Abstract: A seat back of a vehicular seat is movably supportable in the fore and aft direction relative to a seat cushion and lockable in its forward and rearward positions. The back side of the seat back serves as a part of a seat for a child in the forward position in which the child is restrained relative to the seat back by a seat belt assembly, while the front side of the seat back serves as a part of a usual passenger seat in the rearward position, thereby providing a sufficient comfortableness to the seated child without deteriorating the function of the usual passenger seat.

Abstract: In order to accurately control the operation of the engine while still achieving near optimal swirl rate control, the swirl is controlled by a valve which is separate from the engine throttle valve and which is basically controlled in response to the pressure prevailing across the same. Various operating parameters such as the instant air-fuel ratio of the charge being combusted in the combustion chambers are utilized to modify prerecorded values to those which will induce the best setting for the valve.

Abstract: A wheel cover (1) for a vehicle includes outer and an inner peripheral portions (2, 3) and a plurality of spoke portions (4) connecting the outer and inner peripheral portions with each other. The outer and inner peripheral portions and the spoke portions are integrally formed into a one-piece structure. Longitudinal center lines (e, f) of the spoke portions cross each other, in front view, at the cross points (Q) which are radially outward beyond the inner peripheral surface (2a) of the outer peripheral portion (2) and/or at the cross points (P) which are radially inward beyond the outer peripheral surface (3a) of the inner peripheral portion (3).

Abstract: A new type connector set is provided. Its male connector member includes a male housing having an engaging portion in the form of a nut. The female connector member includes a female housing with an opening to receive said male housing therethrough, a support member fixed within said female housing and having a chamber to receive the engaging portion of the male housing in it and a bolt rotatably extending within said chamber to be screwed into the nut. Said bolt is prevented from moving in an axial direction thereof and has a constricted portion in it.

Abstract: In a drawing apparatus of the type in which a lower punch slide moves upward to draw a blank clamped between a movable die and a stationary blank holder, an adjustable ram is provided which is electrically driven to move upward and downward for thereby adjusting the bottom dead position of the punch so that the upper end of the punch is made substantially flush with the upper end surface of the blank holder when the punch is in its bottom dead position.

Abstract: An automotive folding seat is adapted to be retracted to provide a wider entrance space for passengers. The seat back can be folded onto a seat cushion and the seat in its entirety can be pivoted to a retracted position wherein the seat cushion is aligned vertically with the seat back folded onto the seat cushion. A locking mechanism serves to hold the seat cushion in its normal operating position. The locking mechanism is engageable to a striker rigidly mounted on the vehicle body and associated with a hinge mechanism which latches the seat back in its normal operating position and allows pivotal movement to the folded position in response to release operation of an operation lever. The operation lever also causes the locking mechanism to release its locking engagement with the striker to allow retracting movement of the seat cushion.

Abstract: A pair of pinions are mounted on a hub portion of a steering wheel in a manner to be movable toward and away from a pair of matched internal gears. The pinions are urged by a pair of leaf springs toward the internal gears to eliminate backlash therebetween.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting driver drowsiness on the basis of steering pulses, each steering pulse being produced whenever a steering wheel is rotated through a predetermined angle and indicating the direction of rotation of the steering wheel, comprising means for detecting the roughness of the road surface on which the vehicle is travelling and interrupting the detection of driver drowsiness for a fixed interval of time when the road surface roughness exceeds an acceptable level, i.e. a level conductive to accurate drowsiness detection.

Abstract: A plate spring is operatively connected to an automotive internal combustion engine so that when the engine vibrates with a relatively high frequency and small amplitude, the plate spring is merely moved backwards and forwards across an essentially flat home position wherein it exhibits a zero or even negative spring constant, and so that when the engine vibrates with a relatively low frequency and large amplitude, the spring is flexed to the degree of exhibiting a high spring constant and thus transmits the vibrational energy therethrough to a resilient body or unit interconnecting same with the vehicle chassis.

Abstract: A four-wheel drive system of a vehicle has a center differential between front wheels and rear wheels, and means for restraining or locking the center differential. The four-wheel drive system is combined with a control system for automatically locking the center differential when the difference between an average rotational speed of the right and left front wheels and an average rotational speed of the right and left rear wheels becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An intake air flow rate control method and system for an internal combustion engine includes an open loop control strategy carried out during unstable engine driving conditions. During open loop control, a pulse signal applied to an air flow rate control valve means is determined both as a function of open loop ratio and feedback ratio. The duty cycle of the pulse signal for open loop control is varied corresponding to engine coolant temperature as well as engine load condition. Thus, upon switching control operation from open loop control to feedback control, varying of pulse duty cycle to be applied to the valve means occurs smoothly. Further, in open loop control, the control system smoothly follows variations in engine load conditions.

Abstract: A polyamide composition having an enhanced adhesion to coatings, which comprises a polyamide with a ratio of the terminal amino group concentration to the terminal carboxyl group concentration of at least 1.5, an inorganic filler, and a triazine, wherein the amount of the inorganic filler is from 1 to 150 weight parts per 100 weight parts of the polyamide and the amount of the triazine is more than 1 weight part per 100 weight parts of the sum of the polyamide and the inorganic filler.

Abstract: A vehicular power steering system is provided with a steering effort control system which controls the degree of power assistance by controlling the supply of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic power actuator unit. The steering effort control system monitors the speed of the vehicle and the angular velocity of the steering wheel, and controls the quantity of the fluid supply in accordance with the monitored variables. The fluid supply quantity is determined so as to satisfy the following three conditions: (1) The steering must become heavier as the vehicle speed increases; (2) however, a sufficient amount of the fluid must be supplied even when the steering wheel is turned rapidly; and (3) the driver must be given a feel about the lateral acceleration of the vehicle during a turn.

Abstract: A vacuum responsive switch for detecting a failure in creation of a control vacuum within the control diaphragm chamber. A solenoid valve is provided which functions to equalize pressure within one of a power diaphragm chamber and a leak chamber with the other when vacuum represented by a signal from the vacuum responsive switch is lower than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An exhaust purification apparatus includes a regenerative burner for repetitively regenerating a trap element located in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. The regenerative burner has a combustion chamber adapted to permit flow of exhaust gases from the engine exhaust conduit to the trap element. A cup-shaped member is disposed within the combustion chamber to define therein an evaporation chamber which has an adequate supply of air-fuel mixture. The cup-shaped member has a peripheral wall formed with cutouts to permit air-fuel mixture from said evaporation chamber into said combustion chamber and also with a hole to permit fuel droplets to fall onto a glow plug located below the cup-shaped member within the combustion chamber. A protective cover is provided to cover the path of dropping of fuel droplets onto the glow plug to prevent air from flowing to cool down the glow plug and deviate the fuel droplets away from the glow plug.

Abstract: In an automotive manual transmission comprising a common fork shaft on and along which a plurality of shift forks are slidable, a control rod rotatable about and slidable along the axis thereof which is normal to the axis of the common fork shaft, a pivotting pin extending normal to both the axes of the common fork shaft and the control rod, a plurality of pivotting levers pivotally mounted on the pivotting pin and jointly engaged at their one ends with the corresponding shift forks, a selecting head member secured to the control rod and engageable with the other end of selected one of the pivotting levers when the control rod is rotated about the axis thereof into an angular position, an interlock plate rotatably mounted on the control rod to ensure that only the selected pivotting lever is rotatable at any given time, and a supporting member removably connected to the transmission housing and mounting thereon the pivotting pin, there is proposed a positioning arrangement in which the supporting member is pr

Abstract: An endless belt passes around a first pulley directly driven by an automotive engine and a second pulley securely mounted on a driving member of an auxiliary device to rotate therewith. An idler pulley engages with the belt to provide the same with tension. An actuator shifts the idler pulley to vary the amount of the belt tension in accordance with an operation load applied to the auxiliary device.

Abstract: A hydraulic control system comprises first and second fluid operated friction units, the first fluid operated friction unit being discharged at the same time the second fluid operated friction unit is pressurized during a shift between two remote speed ratios. The hydraulic control system comprises a drain conduit having one end communicable with the first fluid operated friction unit and an opposite end, and a timing valve which discharges the drain conduit via an orifice when the fluid pressure supplied to the second fluid operated friction unit is lower than a predetermined value, while it discharges the drain conduit bypassing the orifice when the fluid pressure supplied to the second fluid operated friction unit exceeds the predetermined value.

Abstract: In a reverse gear selector mechanism of this invention, two connector pins are provided to drivingly connect a shifter to a shift fork. The connector pin locks the shift fork with a shifter bracket side flange when a reverse idler gear is in a shift position where it carries power.

Abstract: An ON-OFF switch device is mounted in an emergency spare tire container and assumes its ON-condition when the tire is absent from the container. A warning device is electrically actuated by the switch in such a mannner that when the switch assumes the ON-condition due to absence of the tire from the container, the warning device gives a warning.