Abstract: An upper support for a wheel suspension assembly of a vehicle having a shock absorber. The upper support comprises an inner member connected to a piston rod of the shock absorber, an outer member disposed concentrically with the inner member and fixed to the vehicle body, and a resilient member interposed between the inner and outer members. The outer member consists of two annular halves which are fixed together with their outer peripheral flanges in abutment with each other. Stopper means are provided preferably on the outer member for limiting an axial elastic deformation of the resilient member. One or both axial end portions of the resilient member held in the outer member have an annular groove concentric with the inner member and a plurality of bosses equally spaced along the annular groove. The bosses are axially outwardly projected from an annular abutment portion of the resilient member which is radially inward of the annular groove.

Abstract: A spark plug for internal combustion engines has center and grounded electrodes having surfaces disposed adjacent to a spark gap between the electrodes and directed to but spaced from each other and also have side faces converging toward the spark gap. Each of the electrodes is provided with a piece of a noble metal secured to the surface directed to the other electrode. The noble metal pieces provided on both electrodes define the spark gap therebetween.

Abstract: A vehicle driver's seat is equipped with an electromagnetically operated vibrator arranged in its back-rest to be activated by energization of an electric control circuit for periodically supplying an electric current to the vibrator from a vehicle battery. A safety device for the driver's seat comprises a parking brake switch arranged between the electric control circuit and the battery to be opened during the inoperative condition of a parking brake of the vehicle and to be closed in response to operation of the parking brake, and an additional control circuit for energizing the electric control circuit in response to closing of the switch to activate the vibrator during arrest of the vehicle and for deenergizing the electric control circuit in response to opening of the switch to deactivate the vibrator during movement of the vehicle.

Abstract: An electronic fuel injecting method and device for an internal combustion engine, wherein a correction in accordance with the operating conditions or the like of the engine is effected on a basic injection time obtained in accordance with an intake pressure or an intake air flowrate, and a rotational speed of the engine, to thereby provide fuel in synchronism with the rotation of the engine. When the operating conditions of the engine reach a predetermined condition, fuel is provided at a predetermined injection time not in synchronism with the rotation of the engine. When requirements for non-synchronous injection take place during synchronous injection, the time period for the synchronous injection is prolonged by the appropriate non-synchronous injection time. When more than one non-synchronous injection requirement occurs during a single synchronous injection, the synchronous injection time is lengthened by a time corresponding to only one of the non-synchronous injection requirements.

Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner control apparatus for supplying into the passenger compartment of a vehicle a flow of air which is temperature controlled in accordance with air conditioner control conditions, automatically controls an air change-over damper in response to a manual setting device for selectively commanding the induction of outside air, the induction of inside air and the induction of outside and inside air into an air duct and in response to a signal indicative of an absolute temperature of air inducted into the air duct, which is computed and generated in accordance with the outputs of a plurality of sensors.

Abstract: A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, which automatically controls the throttle valve opening to maintain the vehicle speed constant without a driver's operation of the accelerator pedal once the vehicle speed is set to a desired value, is designed so that acceleration at the time of operating an increase set switch or resume switch is increased to ensure a comfortable drive while ascending a long slope. To this end, the cruise control system is provided with an overdrive controller which releases the overdrive at the time of operating the increase set switch and which resumes the overdrive at the time of releasing the operation of the increase set switch, or an overdrive controller which releases the overdrive at the time of operating the resume switch when the vehicle speed at that time is sufficiently lower than the set speed and which resumes the overdrive when the vehicle speed has been restored substantially to the set speed.

Abstract: A knock detecting apparatus for detecting the occurrence of knocking in an internal combustion engine by detecting variations in the pressure of engine cooling water. A sealed double diaphragm structure is formed by a first diaphragm which is directly responsive to variations in the cooling water pressure and not resonant at the knock frequencies and a second diaphragm which is resonant at the knock frequencies. A noncompressible fluid is contained in the sealed double diaphragm structure between the two diaphragms. Pulsations of the second diaphragm, resonant at the knock frequencies, are detected by a magnetic device or a piezoelectric device operative to output an ac signal.

Abstract: A slider for an automatic seat belt arrangement includes a slider main body which can be readily manufactured at low cost in an efficient manner, and yet, is capable of having sufficient strength for use in a motor vehicle.

Abstract: A concealed type head lamp device in which head lamps are provided on a motor vehicle body and are capable of performing exposed, concealed, turning on and off and passing operations by a plurality of switches driven by means of a single operating lever. The head lamp device has a delay circuit by which the head lamps are concealed after a predetermined period of time from turning off of the head lamps to prevent the head lamps from emitting a dazzling beam toward a facing vehicle. The head lamp device has also a temperature sensitive switch for measuring an ambient temperature of a motor vehicle whereby the head lamps are driven to be exposed when the ambient temperature is below a set level for preventing the lamp portions from being freezed.

Abstract: The process for preparing a resin-coated casting sand by coating sand grains with a binder comprising a liquid phenolic resin component and a polyisocyanate component, the improvement of which comprises coating sand grains with an organic solvent prior to coating of the sand grains with the binder, thereby prolonging the bench life of the resulting resin-coated casting sand and enhancing the strength of a casting mold prepared from this resin-coated casting sand. Furthermore, this process enables the utilization of sand of a low grade or reclaimed sand having a high alkaline component content, that has not been used in the conventional process, and the supply of an excellent resin-coated casting sand which is capable of providing a casting mold having a high strength and has a long bench life.

Abstract: A device for warning the allowable wear-limit of a pad assembly in a disc brake. The device comprises (a) a vibration member composed of (i) a fixing portion secured to a lateral end portion of a backing plate of the pad assembly, (ii) a spring portion bent into a curve as an extension from the fixing portion for being located on the rear side of the pad assembly, and (iii) a vibrating portion extended from the spring portion, passing through between the lateral end portion of the backing plate and a torque member movably supporting the same, toward the friction surface of the disc rotor as far as almost reach at a tip thereof a wear limit of the pad assembly, (b) a supporting member supporting the vibrating portion at a root portion thereof against biasing force of the spring portion, and (c) a projection disposed on either the supporting member and the vibration portion for determining contact position therebetween.

Abstract: An outer end portion of a webbing is guided in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a tongue plate provided on said outer end portion is engaged with a buckle device secured to the rear portion of a roof side, whereby the webbing is fastened to an occupant. A release plate movable a certain distance with respect to the tongue plate is moved forwards in the vehicle by drive means, whereby the tongue plate is moved forwards in the vehicle after the tongue plate is disengaged from the buckle device, so that the webbing can be separated from the occupant to automatically unfasten the webbing from the occupant.

Abstract: The essential feature of the invention includes that both ends of a single torsion spring are elongated to form both arms which are engaged with a swinging lever actuated by the select operation and a fixed lever in such a manner that select return force at high and low gear position in select operation is equalized. Further feature of the invention is that a select return spring is provided at an area defined independently from the select shaft and a bell crank shaft.

Abstract: Around an engine-body of a vehicle, several auxiliary machinery such as an air-conditioner and a power steering-pump are disposed. Pulleys of said auxiliary machinery are driven by means of an endless belt or endless belts by a driving pulley of the engine. In order to obtain the most effective operation of the engine, consideration should be given to the degree of the power loss for driving the auxiliary machinery.For this purpose, according to the present invention, the order by which said several driven pulleys are driven by said driving pulley is determined by the magnitude of the driven torques of the corresponding auxiliary machinery along the running direction of the endless belt toward the driving pulley.

Abstract: An output voltage from an O.sub.2 sensor is intermittently sampled and the sampled voltage is converted into a binary signal. The binary signal is applied to an electrical digital computer, and therein the following operations are carried out. First, the maximum value or the maximum and minimum values of the applied binary signal are detected, then a reference value is calculated using the maximum value or the maximum and minimum values from a predetermined algebraic function. Thereafter, the applied binary signal is compared with the calculated reference value to generate a binary signal indicative of the comparison result. Then, the air-fuel ratio of the engine is adjusted in response to this binary signal calculated by the digital computer.

Abstract: A vehicle body floor construction of a motor vehicle, wherein a tunnel upwardly projecting from the surface of a floor panel, downwardly opening and disposed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is formed at the central portion in the widthwise direction of the floor panel, a fuel tank is disposed in the tunnel, and a protector is disposed in a manner to block the bottom opening of the tunnel at least within a range of the fuel tank and connected to the floor panel at opposite sides of the opening.

Abstract: A process and a device for expanding or contracting the end of a pipe are disclosed. First an ironing die or punch is put over or into the end of the pipe. Then the end of the pipe is expanded or contracted by a rod form expanding punch or a tube form reducing die. Then, with this punch or die still in place, the ironing die or punch is pulled over or through the end of the pipe, so as to pinch the wall of the pipe between itself and the punch or die, and thereby the wall of the pipe is ironed so as to release any strains that may have been caused in it by the expanding or contracting process. Thereby more accurate pipe ends can be formed simply and reliably.

Abstract: A front seat belt retractor disposing structure which has a floor cross member formed in a hollow inverted U-shaped cross-section in such a manner that the lower opening makes contact with the floor of a vehicle under a rear seat along the transverse direction for containing a front seat belt retractor so that a front seat belt can be drawn externally. Thus, the front seat belt retractor disposing structure can provide sufficient rear seat passengers' accommodation and feet retention spaces by containing the retractor within the floor cross member.

Abstract: The fiberglass reinforced plastics bumper reinforcement fitted with an elastic bumper--which is laterally mounted to the vehicle and which consists, in cross section, of a plurality of rectangular frames stacked in layer--is characterized by forwardly projecting strips formed at the intersections between the front wall of the bumper reinforcement and the top and bottom plates of the reinforcement as well as the horizontally extending webs. These projecting strips on the front wall of the bumper reinforcement alleviate the stress concentrations at these intersections that might be caused when an impact load is applied to the elastic bumper and therefore the bumper reinforcement, thus increasing the fracture strength of the intersections of the bumper reinforcement.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for measuring wheel alignment of motor vehicles, particularly, toe-in and the angle of camber, comprising at least a pair of measuring units. Each unit comprises a sensor plate having a semi-circular configuration substantially corresponding to the upper half of the wheel to be measured. The sensor plate is brought into contact with the outer side face of one of a pair of front or rear wheels of a vehicle. The sensor detects the inclination of the sensor plate in the vertical level which is perpendicular to the floor surface on which the vehicle is placed. The sensor also detects the direction of the sensor plate in the horizontal level which is parallel to the floor surface. The angle of camber of the wheel is determined on the basis of the measured inclination of the sensor plate. The toe-in of the pair of wheels is determined on the basis of the measured directions of the sensor plates for the pair of wheels.