Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle has a heat pump type refrigerant circuit capable of operating at least in a heating mode. The air conditioner comprises a motor fan for supplying air heated by a heat exchanger to the interior of the vehicle during operation of the heating mode, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the air at a position downstream of the heat exchanger and a control unit for controlling the volume of the air supplied by the motor fan to a predetermined minimum volume by controlling the drive of the motor fan when the detected air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature. Even in a condition where a sufficiently large heat radiation from the heat exchanger cannot be expected, a large volume of cold air that has been insufficiently heated can be prevented from being discharged into the interior of the vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device and method for determining the presence of fluorescent molecules, locations thereof, and number of fluorescent molecules in a local area irradiated with excitation light based on the number of fluorescence photons generated per unit period of time by the irradiation of the excitation light counted as a quantized fluorescence intensity of the fluorescence molecules and a distribution of appearance frequencies of the fluorescence photons formed on a two-dimensional image. In accordance with the present invention, a device is provided which comprises a light source for irradiating excitation light to a local area on a flat substrate with the adsorbed fluorescent molecules, and fluorescence detector for detecting fluorescence photons from the fluorescent molecules and for forming a distribution of appearance frequencies of the fluorescence photons per unit period of time on a two-dimensional image corresponding to the local area.

Abstract: An air conditioner for vehicles includes a refrigerant circuit having a compressor capable of varying its output, a heat sink and a radiator disposed in an air duct for cooling operation, heating operation and dehumidifying operation modes; sensors for detecting air temperatures at the output-side positions of the heat sink and the radiator, respectively; and a control unit for controlling the output of the compressor in response to at least one of the detected air temperatures. The heat absorbing action due to the heat sink and the heat radiating action due to the radiator are appropriately controlled in the refrigerant circuit side in the respective operation modes without unnecessary heat absorbing and heat radiating actions. Further, the temperature of the air discharged from the air duct into the interior of the vehicle can be properly controlled by adjustment of the heat absorbing ability of the heat sink and the heat radiating ability of the radiator by the control of the compressor output.

Abstract: An air conditioner for vehicles that prevents icing and lack of visibility from developing on window glass of a vehicle during heating, and which permits a dehumidifying operation to be made without lowering of the air blowing temperature. The air conditioner is of a heat pump type comprising a compressor, an exterior heat exchanger, and a first interior heat exchanger, which are provided together with a second interior heat exchanger used as a heat radiator at least during heating. Further, piping lines are provided for introducing a refrigerant gas for passage through the second interior heat exchanger to the exterior heat exchanger through an expansion means, and for introducing the refrigerant gas for passage through the second interior heat exchanger to the first interior heat exchanger through a first expansion means.

Abstract: When an air-conditioner operation mode signal AM representative of a confirmation to permit the starting of a motor-driven compressor is supplied from an air-conditioner control unit to a battery management unit, the battery management unit detects power supply conditions including a voltage, a ground fault, a wire disconnection, etc. of a high-voltage battery, and supplies a start permission signal AUX2 indicative of a permission to start the motor-driven compressor to the air-conditioner control unit depending on the detected power supply conditions. After having received the start permission signal AUX2, the air-conditioner control unit turns on an air-conditioner inverter drive signal DAI to operate the motor-driven compressor.

Abstract: An air conditioner for vehicles includes a damper for switching among an outside-air inlet mode, an inside-air inlet mode and an outside/inside-air inlet mode, a manual switch for selecting any one of the respective inlet modes, an automatic switch for automatically selecting one of the respective inlet modes, a heating and cooling operation unit, an inside-air temperature sensor, an outside-air temperature sensor and a control unit for selectively controlling the respective inlet modes based on the condition of the heating and cooling operation unit, the condition of the respective switches and the difference between the temperatures detected by the respective temperature sensors. In the air conditioner, an optimum air conditioning in correspondence to the load required for air conditioning can be realized from the viewpoint of saving of energy and efficient operation.

Abstract: An external heat exchanger of a heat pump air-conditioner on an electric vehicle is determined as being frosted based on signals from temperature sensors. If the external heat exchanger is frosted, then a frosting flag is set and the air-conditioner is operated in a cooling mode to radiate heat from the external heat exchanger for thereby defrosting the external heat exchanger while the air-conditioner is in a pre-air-conditioning mode before the driver enters the electric vehicle or while the battery on the electric vehicle is being charged. While the battery is being charged, the external heat exchanger is defrosted by the electric energy supplied from an external power supply to charge the battery.

Abstract: An air conditioner for vehicles can operate at a dehumidifying-operation mode including at least a dry-cooling or a dry-heating mode. The air conditioner comprises a plurality of discharge ports including a defroster discharge port and discharge port switching dampers, a control system for opening at least the defroster discharge port for a predetermined time when the dehumidifying-operation mode is selected, and a control system for opening another discharge port determined in accordance with an operation mode and the like after the predetermined time has elapsed. When the dehumidifying operation is selected, at least the defroster discharge port is opened only for the predetermined time and temperature-conditioned air is discharged to the windshield from the defroster discharge port. After the predetermined time has elapsed, a discharge port in accordance with an operation mode is opened.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device and method for determining the presence of fluorescent molecules, locations thereof, and number of fluorescent molecules in a local area irradiated with excitation light based on the number of fluorescence photons generated per unit period of time by the irradiation of the excitation light counted as a quantized fluorescence intensity of the fluorescence molecules and a distribution of appearance frequencies of the fluorescence photons formed on a two-dimensional image. In accordance with the present invention, a device is provided which comprises a light source for irradiating excitation light to a local area on a flat substrate with the adsorbed fluorescent molecules, and fluorescence detecting means for detecting fluorescence photons from the fluorescent molecules and for forming a distribution of appearance frequencies of the fluorescence photons per unit period of time on a two-dimensional image corresponding to the local area.

Abstract: A battery temperature control system in an electric automobile which is equipped with an air conditioner for supplying a cool or warm air into a passenger compartment and which travels by using batteries as a power source accommodated in a battery chamber. The system includes a battery temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the battery, a control unit adapted to drive the air conditioner in an air-cooling mode when the battery temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined upper limit, and in an air-heating mode when the battery temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a predetermined lower limit. An air intake port is provided in the battery chamber for introducing an air supplied from the air conditioner into the battery chamber. Further, in order to obtain a sufficiently warm air even when the atmospheric temperature is low, an auxiliary heat exchanger 28 which is heated by the combustion heater 29 also is provided.

Abstract: A method for discriminating four kinds of nucleic acid bases of DNA at high speed by utilizing chromophores intrinsic to DNA. The sample is added to a polar glassy solvent. Then the temperature of the glassy solution is reduced. A (n,.pi.*) quencher is then added as a fluorescence intensifying reagent to the solution. The solution is then irradiated with an excitation light of UV laser beams thereto. The lifetimes of fluorescence from the sample are measured and used to discriminate the nucleic acid bases of DNA.

Abstract: Connected to a telephone switching system through subscriber lines, a subscriber call simulator acts as a plurality of pseudo-subscriber's telephone sets. An input/output section inputs control procedure information for the pseudo-subscriber's telephone sets. Connected to the input/output section, a memorizing arrangement memorizes the control procedure information as stored information. By using the stored information, a control circuit controls the pseudo-subscriber's telephone sets. The control procedure information comprises a control procedure program and correspondence information stored in a procedure program memory and a correspondence information memory, respectively, both of which act as the memorizing arrangement.

Abstract: Intake and exhaust rotary valves (10, 10', 20; 110, 110', 120; 210, 210') are separately disposed in intake and exhaust passages (7, 7', 8, 8'; 107, 108) communicating with a combustion chamber (6; 106) in an internal combustion engine (1; 101), respectively, and are adapted to open and close the corresponding intake and exhaust passages. These rotary valves have spherical valve bodies (13, 13', 23; 113, 113', 123; 213, 213'). A valve operating system (30) for rotatively driving the valve bodies interlockingly with the movement of a piston (5; 105) in the internal combustion engine (1; 101) has drive shaft (34, 36; 134; 234) each of which is connected to the valve body through a connecting member (17, 18; 117, 118; 217, 218). In case a plurality of the intake and exhaust rotary valves are mounted, the valve bodies of the intake rotary valves as well as the valve bodies of the exhaust rotary valves are also interconnected through connecting members.

Abstract: A rotary valve system for an internal combustion engine having ball-type valves with through bores. The valves are driven by rocking cam mechanisms within passageways for controlling communication through intake and exhaust passages. Valve seats are arranged to either side of the valves such that sealing thereof may occur. In one embodiment, side cut portions are employed to allow either intake or exhaust gases to flow around the valve body as well as through the through bore when the valve is in the opening or closing orientation. In another embodiment, a through bore of square cross section is provided to increase flow during opening and closing thereof. In a third embodiment, a bias mechanism is employed to provide torque on the valves and drive mechanism to eliminate clearances such that impact between components will be reduced or eliminated.