Abstract: A horn switch for a steering wheel having an air bag device. The steering wheel includes a multilayer membrane switch as the horn switch in which spacers in one layer are not aligned with the spacers in the other layers. Accordingly, even when the membrane switch is depressed just over one of the spacers in one layer, the electrode plates in the other layers can make contact with each other. Thus the operable area of the membrane switch is enlarged. Further, the membrane switch is supported on its lower surface by a number of ribs which define a number of spaces between the pad lower surface and air bag device. As a result of this space, the operation on the membrane switch can be made resilient in spite of the provision of the air bag device directly under the steering wheel pad. Further, because each part of the pad separated by the air bag device upon impact, each part must be provided with a membrane switch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to steering wheels of automobiles provided with communication systems employing light transmitters, comprising a steering shaft, a boss plate fixed on the tip of the steering shaft, a ring portion mounted to said boss plate, light emitters and light receivers provided with said boss plate therebetween to perform light communication, the light emitters comprising a plurality of emitting units while the light receivers comprise a plurality of receiving units corresponding to the emitting units of the emitters so as to transmit and receive signals with each other, thereby constituting a communication unit with a pair of emitting and receiving units, and a plurality of through holes formed on the boss plate in correspondence to the light emitting and light receiving units, which are more than the communication units and enable all the light signals of all the units for light communication to pass therethrough.

Abstract: A gauge for detecting both the temperature and surface level of a fluid within a container. The gauge includes an elongated casing which extends into the fluid. A float which rises and falls with the fluid surface is slidably coupled to the casing and carries a magnet. A support member positioned within the casing carries both a sensor for determining the position of the magnet and a sensor for measuring the fluid temperature. The surface level of the fluid can be determined from the position of the magnet. A heat conducting element thermally couples the temperature detecting sensor to the fluid. In a preferred embodiment, the support member takes the form of a printed board. In a separate preferred aspect, the temperature and magnet detecting sensors are reed switches which are vertically spaced apart yet aligned in parallel to minimize interference.

Abstract: The liquid level sensor comprising a tubular case with an inner surface, a base plate having a wiring and disposed in the case so as to extend lengthwise of the case is disclosed. A switch member is disposed on the base plate and is electrically connected with the wiring. A float is disposed outside of the case and is movable in accordance with a displacement of the liquid surface of the liquid in the reservoir tank. A driving member is disposed on the float so as to drive the switch member. A retaining member is disposed on at least one of the inner surface of the case and the base plate so as to support and secure the base plate in the case.

Abstract: An ultrasonic level gauge that measures the level of a test surface inside a tank. A guiding pipe guides the ultrasonic wave transmitted by an ultrasonic transceiver to the test surface, and guides the ultrasonic wave reflected by the test surface back to the ultrasonic transceiver. An extended portion that extends the propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave guided by the guiding pipe may be provided on the basal portion of the guiding pipe. In this case, the ultrasonic transceiver is provided at the opening at the end of the extended portion. Also, a helical portion or a slanting portion may be provided in the guiding pipe to make the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the ultrasonic transceiver enter the test surface in a slanting direction.

Abstract: A liquid level gauge comprising a core disposed inside a liquid container that has a cross sectional configuration that varies in the direction of its height, the core extending in the vertical direction and isolated from the liquid, a coil wound around the core in the direction of the length of the core, the coil comprising a densely wound portion formed at one end of the core and a thinly wound portion wound around the remaining part of the core, a conductor ring disposed around the outer circumference of the coil and is movable in the direction of the length of the coil according to the liquid level inside the container, a detecting portion that detects the change in the inductance of the coil according to the displacement of the conductor ring, a transforming portion that transforms the change in the inductance of the coil to a change in an electric signal, and a display portion that displays the quantity of the liquid inside te container, corresponding to the electric signal, the thinly wound portion hav

Abstract: A steering wheel assembly including an insulated base having a surface; a plurality of segmented slip rings having surfaces, disposed separately on the insulated base along a circular line such that they are mutually insulated; a plurality of contact pins that make sliding contact with the segmented slip rings along the circular line, and are set facing the surfaces of the segmented slip rings; and interposing pieces provided between the adjacent segmented slip rings such that the contact pins can move smoothly across the segmented slip rings.

Abstract: A liquid level indicator for detecting a liquid level by utilizing the variation inductance of a coil having a core made of an electrical insulating magnetic material and provided inside a winding of the coil. The core may be made by piling a plurality of thin, plate-shaped conductive materials one on another in the cross-sectional direction of the coil so that they are insulated from each other or by winding a conductive magnetic material at least one turn in the form of a roll so that a closed loop current is not formed in the cross-sectional direction of the coil. An eddy current loss of the core so arranged is so small that it can be disregarded. Furthermore, the winding component of the core itself is substantially released in the equivalent circuit of the coil.

Abstract: A vehicle television receiver system comprises a television receiver be easily attached to and detached from the vehicle, engagement means attached to the vehicle and arranged to be actuated to make the television receiver be in an engaged condition when the television receiver is housed in a specific place of the vehicle and release means for making the engagement means and the television receiver be in a released condition when the release means is operated.

Abstract: A level gage mounting structure comprising a level gage secured to an upper member of a liquid storage container and vertically extending inside the container, the level gage having its lower end supported on the bottom surface of the container, and a deformable member provided between the upper member and the upper end of the level gage to support the upper end of the level gage, the deformable member being deformable vertically in unison with any vertical deformation of the upper and bottom surfaces of the container, thus enabling the lower end of the level gage to be in contact with the bottom surface of the container at all times.

Abstract: A relay mechanism for a steering wheel comprising a plurality of slip rings disposed isolated from each other in a circular track having a steering shaft as its center, and sliders, one provided at each slip ring. It further includes an arcuate common line slip ring extending so as to have a predetermined central angle, and a common line slider sliding on the common line slip ring with the steering shaft as its center, the common line slider being positioned at the midpoint of the common slip ring when the steering wheel is at its straight travel position. When the steering wheel is turned over more than a predetermined angle from its travel position, the common line connecting the slip rings and a power source is rendered non-conductive thereby to disable the signal transmission between the slip rings and electric devices.

Abstract: A communication structure provided in a steering wheel. The steering wheel includes having a steering shaft; a boss fixed to it. At least one spoke fixed to the boss. A pad is installed relatively rotatably to the steering shaft at a position more proximate to the driver than the boss. A column is positioned in relation to the pad so that at least one of the spoke and a boss plate is sandwiched therebetween. At least one set of magnetic communication units composed of a receiving unit and a transmitting unit is provided on the pad and said column, at least one of which consists of a core and a coil wound thereon.

Abstract: A microprocessor-based telephone set includes a telephone number memory, a number indicator, an abbreviated number selecting switch, an abbreviated number controller, and a selecting signal controller. The call is made when a selecting signal is sent to a base station. The selecting signal is issued when selecting signal controller retrieves a certain telephone number of a called party according to a displayed abbreviated number on the indicator on receiving a signal controlling the transmission start of the selecting signal. The signal which controls the transmission start of the selecting signal can be generated by means of the same switch that hook-signals. The telephone equipment can be installed on a steering wheel of an automobile.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a land mobile telephone system with enhanced operability realizing both the loud-speech and closed-speech operations by the single handset. The handset is installed detachably in a pad of a steering wheel of an automobile and having a power terminal for feeding electric power from an automobile-equipped battery to said handset devices when said handset is seated in the steering wheel pad, said controller having a speed mode selector which selects a loud-speech mode when said handset is seated in the steering wheel pad or selects a closed-speech mode when said handset is taken out of the steering wheel pad.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid level meter, comprising a coil having a core, a float which is provided at the external circumference of coil so that it can move in the longitudinal direction along the same core and comprises a conductor ring, a detector which detects change of inductance of coil in accordance with movement of said float namely conductor ring, a converting circuit which converts change of inductance detected by the detector into change of voltage and a liquid level indicator which is driven by a drive circuit in accordance with such conversion.

Abstract: A leakage detecting device for brake hoses is composed of a first cylinder chamber communicated with a brake hose to be inspected, a second cylinder chamber connected to a fluid pressure source, a leakage detecting cylinder with a piston disposed between the first and second cylinder chambers, displacement amount detecting means for detecting displacement of the piston of the leakage detecting cylinder and generating a signal corresponding to the displacement amount, and processing means for receiving the displacement detecting signal from the displacement amount detecting means, calculating leakage amount per unit time for a prescribed time based on the received signal, comparing data of the leakage amount per unit time with the upper limit value for leakage of a good product which is set by a setting device, and generating a failed product detected signal when the leakage amount exceeds the upper limit value for leakage of a good product.

Abstract: In a surface inspection method in which parallel rays passing through a thin slit are projected onto a surface of a specimen and a luminous line formed on the specimen surface by the parallel rays is viewed by a television camera so as to inspect the specimen surface, a photo-electric signal showing the luminous line is picked up from an output video signal of the television camera. The time from rising state of the horizontal synchronizing signal contained in the video signal to occurrence of a pulse of the photo-electric signal is measured in each period of the horizontal synchronizing signal. The time data in each period is compared with a previously set reference value, and whether or not the specimen passes the inspection is discriminated based on variation of the comparison result.