Abstract: A vehicular hood apparatus includes a hood provided on a front part of a vehicle, and an actuator. The hood is lifted a predetermined amount when the vehicle hits an obstacle. The actuator includes a piston rod for pushing the hood upwardly, and a rod retaining means. When the piston rod arrives in an uppermost position, the rod retaining means holds the piston rod in the uppermost position.

Abstract: A detecting element is configured such that a second electrode is disposed on one side of a plate-like first electrode with a first solid electrolyte layer positioned therebetween and a third electrode is disposed on the other side of the first electrode with a second solid electrolyte layer positioned therebetween, thereby detecting migration of oxygen ions between the first electrode and the second electrode and migration of oxygen ions between the first electrode and the third electrode. Since the second electrode is disposed on one side of the plate-like first electrode with the first solid electrolyte layer positioned therebetween and the third electrode is disposed on the other side of the first electrode with the second solid electrolyte layer positioned therebetween, both planes of the detecting element functions as detecting planes and, to thus extend the directivity of detection in two directions.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes the direct fuel injection system. The outboard motor also includes an ECU that monitors various engine operating conditions and controls various engine operating parameters that are at least partially dependent on the positioning of the transmission. In instances in which the transmission is positioned in a neutral location, the load is decreased and therefore the ECU outputs one set of parameters. In similar low-speed operations, when the transmission is placed in a drive arrangement, the ECU outputs a second set of parameters due to the increased load. Several control routines are disclosed which facilitate low-speed operation, over-rev limiting, and engine warm-up.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator is equipped with two springs which act in opposite directions, and an armature that is connected to the springs and is supported in an unactivated state in a neutral position provided by the two springs. The armature is coupled to a mechanical element such as a valve of an engine. The actuator includes a pair of electromagnets that drive the armature between a first terminal position and a second terminal position, and a power supply device that controls the voltage supplied to the electromagnet attracting the armature to a constant voltage when the armature is driven from one of the terminal positions to the other terminal position. The voltage supplied to the electromagnets is maintained at a constant value and the larger current flows in the larger is the gap between the armature and the yoke and smaller is the counter electromotive force.

Abstract: An accumulator fuel injection system for controlling an injection rate according to the operating state of an engine comprises: a first accumulation chamber 2 for containing high-pressure fuel supplied by a fuel supply pump 1; a first electromagnetic valve device 4 provided in a fuel passage 30, which connects the first accumulation chamber 2 with a fuel injection valve 8, the first electromagnetic valve switching the fuel passage 30 between a connected state or a disconnected state; a branch passage 32 branched from the fuel passage 30 at downstream side of the first electromagnetic device 4, the branch passage 32 having sufficiently lower constant fuel pressure than fuel pressure in the first accumulation chamber 2; and a second electromagnetic valve device 9 provided in a fuel return passage 33 connecting the fuel injection valve 8 with a fuel tank 10, the second electromagnetic valve device 9 switching fuel, which is injected from the fuel injection valve 8, between an injected state and an uninjected sta

Abstract: An outboard motor has a quieter operating recoil starter arrangement. The recoil starter has a starter drum with a dog clutch arrangement having two dog cam members. The dog cam members rotate between an initial position and an extended position under the influence of a clutch drive member. Specifically, the dog cams each have a portion which engages a starter pulley when a starter rope is pulled. The dog cams are configured to extend minimally into a corresponding slot of the starter pulley when in their extended position. Such configuration results in less chatter when the starter pulley speed exceeds the starter drum speed upon ignition of the engine.

Abstract: A variable speed gearing system includes two clutch units 30, 50 placed side by side in the axial direction and provides a plurality of transmission gear ratios in response to the state of engagement of clutches 31, 51 of the two clutch units 30, 50. Axially movable members 26a, 48a of the two clutch units 30, 50 are arranged in such a manner as to confront each other. A damper mechanism 60 is constituted by the combination of a piston member 62 provided on one of the confronting axially movable members 26a, 48a and a cylinder member 61 provided on the other thereof.

Abstract: A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of charging the storage battery, when the residual capacity of the storage battery is decreasing and when a predetermined amount of the initial residual capacity is decreased.

Abstract: A design method for an optical curved surface, includes: dividing an optical curved surface into a plurality of rectangular areas that are divided by a lattice; defining an original lattice point on the lattice, a backbone line that crosses the original lattice point on the lattice, and standard lattice points that are the lattice points located on the backbone line except the original lattice point; applying curvatures to all of the lattice points; applying inclinations to the original lattice point and the standard lattice points; applying sag to the original lattice; calculating a sectional shape of the curved surface along the backbone line based on the sag and inclination of the original lattice point and the curvatures of the lattice points on the backbone line; calculating sags of the standard lattice points based on the calculated sectional shape; calculating sectional shapes along orthogonal lines that are orthogonal to the backbone line based on the calculated sags and the applied inclinations of th

Abstract: A grommet assembly for an outboard motor includes a grommet having a step, a flexible sleeve having a step and a connector configured to engage the step on the grommet and the step on the flexible sleeve. Preferably, the connector is in the form of an annular connector formed of two semicircular members connected to one another. Additionally, the step formed on the sleeve preferably is defined by a helical groove formed on the flexible sleeve. The connector preferably includes a helical wall defining a step that corresponds to the helical step formed on the flexible sleeve. The grommet assembly may also be in the form of a kit including a grommet having a step and a connector configured to engage the step on the grommet and a step formed on an existing flexible sleeve.

Abstract: An improved water jacket structure for a cylinder head that assists in transferring heat from a lower wall of the cylinder head to coolant flowing through passageway in the head. The passageway is defined in the cylinder head by the lower wall and an upper wall. The lower wall provides a plurality of cylinder top walls that overlie corresponding ones of the cylinders in the engine block. The upper wall includes a series of ribs that extend from the upper wall toward the lower wall. The ribs include an inlet rib, and a set of interconnected ribs. The interconnected ribs are disposed between adjacent cylinder topwalls. The set of interconnected ribs have first ends that are connected to one another, second ends that are spaced from one another, and a lower edge that is spaced a predetermined distance from the lower wall.

Abstract: A digital camera which includes: a photographic lens movable along an optical axis thereof between a retracted position and a photographing position in front of the retracted position; an image pick-up device on which an object image is formed through the photographic lens, the image pick-up device being guided to be movable between a first position where the image pick-up device is positioned in a photographic optical path of the photographic lens behind the photographic lens and a second position where the image pick-up device is positioned out of the photographic optical path; and a mechanism for moving the image pick-up device between the first position and the second position, wherein the moving mechanism moves the image pick-up device to the first position when the photographic lens is moved from the retracted position to the photographing position, and wherein the moving mechanism moves the image pick-up device to the second position when the photographic lens is moved from the photographing position t

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for stabilizing a crude oxy-methylene copolymer having thermally unstable terminal groups, which comprises subjecting a crude oxymethylene copolymer to heat treatment in the presence of at least one quaternary ammonium compound represented by the following formula (1): [R1R2R3R4N+]nX−n  (1) wherein each of R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently represents an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group which is an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group substituted with at least one aryl group, or an alkylaryl group which is an aryl group substituted with at least one unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group; n is an integer of from 1 to 3; and X is a hydroxyl group or an acid residue. In this method, even by the addition of a very small amount of the quaternary ammonium compound, the decomposition rate of the unstable terminal groups can be remarkably increased, thereby facilitating the stabilization of the crude copolymer.

Abstract: A sheet accommodating device is provided which always performs stable sheet feeding in accordance with sizes of sheets or the number of sheets to be stacked. A holder member that is movable back and forth supports a sheet pressing plate near the center of gravity of the sheets. The holder member is movable in accordance with the sizes of the sheets or the amount of stacked sheets, so that the sheets can be stacked and fed with stability.

Abstract: A diffractive-refractive achromatic lens that has a positive resultant power includes a refractive lens system and a positive diffractive grating. The refractive lens system is provided with a positive lens having relatively small dispersion, a negative lens having relatively large dispersion and an additional refractive lens. The additional refractive lens is a positive lens. The refractive lens system exhibits longitudinal chromatic aberration that is substantially proportional to wavelength such that the back focus of the refractive lens system decreases as the wavelength becomes shorter. The positive diffractive grating corrects the longitudinal chromatic aberration of the refractive lens system. The condition 0.005<f/fD<0.2 is satisfied where f is the focal length of the entire lens system, and fD is the focal length of said positive diffractive grating.

Abstract: A bracket for preventing deflection of a wheel under a side sill of a motor vehicle during an offset collision. The bracket includes a substantially vertical plate attached to a forward portion of the side sill of the motor vehicle. The vertical plate extends below a bottom edge of the side sill. A brace is connected between the side sill and the plate.

Abstract: A common intake port 10 is branched into a pair of branch intake ports 12, 24, which are separated through a partition wall 11, at the downstream end thereof. A pair of intake valves 16, 17 adapted to independently open and close the pair of branch intake ports 12, 14, respectively, are provided. In a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine 1 adapted so that one 16 of the pair of intake valves 16, 17 opens and closes in a low intake air operating range, while the other intake valve 17 is in a resting condition, and that both the pair of intake valves 16, 17 open and close in a high intake air operating range, a cutout 57 is formed in a laterally central portion of the partition wall 11 in such a way as to extend from the edge of the upstream end of the partition wall 11 toward the downstream end thereof and to separate the pair of branch intake ports 12, 14 from each other.

Abstract: A flash control system remotely controls an external flash by a camera. In the camera, a stop value is calculated as a photographic exposure factor for the external flash, and a flash-light emission timing of the external flash is calculated. A built-in flash of the camera is controlled to emit two light signals at a time interval representing the stop value. The external flash detects the two light signals. A timing of a flash-light emission of the external flash is controlled in accordance with one of the two light signals. An amount of the flash-light emission of the external flash is controlled in accordance with the time interval.

Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission comprises a forward/reverse selection hydraulic servomechanism 70, a D inhibitor valve, which controls the supply of a line pressure to the servo-oil chambers of this servomechanism, and a plurality of solenoid valves 81˜85, which are used for controlling the actuation of the shift valves and the D inhibitor valve. This control system comprises a first neutral mode and a second neutral mode for a neutral range. In the first neutral mode, the D inhibitor valve is switched to a forward drive position, and the forward drive servo-oil chamber is connected to a drain. In the second neutral mode, the D inhibitor valve is switched to a reverse drive position, and the forward drive and reverse drive servo-oil chambers are both connected to the drain.

Abstract: An upper thread cassette includes a cassette member having a cassette body formed of synthetic resin material and a cassette cover that opens or closes the cassette body, a thread wound member mounting part that mounts thereon a thread wound member winding an upper thread therearound and is provided inside the cassette member, a cutting mechanism that cuts the upper thread supplied from the thread wound member mounted on the thread wound member mounting part, and a thread end holding member that holds an end of the upper thread cut by the cutting mechanism.