Abstract: A carbon fiber having a lattice spacing (d002) of 0.336 nm to 0.338 nm and a crystallite size (Lc002) of 50 nm to 150 nm as measured and evaluated by X-ray diffraction and a fiber diameter of 10 nm to 500 nm, the carbon fiber having no branched structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acceleration sensation evaluating device that evaluates a sensory acceleration of a driver with respect to an expectation value of acceleration, and a vehicle controller that controls a vehicle according to the evaluation results. The evaluation device detects an amount of operation of the vehicle by the driver of when the vehicle is accelerated, detects an amount of vehicle behavior, computes a physical quantity of an expectation value indicating the expectation value of an acceleration performance which the driver expects based on the detected values, computes a sensory physical quantity indicating a sensation of the acceleration which the driver senses, and computes an evaluation value of the acceleration sensation based on difference or ratio between the physical quantity of the expectation value and the sensory physical quantity.

Abstract: A carbon fiber having a lattice spacing (d002) of 0.336 nm to 0.338 nm and a crystallite size (Lc002) of 50 nm to 150 nm as measured and evaluated by X-ray diffraction and a fiber diameter of 10 nm to 500 nm, the carbon fiber having no branched structure.

Abstract: At a vehicle seat 10, a cushion material 18 is provided at a frame 14 for a sitting portion of a seat frame 12, such that a seat cushion 20 is formed. An upper cushion member (three-dimensional solid knit fabric) 86, which is a surface layer portion of the cushion material 18, is stretched at the frame 14 for the sitting portion, and is layered on a cloth spring material 18 which is a lower layer portion of the cushion material 18. When the cloth spring material 68 is pressed and flexes downward due to pushing-against force which is based on body weight of a seated person at a time of sitting on the seat cushion 20, at regions of the cloth spring material 68 which are pushed by ischial tuberosities of the seated person, tensile forces of extension coil springs 80, which are forces in the pushing direction, act, and directions of tension of the cushion material 18 are in three dimensions.

Abstract: A seat provides a band-like support for the body sides of a user so as to reduce the supporting pressure on the user's lumbar and to hold the user's upper body stably. In this seat, the center of a load to be received in regions symmetrically divided to a vertical central line of the seat are positioned outside of a back region defined by left and right angulus inferior scapulae and by the upper ends of iliac bones. Moreover, the load ratios in the individual regions are not more than 25% in the region corresponding to a region extended downward from the back region.

Abstract: A novel method of producing charcoal. The method of producing charcoal comprises treating an organic material with iodine followed by the carbonization treatment. The organic material is desirably an organic material stemming from the biomass. The treatment with iodine is desirably conducted by bringing an iodine vapor into contact with the organic material. Further, the treatment with iodine is desirably conducted by heating a container which contains the organic material and iodine. The temperature in the treatment with iodine is desirably in a range of not lower than 50° C. but not higher than a decomposition temperature of the organic material. Further, the carbonization treatment is desirably a heat treatment conducted in an inert gas atmosphere or in vacuum.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acceleration sensation evaluating device that evaluates a sensory acceleration of a driver with respect to an expectation value of acceleration, and a vehicle controller that controls a vehicle according to the evaluation results. The evaluation device detects an amount of operation of the vehicle by the driver of when the vehicle is accelerated, detects an amount of vehicle behavior, computes a physical quantity of an expectation value indicating the expectation value of an acceleration performance which the driver expects based on the detected values, computes a sensory physical quantity indicating a sensation of the acceleration which the driver senses, and computes an evaluation value of the acceleration sensation based on difference or ratio between the physical quantity of the expectation value and the sensory physical quantity.

Abstract: A seat includes a seat frame, and a cushion material supported by the seat frame and having a three-dimensional knitted fabric which is formed by joining, with connecting threads, a pair of ground knit fabrics which are disposed so as to be separated from one another. The cushion material includes a first region whose elastic compliance when a reaction force is applied to an extending side of the cushion material when an occupant is seated on the seat is substantially equivalent to an elastic compliance of a portion of the occupant's body pressing the cushion material and a second region whose elastic compliance is larger than that of the first region. Accordingly, a thin and light seat can be provided, load concentration on the occupant's tuber ishiadicum bottom portion when seated for a long period of time can be mitigated, and vibration-transmitting characteristics can be improved.

Abstract: An upper end portion of a seat backrest and a lower end portion of a head rest are superposed together. A rear end portion of an upper portion cushion member and a lower end portion of the seat backrest are superposed together. These superposed portions are sewn together by thin threads which break when pressing force of a predetermined value or greater is applied to the seat backrest. Thus, when pressing force of the predetermined value or greater is applied to the seat backrest, the thin threads break. A portion of the seat backrest which a shoulder portion of a seated occupant contacts, and a portion of the seat backrest which buttocks of the seated occupant contact, are enlarged, and impact force can be damped.

Abstract: This present invention discloses a seat, comprising: a seat cushion; and a seat back frame connected to the seat cushion, the seat back frames being bent in a range of specified bending angle in a direction of moving the top end backward by a backward load over a predetermined value, by way of a joint provided at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction, such that the seat back frame receives a reaction force corresponding to the bending angle.

Abstract: A seat structure includes a torsion bar 40 disposed along the width direction in the vicinity of the bottom end of a back frame 20, a pelvis supporting plate 50 is connected to the torsion bar 40, and a flat-type supporting member 60 for the seat back is engaged with the vicinity of the bottom end of the pelvis supporting plate 50 and strained. Slack of the flat-type supporting member 60 can be eliminated by the pelvis supporting plate 50 to enhance the appearance. Further, a vibration inputted from the seat back side, and vibrates as if patting on the back of the human body can be absorbed by an elastic force of the torsion bar 40.

Abstract: At a vehicle seat 10, a cushion material 18 is provided at a frame 14 for a sitting portion of a seat frame 12, such that a seat cushion 20 is formed. An upper cushion member (three-dimensional solid knit fabric) 86, which is a surface layer portion of the cushion material 18, is stretched at the frame 14 for the sitting portion, and is layered on a cloth spring material 18 which is a lower layer portion of the cushion material 18. When the cloth spring material 68 is pressed and flexes downward due to pushing-against force which is based on body weight of a seated person at a time of sitting on the seat cushion 20, at regions of the cloth spring material 68 which are pushed by ischial tuberosities of the seated person, tensile forces of extension coil springs 80, which are forces in the pushing direction, act, and directions of tension of the cushion material 18 are in three dimensions.

Abstract: This present invention discloses a seat, comprising: a seat cushion; and a seat back frame connected to the seat cushion, the seat back frames being bent in a range of specified bending angle in a direction of moving the top end backward by a backward load over a predetermined value, by way of a joint provided at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction, such that the seat back frame receives a reaction force corresponding to the bending angle.

Abstract: A seat structure includes a torsion bar 40 disposed along the width direction in the vicinity of the bottom end of a back frame 20, a pelvis supporting plate 50 is connected to the torsion bar 40, and a flat-type supporting member 60 for the seat back is engaged with the vicinity of the bottom end of the pelvis supporting plate 50 and strained. Slack of the flat-type supporting member 60 can be eliminated by the pelvis supporting plate 50 to enhance the appearance. Further, a vibration inputted from the seat back side, and vibrates as if patting on the back of the human body can be absorbed by an elastic force of the torsion bar 40.

Abstract: A seat comprising a seat frame, and a cushion material supported by the seat frame and having a three-dimensional knitted fabric which is formed by joining, with connecting threads, a pair of ground knit fabrics which are disposed so as to be separated from one another, wherein the cushion material comprising a first region whose elastic compliance when a reaction force is applied to an extending side of the cushion material when an occupant is seated on the seat is substantially equivalent to an elastic compliance of a portion of the occupant's body pressing the cushion material and a second region whose elastic compliance is larger than that of the first region. Accordingly, a thin and light seat can be provided, load concentration on the occupant's tuber ishiadicum bottom portion when seated for a long period of time can be mitigated, and vibration-transmitting characteristics can be improved.

Abstract: An upper end portion of a seat backrest and a lower end portion of a head rest are superposed together. A rear end portion of an upper portion cushion member and a lower end portion of the seat backrest are superposed together. These superposed portions are sewn together by thin threads which break when pressing force of a predetermined value or greater is applied to the seat backrest. Thus, when pressing force of the predetermined value or greater is applied to the seat backrest, the thin threads break. A portion of the seat backrest which a shoulder portion of a seated occupant contacts, and a portion of the seat backrest which buttocks of the seated occupant contact, are enlarged, and impact force can be damped.

Abstract: A seat provides a band-like support for the body sides of a user so as to reduce the supporting pressure on the user's lumbar and to hold the user's upper body stably. In this seat, the center of a load to be received in regions symmetrically divided to a vertical central line of the seat are positioned outside of a back region defined by left and right angulus inferior scapulae and by the upper ends of iliac bones. Moreover, the load ratios in the individual regions are not more than 25% in the region corresponding to a region extended downward from the back region.

Abstract: A formed piece continuous manufacturing apparatus formed by four endless belts for carrying out a method utilizing such apparatus. At least three of the endless belts are movably supported by a movable device, and the sectional shape of the forming passage is freely controlled by arbitrarily moving at least three endless belts. A method of forming a fiber reinforced foam resin article using the apparatus is described.

Abstract: A formed piece continuous manufacturing apparatus formed by four endless belts. At least three of the endless belts are movably supported by a movable device, and the sectional shape of the forming passage is freely controlled by arbitrarily moving at least three endless belts.

Abstract: A vibration control apparatus detects a physical value influencing characteristics of a suspension supporting a vibrating body and a state value representing movement of the suspension, calculates an optimal target control force in consideration of an external force or disturbance acting on the suspension on the basis of the physical and state values as outputs from a state detecting system, calculates the detection control force corresponding to the detected physical value, and continuously variably controls the suspension characteristics so as to generate a control force corresponding to the difference between the target and detection control forces in consideration of the external force or disturbance acting on the suspension, whereby vibrations are prevented by equivalently applying the target control force on the suspension.