Abstract: A method of manufacturing a steel ball for a rolling bearing, said method comprising: a molding step of forming a steel wire cut at a predetermined length into a raw ball having a band portion by a pair of molding forms having respectively hemispherical concave portions and relief grooves in peripheries of said concave portions on their respective opposing faces, said band portion being formed on a surface of said raw ball along said relief grooves by compressing said steel wire by said molding forms in a state in which both ends of said steel wire are sandwiched between said concave portions; and a tumbler working step of removing said band portion from the surface of the raw ball by tumbling.

Abstract: A lower battery block feeds low-voltage power to a low-voltage load. The lower battery block includes cells. At least one higher battery block is connected in series with the lower battery block, and cooperates with the lower battery block to feed high-voltage power to a high-voltage load. The higher battery block includes cells. A DC—DC converter transmits power from the higher battery block to the lower battery block. A controller detects an electric parameter of the lower battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block, and also an electric parameter of the higher battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block. The controller operates for controlling the DC—DC converter in response to the detected electric parameters to equalize the average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block and the average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a steel ball for a rolling bearing, said method comprising: a molding step of forming a steel wire cut at a predetermined length into a raw ball having a band portion by a pair of molding forms having respectively hemispherical concave portions and relief grooves in peripheries of said concave portions on their respective opposing faces, said band portion being formed on a surface of said raw ball along said relief grooves by compressing said steel wire by said molding forms in a state in which both ends of said steel wire are sandwiched between said concave portions; and a tumbler working step of removing said band portion from the surface of the raw ball by tumbling.

Abstract: A reluctance-type motor include a stator having a plurality of salient stator-poles, a rotor having a plurality of salient rotor-poles, a multi-phase coils mounted in the stator, and a driver circuit for driving said multi-phase coil. The driver circuit starts to supply drive current to the multi-phase coils when the salient rotor-poles and the salient stator-poles come across each other. In other words, the drive current is supplied to the multi-phase coils when the inductance thereof is zero.

Abstract: A lower battery block feeds low-voltage power to a low-voltage load. The lower battery block includes cells. At least one higher battery block is connected in series with the lower battery block, and cooperates with the lower battery block to feed high-voltage power to a high-voltage load. The higher battery block includes cells. A DC-DC converter transmits power from the higher battery block to the lower battery block. A controller detects an electric parameter of the lower battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block, and also an electric parameter of the higher battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block. The controller operates for controlling the DC-DC converter in response to the detected electric parameters to equalize the average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block and the average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block.

Abstract: A reluctance-type motor comprises, for each of its rotor and stator, a core that has a cylindrical ring and a plurality of salient poles protruding from the ring in a radial direction of the ring. Each pole has a bottom width and a top width in a circumferential direction of the core at its bottom and at its top, respectively. The bottom width is sized to be larger than the top width, and the ring has a width sized to be larger than a half of the top width of the pole. The pole may be shaped to have a round corner at the bottom or in a trapezoid in which the bottom width is larger than the top width. The core may have a plurality of thin magnetic plates stacked in an axial direction of the core, each plate has a plurality slits in each protrusion which forms the pole, and each plate has a thickness which is less than 5 times of a maximum width of each slit.

Abstract: A ball for a ball-point pen is provided comprising cemented carbide of WC—Cr3C2—Co where VC is contained as a solid solution in the Cr3C2—CO phase which is a binder of WC particles and wherein the mean diameter of the WC particles is in the range of from about 0.3 to about 0.5 &mgr;m. In one embodiment of the invention, a portion of the Cr3C2—VC—CO phase exposed on the surface of the ball comprises a plurality of concave recesses.

Abstract: A ball for a ball-point pen is provided comprising cemented carbide of WC—Cr3C2—Co where VC is contained as a solid solution in the Cr3C2—CO phase which is a binder of WC particles and wherein the mean diameter of the WC particles is in the range of from about 0.3 to about 0.5 &mgr;m. In one embodiment of the invention, a portion of the Cr3C2—VC—CO phase exposed on the surface of the ball comprises a plurality of concave recesses.

Abstract: In a q phase-reluctance type motor including a rotor having 2n rotor protrusions with an arc angle X°, a stator having 2m stator protrusions with an arc angle Y° and m pairs of exciting coils, each of the pairs of exciting coils is disposed around one of the stator protrusions spaced apart at 180° in mechanical angle, and the following conditions are met: q≧5, X°, Y°>360°/(n×q), X°+Y°=180°/n−&agr;°, where &agr;° is a counter torque marginal angle which is larger than 0°.

Abstract: A reluctance type motor apparatus comprises switching devices for energizing phase coils of a motor, diodes for circulating discharge currents of the phase coils, a current sensor for detecting a sum of currents flowing in the phase coils, and a control circuit for controlling energization of the phase coils so that the detected sum of the currents equal a predetermined reference current. The current sensor is positioned between the phase coils and junctions between the phase coils and the diodes. Phase currents supplied to energize the phase coils are varied in dependence on the rotational position of the rotor so that the output torque of the motor does not include ripple.

Abstract: A large number of rechargeable unit cells connected in series forming a combination battery are divided into groups of cells, each group including several cells, preferably, three to five cells. Voltage unevenness among the cells in each group is eliminated by operation of a voltage balancer device connected to each group of cells. The voltage balancer device includes a circuit for equally dividing a terminal voltage of the group of cells and obtaining an average voltage among the cells. The average voltage is compared with an individual cell voltage, and the cells having a voltage higher than the average voltage are discharged so that all cell voltages in the group become equal. A plurality of the battery modules each including the group of cells and the voltage balancer device are connected in series to form a single combination battery, and voltage unevenness among the battery modules are controlled by another voltage control device.

Abstract: In a spark plug voltage probe device which detects a voltage applied to a spark plug installed in an internal combustion engine so as to analyze a burning condition in the internal combustion engine on the basis of the voltage applied to the spark plug, a rubber clamper (9) is secured to the internal combustion engine, and having a groove (92) in which a spark cable (60) is located so as to form a static capacity between the rubber clamper (9) and the spark plug cable (60). An electrical conductor (93) is embedded in the rubber clamper (9) along the groove (92) while the electrical conductor (93) is connected to a microcomputer by way of an output cable (64) so as to analyze a spark plug voltage waveform. A condenser (42) is connected to a common point (A) between the electrical conductor (93) and the microcomputer so as to reduce the spark plug voltage according to a capacity of the condenser (42).

Abstract: In a sparkplug voltage probe device in use for an internal combustion engine, an insulator base is attached to the internal combustion engine, an upper surface of the insulator base having a plurality of grooves in which the sparkplug cables are placed. An insulator sheet is embedded in the insulator base. An electrode layer is provided on an upper surface of the insulator base along the grooves to form a static capacity between the electrode layer and the sparkplug cables when the voltage is applied across the spark plugs. On a lower surface of the insulator sheet an electrical shield layer is provided connected to the internal combustion engine by a ground wire. A lead wire electrically connects the electrode plate to a microcomputer so as to analyze the engine burning condition based on the static capacity between the electrode plate and the sparkplug cables.

Abstract: In a sparkplug voltage probe device, an insulator base is attached to the internal combustion engine, an upper surface of the insulator base having a plurality of grooves in which the corresponding cables are placed. An electrode plate is embedded in the insulator base along the grooves to form a static capacity between the electrode plate and an array of all the cables in the grooves, both of the longitudinal sides of the electrode plate being curled around the outermost cables respectively to compensate shortage of static capacitance so as to form a capacitance adjusting function in order to substantially even a distribution of the static capacity between the electrode plate and the array of all the cables in a direction perpendicular to a length of the electrode plate. A lead wire is provided to electrically connect the electrode plate to a microcomputer.

Abstract: In a spark plug voltage probe device which detects voltage applied to a spark plug installed in an internal combustion engine so as to analyze burning conditions in the internal combustion engine on the basis of the voltage applied to the spark plug, a rubber collar (74) is provided to surround rubber cap (7) secured to high tension terminal (71a) of spark plug (71) so as to form a static capacity between high tension terminal (71a) and rubber collar (74). Electrical conductor (73) is provided between rubber cap (7) and rubber collar (74), and conductor (73) is electrically connected to a microcomputer by output cable (64) so as to analyze the spark plug voltage waveform. Condenser (42) is connected at one end to the ground and the other end to a common point (A) between electrical conductor (73) and the microcomputer so as to reduce the spark plug voltage according to the capacity of condenser (42).

Abstract: In a snap-in type spark plug voltage probe device, the insulator base has an upper half and a lower half, both ends of which are integrally connected by means of a flexible portion. The upper half and the lower half have a plurality of grooves in which spark plug cables are placed. The upper half and the lower half are joined together by the flexible portion when in a closed position. The upper half has an opening to receive a protrusion provided on the lower half of the insulator base to maintain the upper half of the insulator base along the grooves, providing static capacity between the electrode layer and the spark plug cables when voltage is applied across the spark plugs. A lead wire electrically connects the electrode layer to a microcomputer so as to analyze the burning condition based on the static capacity between the electrode layer and the spark plug cables.

Abstract: In a spark plug voltage probe device, an electrically shield casing (301) is provided in which electrical circuit boards (302) are accommodated, the shield casing (301) having an electrically conductive wall (313) connected to the ground. An insulator base (303) is securely attached to an outer bottom of the electrical shield casing (301) and has an electrode plate (332) embedded in the insulator base to be connected to the electrical circuit boards (302). A rubber plate (342) is securely attached to a lower surface of the insulator base (303). A plurality of grooves (333, 341) are provided between the insulator base (303) and the rubber plate (342) to locate the corresponding cables (305) in the grooves (333,341) so as to form a static capacity (C1) between the electrode plate (332) and the cables (305). This makes it possible to reduce a noise level by the ratio of the static capacity (C1) to a static capacity (C2) between the electrically conductive wall (313) and the electrode plate (332).

Abstract: A misfire detector for use in an internal combustion engine has an ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil. An interrupter circuit is provided for on-off actuation of primary current flowing through a primary circuit of the ignition coil. A distributor has a series gap provided in a secondary circuit of the ignition coil, and a spark plug is adapted to be energized from the ignition coil through the series gap of the distributor. A voltage charging circuit works to electrically charge a stray capacity inherent in the spark plug immediately after an end of a spark action of the spark plug. A spark plug voltage detector circuit distinguishes the voltage waveform of more than a predetermined reference voltage level so as to deform the voltage waveform into output signals. On the basis of the width of the output signals, a distinction circuit determines whether or not the spark action ignites an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: In a sparkplug voltage detecting probe device for use in internal combustion engine comprising, a sensor is provided to form a static capacity between the sensor and an ignition coil which is connected to a spark plug. A sparkplug voltage divider circuit has a capacitor connected between the sensor and the ground. A release circuit has a resistor connected in parallel with the capacitor so as to provide a time constant of a RC path. A short circuit is provided to instantaneously release an electrical charge from the capacitor either immediately before establishing a spark voltage for the spark plug or immediately after initiating the spark action of the spark plug. A sparkplug voltage waveform detecting circuit detects a sparkplug voltage waveform divided by the sparkplug voltage divider circuit.

Abstract: A spark plug voltage probe detects a voltage applied to a spark plug installed in an internal combustion engine so as to analyze a burning condition in the internal combustion engine on the basis of the voltage applied to the spark plug. A rubber collar (74) is provided to surround a rubber cap (7) which is secured to a high tension terminal (71a) of the spark plug (71) so as form a static capacity between the high tension terminal (71a) and the rubber collar (74). An electrical conductor (73) is provided between the rubber cap (7) and the rubber collar (74) and is electrically connected to a microcomputer by way of an output cable (64).