Abstract: A friction material comprising a filler, a binder, and a lubricant, wherein a part or the whole of the filler is constituted by molybdenum trioxide. Not only is the friction material improved in anti-cracking property and anti-fading property under high-temperature and high-load conditions, but the friction material can be prevented from deterioration due to ashing.

Abstract: A brake device includes a main piston slidably mounted within a caliper body of the brake device, a cylinder body provided inside an inner periphery of the piston, a sealed fluid chamber which is formed by the cylinder body and an inner peripheral surface of the main piston, and is filled with a fluid, a shaft rotatably mounted on the cylinder body, pressure control pistons which are driven by the shaft to move into and out of the fluid chamber, a linear movement conversion mechanism provided between the shaft and each of the pressure control pistons so as to convert a rotation of the shaft into a linear movement of the pressure control piston, a motor for rotating the shaft, a speed changer provided between the shaft and the motor so as to transmit the number of revolutions of the motor to the shaft in a manner to reduce the number of revolutions, and an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the motor.

Abstract: In a friction material composition containing a fiber base, and a binder, a novolak type phenolic resin having a mean molecular weight of from 3500 to 5000 is used as the binder.

Abstract: In the present sensor element failure or end of life judging method, the internal impedance of a gas sensor element is measured and, if the thus measured internal impedance goes beyond a previously determined threshold value, then it is judged that the gas sensor element fails or comes to the end of life.

Abstract: Within a wheel cylinder, a drive piston and a control piston, the base ends of which receives a hydraulic pressure from a master cylinder, are oppositely disposed while being axially aligned with each other. A primary shoe is pressed by the drive piston, and an anchor reaction force output from a secondary shoe is distributed to and loaded on an anchor portion and the control piston through a control lever. When the anchor reaction force reaches a predetermined value of force or larger, an anchor-reaction-force control link mechanism operates to move the primary shoe apart from a brake drum, thereby checking the increase of the anchor reaction force.

Abstract: A pad clip 40 includes a U-shaped portion 46 which can be engaged with a guide projection 16 provided in a support 14. On one side of the U-shaped portion 46, a first spring portion 74 is continuously connected to a second spring portion 64. The first spring portion 74 includes a curved portion 76 and a leading end contact portion 82, such that the leading end contact portion 82 energizes a friction pad 20 outwardly in the rotor radial direction. The second spring portion 64 is protruded and curved in the rotor peripheral direction to thereby provide a projection shape. The protrusion top portion 70 of the second spring portion 64 is in contact with the friction pad 20, and the spring upper end portion 66 and lower end portion 68 of the second spring portion 64 are respectively in contact with the support 14, thereby energizing the friction pad 20 in the rotor peripheral direction.

Abstract: In a hydraulic pump, an elastic sealing member for performing sealing between a cylinder and a slide piston reciprocating in the cylinder is provided in the front end side of the slide piston and along the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder so that the elastic sealing member receives a compression force from a front end surface of the slide piston in a compression stroke of the slide piston and swells into a pump chamber because of elastic deformation due to the compression force to thereby reduce the volume of the pump chamber. Accordingly, the elastic deformation of the elastic sealing member in the compression stroke is used to increase the discharge quantity.

Abstract: A mechanism for converting rotational motion to linear motion having a roller thread mechanism interposed between a shaft having multiple male threads and a nut having multiple female threads. The female threads of the nut are opposite in direction to the male threads of the shaft. The rollers have different effective thread diameters which are provided by the shape of the threads on the shaft, rollers and nut. The mechanism is configured so that the axial travel distance of the shaft, per relative rotation of the nut and the shaft, can be shortened. The mechanism is also capable of a fast movement, which is realized by suppressing the rotation of the rollers. When the mechanism is used as an actuator of a brake device, an antilock control, a traction control, and the like, it can be easily implemented by controlling the rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a third substrate. The second substrate has a through-hole, a first contact formed on an inner surface of the through-hole, and a first bonding pad connected to the first contact. An electrically conductive ball is accommodated in the through-hole. The third substrate has a recess, a second contact formed in the recess contacting the bottom of the electrically conductive ball, and a second bonding pad connected to the second contact.

Abstract: A wheel cylinder for expanding the opposed edges at one longitudinal end of a pair of brake shoes includes a pair of drive pistons for pressing the ends of the respective brake shoes under a hydraulic pressure supplied to the first pressure chamber, and a pair of control pistons which receive at the base ends the hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder and receive at the front ends anchor reaction force by way of levers, the control pistons being displaced to close a normally-open input control valve for supplying hydraulic pressure to the first pressure chamber when the anchor reaction force becomes larger than the hydraulic pressure received from the master cylinder by a predetermined magnifying power. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the stability of the braking effect of a duo-servo type drum brake.

Abstract: A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising a rectangular semiconductor substrate on the moving electrode side and a rectangular semiconductor substrate on the fixed electrode side laminated on each other, the moving electrode side substrate being formed with a heavy weight and a thin cantilever, a moving electrode being provided on the heavy weight, a first electrostatic attraction electrode being provided on the cantilever, the fixed electrode side substrate being formed with a fixed electrode at a position opposed to the moving electrode and a second electrostatic attraction electrode at a position opposed to the electrostatic attraction electrode. The first and second electrostatic attraction electrodes are placed facing each other. A predetermined spacing is provided between the electrostatic attraction electrodes and a predetermined voltage is applied therebetween.

Abstract: The electric brake including a pad clearance adjusting mechanism comprises: ignition switch detecting member for detecting that an ignition key has been switched from its off position to its on position; brake instruction detecting member; a parking brake detecting member; a brake control device; a piston position sensor; and, an electric actuator.

Abstract: A device for detecting operation of a brake pedal comprises: a first hydraulic chamber 9 in which fluid is pressurized by a first piston 7 connected with a brake pedal 1 when the brake pedal 1 is pushed downward; a second hydraulic chamber 13 communicated with the first hydraulic chamber 9 via an orifice 11 of small diameter; a first hydraulic pressure sensor 19 for detecting hydraulic pressure in the first hydraulic chamber; and a second hydraulic pressure sensor 20 for detecting hydraulic pressure in the second hydraulic chamber. The control unit 24 controls a motor (braking device) 22 in accordance with a difference .increment.P in pressure obtained by the values of detection conducted by the first hydraulic pressure sensor 19 and the second hydraulic pressure sensor 20.

Abstract: An anti-lock control method whereby a control period of pressurization/pressure-reduction during anti-lock control is maintained constant. In the anti-lock control method, a control period T(n) from a high peak of a body velocity to a next high peak is measured, a difference between a target control period time (Tset) and the control period time T(n) is obtained when the control period time is shorter than the target control period time (Tset), the difference is added to a current pressurization start delay time Twait(n-1) to obtain a next pressurization start delay time Twait(n), and a next pressurization start time is delayed by the obtained pressurization start delay time.

Abstract: A friction pad for braking cooperates with a support member, which receives a brake torque produced in the friction pad, in forming a recess and projection fitting portion. A pad clip is interposed between the friction pad and the support member to thereby be able to reduce the sliding resistance of the friction pad. An anchor piece, which extends downwardly from a U-shaped portion of the pad clip, is inclined and disposed in such a manner that a pad contact portion, which serves as a contact portion between the anchor piece and friction pad is situated more outwardly in the rotor diameter direction than a support contact portion serving as a contact portion between the anchor piece and the support member. Due to such arrangement of the anchor piece, the energizing actions of the anchor piece and rotor diameter direction pressing portion with the support member contact portion as the fulcrum thereof can restrict the movement of the friction pad to thereby prevent generation of a rattling noise.

Abstract: A brake control apparatus has a control unit 30 for controlling a brake mechanism 40 for braking each of the wheels provided for a vehicle, and a tire abnormality detection device 10 for detecting abnormal air pressure of a tire attached to each of the wheels and transmitting a signal to the control unit 30. When the control unit 30 determines that the air pressure of any one of the tires has become lower than a predetermined level, the control unit 30 controls the brake mechanism 40 to brake a tire opposite to the low-pressure tire to the right or left. As a consequence, safety is improved even if a tire has been punctured during operation of a vehicle.

Abstract: A pressure regulating valve is provided with a first valve for opening and closing a flow channel between a fluid pressure source and a reservoir, and a second valve for opening and closing a flow channel between an output chamber and the reservoir in order to regulate the pressure applied from the fluid pressure source in proportion to an input fluid pressure in an input chamber and to output the regulated pressure from the output chamber. A slidable valve body with one end subjected to an input pressure and the other end subjected to an output pressure, and a one-way valve for allowing communication only from the fluid pressure source to the output chamber are featured in that the movement of the valve body by a given quantity causes the first valve to close after the second valve is closed as the pressure in the input chamber rises.

Abstract: A slide guide mechanism consisting of guide holes and guide pins inserted into the guide holes, is used to mount a caliper on a support member, which is attached to a vehicle, such that the caliper is able to move in the axial direction of a rotor. The caliper has a fluid pressure means pressing an inner pad and an outer pad against the rotor during braking. Braking torque generated by the inner pad is transmitted to the support member. Braking torque generated by the outer pad is transmitted to the support member through the caliper and the slide guide mechanism. The main guide pin 16 is located at a position from where a gap from the guide hole of the slide guide mechanism is smaller, the guide hole for the main guide pin 16 is long enough to cross over the rotor and reach the outer pad, and the main guide pin 16 is located on the rotor run-out side. Moreover, the positions of the guide pins are located in a radial direction of the rotor, beyond the location where the outer pad is attached to the caliper.

Abstract: An antilock brake liquid-pressure control apparatus includes first and second liquid-pressure control mechanisms 3A and 3B, and a liquid-pressure returning mechanism 4. A variable volume chamber 14 of the liquid-pressure control mechanism 3 communicates with the wheel cylinders, and with a primary pressure chamber 2a of a master cylinder through a cut valve 10 which closes its flow path only when an antilock brake control is performed. A liquid-pressure control chamber 13 communicates with a liquid-pressure pump 7 through a hold valve 5, and with a reservoir 8 through a decay valve 6. An input liquid chamber 17 of the liquid-pressure returning mechanism 4 communicates with a discharge port of the liquid-pressure pump. An output liquid chamber 18 thereof communicates with the primary pressure chamber 2a.

Abstract: Poly(3-hydroxybutanoic acid) having a number average molecular weight of not less than 500,000 is oriented at a draw ratio of 2-fold or more to reproducibly obtain a film made of poly(3-hydroxybutanoic acid) having biodegradability and biocompatibility as well as sufficient strength and flexibility (for example, tensile strength of not less than 30 MPa and elongation to break of not less than 15%).