Abstract: The invention is to offer such a carbon electrode of less consumption and a long useful life and a method of fabricating the same which prevents particles from falling from carbon electrodes into a melting quartz glass, checks occurrence of bubbles in the quartz glass, and avoids lowering of single crystallizing yield by bubbles existing in a transparent layer formed in the vicinity of an inside surface of a quartz glass crucible when lifting silicon single crystal by using the quartz glass crucible made by using the carbon electrodes. The carbon electrode to be used for melting quartz glass by an arc discharge, is characterized in that an electrode material is composed of carbon of bulk density being 1.80 g/cm3 or higher and a three-point bending strength being 35 MPa or higher.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling light distribution of a vehicle head lamp has a first calculating means for estimating a driver's view position, a second calculating means for estimating a deviation angle formed by a running direction of the vehicle and a direction of the driver's view position, control means for controlling the light distribution composed of beam orientation, beam spread and upper bright-dark limit, said control means further comprising control-lamp selecting means which selects a high-beam head lamp or a low-beam head lamp corresponding to the result of the first calculating means.The first calculating means estimates a driver's view position which is determined by the distance reached by the vehicle after an estimated time along a forward roadway, which accounts for the driver's abilities.The second calculating means provides the deviation angle formed between the running direction of the vehicle and the direction of the driver's line of view.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the light distribution of a headlamp includes a vehicle speed sensor; a calculating device for estimating a position to be reached by the vehicle after a predetermined time along a forward roadway of the vehicle on the basis of a vehicle speed and information representing a route of the forward roadway, and for calculating a direction of illumination or a range of illumination by the headlamp so that light is illuminated onto an estimated position; and a control device for controlling the direction of illumination or the range of illumination by the headlamp on the basis of a result of calculation by the calculating device. The light is illuminated onto a position, which is located ahead of the vehicle and which is viewed by a driver, for obtaining an optimum light distribution for a field of view of the driver.

Abstract: A controller for a vehicle seat for optimally controlling the posture of a vehicle seat. An amount of a running condition of the vehicle is detected, and a controlled variable for a posture of the seat for appropriately holding an inertial force acting on an occupant seated in the seat is determined in correspondence with the amount of the running condition of the vehicle detected. In addition, an amount of displacement of a posture of the vehicle is detected, and the posture of the seat is controlled on the basis of the controlled variable for the posture of the seat and the amount of displacement of the posture of the vehicle. Since the posture of the seat is controlled in correspondence with not only the running condition of the vehicle but postural displacement of the vehicle, the holding characteristic of the driver's seat improves and permits driving with a comfortable and more stable posture.

Abstract: A vehicle seat having a backrest hinged to a seat squab frame by means of a pair of reclining mechanisms to be tilted forwardly or backwardly with respect to the seat squab frame, the reclining mechanisms each including a ratchet member secured to each side of the lower end portion of the backrest frame to be locked to a support member secured to each side of the rear end portion of the seat squab frame, which vehicle seat includes a single strut member rotatably connected at its upper end to an upper end of the backrest at one side thereof to be moved forwardly or backwardly, and a resilient member mounted on the upper end of the backrest frame for biasing the strut member forwardly, wherein the ratchet member located at the same side as the one side of the backrest is formed with a semi-circular elongated hole of which the radius center is located at a rotation fulcrum of the strut member, and wherein the lower end of the strut member is slidably engaged with the semi-circular elongated hole and is normally