Abstract: A braking force control apparatus is provided that controls the motor displacement to obtain a braking force that corresponds to the pedal depressing force. The braking force control apparatus detects the initial contact point between the pads and the rotor, which changes due to wear and heat deformation. The braking force control apparatus also adjusts a motor displacement command to enable an accurate braking force control. The braking force control apparatus detects the initial contacting point by detecting the electrical current value of the motor. When the motor is driven at a constant speed to contact the pads against the rotor, the electrical current value is stable. Thus, the initial contacting point is detected by using the motor displacement at the time when the electrical current value increases and becomes equal to or greater than the initial threshold value.

Abstract: Provided is a photosensitive copper paste permitting the formation of a fine and thick copper pattern having high adhesion to a substrate, and having excellent preservation stability without causing gelation, and a method of forming a copper pattern, a circuit board and a ceramic multilayer substrate using the photosensitive copper paste. The photosensitive copper paste includes a mixture of an organic binder having an acid functional group, a copper powder and a photosensitive organic component. The copper powder has a surface layer having a thickness of at least 0.1 &mgr;m from the surface composed CuO as a main component. The copper powder also has an oxygen content of about 0.8% to 5% by weight.

Abstract: A method for forming a conductive pattern includes: applying a photosensitive conductive paste to a support 1 to thereby form a film 2, which paste contains an organic binder having an acidic functional group, a photosensitive organic component, a multivalent metallic powder, and a mono-ol compound having a boiling point of about 178° C. or more, an anion-adsorbing material and/or a thixotropic agent; exposing and developing the film 2 to thereby form conductive patterns 3a and 3b; and transferring the conductive patterns 3a and 3b, which are formed on the support 1, onto a ceramic green sheet 6. The invention also discloses a method for producing a ceramic multi-layer substrate.

Abstract: An electromechanical brake system for a vehicle has a brake actuator installed to each wheel of the vehicle and a controller for controlling an operation of each brake actuator. The brake actuator is constituted to clamp a disc rotor by a pair of brake pads through a rotational motion converting mechanism according to an operation of the motor. The rotational motion converting mechanism is constituted by a screw shaft integrally connected to a rotation shaft of the motor and a ball screw screwed with the screw shaft and integrally connected to one of the pair of brake pads. When the vehicle is put in a stopping state, the controller drives the motor so that an ordinary use region of the screw shaft, which is contacted with balls of the ball nut during a brake operation, is faced with a lubricant hole formed at an end portion of the ball nut.

Abstract: A braking force control apparatus is provided that controls the motor displacement to obtain a braking force that corresponds to the pedal depressing force. The braking force control apparatus detects the initial contact point between the pads and the rotor, which changes due to wear and heat deformation. The braking force control apparatus also adjusts a motor displacement command to enable an accurate braking force control. The braking force control apparatus detects the initial contacting point by detecting the electrical current value of the motor. When the motor is driven at a constant speed to contact the pads against the rotor, the electrical current value is stable. Thus, the initial contacting point is detected by using the motor displacement at the time when the electrical current value increases and becomes equal to or greater than the initial threshold value.

Abstract: There is disclosed a paste composition comprising a mixture of: an organic binder having an acidic functional group; at least one polyvalent metal or a polyvalent metallic compound; and an anion-adsorptive substance having the property of adsorbing an anion of said organic binder. The paste composition is capable of inhibiting gelation in a mixture of an organic binder having an acidic functional group with a polyvalent metal or a polyvalent metallic compound and is excellent in storage stability.

Abstract: Disclosed is a brake disc rotor comprising a first disc plate, a second disc plate facing the first disc plate, a plurality of fins arranged in the radial direction of the brake disc rotor between the first and second disc plates, and a plurality of ventilation holes each of which is positioned between neighboring fins of the plurality of fins and communicates a space on the inner circumferential side and a space on the outer circumferential side in the radial direction of the brake disc rotor. The plurality of fins have a plurality of sets each including two long fins and two short fins, one of the two long fins has an expanded part which is expanded in its width direction, the long fins and the short fins are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the brake disc rotor in each of the plurality of sets, and the plurality of sets are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the brake disc rotor.

Abstract: There is disclosed a photosensitive conductive paste comprising a water- or alkali-soluble acidic-functional-group-containing organic binder, a photosensitive organic component, an organic solvent, a conductive powder such as iron or copper, and a mono-ol compound having a boiling point of about 178° C. or higher such as dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether and/or a diol compound such as pentamethylene glycol. The photosensitive conductive paste has excellent storage stability and can be developed consistently.

Abstract: A photosensitive thick film composition is provided which has superior storage stabilities and can be reliably processed by developing. The photosensitive thick film composition is composed of a photosensitive organic component containing an organic binder having an acidic functional group, such as a carboxyl group, an inorganic component containing a polyvalent metal oxide, such as borosilicate glass, and an alcohol having a plurality of hydroxyl group, such as glucitol.

Abstract: There is disclosed a paste composition including (A) an organic binder comprising acidic functional groups; (B) an inorganic powder containing multivalent metal compounds; and (C) a mono-ol compound having a boiling point of about 178° C. or more. The paste composition enables various fine patterns such as via-holes with high precision, by suppressing gelation caused by mixing an organic binder having acidic functional groups and a compound containing multivalent metals.

Abstract: A conductive paste including an organic binder having an acidic functional group; an inorganic powder containing glass and/or ceramic; a conductive metallic powder; and a mono-ol compound having a boiling point of about 178.degree. C. or higher. At least one of the inorganic powder and the conductive metallic powder contains a multivalent metal. The paste is useful in the formation of a fine and minute thick-film conductive pattern having strong adhesion to a substrate.

Abstract: An automatic tool changer includes a main spindle having a bore inside, a chuck provided at an opening of the main spindle, a plurality of tools accommodated in the bore of the main spindle, wherein the tools are individually slidable axially of the main spindle, means for pushing the tools toward the opening of the main spindle, thereby replacing a first tool on the chuck with a second tool accommodated in the bore of the main spindle.