Abstract: In an oil flow control valve (OCV) according to the present invention, a first volume varying chamber is adapted to communicate with a second volume varying chamber through a second plunger breathing path, and the second volume varying chamber is adapted to communicate with a first breathing hole through an intra-plunger breathing path, an intra-shaft breathing path, and a third volume varying chamber. That is, the breathing path to the second volume varying chamber is long and the volume thereof is large, and the breathing path to the first volume varying chamber is still longer and larger in its volume. Consequently, the amount of foreign matters getting into the first and second volume varying chambers can be decreased and therefore it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an operation defect of the OCV.

Abstract: A solenoid actuator of a solenoid valve has a solenoid, a yoke, a stator, a cup and a restrained portion. The yoke radially surrounds the stator while radially forming an outer circumferential gap therebetween. The cup receives a plunger. The cup is arranged in the stator while radially forming an inner circumferential gap therebetween. The restrained portion is axially inserted between an internal portion of the yoke and the stator. The outer circumferential gap is greater than the inner circumferential gap. Therefore, even when the inner circumferential gap is set to be small to effectively apply magnetic power generated by the solenoid to the plunger, radial misalignment of the cup can be accommodated by the outer circumferential gap.

Abstract: A process for production of Si, characterized by adding an oxide, hydroxide, carbonate or fluoride of an alkali metal element, or an oxide, hydroxide, carbonate or fluoride of an alkaline earth metal element, or two or more of such compounds, to solid SiO in a total molar amount of from {fraction (1/20)} to 1000 times with respect to the moles of solid SiO, heating the mixture at between the melting point of Si and 2000° C. to induce a chemical reaction which produces Si and separating and recovering the Si from the reaction by-product, for the purpose of inexpensively and efficiently producing Si from various forms of solid SiO with no industrial value produced from Si production steps and the like.

Abstract: An engine control system has a controller and intake control devices for controlling air amount introduced into each of the cylinders. The controller has a lean burn control block and a warm up control block. Both blocks operate two cylinders under a lean air-fuel ratio, and operate remaining two cylinders under a rich air-fuel ratio. Both blocks control at least the intake control devices to adjust air-fuel ratio.

Abstract: A duty ratio control device varies a ratio between an ON-time and an OFF-time in one cycle to control an amount of electric current supplied to an electric actuator. When a large amount of electric current is supplied to the electric actuator, a time of the cycle becomes longer than a case in which a small amount of electric current is supplied. The time of the cycle is continuously extended as the amount of electric current supplied to the electric actuator increases. The time of the cycle is extended in stages as the amount of electric current supplied to the electric actuator increases. The electric actuator displaces the position of a valve body of a valve in accordance with the amount of supplied electric current.

Abstract: An intake control system of an internal combustion engine comprises an intake control valve disposed in an intake passage of each cylinder of the engine and a rotary solenoid actuator that drives the intake control valve to open and to close. Fan-shaped parts of a rotor and projecting parts of a stator of the actuator form air gaps in a circumferential direction. Circumferential length of the air gaps change with rotation of the rotor. Electromagnetic coils are disposed in the stator and generate magnetic flux mainly through the air gaps that are shortened when the rotor is rotated by supplying current to the electromagnetic coils. A support shaft of the intake control valve is connected with a spring that holds the intake control valve at a neutral position when the electromagnetic coils are supplied with no current.

Abstract: An intake control system has intake control valves disposed in intake passages of cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. ECU controls the opening degrees of the intake control valves of the respective cylinders based on signals from sensors to converge rotation speed of the engine in a lower limit rotation speed above which the engine does not stall during an idling operation of the engine.

Abstract: An engine control system has a controller and intake control devices for controlling air amount introduced into each of the cylinders. The controller has a lean burn control block and a warm up control block. Both blocks operate two cylinders under a lean air-fuel ratio, and operate remaining two cylinders under a rich air-fuel ratio. Both blocks control at least the intake control devices to adjust air-fuel ratio.

Abstract: An intake control system has intake control valves disposed in intake passages of cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. ECU controls the opening degrees of the intake control valves of the respective cylinders based on signals from sensors to converge rotation speed of the engine in a lower limit rotation speed above which the engine does not stall during an idling operation of the engine.

Abstract: An intake control system of an internal combustion engine comprises an intake control valve disposed in an intake passage of each cylinder of the engine and a rotary solenoid actuator that drives the intake control valve to open and to close. Fan-shaped parts of a rotor and projecting parts of a stator of the actuator form air gaps in a circumferential direction. Circumferential length of the air gaps change with rotation of the rotor. Electromagnetic coils are disposed in the stator and generate magnetic flux mainly through the air gaps that are shortened when the rotor is rotated by supplying current to the electromagnetic coils. A support shaft of the intake control valve is connected with a spring that holds the intake control valve at a neutral position when the electromagnetic coils are supplied with no current.

Abstract: It is possible to produce high purity Si by heating solid SiO at a temperature of at least 1000° C. and lower than 1730° C., for a disproportionation reaction in which the SiO solid is decomposed to liquid or solid Si and solid SiO2, and the produced Si is separated from the SiO2 and/or SiO. The SiO solid can be obtained by a process whereby a starting mixture of carbon C, silicon Si or ferrosilicon, or a combination thereof, with SiO2 is heated to generate SiO gas-containing gas, and the SiO-containing gas is cooled to produce SiO solid.

Abstract: A photosynthetic culture system has a culture bath holding an fluid containing plant microorganisms, carbon dioxide supplying means for supplying carbon dioxide to the fluid in the culture bath, light-conducting plate in the form of a flat plate placed oppositely to a light-receiving culture surface existing on the side of said culture bath, and light-receiving panel mounted on the upper end surface of the light-conducting plate. Further said light-conducting plate has the function of turning incident light from said light-receiving panel by right angles to conduct the light uniformly to said light-receiving culture surface of said culture bath.

Abstract: A torque motor comprises a rotor having a pair of permanent magnet groups, and a pair of stator cores. Each magnet group includes a plurality of plate or rod-shaped permanent magnets arranged in a circumferential direction. The magnet groups are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a rotary axis of the rotor. That is, one magnet group is displaced one-half angle of the pitch angle of each permanent magnet from the symmetric position of the other magnet group with respect to the rotary axis of the rotor. Alternatively, the stator cores are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the rotary axis of the rotor so that a front end of one stator core is displaced from the symmetric position of a front end of the other stator core in the circumferential direction. A cylindrical magnetic cover is fitted on the rotor to cover the permanent magnets circumferentially.

Abstract: A torque motor comprises a rotor having a pair of permanent magnet groups, and a pair of stator cores. Each magnet group includes a plurality of plate and rod-shaped permanent magnets arranged in a circumferential direction. The magnet groups are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a rotary axis of the rotor. That is, one magnet group is displaced one-half angle of the pitch angle of each permanent magnet from the symmetric position of the other magnet group with respect to the rotary axis of the rotor. Alternatively, the stator cores are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the rotary axis of the rotor so that a front end of one stator core is displaced from the symmetric position of a front end of the other stator core in the circumferential direction. A circular arc angle for one of the stator cores ends facing the rotor is greater than a circular arc angle for the other stator core facing the rotor. Accordingly, a range of a torque generating angle of the motor is increased.

Abstract: An air intake control system for an engine has intake valves which close at a timing retarded at least 50 degrees from a bottom dead center of an intake stroke. The control system is provided with a mechanical supercharger which is activated while the engine is being cranked.

Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission includes a shift gear mechanism for shifting respective shift gear stages, a shift line map including upshift lines and downshift lines, and a device for detecting a shift timing at which an shift operation should be carried out based on an engine load on the shift line map and a possibility is estimated that a driving condition will return back to the previous shift gear stage. The system also includes an engine load detecting device for detecting a stable condition of the engine load, and a controller for controlling the shift gear mechanism based on the shift line map after the engine load detecting device detects the stable condition of the engine load at the shift timing detected by the shift timing detecting device.

Abstract: Particles such as magnetic iron oxide capable of being magnetized are crushed to obtain minute magnetic particles each size of which is not larger than 10 .mu.m. The minute magnetic particles are mixed as they are dispersed with such a binding material as cobalt or nickel. Thermal spraying particles each size of which is not smaller than 10 .mu.m are obtained from the mixture. Then, the thermal spraying particles are sprayed upon such a member as a turbine shaft to form a magnetic film on the member with plasma spraying method.

Abstract: A magnetic film for recording a magnetic signal is formed on a surface of a base piece. The magnetic film contains Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4 of at least 30 wt %, preferably at least 75 wt %. For forming the magnetic film, a plasma spraying method is employed, in which an iron oxide (FeOx) is used for a thermal spraying powder, and a non-reducing gas is used as a working medium for the plasma spraying.

Abstract: A ceramic heating plate which comprises a planar body including a ceramic substratum covered with a far-infrared ceramic layer on the top surface; a heating sheet attached to the back surface of the substratum, the heating sheet including a pair of lead terminals through which the heating plate is connected to a source of power; and wherein the ceramic layer contains a single layer of ceramic particles exposed above the surface thereof so that far-infrared rays are radiated outside directly therefrom.

Abstract: Silicon carbide particles are produced by reacting a gaseous silicon compound or granular silicon with a carbon compound at a high temperature. In the reaction, the amount of free carbon content in the resultant silicon carbide particles can be controlled by monitoring the amount of unsaturated hydrocarbon such as acetylene, as a by-product. Moreover, silicon carbide particles can contain boron dispersed uniformly in the particles by a two step process comprising first reacting a silicon source and a boron source without a carbon source in a first reaction zone, to form boron-containing silicon particles, and second, reacting the resultant particles with a carbon source in a second reaction zone.