Abstract: In a friction material including a fibrous reinforcement, a friction modifier and a binder, no whisker-like potassium titanate fiber is contained, but powdery or flaky potassium titanate with an aspect ratio of not higher than 3 is mixed as a friction component. The diameter of the powdery or flaky potassium titanate is preferably in a range of from 0.05 &mgr;m to 150 &mgr;m. In addition, the powdery or flaky potassium titanate is preferably subjected to surface treatment with a silane coupling agent, phenolic resin, or the like. Further, fibrous potassium titanate may be mixed at a volume ratio of not higher than 30% with respect to the powdery or flaky potassium titanate. The fibrous potassium titanate is a by-product when the powdery or flaky potassium titanate is produced and which has a length of not longer than 5 &mgr;m or a diameter of not smaller than 3 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An inner disc portion and an outer disc portion are connected through first to fifth connecting ribs. The second and third connecting ribs which are provided on the outer diameter side are inclined reversely to each other so that a portion where the distance between outer-diameter-side end portions of the second and third connecting ribs is wider and a portion where the distance is narrower are provided alternately. The fourth connecting ribs are provided in the portions where the distance is wider respectively. In addition, each of the fifth connecting ribs are provided between the first connecting ribs and the second and third connecting ribs respectively. The inclination angle &thgr; of the second and third connecting ribs is regulated so that the distances between the end portions of the respective ribs are equal to one another.

Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor acceleration sensor which is small in size, light in weight, simple in manufacture, low in manufacturing cost, and high in accuracy, and which, with a switch-on time set to a predetermined value, is stable in operation. In a semiconductor acceleration sensor in which a central board 1 having a central contact section 11, and outside boards 2 at least one of which has an outside contact section 21 are stacked; the central board 1 has a weight 12 near the central contact section 11, and the outside board 2 having the outside contact section 21 has a weight confronting section 11 which confronts with the weight 12, for squeezed damping effect.

Abstract: It is an object to obtain an air disc brake in which reduction in size, in weight, and in cost can be attained, and the responsibility can be improved easily. A pair of leg portions 15a in opposition to each other so as to put therebetween a rotor 3 are provided in a caliper body 15 fixed to a truck frame 7, a pair of brake blocks 14 disposed in opposition to each other so as to put therebetween the rotor 3 are attached to air chambers 17 built in the leg portions 15a respectively, each of the air chambers 17 includes a diaphragm 27 which is displacable to the rotor 3 side by a supplied air pressure, a piston 29 having a base end in contact with the diaphragm 27 and a tip end connected to the brake block 14, and a return spring 31 for urging the piston 29 to move apart from the rotor 3.

Abstract: In a disc brake of the type in which the outer pad is directly supported by the pawls 1a and 1b of the caliper 1 in a manner that the protrusions 5b and 5c of the back plate 5a of the outer pad 5 are put in engagement with the engaging parts 1c and 1d of the pawls of the caliper 1, the protrusions 5b and 5c of the back plate 5a of the outer pad 5 and the engaging parts 1c and 1d of the pawls of the caliper are located on the radially inner side of the surface pressure center C of the outer pad 5.

Abstract: A brake pressure control device is provided that includes a brake valve, an air master cylinder, and an air control valve. The air control valve is provided between the brake valve and the air master cylinder for selectively controlling the air pressure supplied from the brake valve to the air master cylinder. The air control valve includes an input port coupled to the brake valve for receiving air pressure provided from the brake valve; an exhaust port coupled to open air and to a back pressure chamber of the air master cylinder; an output port coupled to the air master cylinder; a pipe passageway coupled between the input port, the exhaust port, and the output port; at least one diaphragm provided within the pipe passageway; and a release valve connected between the exhaust port and the output port for releasing air pressure from the output port to the exhaust port during a brake releasing operation.

Abstract: A turntable acceleration generating apparatus includes a first servo motor, a large-diameter turntable rotated by the first servo motor, and a small-diameter turntable being mounted on the large-diameter turntable at a position offset from the central axis of the large-diameter turntable such that the small-diameter turntable is rotated by a rotary shaft. Furthermore, the turntable acceleration generating apparatus includes a signal line for deriving signals from an acceleration sensor located on one of the sides of the large-diameter turntable, and a control signal line for applying control signal to a second servo motor located on the other side of the large-diameter turntable, wherein the large-diameter turntable is grounded such that the large-diameter turntable prevents noise leakage from the control signal line to the signal line.

Abstract: A brake fluid pressure controller of a brake having a master cylinder and wheel cylinders includes a control valve having a pilot piston, wherein pressure generated in the master cylinder acts on the pilot piston to control pressure generated in a pressure source, and wherein the generated pressure is applied to the wheel cylinders, and changeover valves for applying the pressure on the pilot piston.

Abstract: In a gas sensor element, an alkali metal ion conductor is provided with a detection electrode comprising an alkali metal carbonate in dissociation equilibrium with CO2 gas on one side thereof and a solid standard electrode on the other side thereof. The alkali metal carbonate is bonded to the alkali metal ion conductor via a bonding agent comprising an alkaline earth metal carbonate which is capable of forming an eutectic low-melting composition with the alkali metal carbonate.

Abstract: A friction material, including a fibrous reinforcement, a friction modifier, a lubricant and a binder, comprising a water-repellent fluoropolymer incorporated therein. The further incorporation of an alkaline metal salt makes it possible to render the matrix more hydrophilic and hence reduce creep noise. The foregoing fluoropolymer is one selected from the group consisting of ethylene tetrafluoride polymer, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer and polyvinylidene fluoride or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A drum brake includes a first brake shoe, a second brake shoe and disposed opposite the first brake shoe within a brake drum, a backing plate supporting the first and second brake shoes, a wheel cylinder disposed between the first brake shoe and the second brake shoe, the wheel cylinder including a drive piston for pressing the first and the second brake shoes against an inner surface of the brake drum, a control piston for supplying hydraulic pressure in response to a braking reaction force from the second brake shoe, an anchor portion for receiving an anchor reaction force from the second brake shoe, a control lever for distributing the anchor reaction force to the anchor portion and to the control piston when the anchor reaction force reaches a predetermined braking force magnification, the drive piston has a base end in the pressure chamber and a leading end facing the first end of the second brake shoe and is movable to and from the second brake shoe by the hydraulic pressure supplied to the pressure cha

Abstract: In the pushing anchor type disc brake device, reduction of noise and prevention of uneven wear can be accomplished especially in the brake device in which brake torque of the outer pad is transmitted via the caliper. In the disc brake device, the caliper is guided by a pair of guide pins composed of a main pin and a sub-pin. In order to transmit the brake torque of the outer pad via the caliper and the main pin, the back plate of the outer pad and the caliper are engaged with each other by engaging a protrusion with a recess, wherein the engagement is conducted at a plurality of portions in the circumferential direction of the rotor, so that the brake torque can be transmitted from the outer pad to the caliper. The main pin is arranged on the rotor run-out side, so that a pushing anchor structure can be formed. A pair of guide pins and guide holes of the support member which engage with the pair of guide pins stride the rotor and extend exceeding a facing section where the rotor faces the outer pad.

Abstract: A semiconductor acceleration sensor including a central board having a movable electrode section, an outside board having a stationary electrode section, and a sealing insulating section for joining the central board and the outside board which are laminated on each other, wherein the sealing insulating section has a conductive layer, and the conductive layer is a sealing member or an anodic bonding electrode.

Abstract: A process for producing a friction material is disclosed, which comprises integrally bonding a preform of a friction material molding compound by heat-forming to a metallic backing plate which has been formed into a given shape and has undergone degreasing and priming, said heat-forming being conducted after the backing plate has been preheated to a temperature about equal to the heat-forming temperature to be used. The process is effective in simplifying the temperature control conducted in the heat-forming step and in providing high-quality friction materials always having stable physical properties and performances.

Abstract: Counter braking force acting on a secondary shoe is input to one end portion of a control lever supported with an anchor pin vertically provided on a backing plate in such a manner that the control lever is capable of swinging. An inner end portion in the radial direction of the control lever engages with a strut for pressing a primary shoe against a brake drum. Pressing force A with which the strut is pressing the primary shoe against the brake drum is drastically reduced when braking force, that is, the counter braking force increases and slightly reduced when the braking force, that is, the counter braking force decreases, whereby an increase or a decrease in the braking force is made automatically controllable.

Abstract: Disclosed is a drum brake device in which during a service brake application, a pair of brake shoes operates in a leading/trailing mode, and during a parking brake application, a parking brake mechanism operates to cause the brake shoes to operate in the duo servo mode. A first lever, an equalizer and a second lever, which make up the parking brake mechanism, are all assembled onto one of the brake shoes. The second lever includes an input portion, a lever contact portion and an equalizer contact portion. The input portion receives a force from a parking lever. The lever contact portion applies a turning force to the first lever. The equalizer contact portion applies a turning force to the equalizer. The second lever, when it is turned, turns the first lever and then the equalizer.

Abstract: A device for controlling pressure of brake fluid having an anti-lock control device arranged in a pipe communicating a master cylinder with a wheel cylinder, comprising: a passage shut-off device arranged in a passage communicating a holding valve, which is a component of the anti-lock control device, with a master cylinder, to shut off the passage when fluid pressure generated in the master cylinder exceeds a predetermined value; and a switch valve arranged in a bypass passage communicating an upper stream side passage of the passage shut-off device with a suction port of a hydraulic pump, to open the passage when the passage shut-off valve shuts off the passage, wherein when the passage shut-off device closes the passage, the hydraulic pump in the anti-lock control device is operated, so that brake fluid in the master cylinder can be sucked via the switch valve and fed into the wheel cylinder.

Abstract: The microbial electrode is constructed having a substrate(3) made of an insulating material, an electric conductor(2) which is fixed on the substrate and a membrane containing microorganism cells(1) which is fixed on the conductor. The microbial sensor(20) is constructed having the microbial electrode above described and a conductor(11) to act as a counter electrode fixed on the insulating material of the surface of the substrate of the electrode which is opposite to the surface where the membrane containing microorganism cells is fixed.

Abstract: A control unit, which causes brake units to generate braking force corresponding to a braking operation by controlling the operation of electric actuators, compares the pressure difference detected by first and second pressure sensor with a threshold value. When the pressure difference exceeds the threshold value, the control unit switches a control mode to a sudden braking mode, compares the sudden braking mode with a normal braking mode which the pressure difference does not exceed the threshold value, and controls supply of electric power to the electric actuators causing the braking force generated by the respective brake units to be increased.

Abstract: The grinding machine for grinding a frictional surface of a pad of the present invention comprises: a grooving cutter to be rotated; a cylindrical grinding wheel arranged at a position distant from the grooving cutter; a pad chucking portion for holding a frictional surface of the brake pad so that the frictional surface can be opposed to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical grinding wheel; an X-axis feed mechanism for advancing and retreating the pad chucking portion in the direction of X-axis parallel to the frictional surface of the brake pad; a Y-axis feed mechanism for advancing and retreating the pad chucking portion in the direction of Y-axis perpendicular to the frictional surface of the brake pad; a Z-axis rotation mechanism for rotating the brake pad around the Z-axis perpendicular to the frictional surface of the brake pad; and a numerically controlling circuit for controlling the motions conducted by the above mechanisms.