Abstract: Male terminals are respectively provided in terminal attachment portions formed on a flange unit. Female terminals and grommets are provided for a harness. A seal lip portion to be fitted into each of the terminal attachment portions is formed on each of the grommets. In the cylindrical terminal attachment portions the male terminals are individually accommodated while being electrically insulated from each other. The terminal attachment portions are arranged alternately in two rows so that a line segment obtained by connecting the respective centers of openings of the terminal attachment portions is a polygonal line. The openings are arranged to form the Olympic symbol. At a fore-end of each of the terminal attachment portions, slits are provided. Owing to the slits, the opening is likely to be enlarged when the rubber grommet is inserted therethrough. As a result, the placement of the rubber grommet is facilitated.

Abstract: Male terminals 83 are respectively provided in terminal attachment portions 82 formed on a flange unit 7. Female terminals 84 and grommets 85 are provided for a harness 17. A seal lip portion 86 to be fitted into each of the terminal attachment portions 82 is formed on each of the grommets 85. In the cylindrical terminal attachment portions 82, the male terminals 83 are individually accommodated while being electrically insulated from each other. The terminal attachment portions 82 are arranged alternately in two rows so that a line segment obtained by connecting the respective centers of openings of the terminal attachment portions is a polygonal line. The openings 87 are arranged to form the Olympic symbol. At a fore-end of each of the terminal attachment portions 82, slits 89 are provided. Owing to the slits 89, the opening 87 is likely to be enlarged when the rubber grommet 85 is inserted therethrough. As a result, the placement of the rubber grommet 85 is facilitated.

Abstract: A fuel battery mounted motorcycle has a lower center of gravity by disposing a reformer for generating hydrogen, together with a fuel battery and a secondary battery, in a lower portion of a floor of the motorcycle. The center of gravity of the motorcycle can be lowered and the floor can be effectively utilized for a purpose other than the original purpose of the floor.

Abstract: A fuel battery mounted motorcycle has a lower center of gravity by disposing a reformer for generating hydrogen, together with a fuel battery and a secondary battery, in a lower portion of a floor of the motorcycle. The center of gravity of the motorcycle can be lowered and the floor can be effectively utilized for a purpose other than the original purpose of the floor.

Abstract: An engine stopping/starting control unit having improved accelerating performance. A charging limiting device is provided which limits the charge provided to a generator when the vehicle is stopped. The decreased charging allows for better performance when the vehicle accelerates from a stopped states. Also, the vehicle headlight can be dimmed while the vehicle is stopped, which reduces the load on the generator. An acceleration detector detects when the vehicle accelerates during running, and can decrease the generator load in response to the acceleration.

Abstract: A remaining battery energy indicating instrument with a reduced integration error even if a battery is repeatedly charged and discharged without being fully discharged. A remaining battery energy indicating instrument has a detecting member for detecting a predetermined discharged time and a predetermined fully charged time of a battery for storing electric energy, an integrating member for integrating electric energy which has been charged and discharged, while regarding as an integrated value a value corresponding to an amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time when the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time are reached. A display device is provided for displaying the absolute value of a remaining amount of electric energy stored in the battery based on an output signal from said integrating member.

Abstract: A power feed system for feeding power to an electric vehicle includes a motor driving circuit provided with a smoothing capacitor. The motor driving circuit is capable of preventing the smoothing capacitor from being discharged and has a comparatively short main current supply line to reduce unnecessary power loss. The motor driving circuit converts dc supply power into ac supply power to feed the ac supply power to a motor. The motor driving circuit includes the smoothing capacitor and a plurality of semiconductor switching devices, which are built in the motor. An electromagnetic relay is placed within a case housing the motor driving circuit and the electromagnetic relay is controlled to supply a main current to the motor driving circuit and to interrupt the supply of the main current to the motor driving circuit.

Abstract: To provide an electric vehicle in which a low voltage power, obtained by conversion from a high voltage power of a main battery by a DC--DC convertor, is supplied to an operation control unit and electric equipment loads such as a lamp and is also used to charge a low voltage secondary battery, in which the main battery and the low voltage secondary battery are prevented from being over-discharged even when a main switch is left in the on-state. A low voltage power VR outputted from a DC--DC convertor is supplied to an exciting winding of a relay and is also supplied to a low voltage secondary battery through a diode. The low voltage power VR is supplied to low voltage loads through a contact of the relay. The DC--DC convertor is so constructed that the output of the low voltage power therefrom is stopped when the output voltage of the DC--DC convertor is reduced to a value less than a specified range due to the reduction in the battery capacity of the main battery.

Abstract: A battery charger for an electric vehicle having a built-in heatsink provided with an air passage, and a built-in battery charger cooling fan for producing an air current through the air passage of the heatsink to cool the heatsink. The heatsink need not be provided with fins and hence the battery charger can be formed in a comparatively small size.

Abstract: A regenerative braking control system consumes energy generated in a period corresponding to an angle .theta..sub.1 which starts in a half of a period of an AC voltage produced in a drive motor during the braking of the drive motor. The regenerative braking control system also consumes energy generated in a period corresponding to an angle .theta..sub.2 that ends at the end of a half of a period of the AC voltage. The regenerative rate of braking control system utilizes a current induced in the driving coils of the drive motor at the end of the period corresponding to the angle .theta..sub.1 to recharge a battery. By utilizing two periods to carry out the regenerative braking process, the recharging energy and the braking force can be controlled individually. Moreover, a controller monitors the electric control system to determine whether a malfunction is present. If a malfunction is detected, an electrical brake electrically brakes the drive motor.

Abstract: A main switch with a low withstand voltage usable to prevent a leak current from flowing from a floated running power supply by way of the main switch even when the insulation between the main switch and the body grounding is reduced. A running power supply for supplying power to a running motor, which includes a plurality of batteries connected in series to each other, is kept in the floating state with respect to the body grounding. Moreover, there is provided a step-down DC-DC converter of an input-output insulation type. A diode and a main switch are provided from a battery constituting part of the running power supply in this order to supply a starting power or starting signal to the DC-DC converter for starting the DC-DC converter. Thus, power is supplied to the input side of the DC-DC converter from the running power supply, to obtain a step-down accessary power supply VB.

Abstract: A regenerative braking system in a motor vehicle determines a state of deceleration on the basis of the number of revolutions of a motor and an accelerator signal and performs a regenerative braking according to the state of deceleration. The regenerative braking system includes a revolution sensor for detecting the number of revolutions of a rotor of a vehicle driving motor and an accelerator opening sensor in a RAM stores discrimination data for discriminating between a regenerative braking mode and a drive mode on the basis of the number of revolutions of the rotor and the accelerator opening and also stores on-off duty ratio data of FETs in the regenerative braking mode and that in the drive mode.

Abstract: A main switch with a low withstand voltage usable to prevent a leak current from flowing from a floated running power supply by way of the main switch even when the insulation between the main switch and the body grounding is reduced. A running power supply for supplying power to a running motor, which includes a plurality of batteries connected in series to each other, is kept in the floating state with respect to the body grounding. Moreover, there is provided a step-down DC-DC converter of an input-output insulation type. A diode and a main switch are provided from a battery constituting part of the running power supply in this order to supply a starting power or starting signal to the DC-DC converter for starting the DC-DC converter. Thus, power is supplied to the input side of the DC-DC converter from the running power supply, to obtain a step-down accessary power supply VB.

Abstract: A battery having a rust-preventive structure includes a battery cell, the side-wall and an outer peripheral region of the safety valve end of which are covered with heat-shrink tubing. A sealing plate is attached in a moisture-tight fashion to the heat-shrink tubing on the safety valve end via a pressure separating adhesive layer. Adhesive seals the region between a lead-tab connected to the battery terminal and the sealing plate.

Abstract: A regenerative braking system in a motor vehicle determines a state of deceleration on the basis of the number of revolutions of a motor and an accelerator signal and performs a regenerative braking according to the state of deceleration. The regenerative braking system includes a revolution sensor for detecting;the number of revolutions of a rotor of a vehicle driving motor and an accelerator opening sensor in a RAM stores discrimination data for discriminating between a regenerative braking mode and a drive mode on the basis of the number of revolutions of the rotor and the accelerator opening and also stores on-off duty ratio data of FETs in the regenerative braking mode and that in the drive mode.

Abstract: A battery charging apparatus for charging a battery which includes a plurality of battery cells connected to each other in series. The battery charging apparatus supplies an electric charge to the battery which is controlled by monitoring the terminal voltage of each of the battery cells. In the alternative, the battery cells may be divided into battery-cell groups. Each group consists of two or more of the battery cells. The electric charge supplied to the battery is controlled by monitoring the terminal voltage of each of the battery-cell groups. The supply of electric charge is terminated upon monitoring a predetermined voltage in the battery cells.

Abstract: A regenerative braking control system consumes energy generated in a period corresponding to an angle .theta..sub.1 which starts in a half of a period of an AC voltage produced in a drive motor during the braking of the drive motor. The regenerative braking control system also consumes energy generated in a period corresponding to an angle .theta..sub.2 that ends at the end of a half of a period of the AC voltage. The regenerative rate of braking control system utilizes a current induced in the driving coils of the drive motor at the end of the period corresponding to the angle .theta..sub.1 to recharge a battery. By utilizing two periods to carry out the regenerative braking process, the recharging energy and the braking force can be controlled individually. Moreover, a controller monitors the electric control system to determine whether a malfunction is present. If a malfunction is detected, an electrical brake electrically brakes the drive motor.

Abstract: A regenerative brake device increases its regenerative brake power during high-speed driving, without impairing driveability. A regenerative brake device includes a driving wheel linked with a rotary shaft of an electric motor through a power transmission system and a battery charging circuit provided between the electric motor and a set of batteries. The battery charging circuit is switched OFF and ON to execute the regenerative braking in response to the duty factor of control pulse signals inputted to the battery charging circuit. The duty factor of control pulse signals inputted to the battery charging circuit decreases as the rotational speed of the rotary shaft of the electric motor increases, thereby increasing the braking power within a range that does not exceed a predetermined braking power.

Abstract: A regenerative brake device increases its regenerative brake power during high-speed driving, without impairing driveability. A regenerative brake device includes a driving wheel linked with a rotary shaft of an electric motor through a power transmission system and a battery charging circuit provided between the electric motor and a set of batteries. The battery charging circuit is switched OFF and ON to execute the regenerative braking in response to the duty factor of control pulse signals inputted to the battery charging circuit. The duty factor of control pulse signals inputted to the battery charging circuit decreases as the rotational speed of the rotary shaft of the electric motor increases, thereby increasing the braking power within a range that does not exceed a predetermined braking power.

Abstract: An engine controller is linked to and controls simultaneously both an exhaust control valve and an on-off valves or changeover valves or a reflector in the exhaust pipe to improve engine performance. The controller positions the exhaust control valve and on-off valves or changeover valves, or reflector based upon detected engine speed and throttle position.