Abstract: An electrostrictive actuator which can be used, e.g., in a distributor type fuel injection device of a diesel engine has an electrostrictive actuator for generating an electric charge upon reception of a load and an electric circuit unit connected to the electrostrictive actuator. The electric circuit unit has an electric charge changing means for changing the electric charge of the electrostrictive actuator in the state of generation of electric charge due to a load exerted on the electrostrictive actuator and thereby constricting the electrostrictive actuator, and an electrical charging means for charging the electrostrictive actuator in the state of constriction due to the operation of the electric charge changing means when the load exerted on the electrostrictive actuator is reduced and thereby extending the electrostrictive actuator.

Abstract: A road surface detecting device has a rotary sensor for detecting the passage of teeth formed in an outer surface of a circular plate at regular intervals, which is connected to an axle of a vehicle and rotates thereabout, and generates an output signal pulsing every time when said teeth pass the rotary sensor. The output signal is inputted to a microcomputer. The microcomputer calculates period variations of the pulsing output signal and an average value of a predetermined number of the period variations. When the average value is not less than a predetermined value, the road surface is determined as being in a bad condition and when the average value is less than the predetermined value, the road surface is determined as being in a good condition; when the average value is less than the predetermined value and the most recently calculating period variation is not less than a predetermined period variation, the road surface is determined as being a rough area on a good road.

Abstract: A road surface detecting device has a circular plate connected with an axle of a vehicle so as to be rotated with said axle, and has a large number of teeth at regular intervals in its outer periphery. A rotary sensor detecting the passage of the teeth of the circular plate, and generates a pulse signal, and a microcomputer receive the pulse signal. The microcomputer calculates instantaneous speeds of a wheel from the period of the pulse signal and calculates an average value of a plurality of instantaneous speeds obtained in the predetermined rotations of a wheel another average value of a plurality of instantaneous speeds obtained in the next predetermined rotations of a wheel is also calculated as a presumed speed of a vehicle based on one and another average values.

Abstract: In an apparatus for detecting abnormal variation of wheels of a vehicle, a plurality of rotation sensors detect variations in rotation speeds of a plurality of wheels during running of the vehicle. Detection signals produced from the plurality of rotation sensors are converted into arithmetic operation signals by means of a signal converter. An arithmetic operation processor is responsive to the arithmetic operation signals from the signal converter to compute rates of variations in the rotation speeds. The arithmetic operation processor also compares the computed rates of variations with each other to decide whether wheels exist which have a rate of variation abnormally deviating from rates of variations of the other wheels. An alarm unit is responsive to decision signals from the arithmetic operation processor to alert abnormality of the wheels having the abnormally deviating variation rate.

Abstract: A drive circuit for an electrostrictive element actuator for a fuel injection apparatus of a diesel engine. The drive circuit has a condenser adapted to be charged with electric charges generated by the electrostrictive element actuator; a combination of an electric charge transferring switching element and a rectifier element for becoming conductive in a first period and charging electric charges generated by the electrostrictive element actuator to the condenser; and a combination of an electric charge returning switching element and a rectifier element for becoming conductive in a second period, other than the first period, and returning electric charges stored in the condenser to the electrostrictive element actuator.

Abstract: An electrostrictive actuator which can be used, e.g., in a distributor type fuel injection device of a diesel engine has an electrostrictive actuator for generating an electric charge upon reception of a load and an electric circuit unit connected to the electrostrictive actuator. The electric circuit unit has an electric charge changing means for changing the electric charge of the electrostrictive actuator in the state of generation of electric charge due to a load exerted on the electrostrictive actuator and thereby constricting the electrostrictive actuator, and an electrical charging means for charging the electrostrictive actuator in the state of constriction due to the operation of the electric charge changing means when the load exerted on the electrostrictive actuator is reduced and thereby extending the electrostrictive actuator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a local area network for a vehicle which comprises a plurality of terminal stations each having an input/output port for various signals, a main-loop formed by series connection of the terminal stations and transmission lines, a sub-loop arranged in parallel to the main-loop and formed by series connection of the terminal stations and transmission lines, and controllers. One of the terminal stations receives a large amount of information such as an audio signal from an audio transmitter and one of the other terminal stations supplies a large amount of information such as an audio signal to an audio receiver.

Abstract: The flow rate of intake air in an engine, engine speed, and automobile speed are detected. The speed-change ratio of a transmission is determined and adjusted in response to a signal which is proportional to the detected intake air flow rate and inversely proportional to the detected engine speed, and in response to the detected automobile speed.

Abstract: In an ignition device for an internal combustion engine, the ignition device comprises: three closed circuits including first, second and third closed circuits, each circuit having at least a DC power source, a primary coil and a switching transistor; an ignition coil having three primary coils and a secondary coil; an ignition command signal generating means producing first and second ignition command signals, the first ignition command signal being applied to the third closed circuit and the second ignition command signal being applied to the control circuit; and a control circuit for causing the first and second switching elements to push-pull operate based on the input timing of the second ignition command signal.

Abstract: A device for measuring the flow rate of air includes an electric heater arranged in a path of the air flow and a temperature compensation resistor arranged at a distance from the heater in the path of the air flow, the resistance of the resistor being changed according to the temperature of the air. A selective current supply unit supplied the heater with a current having a current value selected from one of two, large and small, current values. A temperature selection unit selects a plurality of temperature values of the electric heater according to the change of the resistance of the temperature compensation resistor. A current value switching unit switches the current level of the selective current supply under the condition that one of the selected temperature values is attained or maintained.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, a plurality of engine rotational speeds are detected at predetermined timings for every firing stroke in one cylinder of the engine, and an engine speed variation is calculated as a variation between the square of one of the engine rotational speed and the square of another of the engine rotational speed. A process is performed upon the sequence of the engine speed variations, thus determining an engine combustion state by the processed result.

Abstract: A displacement sensor is provided with first and second piezoelectric elements, a pair of electrodes at one and the other ends of each of the first and the second piezoelectric elements; a permanent magnet mechanically fixed to one end of the first piezoelectric element; a small piece mechanically fixed to one end of the second piezoelectric element and having almost the same weight as that of the permanent magnet; and a base plate to which the other ends of the first and the second piezoelectric elements are mechanically fixed; wherein the electrodes provided at the other end of each of the first and the second piezoelectric elements are electrically connected, and the electrodes provided at one end of each of the first and the second piezoelectric elements are used as output terminals.Also, a pair of small pieces made of a magnetic material and a non-magnetic material can be used instead of the above permanent magnet and small piece.

Abstract: The apparatus includes an ignition instruction signal generating unit for repeatedly generating a first ignition instruction signal instructing an AC discharging duration and a second ignition instruction signal instructing the current flow time of a first primary coil at each ignition timing; and an ignition control circuit unit for causing the first and second switching elements to perform a push-pull operation for a predetermined period of time upon reception of a given ignition instruction signal.

Abstract: An electromagnetic rotary driving device including a rotor of a permanent magnet arranged in a hole formed in a bored stator core block of a stator core, made from magnetic material. The air gap formed between the bored block of the stator core and the rotor in the direction parallel with the magnetic path in the stator core is relatively long, while the air gap formed between the bored block of the stator core and the rotor in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic path in the stator core is relatively short. In this device, the angle of rotation of the rotor is continuously changed by the current flowing through the coil of the stator without requiring a spring for return motion.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element driving device applicable to an actuator portion of a fuel injection valve for an internal combustion engine, including a first switching unit, operating to generate a first set voltage in response to a first signal transmitted at predetermined intervals, and a second switching element, operating to generate a second set voltage in response to a second signal transmitted after a predetermined period of time upon completion of the operation of the first switching element. There are provided a unit for regulating the first and second set voltages by means of rectifying devices arranged between the first and second switching elements and a piezoelectric element, and a resonance coil connected between connecting points of the first and second switching elements and the rectifying devices.

Abstract: A rotary drive apparatus includes: a bar yoke, a coil mounted on the bar yoke, and a cylindrical case, having a magnetic property for receiving the coil and the bar yoke therein. The cylindrical case has at least one salient-pole portion formed on the inside thereof in the vicinity of a portion where the coil is received. The rotary drive apparatus also includes a rotary member facing the salient-pole portion and spaced from the bar yoke and the salient-pole portion by a predetermined gap, so that the rotary member rotates between the bar yoke and the salient-pole portion, and is provided with at least one magnet having opposite magnetic polarities and arranged along the circumference of the rotary member and facing the salient-pole portion. The salient-pole portion, the magnet, and an end-of-the-yoke member form a magnetic circuit. The rotary member is rotated in response to magnetic flux generated at the end of the bar yoke by applying an electric current to the coil.

Abstract: A motor speed controlling device comprises a rotating shaft connected to an axle and having rotation speed (set speed) varying with the passage of time, a motor with an output shaft connected to a pointer of a speedometer by means of an eddy-current coupling, rotation detectors generating pulse signals respectively proportional to the rotation speed in the rotating shaft and the output shaft and having the same frequency and the same pulse width at the same rotation speed, a logical operation circuit for discriminating the binary state of both pulse signals, and an integrating circuit which increases driving signal to the motor at a definite gradient when one pulse signal is in the 1 state and the other pulse signal is in the 0 state and decreases the driving signal at a definite gradient when one pulse signal is in the 0 state and other pulse signal is in the 1 state and holds the driving signal to the constant value when both pulse signals are at the same level.

Abstract: An electromagnetic position control apparatus including a rotary sphere having a permanent magnet. The rotary sphere is rotably supported within a spherical hole formed at a crossing portion of a cross-shaped yoke. Coils are used to create magnetic fields at the rotary sphere. The position of rotation of the rotary sphere is controlled in three dimensions by means of changing the intensity of the direct current supplied to the coils or the duty cycle of the pulse current supplied to the coils to change the intensity of the magnetic fields.

Abstract: A gas-flow measuring apparatus including a plurality of thermocouples formed in series on a substrate. Every other thermojunction of the thermocouples is located upstream of an electric heater, while the remaining thermojunctions of the thermocouples are located downstream of the electric heater.

Abstract: A coated layer type resistor device having a first resistor element and a second resistor element. The ratio between the resistances of the first and second resistor elements is selected to be greater than a predetermined ratio. The first resistor element is formed on an insulator substrate and consists of a resistor layer and end conductor electrodes at the ends of the resistor layer, while the second resistor element is formed on the substrate and consists of a resistor layer, end conductor electrodes, and a plurality of intermediate conductors. The distance between adjacent ones of the intermediate conductors and the distance between one of the end conductor electrodes and the adjacent intermediate conductor in the second resistor element is equal to the distance between the end conductor electrodes in the first resistor element, so that the temperature coefficient property of the resistance is equal in both the first and second resistor elements.