Abstract: When ignition is retarded in an internal combustion engine, an engine misfire detection system calculates a difference between combustion-time engine torque produced when combustion takes place in the engine, and expansion torque corresponding to non-combustion-time engine torque produced when the engine rotates without causing combustion, at intervals of a predetermined crank angle, calculates a shift amount with which a total value of the differences within a misfire determination period is maximized, and shifts the misfire determination period by the shift amount.

Abstract: A spark plug for an internal combustion engine includes a tubular housing, a tubular insulator, a center electrode, a ground electrode and a guide member. The guide member is configured to guide the flow of an air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber of the engine to a spark gap formed between the center electrode and the ground electrode. Moreover, in the spark plug, the following dimensional relationships are satisfied: b??67.8×(a/D)+27.4; b??123.7×(a/D)+64.5; ?0.4?(a/D)?0.4; and 0°?b?90°. Further, with an oblique angle ? being in the range of 0 to 30°, the following dimensional relationship is also satisfied: 0.8?r/R?1. Consequently, the spark plug can secure, with a simple configuration, a stable ignition capability regardless of the mounting posture of the spark plug to the engine.

Abstract: An AC-DC converter converts an alternating-current voltage, supplied from an external power supply, to a direct-current voltage higher than a peak voltage of the alternating-current voltage, and outputs the direct-current voltage to a first power supply line. In a normal control mode, a DC-DC converter steps down a voltage of the power supply line through on/off control over a switching element to charge a main battery. On the other hand, in an upper arm ON control mode, the DC-DC converter charge the main battery while the switching element is kept in an on state. On the basis of a state of external charging, a control device applies the upper arm ON control mode when a condition that upper arm ON control is applicable is satisfied, and applies the normal control mode when the condition is not satisfied.

Abstract: A system for controlling a gas supply unit supplying gas to a tank includes a pressure acquisition unit configured to acquire the pressure in the tank; and a controller configured to perform first filling for supplying the gas to the tank and to perform second filling, based on a flow rate determined based on a change in the pressure in the tank for a predetermined period of time during the first filling, by controlling the gas supply unit. The controller is configured to cause the gas supply unit to perform the first filling at a first flow rate in a case where the pressure in the tank prior to the first filling is a first pressure and perform the first filling at a second flow rate exceeding the first flow rate in a case where the pressure is a second pressure exceeding the first pressure.

Abstract: After an engine starts, a rotation speed of the engine is fed back to a target rotation speed that is defined in response to requested power for the engine. In addition, by operating a gear ratio of a CVT, a rotation speed of an output side of a one-way bearing is fed back to the target rotation speed.

Abstract: A torque sensor includes: a base portion fixed to a metal shaft having a rod shape as a measurement object of strain; a strain detection element of an surface acoustic wave type which is arranged in the base portion, and detects the strain of the metal shaft (10) through the base portion; and a fixing portion that is arranged between the base portion and the strain detection element, and fixes the strain detection element to the base portion.

Abstract: A gas sensor element has a solid electrolyte of an oxygen ion conductivity, a target gas electrode formed on one surface of the solid electrolyte, a reference gas electrode formed on the other surface of the solid electrolyte, a porous diffusion resistance layer through which the target gas passes to reach the target gas electrode, and a catalyst layer formed on an outer surface of the porous diffusion resistance layer. The target gas electrode is formed around the porous diffusion resistance layer. The catalyst layer contains noble metal catalysts. The noble metal catalysts contain at least rhodium and palladium. A content of rhodium is not less than 10 mass % and a content of palladium is not less than 20 mass % to the entire of the noble metal catalysts.

Abstract: A centrifugal blower provided with a spiral shaped scroll chamber where a bottom part of the scroll chamber gradually expands downward in the axial direction of the fan well along with expansion of the spiral and where a flow area gradually expands toward an air outlet from a spiral start part of the casing, the centrifugal blower having an initial slant angle ?0 at the spiral start part of the bottom part of the scroll chamber of a range of angle of 5.2° to 27.5° or setting a backflow prevention rib at the fan outlet.

Abstract: A solenoid device includes: at least one electromagnetic coil that generates a magnetic flux when the electromagnetic coil is energized; a yoke made of soft magnetic material, in which the magnetic flux flows; and a plurality of plungers, each of which includes at least a part made of soft magnetic material, and reciprocates when the electromagnetic coil is switched between energization and interruption of energization. The number of the plurality of plungers is larger than the number of the electromagnetic coil. The plurality of plungers reciprocate independently from each other.

Abstract: A vehicular antenna apparatus includes a substrate, a circuit portion, a case, and a heat transfer path. The substrate has an antenna portion. The circuit portion is mounted on the substrate and configures at least a part of a wireless communication circuit electrically coupled with the antenna portion. The case is made of resin material and configures a protruded portion of an outer surface of a vehicle. The substrate and the circuit portion are arranged in the case. The heat transfer path is arranged between the circuit portion and the case, and has a thermal conductivity higher than air. The circuit portion is electrically coupled with the antenna portion by a solid phase diffusion bonding.

Abstract: In a laser ignition apparatus, a focusing optical element is configured to focus a pulsed laser light to a predetermined focal point in a combustion chamber of an engine. An optical window member is arranged on the combustion chamber side of the focusing optical element so as to separate the focusing optical element from the combustion chamber. A catoptric-light focal point, at which a catoptric light is to be focused, is positioned on the anti-combustion chamber side of a combustion chamber-side end surface of the optical window member. The catoptric light results from the reflection of the pulsed laser light by a pseudo mirror that is formed by the optical window member when the combustion chamber-side end surface thereof is fouled with contaminants. Further, the catoptric-light focal point falls in a region where no solid material forming either the focusing optical element or the optical window member exists.

Abstract: A driving-environment setup system has a plurality of portable devices, each of which transmits a feature identification information item used for identifying a physical feature of an associated user of the each of the plurality of portable devices and transmits an environment identification information item used for identifying a driving environment for the associated user. An in-vehicle device of the system detects a physical feature of a person sitting in a driver's seat and identifies one of the associated users as a driver when the physical feature identified based on the received feature identification information item of the one of the associated users corresponds to the detected physical feature. The in-vehicle device sets a driving environment for the driver based on the received environment identification information item.

Abstract: A power transmission apparatus for a vehicle which includes a first, a second, and a third rotor which split power among a motor-generator, an internal combustion engine, and a driven wheel of the vehicle. The apparatus also includes a torque transmission control mechanism which selectively transmits torque between the first rotor and the engine. When the torque transmission control mechanism establishes the transmission of torque between the first rotor and the engine, powers, as produced by the second and third rotors, are opposite in sign to each other. This enables the speed of the first rotor to be set to zero (0) or a very low speed. Therefore, when an initial torque is applied to the engine through the first rotor to start the engine, the mechanical vibration which usually arises from the application of initial torque and is to be exerted on the power transmission apparatus is minimized.

Abstract: A rotating pump includes an outer rotor and an inner rotor. The inner and outer rotors are rotated by a drive shaft between a first side plate and a second side plate to pump put fluid. The first side plate faces the inner and outer rotors and has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is inclined to an axial direction of the drive shaft to create a wedge-shaped gap between itself and one of the inner and outer rotor. The second surface extends more parallel to a direction perpendicular to the axis direction of the drive shaft than the first surface does. The geometric configurations of the first and second surfaces serve to minimize the leakage of the brake fluid without sacrificing a reduction in resistance to sliding motion of the inner rotor and the outer rotor on the second side plate.

Abstract: An electric power converter has a switching circuit section, a transformer, a rectifier, and a noise filtering element. The rectifier is connected to a secondary coil of the transformer. A closed circuit where the noise current flows is formed by the secondary coil, the rectifier, and the noise filtering element. The transformer and the noise filtering element are disposed in a position next to each other. The secondary coil and the noise filtering element are electrically connected to each other through a terminal for a coil that is a terminal of the secondary coil and a terminal for a filter that is a terminal of the noise filtering element. The terminal for the coil and the terminal for the filter are disposed in a position between the transformer and the noise filtering element.

Abstract: An electric rotating machine includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor has a plurality of pairs of magnetic poles. The stator includes a stator core and a stator coil that is comprised of a plurality of phase windings wound on the stator core. The stator core has, for each of the phase windings of the stator coil, n circumferentially-consecutive single-phase slots, in which only the phase winding is received, per magnetic pole of the rotor, where n is a natural number not less than 2. Each of the phase windings of the stator coil has first to kth sections that are sequentially arranged from one end to the other end of the phase winding, where k is a natural number not less than 2. The first section is received in different ones of the single-phase slots for the phase winding from the kth section.

Abstract: A solenoid device includes: a first electromagnetic coil; first and second plungers movable according to energization to the first electromagnetic coil; first and second fixed cores facing the first and second plungers, respectively; and a yoke. When the first electromagnetic coil is not energized, first and second gaps are formed between the first and second plungers and the first and second fixed cores, respectively. When the first electromagnetic coil is energized, the magnetic flux flows in a first magnetic circuit, provided by the first plunger, the first fixed core and the yoke, via the first gap, and a second magnetic circuit, provided by the first and second plungers, the first and second fixed cores and the yoke, via the first and second gaps, so that the first and second plungers are attracted toward the first and second fixed cores.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus disposed in a moving body generates a transmission signal of multiple pulse sequences as a plurality of sequences of multiple pulses. A modulation signal of the transmission signal is generated by performing digital modulation on each of the multiple pulse sequences of the transmission signal according to a code sequence. A transmission wave based on the modulation signal is transmitted and a reflected wave of the transmission wave is received by the apparatus. The apparatus further detects a speed of the moving body to determine a length of the code sequence. The apparatus calculates a code correlation value between the modulation signal and a received signal, which is derived from the reflected wave, and performs pulse compression on the received signal based on the code correlation value to generate a pulse-compressed received signal. The apparatus detects an object based on the pulse-compressed received signal.

Abstract: A solenoid device is provided which is equipped with a first and a second magnetic coil and a first, a second, and a third magnetic circuit, and designed so that when the second magnetic coil is deenergized while the first magnetic coil is kept energized following a dual-energized mode in which the first and second magnetic coils are energized, the magnetic flux ? flowing through the second magnetic circuit disappears. The magnetic flux ? of the first magnetic coil, thus, continues to flow though the first and third magnetic circuits, thereby creating a magnetic force to keep a first plunger and a third plunger attracted. This enables the plungers to be attracted independently from each other and results in a decrease in power consumption of the magnetic coils when the plurality of plungers are attracted simultaneously.

Abstract: A plunger stopper is installed to a cylinder hole forming portion of a cylinder forming member. The plunger stopper cooperates with a step portion of a plunger to limit movement of the plunger in a state where a slide surface of the plunger contacts an inner peripheral wall surface of the cylinder hole.