Abstract: A method of detecting deterioration of an exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor for use in controlling an air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine having an exhaust system in which the sensor is arranged. The sensor has an output characteristic approximately proportional to concentration of a specific ingredient in exhaust gases emitted from the engine. The air-fuel ratio is feedback-controlled to a desired air-fuel ratio by calculating an amount of fuel supplied to the engine by the use of a desired air-fuel ratio coefficient indicative of the desired air-fuel ratio and set in dependence on operating conditions of the engine, and an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient set in dependence on a value of an output from the sensor and the desired air-fuel ratio coefficient. A plurality of average values of the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient are calculated, respectively, when the desired air-fuel ratio falls within a plurality of predetermined ranges.

Abstract: An arrangement for determining when a fuel tank installed in a boat is full, including (i) a proximity detector for detecting when fuel starts to flow up the vent stack, and (ii) a small reservoir in the vent stack above the proximity detector to prevent fuel from escaping from the stack before the filling of the tank can be halted in response to a warning signal generated in response to the output of the proximity detector.

Abstract: An optical shield which is transparent to ambient light but which blocks high intensity light such as that from a laser, with a response speed on the order of several picoseconds or less, to provide eye protection and to protect light sensors from laser beams. The shield is a multilayer structure with layers in which colloidal silica particles are dispersed in a transparent polymer binder having an index of refraction close to that of the silica particles under ambient light conditions. The application of multiple sealant layers of pure binder material results in improved transmittance of ambient light. High intensity light such as that from a laser causes third order nonlinear optical effects, particularly photorefractive effects, in the silica which change its effective index of refraction so that the mismatch between the effective index of refraction of the silica and the index of refraction of the binder causes scattering of the incident light.

Abstract: A control system for controlling driving wheels of an automotive vehicle in which when at least one of the driving wheels undergoes excessive slip, an ECU drives a pulse motor to bring a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine installed in the vehicle toward a closed position thereof to thereby suppress the excessive slip. When a state that a detected value of throttle valve opening is smaller than a detected value of accelerator pedal angle while the pulse motor is in stoppage has continued over a predetermined period of time, the ECU determines the initial position of the pulse motor by storing the detected throttle valve opening value as a reference value of the pulse motor position.

Abstract: A remotely controllable circuit breaker and switch for controlling the flow of current from a three phase AC power source to a three phase load, and usable in either wye or delta configurations. A latching relay controls the current for each phase. Current samples in the three phases are scaled and converted to DC values by scalers and RMS to DC converters. The DC values are converted to digital current values by an analog-to-digital converter which sequentially scans the DC values of the currents in the three phases. A central processing unit monitors the digital current values to detect significant phase imbalances and overcurrents which persist for time periods which exceed allowable limits according to a predetermined time-dependent function, and to initiate opening of the relays in response thereto. The central processing unit also opens and/or resets the relays in response to remote control signals.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control method for an internal combustion engine. An amount of fuel to be supplied to the engine is calculated in response to operating conditions of the engine and output from an exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor, to thereby feedback-control the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine to a desired air-fuel ratio. The method comprises the steps of (1) calculating a fuel cooling correction value for compensating for a change in an actual air-fuel ratio caused by cooling effects of actually-injected fuel, according to at least one parameter which can determine the amount of fuel to be supplied to the engine, and (2) calculating the amount of fuel to be supplied to the engine by the use of the fuel cooling correction value.

Abstract: A viscosity measuring transducer especially useful for process control of fluids. The transducer oscillates an immersed blade sensor in the direction of the plane of the blade in order to maximize generation of shear waves and to minimize generation of compression waves. The transducer includes a bar which penetrates and is secured and peripheral sealed to an isolation plate which serves to protect the oscillation driver and pickup adjacent one end of the bar from the sensor blade to be immersed in a fluid adjacent the other end of the bar. Either the bar is relatively rigid and the isolation plate is relatively compliant, or vice versa. In the former case the isolation plate acts as an intrinsic flexible member of the oscillating system of the transducer; and in both cases the isolation plate constitutes a strong impermeable seal between the fluid and the driver/pickup mechanism.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control method for an internal combustion engine. The air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine is feedback-controlled to a predetermined value in response to an output from the exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor. The temperature of at least one component part of the engine, which should be controlled, is estimated based on the detected temperature of exhaust gases, engine rotational speed, and engine load. The air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture is inhibited from being feedback-controlled but enriched, when the estimated temperature of any one of the at least one component part of the engine is higher than a corresponding predetermined value.

Abstract: A method of detecting abnormality in an internal combustion engine, which is applied to at least one of a catalyst system, an evaporative fuel-purging system, a fuel supply system, an air-fuel ratio sensor, and an ignition system, for performing detection of abnormality therein according to operating parameters of the engine. An amount of residual fuel in the fuel tank is detected and the amount of residual fuel is compared with a predetermined value. The abnormality detection is inhibited when, as a result of the comparison, the amount of residual fuel is below the predetermined value.

Abstract: A driving circuit for driving a stepping motor has a plurality of excitation coils, a plurality of excitation transistors for driving the excitation coils of the stepping motor, respectively, at least one chopping transistor for effecting chopping control of current flowing to the excitation coils, and a CPU for supplying at least one control signal to the at least one chopping transistor. High and low pulse duty factor detecting circuits detect whether the at least one control signal has a pulse duty factor thereof falling outside a predetermined range defined by predetermined upper and lower limit values. The CPU is responsive to outputs from the high and low pulse duty factor detecting circuits for interrupting the supply of current to the stepping motor when the latter detect that the pulse duty factor falls outside the predetermined range.

Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine having at least one intake valve comprises the steps of (1) detecting a demand of the driver to the engine, (2) detecting operating parameters of the engine including engine rotational speed, and (3) setting the timing of closing the at least one intake valve to timing which makes output of the engine the maximum at the detected engine rotational speed, when it is detected that the driver demands that the maximum output of the engine should be obtained in at least a predetermined operating region of the engine.

Abstract: A method of detecting failure in a secondary air supply system for an internal combustion engine comprises the steps of (1) causing the secondary air supply system to operate when the engine is in a predetermined decelerating condition, (2) detecting a first value of concentration of an exhaust gas ingredient, from an output from a first exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor arranged in the exhaust passage at a location upstream of the secondary air supply system when the engine is in the predetermined decelerating condition, (3) detecting a second value of concentration of the exhaust gas ingredient, from an output from a second exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor arranged in the exhaust passage at a location downstream of the secondary air supply system when the engine is in the predetermined decelerating condition, (4) determining whether or not the first value of concentration of the exhaust gas ingredient is lower than a first predetermined value, (5) determining whether or not the second v

Abstract: A fault detection device for an occupant protective system for use in an automotive vehicle, which has a plurality of squibs connected in parallel with each other. A common signal is generated for actuating the squibs to operate the system when the vehicle undergoes deceleration in excess of a predetermined value. A squib circuit has the squibs, at least one resistance connected to the squibs in such a manner that a slight amount of current flows through the squibs, and a unilateral conductive element connected to the squibs and the resistance in such a manner that the slight amount of current flows through the squibs in a predetermined single direction. A fault detection circuit detects a fault in any of the squibs based on a potential at a predetermined location in the squib circuit.

Abstract: A method of controlling exhaust gas recirculation for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas recirculation control system comprises the step of determining that there is failure in the exhaust gas recirculation control system when a difference between an actual value of valve opening of an exhaust gas recirculation valve of the system arranged in an exhaust gas recirculation passage for controlling an amount of exhaust gases returned from an exhaust passage to an intake passage of the engine and a desired value of the valve opening of the exhaust gas recirculation valve is equal to or larger than a predetermined value which is dependent on operating conditions of the engine.

Abstract: A diode or other axial lead electronic component which requires mounting of its leads in a predetermined orientation is provided with leads of considerably different diameter. A printed circuit board is provided with holes sized to receive respective leads, so that the leads can be inserted into the holes only one way. Instead of having circular cross-sections and different diameters, one lead may have a circular cross-section while all or an end portion of the other lead has a non-circular cross-section with a diameter allowing that lead to fit in only the larger hole of the printed circuit board.

Abstract: An electronically controlled fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine comprises a fuel supply source, at least one fuel passage in the form of a nozzle disposed to be supplied with fuel from the fuel supply source, and a heater arranged in each of the at least one fuel passage for heating fuel in each fuel passage to generate a bubble therein so that pressure of the fuel therein is increased, whereby the fuel in each fuel passage is injected into the intake passage of the engine through an injection port of each fuel passage.

Abstract: A method of transferring at least one signal between a first central processing unit provided in an electronic control system of an internal combustion engine for controlling fuel supply to the engine and a second central processing unit provided in the control system for controlling ignition of a mixture supplied to the engine. At least one signal transfer line is connected between the first and the second central processing units. One of the central processing units produces a digital signal representing a detected value of at least one engine operating parameter and transfers same to the other central processing unit through the signal transfer line in a start-stop serial manner.

Abstract: A golf club for use as a sand wedge and as a putter, in which the ball-engaging face of the club head has a rectangular central opening through which sand can pass during a stroke while the club is used as a sand wedge. Upper and lower flat ramp surfaces are dimensioned, angled and spaced so as to contact the golf ball at intermediate portions between the outer and inner edges of the ramp surfaces. The upper and lower edges of the ramp surfaces are spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the golf ball to be driven, so as to avoid undesirable binding or cutting of the ball.

Abstract: A method of detecting abnormality in an evaporative fuel-purging system (evaporative emission control system) for an internal combustion engine comprises the steps of: (1) determining whether or not the engine is in a predetermined operating condition after completion of warming-up of the engine, (2) temporarily inhibiting purging of evaporative fuel into an intake passage when it is determined that the engine is in the predetermined operating condition, (3) obtaining a first value based on a parameter reflecting an amount of evaporative fuel purged into the intake passage during the temporary inhibition of the purging of the evaporative fuel, (4) obtaining a second value based on the parameter during execution of the purging of the evaporative fuel carried out after the temporary inhibition of the purging of the evaporative fuel, (5) comparing the first value with the second value, and (6) determining whether or not there is abnormality in the evaporative fuel-purging system, based on a result of the compari

Abstract: A method of detecting abnormality in a fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine. An amount of fuel supplied to the engine is controlled in a feedback manner based on an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient set in response to an output signal from at least one exhaust gas component concentration sensor. The method comprises the steps of (1) calculating an abnormality determination value based on the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient, (2) calculating a learned average value of the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient, (3) renewing the abnormality determination value when the calculated learned average value of the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient falls outside a first predetermined range defined based upon the abnormality determination coefficient, and (4) determining that the fuel supply system is abnormal when the renewed value of the abnormality determination value falls outside a second predetermined range defined by predetermined upper and lower limit values.