream suction-pressure region, the gas flow passage and the crank chamber. The throttle mechanism is provided in the lubricating oil passage between the oil reservoir and a position where the communication passage connects to the lubricating oil passage.

Abstract: The compressor is provided with an oil separator for separating oil from refrigerant gas introduced into a separation chamber, an annular space for reserving oil separated from the refrigerant gas, and a reservoir chamber for reserving the thus separated oil. The oil separator is provided in a cylindrical hole formed in a discharge chamber from which the refrigerant gas is discharged and a lid for partitioning the cylindrical hole from the discharge chamber is provided in the cylindrical hole. The oil separator introduces the refrigerant gas from the discharge chamber to the separation chamber via the introduction passage. The annular space is provided around the lid and connected to the reservoir chamber via an oil passage. The reservoir chamber is connected to a crank chamber of a pressure lower than that in the discharge chamber.

Abstract: In a structure for mounting a filter in a compressor, a mounting member is connected to the filter. A receiving hole is formed in a housing of the compressor for receiving therein the mounting member. A first fitting portion is formed on an inner circumferential surface of a holding portion of the filter. A second fitting portion is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the mounting member for having fitting relation to the first fitting portion for an overlap distance in a radial direction of the receiving hole. When the mounting member is received in the receiving hole with the fitting relation, the filter is disposed in a fluid passage of the housing. A clearance having a dimension is formed between an outer circumferential surface of the holding portion and an inner circumferential surface of the receiving hole. Minimum value of the dimension is smaller than the overlap distance.

Abstract: A variable displacement compressor includes a housing, a rotary shaft, a swash plate, a suction pressure region, a suction throttle valve, an oil reservoir, a lubricating oil passage, a gas flow passage, a communication passage, and a throttle mechanism. The suction-pressure region includes a suction chamber and a suction passage. The suction throttle valve is arranged in the suction passage and defines an upstream suction-pressure region and a downstream suction-pressure region. The lubricating oil passage connects the oil reservoir to the upstream suction-pressure region. The gas flow passage connects the crank chamber to the suction chamber. The communication passage connects the lubricating oil passage to at least one of the downstream suction-pressure region, the gas flow passage and the crank chamber. The throttle mechanism is provided in the lubricating oil passage between the oil reservoir and a position where the communication passage connects to the lubricating oil passage.

Abstract: Each suction port 43 of a cylinder block 11 has a narrow passage 50 located at a top dead center side and a wide passage 51 located at a bottom dead center side. A suction communication passage 45 of a rotary valve 41 passes by a first succeeding end 50b of the narrow passage 50 before passing by a second succeeding end 51b of the wide passage 51. A high-pressure groove 47 of a residual gas bypass groove 46 faces only a narrow passage 50 of a suction port 43A that corresponds to a high-pressure side compression chamber 26 when in communication with the suction port 43A. A width Tc between the first succeeding end 50b and a second preceding end 51a of the wide passage 51 in the rotation direction of the rotary valve 41 is smaller than a seal width W of a seal region S between the high-pressure groove 47 and the outlet 45b of the suction communication passage 45.

Abstract: A muffler forming member defines a muffler chamber. Refrigerant discharged from a cylinder bore is sent to the muffler chamber. The muffler forming member is coupled to a circumferential surface of a housing of a compressor. An oil separation chamber is defined in a discharge pressure zone of the compressor. The oil separation chamber separates the oil from the refrigerant discharged from the cylinder bore. The oil separation chamber extends into both the muffler forming member and the housing. The oil separation chamber has a refrigerant inlet through which the refrigerant flows into the oil separation chamber. The refrigerant inlet is formed in the muffler forming member. Therefore, the oil separation chamber is prolonged in the direction from the muffler forming member toward the housing, thereby improving the oil separation performance.

Abstract: The piston type compressor includes a cylinder block, a rotary shaft, a plurality of pistons, a rotary valve and radial load transmission means. The radial load transmission means transmits a radial load caused by compression reaction force acting on the piston, which is on its compression stroke of the discharge stroke, to the rotary valve, thereby pressing the rotary valve against an inner peripheral surface of the valve chamber. The radial load transmission means has a direction turning portion for turning the radial load toward the inner peripheral surface of the valve chamber between the suction port communicating with the cylinder bore whose piston has completed the discharge stroke and the suction port communicating with the cylinder bore whose piston is on the compression stroke in a rotation direction of the rotary valve from the suction port communicating with the cylinder bore whose piston has completed the discharge stroke.

Abstract: A hybrid compressor includes a housing. A rotary shaft is rotatably supported by the housing. A compression mechanism is located in the housing and connected to the rotary shaft for compressing refrigerant gas. A drive mechanism is located in the housing for driving the compression mechanism. A speed-changing mechanism is located in the housing for transmitting power from the drive mechanism to the compression mechanism via rotary shaft. The speed-changing mechanism varies the rotational speed of the drive mechanism. A sealing mechanism is located in the housing for sealing the speed-changing mechanism.

Abstract: A variable displacement mechanism for a scroll type compressor includes a by-pass passage, a valve chamber, a valve plate and an actuator. The by-pass passage serves to interconnect a compression chamber in a process of volume reduction with a suction pressure region and includes a first valve hole. The valve chamber serves to communicate with the first valve hole and forms a valve seat surface around an opening of the first valve hole. The valve plate has an end surface that faces the valve seat surface. The valve plate is arranged in the valve chamber so as to selectively move between an open position, where the end surface is separated from the valve seat surface to open the first valve hole, and a close position, where the end surface contacts the valve seat surface to close the first valve hole. The actuator serves to actuate the valve plate.