Abstract: To connect a holding bracket to a muffler, an improved connecting structure therebetween is proposed. The muffler includes a tubular case and two end plates which are connected to axially open ends of the tubular case by means of caulking thereby to form around each axially end of the case a caulked raised portion. The bracket includes a metal rod and a metal plate. The metal plate includes an upper gripping part which grips the caulked raised portion and a lower gripping part which grips the metal rod. The metal plate has between the upper and lower gripping parts an intermediate wall portion which is put on the metal rod, so that when the muffler is properly held by the supporting bracket, entire weight of the muffler is substantially supported by the metal rod.

Abstract: A flexible connection tube for an automotive exhaust system comprises a flexible metal bellows adapted to be connected between a run of exhaust piping for absorbing expansion or contraction of the exhaust piping, and an outer knitted metal-wire braid covering the outer periphery of the bellows for protecting the bellows from damage and for preventing the bellows from stretching to its full length. The outer knitted metal-wire braid is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by knitting plural metal-wire bundles (each bundle being produced by a plurality of parallelly bonded metal wires) alternately with each other in spiral directions with respect to the axial direction of the bellows. Apertures are defined by many groups of four adjacent metal-wire bundles knitted alternately with each other.

Abstract: In the middle of the grid signal wire connecting the grid terminal of the clock drive IC with that of the clock fluorescent display tube, the illumination control circuit is arranged, wherein in accordance with the illumination control signal, the illumination control circuits converts the first grid input signal and the second one by the 1/2 duty signal into the first grid output signal and the second one by a pulse signal, the pulse width of which is changed according to the illumination control signal.

Abstract: A control system of automotive air conditioning device comprises a heater/cooler unit having therein a plurality of control doors by which various air flow modes are provided. A plurality of identical actuators are employed for actuating the control doors. Each actuator includes an electric motor for driving the corresponding control door, a position detector for issuing a current position signal representative of the current angular position assumed by the corresponding control door, and a control circuit for controlling the electric motor by processing both the current position signal as well as a target position signal applied thereto. A control unit is further employed for totally controlling the actuators by means of a multiplex communication carried out between the control unit and each of the actuators. The control unit issues the target position signal to each of the actuators.

Abstract: In an end-closed pipe of a pair of half-cylindrical portions are opposed to each other to form a pipe portion, and part of an end portion of each of the half-cylindrical portions is folded or formed into a V-shaped or a U-shaped cross-section to form a half closure portion projecting from an inner surface thereof, and the half closure portions of the two half-cylindrical portions are bonded together so as to form a closure portion at the end portion of the pipe. Two closure portions are formed at the both ends of the pipe, and a partition portion which has same structure as that of the closure portion is formed between the two closure portions. In the heat exchanger header a plurality of tube insertion holes are formed in the above end-closed pipe, and are spaced from one another along an axis thereof.

Abstract: In a header pipe for use in a heat exchanger composed of a header pipe body, both ends of which are closed, and a heating medium pipe, one end of which is connected to the header pipe body, on an outer circumferential surface of the header pipe body, there is formed a connecting opening which is open in an axial direction of the header pipe body, and one end portion of the heating medium pipe is inserted into the connecting opening.

Abstract: A variable displacement swash plate type compressor has a coupling structure between a drive shaft and a swash plate in order to allow the swash plate to be movable along the drive shaft and inclinable relative to the same. The coupling structure comprises a bearing portion provided on the drive shaft to rotate therewith. The bearing portion includes first and second semicylindrical outer walls which are symmetrically arranged with respect to an axis of the drive shaft and first and second flat side walls which are symmetrically arranged with respect to the axis. Each of the first and second semicylindrical outer walls is perpendicular to each of the first and second flat side walls. The bearing portion further includes a rectangular center bore formed in a hub portion of the swash plate. The center bore is so sized and shaped as to intimately and slidably receive therein the bearing portion.

Abstract: In the case of failure in communication between the control unit and the control panel in the manual operation of a car air conditioner, the operation mode is changed over to an automatic mode to introduce the outside air. In the case of failure in communication between the control unit and the mode door actuators, the compressor is turned on to introduce the outside air.

Abstract: A controllable exhaust system of an internal combustion engine is shown which includes an exhaust gas inlet tube extending from the engine, a muffler connected at its inlet side to the exhaust gas inlet tube and having first and second exhaust gas flowing passages defined therein, and first and second exhaust gas outlet tubes respectively connected to the first and second exhaust gas flowing passages and extending from the muffler independently. A muffler controller is incorporated with the exhaust system for varying the flow passage area of the second exhaust gas outlet tube in accordance with the pressure of the exhaust gas led into the muffler from the engine.

Abstract: An anti-theft car protection device includes a key having an IC-chip embedded therein, and an ignition switch that can be turned by the key to any "OFF" position, an "ACC" position and an "ON" position. The device further includes an antenna mounted near the ignition switch, and a communication module that provides a radio communication between the IC-chip of the key and the antenna. The device also includes an immobilizer controller that determines, in accordance with an instruction signal issued from the communication module, whether or not the engine should be started. The communication module includes an electric field generating circuit that energizes the IC-chip of the key by causing the antenna to emit an electromagnetic wave, a transmitting/receiving circuit that carries out exchange of ID-codes with the IC-chip through the antenna, and a system control circuit that controls both the electric field generating circuit and the transmitting/receiving circuit.

Abstract: In an electronic component cooling unit, parts of the outer surfaces of a plurality of passageways in which refrigerant flows are coupled to one surface of a cold plate on the other surface of which an electronic component is mounted, and a header tank is provided in the plurality of passageways so that a plurality of looped passageways are formed. The plurality of passageways are provided by a multi-flow-path container which is formed by extrusion molding and has a flattened cross section.

Abstract: An electronic climate control system for a car air conditioner comprises sensors for detecting an ambient temperature, an in-car temperature and a heat load, a climate control unit responsive to signals from the sensors for adjusting an interior environment within the vehicle passenger compartment towards desired in-car temperature and humidity conditions, a manual-input panel for manually setting a system's operating mode, and a communications line between the climate control unit and the manual-input panel. The climate control system has a fail-safe function for automatically selecting an automatic air-conditioning mode and/or a fresh-air mode as the system's operating mode necessary to prevent any moist air from fogging the windshield in the presence of a failure in communication between the control panel and the control unit.

Abstract: A heater unit of automotive air conditioning device comprises a case. In the case, there are defined a cool air passage, a hot air passage and an air mix chamber. The cool air passage has an upstream end merged with an air inlet opening of the case and a downstream end merged with the air mix chamber. The hot air passage has an upstream end merged with the upstream end of the cool air passage and a downstream largest area merged with the air mix chamber. The air mix chamber is directly communicated with air outlet openings of the case. A heater core is arranged in the upstream end of the hot air passage. An air mix door is pivotally arranged in the case to vary the flow rate between air directed toward the hot air passage and air directed toward the cool air passage. A shutter door is pivotally arranged in the downstream largest area of the hot air passage. A link mechanism is used for achieving synchronized pivoting movements of the air mix door and the shutter door.

Abstract: A muffler assembly, for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine has an exhaust gas inlet tube projected into the muffler to feed the muffler with the exhaust gas of the engine. First and second flow passages are defined through which the exhaust gas from the muffler flows independently before discharged to the open air. The controller has a pneumatic actuator that has a piston rod and a work chamber. The piston rod is adapted to reciprocate linearly in accordance with the magnitude of pressure developed in the work chamber. The pressure of the exhaust gas of the engine is fed to the work chamber of the pneumatic actuator. The actuator controls a valve assembly which includes a valve plate and a pivot shaft through which the valve plate is pivotally installed in the second flow passage of the first means.

Abstract: A string-attached cap is formed by connecting one end of a belt-shaped coupling member to a cap. In the string-attached cap, the coupling member is made of flexible resin, and has a ring as its part at one end, and the ring has an engaging part which is the inner periphery of the ring, the engaging part being slidably engaged with an annular groove formed in the outer periphery of the cap.

Abstract: An evaporator/expansion valve unit for use in an automotive air conditioning system, comprises an evaporator which includes first and second parallely extending elongate tanks and a plurality of flat hollow elements mounted on the first and second elongate tanks. The interior of each element is in a fluid communication with the interior of each tank. The first tank is formed with inlet and outlet openings. A block type expansion valve has a first passage which is closed when a spherical valve body abuts against a given part of the first passage against a certain force applied thereto and a second passage which has a temperature sensing means by which the certain force is varied in accordance with the temperature of a refrigerant flowing in the second passage. The first passage has an outlet opening connected to the inlet opening of the first tank. The second passage has an inlet opening connected to the outlet opening of the first tank. The expansion valve has the first tank directly mounted thereon.

Abstract: A condenser and a subcondenser are provided between a couple of header pipes, and a liquid tank is provided by the side of the header pipe. Liquid refrigerant that is discharged from the condenser enters the subcondenser after passing through the liquid tank. The liquid tank is detachably mounted on the header pipe.

Abstract: In a variable displacement swash plate type compressor, there is employed a structure for stopping or minimizing a turning movement of a piston about its axis. The structure comprises a given part of the piston which is always out of the corresponding cylinder chamber; a turn stopper portion formed on the given part and including laterally opposed sides each having a rounded outer surface; and a cylindrical surface defined in a casing of the compressor at a portion which faces the turn stopper portion. The cylindrical surface is so arranged as to make a surface-to-surface contact with one of the laterally opposed sides when the piston is turned about its axis by a given angle.

Abstract: A thin-walled double pipe exhaust manifold comprises a double pipe consisting of a comparatively thin inner tube and a comparatively thick outer tube, both spaced apart from each other adiabatically through an aperture defined between these tubes. The inner tube is formed with at least one bead portion for relieving thermal stresses induced in the inner tube. To effectively reduce thermal stresses by way of thermal expansion or contraction, the bead portion is provided around each heat spot similarly to the temperature distribution of each heat spot.

Abstract: An exhaust system of an internal combustion engine has an exhaust gas inlet tube extending from the engine. A muffler is connected at its inlet side to the exhaust gas inlet tube. The muffler includes first and second exhaust gas flowing passages. First and second exhaust gas outlet tubes are respectively connected to the first and second exhaust gas flowing passages and extend from the muffler independently. A flow controller steplessly varies the flow passage area of the second exhaust gas outlet tube in accordance with the pressure of the exhaust gas discharged from the engine. The flow controller continuously increases the flow passage area with increase of the magnitude of the exhaust gas pressure.