Abstract: An automotive vehicle including a vehicle body and a torsion beam which supports the vehicle body thereon and left and right axles at opposite ends thereof. A lateral link extends in a transverse direction of the vehicle body and has one end portion pivotally connected to the torsion beam and the other end portion connected to the torsion beam. A control link is pivotally connected at one end portion thereof to the lateral link and at the other end portion thereof to the torsion beam. Centers of the respective pivotal connections of the lateral link to the vehicle body and the torsion beam and centers of the respective pivotal connections of the control link to the lateral link and the torsion beam, are disposed in the common vertical plane with respect to the vehicle body.

Abstract: An automatic transmission is provided with at least one friction element and a piston. The engagement of the friction element is proceeded in a manner that operating pressure is applied to an apply chamber to stroke the piston. The disengagement of the friction element is proceeded in a manner that operating pressure is applied to a cancel chamber to stroke the piston. The cancel chamber is disposed opposite to the apply chamber with respect to the piston and formed such that an outer diameter of a pressure receiving surface of said cancel chamber is generally the same as that of said apply chamber. Therefore, piston pushing force due to centrifugal force in the apply chamber is balanced with a piston reversely pushing force due to the centrifugal force in the cancel chamber. This prevents the friction element from being dragged during friction element disengaged condition.

Abstract: An anti-lock braking system (ABS) pressure modulator is provided. The modulator includes a frame with a bore fluidly exposed to master cylinder and wheel cylinder connections and a check valve for preventing fluid communication from the master cylinder connection to the wheel cylinder connection vi the bore. A piston is slidably mounted within the bore and has a predetermined extreme position at which a stem of the piston opens the check valve. A power device is actuated by an ABS controller. A cam, moved by the power device, has a cam surface. The position of the piston is determined by the cam. A cam follower roller is connected with the piston to in contact with the cam surface. A one-way brake prevents rotation of the roller when the cam moves in one rotational direction to allow the piston to move away from the predetermined extreme position, but allowing the roller to roll over the cam surface when the cam moves in the opposite direction to move the piston toward the predetermined extreme position.

Abstract: A pulley device includes a moveable conical pulley component which is moveable to a stationary conical pulley component by a servo motor. The servo motor includes a cylinder fixedly held with respect to a shaft portion of the stationary conical pulley component, and a piston fixed to the moveable conical pulley component and slidably engaging the cylinder. The servo motor also includes an auxiliary cylinder reduced in diameter than the cylinder and fixed with respect to the shaft portion, and an auxiliary piston fixed to the moveable conical pulley component. The auxiliary piston is received in the auxiliary cylinder.

Abstract: A CVT control system comprises a controller. The controller determines the desired engine speed as a first function of operator power demand and vehicle speed during a predetermined period involving a momenet when a control element moves off from one of the maximum and minimum reduction ratio command positions, and determines the desired engine speed as a second function of the operator power demand and the vehicle speed during the subsequent period to the predetermined period.

Abstract: A lid structure for an air bag system capable of preventing passengers on a vehicle from injuring themselves by inflating an air bag when the vehicle crashes. The lid structure includes a main opening and a sub opening through which the air bag can inflate outside of an instrumental panel. A main lid is provided for closing the main opening and a sub lid is provided for closing the sub opening. The sub lid is formed from a weakened part of the instrumental panel and is easily broken by the inflating force of the air bag. To avoid removal of the sub lid from the panel a deformable attachment is secured to the sub lid and the instrument panel.

Abstract: A power transmission unit for an electric vehicle has a planetary-gear type speed reducer disposed between and connected to an electric motor and a driving wheel. The speed reducer has two planetary gear sets in which common pinions are engaged with a fixed first ring gear and a second ring gear acting as an output portion. The common pinions are supported to a common carrier acting as an input portion. The number of teeth of the second ring gear is set to be the same as the sum of a number of teeth of the first ring gear and a number of the common pinions, and the common pinions are located at equal distances. Therefore, the power transmission unit has a proper reduction gear ratio and a high-torque transmission characteristic which are required for an electric vehicle while the speed reducer is formed small in size.

Abstract: A vehicle drivetrain control system reduces the torque of a clutch to a desired level determined as a function of the engine speed during a predetermined period of time initiated by depression of a foot brake. The function is representative of torque versus engine speed characteristic of the drivetrain during coasting operation.

Abstract: A main rocker arm driven by a first cam, and a sub-rocker arm driven by a second cam larger than the first cam, are supported adjacent to each other. A sliding member which moves together with the sub-rocker arm, and a contact piece which comes into contact with the sliding member according to the slide position of the sliding member, are provided on the main rocker arm. The sliding member moves between a position where it is in contact with the contact piece and a position where it is not in contact with the contact piece according to the engine running conditions. The sliding member and contact member are constructed of iron or an iron alloy, while the main rocker arm is constructed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The construction of the cam change-over mechanism is therefore rendered lightweight, and machining of the main rocker arm is rendered facile.

Abstract: An active control system is provided with an actuator which controls a noise and/or vibration state of an automotive vehicle, a detector which detects the noise and/or vibration state of the vehicle, and a control unit which receives an output signal of the noise and/or vibration state detector and outputs a signal to control the actuator, the control unit having a neural net which compares a control predicted value based on the output signal with a control target value so that a correction for connection weights in the neural net is carried out on the basis of the comparison result.

Abstract: An axle beam type rear suspension of an automotive vehicle having a pair of trailing arms located respectively at the right and left sides of a vehicle body. Each trailing arm is mounted through a bushing on a support shaft bridging inboard and outboard side brackets which are spaced from each other and fixed to a rear side member. The outboard side bracket extends downward over the lower end of a side sill fixedly secured to the rear side member. A parking brake cable is disposed between the trailing arm and the outboard side bracket and located at a position higher than the lower end of the outboard side bracket, thereby preventing the parking brake cable from interfering with an attachment of a vehicle lifting device when the vehicle is raised to make vehicle maintenance or repair.

Abstract: A pressure control actuator suitable for an automotive brake control system comprises a pressure-regulation cylinder slidably enclosing a piston and cooperative with the piston for defining therein a variable-volume pressure chamber which is fluidly connected to a wheel cylinder, a shut-off valve through which the variable-volume chamber is connected to a master cylinder, a motor-driven thrust generator drivingly connected to the piston for producing a thrust, and a heavily pre-loaded return spring for biasing the piston in a first direction opposite to a second direction in which the piston is pushed by the master-cylinder pressure shut-up in the chamber, when the piston is displaced apart from its neutral position in the second direction so that the volume of the chamber is enlarged. A pre-load of the spring is set to balance with a force acting on the piston by a maximum master-cylinder pressure introduced into the chamber.

Abstract: A disc road wheel on which a tire is fitted. The disc road wheel has a disc formed with an outer peripheral annular flange section which is press-fitted to the inner peripheral section of a rim. The flange section is formed at its outer peripheral surface with a plurality of gas leak grooves which are aligned along a peripheral direction of the disc. Each gas leak groove is in communication with ambient air even upon press-fitting of the disc and the rim, so that gas between the disc and the rim can be discharged through the gas leak grooves during welding.

Abstract: A shift lock system for an automatic transmission is arranged to make it unfeasible to cancel the shift lock without a tool. The shift lock system includes a cancel lever for moving a shift lock member such as a rotary bush from a lock position for locking a shift lever in the park position to an unlock position against the force of a return spring, a cancel rod for operating the cancel lever, and a plug member which is normally fastened with the cancel rod to a support member by a screw fastener so that the cancel rod is immovable. The plug member can be loosened by a tool such as a screw driver. When loosened, the plug member allows a canceling operation by allowing the cancel rod to be moved.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has first and second flexible members disposed within front and rear doors in the longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle. First ends of each of the flexible members are coupled together through a coupling member which ensures coupling when the doors are closed. Respective other ends of the two flexible members are each coupled with respective lower portions of the vehicle body frame.

Abstract: A lock release apparatus includes a gear shift lever assembly including a gear shift lever having a plurality of positions including a parking position, and a detent mechanism shiftable into a detent position wherein said gear shift lever is allowed to move out of the parking position. A lock bushing is supported on the gear shift lever, and has a lock position in which the detent mechanism is prevented from shifting into the detent position and a lock release position in which the detent mechanism is allowed to shift into the detent position. A manual lock release rod is accommodated in a casing secured to the gear shift lever. A screw is fitted into an opening of the casing to prevent an access to the manual lock release, and covered by a lid. The screw is engaged with and disengaged from the opening by using a tool.

Abstract: An automobile total traction control system comprises a primary traction control system utilizing at least one of a fuel-cut control and an ignition-timing control, a secondary traction control system utilizing a driving-force reduction control different from the fuel-cut control and the ignition-timing control, sensors for detecting a wheel speed of each road wheel to derive a slip rate of each drive wheel and detecting an engine condition such as engine load and engine speed, and a controller for determining an acceleration-slip state of the vehicle based on the derived slip rate. During acceleration-slip, the controller determines the control allocation between the primary and secondary traction control systems based on the detected engine load, such that the control allocation of the primary traction control system to the secondary traction control system is decreased in accordance with an increase in the detected engine load.

Abstract: A shift control system for obtaining a smooth shift feeling in a shifting necessitating redeployment of friction elements. The shift control system is comprised of a sensor which detects a state that disengagement pressure of a friction element to be disengaged almost becomes zero during shifting. In reply to the detection of the sensor, a controller adjusts engagement pressure of the other friction element to be engaged at a predetermined value determined according to input torque and gear ratio.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining wheel slippage which may be utilized for traction control of an automotive vehicle is provided. This apparatus determines a compliance wheel speed difference between right and left compliance wheels. When the compliance wheel speed difference is smaller than a preselected threshold value, a compliance wheel reference speed is determined by averaging right and left compliance wheel speeds, when it is greater than the preselected threshold value, the compliance wheel reference speed is determined based on a greater one of the right and left compliance wheel speeds. The apparatus determines a degree of the wheel slippage based on a difference between the compliance wheel reference wheel and a driven wheel speed.

Abstract: An apparatus controls the steering angle of a pair of front or rear wheels and the braking forces to be applied to left and right wheels of at least one of the wheel pairs. The apparatus includes a control unit for calculating a target value for a dynamic parameter related to a motion of the vehicle based upon sensed vehicle operating conditions. The control unit calculates a target value for the steering angle of the one wheel pair and controls the steering angle to the calculated target value so as to bring the dynamic parameter to its target dynamic parameter value. An absolute value of the target or actual steering angle is calculated for comparison with a predetermined value. The control unit controls the second control unit to provide a difference between the braking forces applied to the left and right wheels of the one wheel pair so as to bring the dynamic parameter to the target dynamic parameter value only when the calculated absolute value exceeds the predetermined value.