Patents Represented by Attorney Michael P. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 4723810
    Abstract: In an underbody structure for a rear-engine rear-drive car or a midship-engine rear-drive car, a dash panel for separating the passenger compartment from a trunk formed at the front of the body is provided with a concave portion projecting into the passenger compartment in the lower portion of the dash panel substantially at the center thereof and the fuel tank is disposed partly in the concave portion and partly in the trunk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Kanemaru, Akiyoshi Okada, Hideaki Akahosi, Kenzou Kihara, Yoshinobu Nomura, Hiroshi Tazaki
  • Patent number: 4723074
    Abstract: A radiation image recording and read-out apparatus comprises a sheet storing section for storing many stimulable phosphor sheets, a section for recording a radiation image on stimulable phosphor sheets, a section for reading out the radiation image by exposing the stimulable phosphor sheets to stimulating rays, and an erasing section for releasing residual radiation energy from the stimulable phosphor sheets. The apparatus also comprises a sheet conveyance system provided with a sheet holding mechanism for holding stimulable phosphor sheets transferably with respect to the sheet storing section, the image recording section, the image read-out section, and the erasing section. The sheet conveyance system moves the sheet holding mechanism in a arbitrary sequence among these sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kimura
  • Patent number: 4722862
    Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprising a nonmagnetic support and a magnetic recording layer provided on said support, said magnetic recording layer comprising a ferromagnetic powder dispersed in a binder, in whichH.sub.1 in terms of oersted which is a value of external magnetic field determined when a magnetic flux density of a magnetic hysteresis curve determined in the direction of orientation of the ferromagnetic powder in the magnetic recording layer in the fourth quadrant is equivalent to one-third of the maximum magnetic flux density of said magnetic hysteresis curve in the third quadrant;H.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogawa, Nobuo Yamazaki, Yasuo Tamai
  • Patent number: 4721988
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which is provided with a surface channel type or bulk channel type MIS FET. The MIS FET comprises at least a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a layer member formed in a predetermined pattern on the major surface of the substrate and having an insulating side surface; an insulating layer formed on the major surface of the substrate to extend from the insulating side surface in a direction opposite from the layer member; a conductive layer formed on the major surface of the insulating layer in contact with the insulating side surface of the layer member; and a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor substrate having a marginal edge corresponding to that of the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 4721032
    Abstract: An arrangement for forming an automobile cowl structure comprises a windshield supporting frame with a closed cross section provided for supporting a lower end of a front windshield and composed of a cowl top member formed in the shape of a bank protruding upward and elongating along the front windshield in the direction of the width of an automobile body construction and a cowl cover panel provided with the cowl top member fixed thereon and having a prolongation thereof horizontally extending backward beyond a rear end portion of the cowl top member, and an upper dash panel having a rear end wall portion thereof connected to a rear end portion of the prolongation of the cowl cover panel at its upper end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: Mazada Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Toshinori Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 4721333
    Abstract: An arrangement for forming a bumper structure of an automobile having a rear door mounted on a body thereof to be openable and closing includes a bumper divided into a lower member fixed to a rear end portion of the body at a position lower than the rear door and an upper member attached to a lower end portion of the rear door. The upper member has end portions elongating oppositely in the direction of the width of the body beyond the rear door. A pair of receiving members are attached to the rear end portion of the body so as to face respectively the end portions of the upper member of the bumper elongating oppositely beyond the rear door when the rear door is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Akie Morio
  • Patent number: 4720825
    Abstract: An optical data reproducing device including an illuminating system for respectively, simultaneously illuminating at least two separate tracks of an optical disk with at least two light beams; a photo-electric conversion device for respectively converting the at least two light beams reflected from the tracks into at least two electrical signals; and processing circuitry for processing the at least two electrical signals. The processing circuitry may include a switch for switching from one track to another to execute a trick jump play. This circuitry may also simultaneously read the track outputs. One or more diffraction gratings which may be perpendicularly oriented with respect to each other establish the beams projected on the tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kokado
  • Patent number: 4720335
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting the air-fuel ratio in intake gas introduced into an engine by way of the oxygen concentration in engine exhaust comprises an oxygen ion transmissive solid electrolyte body and first and second porous electrodes provided on opposite sides of the solid electrolyte body, the first porous electrode being adapted to be brought into contact with the exhaust. The first porous electrode is formed of a material which exhibits semi-catalytic property. Metal oxide which oxidizes HC to produce CO is provided near three-phase points at which said first electrode, the solid electrolyte body and the exhaust adjoin each other when the first electrode is brought into contact with the exhaust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Megumu Fukushima, Kasunari Komatsu, Yasuhiro Shidahara, Katihiro Yokomizo
  • Patent number: 4720786
    Abstract: The base sequence of nucleic acids is determined by subjecting digital signals to signal processing, where the digital signals correspond to an autoradiograph of plural resolved rows which are formed by resolving a mixture of base-specific DNA fragments or base-specific RNA fragments labeled with a radioactive element in one-dimensional direction on a support medium.The method involves detecting at least two bands in the lower part of each resolved row and numbering the bands consecutively from the lower end, obtaining correlation between the band's number and a resolved distance thereof for each resolved row, and then determining the difference in the resolved distance between the resolved rows from the resulting correlation and making correction for the resolved position on each row by taking the difference as a locational deviation of the rows from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Hara
  • Patent number: 4719981
    Abstract: A four-wheel steering system for a vehicle comprises a steering wheel, a front wheel turning mechanism for turning front wheels in response to operation of the steering wheel, and a rear wheel turning mechanism which turns rear wheels in response to operation of the steering wheel and is provided with an electric actuator for changing the position of a movable member the position of which determines a rear wheel turning angle ratio which is the ratio of the turning angle of the rear wheels to the turning angle of the front wheels for a given turning angle of the steering wheel. A control circuit receives a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor and controls the electric actuator according to the detected vehicle speed so that a target rear wheel turning angle ratio determined in advance according to the vehicle speed is obtained. A preset vehicle speed detector detects a preset vehicle speed and a rear wheel turning angle ratio detector detects the actual rear wheel turning angle ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 4719122
    Abstract: A CDV method in which a substrate having a surface to be deposited where the film is placed in a reaction chamber and a reactive gas introduced into the reaction chamber is excited by irradiation with flat light and scattered light to thereby deposit the film on the substate surface. The flat light is directed along the substrate surface in close proximity thereto, and the scattered light is directed to the substrate surface thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 4718712
    Abstract: In a front structure of a vehicle body having a cowl box, the cowl box is formed by a closed cross-section windshield holding member for holding the windshield, a front cowl plate and a dashboard upper panel. The front cowl plate defines the front face of the cowl box and the dashboard upper panel defines the bottom and the rear face of the same. The windshield holding member and the dashboard upper panel separate upon vehicle impact and resultant cowl box deformation such that the windshield and holding member remain engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Shirou Nakatani
  • Patent number: 4718713
    Abstract: An engine compartment is provided in front of a cowl box. The bottom and rear faces of the cowl box are defined by a dashboard upper panel. An upper member for supporting the windshield is connected to a flange provided on the upper edge of the dashboard upper panel. A lower member is connected to the upper member at a first end and to a wall of the dashboard upper panel at a second end to increase the rigidity of the windshield holding portion. The junction between the second end of the lower member with the wall of the dashboard upper panel being more fragile upon vehicular impact and resultant cowl box deformation than the connection of the dashboard upper panel upper edge flange and the upper member, allowing the upper member to remain engaged with the windshield. In an alternative embodiment, a junction of the dashboard upper panel and upper member is made most fragile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Toshinori Sakamoto, Osamu Matsuura
  • Patent number: 4717602
    Abstract: A silicon nitride layer is formed on a substrate by reacting (1) silicon fluoride, (2) nitrogen or nitrogen hydride and (3) nitrogen fluoride by a chemical vapor deposition method using thermal energy and/or optical energy.According to the invention process, fluorine is added to the silicon nitride layer to make Si--F bonds, by which the amount of Si--H bonds can be reduced less than 1/10 as compared with that of silicon nitride made by the conventional reaction between SiH.sub.4 and HN.sub.3. Silicon nitride layer according to the invention will highly enhance the reliability of IC, LSI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 4716871
    Abstract: In an intake system having a bypass passage for introducing auxiliary air to the engine, a base amount of auxiliary air is first determined according to the engine operating condition. A target idling speed is calculated according to the engine temperature and the engine load and the target idling speed is compared with the actual engine speed. The base amount of auxiliary air is corrected according to the difference between the target idling speed and the actual engine speed, thereby obtaining a final target amount of auxiliary air. The control amount of the control valve is determined according to the final target amount of auxiliary air referring the final target amount of auxiliary air to the output characteristics of the control valve. Then the control valve is driven on the basis of the control amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Sakamoto, Tetsushi Hosokai, Hideo Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 4717941
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which is provided with a surface channel type or bulk channel type MIS FET. The MIS FET comprises at least a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a layer member formed in a predetermined pattern on the major surface of the substrate and having an insulating side surface; an insulating layer formed on the major surface of the substrate to extend from the insulating side surface in a direction opposite from the layer member; a conductive layer formed on the major surface of the insulating layer in contact with the insulating side surface of the layer member; and a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor substrate having a marginal edge corresponding to that of the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 4717905
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a condition such as tire air pressure where the monitor at each tire is remotely energized by radio waves, there being two embodiments disclosed for effecting this. A loop antenna concentrically mounted with respect to each tire receiver and/or transmits electrical energy to the remote location which is typically at the operator's console. Each pressure sensitive device is mounted away from the valve stem and may include a strain gauge mounted on the tire side wall or between the wall and rim. An infra-red detector may also be employed as a pressure monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Roger W. Vernon
    Inventors: Charles F. Morrison, Jr., A. J. Mims
  • Patent number: 4716873
    Abstract: An ignition timing correcting circuit which retards ignition timing when knock occurs and advances ignition timing when knock does not occur. An optimal ignition timing on which the ignition timing is to be converged is set to a latest ignition timing to which the ignition time can be retarded without raising the exhaust gas temperature higher than a predetermined value at the actual air-fuel ratio at that time. The actual ignition timing corrected by the ignition timing correcting circuit is compared with the optimal ignition timing. An air-fuel ratio control circuit corrects the air-fuel ratio toward the lean side when the actual ignition timing is on the advance side of the optimal ignition timing and toward the rich side when the former is on the retard side of the latter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Takaba, Tomotsugu Rikitake, Yoshitaka Tabara, Manabu Arima
  • Patent number: 4717198
    Abstract: In an open cowl type front structure for a vehicle body in which a dashboard upper panel and a cowl panel are connected together so that an opening is formed to open upward in front of the cowl panel, the dashboard upper panel is provided on the front end thereof with a vertically extending front wall portion. The front wall portion defines, together with an upper portion of a dashboard lower panel separating an engine room and a passenger compartment, a closed cross-section portion extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle body. The closed cross-section portion is connected to right and left wheel aprons at opposite ends thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Komatsu
  • Patent number: 4716734
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine equipped with a supercharger and an idling speed control system comprises a combustion chamber provided with an exhaust passage and an inlet passage in which the supercharger is provided, a throttle valve provided at a downstream portion of the inlet passage compared with the supercharger, an intercooler provided at the downstream portion of the inlet passage compared with the supercharger, a bypass passage provided to the inlet passage for detouring the throttle valve with one end thereof connected with a portion of the inlet passage between the supercharger and the intercooler and the other end thereof connected with another portion of the inlet passage downstream from the intercooler, and an air flow control valve for adjusting intake air mass flow supplied through the bypass passage to the combustion chamber on the occasion of a start of the engine and/or during an idle operation of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masami Nakao, Masato Iwaki, Hiroshi Kinoshita, Ikuo Okamoto