Abstract: A rolling contact bearing made from intermediate or high carbon steels including a bearing ring composed of an inner ring and an outer ring, rolling elements rotatably interposed between the inner and outer rings and a peripheral snap ring groove provide on the outer periphery of the bearing ring. The rolling contact bearing is characterized in that the groove includes a mill scale portion having a carbonitrided layer beneath the mill scale portion and substantially remaining unremoved after carbonitriding, that the carbonitrided layer contains a precipitated carbonitride content in a range from 10 to 30% by area of the carbonitrided layers and/or that the maximum grain diameter of carbonitrided precipitated in the carbonitrided layer beneath the mill scale portion on the inner surface of the snap ring groove of the bearing is 8 .mu.

Abstract: An electromagnetic flow rate measuring apparatus measures and calculates a flow rate of granules based on a measurement of capacitance which changes according to the quantity of the granules flowing at a granule passage. The measuring apparatus includes a granule flow pipe which is coupled to the granule passage and is provided in the course of the granule passage, a capacitance detector provided to the granule flow pipe, shutters respectively provided at an upper end and a lower end of the granule flow pipe, for cutting off the flow of granules, the shutters being individually operable, and a load cell type weight detector independently supporting the granule flow pipe. The shutters, the load cell type weight detector, and the capacitance detector are connected to a calculation control device. The measuring apparatus provides a flow rate which is not influenced by the moisture content or the density of the granules.

Abstract: An electric power transmitting device transmits electric energy from one coil to another coil through an inductive coupling therebetween. One of the coils has an end bent in the axial direction of the coil. When the other coil is to be inserted into said one coil, it can be inserted in not only the axial direction of said one coil, but also a direction transverse to the axial direction through the bent end of the coil. Said one of the coils is typically housed in a holder, and the other coil in the grip of a gun-shaped, hand-held bar-code scanner. When the grip is inserted into a groove defined in the holder, the coils are magnetically coupled to each other, thus providing an inductive coupling. The bar-code scanner can easily be placed on and removed from the holder.

Abstract: The present invention provides a two layered refractory plate consisting of a crack-resistant substrate with a grained surface layer embedded thereon. This two layered refractory plate is suitable for use as a shelf plate in a furnace in which the temperatures vary. Cracks due to thermal expansion differences in the material can be prevented.

Abstract: A plurality of control units are connected via a common signal line through which they communicate. Each control unit is operative to control an apparatus according to certain information the control unit normally receives directly through an exclusive signal line by operation of a directly-inputting device. A check is made to determine whether the directly-inputting device is operating normally. If not, then the required information is inputted from its source indirectly through another control unit by way of the common signal line.

Abstract: Control units are mutually connected by separate common signal lines. A data link is provided between the control units via a preselected one of the common signal lines. A check is made as to whether the preselected common signal line is operating normally or abnormally. When the preselected common signal line is operating abnormally, the preselected common signal line is replaced by another common signal line in the data link.

Abstract: A plurality of control systems mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and provided for different controlled objects are respectively made of control computers. These control computers are linked by a common data bus. These computers exclusively execute, for example, an engine control, a transmission control, a brake control, a suspension control, and a auto drive control. The data bus is further connected to a diagnosis computer. Each control computer detects a signal from the sensor provided corresponding to each controlled object, and outputs the detect signal to the data bus. Each control computer executes the logical operation for its control on the basis of its detect signal and various data transferred to the data bus. The diagnosis computer supervises an operating state of each control system on the basis of the data transferred to the data bus. When an abnormality is detected, the diagnosis computer stores this data in a large-capacity memory, and displays the abnormality.

Abstract: A communication control unit for controlling communication between an electronic control unit and other equipment or other electronic control units, the communication control unit functioning to judge whether or not the operation of the electronic control unit is normal and, if it is judged that the electronic control unit is operating abnormally, the communication control unit acts to reset the electronic control unit to an initial operating status in order to attempt recovery from the abnormal condition, while halting transmission by the electronic control unit until it is judged that the electronic control unit has commenced to operate normally.

Abstract: A data network system for a vehicle having a plurality of separate and distinct control computers carrying out a predetermined control function of the vehicle and a data communication line for communicating data among the control computers. One of the control computers determines the number of the other computers which are linked with the data communication line, and in response to that number a data transfer rate output from each of the control computers to the data communication line is determined.

Abstract: Sensors detect parameters. Control units control vehicle equipments in accordance with the detected parameters. In each of the control units, at least one of the detected parameters and internally produced data is converted into serial data as communication data, and serial data is converted into other form data. A transmission medium connects the control units via a serial data link. Serial interfaces are associated with the control units respectively. Each of the serial interfaces includes a connection terminal connected to the transmission medium, an input terminal and an output terminal both connected to the associated control unit. Each of the serial interfaces inputs serial data from the associated control unit via its input terminal and outputs the inputted data to the transmission medium via its connection terminal.

Abstract: A system for controlling the operating condition of an engine in which a temperature sensing element constitutes an airflow measuring device disposed in an intake air passage of the engine. The temperature sensing element is supplied with a heating current in response to a start pulse signal produced with every one-half period of each combustion cycle of the engine. A comparator delivers an output signal when a reference temperature set on the basis of the air temperature measured by an auxiliary temperature sensing element is reached by the temperature of the temperature sensing element. A pulse signal indicative of the time interval between the generation of the start pulse signal and a rise in the output signal of the comparator is delivered as an airflow measurement signal.

Abstract: A control system for an engine has a temperature sensitive element as part of a device for measuring the air flow in an air intake manifold to the engine. Further, a first pulse signal is generated, corresponding to the rotation of the engine, for controlling the setting of a flip-flop. A transistor is conducted in the set state of the flip-flop to supply a heating electric current to the element. The element supplied with the current is raised to the temperature that corresponds to the air flow in the manifold. When the temperature of the element is raised until the specified temperature difference to the air temperature (measured by a sub temperature sensitive element) is set, the temperature difference is detected by a comparator, and the flip-flop is reset by the detection signal.

Abstract: An engine control apparatus has an air flow rate measuring device for measuring an intake air flow rate. A temperature sensing element having a temperature characteristic and constituting the device is arranged in an intake pipe. The device generates an output pulse signal having a pulse width T corresponding to the intake air flow rate. An engine control unit has the one-dimensional map for storing the relationship between the engine speed N and the pulse width to of the signal corresponding to the air flow rate. This data to is read out from the one-dimensional map in accordance with the engine speed N. Subsequently, the data to is subtracted from the data T to calculate a time duration t. The unit also has a two-dimensional map for storing the relationship between each time duration t and the corresponding rate G/N in correspondence with each of the present engine speeds. A corresponding rate G/N is read out from the two-dimensional map in response to the calculated time duration t.

Abstract: A heat generating element having a thermal characteristic such that its resistance varies in response to changes in temperature is provided in the intake pipe of an engine. A heating power, the voltage of which is set by a reference voltage source, is supplied to the heat generating element via a transistor. The supply of this heating power is controlled by a start pulse signal periodically generated by a set flip-flop circuit when the ignition switch is on. When the heat generating element reaches a predetermined temperature, the supply is cut off by the flip-flop circuit. A measurement signal having a pulse width corresponding to the time period of heating power supply is generated from the flip-flop circuit. The opening of the ignition switch is detected and a one-shot multivibrator is driven to produce a burn-off signal having a pulse width to which the burn-off period corresponds.

Abstract: An air flowrate measuring apparatus with a heat wire measures the flow rate of the air flowing through the intake pipe of an engine. The apparatus has a temperature sensitive element which has a specific temperature-resistance characteristic and is disposed in the intake pipe. Constant heating voltage is applied to this element in response to a start signal, thus heating the element. When the temperature of the element rises to a specified value, the application of the voltage is stopped. At the same time, a pulse signal whose width corresponds to the period of applying the voltage is generated. The signal is supplied to an interface circuit through a drive circuit driven by a reference voltage which has been also used to control the heating voltage. The interface circuit comprises two wave-shaping circuits. The first wave-shaping circuit has a filter means of a small integration time constant.

Abstract: An engine control system has a heater and a temperature measuring element with a temperature-resistance characteristic. The heater and element are provided in the intake pipe of an engine. Heating, which initiated by a start pulse signal generated by an engine control unit in synchronism with engine rotation is supplied to the heater through a transistor. When the heater temperature has reached a reference temperature preset in accordance with the intake air temperature measured by the element, a comparator generates an output to deenergize the heater. The period of supplying the heating power is represented by a pulse signal from a flip-flop. This pulse signal is supplied as an airflow measurement signal to the engine control unit. The engine control unit calculates the basic fuel injection quantity and determines if the starting of the pulse signal received by the control unit falls within a predetermined period from the starting of the start pulse signal.

Abstract: The intake airflow rate supplied to an internal combustion engine is measured and an obtained airflow rate measurement signal is used for detecting the operating state of the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine is electronically controlled, and an airflow rate measuring unit includes a heat-generating element having a temperature-resistance characteristic. A heating current which rises in correspondence with a signal synchronous with rotation of the engine is supplied to the heat-generating element. The heating current is controlled to rise when the heat-generating element is heated to a predetermined temperature, and the heating current duration indicates the airflow rate measurement signal. A burn-off command signal is generated so as to burn off dust attached to the heat-generating element. The command signal is used to generate a periodic signal having a preset effective duration.

Abstract: Disposed in an intake pipe of an engine is a temperature-sensitive element formed of a resistance element whose resistance value varies with temperature. A heating current is supplied to the temperature-sensitive element through a transistor. The voltage of the heating current is set by a constant-voltage circuit. The temperature of the temperature-sensitive element is compared with a reference temperature of an auxiliary temperature-sensitive element. When the temperature of the temperature-sensitive element is increased to a predetermined level, an output signal is delivered from a comparator. A flip-flop circuit is reset by the output signal from the comparator, and is set by a start pulse signal. When the flip-flop circuit is set, the transistor is turned on, allowing the heating current to be supplied to the temperature-sensitive element.

Abstract: An air flow measuring apparatus having a measuring plate provided within an air intake pipe and a potentiometer having divided resistor material, a slider support member and switching contacts in which the shaft of the measuring plate and the shaft of the slider support member of the potentiometer interlock with each other, and corresponding electrical signals are produced from the potentiometer in accordance with the pivotal movement of the measuring plate, which pivotal movement is proportional to the intake air flow. With this construction, highly accurate measurement of the intake air flow is possible even with low manufacturing cost for the apparatus.

Abstract: For controlling an internal combustion engine at least first and second control maps are provided in which first and second control variables are stored respectively, which are addressible in response to different combinations of output parameters of the engine. First and second weighting factors are derived for weighting first and second control variables which are derived respectively in response to a first and a second combination of engine output operating parameters. The weighted first and second control variables are summed to derive a combined control variable for controlling one of the input operating parameters.