Abstract: A vehicle door mirror assembly has a stationary base unit, a door mirror unit mounted on the base unit so that the mirror unit is swingable about a vertical swing axis, an ultrasonic motor for supplying power to swing the mirror unit, a fixed gear fixed to the base unit, and a speed reducing gear set. The ultrasonic motor and the gear reducing gear set are both mounted on the mirror unit. The speed reducing gear set has a driving gear driven by the motor, an intermediate gear engaged with, and driven by, the driving gear, and a driven gear which is connected with the intermediate gear by a joint shaft and which is engaged with the fixed gear. When the motor drives the driving gear, the driven gear is driven by the driving gear at a reduced speed, and moves around the fixed gear to swing the mirror unit about the axis of the fixed gear. This door mirror assembly is advantageous in compactness, durability and efficiency.

Abstract: A sunvisor body is selectively movable from a stored position wherein it is concealingly received in an enclosure formed between the vehicle roof and a headliner. Upon reaching a fully projected position, a drive rail arrangement including a crank mechanism induces the visor body to pivot to a predetermined shading position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gas sensor element which utilizes a change in the electric resistance of a porously fired TiO.sub.2 layer. To improve the speed of response of the gas sensor element, and also to strengthen the adhesion of the fired TiO.sub.2 layer to a ceramic substrate, at least one kind of metal oxide which hardly undergoes solid phase reaction with TiO.sub.2 and serves as a sintering suppressing agent, such as Er.sub.2 O.sub.3, Sm.sub.2 O.sub.3 and/or In.sub.2 O.sub.3, is added to TiO.sub.2 in advance of firing. The speed of response is further enhanced by the addition of at least one kind of noble metal such as Pt and/or Rh to TiO.sub.2 together with the sintering suppressing oxide(s).

Abstract: An air/fuel ratio sensor has an oxygen sensor cell including a primary measuring element in direct contact with a gas such as exhaust gases of an automotive engine, and an oxygen pump cell formed by inner and outer electrodes and a cover of an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte which confines the primary measuring element within a gas diffusion control space, and which has a small gas diffusion hole. The primary measuring element is formed with a central opening whose center lies right below the gas diffusion hole, in order to reduce a burden imposed on the oxygen pump cell and prevent overshoot in a sensor response characteristic.

Abstract: An oxygen sensing element having a ceramic substrate, a layer of an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte such as zirconia containing a stabilizing oxide such as yttria, and a pair of electrode layers formed on one side of the solid electrolyte layer so as to be spaced from each other. To prevent a significant change in the output characteristic of the element caused by diffusion of the stabilizing oxide from the solid electrolyte layer into the ceramic substrate, there is a barrier layer which intervenes between the substrate and the solid electrolyte layer at least in a region between the two electrode layers. The barrier layer is formed of a ceramic material such as the above mentioned solid electrolyte or a metal such as platinum, or has a double-layer structure consisting of a metal layer in direct contact with the substrate and an outer layer formed of a ceramic material.