Abstract: A porous ion exchanger includes an open cell structure including interconnected macropores and mesopores whose average diameter is in a range of 1 to 1000 &mgr;m existing on walls of the macropores. Moreover, a total pore volume is in a range of 1 to 50 ml/g, ion exchange groups are uniformly distributed, and an ion exchange capacity is not less than 0.5 mg equivalent/g of dry porous ion exchanger. The porous ion exchanger can be used as an ion exchanger filled into a deionization module of an electrodeionization water purification device, solid acid catalyst, adsorbent, and filler for chromatography.

Abstract: A brake control system for a vehicle is comprised of a first braking device that generates a braking torque by operating a driving source of the vehicle and a second braking device that generates the braking torque by operating a hydraulic brake system of the vehicle. A controller of the brake control system is arranged to calculate a desired braking torque according to a driver's demand, to divide the desired braking torque into a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component, to command the first braking device to generate the high-frequency component, and to command at least one of the first braking device and the second braking device to generate the low-frequency component.

Abstract: A brake control apparatus is configured to suppress fluctuations in the deceleration when transferring from cooperative braking to regenerative braking or hydraulic braking. The brake control apparatus calculates a braking torque command value feed forward component for reaching a target deceleration corresponding to the master cylinder pressure according to an ideal reference model. The brake control apparatus also calculates the braking torque command value feedback component to find a base deceleration for feeding back the difference between the base deceleration and the vehicle deceleration. The brake control apparatus then calculates the braking torque command value by adding the components together.

Abstract: A brake control apparatus is configured to keep a regenerative braking torque imparted to a wheel at an appropriate level and to prevent it from becoming excessive in a case where a regenerative braking force produced by a motor generator is imparted to a wheel via a transmission. When the transmission installed between the wheel and the motor generators is a continuously variable transmission, a regenerative braking torque limit value is set such that it becomes smaller when a gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission becomes larger. For a given regenerative braking torque of the motor generators, the regenerative braking torque imparted to the wheels is larger when the gear ratio is larger. Consequently, the regenerative braking torque limit value is set such that the larger the gear ratio is, the smaller the regenerative braking torque limit value is.

Abstract: To shoot a moving image, a CPU 14 drives the CCD2 by switching its driving mode between an omission readout mode and a summation readout mode. As the signal charge of a plurality of pixels are summed up and used in the summation readout mode, the summation readout offers an increased sensitivity and thereby enables the shooting with high image quality in low-light conditions. The omission readout mode reduces smear. The summation readout mode calls for reading out to the vertical transfer paths all the red pixel signal charges of the two-color filters aligned along each vertical transfer path. Then, while charge readout voltages are applied to a specific system or systems of a plurality of charge readout electrode systems, vertical transfer is performed so that pixels of a like color are summed up on each vertical transfer path. Thereafter, the charges of the green pixels are read to the vertical transfer paths in such a manner as not to be mixed with the red signal charges.

Abstract: A brake control apparatus for a vehicle includes an actuating section to apply a regenerative braking force to a motor-driven wheel driven by a motor of the vehicle. A control section is arranged to vary the regenerative braking force in a direction to shift a front and rear wheel braking force distribution toward an ideal braking force distribution, in accordance with a wheel locking tendency of the motor-driven wheel when the regenerative braking force exceeding a braking force determined by the ideal braking force distribution is applied to the motor-driven wheel.

Abstract: A battery pack to be externally attached to a system body of a portable computer contains a plurality of batteries in two rows. A groove is formed on that portion of the top of the battery pack which correspond to the region between the rows of batteries. A hinge unit for swingably supporting a display unit is provided on the rear end of the system body of the computer in a manner such that it is partially housed in the groove of the battery pack. With this arrangement, the computer is reduced in thickness. The battery pack, which is connected to the rear end of the system body, is rotatable relatively to the system body. During use of the computer, therefore, a keyboard can be slightly declined toward a user by rotating the battery pack to raise the rear end of the system body.

Abstract: Waste plastics including solid plastics, thin plastics, and foamy plastics are fed into a ring die of an extrusion molding machine. The waste plastics are either semi-melted or melted, and are then extruded onto an outer circumferential surface the ring die through die cavities. Thus, granular plastic moldings are extruded onto the outer circumferential surface of the ring die through the die cavities, and are then cut or scraped from the outer circumferential surface of the ring die. The pellets have a melt-solidified surface, and have a strength sufficient to reach a predetermine zone in a raceway of a furnace and a grain diameter sufficient to be fed at a velocity higher than a limiting velocity thereof during injection to the furnace.

Abstract: A valve body of an intake controlling valve, which is selectively opened and closed to communicate and interrupt communications between chambers which are divided by a partition wall in a resin surge tank, may be used for internal combustion engines. A variable intake device for an internal combustion engine is manufactured such that the valve unit is integrally assembled to a resin surge tank body by installing the valve unit into an opening of an outer wall of the resin surge tank and an opening of the partition wall formed at the partition wall and fixing the valve unit. Between the frame and the opening of the partition wall, and the valve unit and the opening of the outer wall are integrally fixed at their contact portions through adhesion with an adhesive or by welding.

Abstract: A digital camera senses still images on a first image capturing device and moving images on a second image capturing device. The first and second image capturing devices have different characteristics adapted to their respective uses. The images from the second image capturing device are usable as a view finder for framing the image for the first image capturing device, as well as for performing preliminary measurements for use by the first image capturing device. The second image capturing device is of a type which permits omitting unneeded pixels, thereby reducing electric power consumption. In one embodiment, the optical axis is the same for the first and second image capturing devices, thereby eliminating parallax. In another embodiment, two displaced optical axes are used. Parallax is eliminated by processing the output of one of image capturing devices to align its image with the image of the other image capturing device.

Abstract: A solid image capturing device outputs image data and characteristic data of the solid image capturing device on the same output signal line. Both outputs are processed by the same circuit. In one embodiment, the characteristic data is optically stored in the solid image capturing device. In another embodiment, the characteristic data is non-optically stored in the solid image capturing device. The image field of the solid image capturing device includes an invalid image field located outside the effective image field. Signals output from the invalid image field include those concerning the characteristic data of the solid image capturing device.

Abstract: A cylinder head gasket includes a pair of first and second gasket substrates. The gasket substrates are each formed with a first and a second projection which project in opposite directions, with a clearance therebetween. According to a first aspect of the invention, each projection undergoes a plastic deformation toward the clearance defined between them when the gasket substrates are held sandwiched between a cylinder head and a cylinder block, each projection undergoing a magnitude of plastic deformation which is greater or lesser in accordance with the magnitude of a surface pressure therebetween. According to a second aspect of the invention, each projection is formed with a radially central part which projects toward the radially central part of the other projection and which is in close contact with each other continuously in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A cylinder head gasket includes a pair of first and second gasket substrates. The gasket substrates are each formed with a first and a second projection which project in opposite directions, with a clearance therebetween. According to a first aspect of the invention, each projection undergoes a plastic deformation toward the clearance defined between them when the gasket substrates are held sandwiched between a cylinder head and a cylinder block, each projection undergoing a magnitude of plastic deformation which is greater or lesser in accordance with the magnitude of a surface pressure therebetween. According to a second aspect of the invention, each projection is formed with a radially central part which projects toward the radially central part of the other projection and which is in close contact with each other continuously in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A control system for an engine-CVT drive train controls engine torque change against inertia torque that would take place during ratio change due to inertia attached to the CVT input shaft. A target speed is computed from operator power demand and vehicle speed. A target ratio is computed from the target speed and vehicle speed. A ratio command is computed from the target ratio. The control system computes the inertia torque from the ratio command or the target ratio.

Abstract: This camera has a plurality of light-emitting devices such as LED, which flicker in response to the number of shots which can be photographed. Also, while having no liquid crystal display for showing an error when it occurs, this camera has a non-volatile memory for writing an error code. When the camera is connected to a computer, the error code can be displayed on the computer screen.

Abstract: A vehicle speed control system comprises a section for calculating a command driving force-required to make a sensed vehicle speed equal to a preset command vehicle speed, a section for calculating a command engine output in accordance with the command driving force and the command vehicle speed, a section for calculating a command engine speed corresponding to the command engine output from a predetermined engine torque-versus-speed characteristic relationship in an engine constraint state of minimum throttle setting and fuel cutoff inhibition when the command driving. force is negative, and a section for calculating a command transmission ratio in accordance with the command engine speed. When the driving force command is negative, the control system put the engine in the constraint state and controls a continuously variable transmission in response to the command transmission ratio so as to prevent undesired vehicle speed hunting.

Abstract: A battery pack to be externally attached to a system body of a portable computer contains a plurality of batteries in two-rows. A groove is formed on that portion of the top of the battery pack which correspond to the region between the rows of batteries. A hinge unit for swingably supporting a display unit is provided on the rear end of the system body of the computer in a manner such that it is partially housed in the groove of the battery pack. With this arrangement, the computer is reduced in thickness. The battery pack, which is connected to the rear end of the system body, is rotatable relatively to the system body. During use of the computer, therefore, a keyboard can be slightly declined toward a user by rotating the battery pack to raise the rear end of the system body.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for eliminating a line-crawling phenomenon caused by nonuniformity in photosensitive characteristics of light-receiving pixels disposed in a color imaging device. A pixel signal (S) output from a color imaging device (2) is converted by a sample-and-hold circuit (4) and an A/D converter (6) into pixel data (P) so as to be stored in an image memory (8). An arithmetic unit (12) multiplies luminance data formed on the basis of each pixel data (P) by a line-crawling correction coefficient (LC) stored in a nonvolatile memory (10), for example, so as to form and output luminance data (V) which is substantially equivalent to that obtained when the light-receiving pixels have a uniform photosensitive characteristic. The line-crawling correction coefficient (LC) has been determined beforehand.

Abstract: A less heavy and small-sized assisted wheelchair that does not require so much manual labor of an assistant's handle operation. The wheelchair D comprises a frame assembly 1, casters 2 and 3, driving wheels 4 and 5, handrims 6 and 7, and a battery portion 11. In the inside of the casing 14 which covers the hub shaft 13 of the driving wheel 4, there are disposed a driving force detector 40 for detecting the human driving force applied to the handrim 6, a motor 21 for auxiliarily driving the driving wheel 4, and a controller 20 for controlling the motor 21 based on the result of the detection by the driving force detector 40. Also, on the upper rear portion of the frame assembly 1, there is disposed a driving force detector 50 for detecting the human driving force applied to the handles 8 and 9 by the assistant. The controller 20 controls and drives the motor 21 in accordance with the amount of human driving force of the assistant detected by the driving force detector 50.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the positioning of a throttle valve situated to control the amount of air permitted to enter an internal combustion engine operable in a plurality of control modes. The apparatus includes a driver responsive to a drive signal indicating a target throttle valve position for moving the throttle valve to the target throttle valve position, a sensor sensitive to the movement of the throttle valve for producing a digital sensor signal indicative of a sensed throttle valve position, and a control unit for producing the drive signal to bring the sensed throttle valve position into coincidence with the target throttle valve position. The disturbances introduced onto the driver and the sensor are estimated based on the target and sensed throttle valve positions. The target throttle valve position is corrected based on the estimated disturbances.