Abstract: In order to activate an exhaust catalyst of an engine as quickly as possible from the engine restart, an exhaust damper for opening and closing an exhaust pipe is disposed downstream of a catalyst. A pneumatic actuator drives to open and close the exhaust damper. A negative pressure is introduced into a pressure chamber of the pneumatic actuator to close the exhaust damper after the engine is stopped. The closed exhaust damper keeps the warmth of the catalyst to ensure high exhaust gas purification performed when the engine is restarted. Alternatively, activation of the exhaust catalyst is enhanced by retarding the engine ignition timing and raising the engine idling speed.

Abstract: In order to precisely determines the time to start feedback control of line pressure during a shifting period, a shift control computer calculates an effective gear ratio Ge=Nt/Nos at the time of an shift instruction based on input shaft rotational speed Nt and detected vehicle speed Nos and then calculates a parameter F=Nos.times.Ge-Nt indicating the point to start feedback control based on the input shaft rotational speed Nt, the detected vehicle speed Nos and the effective gear ratio Ge. By comparing the calculated parameter F with a predetermined value .DELTA.Nt, hydraulic pressure at the start of shift operation is maintained if F<.DELTA.Nt and, if F.gtoreq..DELTA.Nt, feedback control is performed to cause the input shaft rotational speed Nt to vary in a predetermined manner.

Abstract: In an engine exhaust catalyst warm-up control, ignition timing is delayed from normal first to raise the catalyst temperature, and then a fuel injection amount is dithered to increase and decrease alternately from a normal amount until the catalyst temperature reaches the catalyst activation completion temperature. In place of the ignition delay control, afterburning control may be employed in which fuel cut for a cylinder and fuel increase for the other cylinders are executed. Further, the catalyst warm-up control may be performed by controlling a supercharging operation and an exhaust gas recirculation operation cooperatively.

Abstract: A temperature detecting apparatus includes a support member made of resin and disposed in an air passage, a temperature sensor supported within the support member, and a pair of conductive members made of metal and embedded in the support member. The support member includes a surface in parallel with the intake air flow. The pair of conductive members are electrically connected to the temperature sensor. An extrusion portion is formed on the support member so as to extend along the intake air flow, and accommodates the temperature sensor at an upstream side thereof and the pair of conductive members. The conductive member includes a first extending portion extending within the extrusion portion along the air flow and a second extending portion extending from the first extending portion into the support member.

Abstract: A scan driver IC for an EL element in an EL display device supplies, in a positive field, a positive polarity scan voltage and an offset voltage which is higher than ground to scan side driver ICs from voltage supply circuits, and the scan side driver ICs set voltage of scan electrodes to be the offset voltage in the positive field, together with outputting the positive polarity scan voltage to the scan electrodes during electroluminescence timing. Consequently, a voltage of Vr-Vm is applied to the scan side driver ICs, and so the breakdown voltage can be lowered by an amount corresponding to the offset voltage Vm. Circuits for providing such voltages, for providing alternating current drive voltages, and for reducing power consumption of the drive circuits are also disclosed.

Abstract: A first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer are laminated on a semiconductor wafer in that order. A resist pattern having an opening is formed on the second semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor layer is etched through the opening in the formed resist pattern to expose the first semiconductor layer. A surface oxide film is formed on the exposed surface of the first semiconductor layer and then selectively etched away. Alternatively, the exposed surface of the first semiconductor layer is subjected to a separate oxidization treatment and the resulting surface oxide film is selectively removed in the subsequent etching.

Abstract: A scroll type compressor includes a stationary scroll element, a movable scroll element orbiting about a given axis and cooperating with the stationary scroll element for compressing a fluid in a compression chamber defined between the two scroll elements, and a rotation preventing unit for preventing rotation of the movable scroll element about its own axis. The rotation preventing unit has at least a plurality of pairs of scroll side pins mounted on the movable scroll element and housing side pins mounted on a housing of the compressor. When the compression chamber has a reduced volume of 10 through 22% of an initial volume thereof immediately after completion of sucking of the fluid, at least two of the plurality of scroll side pins are arranged to be symmetrical with one another with respect to a line L.sub.2 which passes through a rotating center O.sub.R of the movable scroll element and is perpendicular to a different line L.sub.1 which passes through the rotating center O.sub.

Abstract: A noncontact type rotation sensor, which can detect the rotational movement of a gear with high sensitivity and precision without causing any erroneous output, is disclosed. To a magnetic gear is applied a bias magnetic field by a bias magnet from the direction of the teeth of the gear. A sensor part disposed within the bias magnetic field comprises a substrate and a plurality of magneto-resistive elements mounted on the substrate in parallel to the teeth of the gear and electrically connected in series one after another. The sensor part detects the magnetic vector of the bias magnetic field varying according to the rotation of the gear as the composite value of the variations of the resistance values of the plurality of magneto-resistive elements connected in series one after another.

Abstract: A waveform shaping apparatus includes a comparing device for comparing a sensor output signal with a threshold voltage to convert the sensor output signal into a waveform shaped signal. The comparing device outputs the waveform shaped signal. The waveform shaping apparatus also includes a frequency-to-voltage converting device for generating the threshold voltage in response to a frequency of the output signal from the comparing device. In the frequency-to-voltage converting device, a clock signal is generated in response to the output signal from the comparing device. The clock signal has a period proportional to a period of the output signal from the comparing device. A counting device is operative for counting pulses in the clock signal generated by the clock signal generating device for every given period, and outputting a signal representing a counted pulse number depending on the frequency of the output signal from the comparing device.

Abstract: In a communication system which ensures that a slave device can successively transmit a plurality of answer messages without causing collision with another message on a communication line, in response to a request message from a diagnosis tester, control devices transmit their answer messages in the order of their priorities, with a communication blank duration provided between answer messages. If any one of the control devices has first and second answer message to be transmitted successively, the control device transmits the second answer message a communication blank duration after completing transmission of the first answer message. The control device can thereby transmit the first and second answer messages before a control device of a lower priority starts to transmit its answer message. Message collision on the communication line is thus avoided.

Abstract: An indicator for use in a vehicle instrument panel has a light conductive pointer illuminated by a light emitting diode or LED. In order to provide an increased illuminating surface of the pointer, a slit is formed on a cap to extend from the outer periphery of the cap to a portion above a center of rotation of the pointer driven by a driving shaft. A fixture is connected to the driving shaft and holds a light receiving portion of the pointer at the portion above the center of rotation and the LED in the optical alignment with the pointer at a portion off an axis of the center of rotation. A balancing weight is disposed at a portion opposite the LED with respect to the driving shaft in order to keep balance of the indicator.

Abstract: An EL display driver is capable of reducing electric power consumption during driving of an EL display without a significant increase in device structure and control complexity. In a thin film EL display having scanning electrodes and data electrodes arranged orthogonally crossing one another holding an EL layer therebetween, by reversing the polarity of scanning voltages for every other field, then switching scanning electrodes (display lines) to which scanning voltages are applied, FETs for connecting a subsequent display line to a voltage supplying line are switched on where no scanning voltage is applied to a positive or negative voltage supplying line and part of an electric charge stored in an EL element for which display control is finished is directly moved to an EL element on a subsequent display line. As a result, electric power consumption for driving the EL display can be reduced.

Abstract: A radiation part, a refrigerant tank having heating elements mounted thereon, and an inverter case are bonded together by welding or brazing. A cooling fan is provided at the back surface of the radiation part. IGBT modules are fastened to a side surface of the refrigerant tank and further fastened together to the inverter case together. A press worked thin plate materials are bonded together to the refrigerant tank by brazing. The IGBT modules, which are heating elements, are mounted to the inverter case by bolts through the component materials of the refrigerant tank. According to this invention, as these components can be fixed in a very simple construction without using any seat cock, the manufacturing cost thereof can be reduced.

Abstract: A P-type impurity is doped by oblique ion implantation into N-type impurity diffusion layers formed respectively on both sides of a gate electrode of a Pch MOS transistor, thereby canceling the impurity of at least a portion of an N-type region overlapped by the gate electrode, to thereby suppress a rise in the threshold voltage of the P-channel type MIS transistor due to the N-type impurity diffusion layer and suppress fluctuations in the amount of current that can be made to flow and the current-driving capacity.

Abstract: One central processing unit 63 is connected to the other central processing unit 64 via a communication line 200. Various data, such as driving operational information, actuation commands, and driving conditional information, are exchanged and compared between two central processing units 63 and 64 through a communication line 200. If any disagreement is found in the comparison result, a current supply circuit 65 stops supplying current to a driving motor 1.

Abstract: A fluxless soldering process for soldering a pressure sensor unit having a sensor chip incorporating a semiconductor circuit of a large scale integration, for example, to a metal stem without scratching the surface of the chip. For the soldering, a nickel layer and an oxidation-preventing layer are formed on the surface of the glass substrate of the sensor unit. The oxidation-preventing layer acts to prevent the nickel layer from oxidizing. The substrate undergoes a thermal hysteresis before soldering. The thickness of the oxidation-preventing layer is so set that after the thermal hysteresis, movement of nickel atoms of the nickel layer to the top surface of the substrate is suppressed in relation to the thermal hysteresis. The substrate and the stem are heated in a reducing atmosphere to melt a solder foil placed between the substrate and the stem. Thus, the sensor unit is soldered to the stem. The solder-wettability of the soldered surface of the substrate is not deteriorated.

Abstract: An output shaft is arranged coaxially with an armature shaft forwardly of a starter motor, and an electromagnetic switch is arranged at the rear of the starter motor. The output shaft and the armature shaft are independently supported by a first to fourth bearings. The first and second bearings are held on a housing and a center case. In the starter motor, a face type commutator is provided on the rear end of the armature, so that the axial length of the armature shaft is set short. The third and fourth bearings are held on a partition wall of a yoke of the starter motor and a holder, respectively.

Abstract: The insulating ability of a semiconductor device of two-layer gate electrode structure, such as EPROM, is improved at the upper surface of the first gate electrode as well as at the upper and lower edge parts of the first gate electrode. A LOCOS film is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a floating gate is formed by patterning. Next, the first oxide film is formed on the floating gate, and then the first oxide film is etched out. Subsequently, the second oxide film is formed on the floating gate, and a control gate is formed on the floating gate using the second oxide film as an inter-layer insulating film. As a result of these two oxidations of the first and second oxide films and the removal of the first oxide film, the asperity of the upper surface of the floating gate is removed, and the upper and lower edge parts thereof are shaped into a round form.

Abstract: A tool holder composed of: a holder body, the holder body including: a tip mounting portion; a cutting tip held to the holder body at the tip mounting portion; a face adjoining the cutting tip; and a protrusion projecting from the face to thereby rebound chips produced by the cutting tip during a cutting operation.

Abstract: A transparent adhesive layer 3 with good permeability to laser light is provided on a base sheet 4, a colored layer 2 with good absorption of laser light is provided on the transparent adhesive layer 3, and a transparent layer 1 with good permeability to laser light is provided on the colored layer 2. Laser light 6 is irradiated from the side of the transparent layer 1 to form marked sections 5 at prescribed areas of the colored layer 2. To paste the marking sheet A onto the outer surface of a product, the base sheet 4 is peeled off and the transparent adhesive layer 3 is pasted onto the outer surface of the product. The color of the outer surface of the product may then be seen through the marked sections 5. Thus, satisfactory displays may be provided using only the marked sections 5 formed by laser light irradiation, without any additional special painting step.