Abstract: The present invention provides a thermal head having a long lifetime and a high printing quality by making the size of steps of a protective layer formed on a heating portion of a heating resistor small and a method for manufacturing the thermal heads. In the thermal head, respective lower-layer electrodes having a film thickness of approximately 2 &mgr;m are formed on outskirts portion of a bulging portion of a heat insulation layer excluding a heating portion of a heating resistor and portions in the vicinity of the heating portion. Then, respective upper-layer electrodes having a film thickness which falls in a range of 0.1 to 0.3 &mgr;m are continuously formed from portions at positions in the vicinity of the heating portion excluding the heating portion to upper surfaces of the lower-layer electrodes.

Abstract: The intake air amount of an engine (1) is controlled by a variable nozzle (53) of a turbocharger (50). A controller (41) calculates an open loop control value of a drive signal of the variable nozzle (53) based on a running state of the engine (1), and calculates a feedback correction amount comprising an integral correction value of the drive signal such that the intake air amount coincides with a target intake fresh air amount (S367). It also calculates a learning value based on the integral correction value when the intake air amount coincides with the target intake air amount (S395, S400), and modifies the feedback correction amount such that the sum of the learning value and feedback correction amount is constant (S366). In this way, the response of intake air amount control or supercharging pressure control is enhanced.

Abstract: A fresh air amount of an engine (1) is controlled by a variable nozzle (53) of a turbocharger (50). A controller (41) calculates an open loop control value of a drive signal of a variable nozzle (53) based on the running state of the engine (1). A target intake fresh air amount of the engine (1) is calculated based on the running state, and a processing value obtained by smoothing the target intake fresh air amount value is calculated (S132). A feedback control value of the drive signal is calculated so that a real intake fresh air amount coincides with the processing value (S367). The variable nozzle (53) is controlled based on the open loop value and feedback control value. By using the processing value as the target value of the feedback control, unstable factors in feedback control resulting from the time delay from operation of the variable nozzle (53) to change of the intake fresh air amount aspirated by the engine (1), are eliminated.

Abstract: A thermal head of the present invention is provided with a thermal insulation layer formed on a radiative substrate, a plurality of heating resistors formed on a top face of the thermal insulation layer, a plurality of power suppliers connected to the heating resistors to form a heater on a part of the heating resistors, and a protection layer that covers surfaces of at least the heating resistors and the power suppliers, wherein the thermal insulation layer is formed by laminating an inorganic high thermal insulation layer including a complex oxide ceramic containing Si, transition metal, and oxygen or including complex nitride ceramic containing Si, transition metal, and nitrogen on an organic thermal insulation layer that contains polyimide resin.

Abstract: In a thermal head according to the present invention, a sacrificial layer of transition metal is formed on a top surface of a heat radiation substrate; a bridge layer of cermet or ceramic material is formed on a top surface of a heat insulation layer including the sacrificial layer; a cavity is made between the bridge layer and the heat insulation layer; a plurality of slits are made in the bridge layer overlying the cavity to expose the cavity; a highly adiabatic inorganic heat insulation layer is formed on a top surface of the bridge layer including the slits; and an inorganic protective layer of a material selected from among silicon or aluminum oxide, nitride and carbide is formed on a top surface of the inorganic heat insulation layer, where heating elements are formed between the slits over the inorganic heat insulation layer and the inorganic protective layer.

Abstract: A sensor (55) detects a parameter expressing the oxygen concentration or oxygen amount in gas aspirated into the diesel engine (51). A controller (41) calculates a target parameter during a steady running state of the diesel engine (51) (S4) and calculates a difference between the measured parameter and the target parameter (S212). When the difference is large, following a small amount of pilot fuel injection, a main fuel injection is performed at a timing that makes the combustion of fuel complete before the compression top dead center of the piston (51C). When the difference is small, a larger amount of pilot fuel injection is performed and the main fuel injection is performed after the injected fuel is combusted. By varying the fuel injection pattern in this way, combustion noise and the deterioration of exhaust gas composition in a transient running state of the diesel engine (51) is suppressed.

Abstract: A fuel injection control system is arranged to decide the execution of a pilot fuel injection based on evaluation functions indicative of degree of a pilot fuel injection demand, to decide an engine operating condition, to calculate a fuel injection quantity for each cylinder when the engine operating condition is in the predetermined low-load operating region, to calculate a pilot fuel injection quantity for each cylinder by multiplying a predetermined ratio to the fuel injection quantity in the predetermined low-load operating region and when the pilot fuel injection is executed, and to calculate a main fuel injection quantity by subtracting the pilot fuel injection quantity from the fuel injection quantity. Therefore, this arrangement enables accurate decision as to the execution of the pilot fuel injection and proper control of pilot and main fuel injection quantities.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermal head having a long lifetime and a high printing quality by making the size of steps of a protective layer formed on a heating portion of a heating resistor small and a method for manufacturing the thermal heads. In the thermal head, respective lower-layer electrodes having a film thickness of approximately 2 &mgr;m are formed on outskirts portion of a bulging portion of a heat insulation layer excluding a heating portion of a heating resistor and portions in the vicinity of the heating portion. Then, respective upper-layer electrodes having a film thickness which falls in a range of 0.1 to 0.3 &mgr;m are continuously formed from portions at positions in the vicinity of the heating portion excluding the heating portion to upper surfaces of the lower-layer electrodes.

Abstract: In driving apparatus and method for a hybrid vehicle, a controller is provided and programmed: to calculate a target driving force [tFd], the target driving force representing a target value of a vehicular driving force; to calculate a basic target engine speed [tNinb] on the basis of tFd, the basic target engine speed representing a basic target value of the engine speed; to calculate a power generation request quantity [tWg], the power generation request quantity representing a power to be generated by the motor/generator; to calculate a basic target engine torque [tTeg] on the basis of tFd, tWg, and tNinb, the basic target engine torque representing an engine torque to be developed when an output required for a vehicular drive and for a power drive of the motor/generator is developed at tNinb; to calculate a limit torque [tTlim] during an occurrence of a power generation request on the basis of tNinb, this limit torque representing a limit torque of the eng

Abstract: A diesel engine comprises a combustion-temperature control device for adjusting a combustion temperature of the engine depending on an engine operating condition, and an ignition-delay-duration control device for adjusting an ignition delay duration depending on the engine operating condition. An engine-temperature sensor is provided for detecting an engine temperature. During cold-engine warm-up period, an electronic control unit effectively compensates for both the combustion temperature and the ignition delay duration depending on the engine temperature, to reconcile the slow initial combustion in the early combustion stage and the sharp combustion in the middle or later combustion stage and so as to realize a so-called low-temperature premixed combustion with an increased rate of premixed combustion to diffusion combustion under a condition of low combustion temperatures.

Abstract: An exhaust passage (2) of a diesel engine (1) is connected to an intake passage (3) via an exhaust gas recirculation passage (4) provided with an exhaust gas recirculation valve (6). A turbine (52) of a variable capacity turbocharger (50) is provided in the exhaust passage (2). The controller (41) controls the opening of the exhaust gas recirculation valve (6), and the opening of a nozzle (53) of the turbine (52). A controller (41) first calculates a target exhaust gas recirculation valve opening surface area based on a target exhaust gas recirculation flowrate, and controls the exhaust gas recirculation valve opening to the target exhaust gas recirculation valve opening surface area.

Abstract: A thermal head includes a heat dissipating substrate, a heat-insulating layer formed thereon, a common lead layer formed thereon, an insulating interlayer formed thereon, a plurality of heating elements provided on the insulating interlayer, a common electrode connected to one end of each heating element, and a plurality of discrete electrodes connected to the other ends of the heating elements. The heating elements are connected to each other via the common electrode, and the common electrode is electrically connected to the common lead layer through a contact hole provided in the insulating interlayer. The common lead layer includes a thin region below the heating elements and a thick region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermal head in which the surface of a heat insulating layer formed by vapor deposition such as sputtering or the like is polished to decrease the rate of defects such as failure in the resistance values of heating elements formed on the heat insulating layer, disconnection and short-circuit of electrodes, apparent foreign materials, etc., and improve the adhesion of the surface of the heat insulating layer. The thermal head includes a heat insulating layer formed on a radiating substrate by sputtering, and heating elements deposited on the surface of the thermal head, wherein the heat insulating layer has columnar crystals composed of silicon, transition metals and oxygen, the surface of the heat insulating layer is polished, and micro irregularity is formed on the polished surface of the heat insulating layer.

Abstract: An intake pressure and exhaust pressure of an engine are predicted from a fresh air flowrate in a diesel engine comprising an exhaust gas recirculation system and a sensor for detecting the fresh air flowrate. A fault in the system is diagnosed based on the predicted intake pressure and exhaust pressure. Preferably, fault diagnosis in the exhaust gas recirculation system is based on a differential pressure between the intake pressure and exhaust pressure, or on a comparison of an estimated EGR rate and target EGR rate found from the intake pressure and exhaust pressure, without providing any special sensors. Smoke emission is also reduced by limiting the maximum fuel injection amount of the engine.

Abstract: In a diesel engine comprising a fuel injection pump which supplies pressurized fuel by a plunger to a fuel injection nozzle, fuel properties such as fuel viscosity are determined. A fuel supply start timing by the plunger and fuel injection start timing by the fuel injection nozzle are respectively detected, a difference between them is computed as an injection retardation period, and the fuel viscosity is determined based on the injection retardation period. A fuel injection amount, injection timing or exhaust recirculation amount are corrected based on the determined fuel viscosity, therefore errors in their control do not arise due to differences of fuel viscosity.

Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine is constructed such that, when detecting a variation in the operating conditions of the engine or acceleration, a lag of fuel injection timing control is predicted. In accordance with a difference between an actual fuel injection timing and the predicted target fuel injection timing, a target EGR area, i.e. EGR amount or rate is corrected.

Abstract: To realize a high-quality and high-speed printing which can sufficiently comply with high definition, a thermal head having a high heat resistance and excellent thermal responsivity comprises a high thermal conductivity substrate, a heat accumulating layer formed on the surface of the substrate, a plurality of heater elements formed on the surface of the heat accumulating layer in line, a common electrode and an individual electrode energizing each of the heater elements, and a protective layer formed so as to cover the heat accumulating layer, the heater elements and the electrodes, wherein a stress-resistant layer composed of an insulating high-modulus ceramic is provided on the surface of the heat accumulating layer.

Abstract: A thermal head which can effectively use a thin film ribbon as an ink ribbon, and take a relatively long edge distance. The thermal head has its object to maintain transferring property of the ink to a recording medium and to maintain high printing quality for a long period of time. A heating portion is formed from the top of a heat insulating layer to a slope of the common electrode side of the heat insulating layer, and a gap is formed on the common electrode. The ink ribbon is pressed into contact with the recording medium at a portion of low-temperature of the top of portion of the heat insulating layer falling outside the center portion of the heating portion where a pressure of the printer to the platen is mainly applied.

Abstract: Fuel injection is prevented until an injection timing of a fuel injection device detected during cranking of a diesel engine, is identical to a target injection timing. Preferably, the fuel injection timing is advanced during the prevention period according to fuel properties. In this way, startup time is shortened, and toxic components contained in exhaust gas are reduced during startup.

Abstract: A thermal head including a temperature keeping layer disposed on a substrate, a plurality of heat generating elements formed on the temperature keeping layer, a plurality of individual electrodes connected to the corresponding heat generating elements, a common electrode connected to the heat generating elements, respectively. Each heat generating element includes a heat generating portion formed between one of the individual electrodes and the common electrode. Each of the individual electrodes and the common electrode have a dual layered structure including a lower electrode and an upper electrode, the lower electrode being formed between the temperature keeping layer and one of the heat generating elements, and the upper electrode being formed above the heat generating element.