Abstract: An abnormality detecting apparatus for use in a fuel-transpiration preventing mechanism can eliminate effects of changes in operating conditions and variations in equipment to increase the accuracy of abnormality detection. Fuel gas generated in a fuel tank and then absorbed by an absorbing material accommodated in a canister is discharged to an intake pipe by opening and closing a purge control valve. A change in pressure at a negative-pressure holding time after introduction of a negative pressure to the fuel-transpiration preventing mechanism and a change in pressure at an atmosphere-air introduction time after the negative-pressure holding time are calculated and the changes in pressure are used as a basis for determining the existence of an abnormality. As a result, effects of changes in operating conditions and effects of variations in purge control valves and canister closing valves can be eliminated, thus allowing the detection accuracy to be improved.

Abstract: Traction control for an internal combustion engine uses the gas pedal position, steering wheel position and velocity to set a wheel slip target during traction control operation.

Abstract: A system for displaying a units categorized value corresponding to the cumulative amount of fluid dispensed from a delivery system having a hand-held nozzle with a trigger actuable by an operator to admit fluid through the nozzle. A display is mounted upon an enclosure to be responsive to a control signal for displaying visually perceptible indicia in selected increments corresponding to the units categorized value. A processor is provided within the enclosure for deriving the control signal. The processor is responsive in a calibration mode to the actuation of the trigger of the hand-held nozzle to derive a calibration count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing a predetermined unit amount of fluid. When this trigger is actuated, a flow monitor at a fluid tank source detects the flow of fluid and broadcasts the presence of the fluid flow condition to a receiver mounted at the enclosure.

Abstract: A high-pressure pump unit allowing an oiltight test for a high-pressure piping system after assembly without damaging parts which do not have a pressure resistance construction.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire monitoring system is disclosed which provides a pressure sensor/transponder unit for each pneumatic tire of a vehicle to monitor tire pressure. A coded signal transmitted from each transponder unit is received by a multi-purpose receiver which may provide information to the vehicle operator or to other vehicle systems and subsystems. Each transponder unit is characterized by ultra low power consumption to extend the useful battery life. The transponder units may be mounted within the vehicle tires, or externally mounted. Impedance matching circuitry allows the use of the wheel rims with the transmitting antenna so as to avoid doppler shift induced by the rotating antenna and frequency drift induced by capacitive coupling.

Abstract: A method for identifying engine combustion failure of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a crankshaft and a crankshaft position sensor includes the steps of operating the internal combustion engine to rotate the crankshaft, measuring rotational quantities of the crankshaft corresponding to events created by each of the plurality of cylinders during operation of the internal combustion engine, correcting the rotational quantities measured to remove periodic position irregularities to generate a corrected temporal signal, generating an acceleration signal of the crankshaft using the corrected temporal signals, and identifying combustion failures as a function of the acceleration signal. A time-lagged recurrent neural network utilizes the acceleration signal, along with other engine parameters to identify the cylinder-specific misfire events.

Abstract: A hose fatigue indicator including a hose fitting defining an opening. A fracturable diaphragm is positioned adjacent the opening. The diaphragm is in communication with fluid flowing through the fitting. The diaphragm fractures upon exceeding a predetermined fatigue limit due to exposure to the fluid flowing through the fitting. Indicator means provides an indication that the diaphragm has fractured.

Abstract: Gas analysis apparatus particularly applicable to the quantitative monitoring of individual gas components in automotive exhausts, and providing this function in a rapid-response and hand-held, low power consumption format, comprises an array of electrically responsive solid-state sensors to which the mixture of automotive gases to be analyzed is simultaneously fed. Monitoring the electrical response of the sensors enables a substantially instantaneous determination of the quantitative presence of individual components of the gas mixture.

Abstract: A rope tension measuring apparatus for measuring rope tension of a plurality of main ropes that suspend an elevator car and a counterweight and adjustment quantities of tension adjusting springs for the main ropes. The apparatus comprises a portable measuring device comprising traveling-wave detector means directly attached to the elevator main rope for detecting a traveling wave that is generated by applying an instantaneous displacement to the main rope, traveling-wave passage velocity computing means for measuring the passage velocity of the traveling wave, rope tension computing means for computing the rope tension based on the passage velocity, spring adjustment quantity computing means for computing a spring adjustment quantity for the rope tension adjusting springs, and output means for outputting these computed results, based on the variation of passage velocities of the plurality of main ropes.

Abstract: In a misfire detecting apparatus of an internal combustion engine, a difference in rotational-speed variance from a rotation signal NE of a crankshaft and the difference in rotational-speed variance is compared with a predetermined misfire criterion value in order to make a determination as to whether a misfire has occurred in the internal combustion engine. The misfire detecting apparatus is applied to a six-cylinder internal combustion engine. An ECU employed in the misfire detecting apparatus is used for calculating differences in rotational-speed variance by using a 720.degree. CA, a 360.degree. CA, and a 120.degree. CA differential techniques. The differences in rotational-speed variance computed by using the differential techniques are each compared with a respective predetermined misfire criterion value. An outcome of the comparison is used for updating a misfire count.

Abstract: A stress detection apparatus is provided. A piece of semiconductor grade, ngle crystal silicon mounted on the material is illuminated by an infrared source with radiation having a wavelength in the range of 800-1100 nanometers. An infrared detector monitors the photoelastic effects of illuminating the single crystal silicon with the radiation.

Abstract: A system for tracking a target comprising an acquisition sight used by a ot of an aircraft to acquire and begin tracking the target. Once the pilot acquires the target an operator can use a track handle to track the target. The operator monitors the target utilizing narrow and wide field of view monitors. A computer receives azimuth and elevation data from the tracking device which may be the acquisition sight, track handle, a video tracking system or a tracking radar coupled to an infrared display system. The computer then processes the azimuth and elevation data and provides azimuth and elevation angle signals to a gimbal mirror interface which steers the gimballed mirror to the target. The gimballed mirror receives image forming light from the target and then directs the image forming light to a wide field of view camera and a zoom telescope. The wide field of view camera is connected to the wide field of view monitor to display the target on the wide field of view monitor.

Abstract: Technology for diagnosing an intake air amount detection device of an internal combustion engine, wherein an operation region in which the engine is stably operating is determined, the opening degree of a throttle valve interposed in an intake system of the engine is detected, a change in the opening degree of the throttle valve is calculated when the opening degree of the throttle valve is changed in the determined stable operation region, and an intake air change amount detected by the intake air amount detection device is calculated when the opening degree of the throttle valve is changed in order to diagnose performance of the intake air amount detection device based on a relationship between the change in the opening degree of the throttle valve and the intake air change amount.

Abstract: A fuel vapor treating apparatus that collects fuel vapor produced in a fuel tank and treats the vapor without releasing it into the atmosphere. The treating apparatus is provided with a canister that collects the fuel vapor through a vapor line. A vapor control valve provided in the canister adjusts the flow of fuel vapor directed toward the canister from the tank. A purge line connects the canister to an air intake passage of an engine. The fuel collected in the canister is purged into the air intake passage through the purge line. A purge control valve provided in the purge line adjusts the flow rate of the fuel flowing through the purge line. A three-way valve selectively switches the section to which the pressure sensor is connected between the tank side and the canister side. An electronic control unit (ECU) controls the second control valve and the three-way valve.

Abstract: A reflector fluorescent lamp with a reflective layer between the light-transmissive envelope and the phosphor layer(s). The reflective layer has a coating weight of at least 5, more preferably 6-8, mg/cm.sup.2 and is a blend of gamma alumina and alpha alumina, preferably 7-80 weight percent gamma alumina and 20-93 weight percent alpha alumina, more preferably 30-40 weight percent gamma alumina and 60-70 weight percent alpha alumina. The reflective layer finds particular utility in an electrodeless fluorescent lamp.

Abstract: The torque detection system for a continuously variable transmission for a vehicle having a dual-mass flywheel connecting an output of an engine mounted on the vehicle to the transmission and a start clutch for engaging/disengaging the transmitted power to the vehicle wheels. The dual-mass flywheel comprises of two flywheel components coupled by a torsion spring. Rotational speeds of the two flywheel components are detected and a phase angle therebetween is then calculated. A torque estimated to be input to the start clutch is determined by retrieving predetermined characteristics defining a static torque set with respect to the phase angle. When the vehicle is braked to stop in engine idling state, the clutch oil pressure is determined based on the calculated torque.

Abstract: A spark plug with an insulating body held in a casing and containing an inner electrode is provided with a force-measuring element for measuring the pressure acting on the spark plug, the insulating body resting against the casing via the force-measuring element when pressure is applied in an axial direction. To prevent the entrance of noise signals an axially-elastic sealing element is provided on a side adjacent to the combustion space, the sealing element additionally lending radial support to the insulating body resting against the casing of the spark plug.

Abstract: In a fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine, a feedback correction amount relative to a reference control value for a fuel pump is derived based on a deviation between an actual fuel pressure detected by a pressure sensor and a target fuel pressure. Since the feedback correction amount is controlled to be around zero during normal operation of the system, it is checked whether the feedback correction amount is within a given range. If negative, an occurrence of abnormality in the system is determined when a residual fuel amount in a fuel tank is no less than a criterion value and further when a vehicle is not running on a rough road. When the occurrence of abnormality is determined, a failure flag is set to ON while a failure determination enabling flag is reset to OFF so as to prohibit execution of a given other failure determination process such as a misfire detection process.

Abstract: A system for determining a residual life of a friction clutch is constructed so that the loaded condition of the clutch is determined in accordance with detected differential revolution, control oil pressure, oil temperature, and loading time, with which the residual life of the friction clutch is calculated.

Abstract: The invention is intended to provide a stress measuring device for a structure, wherein a plurality of stress sensors are composited or integrated to provide an integrated single-packaged stress composite sensor, the latter being used to deliver X-axis, X- and Z-axis or X-, Y- and Z-axis direction stress signals produced in the structure or deliver stress signals in selected directions, so as to make it possible to measure stresses.