Abstract: A vehicle electronic control apparatus (1) includes an electronic control section (2) received in an accommodating cavity (23) in an instrument panel (22) in an automotive vehicle for controlling electronic equipments in the vehicle and a switch section (3) detachably attached to the electronic control section (2) for applying command signals to the electronic control section (2). The switch section (3) is provided with a communication function part (27) which serves as a local area network (LAN) manager so that the electronic control section (2) can control the electronic equipments. This construction enables an expensive electronic control section (2) to be used in common in different types of automotive vehicle regardless of presence or absence of the vehicle LAN. The switch section (3) having the communication function part (27) can utilize the vehicle LAN.

Abstract: When a wire “a” is pressed into a pressure connection terminal of a connector C, an end portion of the wire “a” is clamped by a wire curvature correcting chuck 47, and the wire curvature correcting chuck 47 is slid in a pulling direction along the surface of a sheathing of the wire “a” in a state in which the feeding of the wire “a” is stopped, thereby correcting a curvature in the wire “a” so as to allow a press-in blade S to reliably grip the wire “a” and depress the same. In addition, in conjunction with the retraction of the wire curvature correcting chuck 47, its open/closed state is monitored by an opening/closing sensor to detect the amount of the projecting allowance of the wire “a” with respect to pressure connection, and a required measure can be adopted if the projecting allowance is insufficient.

Abstract: A cable reel includes a sound-absorbing material which can effectively attenuate both sliding noise and vibration noise and can be produced inexpensively. The cable reel comprises a stationary member assembly and a movable member assembly rotatably mounted on the stationary member assembly. The stationary and movable member assemblies define a cable containing chamber having an annular configuration and upper and lower bearing surfaces. The cable containing chamber accommodates a flat cable in a coiled manner between the upper and lower bearing surfaces. Opposite ends of the flat cable are led out from the stationary and movable member assemblies through electrical means. The sound-absorbing material is made of a foam material and includes at least three straps. The straps extend radially and are equally spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction on at least the lower bearing surface of the cable containing chamber so that the flat cable slides on the straps of the sound-absorbing material.

Abstract: A breaker apparatus comprises: a breaker switch including a pair of fixed electrodes standing upright on the breaker body, a plug detachably mounted on the breaker body, and a movable electrode provided on the plug for disconnecting and connecting between both fixed electrodes by being pulled out or pushed in to the both fixed electrodes; and a fuse mounted in parallel with the breaker switch, characterized in that a locking lever is pivotably mounted on one of the breaker body and the plug and the locking lever is pivoted to the locking position where the plug is locked in the fitted state, in that the breaker body is provided with a micro switch having a swinging strip for detecting whether or not the locking lever is pivoted to the locking position so that the micro switch is activated when the tip of the locking lever pivots along the length of the swinging strip and presses the swinging strip on the way to activate the micro switch, and in that the tip of the locking lever is formed so that the length is

Abstract: A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit in that while presently available input circuits 11 to 16 and also output circuits 18 to 22 are directly utilized without newly setting an exclusively used interface circuit on the side of an electronic unit 3, a command instruction is applied to these input circuits and output circuits by way of a multiplex serial communication by turning ON/OFF switches 2a to 2f so as to test as to whether or not the switches 2a to 2f are confirmed under normal states by the respective input circuits 11 to 16. Also, a similar operation signal to the switching operation of the switches 2a to 2f is supplied by way of the command instruction by the multiplex serial communication in order to check as to whether or not the output signals derived from the respective output circuits 18 to 22 are proper.

Abstract: A bus bar is connected between a battery post and a stud bolt to which an electric power supply wire is connected. An opening is provided in a housing in which an explosive sealing portion is accommodated. Just before the opening, a broken portion of the bus bar is provided. In the broken portion, a recess portion is formed, and this portion of the broken portion is thin. On both sides of the broken portion, a cutout portions are formed. In case of emergency, electric current generates in a trigger wire, and an explosive in the explosive sealing portion is exploded. An explosive force is directed to the opening of the housing, and the broken portion located just before the opening receives the explosive force forward. Due to the foregoing, the recess portion is broken and both broken pieces are bent at the cutout portions and opened being separated from each other. In this way, an electric power supply circuit is shut off.

Abstract: A connector includes a first connector fixed to a first attachment member in a first direction, a holder fixed on a second attachment member, a second connector supported on said holder in a second direction which is opposite to said first direction, wherein said second connector is advanced in the second direction so as to connect with said first connector when said first attachment member and second attachment member are relatively approached.

Abstract: This invention relates to a phone holder. The phone holder includes a holder main body with an outer box, and a holder connector which is connectable with a mobile phone when the mobile phone is inserted in the holder main body. The position of the holder connector along a direction normal to a connecting direction with the mobile phone is adjusted by bolts and nuts (fixing means). Further, the holder connector is selectively set in the holder main body in a state that a top thereof is oriented upward or downward.

Abstract: An operation switch is arranged in a manner that switch knobs 1 and 2 each for selecting one of related plural functions is provided, and a display portion for displaying the one of related plural functions selected by the corresponding switch knob is provided for each of the switch knobs 1 and 2. Thus, when the switch knob 1 or 2 is operated, the desired function relating to the switch knob 1 or 2 thus operated can be selected among the plural functions for adjusting the blowing direction and an air flow rate and also the selected function can be displayed at the switch knob 1 or 2 thus operated.

Abstract: A female metal terminal includes a terminal body having a contact portion that contacts a tab of a male metal terminal, a pressing member having a spring member that presses the tab against the contact portion, the spring member being mounted on the terminal body, and a movement limitation portion that limits the movement of the tab against the bias of said spring member. A pair of front and rear movement limitation portions may be formed on an upper wall of the terminal body in such a manner that a contact portion of the spring member is disposed between the two movement limitation portions. The tab is inserted into a space between the spring member and the contact portion, and in this condition, even when a tilting force acts on the tab in an upward or a downward direction, the movement of the tab against the bias of the spring member is prevented by the movement limitation portion(s), so that the proper condition of contact between the tab and the contact portion is maintained.

Abstract: A sound-absorbing material and a cable reel including the same are produced inexpensively and are able to attenuate sliding noise and vibration noise. A sound-absorbing material 20 is made of a polyethylene film 20a and is formed into a thin waved sheet having continuous wave crests and wave troughs. A synthetic paper 20b having a lubricative surface is attached to the wave crests on a front side of the polyethylene film 20a through an adhesive. As an air layer 21 is defined in a space surrounded by the wave crests and wave troughs, any sounds which are transmitted to the polyethylene film 20a collide on the wave crests and wave troughs thereby being effectively attenuated and absorbed. The sound-absorbing material 20 is struck on a bearing surface 12a of a stationary member 11 by way of an adhesive. A lateral lower edge of a flat cable 15 slides on the lubricative surface of the synthetic paper 20b, thereby suppressing generation of sliding noise.

Abstract: An electronic control unit for a car in which a control portion operates in accordance with signals given from a plurality of input portions including a car ignition switch to thereby perform drive control of a predetermined output portion, the control portion having a sleep function by which the control portion stops when the control portion in not required to operate, comprises a watchdog circuit for watching the operation of the control portion; and a conditioning circuit for defining a condition for starting the watchdog circuit; the conditioning circuit being constituted by an OR circuit for performing the logical sum OR among at least two signal inputs from the input portions and a signal input indicating the fact that the control portion is operating.

Abstract: There is disclosed a fitting-type connection terminal in which an insertion force for a terminal can be reduced while maintaining a stable contact resistance. If the thickness of a tin film on one of male and female terminals is 0.1 &mgr;m to 0.3 &mgr;m while the thickness of a tin film on the other terminal is not less than 0.1 &mgr;m, the hardness of the terminal is increasingly influenced by the hardness of a base material (of copper or copper alloy) with the decrease of the thickness of the tin film, so that the apparent hardness of the terminal increases. As a result, the adhesion of the tin film is suppressed, and the terminal insertion force can be reduced at least by more than 10% as compared with a reference value (1.0 &mgr;m for each of the male and female terminals). Particularly if the thickness of the tin film on the male terminal 10 is 0.1 &mgr;m while the thickness of the tin film on the female terminal 20 is 0.3 &mgr;m to 1.0 &mgr;m, the insertion force can be reduced by more than 30%.

Abstract: The invention provides an on-vehicle electronic control unit wherein all types of combinations of electrical equipment can be controlled by the electronic control unit with a common arrangement without changing the arrangement of the microcomputer, the print circuit board or the like, which makes it possible to reduce the number of parts of the on-vehicle electronic control unit to a large extent and reduce the cost thereof. The memory portion of a microcomputer of the electronic control unit stores the control programs for all types of electrical equipment to be controlled. Input terminals are opened and/or ground in accordance with the combination of electrical equipment to be controlled so that the microcomputer can recognize the type of the control program to read from the memory portion. In this manner, the electronic control unit is adapted to the change of the combination of the electrical equipment without changing the hardware arrangement.

Abstract: Cylinders are arranged in such a manner that they correspond to a plurality of pressure-blades by one-to-one, and desired pressure-blades are pushed downward by the corresponding cylinder rods, so that the desired pressure-blades are protruded from and fixed at the lower ends of the residual pressure-blades. The thus arranged pressure-blades are lowered with respect to the connector. Then, only the pressure-blades protruding from the lower ends of the other pressure-blades can conduct the operation of pressure-connection. Due to the foregoing, after the electrical wires F have been connected to the pressure-terminals of one connector all at once, in the pressure-connecting process of the other connector, only when the desired pressure-blades are selected and the selected pressure-blades are moved along the arrangement of the pressure terminals of the other connector, the wire harness of cross-wiring can be manufactured.

Abstract: An insulation displacement terminal of a high quality and high performance produced by designing the terminal in accordance with data measurement under a condition similar to an actual insulation displacement connection. An extent of insertion of insulation sheath electric cable 6, a distance between a pair of metal blocks 11 and 12 parallel to each other; and a reaction force and a contact resistance acting between cable 6 and spaced metal blocks 11, 12 is measured while inserting cable 6 into a gap between metal blocks 11 and 12 which have a tapered portion on an end of each block. After completing insertion, the extent of insertion of cable &Dgr;2, gap distance WS2, reaction force F2, and contact resistance R2 are obtained and, at the same time, the presence of broken wires (if any) in the cable is determined. These steps are repeated while changing initial gap WS between metal blocks 11 and 12.

Abstract: A plurality of insulator-sheathed electric wire elements (a) are secured together to a connector (C) by an insulation displacement manner by means of juxtaposing the electric wire elements (a) on a plane, passing the wire elements (a) through a gripper (10), an insulation displacement press (30), clamping the passed ends of the wire elements by a chuck (43) of a measuring and drawing device (40), drawing the juxtaposed wire elements (a) by a given length by the chuck (43), and pressing the juxtaposed wire elements (a) at the given position in the length and width directions. The connector (C) is attached to the juxtaposed wire elements (a) at the position in the length and width directions by repeating the steps. Upon pressing, the given electric wire elements are cut off at the rear side of the pressed portions. The gripper (10) clamp the juxtaposed wire elements (a) after cutting them.

Abstract: A control assembly for an automotive vehicle having an audio system and a climate control system, the control assembly having improved design characteristics, a reduced number of parts, and providing a reduced number of installation steps. The control assembly includes a control casing having a casing cover surface adapted to face an interior compartment of a vehicle and defining a plurality of openings therein, control elements adapted to produce operation signals for controlling the audio system and the climate control system, and an input-output section for receiving the operation signals and transmitting control signals for controlling the audio system and the climate control system. The input-output section is secured to the control casing so that the control elements are operably disposed on the cover surface through the openings. The casing cover, control elements and input-output section comprise an integral assembly that is easily installed in a production line of motor vehicles.

Abstract: The invention enables an electronic system, which is conveniently operated by a user, to be easily installed in a vehicle, such as an automobile, etc. A structure of electric equipment for a vehicle is provided, wherein vehicle-side connectors are disposed in a plurality of places in the vehicle. Constituent elements of an electronic system used in the vehicle are partly combined with a detachable connector capable of being connected to any one of the vehicle-side connectors to thereby form a detachable unit. Electronic system constituent elements in the detachable unit and electronic system constituent elements provided in the vehicle body are connected to each other to construct a new electronic system when the detachable connection is connected to any one of the vehicle-side connectors. As a result, a user's favorite detachable unit can be used in a user's favorite position.

Abstract: The invention is a lamp burnout detecting unit with a branch connection function which provides the advantage of having simple wiring and that the wire harness thereof can be automatically laid. The lamp burnout detecting unit includes an upper casing on which terminal press-in type connectors and a burnout detecting circuit section 16 are mounted. A printed circuit board has a branch connection function. A lower casing 19 engages the upper casing to accommodate the printed circuit board therebetween. The connectors and the burnout detecting circuit section are connected to each other through a wiring pattern of the printed circuit board. One connector is connected to a wire harness, which is connected through switches to a battery. The other connectors are connected to a wire harness extended from the lamps.